Michael Fitzgerald

Happened upon this mention in db 4/13/72 p.41 - Cal Massey continues to be haunted by bad luck; now it's his daughter Singh, who needs corrective surgery for a crooked spine. The trumpeter-composer ran a benefit Feb. 23 at the Underground in Brooklyn which featured, among others, McCoy Tyner's quartet, Archie Shepp, the Heath Brothers, Joe Lee Wilson, Clifford Jordan, Charles Davis, Bill Hardman, Billy Higgins, Bill Lee, John Ore, Roland Alexander's quintet with Kiane Zawadi, Hilton Ruiz, Hakim Jami and Clifford Jarvis, and Massey's youngest daughter, Waheeda, backed by her father on piano, Jami, and Zahir Batin. Massey also presented his Jazz Review at the Apollo Feb. 18. Waheeda, 7, stopped the show, and other participants included son Zane Massey, tenor sax; Russ White, flute; Bob Ford, tenor, piano; John Stevenson, baritone; Jami and Batin. On Feb. 22, Massey performed at Danbury, Conn. State Prison with Shepp and Beaver Harris. Mike

Quite right! "At Slug's, Keith Jarrett headed a very interesting group for a week in February, with Dewey Redman, reeds; Charlie Haden, bass; Paul Motian, drums. It was good to hear Jarrett on acoustic piano once again, and he seemed much improved on soprano saxophone. Elvin Jones followed and McCoy Tyner was next." db 4/13/72 p.40 So that's Dewey nearly a whole year earlier than previously documented. The Tuesday following Morgan's killing (Feb. 19) would have been Feb. 22. If the gig ran Tuesday-Sunday, the end would have been Feb. 27. New York Times of this period gives minimal coverage of Slugs', but Village Voice would be a possibility for further info. Mike

Yep - that's another of the same. How is it that a Limelight (Mercury subsidiary, now part of Universal Music Group, one of the behemoths) issue from 1966 gets so much mistreatment? It's not 50 years old yet. Is it somehow related to the Trip reissue deal from the 1970s? Mike

Yes, her album of F. Scott Fitzgerald-inspired stuff (Winter Dreams) is quite good too. Mike

I'll wager dollars to doughnuts that's where the original post came from. (But thanks, of course - and credit to Ron Lyles) Mike

There is only one record with Jarrett at the Lighthouse: Buttercorn Lady. It has been issued (pirated?) under the title Recuerdo (or some misspelling thereof) - but it's the same record. Mike

I have them all - and more. One not on the list that shouldn't be missed: Ugetsu (Riverside/OJC) - Hubbard, Shorter, Fuller, Walton, Workman, Blakey - live at Birdland 1963. Mike

Isn't this www.keithjarrett.org ? January 16-21, 1973 at the Village Vanguard is the earliest documented show I have for Redman in the quartet, but I haven't seriously researched this. Fort Yawuh was late February. The Ian Carr book does say Redman joined in 1972, but it's not perfect (nor am I). Redman was working with Ornette Coleman quite a bit in 1972 as a sideman with others, and as a leader at places like Studio Rivbea. He continued to do so in 1973. Mike

Yeah, they're in the basement practicing their double-bass rolls. Either there or at Sam Ash. Mike

I'm still waiting for anyone here to step up and proclaim Buddy Rich as a "deity" or even as one's favorite drummer. The *defenders* of Buddy's reputation seem to be those who *aren't* Rich-fanatics. Mike

I don't think it's all that bad - actually this was one of the first 7 CDs I purchased in the mid-1980s (even before I owned a CD player). I've now also got it in the Roach Mosaic set. It's an album I enjoy for the "concept" of a meeting of two bands, and the interesting way that they handle the arrangements (rhythm sections play behind their own soloists; how the drums divide the duties and how smoothly they shift off - the fours on "The Casbah," for example). As I've said, I'm not a big Buddy Rich fan, so it's the Gryce arrangements, the soloists (including the Rich side of things, which has Phil Woods and Willie Dennis, for example) and all of the Max that do it for me. Buddy definitely spurs on Max and they really do go at it. And it's interesting to hear the difference in drumming styles. Buddy in moderation is enough for me (I can only take so much of a guy who doesn't know the meaning of the word 'moderation'). There are better and worse tracks - "Sing Sing Sing" is not so interesting (minimal chart, no solos except drums - maybe this is the only track that the AMG reviewer listened to), but "Yesterdays" is great, with probably the best Max solo on the record. And "Figure Eights" - well, my God - that's proof that Buddy Rich was one HELL of a drummer - as was Max, though this is Max on Buddy's home turf and he doesn't *quite* keep up, in my opinion. There are times when Max is pushed a bit too far and he slips. Buddy never slips. Mike

That's right! According to Steve Hoffman, the tape box for the Clark Time album says "January 6, 1959". January 1959 has also been proposed for the Roach Time album, but if I recall correctly, the recent CD issues of that still swallow the later date (impossible since the band no longer existed after Feb. 1959). So, if January 6, 1959 is the date of the first "Nica" then it's easy to justify the use of that title for the Roach recording in March 1960. Still, do the copyright deposits support this at all? Mike

Makes sense, sure. But if so, the Shad/Time association was still on March 23, 1959 and the Roach/Mercury (Shad was gone from that company by this time) preceded it by a couple of weeks. Which puts us right back where we started, I think. Since Roach wasn't recording for Shad, why would he have used the Time title? Or do we think that the tune was retitled *for* the Mercury date and then that was used at the Time date (which to me seems less likely). Or do we go with my purely hypothetical "after-the-fact" scenario? Bertrand - what do the deposits say? How many times was this one registered, under what titles, and when? Mike

I don't see anything suspect in someone who is clearly an associate using the new title a few weeks ahead. The other thing to consider would be the time before issue - for all we know, maybe Clark retitled the piece on *April 1* and had the titles adjusted before the Mercury and Time records were issued. The recording session logs could disprove this wild fantasy. Mike

I assume you've heard the Rich vs. Roach album. You don't think that as a drummer Buddy *at least* keeps up with Max on that? If you say Ruth is one of the most significant players in the game, I'd say the comparison was spot on! Mike

Publishing a book under a nom-de-plume is kind of different from having a conversation, isn't it? A book is a one-way street, a conversation goes both directions. I've used a temporary nom-de-plume myself as a composer for young bands. Mainly so that we can get down to playing the music without the kids going crazy. But when the piece gets published, it's under my real name. Mike

And why shouldn't one address this potential cruelty by being more responsible in what one posts? When you know that your name is behind what you're saying, might that make you think twice? And isn't that thinking twice a good thing? It's not bizarre at all. Absolutely, people read what I have written via dejanews (oops - sorry, it's Google groups now) - going back well over a decade. And it's always been my name behind it. Have I changed/grown? Sure - what you read then is how I felt then, but it still had the full backing of my name then. Mike

Wow - Buddy Rich isn't that good a drummer? Babe Ruth wasn't that good a ball player. Buddy ain't my favorite, based on stylistic decisions (his and mine), but yeah, he is that good a drummer. Blakey was not a technician. He is probably my favorite drummer, but he didn't have the chops of Buddy. Which shows that chops ain't everything for everyone. Mike

If you *must* have a motion picture for the Dukes of Hazzard, why not go to its inspiration, "Moonrunners" or how about "Smokey and the Bandit" (I not II)? Mike

My copy of Jost's "Free Jazz" book somehow ended up behind a bookcase. I knew I owned it and I knew it hadn't left the house. But it didn't show up for maybe a year or so until I moved that bookcase. I still cannot figure out where my CD copy of Ellington & Hawkins is. That one I may have lent to someone, or brought to school, or something like that. Eventually I will buy another copy. If the borrower is reading this - give it back! I very rarely lend things for this reason. I should probably barcode and tattle-tape all my stuff and install security panels on my doorway so I know exactly what is leaving the premises..... Mike

Roy Eldridge! Mike

Hmmm - no permissions on that page, and apparently some folks have no problems. Jim - send me an email and then I can mail you the item back as an attachment. Mike

Perhaps you can't see .pdf files (free Adobe Acrobat Reader needed). Mike

Came across this one - really makes me reassess the contributions of Lee Morgan. www.jazzdiscography.com/Temp/NYTLeeMorgan.pdf (This is only a temporary upload, not forever) Mike

Yes, VERY interesting photo - can you tell more about the photographer? Is there a box (or 73) of shots like this of jazz guys from that period? Mike