Michael Fitzgerald

OK - latest draft-in-progress now online. Thanks to all. Mike

I gotta toss out one that I read last night on an album sleeve: "I think the eighties are going to be a fantastic period for music," says [name deleted], "and I think I'm going to be in the center of it." No, not who you're thinking. FWIW, this artist appeared on exactly 2 albums both from the summer of 1981 and NOTHING else in the 1980s (or since, I believe). Still around and playing, though. Mike

I hope you're just overlooking the July 25 session and Ruppli doesn't omit that, but even so Ruppli does have some things confused - It's A Great Day and Great Day - probably the same tune. My thought at this point is that this is the Tom McIntosh tune "Great Day" also recorded around this time by James Moody, but there are other possibilities. No mention of the issue of Loads of Love - which is very strange since people with original issues say it's on them. But that's one criticism of Ruppli's work - that he deals with the company files and doesn't check the actual records. Sadly, it could be we will never hear the unissued stuff due to the Atlantic fire. But we live in hope. Mike

Try starting here: http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/index.php3 Mike

No one? OK - another Farmer-related question. Does the CD issue of Duke Jordan's "Duke's Artistry" on Steeplechase really omit the tune "Thinking Of You" which was on the LP version? It's the one track that Farmer doesn't play on. Discographies say it's on there but amazon, allmusic, etc. say no. Mike

Yes please - Mike

Yes! I have been living with Int'l Records News spread out in front of me for the past few days - it was a WONDERFUL publication and it remains very useful - most of their label discographies included timings and composers! I'm pretty sure I've got the whole run - only 7 issues. So the Farmer discography never got finished. Thanks to Jürgen Bliedtner, I now have a scan of a Japanese CD of Interaction that has 7 tracks (30XD-1039). Raben mentions this issue as equivalent to 1412, but does not have Loads Of Love on it, which is an error. Jürgen also included a scan of the "Art Worker" album which purports to be recorded in Frankfurt in 1968 with personnel of AF, Ernie Royal, Jimmy Cleveland, Oscar Estelle (playing as, ts, bar), Harold Mabern, Jimmy Woode, Roy McCurdy. This seems incorrect to me - for one, Estelle last recorded in 1957, last with Farmer in 1953, never on anything but baritone. Compositions have connections to record dates from 1970. I figure, while we're here - anyone know more on this? Lord and Bruyninckx swallow the whole thing, Raben mentions that Farmer may not appear on one or more tracks. Mike

Is the location and/or engineer given for this? Mike

Now that's an unexpected response. So now we're saying that "My Kind Of Love" is not on either mono or stereo original issues? I would love to hear from more owners on this - and I'd still like to know about that Atlantic Jazz: Mainstream issue. Mike

At best, Lord is just incomplete. Information was copied straight out of Bruyninckx. Now, Erik Raben has the same info for SD 1412, but different info for the Atlantic Jazz compilation, listing the SAME version of Embraceable You as on Interaction. Raben also lists the existence of the Japanese item that Marty owns. But I'm wondering whether the stereo and mono versions of 1412 were identical and find it curious that Loads Of Love would end up on a Japanese CD if it was not issued previously. Mike

OK - this is good info. Doesn't straighten things out at ALL, but it gets us on the road: Here's what's listed on the first half of the Collectables CD: Days Of Wine And Roses [6:47] By Myself [7:06] My Little Suede Shoes [5:01] Embraceable You [7:02] Loads Of Love [4:52] Sometime Ago [6:22] So what's the exact tracklist for the Japanese issue (with times, if you can)? I'm thinking that you don't have Loads Of Love on there. Correct? Next question - can anyone confirm that the version of Embraceable You that was included on the "Atlantic Jazz: Mainstream" CD 81704 is NOT the version from the Interaction album? Mike

Advance copies? Galleys? Ain't no such thing as far as my Berkeley Hills experience goes. I imagine that is is delayed with no specific ETA. Do let us know what you hear. Mike

To those who own the LP of Interaction (Atlantic 1412) - does the tune My Kind Of Love appear on it? All the discographies say yes, but it's not included nor mentioned on the Collectables 2-fer CD I own. And *if* indeed the tune is on the LP, who is the listed composer? There's a rare chance that this could be a stereo/mono issue, so please let me know which you own. Mike

Disc 2

Get your primary experience in the world of baseball by PLAYING the game. Where I live little kids still do this (although they do love video games). Yes, I have problems with the parental micromanagement of things and the competitive aspects, but kids still play baseball. And I think the reason professional baseball has an audience is because kids who played baseball have grown up. They know the rules because they were in the game - not as pros, but as amateurs. Same deal with music. Get your primary experience by PLAYING. Yes, even jazz. There's no age limit and no one is expecting you to be a pro. The reason I think music (especially classical music) is losing its audience is because of the education cuts that eliminated a lot of school music programs. And of course, no one is saying you can't learn by listening to records, hearing and watching pros, reading, talking or writing. At least I'm not saying that. But the perspective you get from DOING it - that's worth at least half your record collection. Mike

Well, this is it. Whew. OK - now that the pressure is off, I'll have something profound to add somewhere else. Mike

Oliver Nelson is holding a "Russian bassoon" which is NOT a bassoon (nor is it Russian), it's actually a kind of bass horn. It's a relative of the musical instrument known as the serpent. http://www.yale.edu/musicalinstruments/april-2004.html http://www.usd.edu/smm/GiftShop/Postcards4...ianBassoon.html That's WHAT. Don't ask me WHY. Mike

To pick up on but one little strand: Eric Charry of Wesleyan U. has argued convincingly that Cecil Taylor was/is a MUCH bigger stretch than Ornette. Ornette has been more or less accepted into the jazz canon, while the verdict is still out on Cecil for many. (That Ornette didn't abandon 4/4 time is a prime reason.) Thoughts? Glad to see that Larry has copyrighted the phrase "just thrilling"...... Mike

Still, it's got to be better than the Eric Nisenson abomination. Mike

Et voici - http://www.JazzDiscography.com/Temp/uptown.htm

I believe Brad is taking care of the Fontana. For the others, if you can supply timings and issue sequence - to keep the typing minimal, how about this format - letters correspond to tracks in the existing draft: ex: Allen Eager - (location needed) side A: a 3:36/c 5:35/b 12:18 side B: d 7:49/e 5:11/f 6:46 I have all the issue numbers already, just waiting for the track sequence - and release years would also be nice. Thanks! Mike

I believe that's one that Brad is entering. Wait for confirmation on that. Mike

I'm back on the case with this one. Here's a first draft. http://www.JazzDiscography.com/Temp/uptown.htm Brad is working on 11, 28, 30, I believe. Other than that - info welcome, incl. timings and sequence for 9, 18, etc. Mike

Maybe - but Lester seems to have been idiosyncratic in just about every aspect of his life, so maybe what was bad to everyone else was just right for him, and vice versa. From down beat in 1956, on the subject of clarinets: "I never could find the one I wanted. I used a metal clarinet on those Kansas City Six records for Commodore, but I never could find one like that one afterwards. I got a tone on that metal one like I wanted. I'd like to pick it up this year if I could find one. Of the newer clarinetists, I'm going to pick up Jimmy Giuffre's records. I think he was the one I heard being played on the radio. He sure plays me, especially in the low tones. About clarinetists, I have to put it right on Benny Goodman always, him and Artie Shaw." Mike

Some people play plastic reeds because they are perfectly consistent from night to night. Perry Robinson uses one. So does Dave Liebman, who says: "a plastic reed is technology's gift to saxophone players. Because we don't deal with change of weather, change of temperature, like good wine and bad wine, or because the sun didn't hit the cane at the right angle. Do you want to depend upon nature when you get up to play? I want to cut that variable out. I'd like to have as clearly as possible that it be me that's under control. A plastic reed works for those obvious mechanical reasons. And secondly, I like the sound better." Here's an interesting article: http://www.legere.com/Article.htm Mike