Michael Fitzgerald

I'm thinking it's a device to mute the strings to avoid the C&W twang on open strings. Mike Yes, it's a damper - here's more than you ever wanted to know on the subject: http://www.scottymoore.net/dampers.html

Please - AAJ is way too close to the industry/commercial thing. They're bedfellows with every kind of sponsor and every link is hooked into the company website. The appeal of the old Blue Note board was that it wasn't a corporate tool (despite who was hosting it). And that's what the appeal of this place is, at least to me. It's just grass roots. The best things on the Internet always have been. Anytime something gets a little too corporate, it's all downhill. For Christ's sake, AAJ has a "mission statement" that declares themselves "the central repository for jazz content on the web" (fyi, my own site is just "a repository") and blathers on about their "unique position" as an Internet publication. Egads, how unique! Anything AAJ does is "the" or "the best" or "the only" - but in reality, they're nothing special. What was that Italian phrase of Jacopo Belbo's? Ma gavte la nata. Mike

Heck, you can buy a DVD player for less than the price of 1 of the McLaughlin discs. Maybe a package deal would be more palatable - McLaughlin instructional DVDs - $250 (includes free T-shirt AND free DVD player). Mike

Yes. The URL was http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~chambers/twardtext.html but it has been taken offline, presumably in anticipation of the full-length book. Mike

yes

Correct CD timings are in the Henry Grimes discography on my website. 17:54/6:03/13:18 I seem to recall mention somewhere that labels on some LP copies were reversed. Mike

Now, for Don Ellis, what about the mysterious Enrica album from February 1960 (with Ron Carter's recorded debut). Ellis, Byard, Carter, Persip. Throw that one into a Don Ellis pre-big band set - I'd buy it, even though I have just about everything else already. I've also heard some interesting 1963 Ellis rehearsal recordings. Don't know if something releasable could be culled from them. Mike

No tracks with Joe Gordon were omittted on the Verve Elite CD. The only material that could have been included was the rare Emarcy quartet session that Blakey did with Henry Durant. The Elite CD is complete as far as the "Gordon/Blakey on Emarcy" concept is concerned. See my website for complete Joe Gordon discography. Not a logical Mosaic choice in my view. Mike

Oh please - $185 for the McLaughlin 3-DVD set or $125 for the Lydian Chromatic Concept is not out of line for a resource that someone will use over and over again for years and years. I bought the new LCC as soon as it was available. A single private lesson with a big time teacher can go for $150 or more. And what's the price of a 3-credit graduate course? How about the college textbook that goes with it? Mike

I have the Go Ahead John book - not too good. Paging through I find many penciled corrections and question marks. Errors of fact, commission, omission, judgment, you name it. It lacks historical and musical knowledge and understanding and research was minimal. It's 168 pages without appendices. Cursory at best - nevermind at worst. Mike

I also have 1 of the 2 - the one with Monica singing. So if that's the one you don't have, I do recommend it. It also has a "psycho" version that Tony speaks - very interesting. BTW, the recent Verve CD was issued at least some places under the Homage title. See here: http://www.tonyscott.it/homage_to_lord_krishna.htm Mike

Originally on Pathe LP 10156 - see my discography. Mike

My website has a complete discography of Slide. URL below. I love the Octet - my favorite could well be the Two Sides of Slide album on Charlie Parker, now on 2-fer CD with the Strand album Horn of Plenty. That Mellow-dy cheapie CD is quite good - at $5 or so, I've picked up several and passed them on to friends. Mike

Quite possibly. I'd probably have to see a picture. Mike

In almost every case, the use of the term "baritone horn" is incorrect and should be euphonium. Both instruments have the same basic range (identical to tenor trombone). The more conical bore of the euphonium makes it analogous to the cornet while the more cylindrical bore of the *true* baritone horn as well as the trombone makes those more like the trumpet. It's all in the bore. Do not be confused by explanations that tell you a euphonium has four valves and a baritone horn has three, or that a euphonium bell points up while a baritone horn bell points forward. British brass bands actually distinguish between baritone horns and euphoniums. You will find both there. Mike

I'm just thrilled to see anything on Metrojazz get out because it gives me hope that we might see a reissue of the extremely rare Gigi Gryce quartet (with overdubbing) album - which had the world premiere of Benny Golson's Blues March. Others on the label here: http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Labels/metrojzz.htm Mike

The bassist on the 32 Jazz set [originally on Muse] is a kid from Philly named Jimmy Garrison. Heard that he eventually did some more in jazz. BTW, the drummer isn't Elvin, it's Pete LaRoca. That set is OK, but at 1959 is definitely not "early" Scott. TS on records goes back to the mid 1940s and right from the start he played with EVERYONE. He was an inveterate jammer. Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, you name them. It's a shame that the mid-late-1960s "meditation" records are the only ones that seem to have remained available because it doesn't give an accurate picture of the huge variety of things that he's done (and continues to do). A year ago I had the pleasure of spending every evening for a week listening to Tony play at Iridium with Buddy DeFranco and guests. He was outer than Perry Robinson - which is saying a helluva lot. His sound is huge. He celebrated his 80th birthday on the first evening. Back to the subject - I have the Verve LP and enjoy it. I could think of TS records I'd rather see reissued [for example, the early 1950s quartets], but I will pick up the CD when I get the chance. Mike

Out of the Afternoon has got to be one of the best sessions, not just for Haynes but for *each* of the four participants. It all just came together for that album. BTW, if anyone has a copy of the Haynes LP "Togyu" (on Japanese RCA) I have some questions I need straightening out for my Kenny Barron discography. Mike

See the Attila Zoller discography on my website. (Or the Don Friedman discography for that matter.) Mike

The Blindfold Test subject was Roy Eldridge in Down Beat with Leonard Feather. It's in the New Encyclopedia of Jazz - I don't have the specific issue date handy. Mike

I sincerely hope that anyone doing discographical work on Basie is not without the Chris Sheridan bio-discography. Unfortunately I don't own a copy or I'd volunteer to assist. Lord is not to be relied on. Mike

The Milt Ward session is included in the Lord CD-ROM (date is given only as 1977 - wrong, I'd assume considering the 1976 copyright). The Bruyninckx CD-ROM section including letter W is scheduled for any day now, so I can't say whether it's in there. Mike

That Sadao Watanabe record mentioned above is actually from 1970. I haven't listened to it in a while - I'll have to pull it out. Mike

See the Attila Zoller discography on my site for info on the 3 duet sessions with Raney. The answer is yes, all on one CD set on L+R. Mike

Just over a year ago, responding to my inquiry, Ahmed Abdullah told me that "Frankie Dunlop is no longer on the planet." He is close with Dunlop's widow Carolyn and both have been involved in the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium. Do report back from Abadey. Mike