Justin V

Sonny Stitt - The Complete Sonny Stitt Roost Studio Sessions: I am listening to the session with Hank Jones, Roy Haynes and (likely) Tommy Potter. I bought this a few months ago for $75 on Amazon, without the box or giant book. I probably could have snagged it for a bit of a better price had I waited, but it is such a nice set that I still feel like $75 was a bargain.

Menza has apparently played in Buffalo several times in the last year, but without a website listing his tour dates, it'll be a little tricky knowing when and where he is playing. I hope to catch him again.

Don Menza & His '80s Big Band - Burnin': I was fortunate enough to catch Menza in Buffalo last weekend. I went from roastin' in the sun at the outdoor concert to Burnin'.

Art Davis was an excellent bassist. If you haven't heard it, check out his A Time Remembered, which has Herbie Hancock, Ravi Coltrane and Marvin 'Smitty' Smith. It says a lot about Davis that Herbie would do a sideman date at a time where he didn't record often in that capacity.

Who doesn't like Jackie Mac?!?

The more I hear this, the more I believe it ranks among the greatest organ trio albums.

I would love to hear an expanded reissue. When it Haynes, it roars:

I was happy to score a CD reissue of this a couple of years ago. It's a shame that Sam Dockery dropped out of the national scene, because he didn't wilt when playing with Blakey or Haynes. I need to find my physical copy to see if the liner notes say whether this was a working band.

The Dick Katz material from Discs 10 & 11

My music dreams often involve frantically trying to find a bathroom to urinate before a concert starts. That's what happens when I listen every night before falling asleep and drink a lot of water, I guess.

Thanks for posting that. I'm surprised that the unpublished interview mentioned in the article hasn't seen the light of day, as it'd be a fascinating read. I'll have to seek out some of Johnson's other work, but a listen to Ascension is in order. Thank you for the music. Mr. Johnson, and rest in peace.

Gil Evans and Lee Konitz - Anti-Heroes: I found this, along with a lot more Konitz and other goodies (nearly 60 albums!), at a library sale for a buck recently after having owned the companion volume for years. Having been fortunate enough to have seen Lee perform 9 times over the last several years, I think that these live recordings capture his sound remarkably well. Evans' minimalistic and responsive piano is a joy.

I've used vgy.me to upload photos using my phone. This is a pic of a dog currently available at the shelter where I volunteer. (I didn't take the picture, but I saved it on my phone because I am in love with her.)

I've heard only a little of his work, but I like what I've heard. Thank you for the music, Mr. Stanko, and rest in peace.

I am notoriously shy in real life, but I did once meet a fellow mod back in my AAJ days. I have seen a few board members in real life, but haven't approached them.

This should be a good one. I picked up Functional Arrhythmias and the superb Synovial Joints after catching a Five Elements show at Oberlin a few years ago.

I first ordered this box from eBay in June for around $9, which was 50 cents less than the cheapest copy on Amazon. The Amazon one was an ex-library copy that might not include the artwork. My order was lost in the mail, by which time the cheapest copy on Amazon was $23. I then found this 'bargain' on eBay, only to discover upon its arrival that it was a four-track sampler from Borders. I had to laugh.

My mother and aunt visited the other day. They arrived just as I was taking the baby to her room to change what was a demolished diaper. I offered, but both turned down the opportunity to change her. If being a grandparent means avoiding diaper duty, that's not a bad gig.

Wayne deserves all of the recognition he receives, so congratulations to him. With Herbie also in, maybe Ron Carter will also rightfully receive the honor.

I slogged through an hour of it and gave up. My goal was to make it through the whole thing, but life is too short. If Washington ever develops into a compelling artist, his inability or unwillingness to self-edit (two three-disc sets in a row?!?) and deliver a concise statement of his vision may hurt him.

Wasn't Carmen Leggio a cult Carmen Leggio? Incidentally, I need to pull out that nice twofer of his on Progressive. He was a fine player.

John Chin - Undercover