AllenLowe

but, Jim, according to Van Gelder the guts are not the same brand as the covers, unless he started doing that later - I do remember when I was in the studio how weird the mics looked, that the covers did not quite seem to fit.

aha! the 47 - I actually like his early stuff, the things he did in his parents house, I think it was - the later stuff has too much of his personal signature for my taste.

it's somewhat well known that Rudy Van Gelder won't tell anyone what kind of microphones he uses - and that in his studio he has taken out the guts of his mics and covered them with other microphone covers, to protect his secrets - and I can confirm this from my one visit to his place about 20 years ago, so - I was recording some stuff in my living room a few days ago - and I have two mics I was using - one a repro of a Neumann 87 and the other of a Neumann 47 - and my living room has perfect acoustics. And it was a nice 24 bit recording. Just saxophone, checking out some new mouthpieces. Later I transferred the recording to my computer and added some very good plate reverb (as reconstructed incredibly well by the Waves Native Power Pack plug ins) - so then, I'm listening back and I'm thinking - what does that sound like? On the 47 repro, which has a dark sound and a mid-range bump - why does that sound so familiar? Well, it was uncannily like RVG's later Blue note sax sound. Scarily so (actually I don't like RVG's 1960s work, though I'm in a small minority) - and I will tell you that there is no doubt in my mind that his sax mic of choice was a Neumann 47. Accented by the dark sound of his room and a little too much plate reverb. you heard it here. But don't tell anyone or we'll have to silence you, forever.

I'm actually going to be in NYC for a few days in mid-January, but don't know if I'll have time.

you know, Mosaic ought to make some contributions to support this place - it looks like thousands of dollars from Organissimo-ites, if I guess correctly. as for me, I have none - I, like Pete, tend to avoid boxes (except the ones I put out) - though, on the other hand, I sure would like the Benedetti/Bird box. It is almost Christmas, if you guys are wondering what I want........

he seemed to like our little band (trio; bass player was missing, but that's an old story); as I mentioned, we should be rehearsing some time after New Year's. It's interesting, because he's one of those talents who has to be handled correctly; he does so many thing well but, as with so much music today, talent in the service of sub-standard material is wasted. thanks, Chris, for the kind words. I await the letter in the mailbox. as for grants, the situation continues to frustrate, though I know I'm not alone in this whole frustrating situation. and, since I like to keep people guessing, we're auditioning a new bassist tomorrow......

he can really play, though he sprinkles in a little more bullshit along the way than I tend to prefer (2 minute trills, for example). But he's found the formula.

"Yet another vanity project destined for the cut-out bin." well, that's MY definition of fun

no no its FUN. jazz people need to learn how to have fun

thanks, just talked to him - on top of everything else, he's a terrific pianist, so looks like we'll have two altos, one piano, and a vocalist. Good timing since my next project is going to be along the lines of old-time song (think gospel/hillbilly). I've been talking to Peter Stampfel (of the old Holy Modal Rounders) who is extremely interested, also possibly Howard Fishman. Only problem is that I just got turned down (for the third time this year) for a Maine Arts Commission grant. Guess they think I'm not quite ready.....

yes, we're already talking. May also use him as a vocalist.

I actually like it. A little silly but quaintly so. And the dancers' time seems ok, though some of the movements are a little clunky. Reminds me of the Baja Marimba band.

ok - so some of you may recall that I'm not crazy about Maine and have had some, errrr, how shall we say it, PROBLEMS with the local scene - ok, so a few weeks ago I get a call, because there's a local, small, performance space that is planning, of all things, a Marion Brown tribute. And we're invited to play. Strange, given that in a city of 50,000 I would wager about 6 people have heard of him. So I go last night, my group opens up, small but nice crowd. We do about a half hour. we finish and a guy goes on stage, light southern accent (he's from El Paso), stationed in Portland for the Coast Guard (he has a desk job). He sets up a trumpet, an old Wurlitzer electric, and an alto. and then....proceeds to put on one of the most amazing musical displays I have ever seen - first, a gorgeous piano solo piece, moody and lyrical. Then, a short trumpet solo, technically rough but very nice - and then.....a 10 minute piece, playing alto, in probably the closest approximation I have EVER heard to Ornette Coleman's spirit and meaning - not a copy, but a brilliant evocation of the whole Texas/blues/avant garde spirit with a very Ornette-ish sound and perspective. But that's not all - at one point he alternates between brief phrases on the alto and a beautifully rough vocal of a gospel tune, doing his own call and response. and then - to finish off, takes out a harmonica and does a solo, stomping, vocal/harp version of a Georgia Sea Islands tune. this guy - his name is Spike Sykes - can't be more than 30, and is a genius. I was completely bowled over. Nice guy too, only been in Maine for 9 months. I now have a new friend, AND a second horn player for the band (and btw he went to North Texas State). In my entire jazz experience (since about 1968) I have heard maybe 5 other musicians in person who effected me like this guy and whose work has jumped out at me like his playing. In Portland-fucking-Maine, of all places. Wow.

sorry - boring day at work

I'm most intertested in the Chu and the Berigan - Berigan because I don't think his deep soloing ability is appreciated enough, and Chu because I have a feeling he's not well documented on record, especially given Bird's admiration, though one can hear in his stuff some interesting early hints of modernism.

"Beiderbecke over the Atlantic Ocean" is my favorite - a beautiful nautical solo by Bix.

hey that's the guy on Chuck's new Anthony Braxton CD - not - I assume that's the DownBeat McDonough, who did some OK writing but had a fatal streak of musical conservatism. I actually met him years ago in Chicago.

btw, and I always get flak for distance diagnoses, but he sounds like a classic Asperger's personality.

it's work - small sound and hard to cut through a modern rhythm section. I have had best luck using a contemporary alto saxophone mouthpiece (refaced by the great Greg Weir of Florida); it's nice to play in the concert key, though good luck trying to play it in tune (I can do it but it takes a lot of ear). And I hate CD melody mouthpieces. I actually like the instrument because it's a nice, little, very lyric sound (it will be on two cuts on my upcoming cd project). The angle of the neck is another problem, though I have a guy who is going to fix that for me. And they are generally cheap. it depends on how experienced you are - if I had to tell someone else what to do I would recommend a decent tenor, however.

actually they missed the essence of the whole Julie London thing - I've probably told this story before - but it was relayed to me by the bassist John Daley years ago - John (who was later Hazel Scott's bassist) was around her and that scene in those days and said that when London recorded it she was completely distraught at having been dumped by Jack Webb, and everybody in the studio knew it. That was why, he believed, the song was so effective and was received so well - the whole thing was so completely real.

this is the second time in a week that it turned out that someone I figured was long gone was still here (well, at least until recently) - the other was Jacques Barzun, still making appearances at age 103.

let's say expressive......

just imagine what their children would look like -

Moms is fine, back off, bub - he says what we can only think. One of the more creative uses of insult that I've seen of late.

Chuck, just curious - have you done any a/b 'ing with the original to 16 bit, versus the original to 24/96 and then to 16 bit? just wondering because I have been recording solely at 24 bit in my home studio and, with good preamps and mics (which I have) the results are amazing, even using what are basically consumer-level converters which are then reduced down to 16 bit for CD.