AllenLowe

Freeman is highly under-rated, I think in part because his life didn't have the kind of drama that someone like Art Pepper's had (though he had been, as he told me a few years before died, and to my great surprise, a junkie "like everybody else.") I hope there's a good interview out there with him, because we never got it together to do this, and he was nice, smart, and articulate. He spent his last years working out in Los Vegas, and he seemed fine with it. Though he does, I think, make an interesting appearance in a documentary, though I can't remember if it's about Chet Baker or Pepper (I'm sure someone out there knows).

I love those Morton things -

well, Morton did piano-clarinet-drums. depends on your definition of "bass."

he fell in love with long distance.

actually, Phil didn't engineer the reissue - Rosemary Woods did.

I made a wrong turn on the way to Beach Boys Avenue, got beat up by a couple of wizened old junkies, ended up in the joint, where I was degraded by a series of former alto saxophonists, took parole, started drinking, found myself in a recording studio feeling underqualified, went into rehab, married my former Nanny (a broad by the name of LeTourneau), and than came here. if I had to do it over again I'd listen to Larry Kart and sell the Nazi memorabilia.

they're all gone now - Pa, Little Joe, Hoss - and Hop Sing was shot by that hijacker years ago.

I can hear the connections - sometimes with that particular approach it's just a matter of listening and repetition. As Ornette famously said, you can make mistakes playing free as well. I liked the piano parts very much, it's just a matter of increased focus.

this could be him, from the White Pages: Paul E Moer home 9323 Kester Ave Van Nuys, CA 91402-1217 (818) 892-0935 from what I can figure out, he's 83.

anybody there? Still very curious who the pianist is -

listening now - good stuff. Some of the drums sound a little sloppy instead of open - I like the overall concept - still problems with the drummer who sounds stiff and not quite ready for prime time. Nice theme on 1. Overall I like the pianist (sounds like an acoustic synth sound) - he has a few issues with developing his ideas; I could be wrong but he sounds relatively inexperienced to me. But he's the one who captures me the most and whose playing has the most possibilities. Who is he? I'm impressed, as he has his own thing. I also like how focused the performances are. Pianist needs to learn how to turn those little "motifs" into solid ideas, but he's clearly feeling his way. Still, he has to figure this stuff out. The way he plays, I think he will. (hope I haven't hurt anyone's feelings) -

it's interesting to make those kind of "ancient" jazz connections - years ago I met Tommy Benford, and kicked myself much later when I learned he'd played with Jelly Roll Morton. I had no hint at the time (actually I probably had barely listened to Morton either).

years ago when I was working on my 1950s jazz book I called Paul Moer on the phone - nice guy and much older than I thought (something tells me he was well into his 80s, but I could be wrong) - and he was perfectly friendly but did not have much to say that was of interest. Still, I'm always amazed when I reach these guys. I don't know if he's still around.

well, Mamie Smith's band - with Johnny Dunn and maybe Willie The Lion - recorded Royal Garden Blues in 1921. The Ory is significant - reading Armstong's autiobio, he notes the kind of lawn or society gigs Ory played - and of course, there's Society Blues, a very sedate (but nice) performance.

the diddley isn't bad - why do they charge extra for a 96K download? better off with 24/44. Sounds just as good.

I actually like those early Whiteman arrangements and, of course, love Bix. I love those little rips he does. Randy, by the way, is brilliant in evoking the whole feeling of that era withough mimicry - listen to the pieces he did on my Jew in Hell CD, based on I'm Coming Virginia and - what the hell was the other one based on? I'll have to look it up -

many thanks, guys, that's him, I'm pretty sure - I had a feeling he must have died, and the 2005/Arizona date makes sense, as I know he went to the Southwest. He was an amazing bass player, didn't make a big name for himself on the mainstream jazz scene, but, as I said, had a sound and conception like Hinton.

many years ago (probably the late 1970s) pianist Bob Neloms worked a regular gig at the Charcuterie in NYC, and a friend of his, the bassist John Daley, used to pop in regularly and sometimes sit in. Daley was Hazel Scott's bass player at the time, and a great player, in the same league as Milt Hinton. I have no idea whatever happened to him, cannot find any internet traces, and was wondering if anybody knew of him and where he was or if he had died (I do believe that it's possible he ended up in Vegas, but I am not sure).

Steve's comment on the problem nails it- so much of this stuff was for juke box consumption, not endless CD compilations - interesting that this should come up, as I was recently thinking that the whole download psychology is really more faithful to this old style juke box approach than the typical LP or CD project -

Cigar girls, too:

you can insult me. Trust me on this. Everybody else has -

damn...does that mean I'm gonna have to sit through The Nutcracker again?

well, I'll have to wait. Let me think about it.

in the 70's Lorraine was around, but during the day - a few times I had to drop some stuff off for her (I had some tapes of Jabbo Smith that she wanted to hear) - she took care of day prep, if I recall c orrectly, as Max was already starting to decline. but she's a character, and there's one hilarious story I've told in public once, but should not have - hopefully it's buried away from public access, though I'll tell it again the day AFTER she's six feet under (it came courtesy of Curley Russell) -

I don't buy many of these big boxes anymore, but I did note that you mentioned Frankie Miller Blackland Farmer - great song, as a matter of fact it'll be on my blues set - Miller has a web site and is apparently still active.