BillF

Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige)

In the current debate on British identity, people are increasingly being asked whether they would describe themselves as: a) British b) English/Scottish/Welsh/Irish c) European d) ethnic minority My answers are: a) Yes b) Uncertain, as born in Wales of a Scottish father and Irish-descended mother and living most of my life in England c) Yes d) No It would be interesting to know how other U.K. members shape up on these questions. MG would probably find question b) as difficult as I do.

Interesting! Any recordings?

Yes, When Farmer Met Gryce is nice. Gryce is in very exalted company on Monk's Music (OJC/Riverside). Not just Thelonious, but Coltrane, Hawkins and Blakey, too.

Three Lone Hill vols of Donald Byrd/Gigi Gryce Jazz Lab material are currently available.

The length of Rouse's tenure with Monk speaks volumes in this respect.

An excellent BBC Radio 3 programme on Pres in the Jazz Library series is currently available on www.bbc.co.uk. Author of a Lester Young biography, Dave Gelly, is interviewed by host Alyn Shipton.

Bill Holman Orchestra, In a Jazz Orbit (Rex/VSOP)

Johnny Hodges and the Ellington Men, The Big Sound (Verve)

Yes, I accept the points you make about about Swamp Seed. It isn't quite the album that Really Big! is - or Triple Threat or Quota for that matter. But I personally prefer it to Thumper, which is much more of a blowing session. (I'm very much into arranged modern jazz.)

You convinced me! I've just placed a pricey order for a used copy of Swamp Seed. I already have the rest of of your selection, with the exception of On the Trail, and they're truly excellent. I was also helped to part with my money by Cook and Morton, who come on very strongly for Swamp Grass in their Penguin Guide. Swamp Seed arrived today, a U.K. dealer managing to get it to me in less than two days - and it's great! Can't resist bop bands that include French horn and tuba as I'm a devotee of the Miles Davis nonet. Perhaps it was the presence of Donald Byrd on Swamp Seed , but I was reminded of the Byrd/Gryce Jazz Lab when they added four horns including French horn and tuba.

Pleased you're also having this problem, ghost. I had thought it was a sort of "senior moment" which only affected people of my age!

One big difference I notice at jazz gigs today - as opposed to half a century ago when I first started listening - is how many women there are now taking an active interest in the music. No longer just "chicks" on guys' arms, as in the old days.

People who like the Jimmy Heath albums we've been discussing will certainly go for OJC/Riverside's A Sure Thing. Although under the leadership of Blue Mitchell, it has the stamp of Heath all over it: he plays tenor on it and is arranger on six of the seven tracks. Personnel from the Heath albums reappear here too, most notably Julius Watkins and Albert Heath. The greatest resemblance is to Really Big!: both feature a nine-piece group playing Heath arrangements. Last but not least, it's a superb record; like the Heath albums, a somewhat forgotten masterpiece!

Buck Clayton All Stars, Songs for Swingers (Philips)

And ValerieB from L.A.

All great albums. Also deserving a mention is Portrait of Cannonball with Blue Mitchell, Bill Evans, Sam Jones and Philly Joe Jones.

Looking forward to contributing to your Ellington thread. Interesting to hear you talking about being into different phases. I have been an active jazz listener and record purchaser for fifty years, so have had plenty of time to get into and out of various areas of the music! These have mainly been New Orleans jazz of the 1920s, boogie and blues piano, bop, hard bop, Ellington, 1950s mainstream and the avant-garde. All feature in my record collection, though some don't get played very often! In recent times I've been mainly into Basie, Lester and the sons of Lester, especially Wardell and Al Cohn, the Tristano school, the Miles Davis Nonet and outfits influenced by it, West Coast cool, especially Shorty Rogers, the Mulligan Quartet, Sextet and Concert Jazz Band, Herman and Kenton.

Stan Kenton, New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm (Capitol)

The Jo Jones Special (Vanguard)

You convinced me! I've just placed a pricey order for a used copy of Swamp Seed. I already have the rest of of your selection, with the exception of On the Trail, and they're truly excellent. I was also helped to part with my money by Cook and Morton, who come on very strongly for Swamp Grass in their Penguin Guide.

P.S. The Tomkins/Tubby interview is at http:/vzone.virgin.net/davidh.taylor/tubby1.htm

I never heard Tubby play better than on his New York Sessions with Clark Terry. IMHO, American rhythm sections gave him what he needed. There is one wonderful exception to what you say. In May '62, Hayes fronted a British quintet including Jimmy Deuchar on trumpet, for a live date at Ronnie Scott's in London. The material recorded is spread over two CDs, "Late Spot at Scott's" and "Down in the Village" on the ReDial label. Truly fabulous music with great arrangements - the version of "Johnny One Note" is truly hair raising (what I have left of it) - the best Hayes ever recorded IMO, and the rhythm section totally cooks. I've played this music for very knowledgeable friends and no one picks up on the fact that it's a non-American rhythm section. Agreed. I have both of those albums and like them very much. But Tubbs is on record - in interview with Les Tomkins, if I remember correctly - expressing his misgivings about some British drummers of those days.

Presenting the Gerry Mulligan Sextet (EmArcy/Pye)

I never heard Tubby play better than on his New York Sessions with Clark Terry. IMHO, American rhythm sections gave him what he needed.