BillF

Phil the Greek Helen Sung Hal Singer

Saw that band - well, not quite. Lateef had been replaced by Charles Lloyd. Now playing:

Windy Miller Gusty Spence Gail Madden

Nice!

Now listening to: As I check out what's on at Smalls every evening on YouTube, I'm very familiar with the work of Nicole Glover, one of the best young tenorists around. Her new album gives you some idea of what she can do.

Now playing:

Now playing:

Earl Hines Bean and the Boys Boy George

Willie the Weeper Keeper of the Flame Ralph Burns

Les McCann Billy Bean Gaz Hughes

Yes, nice photo of Wardell. I like this one, too. Now playing:

David Steel Lord Copper Bobby Orr

Yes, very informative discussion of bass players by Shrdlu. Back in the early 60s I had a bass player friend who couldn't share my enthusiasm for the Parker quintet sides because, as he said, the bass player was "playing the wrong notes". Interesting, then, to read what Shrdlu says about Curly Russell. I notice that, with the emergence of a more advanced bass style in the 50s, Russell was the first of the Parker bassists to disappear from the scene. (I recall reading that he was reduced to driving a taxi.) Potter, perhaps a little more sophisticated as an instrumentalist, survived to play with Gil Evans much later, not to mention his Hard Funk album from Scandinavia. For my bassist friend the first "acceptable" player was Percy Heath and his favourites were Chambers and Watkins. In the later 60s we went to see the Junior Mance Trio with Bob Cranshaw. My friend was swooning at the bass playing!

Billy Boy Red Garland Posy Simmonds

Now playing: