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Hello everyone. SXSW has been announced and one of my brother's bands will be playing at Flamingo Cantina. If you are in Austin, please do stop in to check them out. You can also check out an MP3 by clicking here, dialing down to Flamingo Cantina, and clicking on Bio Ritmo. Enjoy! Click it.

What exactly are cheroots? Those people don't look very happy.

Spain. Indubetably.

Hey, it wasn't necessarily about "figuring" as much as it was just listening. I appreciated everyone's honest comments. Sometimes it is difficult to write about what you hear, and at least you guys tried. I was just hoping for a modest discussion is all. Never really took off, but no biggee. I'm glad everyone enjoyed something!

Yeah Tom. I'm thinking about hitting that up. The only Donny McCaslin I've heard is on that Ken Schaphorst disc. Sounds good to me, and depending on how processed Matthias' vibes are, I'm definitely a fan.

That's in thousands, right?

Thu., 03/03/05 Joey DeFrancesco Trio (Piano Week) Berklee Performance Center, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA.

Is it true that Grass Roots is OOP? I was told by a friend today that this disc is going premium on ebay! Yikes. I never bought it. Should've learned my lesson on Conns by now, eh? Yo Tom, if you're reading, I picked up a TOCJ of Jimmy Smith at the Baby Grand Vol. 2 today for $7.95! Also got a Leo Parker!

The music that I would associate with that term is just instrumental r&b, lacking any trace of dynamic rhythm or blues. There isn't much about it that I would even consider relative to jazz. Unfortunately, many people think it IS jazz. I'm sure people think this is what I listen to when I tell them I listen to jazz. Then I put on Birth & Rebirth and walk away.

Open Sound Sun Pleasure now! I love that disc. I love all of the Chicago discs!

Yeah... I think Levey even took the photo himself and ran into frame just in time to point at Feldman. I think you'll get over the cover photo. Buy the CD instead of vinyl, there's a lot less to deal with!

maybe... ha!

Used bin... Plan 9. Cary St. Richmond VA. Same day I got that Feldman disc! I always walk upstairs from the basement with a huge stack. I really dig it too Jim. Its on a label called Lost Wax Music. All music written by Adam Levy. I've been playing it often this winter. All three of these guys knock me out.

13 “I Should Care” (Cahn-Stordahl-Weston) | THELONIOUS MONK Thelonious Himself | April 12 & 16 1957. Thelonious Monk (piano). A very different take on this tune from the July 2, 1948 session for Blue Note featuring the vocals of Kenny Hagood. I chose this to let everyone know that that definitely wasn’t Monk on track 2. This is Thelonious Himself in all his madness and glorious genius revisiting a favorite standard, splicing the melody the way only Thelonious would. Haunting. This particular version was taken off of the VICJ K2 and the piano sounds phenomenal. I really get a feel for his touch and attack on this remaster. Loved the comments about Ellington. 14 “Round Midnight” (Hanighen, Williams, Monk) | SUN RA Sound Sun Pleasure | circa 1958-1960. any combination of the following musicians: Sun Ra (keyboards), Ahk Tal Ebah, Hobart Dotson(trumpet), Bob Northern (flugelhorn), Charles Davis (baritone), Marshall Allen, Danny Davis (alto sax), James Spaulding, Danny Thompson (reeds), Pat Patrick (baritone), John Gilmore (tenor saxophone), James Jackson, Clifford Jarvis, Nimrod Hunt (drums), Hatty Randolph (vocals). Much speculation regarding this session’s details as you can see. Regardless, this is a beautiful big band sound featuring the thoughtful vocals of Hatty Randolph (recommendations please!). Another Monk tune given an alternate life by the one and only Sun Ra during his stay in Chicago. His arrangements during this time are, in my mind, second to none, due to the somewhat loose interpretations by the ensemble. This is not spit-shine polished big band, and I tend to like it more than most of that variety. Mixed reaction here as well, which is sort of surprising since I love this track. 15 “Baltimore Oriole” (Carmichael – Webster) | BOOKER ERVIN Booker ‘n’ Brass | September 12, 1967. Booker Ervin (tenor saxophone), Charles Tolliver, Ray Copeland, Freddie Hubbard, Richard Williams (trumpet), Garnett Brown, Bennie Green (trombone), Benny Powell (bass trombone), Kenny Barron (piano), Reggie Johnson (bass), Lenny McBrowne (drums). Arranged and conducted by Teddy Edwards. Can you say “allstar lineup?” Wow. The trumpet section alone warrants immediate attention. I included this selection in reference to an earlier blindfold featuring a vocal version of this tune, and thought it would fit in well with the previous big band track. Unmistakeably Booker Ervin and I was hoping someone would be able to identify the mastery of Teddy Edwards. This is an interesting sound due to the large trumpet section, and the inclusion of bass trombone. I like the bottom that Teddy Edwards creates here. Pretty solid in my opinion. 16 “Hi-Heel Sneakers” (Robert Higganbotham) | THE INCREDIBLE JIMMY SMITH Got My Mojo Workin’ | December 16 & 17, 1965. Jimmy Smith (organ, vocals), Kenny Burrell (electric guitar), Ron Carter or Ben Tucker (bass), Grady Tate (drums). What I Say! What is that that Grady Tate is kickin’? Damn. That is some fine drumming. I’m starting to wonder about some of you guys’ rhythmic sense. And a little more from Kenny Burrell for you electric guitar fans. This is a good album reissued by Verve in 1997 featuring two lps: Got My Mojo Workin’ and Hoochie Coochie Man, both of which feature the arrangements and conducting of Oliver Nelson. The first side of Mojo just features the quartet as heard here. I personally think it’s a trio, because I can’t hear a string bass, but whatever. That is some clean grease and Grady Tate is choppin’ up some fine hash browns! Rest in peace Jimmy Smith.

09 “Main Stem” (Duke Ellington) | KENNY BURRELL QUARTET Guiding Spirit | August 4 & 5, 1989. Kenny Burrell (electric guitar), Jay Hoggard (vibraphone), Marcus McLaurine (bass), Yoron Israel (drums). The first of two Ellington compositions arranged by the electric guitar, vibes, bass, drums quartet. This is, of course, Kenny Burrell. I knew you guitarists would identify this one. Recorded live at the Village Vanguard and this track is very representative of what the rest of the album sounds like. The quartet is really together and at times burning. Jay Hoggard is a vibist that I haven’t heard much from, but he is solid on this date in a two-mallet style, and great comping behind Burrell’s solo. What a tune! I’d like to hear more small groups take this one on. Burrell sounds fantastic with vibes. Some of the chords he throws at the group sound super complex and more dissonant than I would normally associate with his playing. I like this track a lot and hoped this would bring everyone onto the same page. Seems like a good positive reaction from this track. 10 “Fleurette Africaine” (Duke Ellington) | GARY BURTON QUARTET Lofty Fake Anagram | 1967. Gary Burton (vibraphone), Larry Coryell (electric guitar), Steve Swallow (bass), Bobby Moses (drums). The second of two Ellington compositions arranged by the electric guitar, vibes, bass, drums quartet, and an amazing take in my opinion. Listen to how mellow Gary’s sound is in comparison to the other two vibists heard previous to this track. Such a soft touch and a really big sound. This was a well recorded session, maybe a little hot. Also, listen to how Gary is bending notes while comping with the other hand. He was the one vibist to really popularize the four-mallet technique that is now referred to as the Burton grip. There are other four-mallet grips, but his has become the standard with jazz musicians. Still, not many players can bend notes while comping. It seems physically impossible and I still don’t know how he does it. This session can be found on CD at the end of A Genuine Tong Funeral, which is a wordless opera written by Carla Bley for this quartet, plus horns including Lacy, Gato, Mantler, Knepper, Howard Johnson, and the piano of the composer. A second incarnation of this quartet saw Roy Haynes in the throne, replacing Bob Moses. One of Gary’s first recording sessions was as a sideman in Nashville country guitarist Hank Garland’s Jazz Winds from a New Direction. Garland suffered a tragic fate and never recorded another jazz session. Many regard Garland as the absolute finest to ever come out of Nashville. You can hear some of that influence remains in Burton’s concept throught the 1960s recordings. This particular recording also brings in some of that rock influence. This sort of music would later be referred to as “fusion.” 11 “African Violet” (Bob Moses) | BOB MOSES Nishoma | July 23-24, 1998. Bob Moses (drums), Rossen Zahariev (trumpet, flugelhorn), Scott Robinson (bass clarinet, waterphone), Jacques Schwartz Bart (tenor saxophone), Steve Kuhn (piano), Chris Wood (bass). Programming-wise, this is the kicker. The second track included from Nishoma, as an entirely different ensemble, the second consecutive track including Bob Moses, and a title that I would be inclined to think plays off of Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine.” Very mature ensemble playing by all involved here, patient improvisation, and the drumming! Check out Kuhn, who has Blue Note credentials (the recent and debated Basra), along with Chris Wood. What a gorgeous piano sound. This is a fantastic album guys. Highly recommended. I was wondering how many of you would make the connection between the sound of “Ask Me Now” and this track. I don’t think anyone came out and said it if they did. Lots of praise for the trumpet! I have yet to hear Zahariev on anything but this album. 12 “Blues For Percy” (William Parker) | WILLIAM PARKER TRIO Painter’s Spring | April 2, 2000. William Parker (bass), Daniel Carter (alto & tenor sax, flute, clarinet), Hamid Drake (drums). As far as the blues go, it doesn’t get much further down that this. Written by a bassist, I assume this is dedicated to Percy Heath. This is a DEEP trio that will make you stop what you are doing. Daniel (pronounced “Danny-el”) Carter approaches this blues from inside the form, really projecting the emotion outward before retracting again. William Parker and Hamid Drake are a very well known battery by now, and I was sure that many of you already had this disc. I guess not… I had already intended on including this track before Dmitry’s blindfold, where he included a similar mood from a trio led by Roy Campbell, also featuring William Parker. I was surprised by the non-reaction to this track. As I hear it, there is a lot of emotion being poured into very honest and humble music. Puzzling reactions, but oh well.

05 “Fours and Twos” (George Garzone) | GEORGE GARZONE Four’s and Two’s | April 8 & 9, 1996. George Garzone (left channel, tenor saxophone), Joe Lovano (right channel, tenor saxophone), Joey Calderazzo (piano), John Lockwood (bass), Bill Stewart (drums). Bill Stewart has become a favorite of mine over the past few years. Seems like anything with his name on it is going to be high caliber and charged. Same goes for Garzone, Lockwood, and their Fringe counterpart Bob Gulloti, who is the only Fringe member absent here. As much as I love Gulloti, I think Stewart fits into this quintet quite nicely. He brings us into a chase between Garzone and Lovano based on the changes of Airegin. I’m a fan of Garzone’s playing and actually intended to include a second track featuring Garzone from Matthias Lupri’s Shadow of the Vibe, which also features Lockwood, but forgot… excellent playing all around, including a nice take on Beatrice. Not the album at hand here… I had a feeling that many of you would identify Lovano, but wasn’t sure how many of you were familiar with Garzone. Reeds players, what do you think? For more adventurous listening, check out The Fringe It’s Time For The Fringe. If you like this track, you will definitely like this album. 06 “Out of Harms Way” (Adam Levy) | ADAM LEVY Buttermilk Channel | 2001. Adam Levy (electric guitar), Larry Goldings (organ), Kenny Wollesen (drums). The first of the organ cuts. This is an organ board after all! Also the first of two consecutive tracks featuring Wollesen. Some of you may recognize Adam Levy from Norah Jones’ band. I included this track mostly for the trio (Jim, Joe, Randy) to hear what they thought of this ensemble. The entire album is extremely laid back in this fashion, and I think it works very well. Levy has an amazing feel on guitar that moves very naturally in and out of Nashville. As a group, I think the three really do well embracing and relaxing with this style. Sometimes I hear a Scofield thing, or a Frisell thing, but on the whole, Levy has a sound of his own. This is also a great album for those who enjoyed this track. I was listening to this album quite a bit when my turn came up for Blindfold. 07 “When” (John Schott/ Ben Goldberg) | JUNK GENIUS Ghost of Electricity | February 11 & 12, 1999. Ben Goldberg (clarinet), John Schott (electic & national steel guitar), Trevor Dunn (bass), Kenny Wollesen (drums). Of all of the tracks included on the first disc, I thought this was the one that would get the most mixed reaction. It is pastoral and it is mysterious. The music has such a unique sense of motion and rhythm, not like swing motion, or forward motion propelled by beat. Wollesen washes into shore with his cymbals. Schott picks at his guitar and lets the notes ring in and out of sequence. Goldberg remains a part of the ensemble sound, where often times a horn is all too often tempted to move out front. Dunn’s bass plays like four additional strings on Schott’s guitar. I really like this album. There are a few tracks that have a similar mood to this one, and there is some variety throughout as well. The record company, Songlines, description reads “hymns, stomps, hollers, anarchic strum alongs border region musics” I was surprised by the ECM comparison, but I guess its possible. I guess I’m just used to hearing it in sequence with the rest of the album, which is far from that sound. May be the fact that it is non-swinging improv? 08 “Warm Marsh” (Rob Mazurek) | THE CHICAGO UNDERGROUND TRIO Flamethrower | March 11 – 13, 2000. Rob Mazurek (cornet, electronics), Chad Taylor (percussion), Noel Kupersmith (bass, electronics), Jeff Parker (electric guitar, electronics). I love the title. I know there are quite a few Warne fans on board. Maybe they can identify the motive behind the title in relation to the music played. I don’t know the connection, maybe just a play on words. I think I remember someone mentioning Tristano though! I thought that was interesting. I do know that I like this track for its stark landscape. Mazurek is obviously playing a harmon stemless and the music is conservative enough that I thought many of you would be stumped as to when this was recorded and who the musicians were. It is a little warped, but it could pass for some of that early West Coast avant-garde.

DISC ONE 01 “Bebop” (Dizzy Gillespie) | VICTOR FELDMAN The Arrival of Victor Feldman | January 21 and 22, 1958. Victor Feldman (vibraphone), Scott LaFaro (bass), Stan Levey (drums). I chose this as an opener because I was so surprised by the blistering tempo the trio took on this tune the first time I heard it. In my recollection, I don’t know of any other track featuring a vibraphone that takes this tempo, much less a vibraphone, bass, drums trio! This recording is Scott LaFaro’s official recording debut. He is featured prominently in the arrangements, and in the recording mix. Listen to how strong he was at the age of 22. He died tragically just over three years later. Feldman is really an amazing vibist. The album features some nice four-mallet playing, as well as the then traditional two-mallet technique and some fantastic piano playing as well. I really appreciate Levey’s accompaniment on this track. I’ve read that the album cover was his idea, as was the tempo. From what I understand, Victor wanted nothing to do with this, but Stan Levey talked him into it and we have this as a result. Physically, its an amazing feat, whether they are clicking or not. As you may know, Levey retired from the drum kit to follow his passion for photography. Despite the goofy cover, I would definitely recommend picking this album up if, in fact, the OJC catalog is dissolving. Personally, I prefer the Sonny Clark Trio version. Go listen to them cook. 02 “Green Chimneys” (Thelonious Monk) | WALTER DAVIS JR. In Walked Thelonious | April-May 1987. Walter Davis Jr. (piano). This was purely a blindfold pick. I wanted to see how many of you could discern Monk from another. I even left a clue for you on disc two! This is an amazing album on Mapleshade from Davis to Monk. In the liners, Dwike Mitchell is quoted as saying, after listening to a couple of tracks, “I’ve been listening to Walter all my life and I know exactly how he plays. What’s on this tape is not Walter; it’s Monk playing through Walter’s hands.” Listen to the album before calling hyperbole. This is one of the simpler Monk tunes, which I think makes it more difficult for another musician to pull off. Most of you were able to deduct that this wasn’t Monk, which I think is very obvious when you hear him later on “I Should Care.” There is a house on Jamestown, which is an island just south of Newport, called Green Chimneys. I hope to take a photo of this house for you all. Whether the tune was named after a stay during the festival, or the house was named after the tune, I do not know. I do know that one day my house will have green chimneys! 03 “Ask Me Now” (Thelonious Monk) | BOB MOSES Nishoma | July 23-24, 1998. Bob Moses (drums), Jimmy Slyde (tap dance), Rossen Zahariev (trumpet, flugelhorn), Scott Robinson (bass clarinet, waterphone). Another Monk track to either trick you into thinking the previous was Monk, or to clue you in that I am trying to trick you. I chose this take on “Ask Me Now” specifically for the percussive interplay between Jimmy Slyde and the masterful Bob Moses. I’m surprised most of you didn’t pick up on the fact that you were listening to a dancer. Your ears aren’t as good as you thought! This is a top-notch album featuring a variety of ensemble play. Not featured on this track (or track eleven on the BFT, from the same album) are vocalists Luciana Souza and Abbey Lincoln. Regardless of how you feel about Moses’ “politics,” there is no argument from me the man is a master. I imagine they had a good time playing this. This is a quality album. 04 “Transcriptions” (Milford Graves) | MILFORD GRAVES Grand Unification | October 11, 1997. Milford Graves (drums). The first time I heard Milford’s solo recording, Grand Unification, on Tzadik, I had a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that he was the only musician featured and that there were no overdubs. This is stream of conciousness free-flowing drumming at its finest. I personally love this track for its fluidity. Milford now has a second solo recording on Tzadik called Stories. His notes on “Transcriptions:” The double helix of DNA, the entwining serpents of the caduceus, and kundalini yoga through the awakening of charkas --- are the viable pathways for the descension of the triplicity of Olodumare (DNA), Baba N Kwa (RNA) and Olofi (Protein Production). Yes, he is doing all of that at once. Again, physically amazing. Just this morning, and much to my surprise, he was featured on NPR, of all places! Mike posted a nice article recently. If you’re interested: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...=milford+graves

Hey guys! I'm back from an amazing trip to the Rockies. Blue Sky Basin has to be skied/snowboarded to be believed. Glad to see there is still some discussion going! I will post the answers this week.

I heard it on the way to work! I couldn't believe it.

What is metafiction? and to answer the question, The Best of Buddy Guy was apparently geared toward me. Honestly, though, I can't think of another best of that I own!

You know, I just realized that I don't own a copy of Stick Up! I was going to vote for Stick Up! as his most solid album, but went with Happenings because it was the last album that I really listened to over and over again for weeks. I've read that Bobby never made the album that his fans wanted to hear, something that reflected what his live groups were doing at the time. People consider all of his albums to be flawed in one way or another, in that they tend to turn toward the end, or that they have a solid string of good compositions, with a mediocre composition thrown in. I can identify with this sentiment and sometime skip over the HAAG, though sometimes I'm in the mood for it! I like all of his albums for different tracks, etc. Dialogue is excellent all the way through, but probably too avant-garde for many. In that respect, you've got to go with Andrew!!! as well. I recall Stick Up! having a real cohesive sound and think it would be a good candidate for Hutch's classic album. Una Muy Bonita! The Kicker is also a solid candidate. Of course, his CLASSIC album stands as Out To Lunch! That is the one that makes Bobby Hutcherson untouchable. So I voted, but my vote shouldn't count because of my indecisiveness.

Haruki Murakami references Eric Dolphy in THE WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLES. …there was no common ground between us, and so however much we might speak words in each other’s vicinity, this could never develop into anything that could be called a conversation. It was as though we were speaking to each other in different languages. If the Dalai Lama were on his deathbed and the jazz musician Eric Dolphy were to try to explain to him the importance of choosing one’s engine oil in accordance with changes in the sound of the bass clarinet, that exchange might have been a touch more worthwhile and effective than my conversations with Noboru Wataya.

p.s. this font has some amazing ligatures as well. it really is a beautiful typeface.

The font is called surrogate. Everyone's got to have a signature font right?