Stereojack

Hey Dan, it was great to meet you and your wife. Glad you got to see the Sox win!

I saw Miles a number of times in the years 1965-1970. I'm going from distant memory here, but besides "Agitation", most of the material was usually older. In the years 1965-67 one usually heard "Walkin'", "Joshua" & "'Round Midnight". I remember them doing "Freedom Jazz Dance" and "Gingerbread Boy" before they appeared on "Miles Smiles", but maybe because I was already familiar with those tunes at the time, they made a greater impression. I do recall hearing "Mood" once, but can't recall them doing any of the tunes from "Sorcerer", "Nefertiti", "Miles in the Sky", or "Filles De Kilimanjaro".

Have only heard the "official" releases. Can't tell you where this one falls amongst the others. I would suspect that there are private recordings that are better than this. I should know better than to criticize the work of a musician held in as high esteem as Wayne Shorter, but I can't help it. I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

I think you are taking my comment abouty "noodling" a little too literally. I thought that the musicians rarely found a common ground, that is, a singleness of purpose in the music. I don't know just how many of these pieces can actually be considered compositions - they are more like semi-free improvisations. Not that it matters, but you asked. If you are a devotee of Wayne Shorter, as I suspect you are, you will want to hear this for yourself, of course. After the brilliant previous album, this one just seemed too loose, unfocused, and I was disappointed. On the last album, I was very impressed at how the band was able to weave in and out of familiar material, and make it totally fresh. On this record, I get the impression that their aim is spontaneity, but the magic just doesn't happen. I wouldn't have bothered to criticize the record, but somebody else already did, and I wanted to agree with him. Sorry I brought it up. In regards to you keeping your comments to yourself, you came across as smug, questioning the validity of my opinion, and that usually pisses me off.

If you'd read my first post, you might have noticed that I said I liked his last record a lot. And, I have seen Shorter live many times. I just don't like his new record, although, AS I STATED, the problem is not so much with his playing, but with the group dynamic, which falls short. You haven't answered my question as to whether you've heard the new record. When you have, you might even agree with me. Until then, why not keep your comments to yourself?

I've actually listened to the record. Have you?

All in all, I thought this one was quite inferior to Footprints Live. Just not in the same league. ←

Well, you know, there are some of us record store workers who play what we like, and at reasonable volume. Of course, we are over 21, and long ago stopped worrying about being hip.

The Extreme raities is one of a series entitled "Rare Jazz on Film" released by film collector Ken Crawford.

Nicely put. One of my favorites. Anybody ever seen a 1960's film entitled "Pumpkin Eater"?

Nobody's mentioned Leon Sash yet - a fine and swinging accorionist.

To Mike's list I would add the albums on Decca & Enrica. Bennie was a fine trombonist - love his sound!

At least they'll be available, though I would've rather gotten them through a Mosaic set. Given Collectables' rep for bad sound, are any of the Capitols out as imports? ←

Overall, an interesting article. Of course, Jelly Roll Morton's music was not yet available on record in 1916.

Is it possible that Rudy engineered this session at the Atlantic studios, perhaps to get a taste of using a stereo machine, or something like that? Purely speculation, to be sure. Also - my cover has the stereo designation seemingly stamped into the cover in yellow ink. It's obviously an Atlantic-designed logo and such, so is this the method that Atlantic used on their covers early on to designate stereo pressings? ←

Love the stride players: James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith. And of course anything by Art Tatum.

← Wish I had walked out on that one! Hated it.

I walked out of Andy Warhol's "Chelsea Girls" back in the late 1960's. Of course, we had already sat through more than 2 hours of this snoozefest. I usually will stick it out these days, even if I'm hating the movie, which is rare. I try to read up on a movie before choosing to see it. Still have been burned a few times, however. Years ago, I went to see "Looking For Mr Goodbar", which I was really not liking, when the power in the theater failed in the middle of the showing. The theater gave us free passes to come back another time. We waited until something else was playing before we used them. Saved!

Duke didn't have an exclusive contracy with any one label in the 1920's, so his records appeared on a number of labels, including Victor, Brunswick, Okeh, Gennett, Vocalion, Columbia, Cameo, etc. Many titles were recorded more than once, so it can be interesting comparing the different versions, which sometimes feature different soloists. I've owned the Victor sides in various configurations over the years, but after acquiring this box, I am astounded by the amazing sound quality.

Lennie's on the Turnpike, Peabody, MA, is now an Italian restaurant.

Geez, I've 50 in my queue and I thought that was a lot!!!

The Hamilton version, hands down. Lloyd seems uninvolved on the other versions, to these ears.

I've always loved "A Night at the Village Vanguard" on Argo, later reissued as "Man at Work" on Cadet, and most recently under its original title on a Chess CD. THis has been allowed to go out of print, but I gotta think that the geniuses at Universal will dust this one off again soon. It's a great trio album with Richard Davis & Roy Haynes. Burrell & Jimmy Smith were always a good fit - I especially like Burrell on "Back at the Chicken Shack". "Blue Bash" and "Organ Grinder Swing" are pretty hot as well.