Gheorghe

can you tell us something about the fotos ?

One of my faves: When I was young, the leading avantgarde musician from Austria, Fritz Novotny (Reform Art Unit) pulled my coat to that record. He was pleased that I like Jackie McLean. He even composed a tune dedicated to Jackie. Well, I composed a tune dedicated to Pharoah Sanders 🤣 Fritz Novotny was a sideline mentor of mine. He made me really listen more and more to Free Jazz, to HIS music. Imagine, he played Free Jazz as early as 1959, and that on the old continent, when the stuff was brand new even in the States. I miss him. And I miss Jackie. Saw him often perform.

April 22nd: Mingus !!!!!!!

cool pic ! oh how interesting. I didn´t know that Monk and Montoliu knew each other. Montoliu, together with Siegfried Kessler (german but obviously more French affinity) and "my man and mentor" Fritz Pauer from Austria, were my favourite European piano players. So great, my favourites, together with Albert Ayler, and above all: Pharoah Sanders (because he was a life long companion and "best musical friend" whenever I was happy or sad....

Well, most associate good form with physical exercises or sports. I must admit I never did any of that, and never had any interest in any forms of sport. I´m slim like a nail, but feel strong and being in love with a very young girl, who also says the love is here to stay, I feel more importance in good sexual performance and hip threads and shades than in any other physical effort besides playing the piano 😄 Even when I was a kid or a teenie my only non musical interest was gals, and I never felt well in surroundings of men only. Stuff like football or any other kind of that would have been horror for me, wash- and showerrooms with other guys in it, oh no, smellin other men´s sweat, absolutly horror vision.... Music talk with fella musicians yeah, anytime, but I can´t say nothin about sports, about cars (I drive but am not interested in the car itself). When folks scream over some worldcup or championship or somethin, it leaves me absolutly cold. Don´t even know what happens around in non musical and non fashion-beauty settings....😄 But in my generation of the freaks of the 70´s in the intellectual but weard and neurotic settings of Big Cities and there nightlife, such attitudines like mine where not completly unusual. We were the untypical kids, who might not go to sports after school or on weekend. like maybe others more in the usual way brought up kids.

Well I seldom need glasses, but it´s so astonishing similar, the photos. I don´t have much Mal Waldron I think, I have him as Sideman on some older Mingusrecords and on a Max Roach record. And I share your opinion, that Mingus with Friends in Concert is not our favourite. I don´t know what went wrong, but I don´t feel Mingus on it. Even on the standards only "Mingus at Carnegie 1974" with Perdido and C-Jam Blues I hear more Mingus drive than on that strange potpourrie from 1972. Last night I finally had time to listen to a rarity I have purchased recently. It was not a second hand, but still sealed. Very fine music, all of them. It´s very interesting how Hank plays a much more agressive approach than in his earlier records. He sounds very modern, but it is still him, such a great musician, such a great musical personality. I had heard Charles Davis once with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band, is that possible. He is great on both soprano and bari. A seldom combination. Usually tenor saxophonists take soprano as a second horn. Because both are notated in Bb

oh, so similar !

I saw exactly that group in Europe. It was some of my greatest experiences in my life!

I think that run OOP quite quickly. Well I don´t have it but seeing the tunes, anyway it´s the music I heard him play live in those years, maybe not the Antabus or what it is, which anyway is a c-minor blues. Interesting! I have it but dont spin it often. Somehow I have the impression that it is not really Mingus the way I was used to hear him. And somehow in the liner notes, the way they listed the solo orders is very strange.

I´ll be 67 in december but feel younger than I felt with 47, more feel like 37. Had many mental issues, but they did not affect my rejuvenating. Had to change EVERYTHING I ever did, EVERYTHING. Got rid of my image coudn´t stand it any more. Started to eat only vegan food some years ago. Anyway, alcohol is something I never even taste, I can´t even smell it ! Threw away all my wardrobe, it looked to "straight". I was never fat, but now I am slim like a nail, have long curly hair, had some little estetical chirurgical intervention to make my face more beautiful. Wear only black stuff, usually goth, dark punk style and love young people. Years ago, when I rode the subway, sometimes, polite younger persons let me sit down and I happily accepted. Now, nobody would offer me a seat, and if I seat it can happen that people who sure are years younger than me might snarl at me to stand up. I love that. Nobody says "Sir" to me, nobody uses anymore the romanian politeness form of "you" (nobody says "dumneavoastră” all say „tu” what you say to youngsters. Life became really exiting, I do a lotta partying (can stand up all night while youngsters, maybe because they drink some beer fall asleep), and my blood parametre is of a guy of 30 years. Not bad. Life is beautiful, gals that could be my grandchillun ask me where I buy my outfit, you easily get in conversation. I am a bit crazy, dont pretend I wouldn´t be, but it feels better than too normal. And the °fruits° of my complet changing (I even changed my name completly, only keep the old name as artists name), soon happened: Last year in June playing a gig I met the most beautiful girl I ever saw in my whole life. Since then, we together. I don´t need my old life back.....

I love him. He lives here in Viena and plays often at my favourite club „ZWE”, I have played with him..... not bad, I have it but must admit I dont listen often to it, somehow.....sounds a bit funny to me. Somehow not as I am used from the BN label. I mean I listen quite often to other BN records, usually in the small ours, maybe still at a club where I had a gig if the DJ spins them, or back at home before trying to catch some sleep. But somehow, with this kind of music it doesnt work for me so well.....

Must look for that. I saw Liebman with Miles around 73 or 74 live. Too bad there is not "Ife" on it, and I am not really interested in older things like All Blues or Boplicity, but I´m sure Lieb brings them to life. He can play anything and it sounds fresh, quick and hip ! haha, that cover photo reminds me of a story my late wife Serena told me: When she was a kid, and she had learned early to walk with heels, she always was "the boss" at the playground. She decided who is allowed to play with her, in her gang, and there was a little boy who wanted to participate, but she shouted at him to leave them alone, than started to hit him, and after his mother told her mother that Serena had hitted him, which she denied, she smashed his toy car with her heels, the next day at the playground. Hard to believe, that this raunchy girl became the Princess, who had inspired me to compose "Waltz for Serena" for her. She will be missed dearly. btw: Rick Margitza is great ! Great to read from a Bud lover ! Yeah, I also have this, I think it is 10 CDs. On the Mythic Sound I really like Bud´s only recorded version of "I Got it Bad". And I also think that on the released Reprise LP "Dear Old Stockholm" never appeared on another record or recorded live performance. Maybe it was inspired by Bud´s sojurns to Stockholm, he played often there. On the other hand, on the Mythic Sound album there are a few "originals" of Bud, that don´t appear elsewhere, but they are not so great, it seems they were penned very very quickly just for purpose, but anyway it seems they were not considered worthy enough to be released. From those 10 Mythic CDs I like most "Burnin´ in USA" "Return to Birdland" and "Award at Birdland" which has the best playing and ......important for me: The best drummers !

That´s a nice record. Thats a superb record. Bud in very great form, a very swift version of "How High The Moon". And maybe the only commercial record of Bud, where he plays "Jordu". He played it very often at Birdland in 1964 even better than this anyway superb performance. Reets and I was rarely performed, and usually at a slower tempo. And I think it´s the only recording of "Satin Doll" by Bud. The superb photo of Bud that you posted is from the great recording session he did for Roulette with a stellar rhythm section of J.C. Moses who was a very fine drummer, and the great John Ore, who had played a lot with Monk. Bravo, good choice ! both among Bud´s best things ! This is a thing I got from my late wife once. Have not listened to it since and had forgotten about it. It is wonderful. I had not looked at the personnel but when I heard the piano solo on "There is no Greater Love" I knew it MUST be Walter Davis.

And how did you feel it. Can you write some lines, a little review, plz ....? Great News: The boss of the record company urged me to do the next album and I signed for renewed contract and we will be in the studios again in early autums so the next album can be out early next year, like it was with "Simmering". Meanwhile I have composed 4 new pieces for the next album, and we allready perform them live, or I perform them also with other guys since I am more in demand than just my own group. Sure is one thing: Lili remains my singer and I give here a very very substantial role in my projects. I also add her as co-autor to the tunes I write where she writes the lyrics. The next album might have more vocal pieces and only 2 instrumentals (a modal waltz COMPOSED BY MY GIRLFRIEND !!!!, and a heavy funk piece with the trumpet leading).

Here in Europe its night now. 03:40, normal time for me. Played a gig, great gig, people love what they hear and see, and you drive back home. Got my headphones now since my sweethearts became tired and needs some sleep. Have this great thing blastering in my weak ears, and you really FEEL IT. I Mean it feels so great and they all so great. This might be „simple stuff” but there is tons to „learn” from it, even for advanced musicians like me. I think I saw Blakey sittin down at a piano somewhere and he also sang ”For All We Know”. Sure, I have the greatest singer in my band I can imagine, just a dream that girl, but you also love stuff like that, no ?