Gheorghe

Thank you so much for sharing this great interview with us. I´ve read from another source I think, that Hank talked in a very positive manner about his time with Miles. Not like others who said Miles did not like Hank´s playing. I like very much Hank´s playing on that live double album "Black Hawk" I think...... It´s interesting that Hank at that time (1970) said he had no plans to go back home, while he must have been back in July 1970 when he recorded his last BN album. Though many say the romantic thing about Americans in Europe (jazz musicians) I think it was not only happy experiences, it must have been hard to check out in which city you might get a gig, and then play with local rhythm sections. I think Dexter told it in a very significant manner that he said "you always have the role of a teacher, you have to tell them how to play". Sure there was very good players also, like let´s say George Avanitas Trio, Pierre Michelot, Nils Henning, Alex Riel, Tubby Hayes, Stan Tracey, Tony Crombie and so on. I was very surprised Hank mentiond Cracow, but that´s really a fancy old town and it seems that Hank enjoyed places like that. He also did Hungary I heard, and above all, I didn´t know he played in my hometown Vienna also. I would have liked to know where he did play then, and with whom, but I think most people I could have asked are gone now. In the sixties I was a kid and became interested in jazz not earlier than in the 70´s, so this was after Hank was in Vienna......

I must admit I have not listened to very much Chuck Mangione, but remember a small club they had in the mid 80´s in Vienna where the club-owner and DJ spinned very often "Children of Sanchez" which I think is a very catchy thing.

I have all Lee Morgans from the 50´s and most from the 60´s. This might be the first one, with Clarence "C" Sharp on alto. Nice little record, but the best Morgan from the 50´s I think is "The Cooker". I listen a lot to Lee Morgan right now, since our trumpet player likes him very much and on some of the last occasions we had "Ceora" in our repertory.

I had the BN-LA double album "Paul Chambers-John Coltrane High Step" with the complete Westcoast Session (Quartet with Trane, Philly J.J. and Kenny Drew), ony parts of the "Whims of Chambers" which actually was the BN record, and the three tracks for the Transition label. Later I purchased the "Whims of Chambers" and then the japanes Cardboard of "Chamber´s Music" which features also as bonus tracks the three Transition tunes . I always have loved those strong titles, wonderful music. Then, in the second half of the 70´s I was just at the beginning of my career as a jazz fan (and part time player) and didn´t know much more than Miles and Mingus. So, when I saw that double LP with those players I had on the Miles "Steamin" (Trane, Paul, Philly J.J.) I said to myself this must be good if it´s the "Davis Crew"

It´s interesting it has the same cover photo like my to CD´s of Monk on BN. But the first time I ever heard Monk, (which was the BN recordings) was a double album "Complete Genius" from the BN LA series.

Wonderful album with a special story for me, since it was just the second Mingus album I got, more than 40 years ago. Wendesday Night Prayer Meeting fascinated me from the first moment on, everything, Cryin´Blues, Moanin´ , E´s flat A´s flat too........

A classic and from my point of view the very best album from the 5 he did for Columbia. It´s the best because it´s his working unit and the material is what they usually did live. I remember when I first saw Dexter live, this was in the record stores as the "brandnew Dexter album" and the next day I purchased it. The music is fantastic, but I´d also like to mention the great photos and the liner notes.

Great player. Heard a lot of great solos on the live dates with Sonny Rollins.

Don´t forget the incident Mingus with Jimmy Knepper ! But also Miles was told to be violent to other musicians. He punched John Coltrane and Monk was there and told Trane "as much saxophone you play, you don´t need this, why not join my band ?" There was also a rumour that Miles hit Monk during the famous "Bag´s Groove" session in 1954, but Monk, who was much stronger than Miles later said "what me? He´d better not!" And a lesser known incident is about Fats Navarro when he tried to smash Bud Powell´s hands with his trumpet, but missed his hands. Miles tells in his autobiography, that around 1981 while rehearsing he poured a bottle of beer over his guitarist´s head (Barry Finnerty) who had all his electronic equipment around him so this was quite dangerous.

Is it possible I saw and heard Gary Smulyan with the Woody Herman Herd in 1979 ? I remember a very strong baritone player and I think it was he. And about Dick Oatts, I think I saw and heard him in 1978 with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band

1977, it might be from that last year when Mingus was able to play, with his last band with Jack Walrath, Ricky Ford, Bob Neloms and Dannie Richmond. Looking at the photo and seeing the kinky afro hair style I think it was during that time, since one or two years earlier his hair was shorter. I remember it well, they usually performed extended live versions of the long title tunes from the commercially released 1977 albums "Two or Three Shades of Blues" and "Cumbia and Jazz Fusion". Usually they started with "Song for Harry Carney". The band was really strong.

Great albums , listened to them recently, always great

Tony Inzalaco was very much in action in Europe in the 70´s. He was or is a very very fine drummer. I saw him live on several occasions, he played very much in Vienna with the Frith Pauer Trio (Fritz Pauer p, Jimmy Woode b, Tony Inzalaco dr) and I remember an unforgettable night at Jazz Freddy: Johnny Griffin with the Fritz Pauer Trio, so I saw Tony Inzalaco with Griff , those were the days !

Oh that´s really sad news. Though the early 80´s I got to know him personally we had many occasions to talk about music and listen to tapes etc. He played a very impressive set on Hollabrunn Jazz Festival 1985 with some of his old buddies like Paul Fields. During the time I knew him, he recorded "Pannonian Flower" a really strong composition.

"five stars" especially for the participation of Sam Jones and my favourite drummer Philly Joe Jones. This is one of the greatest Bud Powell albums after 1953. All compositions by him, and they are great compositions. John´s Abbey became a signature tune during Bud´s years in Paris and after his comeback to the states. He never failed when he played it. And he kept "Monopoly" in his song book. And "Buster Rides Again" is a fantastic latin tune with the great Philly J.J. doing an extended drum solo.

A wonderful album, I think it was actually the first Clifford Brown/Max Roach I ever heard, decades ago. Great compositions by Richie Powell !

And interesting combination with J.C. Moses, who was very much in demand in the avantgarde scene. A very good drummer !

Yeah and Al Haig on piano, who of course also had played with Bird and Getz. I think Roy Haynes was much enough in action in the late 40´s, he also had recorded with Bud´s Modernists, and he played with Lester Young. Wardell Gray is fantastic here, as is the rhythm section. The ballads are great !

Yes its true I had forgotten to mention Danny Ray Thompson and the french horn player who was really fine. About Michael Ray, I saw him with the Arkestra in 1980, he together with John Gilmore were very important voices in the Arkestra. To see Julian Priester with the Arkestra must have been a very special occasion.

Always a pleasure to hear those 1956 Prestige dates with the first great quintet. I think one of the first jazz records I ever heard was "Steamin" which was quite available during that time, but with another cover than the original one. Things like this turned me to jazz when I was a boy.....

On Sunday I saw the Sun Ra Arkestra live here in Vienna. I was lucky I had a table in the 1st row so it was a "supersonic" experience for me to see and hear them in action from such a short distance. My deepest respect for the Master Marshall Allen, who at 95 years age is so much in action, he was constantly in action playing mostly alto and conducting the band. Fantastic musicians, I´d like to mention Knoel Scott on bs and doing the announcements, James Steward on ts, Cecil Brooks on tp, Farid Abdul-Bari Barron on piano and keyboard, and the great young drummer I think Wayne Anthony Smith jr. And the fantastic singer Tara Middleton. It was very interesting to compare her voice with the former concerts almost 40 years ago with June Tyson. Tara Middleton is a really strong bluesy voice and was very much in action, like June Tyson in former days together with Sun Ra himself. I could recognize some tunes from earlier records and concerts, from "Nothing Is", some Fletcher Henderson stuff as usual, and a very fine version of "Strangers in Paradise". It was a fantastic experience and highly recommanded if you catch them live. Right now they are on an extended European Tour, after this they will play in the States and in september I think back in Europe, also open air at Poschiavo, Switzerland.......

On Sunday I´ll see the Sun Ra Arkestra under the leadership of 95 year old Marshall Allen. I´m really lookin forward listening again to some intergalactic-musical proceedings, space chants, free forms and even some old Fletcher Henderson tunes. I still saw the Arkestra with Sun Ra himself in 1980. Right now they are on tour here in Europe.

One of my favourite 60´s records. I saw Jackie McLean live with 2 of the musicians involved here (Herbie Lewis and Billy Higgins) plus Bobby Hutcherson, who was on the following 2 albums "One Step Beyond" and "Destination Out".

I saw him live at least in 1978 and 1979. The 1978 was a whole concert (with JoAnne Brackeen on piano !), the second was a festival schedule. I missed a third date that would have been with Tete Montoliu, but I had flu and couldn´t go and see them.

Same mistake here. I think I had the same problem. Now it´s hard to find.