Gheorghe

Another great of McCoy Tyner from the Milestone Years. This CD was originalle a double LP, each side another quartet: with Freddie Hubbard, John Abercrombie, Bobby Hutcherson, Arthur Blythe. Hot stuff !

The piano was there, my Father was playing a Little bit, and one of my first memories when I was a kid was playing more or less self taught from ear. My Father encouraged me, playing stuff and asking me if I can "reproduce" it, and I did. My Father also taught me perfect pitch, he would tell me to turn around, than hit a key and ask me what key it is, and I did this also. So later, when Folks asked me from where I know to Play the piano I might say I don´t know really how it started, it just went that way. Reading Music was a harder challenge, it took me a lot of effort and I´m still a lousy Reader. Usually I get the chord progressions if I don´t know the tune, and that might be enough….

Both BN Albums of Leo Parker are very fine, but I think this one is even better than the first session. I´ve read somewhere that Alfred Lion planned a Dexter-Leo Parker Encounter but it never happened, because Leo Parker died too early.

This was very much discussed among my friends at high School, those who also listened to acoustic jazz. The Milestone label was very much en vogue in those years, and Orrin Keepnews was a genial Producer. The way how he planned McCoys Albums, the different approaches from Trio to larger formations , and the 4 different quartets on each side of a double LP, that was something.

Horace Parlan with Isla Eckinger and Dannie Richmond. About the same time 1983 I saw Horace Parlan live, also with Isla Eckinger, but another drummer. This is a great record. Dig Mingus´ Duke Ellington´s Sound of Love"

Wow, I never saw this ? Mingus with Don Pullen, is this from the mid 70´s , the strong group with George Adams he had then ?

George Coleman, Mike Stern, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb

must admit I never heard the name.

Interesting point ! Well, I must admit I don´t NEED an accordion in "every jazz band" but I can even imagine that it might fit in some free jazz Recordings. Didn´t Pharoah Sanders some stuff where he also used an harmonium, so why not an accordion. Or, Albert Ayler, he had roots in Country blues but went totally free, so I think some accordion Player could try to got along with this. By the way, I even heard be bop bands with accordion in it. There is one record of Bird, I think it was done for a television Show and it had and accordion , and I have a recording of Bud at some summer resort, where at one point where he plays How High the Moon, an accordion player is added to his trio.

I Always like to tell a little story behind the albums I listen to, since they bring memories back: When Mingus´ "Me, myself an Eye" came out, I think it was just a week or two after Mingus´ death. I went to the record Store where I was a regular and Mr. Kratz, the owner told me "here is a new, the last Mingus Album, but you can Forget About it, I tried to listen and it sounds terrible, it doesn´t make no sense, don´t buy it!. Well, later in summer I thought I have to buy it just to "close circles", since I had almost all Mingus-albums. We thought, the title of the Album is "Me, myself, AND I " Well About the Music: It really starts with some very free Avantgarde big band Sound, I can imagine how old Mr. Kratz stopped it at that Point, but for me it´s the Logical next step after "Three Shades" and "Cumbia". See, Mingus was a big star in the late 70´s and he wanted to reach even more audiences though the fact that he went more into "Fusion" (using guitarists like Larry Coryell) and "World Music" (with etno flutes and Percussion on "Cumbia"). So "Three Worlds of Drums" was the next great opus after Cumbia . I head once, that the idea for this Opus was Born while Mingus during his last world tour visited Tunisia. That explains the lightly oriental Sound of some of the shout chorusses. And for me, as an absolute fan of drums and drummers, it´s paradise on earth to hear Danny Richmond, Joe Chambers and Steve Gadd and the percussionists together…..

A very fine set of Kai Winding ! I saw him live in 1978.

Bobby Hutcherson, George Cables, Herbie Lewis, Philly Joe Jones "Four Seasons". A great record on the Timeless label. Sorry I can´t post the cover.

This is one I would take with me on a lonely Island ! What can I say more About Dave Liebman than that he´s beautiful, such a fantastic musician and when I was a youngster and had first seen Johnny Griffin live, the great Dave Liebman was the second great saxophonist I saw live. The next day I had purchased the wonderful "Drum Ode". What a wealth of music is here and such great musicians, all of them ! "Loft Dance" is most exiting, then dig the romantic "Oasis" with vocals by the legendary Mrs. Eleana Steinberg ! The more oriental exotic stuff like "Iguana Ritual" and..... last but not least this extremely moving version of John Coltrane´s "Your Lady". Just Incredible. One of the ballads that moved me most.

Wonderful ! I tried to catch Chet Baker as often as possible and naturally he was very much in demand when I was Young. I see, he also had a drummer. As much as I remember I never saw him with a drummer. The first time I saw him live I think he had Phil Markowitz on piano, later he had that Belgian pianist , what was his name? His bassist very often was the Italian Ricardo Del Fra, and he had a flute Player (and occasional guitar also) Nicola Stilo. The last time I saw him late in 1987, he look terrible but played as a young God. It was pure magic. But we all knew or feared that it might be for the last time...….

I hear some of you don´t like Rollins´ Milestone albums too much. Others wondered how Rollins sounds on soprano. Well this here, let´s say I was already a fan when it came out. I think, Milestone records where quite easy to find during those days and we all waited eagerly for what well come next. That was in High School. So some from our "jazz gang" would say "hey, that´s the new one, Rollins, McCoy, Ron Carter, Al Foster", and it´s the best stuff and we all would listen to it together. Same Thing was the year before with McCoy Tyner´s "Supertrios". As soon as it came out, it was spinned and discussed…… can you imagine how wonderful this was ? Rollins was the hero of those who "tried" a bit Tenor. For those who don´t like his Milestone Albums: Sure, we listened to and dug his old stuff on Prestige, Blue Note etc. but we were Living then and Sonny Rollins was present so we eagerly awaited each new Album he did……., same with McCoy, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and all those master musicians….. And here again, you have a taste of Rollins on soprano on the Extended track "Nubia", McCoy Tyners composition. My favourite track during those days were "The Cutting Edge" and Ron Carter´s "N.O. Blues".

What a great album with wonderful musicians, George Duke and Tony Williams ! And a wealth of beautiful tunes: "Isn´t She Lovely" was also part of the set list of 1979 Rollins when I heard him live in Velden. "My one and only love" beautiful on soprano, also superb soprano work on his own "Arroz con Pollo" with some fantastic drum-work by my favourite Tony Williams. A very very good Sonny Rollins album !

"Sun Ra.....and his band.....from outer space…..are entertaining now !" Sun Ra Forever ! This was my first album and it started a live long admiration for this exceptional musician ! This 1966 band had some great musicians. I love them all, but would like to mention Bassist Ronny Boykins, he is great, has a fantastic arco sound . And the fantastic duet he does with Sun Ra, who plays that great Little instrument "Clavioline"...…..

He really deserves his retirement. He had a Wonderful playing Career and is one of the really great vibraphonists of post war jazz. I can understand he retired because he was very very busy. I once heard that he played on a jazz cruise and someone wanted to ask him some Questions, but Terry Gibbs never found time, he was Always in hurry to write Arrangements, to make Appointments for rehearsals for the evening gigs etc. I mean, if I had the luck to Play on a cruise, I´d relax at the pool and put out my horn for the evening gig and that´s it...…..

Wonderful ! When you are 91 and have a wife and can enjoy a cake for breakfast, and Maybe still Play some on the piano.....

His absolute Highlife on each Art Pepper set was his funky piano solo on the mega-Long track "Make a list, make a wish", that´s were he really cooked. And on the bossa "Your´s my heart only" . On faster swing tunes he has his own style, Maybe not exactly in the swing Idiom like it might be supposed in the jazz genre, but he does it well. Only some Drummers had difficulties playing with him, once I heard Al Foster didn´t like to Play with him.

That means it will be on Amazon next year ? I like Ornettes Music very much, everything from the first trio with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins to Prime Time. I already have on book about Ornette Coleman, but it´s in German language, I think the author´s name is Peter Niklas Wilson...…, I think the title is "His Life, his Music and his records".

Who is this ? Inge Brandenburg ?

Isn´t this also from the Gold Series. The famous "Bud in Paris". It´s Recordings from late 1959/60, some of them with Barney Wilen ts added, which is a highlight. The 2 Bud-Griffin duets are misdated, this cannot be from 1960, it must be from 1964. The cover Foto cannot be from Paris 1960, it must be Don Schlittens´ famous Picture of Bud when he returned to New York, I think the Foto was done still on the Airport.

Great record from the short lived Electra Musician Label. I saw the group with the same personnel in 1983 at Wiesen.