Gheorghe

Very interesting to read. I knew about his great musicianship and love his recordings, but didn´t know about his personal life. He will always remain one of my favourites. All the albums he made and all the albums were he was a sideman are among my favourite records.

Right now Miles Davis "Blue Haze". Sometimes I like to listen to those old pre-quinted Davis recordings. The strange thing is, that the sessions are not chronologically. On "Blue Haze" you have "April" which is from the session with Dave Schildkraut, and the remainder tracks from that session where Miles sounds a bit strange with the cup mute are on the second half of "Walkin". And the tracks with Monk and Milt Jackson are splitted among "Bags Groove" and "Miles DAvis and the Modern Jazz Giants". I have all the records, but when I heard them first, they were (not completely) on 2-LP Prestige sets with some strange covers (Miles in the 70s boxing, not related to the early 50´s music).

Of course ! I have forgotten to mention this one. I love it. It´s probably one of the few occasions where you here Ornette Coleman playing a Parker Tune, and Klactoveesedstene is not the easiest of them. And though the piano is underrecorded, I love those dark colours of "I Remember Harlem" and Ornettes Originals are great. I think, the best playing of Coleman is on "The Blessing", he plays beautiful stuff here. And "Free" was equally fascinating. We were a small bunch of guys who were very much into that music on the edge from hardbop to avantgarde, Mingus´ music was part of it, and Ornette Coleman/Don Cherry/Paul Bley of course.

REally a great one. Love it !

Yeah. In my just budding knowledge about jazz, but already being an avid fan of modern jazz, with very much interest in Mingus´ music, I just titled that "America" Label a "Charles Mingus label" because from all various artists I think the largest amount was on Mingus albums. I had and still have: 1) Charles Mingus Quintet with Max Roach (I remember I was disappointed because I had hoped it will be the regular quinted with Roach added as a second drummer, making the stuff even more heavy and dense, but it´s only Max sittin in on two tunes, the rest is a quite tame Mingus playing mostly standards). 2) "Chazz" , which is the second part of the "Bohemia 1955" sessions 3) Above all: The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (with Dolphy in Paris) 4) Mingus at Monterey 5) Right Now, Mingus at the Jazz Workshop 6) My Favourite Quintet 7) and 8) Pyticantropus Erectus and Blue Bird, those are the America Sessions from 1970 And besides that I had the mostly Mingus-associated other stuff: Massey Hall Concert, Bud Powell Trio (same date, both with Mingus), The Fabulous Thad Jones (also with Mingus), Max Roach Speak Brother Speak (my impression then was "Mingus associated" because of the political message, and because of Mingus Alumni Cliff Jordan and Mal Waldron). And of course "Saturday Night" Jazz Session (not Mingus, but I had the opinion that it might have been "recomandated by Mingus as worth listening Smile : Mingus was kind of "God" to me in 1977,78. I was just an impressed kid and thought if others are on that "Mingus Label", it´s because Mingus brought them to it or considered that "we" (the audience) should listen to it. So "Mingus" indirectly pulled my coat to Bird, to Bud, to Fats......, that´s how it was in those years for me.....

I remember this record, it was done in Vienna. And to mention: Karl Ratzer is just fantastic ! Some years before this record was made, Eddie Lockjaw Davis was so nice to sign for me a record that I had brought to be signed: It was the 1974 Jaws with the Tommy Flanagan Trio

The Tristano stuff is great. I remember I purchased the LP "A Guiding Light in the 40´s" it was a very very expensive japanese LP with a painting on the cover and a very very short LP, only a few minutes on each side. Just the 2 sessions 1946+47 Tristano did.

Thank you @optatio for posting the cover of the Saturday Night Jazz Session. And today I spinned also from the America Label Max Roach´s "Speak Brother Speak". It was my first Max Roach album, I purchased it after I saw them live. Never forgot how delighted I was about Max´ drum solo on Speak Brother Speak, it was similar to his famous solo "The Drum also Waltzes". Those America label LPs were great, I collected them, they had good music, mostly Mingus, and they were easy to purchase in Europe and not expensive, so it was ideal for jazz youngsters like I was.

Yes, I remember Wiesen 1984 was the first time I heard "Mrs. Morrisine", that C-minor track that later was on "Your Are Under Arest" , then it was for me an untitled mystery tune. And I remember Chick Corea sat in on "Speak" but either I´m too dumb to hear somethin happenin there or Chick Corea simply didn´t have anything to say on it. I just repeats one figure in a quite hesitant manner. Miles still could have his great moments, but I remember the album "Decoy" was a big disappointment for me. I liked Star People since it still had some jazz approach and was carrying further on the 1981 stuff with still the best men in his group, jazz orientated players. I think "Decoy" came out in 1984 and was the greatest disappointment for me.

Yes, the 1982 spring tour must have been very interesting. I saw the comeback Miles for the first time in 1983 in Vienna and he had his chops back, played much trumpet. Sorry to say "My Man´s Gone Now" allready was dropped from the repertory, but there was still enough Jazz/Jazz-Rock from the best one. And it was still the music first. On later occasions, especially after Al Foster had left, it wasn´t the same any more.

I spinned the WNEW "Saturday Night Jazz Session", that old LP on the frensh America-Label. Especially for Fats Navarro´s Birthday Septtember 23nd. I remember when I purchased it exactly 40 years ago, when I was lookin for more stuff of Fats Navarro (I already had the stuff he did with Bird and Bud in Birdland 1950, and the Savoy and Blue Note recordings and the Roost stuff with Tadd). About that record: The first side is Roy Eldrige with Flip Phillips (dig Eldrige quoting the "modern" Ornithology" on How High the Moon. And the second side a strange mixed line up: Fats, Bill Harris, Charlie Ventura, Allen Eager. And strange title "High on an open Mike" , and a very fast "Georgia Brown" with I think Fats´s voice annoucing Buddy Rich after his own solo.

I liked the early 80´s Miles bands much more than the later ones from 84 on. That 81 band was quite a rough one, but they really grooved and played much more "jazz" than later, when he got 2 synthizeres and had fired Al Foster and played boring stuff like "Human Nature" and "Time After Time". I think the best 1981 stuff was from his first attempts to play again in public: From the Kix Club in Boston ! He sounds somewhat rusty, but play he does, and often with open horn. I have a recording of Miles from september 1981 at Hollywood Bowl that sounds much weaker, and in Japan he really sounds weak, almost only with the mute and barely audible, sometimes on video I only see the trumpet on his lips and can´t hear the stuff. Miles was a very very sick man and I think his onest efforts at Kix to just PLAY , where he really plays some trumpet, blew his lungs out and later in 81, as at the japan tour he was in no condition anymore.

Oh, you are referring to the Don Byas-Bud Powell LP "A Tribute to Cannonball" ??? Indeed, this has no Adderly Tunes, it´s titled that way because it was "produced by Cannonball Adderly". This one was made in Paris in late 1961, but wasn´t released at that time. I think it was released at late as 1979 when I purchased it myself. The Tunes, if I remember right is: Just One of those Things, Cherokee, All The Things You Are, Good Bait, I Remember Clifford, Jackie my little Cat, Myth....am I right ? Must spin that again.....

Must get that, might be exactly the Byas-Groove I dig. @Fabio Baglioni Thanks for your kind comments !

Don Byas is fantastic. I think the most fascinating recordings are those from the 60´s for Black Lion, with a fantastic danish rhythm section and Don playing vintage bop standards, but the greatest thing is, he didn´t need to jump on the bop and change his style, he could hold his own and play stuff like "Night in Tunisia", "Anthropology" in a very personal manner. And the stuff he made with Bud Powell 1961, fantastic, same again with Bud in 1963 on Americans in Paris, or some obscure danish live recordings Don together with Brew Moore . But I also like very very much his Savoy stuff from 44 to 46. In general I like most those 40´s recordings , the Savoys, and the sides with Diz , and the 60´s recordings. I don´t have much from the 50´s , one is called Don Byas and the Girls, it is fine, but doesn´t fascinate me the same way like the fantastic 1963 "Anthropology".....

A real treasure. I remember when I bought it 1977 or 78 when it came out with that album cover. First I was annoyed by that long and strange introduction speech over the music from the start of the theme Rifftide into Miles´ solo. Miles is really strong on that, he almost had reached to point where he could get near Fats Navarro. James Moody sounds astonishing "modern" and plays some of the most brilliant bop tenor I ever heard, with all respect for Dexter and Wardell. And it´s a rare occasion to hear more solo feature by Dameron. He´s much more than just an "arranger´s style pianist". His solo on Don´t Blame me is beautiful !

This is really a treasure. Brings memories back. I think it was on this album that he plays the rare recorded "Denzil´s Best" . And I saw live Tommy Flanagan with George Mraz and Art Taylor replacing Elvin Jones. The best trio set I ever heard.

Even if Shirley Scott/Grover Washington are fine, I´d still say it´s a Dexter Gordon album. And you forgot the second side, those extended numbers with his own steady quartet (Kirk Leightsey, David Eubanks, Eddie Gladden) : Sticky Wicked and Skylark. I remember well when I bought it right after it came out. We all were huge Dexter Gordon fans and see..... now this all is historical stuff, but then we lived from one album to the next album of our heroes who were alive and put out a new record every year. I think I wouldn´t have noticed the album if it was under Grover´s name. As much as I remember, Grover was becoming famous for albums of a kind of music they later would call "soft jazz" or "smooth jazz" (don´t ask me, I´m not really into that stuff). But during that time I had heard Grover´s name only once when he appeared (on soprano) together with Sonny Rollins and some critic remarked (anyway, would you like to meet Rollins on stage with a tenor sax in your hand?). I haven´t heard more about him and frankly spoken was not so interested in him. And another point: Dexter´s "first" quartet (Cables, Reid, Gladden) was well recorded, but during that time (1982/83) that side B of "American Classic" was the only recorded document of that group. But I must admit and I must agree with @felser that in general it´s a lesser substantial album than let´s say "As Time Goes By" or "Gotham City" . I remember I was a bit disappointed that even the two quartet numbers sounded like a tired Dexter. During the same time I heard the group with the wonderful Kirk Leightsey, young David Eubanks and the most powerful Eddy Gladden on many many occasions and they cooked and the shows always reached a high level and powerful music with long extended solos, great drumwork. A long set of Dexter Gordon Quarted really was a big show and a great musical experience. He was out idol, we tried to imitate his announcements..... everything

ok, let´s make it a Dexter Gordon´s bassists - thread too (wow, right now I "discovered" that "secret" to use smilies .... ) Did you hear the occasions where Dexter had to play with an electric bass ? (Blues á la Suisse 1973 with Hampton Hawes on fender piano, Bob Cranshaw on fender bass and bop veteral Kenny Clarke, and again with the same rhythm section on a jam with Gene Ammons/Nat Adderly from the same date ), and later in 1977 in Montreux . I know that many acoustic purists hate electric bass, but I noticed that the more precise sound from electric bass made Dexter to play less "laid back" then he usually does. His really busy solo on "Fried Bananas" from Montreux Summit 1977 IMHO is one of the best things Dexter played.....

Though this is not a Mingus thread and not necessarly a bass sound/technique related thread, just let me say that this appears in Mingus´widows book "Tonight at Noon". It´s reported he said that to Paul Jeffrey when they listened to the tapes from the "Me Myself an Eye" /"Somethin´like a Bird" - session. Imagine how a bitter experience it must have been for Mingus not to be able to play the bass himself anymore, so one might really understand his frustration. And who knows, it may have been that remark that influenced virtuoso bass player Gomez to cut out some of that high register noodlin and goin back to more substantial stuff. He´s a great bass player, it was only those kind of high register bass solos with lowered action to play faster, that got on my nerves sometimes.....

Anyway Dexter seemed to like Nils-Henning´s playing very much since he used him almost exclusively during the time he had settled in Europe. About that Tokyo Material: It seems it has very similar stuff like "Swiss Nights Vol 1 - 3" . But the album I like most from that period is "Bitin´the Apple" , especially for Dexter´s relaxed playing and that superb rhythm section Barry Harris, Sam Jones, Al Foster.

It had started to become a fashion among bass players. On older records (Dexter Gordon at the Montmatre 1964, various live albums from the label Steeplechase) Nils-Henning was so young but really ready. Then he didn´t have the sound that much amplified. IMHO the only downer was, he played to many soloes. You don´t need a bass solo on each number. About Mingus: Yes, he really had it all and nothing is more exiting than listening to a bass solo when Mingus plays it. Well, in the 70´s Mingus also used a pick-up bass amplifier, but the difference is he never lowered the action to gain speed. Even when due to ill health he had to fill the bass chair with Eddy Gomez and/or Jiri Mraz, he complained about this lowering the action. He said "they don´t have chops to play the bass" and pointed out that he had to cut through the band when their was no amplifiers.

Thank you @felser an @sidewinder for your great infos and memories !

Thank you soulpope and Sidewinder. So some of us still heard the complete group early in 1983. In my case it was quite strange, because it was not a festival, it was just an evening with 3 groups playing: First the Johnny Griffin quartet, second the Woody Shaw Quintet and third the Dexter Gordon quartet. If I understood it right, it was planned that the three leaders would get together after the separate performances for a kind of jam, but it didn´t happen. I think, Woody Shaw, together with Dexter Gordon didn´t have their CBS contracts renewed and had to switch to the short lived Elektra Musician label. That was Bruce Lundvall´s label i think. If I remember right, Woody Shaw made 2 albums, the second was called "Night Music", and Dexter made only one album "American Classic" I think......, I think the intention was a good one, but it was only for a short time.......

I haven´t heard about Bremen 1983 but I saw Woody in Vienna in 1983 I think it was in january february. But he had his quintet with Steve Turre, Mulgrew Miller, Stafford James and Tony Reedus, the same like Uncle Po, or an old "Elektra Musician" LP from 1982 I have. So, if Bremen 83 is a quartet, who is missing. Until when that steady group (Turrre, Mulgrew Miller, Stafford James Tony Reedus) did exist and when or why did Woody disband ?