Jim R

Love that avatar, couw. Very reminiscent of the BN screen saver.

Marcus, More details about Louis Stewart's work can be found in a recent thread here, started by Bev Stapleton a few days ago. ========= Mike, I just took a look at the booklet (primarily in Japanese) for the Hawes disc, and I see no mention of Schlitten. No formal credit (in english) is given to the producer. "Respects" are given to Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer, but the word "producer" is nowhere in the credits... As was mentioned above, Jim Sangrey is going to be leading test #4...

Some months ago, I caught some sort of pop/jazz concert/gala on PBS. Just stumbled onto it, watched a few minutes, and surfed on to something else (which is why I don't recall what it was). The part I saw was the tail end of a Krall trio performance, which was okay... one of those Nat Cole tunes she does which make you want to hear Nat instead; which was followed by Natalie Cole walking out and doing a number with the trio. I think it was "Route 66". Natalie and Diana traded off on the vocals, and I found it very interesting that Diana came very close to rolling over and playing dead. I mean, it was obvious that she was singing the tune in as MUNDANE a fashion as possible, with absolutely no attempt to reach even her own level of flair. Natalie sang very well, perhaps better than I've ever heard from her. Krall was obviously letting Cole have the spotlight, which I thought was cool, but I think she almost went overboard in terms of making herself sound bad.

Thanks for clarifying, Hans. That must be the one I'd heard about. Kevin Bresnahan had it, as I recall, and I thought he referred to it as a TOCJ (which it almost was, technically speaking). Anyway, I used to buy those CJ's at one of the local Tower stores. That series was not often in stock, and when they were, you had to grab them quickly because you wouldn't likely see another copy.

I never saw a copy myself, but It's my understanding that the Mobley was in fact released as a TOCJ, in the early years of that series.

Cool thread! I made covers for the tests too, but nothing too exciting. I copied the Organissimo logo (with the orange and purple rings to the left of "Organissimo Forums") and made kind of a fade/blend background of orange and purple. I'd share it here if I knew how to use my scanner... but let's just say you guys are lucky I don't. After seeing the creative ideas here, I may just trash mine and start over. I think it's a lot of fun to see everybody's artistic designs (of all types- avatars, art, CD covers, etc). Keep 'em coming!

Bev, thank you for starting this. Maybe I won't have to talk to myself on this one! First of all, let me offer a selected discography, from my database. This is easy to do, and so I'm just providing it for reference, for whatever it may be worth. There are some early things missing, such as the recordings with Benny Goodman (on the London label, if memory serves); and a few with Tubby Hayes. Leader / Date / Title / Label / Format ____________________ Louis Stewart 1975 Louis The First Hawk Jazz LP Louis Stewart / Peter Ind 1975 Baubles, Bangles And Beads Wave LP/CD Louis Stewart 1976-11;1977-01 Out On His Own Jardis (orig on Livia) CD George Shearing 1977 to 1979 Compact Jazz MPS CD (compilation including several tracks from MPS LP's) George Shearing 1977-06 500 Miles High MPS / Pausa LP George Shearing 1977-06 Windows MPS / Pausa LP Ronnie Scott 1977-10-18 Serious Gold Pye LP Louis Stewart 1977-12-21 Milesian Source Pye LP Louis Stewart 1978 Drums And Friends Livia LP Louis Stewart 1978 Live / In Denmark, 1978 Private Rec. Louis Stewart 1978;1979-06-13 Live / Bangor Jazz Club Private Rec. Louis Stewart 1979 Live / Wales Private Rec. Louis Stewart 1979 I Thought About You Livia/ Lee Lambert LP Louis Stewart 1979-08-15,16,17 Alone Together Livia LP George Shearing 1979-09-19,20,21 Getting In The Swing Of Things MPS / Pausa LP Louis Stewart 1980-06-12 Live / Conway's,Dublin Private Rec. Louis Stewart / George Coleman 1984-04-07 Live / Dublin, 1984 Private Rec. Laila Dalseth 1984-08-06,07 Daydreams Gemini CD Louis Stewart / Martin Taylor 1985-03-24/ 12-01 On B B C Radio Private Rec. Louis Stewart / Martin Taylor 1985-07 Acoustic Guitar Duets (Super Session) Jardis CD Len McCarthy 1986 Len McCarthy & The Guiness All Stars Livia LP Jim Doherty 1986 Spondance Livia LP Louis Stewart /M. Meunier /M. Gaudry 1986-04 Paris / Dublin Bloomdido LP Louis Stewart 1986-05-27,28,30 Good News Villa CD Louis Stewart / Mundell Lowe 1988 "The Session" TV Show, Dublin,1988 Private Rec. Louis Stewart 1988-08-06, 1990-02-12 String Time Villa CD Spike Robinson 1989-07-15 Three For The Road Hep CD Louis Stewart 1989-11-1 Serious Jazz Livia LP Louis Stewart / Heiner Franz 1990 Winter Song Jardis CD Louis Stewart 1990-06 Quintet Live on B B C, June 1990 Private Rec. Spike Robinson 1991-10-26 A Real Corker Capri CD Louis Stewart 1992-04-14 Louis Stewart Quartet (Feat. Michael Moore) Cecilia CD Louis Stewart / Heiner Franz 1992-06 In a Mellow Tone Jardis CD George Shearing 1992-09-17 How Beautiful Is Night Telarc CD European Jazz Guitar Orchestra 1993-01 European Jazz Guitar Orchestra Jardis CD Louis Stewart 1993-02-10 Overdrive Hep CD Joe Williams 1993-08-16,17,18 Here's To Life Telarc CD George Shearing 1994-02-14 That Shearing Sound Telarc CD J. J. Johnson 1994-07-13 Tangence Verve CD (only a solo or two for Louis) George Shearing Trio 1995-03-01 to 03 Paper Moon Telarc CD Kevin Dean 1998-07-27,28 Venous Lake Gemini CD Louis Stewart / Heiner Franz 1999-11-23, 24 I Wished On The Moon Jardis CD Louis Stewart / Bill Charlap 2000 GIFT Ashbrown CD Louis Stewart / Heiner Franz 2001-10-21 Street Of Dreams Jardis CD I wasn't aware that Livia was still in existence, let alone reissuing old recordings on CD. I may have to look into that! The Villa CD's are among my favorites, but I believe they're long OOP. I can recommend anything on Jardis without hesitation. My personal favorite among the two-guitar recordings with Heiner Franz (the label owner) is probably WINTER SONG, but they're all excellent. The SUPER SESSION with Martin Taylor is for fans of fiery acoustic duets (the Heiner Franz collaberations are mostly amplified archtops, and a bit more relaxed, in general). I order my Jardis CD's through Cadence, in New York. The Cecilia CD is a very nice quartet date, but I have a feeling this might be difficult to find (a friend who took a trip to Ireland brought this one back for me some years ago). GIFT, the quartet session with Bill Charlap is also wonderful. That ought to be available through the label (in Ireland) directly, although I got mine from Hiroshi Tanno. I almost forgot- OVERDRIVE is quintessential Louis! Good choice there, Bev...

Oops, my bad. I turned the awesome power over to Mr. Sangrey about a week ago, and should have announced that, I guess. Thanks for reminding me, Ray. You deserve a shot at it soon too, IMO. Jim, use the power wisely... don't let it turn you to the DARK side!

Tony, First of all, thank you for responding so calmly to my post. Remaining calm is something I've gotten better at over the years on bulletin boards, but I failed to do that yesterday. I was having a bad morning to begin with, tried to tell myself not to post angry... and failed to stifle myself. So, I apologize for that. I'm still a trifle frustrated about a few things, but some of that is based on misunderstandings in the way we interpret each others' statements. I think we were both guilty of that. At any rate, I think it's probably best to agree that we see things differently in some ways regarding guitar-related topics, and not try to hash it out any further. Bottom line is that I'm still hoping to get more folks (including you) interested in some artists I've enjoyed, and I'm glad to know that you're interested in checking out more Breakstone, for example. ============= Dan, Louis has not done an all-Brazilian session, but he has recorded a fair number of Brazilian tunes (mostly Jobim) over the years. Anyway, good idea- I've thought about that possibility myself a number of times. I met Louis once (in SF in '95, while he was on tour with George Shearing), but wasn't able to spend much time talking that night. If I'd had more time, this is something I probably would have suggested to him.

Bev, I can't really explain the disappearance of Bickert's recordings. I've seen it happen with other artists, though (pretty tough to find many Jimmy Raney discs these days... at least where I shop). I can tell you, however, that Bickert has apparently retired from performing (not sure about recording, but my impression was that he was ceasing that too... could be wrong). GUITAR MASTERY is pretty nice. Not the best sound quality, to my ears, and not necessarily his best work, but quite good.

Tony posted: Yes, I was fooled at first. For me, the "singular voice" of Grant is his 60's style/sound, not the funkier style of the 70's, which for me was less uniquely Grant and featured a broader style of playing. I don't listen to that as much, thus my initial failure to recognize it. I did decide it was Grant (with some help from you and perhaps others) before Dan revealed the answers. So... you're proud of yourself for being lucky... ??? I'm not convinced I could do that either. I didn't say that I could. Go back and read what I said. I didn't say anything about how well I could do in a blindfold test identifying guitarists. It may have come across as bragging, but I was simply stating a fact (that I can identify many jazz guitarists who don't use effects). Some I can recognize more quickly than others, some after a few notes, some after a few songs. Look, I'm trying to be positive here, Tony. When I said I thought you could recognize Breakstone with more exposure, I meant that in an encouraging way. I wasn't "guaranteeing" it. You can doubt me (and yourself) on the likelihood, if that's your preference. So, I shouldn't be insulted when being told to "get real" by someone who distorts what I say and misses the point? I know you probably didn't intend to insult me, Tony, but I think the "grounding in reality" part was a cheap shot, and uncalled for (and frankly, colored my mood as I assembled this post).

Tony, this is fun, and I know I can argue with you without any fear of hard feelings developing. First about the Bickert - my intention was not to say his playing is always like Hall's, but here, darn it, he sounds a heck of a lot like him. Sounds like Hall from what session? What year? When I think of Hall these days, I think of a much different sound- and more importantly, approach. Hall, as you said, is more "adventurous". Bickert does do some interesting things on this in terms of harmony, but he doesn't get dissonant and play "out" the way Hall does. So, again, I think it's more of an apt comparison if you're talking about Hall at some point in the distant past. My hunch is that on the blindfold cut, given the setting, he either consciously or unconsciously adopted some of the mannerisms of the Hall/Evans collaboration. Pretty bold hunch, IMO. Bickert plays on this track pretty much in the same style he always plays in (or at least a high percentage of the time... I've probably heard most of Bickert's recordings, but not all). He hasn't altered his sound in ages, either, the way Hall has. Compounding the problem, many of these guitarists also use pretty "orthodox" bop guitar phrasing. Oh come on, Tony. That's the kind of stereotype that I was talking about. Tell me there aren't an equivalent percentage of saxophonists or trumpeters who employ "orthodox" bop phrasing. John Scofield- I'm not a fan (never dug his sound), but I'm one who has stood up for his (and others') right (duh- to those who would disagree on this!) to color his sound. My point is NOT that guitarists "should" plug an archtop into an amp and start playing. My point is that I CAN hear subtle differences between many (not all) guitarists who do, and I wish more people could/would pay attention enough to appreciate that for themselves. It goes beyond a distinction between different players- it manifests itself when a player changes guitars as well. Kenny Burrell is an example I've used. He played different guitars throughout his career- all archtops- and got distinctly different sounds with them. I stand firm by my comment that there are only a relative handful of truly distinctive sounds out there for jazz guitarists that can be identified with a blindfold type setting (especially those with a more or less traditional approach and tone) when compared against saxophonists and trumpeters (not all of those folks are distinctive either, but there is a much greater relative number of unique voices to me). Fair enough, but really Tony- if you can't pick Joshua Breakstone out of a crowd, it's probably because you haven't listened to him long enough (not that you necessarily should, but no other guitarist sounds just like him). I feel strongly about his distinctive sound (not just tone, but the whole deal). I think he's way above the crowd in that regard, and I think he deserves a lot of credit for having honed a unique sound. It may be partly due to differences in our hearing, but I'm going to insist that it's a lack of exposure on your part (again, that's not a put-down). I think we just fundamentally (and hopefully amiably) disagree on many issues here, Jim. As one example, for my money Hall is not only one of the singularly unique voices on the guitar in the "legit sound" school - his playing has also become far more adventurous over the years. If anything, he's an even greater musician now than he was in the past Bad example, Tony. I don't disagree with anything you just said about Hall. I was the one who pointed out that Hall has become more adventurous over the years. He IS a great musician. I said I've never cared much for him (just personal taste), but I DO respect him a great deal. The proof is in the pudding - most people here did very poorly in identifying the guitarists in your blindfold disc and did relatively better with the horn players. Tony, this may prove that we have relatively few jazz guitar fans here on the board, not necessarily that guitarists are inherently less recognizeable. That's sort of the whole point- I'm trying to create MORE interest, and do my best to combat some annoying stereotypes. Thanks for the dialog!

As long as I'm "sparring" with Tony here I might as well post something I'd saved since last week... I think the following grew out of a comment about Joshua Breakstone's sound. I'll preface by saying that Breakstone is easily one of the most recognizable guitarists in jazz today (to my ears). I can recognize him as instantly as Grant Green, or Wes, or Kenny Burrell. Of course, I've been a big fan of his (and seen him live several times) since the mid-80's... Tony Jerant posted on the "guesses" thread: “I find very few guitarists have a unique, easily identifiable sound.” I don’t mean to pick on Tony here, and he may have meant this as a personal opinion (speakiing only of his own experiences in listening to guitarists, which I wouldn’t necessarily “challenge” him on), but in a way, think that this is a general misconception. Over the years, I have frequently heard people (in derogatory fashion) lump “jazz guitar” into a single sound category, as if it all sounds the same. Of course, everyone’s ears function in different ways, both in terms of taste as well as sensitivity to (and appreciation for) certain sounds. In addition, some people have spent more time than others in listening carefully to different guitarists. This is the key, IMO. I realize that I'm abnormal in terms of my attraction to jazz guitar music, but I feel a need to speak on topics like this. My experience with this subgenre has given me more confidence to express myself than in any other area of jazz. So, that's where the 'tude is coming from. I think this is a fascinating topic- the subject of tone creation and differentiation in jazz (with regard to all instruments), and how it is possible to create (from the players’ standpoint) and distinguish (from the listeners’ standpoint) these sounds. Analyzing this phenomenon within the category of any particular instrument is both scientifically interesting as well as mysterious, I think. In terms of the guitar, there is probably an above-average range of possible sounds as compared to other instruments (or so it would seem to me). In other words, there are a greater variety of instrument designs and variations within the guitar family than most of the other major instruments used in jazz. Now I know that all brass instruments (and mouthpieces), all saxophones (and reeds), all pianos (etc, etc) are not created equal, but there is less natural tonal variation in most of these instruments compared to that of the guitar family (and amps enter the picture as well) and probably less options for altering the sound. For example, how many instruments have a "tone" control? edit: BTW, my area of interest doesn't even include the world of "effects" in jazz guitar. I think I pointed this out in a guitar thread a few months ago... to me, there are discernable differences in the personal tonal stamps of most (not all) guitarists who simply plug an archtop into an amp and play clean. Subtle sometimes, but definitely noticeable the more time you spend listening.

I've not heard DAYS GONE BY. As I've already said, I think Bickert has some distinct differences from Hall, so I'm a tad uncomfortable with the "ringer for Hall" comment. Bickert is a contemporary of Hall's (born only two years after him), and as far as I know was not significantly influenced by Hall. I gather that they developed their similarities independently. Most everybody is more familiar with Hall (which is understandable), and thus I think it's assumed (especially since they both were associated with Desmond, and Hall had that gig ten years earlier) that Hall was a big influence. At any rate, to my ears Bickert has an individual voice- different tone, different feel, different chordal style from Hall. Bickert is one of my all-time favorites, and I've never really warmed much to Hall, so they can't be that similar. I would have to hear DAYS GONE BY to be sure, but I suspect that Bickert's playing on that is more of an excursion/experiment, as opposed to his "normal" voice (IOW, it may be an "individual" voice, but perhaps not his "normal" voice). BTW, I think the "ringer for Hall" comment might make more sense to me if Jim Hall was still the same musician he was, say in1964. Nowadays (and for many years past), he reminds me very little of Bickert.

You wanna see EVIL? If I ever get to do another test, you're not getting your disc for at least a MONTH after everybody else, Sangrey!! (Of course, with YOUR intuitive powers, you probably already know what pieces I would select, and possibly the sequence I would record them in! ) Don Wilner- Musical director at Miami's Van Dyke Cafe; Native of NY (C?); Came to Florida to study classical music at the U. of Miami (holds a doctorate); Performs with local orchestras, but is developing as a jazz bassist. Not sure about any connection with Hal W. My recommendation to anyone who's curious to know more- ask Eddie when you write to him to order this private CD (yeah, yeah, I know that was evil to sample a private CD). Seriously, as I've mentioned on the board previously, I have both of Eddie's addresses (Cape Cod and Florida). He sells all of his CD's via the mail, and enjoys correspondence... and is an EXTREMELY nice gentleman.

Joe, I hear you. BTW, you're too modest. Ray, some folks may not have nailed 11 out of 16 (like one of our esteemed colleagues did), but everybody had their clever comments and interesting insights. Like I said at the top, I wish I had time to address every one of 'em. At any rate, if you're like me, you gotta be proud of those "little victories"! Bev, I'm glad to hear about your getting reacquainted with Louis. OVERDRIVE (for those who aren't familiar with it) is dynamite, IMO. A live trio date where Louis really cuts loose and displays his chops in his most comfortable setting- BEBOP. That CD is one where a Pat Martino comparison would be more accurate, I think, although in no way do those two players sound the same. They both have supreme flatpicking chops- that's the primary similarity. Louis is more versatile than Pat, and that's not to knock Pat. Louis' style includes more variety, including those amazing Wes-like chordal solos. At any rate, this Villa CD (now OOP) is more laid back overall, and for those of you who dug this version of "The Dolphin", I hope you'll return to it from time to time. I've had this for 10 years, and I like it more now than I ever have.

Interesting. Elaborate if you'd care to, Joe. Unless you're talking more about tone, I might disagree, only because Bickert tends to emphasize chordal playing (even in his solos) more than Raney. He also is more relaxed/legato than either Raney or Hall, but perhaps more like Hall in that sense. (Generalizing here, of course)

AB, thanks a lot. Fortunately, since my last post I've received an e-mail from the friends in Murrieta. They feel "surrounded", but are doing fine thus far. Apparently the closest any blaze got to their place was about 20 miles away. Scary stuff. Thanks again, best wishes to all.

In case anybody missed it... I POSTED THE ANSWERS!! (In another thread, natch).

Come on... it wasn't THAT boring, was it?

Here goes... First of all, I wish I had time to go through everyone’s posts and respond to every interesting comment in every post. There were a lot of them! Instead, maybe you guys can help me out in the following discussion phase by comparing your own initial reactions to these answers and pointing out anything you now find interesting or surprising (and of course respond to any of my comments below, in italics). 1. Vince Guaraldi - Samba de orfeu (Luiz Bonfa) - from “Cast Your Fate To The Wind (Jazz Impressions Of Black Orpheus)” (Fantasy) Vince Guaraldi (p), Monty Budwig (b ), Colin Bailey (d). Recorded 1962 When I think of the word “swinging”, this track is one of the first things that comes to mind for me. I wish Guaraldi had recorded more, and gotten more attention over the years beyond the connection with the “Peanuts” soundtracks (which I enjoyed too). 2. Lem Winchester - Why don’t they understand (Henderson / Fishman) - from “With Feeling” (Moodsville) Lem Winchester (vib), Richard Wyands (p), George Duvivier (b ), Roy Haynes (d). Recorded 1960 Quite a few people said this tune sounded familiar... and suggested it could be a standard. I wonder... I had never heard of the song until I got this CD, but a little research suggests that this was a country (!) hit back in the late 50’s, for a guy named George Hamilton IV. Not the actor with the ridiculously permanent tan, I presume. Petula “Downtown” Clark also recorded it, apparently. I like the tune, but my main purpose was just to sneak in a nice example of Lem’s playing, and this is from my favorite Winchester album. 3. Lee Morgan - Bess (Lee Morgan) - from “Here's Lee Morgan” (Vee Jay) Lee Morgan (tpt), Clifford Jordan (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b ), Art Blakey (d). Recorded 1960 I’ve always liked this tune, and since it doesn’t get mentioned very often in Lee Morgan threads, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share it. It also features the twist of the muted trumpet; a somewhat undersung tenor man whose distinctive sound I love; and a rhythm section to die for (even if Blakey is a bit out of his normal “volcano” element on this ). 4. Louis Stewart - The dolphin (Luiz Eça) - from “String Time” (Villa) Louis Stewart (g), Knut Mikalsen (rhythm g), Terje Venaas (b ), Ole Jacob Hansen (d). Recorded 1988 I’ve written about this one on the boards a few times. This is a unique recording. First of all, you have an (albeit acclaimed in hardcore jazz guitar circles) obscure Irish bebop guitarist playing a Brazilian piece with a group of Norwegian musicians- recording IN NORWAY. Let’s face it, that might have been a recipe for disaster, instead this is one of my favorite solos in the history of jazz on the guitar. This tune is a bitch to solo on- perhaps some of you musicians who have tried playing it might agree on that. Not only does Louis fluently navigate the changes, but he does it with great style and cohesiveness, surpassing even the Getz and Bill Evans versions, IMO. 5. Benny Golson - How am I to know (Jack King / Dorothy Parker) - from “Turning Point” (Mercury) Benny Golson (ts), Wynton Kelly (p), Paul Chambers (b ), Jimmy Cobb (d). Recorded 1962 Another player who doesn’t get enough props, IMO. He gets them for his composing, but not so much for his playing. The cat had/has his own thing, his own sound, and to me it’s always been exhilarating. Relatively obscure album (on CD from Japan only) 6. Eddie Higgins - Favela (aka “O morro nao tem vez”) (Antonio Carlos Jobim) - from “Live at the Van Dyke Cafe” (Soyka - Wilner) Eddie Higgins (p), Don Wilner (b ). Recorded 1999 E.H. is one of the most versatile and talented jazz piano veterans out there. He’s another relatively low-profile guy (just like Louis Stewart), but it’s worth it to seek out his work. Hopefully, everybody will soon get a chance to read Dan Gould’s interview/blindfold test with Eddie from this past Spring (including the interesting story about Eddie declining the offer to join the group of a certain legendary jazz leader). BTW, the Van Dyke Cafe is in Miami, so maybe there was some sort of Florida Kharma going on with those Nat Adderley quotes... 7. Bill Mays / Ed Bickert - Sometime ago (Sergio Mihanovich) - from “Bill Mays / Ed Bickert” (Concord) Ed Bickert (g), Bill Mays (p). Recorded 1994 Ed Bickert... another low profile, under-appreciated master, in this case, from Canada. I really love this tune, and really love this performance of it, and was kind of curious to see how many people knew the song. Bickert’s intro on this just kills me. His style and sound are akin to Jim Hall as some suggested, but his tone is generally brighter (he uses a Fender Telecaster- a solidbody guitar, BTW), and his playing is less often dissonant, less “progressive” than Hall’s, and generally a little more lyrical, I think. For those who dig the Desmond/Hall Mosaic set, and who enjoyed this, you will want to look for Bickert’s 1970’s work with Desmond on various labels (A&M/Verve; CTI; Telarc). Personally, I like these even better than Desmond’s collaberations with Hall. 8. Harry Allen - Chega de saudade (aka “No more blues”) (Antonio Carlos Jobim / Vinicius de Moraes) - from “Eu Nao Quero Dançar (I Won't Dance)” (RCA Victor) Harry Allen (ts), Larry Goldings (p), Dori Caymmi (ac g), Joe Cohn (el g), Dennis Irwin (b ), Duduka Da Fonseca (perc), Maucha Adnet (voc). Recorded 1997 The classic Bossa Nova anthem that Joao Gilberto made famous in Brazil. Not my favorite version, but I wanted to add some mystery as well as a jazz element. This recording is relatively new to me, as is Harry Allen. This may not even be the best cut on the CD, which is not just any “jazzman goes Brazilian” CD. Allen really knows this music, and the supporting cast here (a member of Brazil’s legendary Caymmi family; a great Brazilian percussionist; and a vocalist who was in Jobim’s “Banda Nova”) is the real deal. Larry Goldings on piano (he did a Brazilian CD on organ- “Caminhos Cruzados”, which is excellent). Guitarist Joe Cohn is the son of tenor great Al Cohn, BTW. 9. Frank Strozier - Just think it over (Frank Strozier) - from “Long Night” (Jazzland / Milestone) Frank Strozier (as), George Coleman (ts), Pat Patrick (bs), Chris Anderson (p), Bill Lee (b ), Walter Perkins (d). Recorded 1961 I’ve recently become more and more of a Strozier fan, and this track seemed to fit in nicely with some of my other jazz choices. Nice piece of writing from Strozier, I thought. 10. Barney Kessel - Aquarela do Brasil (aka “Brazil”) (Ary Barroso) - from “Solo” (Concord) Barney Kessel (g). Recorded 1981 Another classic 20th century Brazilian composition (by one of their seminal composers). Kessel was a true giant on his instrument. For some reason, his name just doesn’t come up that often in our jazz guitar discussion threads (even when it focuses on “legends” of the instrument). Even Wes was highly influenced by Kessel, who was a primary bridge early on between Charlie Christian and the modern jazz that followed. This track is a good- if brief- example of his versatility, flair, chordal mastery, and pure musicality. A fine example of a guitarist who didn’t think in terms of guitaristics, but making good music. 11. Hampton Hawes - Hamp’s blues (“Black Forest”? *) (Hampton Hawes) - from “Hamp’s Piano” (Saba/MPS) Hampton Hawes (p), Eberhard Weber (b ). [Klaus Weiss (d) lays out on this track]. Recorded 1967 * This tune is labeled as “Hamp’s Blues” on Saba album (NOT the same as the “Hamp’s Blues” he recorded for Contemporary). I also have another version of the tune (on a european jazz guitar album) where it’s labeled as “Hamp’s Blues”; This same tune is labeled as “Black Forest” on Hawes’ Black Lion release BLUES FOR BUD (recorded 4 months after the Saba version). The Saba album includes a track titled “Black Forest Blues”, but that’s yet another composition. So... ??? (discographers’ nightmare ). Another relatively obscure album, only available on CD via Japan. Hawes could play pretty with the best of them, while always retaining that deep, earthy soulfulness and commitment to the blues. This track gives us a little of both, which I find very appealing. 12. Lalo Schifrin - Samba para dos (Lalo Schifrin) - from “Bossa Nova Groove” (Ubatuqui CD); Originally released under Eddie Harris’ name as “Bossa Nova” (Vee Jay 3034) Lalo Schifrin (p), Eddie Harris (ts), Jimmy Raney (g), Art Davis (b ), Chuck Lampkin (d), Osvaldo Cigno (pandeiro), Jack Del Rio (cabaca). Recorded 1962 Okay, this was kind of off the wall, I’ll admit. This is somewhat of a curiosity, an Argentinian pianist and a group of (primarily) U.S. jazzmen in a Brazilian romp... and I couldn’t resist the idea of giving folks a sample of Eddie Harris in this sort of setting to see if he was recognizable. He’s even more recognizable (IMO) on some of the other cuts on this CD, but I see I couldn’t fool some of you! 13. Joshua Breakstone - I mean you (Thelonious Monk) - from “Let’s Call This Monk” (Double Time) Joshua Breakstone (g), Dennis Irwin (b ), Mickey Roker (d). Recorded 1996 I’ve been a fan of Breakstone since about 1984, and he has always struck me as a unique voice in mainstream guitar (the dark tone along with a distinctive bebop single-string style become unmistakable with repeated listening and exploring of his catalog). If you look at who he’s gotten as sidemen on his LP’s/CD’s (Barry Harris, Kenny Barron, Pepper Adams, Jimmy Knepper, Jack McDuff, Al Harewood, etc), you know the cat is doing something right. Josh has done tributes to Monk, Bud Powell, Wes, Grant Green, The Beatles and The Ventures! I hear he’s very big in Japan... 14. Sarah Vaughan - Chovendo na roseira (aka “Double rainbow”) (Antonio Carlos Jobim) - from “Copacabana” (Pablo) Sarah Vaughan (voc), Helio Delmiro (g) (others unidentified). Recorded 1979 I knew this was a risk, with the widespread distaste for jazz vocalists on the board. Sarah’s voice was getting WAY down there in her later years, and no, this isn’t the best example of her jazz singing (or of this great Jobim composition), but I love this recording anyway. Helio Delmiro is fun on this, at least for me. Sarah recorded three Brazilian albums between ‘77 and ‘87- two on Pablo and one on CBS. Uniformly excellent, IMO. 15. Dexter Gordon - Tivoli (Dexter Gordon) - from “The Other Side Of Round Midnight” (Blue Note) Dexter Gordon (ss), Palle Mikkelborg (tpt), Cedar Walton (p), Mads Vinding (b ), Billy Higgins (d). Recorded 1985 A dirty trick, yes, but a good test for the ears. Mr. Sangrey said it beautifully. Go back and read Jim’s post again, if you don’t recall what he said about this track. Oh- BTW, the fade-out was not my doing. That’s the way it occurs on the CD, and it’s regrettable, as I would have loved to hear more. 16. Jack Wilson - The good life (Distel / Reardon) - from “The Two Sides Of Jack Wilson (Atlantic) Jack Wilson (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b ), Philly Joe Jones (d). Recorded 1964 After Dan had used an “uncharacteristic” Jack Wilson track on his test, I thought I’d squeeze (literally ) another Wilson track onto my disc. One of my favorite ballads, and an interesting performance by one of my favorite pianists. This was a great way to share some of my favorite music, and I hope that some of you discovered something new to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who participated, whether or not you felt “successful” at solving the mysteries. I really respect everyone’s efforts and contributions. Special thanks to Tom Storer, Ray “RDK” Kolasa, and everyone else who burned and forwarded discs (you know who you are). Last but NOT least, thanks to Dan Gould for the shoulder-tap for test #3 leadership, and for his continuing logistical support and behind-the-scenes problem solving.

I just want to echo what Maren just said, but I'm also wondering if somebody can help me out a bit. I did some searching on Google last night, trying to get some specific detail as to exactly where the fires are and what communities are affected or in danger. I have some friends in Murrieta (between L.A. and San Diego), and they haven't yet responded to an e-mail I sent yesterday. So, does anybody have a link to a good map? I found one, but it was kind of vague... Thanks

Before opening this, I expected the choices to be B.B., Albert, and Freddy. Gotta go with B.B., although at one time they were all pretty much equal for me.

Hmm... while I understand the underlying concept of what Jim was talking about, I'm not so sure we're not going overboard a tad. Whether or not he copped Getz's "concept" and "ideas"remains slightly blurry for me. As for "memories and thoughts"... I'm not sure I even follow you there. Anyway, once you're that close to Getz's TONE, and you're playing Jobim tunes, isn't it possible you're going to be accused of copping the whole "concept"? I've heard a lot of saxophonists play this genre of music, and very few really "get" the rhythmic nuances and swing like Getz did. Maybe the fact that Allen is in Getz's league when it comes to having that ability is working against him here to some degree. I'm not necessarily defending Allen entirely here, I'm just trying to be objective. The part about "it's as if he transcribed a Getz solo...", well, I'm not buying that. He DIDN'T copy any Getz recording note for note, so I think that part is unfair and over the top. I still haven't listened to the whole CD with the purpose of analyzing the whole thing to see how much of Stan I hear throughout, but I'm inclined to say that if it hasn't already jumped out at me (a complete "xerox" of Getz), I'll probably disagree with the notion. That's not to say that I don't recognize a significant similarity, but beyond the tone he was using, I'm not yet convinced about the "concept/phrasing/ideas/etc" issue.

Well, this might be a good time to pose the question... when should I start up the ANSWERS/Further discussion thread? At this point, slightly less than two thirds of disc recipients have posted here, but I'm beginning to feel like the auctioneer who isn't going to be getting any more bids... Opinions welcomed (but I think I'm inclined to do it soon)...