jeffcrom

More pre-1920 opera this morning. Had a nice listening session this afternoon, starting with three Rabbits I found yesterday: Johnny Hodges - Globetrotter/A Gentle Breeze (Mercury, 1951) Johnny Hodges - Sideways/A Pound of Blues (Mercury, 1952) Johnny Hodges - Who's Excited/Below the Azores (Mercury, 1952) Johnny Hodges - Through for the Night/Latino (Mercury, 1952) Eddy Howard - Stardust/Old Fashioned Love (Columbia, 1940) I know I've mentioned this before - it features the smooth pop singer with Bill Coleman, Benny Morton, Ed Hall, Teddy Wilson, Charlie Christian, etc. International Sweethearts of Rhythm - Jump Children/Slightly Frantic (Guild, 1945) Barney Kessel Quartet - East of the Sun/Heat Wave (Clef, 1953) Johnny Smith Quintet - I'll Be Around/Cavu (Roost, 1953)

Nice stuff! I should have guessed Mamadou Diabate, just because the kora playing was so good. And I just found out that Wolter Wierbos will be in Atlanta on Wednesday!

Red Norvo - In Stereo (RCA Victor). This one just makes me feel good - 1958 recordings of Red and a big band playing his old Eddie Sauter arrangements, with Helen Humes in the Mildred Bailey role.

I've been spinning 78s daily, but I kindly decided to spare my friends here the tedium of all the details. But I've been playing lots of acoustic classical records lately, mostly Victor Red Seals - Caruso, Nellie Melba, Fritz Kriesler, Amelita Galli-Curci, etc. . My new discovery is tenor Beniamino Gigli - I found a couple of his records in a local antique store. His voice is not as full as Caruso's, but it's really beautiful.

Rev. Ernest Franklin - Beautiful Tomorrow (Savoy). Couldn't find a picture online.

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - City Gates (Timeless)

Here are a few: A quartet of Evan Parker, George Lewis, Alex von Schlippenbach,and Paul Lovens. I know that they all recorded together in different combinations, but I don't think they ever recorded as a quartet. If I'm wrong, someone here will correct. A Tom McDermott Quartet with Rick Trolsen, Matt Perrine, and Shannon Powell. The comment above also applies here. This was as good as any band I ever heard in New Orleans. Delta harmonica player Willie Foster with Frank Frost and Sam Carr. Dizzy Gillespie with Max Roach's M'Boom percussion ensemble.

I haven't heard that track, so my comments are general, not specific to that cut. I couldn't disagree more - I love Mac Rebennack's voice. I've always wished I was a better singer, but the kind of voice I would want is more like Dr. John than Frank Sinatra. I do agree that his voice is perhaps not well suited to ballads - or at least, better suited to blues and R & B.

Fine recording. edit to ask about the player giving you doubts. Jack Wright

Evan Parker - Saxophone Solos (Incus). I was questioning myself after a concert by a free-improv saxophone player recently left me cold. This record reminds me that yes, there is a real difference between the pedestrian and the inspired.

Jerry McCain - Blues on the Move (Robox)

Yep, made at George Lewis's little house on St. Philip Street in the French Quarter - I make sure to walk by and pay homage every time I'm in New Orleans. The first New Orleans brass band records were made in the back yard.

Walt Dickerson - Shades of Love (Steeplechase direct-to-disc). A stunning solo performance, in equally amazing sound.

Benedetti's own playing? Yes, there's a demo acetate of a Benedetti band which includes Jimmy Knepper and some home recordings - Benedetti playing along with records, etc.

Wildflowers 5 (Douglas). Two side-long pieces - one by Sunny Murray with an excellent quintet, the other by Roscoe Mitchell in front of percussionists Jerome Cooper and Don Moye. Roscoe's "Chant" is another reminder that Mr. Mitchell's imagination works very differently than the rest of ours; I'm glad he shares it with us.

Cecil Taylor - Nefertiti, The Beautiful One Has Come (Arista/Freedom); disc one.

David Eyges - Crossroads (Music Unlimited), with Byard Lancaster and Sunny Murray. Until looking for a picture of the cover online, I had no idea that this album had been reissued on CD, with a couple of extra tracks.

Everybody hears things differently - I admire Wright's dedication and focus, even if I don't particularly like his music.

Trying to explain to my wife why I wasn't blown away by Mr. Wright's playing, I said that while I enjoy that kind of sound improvisation, there are people who do it better. After thinking about it some more - Wright is one of those guys who has come up with his own vocabulary on saxophone, like Evan Parker, John Butcher, and Urs Leimgruber. I think what it comes down to is that I just don't particularly like the vocabulary he has come up with. Many of the sounds he produces - well, I don't find them attractive or even interesting. Everything that comes out of Evan Parker's horn amazes me, on the other hand. The Shaking Ray Levis, particularly Dennis Palmer, who plays a Moog synthesizer along with a Rube Goldberg array of effects and electronics, are always interesting and unpredictable. And loud!

Just got back from a little road trip - drove the 100 miles north to Chattanooga to hear Philadelphia free-improv saxophonist Jack Wright with bassist Evan Lipson and Chattanooga's own improv duo The Shaking Ray Levis. Without going into detail, I'll say that I enjoyed the Shaking Rays much more than their guests.

Inspired by Paul's post in the "best track you heard all week" thread: Complete Candid Cecil Taylor/Buell Neidlinger

Lou Donaldson - Signifyin' (Argo mono)

Well this transfer puts it right in tune in A flat, which is where I've always played the tune and thought it was written. And to get really esoteric, A flat would put Buster Smith playing in the key of F on his alto saxophone, a transposing instrument. And that would make the little burble at 20 seconds make sense: his A flat key was sticking - not an uncommon problem on saxophone.

Bunk Johnson - Early Bunk 1942-43 (Dan). A 1979 Japanese LP full of rare recordings, mostly American Music sides issued for the first time (with William Russell's cooperation). 33 years later, some of these tracks have been reissued on various CDs, but six of them have not been issued anywhere else, as far as I can tell.

Ditto. And/or you can just keep me as the alternate. MG, I put you down for April, 2013. Thom, you're already down for August of this year.