jeffcrom

My wife was sitting beside me as I read this thread, and just confiscated my passport.

The death of an 88-year-old can't really be considered shocking, but it did seem like Sam Rivers just might live forever, playing music for all time. A sad goodbye to one of my real heroes.

Merry Christmas to all here - and elsewhere.

Listened to a bunch of early country earlier, starting with my six Carter Family 78s. They date from 1928 to 1934; four on Victor and two on Montgomery Ward. This is sweet, honest, beautiful American music. The best of the rest was a new find, a 1927 Ernest Stoneman on Romeo - Bully of the Town and Pass Around the Bottle. Wonderful record.

Art Farmer - The Many Faces of Art Farmer (Scepter mono) With Charles McPherson, Tommy Flanagan, and Ron Carter & Steve Swallow alternating on bass.

Happy Birthday - for a few more hours!

Horace Silver - Live 1964 (Emerald/Silveto)

Just to correct a common error: That's not Danny Barker on guitar. Not only does it not sound like Danny, he told me that he had never recorded with Nichols. Thinking about this session, I pushed the issue a little bit. Danny was polite, but firm in his insistence that he had never recorded with Herbie Nichols. He was friends with Nichols and though he was a genius, but they didn't record together. I think this attribution comes from the fact that Nichols said in an interview that he had recorded with Danny. Here's what I think the explanation is - Danny did say that Nichols had played on one of Blue Lu Barker's sessions on which he (Danny) didn't play. If Danny called Nichols for the date, Nichols might well have remembered it as a "Danny Barker" session. Norman Lester is credited as the pianist on both of Blue Lu's 1946 Apollo sessions, and Danny is credited on guitar. But it sounds like two different pianists to me, and doesn't sound like Danny - so I think one of the pianists might be Nichols. Okay, those last two paragraphs are speculation, but the first part is straight from the horse's mouth.

I also couldn't disagree more. As much as I love trombone jokes* and teasing the trombone players, I love the instrument: Fred Wesley Don Drummond Savannah, Georgia's own Trummy Young Athens, Georgia's own Lou McGarity Social Circle, Georgia's own J.C. Higginbotham Claude Jones Roswell Rudd George Lewis Grachan Moncur III J. J. Johnson Curtis Fuller Corey Henry Kid Ory Albert Mangelsdorff Benny Morton Lucien Barbarin Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews Lawrence Brown Dickie Wells Jimmy Knepper Eddie Bert Jack Teagarden Miff Mole Charlie Green Vic Dickenson etc., etc., etc. What a great instrument! *My favorite trombone joke: Q: How can you tell the trombone player's kids on the playground? A: They don't swing and they complain about the slide.

My stereo is in the living room of our small house, but my 78 rig is in my music room, where I also do my practicing and where my records and CDs are stored. If my main stereo was in a dedicated room, my wife would never see me.

My favorite O forum sentence of the month.

My probably-not-very-interesting two cents: After having an overwhelmingly negative opinion of Kenton for years, I actually started to listen to his recordings more carefully. It was a good lesson for me that things are seldom black and white - in jazz or any other field. There is much bombast among recorded Kenton, but also lots of excellent music - I don't care whether you call it good or great. Not too hard to pass over (or chuckle at) the bombastic stuff and enjoy the good stuff.

This recall worked out pretty well for me, although it took over a month to receive my replacement. I sent in a non-functioning, 2GB first-generation iPod nano and received a brand-new 8GB replacement unit.

Eddie Miller & Armand Hug - Just Friends (Land o' Jazz)

Gary Burton/Steve Swallow - Hotel Hello (ECM) Kenny Wheeler - Deer Wan (ECM)

Yeah, I've pretty much given up on these. I have everything Steve Lacy did for Horo anyway, except for Eronel. So if anyone was wondering what to get me for Christmas.....

More piano trio music: Marian McPartland - At the Hickory House (Capitol mono). That great trio with Bill Crow and Joe Morello - studio recordings, not live.

Martial Solal - At Newport '63 (RCA Victor mono)

See BFrank's post above; the Contours sessions for me.

Duke of Iron - Trinidad's Greatest Calypso Singer (Monogram 10") The picture is of the Virgin Isle Supertone issue; the Monogram is the same design in green instead of blue. "Tick, Tick, Tick" and "Constance" made me a happy boy. "Constance" describes a race the Duke had with the girl of that name; she won, because she gets faster when the track gets wet.

I would like December if it is still open. Actually, I already have you in the November spot, based on an earlier request.

Gerry Mulligan - Butterfly With Hiccups (Limelight mono) A delight, both in terms of the music and the packaging.

I can be penciled in for August if you need someone. I just put Thom Keith in the August spot. And to spread things out, I want to keep the policy that nobody presents more than one BFT in a twelve-month period. If we ever get to the point where there aren't enough presenters, that policy may have to go out the window, but for now I think it's a good idea.

Just put you down for August - one year from your last BFT. Thanks!

Okay, potential Blindfold Testers - we need you. The following months in 2012 are open: May June August October December. I'd like to get presenters for May and June lined up soon - it makes me nervous when we are not scheduled six months out. Here's your chance to schedule a BFT slot in the not-too-distance future. First-time presenters are encouraged - PM me with questions and concerns. Request your spot by replying here and sending me a PM.