jeffcrom

Old and New Dreams - Playing (ECM) Steve Lacy - The Kiss (Lunatic)

Wow, indeed!

Wait - is the 78 in trouble? I hadn't heard about this!

I haven't really thought about this since I was a young man; back then I preferred the younger Prez, although I appreciated some of the later stuff. I just realized, somewhat to my surprise, that when I listen to Prez these days, I turn to the later recordings about 80% of the time. Maybe it has to do with where I am in life. The mature Prez "speaks" to me more than the youngster does.

A near-mint gem from the dollar bin: Knocky Parker/Omer Simeon Storyville Creepers (GHB). A 1949 concert by Parker and Simeon, with Arthur Herbert on drums.

Dudu Pukwana - In the Townships (Virgin/Earthworks). I've said it before - this is one of the most joyous albums ever made. I needed this tonight.

Doesn't look like anyone has mentioned Jamaaladeen Tacuma's Renaissance Man album; Ornette plays on a funky version of "Dancing in Your Head."

George Lewis - Oh, Didn't He Ramble! (Verve mono). A beautiful near-mint copy with a great David Stone Martin cover.

Ray Noble - We Danced All Night (RCA Camden). Okay, this is an odd one, but I like it. It's a 1950's collection of 1935-36 recordings by the American society dance band of the British Mr. Noble. It's basically classy pop music of the time, with one foot in jazz - there are solos by Bud Freeman, Pee Wee Erwin, Johnny Mintz, Claude Thornhill, and Glenn Miller. This album appeals to both my jazz side and that part of me that occasionally enjoys "bachelor pad" pop.

Rocky Balboa Stan Kenton Clark Kent

Just got two "new" 78s by artists who are perhaps on the periphery of jazz, so I played them along with all my others by the same guys. First up, Wilbur Sweatman: Ringtail Blues/Bluin' the Blues (Columbia, 1918) A Good Man is Hard to Find/That's Got 'em (Columbia, 1918/19) Kansas City Blues (Columbia, 1919) Sweatman and his band somehow have more guts to their sound than the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, after whom they are somewhat patterned. Then on to Harry "The Hipster" Gibson: Barrelhouse Boogie/4F Ferdinand, the Frantic Freak (Musicraft, 1944) Riot in Boogie/Stop That Dancin' Up There (Musicraft, 1944) Get Your Juices at the Deuces/Hipster's Blues Opus 7 1/2 (Musicraft, 1944) I Hope My Mother-In-Law Doesn't Come Home for Christmas/Gambler's Blues (MacGregor, 1947, I think) Harry the Hipster is a lot of fun. The three Musicrafts are from the same session, his first; Big Sid Catlett is on drums. There's one more record from that session that I'm trying to track down. The MacGregor session isn't listed in the Lord discography at all. Fun stuff!

Happy Birthday! I just realized that I was about 150 kilometers from you a couple of months ago, as opposed to the 4500 mile distance that's usually between us.

Sidney Bechet - King of the Soprano Saxophone (Good Time Jazz). 1952-55 French recordings, mostly with Jonah Jones and a French rhythm section. I love hearing Bechet with a strong trumpeter whom he's unable to push around.

Happy Birthday! (Although I'm a little late for your time zone.)

This is the time of year I really start to wish I was in New Orleans. So I spun these NOLA jazz 78s: Piron's New Orleans Orchestra - Mama's Gone, Goodbye/New Orleans Wiggle (Victor, 1923). Beautiful, relaxed New Orleans music, with Peter Bocage and Lorenzo Tio. Tony Parenti's New Orleanians - In the Dungeon/When You and I Were Pals (Columbia, 1928). With the wonderful Johnny Wiggs on cornet (see below). Wiggs was equally influenced by King Oliver and Bix Beiderbecke. Halfway House Dance Orchestra - Maple Leaf Rag/Let Me Call You Sweetheart (Columbia, 1925). I'm glad I have this on CD, because someone really enjoyed this record back in the day - it's so worn that the surface noise is as loud as the music. Johnny Wiggs - If I Ever Cease to Love/King Zulu Parade (Southland, 1954). Mardi Gras favorites with Raymond Burke on clarinet. George Lewis and His New Orleans Music - Willie the Weeper/Mama Don't Allow It (Good Time Jazz, 1950) Santo Pecora - March of the Mardi Gras/My Loui'siana (Mercury, 1950). With young Pete Fountain and the brilliant, ill-fated George Girard on trumpet.

If the Evening at Home CD is a straight reissue of Savoy LP 12152, the extra time comes from splicing that repeats some of the saxophone passages. And many of the tunes were not complete on the source tape - I believe that the 2:06 of "These Foolish Things" was all that was there. At least, that's the way it appears on the 1980 Savoy LP One Night in Chicago, which was at attempt to present this material in the most complete form possible.

Sweet Emma Barrett - Sweet Emma at Heritage Hall (Shalom). New Orleans traditional jazz from 1966, featuring The Bell Gal on one of the most out-of-tune pianos I've ever heard. One of my musical heroes, clarinetist Willie Humphrey, is in fine form. He should be - he was only 65 when this was recorded. He still sounded pretty good when I heard him three months before his death at age 93.

Circle - Live in German Concert (sic) (Sony Japan)

Played a bunch of music at 78 RPM today. I've mentioned most of it before, so I'll just give one of the highlights - a new find: my first Trumpet 78. It's Willie Love and The Three Aces, performing "Shady Lane Blues" and "21 Minutes Before Nine" on that great Mississippi blues/gospel/country label. It's excellent electrified Delta blues, with 17-year-old Little Milton Campbell on guitar, and it's in excellent shape. A nice find.

Dizzy Gillespie - Live at the Village Vanguard (Solid State). I only recently figured out that side one of this LP would complement my "Jazz for a Sunday Afternoon" albums to give me all of the Gillespie tracks from these sessions.

Here's what the Lord discography came up with when I did a search for "chazzer 2004." The formatting didn't come through, but you should be able to figure it out. chazzer 2004 [A3936-6] Gene Ammons Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt: Bill Massey (tp) Wade Marcus (tb) Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt (ts) Junior Mance (p) Gene Wright, Teddy Stewart (d) Live "Birdland", New York, March 10, 1951 More moon Chazzer 2004 My foolish heart (unissued) After you've gone (1) Chazzer 2004 Ain't misbehavin' (1) - New blues up and down (no tp,tb) - Jumpin' with Symphony Sid (incomplete) - Note: (1) Ammons poss. (bar). chazzer 2004 [C6341-6] Al Cohn The Vibes Are On: Al Cohn/Zoot Sims: Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (ts,cl) Mose Allison (p) Bill Crow (b) Nick Stabulas (d) Broadcast "Birdland", New York, March 4, 1960 Halley's comet Chazzer 2004 Ah Moore - Gone with the wind - Just you, just me - Medley : - Jumpin' with Symphony Sid - Morning fun - Note: "Ah-more" as written on the Chazzer LP is actually "Ah-Moore". The other side of the above LP by Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt and Charlie Parker. chazzer 2004 [P772-6] Charlie Parker Charlie Parker Sextet: Red Rodney (tp) J.J. Johnson (tb) Charlie Parker (as) Al Haig (p) Tommy Potter (b) Roy Haynes (d) private recording "Birdland", New York, February 14, 1950 Hot house Big Molly CVRR82948, EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] Out of nowhere (jjj out) Big Molly CVRR82948, Birdbox 04(01/22), EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] Visa (into) EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] 52nd Street theme (I) - Anthropology (into) - , J For Jazz JF802 Allen's Alley [Wee] (I) - What's new ? (jjj out) Chazzer 2004, Birdbox 04(01/22), Philology (It)21W-18, EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] Little Willie leaps same issues Yesterdays (jjj out) Chazzer 2001, Birdbox 04(01/22), Philology (It)214W-29, EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] 52nd Street theme (II) same issues 52nd Street theme (III) - Dizzy atmosphere Chazzer 2001, Birdbox 04(01/22), Philology (It)21W-18, EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] Wahoo Chazzer 2004, Birdbox 04(01/22), Philology (It)214W-19, EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] I can't get started Chazzer 2004, Birdbox 04(01/22), Philology (It)214W-29, EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] Allen's Alley [Wee] (II) Chazzer 2004, Birdbox 04(01/22), Philology (It)214W-19, EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] 52nd Street theme (IV) EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] On a slow boat to China - A night in Tunisia - 52nd Street theme (V) - Note: "Anthropology" issued as "Azeba" on J For Jazz JF802. "52nd Street theme I & II" are spliced together. "Out of nowhere" is not mentioned on label or sleeve of Big Molly CVRR82948. "Allen's alley" (twice) issued as "Wee" on Philology (It)W19/29-2 [CD], EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD]. J For Jazz JF802 issued as by Charlie Mingus/Dexter Gordon/Charlie Parker; rest of LP by Mingus & Gordon. Chazzer 2001 issued as by Georgie Auld/Red Rodney; further titles by these artists. Chazzer 2004 issued as by Sonny Stitt/Gene Ammons/Al Cohn-Zoot Sims; further titles by these artists. EPM (F)FDC5710 [CD] titled "Charlie Parker Live - Birdland 1950". Above titles from Bird Box 04(01/22) also on Sound Hills (Jap)SSCD-8017/34 [CD]. All above titles also on Philology (It)W19/29-2 [CD].

These were George Lewis's first recordings as leader. Lion thought that the recording quality (they were made on Bill Russell's portable disc cutter at the Gypsy Tea Room in New Orleans) wasn't good enough for the Blue Note label, hence the Climax subsidiary. I'll take twenty bucks.

Eddie Gale - Black Rhythm Happening (BN Liberty). A period piece, but in its best moments, a glorious one.

Not sure I'm familiar with that, but I'm sure I probably should be. (I *love* "The Barbara Song". ) What Gil album(s) is it on? It first appeared on Live at the Public Theater, Vol. 2. The piece showed up on the 1983 Mole Jazz LP The British Orchestra, retitled "London." I'm not sure if that last one ever appeared on CD.

Max Roach - Freedom Now Suite (Columbia white label promo)