jeffcrom

John Carter Quintet - Night Fire (Black Saint) w/ Bobby Bradford and James Newton

You guys have been very helpful with information about some of the odd 45s and 78s I find, so I'm going to the well one more time. One of the 45 RPM singles I picked up on my recent New Orleans trip was Sweet Inspiration/By the Time I Get to Phoenix by Bunky Green on the Met label. It's not earth-shattering, but it's nicely played pop/soul jazz. It's not listed in the Lord discography or in the Bunky Green discography at JazzDiscography.com. Paul Serrano was the producer, and there's a Chicago address on the label. I've included a scan of one side. I have another Met single, by Sonny Stitt - The Very Thought of You/Funny. These were recorded in 1968 and appeared on a Delmark album, but I can't find any evidence that the Bunky Green tracks were issued elsewhere. Any info/insight? Thanks.

Florida Mass Choir - Be Encouraged (Savoy). Picked up this one on the recommendation of The Magnificent Goldberg.

Staying up late, playing some sweet/soulful New Orleans 45s: James Rivers - Closer Walk/Take Your Choice (Instant) With Allen Toussaint and the great guitarist Roy Montrell. Roland Stone - Just a Moment/I Can't Help It (Ace) One of the unsung heroes of New Orleans pop/R & B. Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is/Why Worry (Parlo) As perfect a six minutes of music as any I've heard. Bobby Marchan - There's Something on Your Mind, parts 1 & 2 (Fire) Based on the Jay McNeely version, but beautifully performed. Bill Sinigal and the Skyliners - Second Line, parts 1 & 2 (White Cliffs) A little-known, but important recording in New Orleans music history, from the mid-1950s. With Milton Batiste, James Rivers, and Ellis Marsalis. And three by one of the great voices of the Crescent City, Chuck Carbo: Tears, Tears and More Tears/I Shouldn't But I Do (Ace) Promises/Be My Girl (Rex) Second Line on Monday/Meet Me With Your Black Draws On (504). And just before I go to bed, I'm ending with the New Orleans single I would take to a desert island: L'il Queenie and the Percolators - My Darlin' New Orleans/Wild Natives (Great Southern) I miss Little Queenie (Leigh Harris) - she left the city after Katrina. This 1981 single is just perfect - eight minutes of funk/rock/Dixieland bliss, with a great tenor solo by the late Fred Kemp. If "My Darlin' New Orleans" is the last piece of music I hear before I die, I'll die happy.

George Lewis at Home (Dan) - picked up on my New Orleans trip this week. Several of these wonderful Japanese Dan albums have takes from Bill Russell's American Music label that have not otherwise been issued. George Lewis, at his best, represents a limited musician who was totally in touch with the essence of music. His basically simple music touches me deeply 65 years after it was recorded.

Stan "The Man" Turrentine (Time). Stanley's first album as leader, with Sonny Clark and Max Roach, a.o. I was somehow unaware of this album before yesterday, when I found a pretty nice piece of vinyl in a fairly beat cover.

I was going to use inside information obtained by hanging out with MG for a couple of days to post some more answers and make myself appear smarter than I really am. I decided not to, because it would be wrong and unethical. And because MG pointed out that, as a moderator, he could just delete my post....

Happy birthday! We're at the perfect age. That's my story, anyway....

So the record shops of Atlanta have been cleaned out then ! Might want to tell MG that the weather back here is currently fantastic, about 20C.. Well, made the mistake of taking him to a store that has four bins of obscure gospel LPs. I usually pick one or two up every time I go there, but now there's a much smaller selection. The weather is about the same here. Now playing: Milt Jackson - Second Nature (Savoy twofer). Picked it up after reading here that it contained all the Milt/Lucky Thompson Savoy recordings. Love it!

The Fabulous Doc Cheatham (Parkwood) - purchased on a record shopping jaunt with The Magnificent Goldberg in Atlanta today.

Well, it's a good record, but Mobley doesn't play anything except arranged riffs with the bari sax player. I got another Paul Gayten 78 at the same time that I actually like better: "Fishtails" and "Confused." It's not from the session with Mobley, but I don't yet know who's on it.

My last night in New Orleans. (Sigh....) I went to d.b.a. to hear The Tin Men, "America's best guitar/sousaphone/washboard trio" - Alex McMurray on guitar and vocals, the great Matt Perrine on tuba, and Washboard Chaz on vocals and, well, you know. They play obscure standards ("He Ain't Got Rhythm," "Lulu's Back in Town"), New Orleans R & B ("Smoke That Peace Pipe," "Palm Court Strut"), and McMurray originals - and he writes some strange songs. It was surreal to see people dancing to his "Baby," a bizarre song about selling a baby.

John R. T. Davies

OMG, y'all. This evening was weird. I was so knocked out by Tim Laughlin last night that I checked out his website this morning and saw that he was playing with his mentor, Pete Fountain, at a Mississippi casino about 50 miles east of New Orleans. So I passed up the Rebirth Brass Band at the Maple Leaf (don't worry - I've heard them there many times) and made the drive. I don't even know where to start. Casinos seem to be based on some principle of over-stimulation: noise, color, activity. It was loud and disorienting. I'm not much of a gambler, and it's been seven or eight years since I've been in a casino. That last time I broke a twenty into quarters and blew it in the slot machines. I wasn't even going to do that tonight, but I thought I would at least use all the quarters in my pocket. Well, this Luddite didn't even know that, at least in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, none of the machines take quarters. I think you have to buy a card like a debit card, but I couldn't figure out the procedure, so I ended up not gambling at all. I had pictured the show being in an theater away away from the gaming floor. But no - it was in the middle of the casino, separated from the slot machines only by columns. I shared a table with an older couple - I'm in my 50s, but I was the youngest person in the "theater." I kept trying to catch the waitress's eye to get a beer, but she never stopped at our table. By the time she finally stopped by, it was about 15 minutes from the end of the show, and I had already decided to leave the casino without spending a dime. The show started promptly at 8:00. Fountain had a nine-piece band, with several New Orleans heavyweights. John Royen was on piano, and the trumpet player was Connie Jones - a real New Orleans "musician's musician." He's the favorite Dixieland trumpeter of lots of New Orleans guys, and I understand why - his solos were thoughtful, interesting, and "told a story." But the music competed with the noise of the slot machines, as I knew it would. But I thought they would at least turn down the Muzak that was blaring in the rest of the casino - they didn't. Any time the music was less than forte, you could hear some pop song along with it, as well as the din from the machines. As I looked around, nobody else seemed bothered by this. But it drove me crazy. By 30 minutes in, I was a nervous wreck and couldn't really listen anymore. Fountain didn't sound too good, to tell the truth. He still has his sound, but it's kind of uncontrolled, and he no longer has the coordination to do anything very technical. That didn't stop him from trying. I wish he had just stuck to some more lyrical stuff, but he tried a lot of things that didn't come off. On the other hand, Tim Laughlin sounded great, and it was nice to see Fountain's expression after every one of Tim's solos - he looked like a proud parent. The whole vibe was of a kind of show-biz jazz I didn't know existed any more - but I'm glad it does. It was a strange evening. After trying to listen to show-biz Dixieland, Muzak, and slot machines all at the same time, I was a wreck. But I'm glad I made this choice tonight. And I'm glad I never have to do it again.

Since I've gotten so heavily into 78s the past year, I've really noticed how much better Victor's recordings sounded than any other company. I'm talking just about any era - their 1915 acoustics sound better than anyone else for the time; likewise for their post-1925 electrical recordings.

I played the Bill Evans Riverside recording of "Nardis" and then Track 2 back to back, and Track 2 sounded like the same song to me. But maybe it's not--maybe that explains why I can't find any reference to it in any discographies, as I am looking under "Nardis." We eagerly await the ruling of The Magnificent One himself.

After reading the above: I'll listen to track 3 again for sure. I don't think track 2 is "Nardis," although it has some of the same melodic shape. And "nasty" is a good thing when it comes to Hammond organs!

Here's the rest: 10. Night Train to Senegal. Very unusual – like nothing I’ve heard before. But it works. Looking forward to finding out more about this. 11. Well, I’ve failed to identify Dudu Pukwana on two BFTs, so I’m going to go ahead and guess that it’s him playing alto. I like this fiery solo a lot. I like the tenor player, too. The setting kind of reeks of the seventies, but that’s okay – so do I. 12. Okay, I can’t wait to find out more about this version of “Maiden Voyage.” I want to try to find this. I’m totally unfamiliar with it, but I love it! 13. I didn’t want to miss this one – I knew it was a version I had in my collection, but I’m 500 miles away from my records. After a couple of listens, I realized that it was McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, one of my favorite bands from that period. They swing as hard as any band with a tuba/banjo rhythm section that I’ve ever hard. I’m not going to try to identify the soloists, except that it sounds like it could be Joe Smith behind the vocal. 14. Another cool, unusual selection that I don’t have a clue about. Hey – the saxes moved. How’d they get over there? 15. More wonderful weirdness. I’m a real neophyte when it comes to African music, so I’m looking forward to the details on this. BT 1. Lots of fun, with some wild saxophoning. I assume that the saxophone player is also the singer, but I don’t know who it is. I’m not going to mess with him or his root man, though. BT2. I thought it might be Jeanne and Jimmy Cheatham, but since it’s “Ruth’s place,” I'm assuming it's Miss Brown to you. More good fun. Whoever it is, her timing is perfect. BT3. Worth it just for the opening rap. Excellent tenor playing in the second half. BT4. Sounds like a Teddy Wilson group – Billie Holiday was not the only singer who recorded with him. Definitely Pee Wee Russell on clarinet. The alto sounds like Tab Smith’s earlier style to me. The trumpet is not prominent, but my best guess would be Buck Clayton, based on what I can hear behind the singer. The tenor player plays it too straight for me to make a guess. Verrrrry nice. This blindfold test was a blast. There was nothing I really disliked; it was all interesting, and several tracks knocked me out. Thanks, MG. Now let me read the rest of the thread and see if I've made a fool of myself.

Okay, chewy, don't hate me. I went to Jim Russell's Rare Records on Magazine Street in New Orleans today and walked out an hour and a half later with a stack of 78s. One of them was the first six minutes of music Hank Mobley recorded: Regal 3281, "Goodnight Irene" and "Ooh La La." I won't be able to play it until I get home in a couple of days; I'm curious to see if tenor is prominent on "Ooh La La." As I said above, you can't really hear Mr. Mobley on "Irene."

I'll always by grateful to Zwerin for translating Boris Vian's Round About Close to Midnight, as wrong-headedly entertaining a jazz book as you will find this side of Philip Larkin. Vian's writing is full of bilingual puns and outrageous jokes in French; Zwerin somehow makes it all work in English.

Tim Laughlin has the most beautiful clarinet sound I've ever heard - this is what Irving Fazola must have sounded like. And he can play - with fire and imagination. Jon-Erik Kelso sat in on cornet for much of the night. A magical evening of music.

Even though I'm in New Orleans, I've managed to take enough time out from eating too much, drinking too much, buying too many records, and hearing lots of music to listen to the first half of this BFT. I'll avoid reading the thread until I've listened to the rest. 1. Maceo Parker with the Rebirth Brass Band playing “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” Good pairing of musicians – they work well together. The impact of the Rebirth live is almost overwhelming. The intensity doesn’t let up, and they’re the loudest unamplified band I’ve ever heard in my life. Maceo’s playing proves the truth of George Clinton’s adage: “Funk is its own reward.” 2. Don’t have a clue who the guitarist is. The trumpet player sure sounds like Freddie Hubbard, but it could just be someone who has learned his FH lessons well. I can’t place the tenor player, but I feel like I’m going to kick myself when I find out who it is. I like his rough edges and personal tone. All the solos are good - this is excellent improvising in a setting which I find slick and annoying. 3. Very nice - the organist knows all the tricks, and the altoist is very soulful. He uses the common alto sax trick of playing just a little sharp to give an extra edge to his sound. I don’t know who it is, but the song is by George Gershwin and his lovely wife Ira. (Has that old joke appeared on this forum before?) I’d listen to this again. 4. Nice guitar playing – his/her solo flows well, is imaginative, and swings. I don’t like the clarinetist as much – too straight on the melody and too forced on his solo. Once again, no idea who it is. 5. I’ve always liked this song – “Baby, Won’t You Please Come Home.” I don’t know this version, but I’ve got a guess based on deductive reasoning. It sounds like Ray Charles’ band, but there’s no piano. Could it be Ray on alto? It’s soulful without being very technical. In any case, pretty cool. 6. I’m not a dancer, but this would be a blast to dance to. Pretty straight and soulful with a solid beat. I could do without the echo, but it probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Tab Smith? 7. Just when I decided that I didn’t like this, it got more interesting – the variations leading to the trumpet solo. Overall, this is too showbiz-y for my tastes. The organ sound at the beginning is about the nastiest I’ve ever heard. 8. A different way to play “Moonlight Serenade.” I like it, but I’m a little scared to guess who it is. I reserve the right to berate myself later. 9. “Floyd’s Guitar Blues” by Floyd Smith with Andy Kirk’s Orchestra. Odd and cool. I’ve always thought that if I could no longer play a wind instrument, I’d take up steel guitar. Some cool stuff here. I'm looking forward to the rest.

I'm going to Fritzel's in New Orleans tonight to hear one of my favorite NO clarinetists - Tim Laughlin. In all my trips here, it has never worked out to hear him, although I have a half dozen or so of his albums. I'm looking forward to hearing him in a small club.

Same stuff, different titles or not. From jazzdisco.org (the formatting may not transfer well): Charles Mingus Quintet plus Bud Powell Ted Curson (tp) Eric Dolphy (as, bcl) Booker Ervin (ts -1/4,6) Bud Powell (p -6) Charles Mingus (b, p -1/5, b -6) Dannie Richmond (d) "Juan-les-Pins Jazz Festival", Antibes, France, July 13, 1960 1. 5260 | 37622 Cry For Freedom (Prayer For Passive Resistance) Atlantic SD 2-3001 2. 5261 | 37626 Better Git Hit In Your Soul Atlantic SD 2-3001; BYG (J) YX 7009 3. 5262 | 37621 Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting - 4. 5263 | 37625 Ummh! (Folk Forms, I) - 5. 5264 | 37623 What Love Atlantic SD 2-3001 6. 5265 | 37624 I'll Remember April - * Charles Mingus - Mingus At Antibes (Atlantic SD 2-3001) = Charles Mingus - Live (Affinity (E) CDAFF 778) * Charles Mingus Live With Eric Dolphy (BYG (J) YX 7009) = Charles Mingus - Live (Affinity (E) AFF 19)

Happy birthday. Hope you're having a great one.