jeffcrom

Amandla made a big impact on me when it came out, but its appeal has not lasted for me. To my ears, Miles' playing is at times beautiful, but also kind of boxed in. I think the fact that (except for parts of "Mr. Pastorius") he is blowing over pre-recorded tracks instead of interacting with a rhythm section limits the music to an extent. In retrospect, I think many of us got a little carried away at the time because the album was so much better than we thought it was going to be. I understand and respect those who disagree. This is the album that made me a Kenny Garrett fan, though.

Bill Russo - Seven Deadly Sins (Roulette mono). Austere and beautiful.

A few minutes ago - J.R. Monterose: The Message (Jaro). A reissue pressing. I like it better than his Blue Note album. Now - Gerald Wilson Big Band: Moment of Truth (Pacific Jazz). A nice original mono pressing.

George Handy Boyd Raeburn Robin Williams

Lee Morgan - Search for the New Land. Nice Van Gelder stereo.

Big Bill Broonzy Memphis Minnie Walt Disney

I visited one of my favorites today - Papa Jazz in Columbia, SC. Picked up vinyl by Lucky Thompson, Roswell Rudd, John LaPorta, and J.R. Monterose, as well as CDs by Carla Bley, Braxton, Jarman, and Mulligan/Desmond. I visit once a year and always find some great stuff. And in my earlier post, I neglected to give the names of the great vinyl stores in my hometown. If you're in Atlanta, check out Wuxtry, Wax 'n' Fax, Records Galore, and the little shop a block from my house, Full Moon Records.

To me the Capitol set has always seemed like kind of a strange assortment - some absolutely essential sessions, but also some odd inclusions. I'll be interested to hear what your favorite tracks/session turn out to be, since our tastes line up so often.

This gets my vote as the best line on this forum recently.

Happy birthday, Joel. I'm lifting a glass in your honor.

I've got both of Tipton's albums, and can confirm that the Billy Tipton story is definitely more interesting that Billy Tipton the musician. Glad I have them, thought, for the historical value, if nothing else.

Spinning some 45s. Today's standout - "But Not For Me"/"Seleritus" by Ahmad Jamal on the Parrot label. This was Richard Davis's recording debut. I'm not a huge Jamal fan, but I really like this "But Not For Me."

That's the key to good-sounding 78s. I've got some in really nice condition, but others (particularly some of my blues and country) were obviously enjoyed over and over again by owners who maybe couldn't afford to change needles very often.

How's the sound on the Esquire bop records? Can you you hear the cymbals? I remember reading years ago that European drummers had a harder time picking up the early bebop style than other instrumentalists because they couldn't really tell what was going on from the records - the cymbals were in the same range as the surface hiss. That might be BS, but I guess it made an impression on me - I remember that 35 years later.

Yes, I'm a record collector, and "the hunt" is a rush. But the music is foremost. And if I go through a period when I get tired of something, I turn to something else for awhile. If free jazz isn't doing it for me, I listen to early jazz, or blues or classical or New Orleans brass band music or Mississippi fife and drum music or bluegrass or klezmer or.... Well, there's always something else to recharge my batteries. I couldn't go for a day without listening to music.

Yesterday I stopped by a junk/antique store and looked through their stack of 78s. Mostly junk, as usual, but I picked up a few records. I was puzzled, though, by a couple of Melotone records with band names I had never seen before, so I went back today, armed with the Rust discography. Turns out The Captivators was a Red Nichols pseudonym, and "Earl Harlan" was actually Don Redman. To tell the truth, the Nichols record is kind of underwhelming, but there is a glimpse of Benny Goodman and a nice early Eddie Miller solo. The Harlan/Redman sides (from 1933) are pop tunes with vocals, but they swing, and Red Allen, Benny Morton, and Sidney DeParis (I think) get solo space. So thank you, Brian Rust.

Yeah, and apparently before, between, or after the Hackett sides here he recorded some of his tinkly piano solos during this session.

Listening to the LP this morning, I realized that I gave the wrong personnel and date for the last two tracks. I corrected my post above; here is the correct info for those tracks: Clarinet Marmalade Singin' The Blues Bobby Hackett - cornet; Bernie Mattison - trumpet; Jerry Borshard - tb; Bob Riedel - clarinet; George Dessinger - tenor sax; Jim Beitus - baritone sax; Frankie Carle - piano; Bob Knight - guitar; Eddie McKinney - bass; Don Carter - drums; LA, Jan. 25, 1940

The Almost Forgotten Earle Spencer (IAJRC) - Late-40's big band stuff, originally on the Black & White label.

Here ya go: At The Jazz Band Ball That Da-Da Strain Bobby Hackett - cornet; George Brunies - trombone; Pee Wee Russell - clarinet, tenor sax; Bernie Billings - tenor sax; Dave Bowman - piano; Eddie Condon - guitar; Clyde Newcombe - bass; Johnny Blowers - drums; NYC, Feb. 16, 1938 Jammin' The Waltz Clementine Bobby Hackett - cornet; Pete Brown - alto sax, trumpet; Joe Marsala - clarinet, tenor sax; Joe Bushkin - piano, celeste; Ray Biondi - guitar, violin; Artie Shapiro - bass; George Wetting - drums; NYC, March 10, 1938 Blue And Disillusioned Ghost Of A Chance Poor Butterfly Doin' The New Low Down Bobby Hackett - cornet; Brad Gowans - valve trombone, alto sax; Pee Wee Russell - clarinet; Ernie Caceres - baritone sax; Dave Bowman - piano; Eddie Condon - guitar; Clyde Newcombe - bass; Andy Picard - drums; Linda Keene - vocal; NYC, Nov. 4, 1938 That's How Dreams Should End Ain't Misbehavin' Sunrise Serenade Embraceable You Bobby Hackett - cornet; Sterling Bose, Jack Thompson - trumpet; Brad Gowans - valve trombone; George Troup - tromboone; Pee Wee Russell - clarinet; Louis Colombo - alto sax; Bernie Billings - tenor sax; Ernie Caceres - baritone sax; Dave Bowman - piano; Eddie Condon - guitar; Sid Jacobs - bass; Don Carter - drums; NYC, April 13, 1939 Bugle Call Rag Ja-Da Bobby Hackett - cornet; Stan Wilson, Joe Lucas, Harry Genders - trumpet; John Crassi, Cappy Crouse - tromboone; Louis Colombo, Jerry Caplan - alto sax; Hammond Russum, Hank Kmen - tenor sax; Dave Bowman - piano; Bob Julian - guitar; Sid Jacobs - bass; Don Carter - drums; Claire Martin - vocal; NYC, April 13, 1939 Clarinet Marmalade Singin' The Blues Bobby Hackett - cornet; Bernie Mattison - trumpet; Jerry Borshard - tb; Bob Riedel - clarinet; George Dessinger - tenor sax; Jim Beitus - baritone sax; Frankie Carle - pianop; bob Knight - guitar; Eddie McKinney - bass; Don Carter - drums; LA, Jan. 25, 1940

Caspar Milquetoast Caspar Weinberger Casper Reardon

One essential recommendation and one eccentric one: Essential: That Da Da Strain - A collection of small-group and big band sides from 1938 and 1939. The stuff with Pee Wee Russell is especially nice. It's been on various CBS labels over the years - I've got it on a Portrait LP. Eccentric: Hello Louis - A mid-60's album of Bobby playing Louis Armstrong compositions, common and obscure. It's a strange quasi-dixieland band, with Steve Lacy(!) on soprano sax. I like it a lot, but it certainly shouldn't be at the top of anyone's must-have Hackett list. It looks like it's out on a Collectibles CD, paired with one of his mood music albums. And one of my dirty little secrets is that I like Bobby Hackett's mood music albums.

Guess I'm lucky - in Atlanta there are four or five good used vinyl shops, including a small, but interesting one a block from my house in the city. At most of these the owners know me and know what I like. I buy stuff online, but there's nothing like just flipping through a bunch of records and discovering stuff you had forgotten or never even knew about.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that "Out 'n In" was mislabeled "Black Narcissus" on the original Japanese issue (but not on Milestone). I'm basing that on the Lord discography, which is a little confusing on this point - but that's what it looks like. As far as I can tell, everything that's ever been issued from this show is on the Milestone box set, although it stands to reason that lots more was recorded that night.

Well, you've got to have some Charley Patton. You can get: The high-priced Revenant set Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues, which contains all his recordings, plus supplementary material (including some amazing Son House recordings, for example), along with books, pamphlets, essys, and all the bells and whistles. I've got this set and like it a lot. His complete recordings on JSP at a much cheaper price - 5 CDs. The "Best of" on Yazoo - 1 CD. But get one of them. They're all going to sound bad - Patton recorded mostly for Paramount, famous for their low-quality recording. All the masters are gone, and some of his records have only survived in a couple of copies. But this is where it all started - the real deal. I'll let other folks recommend other stuff, but get some Charley Patton!