jeffcrom

The Jordanaires Elvis Presley Jaime Pressly

Since nobody has mentioned him yet, I'll bring up Steve Lacy and his many solo soprano saxophone recordings. His first solo concert, from Avignon in 1972, was important historically, but he did better later. Among my favorites are Live at Unity Temple (Wobbly Rail), Sands (Tzadik), 10 of Dukes + 6 Originals (Senators), Only Monk & More Monk (Soul Note), Remains (hat ART), and my absolute favorite, 5 x Monk 5 x Lacy (Silkheart). Listening to this music takes concentration, since Lacy's improvisatory style is so undramatic. It's all about line and logic, sound and space, a note or no note. I find it fascinating to hear these pieces unfold.

Let me add Puccini's La Boheme conducted by Karajan with Pavarotti and Freni. And two from the 20th century, if you're interested in exploring beyond the standard repertoire: Stravinsky conducting his own The Rake's Progress (Columbia); X by Anthony Davis - there's only one recording available, on Gramavision.

Fortunately, I don't have a negative box set story, so here's a positive one. After putting it off for years, I finally bought the Mosaic Select Pacific Jazz Piano Trios set. I only wanted the Dick Twardzik material, but I've really enjoyed the rest of the set - far more than I expected. Clare Fischer in particular is just killin' me.

Without getting into the late-Miles pop cover controversy too much, I'll throw in $.02. As much as I love Miles' playing during that or any other era, the settings of his late pop covers always bothered me. "All of You" or "Blackbird" by the 1950's band is in a jazz context, with the rhythm section interacting with the soloists and each other; with "Human Nature" or "Time After Time" Miles has the band sound copy the original record as closely as possible while he blows over the top. His playing, of course, was beautiful over that cover-band type setting. And in concert the band would take more liberties as they got into the tune. But I think that there is a basic difference in the way Miles approached pop tunes in the last decade of his life, and in my opinion the change was not for the better. That being said, Jimmy Ponder did a version of "Billie Jean" on Down Here on the Ground that I remember as being pretty cool, although I haven't heard it for years - lost that album in the divorce.

Shad Collins Lester Young Young Dr. Kildare

All great stuff! I think "Central Park in the Dark" would be my desert island Ives. Although "What Charles Ives would you take to a desert island?" doesn't come up in conversation as often as you'd think....

Kid Thomas Valentine and the Algiers Stompers/Hall Brothers Jazz Band (Jazzology). A $1.00 purchase from the used record store down the street. The band is half New Orleans guys and half Minnesotans. It's pretty good, except that a couple of the Minnesota musicians sound pretty amateurish. Young Butch Thompson sounds good on clarinet, though. (Edit): Later - side two. Kid Thomas and the boys are now playing "One Night" by Fats Domino. I've always loved how Valentine had no sense of himself as a "jazz musician." He'd play anything the people wanted to hear, but it always came out Kid Thomas style.

From Spirituals to Swing, Disc 3

John Work Alan Lomax Leadbelly

Some later Andy Kirk and his Orchestra: "Hip Hip Hooray" & "Get It and Gone" on blue label Decca. One of the pleasures of exploring 78s is the discovery of hidden gems. Not that these tunes are great overall (the patriotic lyrics of "Hip Hip Hooray" have references to "Japs" that, while I understand, make me cringe), but there are good solos by Al Sears, trombonist Ted Donnelly, and the underrated Kenny Kersey. And there's a fabulous solo by Howard McGhee on the first side - imaginative, flowing, and very modern for 1942.

Thanks for putting this BFT together - it was interesting, enjoyable, and humbling.

That's some great stuff.

Two nice pieces of vinyl - Black Saint #1 (titled Black Saint) and Soul Note #1 (In Europe) by Billy Harper.

Doh! There's no way I can make it up from the Southland that week. I would love to hear this. Frank, your Play album with Motian and Masa Kamaguchi is just beautiful - I've really been enjoying it.

A record I had never even heard of until I picked it up at a junk store in the middle of nowhere in Minnesota yesterday: Little Band-Big Jazz by Conte Candoli on Crown. It's excellent, with Buddy Collette (on tenor only), Vince Guaraldi, Leroy Vinnegar, and Stan Levey. It's in mint condition, but since it's a typically cheap Crown pressing, there's a constant surface hiss in the background. Pretty cool find, though, in my opinion - I'll enjoy it.

Maybe more uncomfortable than funny, at least at the time: 1988 at Carlos I in NYC; the Hamiet Bluiett Orchestra (about nine pieces) is playing. Young Don Byron is manning the tenor sax/clarinet chair. (This is four years before his own first album came out.) Byron makes the mistake of talking to the alto player during one of Bluiett's solos. Bluiett waves the music to a stop and goes into a sermon: "Everyone one of them (pointing to the six or so people in the audience) is more into the music than you are!" He relates the big names everyone has played with; I still remember that part of the sermon: "Ron Burton - Rahsaan Roland Kirk! Victor Bailey - Weather Report! You (pointing to Byron) - NOBODY!" About halfway through the sermon Burton started playing gospel licks behind it. When Bluiett was through, he stormed off, leaving the band members looking at each other in confusion. Byron slowly packed up his horns and left. We waited for about thirty minutes to see what would happen. I talked to Joe Daley, who was on tuba, and he was as confused as the audience. We left, and don't know whether they played anymore.

Joe Venuti - World's Greatest Jazz Violinist (10" Decca LP). Can't find anything on this one, which is a set of eight duets with Russ Morgan on piano. It doesn't seem to be listed in the Lord discography. It's nice, in that third-stream-ish, highly prepared Venuti kind of way.

Bobby Blue Bland B.B. King George III

Just to throw in my .02 worth: when I decided I had to have a 78 turntable I looked at new ones online, but decided to go with a 40-year-old Miracord that a local audio store had. I've been happy with it, especially after having my audio guy give it a "tune up" and replace the audio cables.

Mats Gustafsson - Solos for Contrabass Saxophone (Table of the Elements). Kind of a noisy pressing, which is a shame, since this is very detailed music, performed mostly at low dynamic levels.

This afternoon was old-time country music time at the 78 turntable: Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers (w/ Riley Puckett) - Liberty/Pretty Little Widow (Columbia) Riley Puckett - My Carolina Home/I'm Drifting Back to Dreamland (Columbia) Darby & Tarlton - The Rainbow Division/Country Girl Valley (Columbia) Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys - Pike County Breakdown/A Mighty Pretty Waltz (Decca) Jolly Boys of Lafayette - Jolie Blon/Jolly Boys' Breakdown (Decca) That's almost all my "old time tunes" on 78. I've got to get some more of this stuff. It reminds me that country music really was once "people's music" instead of manufactured product. The first three records are by my Georgia homeys. A friend said Darby & Tarlton sound like they'd been working in the cotton mill all their lives.

My copy - an anniversary present from my wife (she may have had a hint) - hit my doorstep about 30 minutes ago.

Wayne Shorter Mickey Rooney Judy Garland

Larry Young - the Grant Green Street of Dreams session. I hadn't listened to this for a long time. It's not the highlight of the set, but it's nice.