jeffcrom

I was worried until I read the headline again - Not for Morons only. Whew - I'm glad morons like me can still enjoy jazz.

After a little head-scratching, it's recording right now. PM sent.

Dave Holland Percy France America Ferrera

Bob & Ray Wally Ballou Cat Ballou

The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition complete RCA Victor set - the And His Mother Called Him Bill sessions. After a strange Errol Parker album, this was calling me - one of Ellington's most touching albums.

Errol Parker - Graffiti (Sahara). An odd album. I'm not sure I really enjoy it, but it intrigues me. I listen to it about once a year, and that seems to be enough.

Okay, okay. But you've got to admit that Sinha would be a good name for a beer - maybe even better than Singha. I still like Chang better than either one....

Have you ever tried Chang? I find it a little less bitter than Sinha.

I can't believe I didn't recognize Johnny Griffin! My excuse is that I was totally unaware that he had made an organ album.

I was kind of reluctant to sign up for this BFT, but I've been listening to more organ jazz lately, so I thought that I might be able to identify some players. And if not, at least I thought I would have something intelligent to say. Wrong on both counts. But I enjoyed hearing all these different approaches to the organ. I liked some of the tracks better than others, but there was nothing I really disliked. I haven't read anything in this thread yet, so some of my comments will probably sound pretty ignorant. Track 1 – I liked this because of the total absence of organ trio cliches, and because the playing was of such high quality. The organist used a variety of phrase shapes and changed up his rhythmic approach quite a bit. Nice sense of melody and excellent improvising. The guitarist was also good, although not quite as distinctive. Excellent, enjoyable music. Track 2 – I like this because it was composed totally of organ quartet cliches. I’m serious, in spite of what I said above – this one is steak and potatoes as opposed to fine dining, but I don’t want to eat the same meal all the time. Nothing here was original, but it was so tasty. I love the organist’s sound, especially those fat bass lines. And his third solo chorus, I think it was, with the sustained notes, was just delicious. This one was a lot of fun. Track 3 – This sounds like Jimmy Smith to me, although I’m not at all confident about that. The playing is mostly in the realm of what you would expect from this kind of trio, but it’s well done. The organist has nice, clean articulation of his notes. Track 4 – A more old-fashioned organ sound, more like Wild Bill Davis – in sound, not style. The tenor player is the most imaginative musician here – he takes the track out of the realm of the ordinary. Is this Eddie Davis and Shirley Scott? Track 5 – There was a lot more triple meter than I would have expected in an organ-oriented BFT. This one seemed kind of flat to me – I thought they could have done a lot more with it, although it did build some toward the end of the guitar solo. The organ sound really didn’t do anything for me – it was pretty lifeless. Track 6 – Nice, fiery playing with just enough originality to keep me interested. I have no idea who anybody is. Track 7 – Someone who has heard Larry Young, obviously. String bass instead of organ bass. I like the construction of this piece – interesting changes and meter changes. I like this one. Track 8 - Wonder why we don’t hear more unaccompanied organ solos? A good organist can do it all. This is nice – rich sound; interesting composition – in waltz time, once again. No idea who it is, but I like it. Track II/1 – Don’t know who it is, but the tune is “Woody ‘n’ You,” although the melody is different enough that they might call it something else. Good, imaginative playing over challenging changes. I like the fact the organ solo stayed pretty much in the low register – nice gritty sound. Track II/2 – Again, don’t have any idea. The guitarist sounds vaguely Scofield-ish. This is the most minimal organ playing yet in this set. I like it, but wish the drummer sounded more involved. Track II/3 – Great groove – love the cowbell interjections. Except for Lou Donaldson, it seems unusual to have an alto sax in an organ group. I actually have an idea who this might be, but my guess is based on so little that I’m going to keep it to myself and just see if I’m right. Good, not particularly original playing except for that groove. Track II/4 – Some great sounds here – the unusual percussion and the ring modulator on the Rhodes. The solos fit right in with the sound/groove. Good stuff, and again, I’m clueless. Track II/5 – Organist sounds very Larry Young-ish in sound and voicings. Everyone here is listening and creating at the top of their game. Damn, the organist sounds like Young, but I don’t see how it could be. This one is a delight. Track II/6 – There’s that triple meter again. Good guitar playing, but the tenor player just oozes confidence and ability – he sounds like one of those guys who can play anything and holds a lot of ability in reserve. Enjoyed hearing this one. Track II/7 – Another good one – different from the standard organ trio fare. Nice interplay among the group. And again, no idea who it might be. Track II/8 – Nice! Just restrained enough and just dramatic enough. Was “Embraceable You” the only pop standard in this set? Thanks for putting this together. No to go back, read the thread, and learn something.

I was interested in this thread, since I recently picked up a Thelma Carpenter 78 - "These Foolish Things" and "My Guy's Come Back" - Majestic 1017, backed by Bud Freeman's band. This morning I pulled together the handful of Thelma Carpenter vocals I have and compared them to the one Thelma Lowe track I have, from the Lucky Thompson Excelsior session. I know that's not much to go on, but it doesn't sound at all like the same singer to me. Lowe has a heavier voice, for one thing. I like Carpenter's singing. And J.J. Johnson plays some amazing stuff on the Excelsior session.

King Oliver Oliver Cromwell Charles I

Eddie Miller & Armand Hug - Just Friends (Land o' Jazz). A couple of journeyman New Orleans musicians late in the day, playing a relaxed set of standards. Hug was a nice, Jess Stacy-influenced player who never ventured far from Louisiana; this was apparently his last album.

Grand Slam - Magic Slim and the Teardrops (Rooster Blues)

Richard Bock Gerry Mulligan Judy Holiday

Kid Ory - New Orleans Jazz (Columbia, 1947); A four-pocket album with a great Jim Flora cover. The music is excellent, with Barney Bigard, Bud Scott, and Mutt Carey in the band. It's always moving to me to hear those New Orleans trumpet players, like Carey, Freddie Keppard, or Wooden Joe Nicholas, who seem to hark back to the earliest days of jazz. Then, "Mama's Gone, Goodbye" & "New Orleans Wiggle" by Piron's New Orleans Orchestra (Victor, 1923); I love this band. They epitomize the polite side of New Orleans jazz; the first couple of choruses are usually pretty staid, but they usually loosen up near the end. I have all their stuff on CD, but it's nice to hear it from a good Victor 78.

It would be interesting to see your purchases (if any). I don't think I've managed to post anything here without at least one stupid typo. What I meant to say, of course, was: "Stopped by my favorite local CD store after a rehearsal today and was picked up by the spirit of Sun Ra and transported on golden beams of sound to the outer reaches of the universe." Or something like that....

I'm here several times a day, so, upon reflection, I kicked in a little more than my earlier contribution.

Stopped by my favorite local CD store after a rehearsal today and was picked up: Sun Ra Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold (ESP-Disk); just reissued, apparently, with five extra tracks. Looking forward to hearing it.

What incredible music....

Charlie Mariano - Mirror (Atlantic) This 1971 album could be written off as trendy pop-jazz of the time if you're just reading the back cover, but it's not, except in brief spots, like "Summer of 42." The compositions are interesting and the playing passionate. And Asha Puthli sings on one track!

Art Pepper - Complete Village Vanguard Sessions; disc 7

"Transfer" refers to the process of copying the source material (78 RPM records, acetate masters, metal stampers or "mothers,", etc.) to the digital realm (or to tape in earlier days) and mastering for reissue. A good transfer is one that has good fidelity to the source, with low noise and distortion. Some transfers are done with a "minimal" approach, with little or no EQ, others have filtering, processing (like reverb), and noise reduction involved to some degree. Obviously, the worse the condition of the source (like some rare Paramount records that have only survived in one copy), the more processing is going to be needed to make the transfer listenable. The worst case transfers are those done for LP issues in the late fifties and sixties that are very unatural sounding due to the use of too much EQ, reverb, and even fake stereo. The Chronological Classics series is usually considered to be mediocre in terms of transfers - they often didn't have access to the best source materials, and many of the tracks are kind of noisy. As has been mentioned here many times, the King Oliver Off the Record/Archeophone reissue is famous for being having outstanding transfers, revealing details that many of us had never heard before, like the fact that the two cornets are trading off the melody at the beginning of "Canal Street Blues." Does this make sense, or have I confused you more?

Paul beat me on the last one, so: Baron Frankenstein Mary Shelley Shelly Manne

In my post above, my "can't certainly understand" people who don't like the direction of Mose's career should have been "can certainly understand." I'm glad I'm not writing the manuals for nuclear subs.