jeffcrom

Sun Ra - Media Dream (El Saturn). Again, lots of cover variations. The only usable picture of the one I have is turned sideways; lean your head to the right to see what it looks like. I love the music, which is from the 1978 quartet tour of Italy. Later, toward the end of side two: This album is so bizarre. Bizarre is good; I love it.

Sun Ra - Oblique Parallax / Journey Stars Beyond (Saturn). Lots of label and cover variations on this one. Mine has this label in a plain black sleeve. Besides Ra, hornist Vincent Chancey is the star of this record.

From the Plosin discography: http://www.plosin.com/MilesAhead/Disco.aspx?id=Corner-CDs

I like it more than I "love" it, except for "A Long Night" and "Bang Bang." I love "A Long Night" deeply. And I had a whole thing about "Bang Bang" written in my head, and decided to keep it simple and not go there. But, yeah, it's a stupid, crappy song, and Sinatra and Jenkins turn it into something deep. It put me in mind of Louis Armstrong's 1930 recording of "Sweethearts on Parade," which is a stupid, crappy song, and which Louis (in a very different way than Sinatra) turns into something deep. One more before bed: Snooks Eaglin - Down Yonder: Snooks Eaglin Today (GNP Crescendo). The brilliant Mr. Eaglin, recorded in 1977 over two days (Paul Secor's birthday and mine), with a great New Orleans band: Clarence Ford, tenor saxophone; Ellis Marsalis, piano; George French, bass, and Bob French, drums. Nobody's trying very hard, and the results are pretty great. I'm glad I got to see Snooks a couple of times in my favorite city.

Jazz at the Philharmonic (Stinson 10" LP). Not the first JATP concert, but the first released album, from the February 12, 1945 Los Angeles concert. I have the three-record 12" Asch 78 album as well.

Frank Sinatra - She Shot Me Down (Reprise). In honor of the solstice, I'm playing what many folks consider Sinatra's last great album, which contains two of Alec Wilder's last songs. One of those is "A Long Night," which is just chilling.

No, it's not recent - 1991, I believe. I've had this CD at least 20 years.

I'm double-posting this, since I also put it in the "What are you listening to now" thread. Even before Late's prompt, I had an urge to hear this wonderful collection.

That was the first night. The album has tracks chosen from the 10th through the 15th. I was about to say that I was jealous, but I saw/heard this duo a few years later in Atlanta - and with a better piano. "Hooray for Herbie" fell apart going back into the head after the solos. Lacy and Waldron stopped in confusion, looked at each other for a few moments, and just started up again where they left off.

Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy - Live at Dreher Paris 1981 (Hatology). Among the many pleasures of this set are the three versions of "Round Midnight," a tune Lacy didn't often play.

The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve; disc 6. It just occurred to me that I've been playing saxophone for a longer period than Bird's entire life. And he still scares me. And has anyone talked about how wonderfully Miles Davis plays on the 1951 "Au Privave" session? I think that this is some of his best early work; he's much better here than on his own Prestige date later the same day.

Thanks for making me think back on the year. Steve Marquette Quartet with Mars Williams & Nick Mazzarella at Eyedrum in Atlanta Anthony Braxton - solo, big band, and percussion ensemble in Tuscaloosa Harold Mabern at the Fat Cat in NYC Dwight Andrews with Geri Allen in Atlanta Tom McDermott at the Old Mint in New Orleans Panorama Jazz Band at the Spotted Cat in New Orleans Panorama Brass Band at Cafe Negril in New Orleans To Be Continued Brass Band on the street in uptown New Orleans (Does a second line count?)

I have the Nonesuch box, and think it would be a good place to start - good performances of a range of pieces covering a wide chronological period.

A friend suggested these non-existent Cecil Taylor Christmas albums: Santa Structures The Great North Pole Concert Air Above Chimneys.

Duke Pearson - Merry Ole Soul (BN) Gary Peacock - December Poems (ECM) Archie Shepp - Fire Music (Impulse)

I had never played these two favorite 1980s Southern gospel albums back to back until tonight. Spiritual Starlites - Long Black Limousine (ASL - Atlanta Soul Liberation). A great Atlanta gospel album with a great cover. The long black limousine gets a credit on the back cover: "LIMOUSINE furnished by Meadows Mortuary." My cover is much better shape than the one pictured, but it doesn't have the autographs. The Star Lite Singers - Footprint of Jesus (Hue). I bought this album in Clarksdale, Mississippi 20 years ago. The Star Lites were from Lexington, Mississippi, and included the Rev. Charles Pitchford - which led to the inclusion in the accompanying band of the great, ill-fated bluesman Lonnie Pitchford on guitar and bass. (Check out his All Around Man album on Rooster Blues.) Lonnie Pitchford died of AIDS in 1998, and in the early days of the internet, I read an account of his funeral which is no longer to be found. The funeral sermon was preached by his brother Charles, and it was apparently defiant of conservative Christian conventions - Rev. Pitchford proudly said that God gave his brother the talent to play the blues, and that Lonnie followed that calling the best he could. This is a deep album..

Happy birthday! May your G sharp key never stick.

Jutta Hipp - New Faces-New Sounds From Germany (BN 10" reissue)

Jimmy Giuffre - Music for People, Birds, Butterflies & Mosquitoes (Choice). Hadn't spun this one for a long time. Hate the title, like the music.

Jimmy Giuffre Quartet - In Person (Verve stereo). My least favorite of Giuffre's Verve albums, but I'm glad I listened today; I enjoyed it much more than my last spin. And Buell Neidlinder sounds great. Being at the bottom of a very distinguished list still means it's pretty good.

The Muggsy album has a (not very informative) booklet, but no photo. I have about six more New York calypso 78s with Felix, including some on Asch with a label credit for the backing band: Felix and his Internationals. (Most of these are Lord Invader discs. He's all over three calypso CDs I have: Lord Invader - Calypso in New York on Smithsonian Folkways and two concert recordings from the Alan Lomax series on Rounder: Calypso at Midnight and Calypso After Midnight.

Back in 2009 I posted about a Mercury calypso record by Sir Lancelot accompanied by Gerald Clark's band, with a fabulous clarinetist. Jazztrain pointed out that it was a reissue of a record from a Keystone album, and that the clarinetist was the great. Gregory Felix. I recently found a very nice copy of the Keystone album, and Gregory Felix sounds great throughout - he has become one of my favorite clarinetists in any genre.

Nick's Presents his Dixieland Jazz Band Featuring "Muggsy" Spanier (Manhattan). Nick Rongetti's joint was one of New York's pillars of Condon-school dixieland in the 1940s. He put out three 3-pocket albums by his regulars, under the nominal leadership of Muggsy Spanier, Pee Wee Russell, and Miff Mole. Muggy's is pretty nice.

This is a magnificent body of music - really stunning. Someone should snatch this up.