jeffcrom

Steve Lacy - Disposability (Italian Vik mono). This one, recorded in Rome in late 1965, is one of my very favorite Lacy albums. With Kent Carter and Aldo Romano, Lacy plays three Monk tunes, a Carla Bley piece, Cecil Taylor's "Tune 2," three improvised pieces, and his first recorded composition, "Barble." He seems to forgotten about that one - he later called "The Way" his "opus one." Anyway, it's a great one, and Lacy's only recording from 1965.

Ralph Sutton - Backroom Piano (Verve). A mid-50s issue of some excellent 1949 tracks.

You're welcome - glad I could help.

Once again, I have waited until the last minute. But I've been listening over the past few days, and enjoyed most of the music. So: 1. I like the metric modulation to and from the weird little riff in seven, but I wish that the pianist hadn’t played that riff the same way almost every time – I could have stood a little more variety. Other than that, this was very enjoyable. 2. Not my kind of thing at all. 3. I recognized Roy Eldridge right away, and was intrigued by the hip rhythm section. Put two and two together and figured out that it was from Buddy Tate and His Buddies, with Mary Lou Williams and Illinois Jacquet. “Medi 2” is the name of the tune – is it a Mary Lou composition? Very nice stuff. 4. Someone has heard Paul Bley. It’s not atonal, but it’s certainly pushing the boundaries of tonality. Nice bass. Is it the bassist’s session? Really like the feel and the interaction of the trio. 5. I like the idea of this one, but not the execution, until the second tenor solo. Up to then, it was just too slick for my tastes. The first tenor solo was just too “efficient” for me, but the second one got into some Warne Marsh stuff. 6. Is this a contemporary pop song? In any case, this track didn’t do much for me. 7. I had never heard this before, but instantly knew what it was, because it’s something I had planned on checking out at some point – Illinois Jacquet playing “Round Midnight” on bassoon, from The Blues, That’s Me. Well, I’m gobsmacked. This is beautiful. I had no idea that Jacquet was such an accomplished bassoonist – I’ll admit that I assumed that when I finally heard his bassoon playing, it would be pretty rudimentary. But this is great. 8. Nice little slightly odd tune. I enjoyed it, especially the drumming – it sounds like Paul Motian. Very accomplished, imaginative improvising. I enjoyed this one even more on repeated listening. 9. Nice big Cannonball-ish alto sound. I don’t listen to much straight-ahead stuff by younger musicians, which is what I assume I’m hearing here, but these guys display just enough originality here to keep me interested. 10. I’ve heard this before, I think, but I can’t remember what it is. Not much to say about it – it’s okay, but doesn’t float my boat too much. And I hate bell trees. 11. I didn’t want to like this, but I did. Great groove, interesting melody, good singer, cool enigmatic lyrics. I’m in. 12. One of my favorite big bands – Harlan Leonard and His Rockets, playing “My Gal Sal,” from 1940. I think the first two soloists are Henry Bridges on tenor and the great Fred Beckett on trombone. I don’t know who the trumpet soloist is, but it’s the same guy who solos on the Rockets’ “400 Swing.” Thanks for including this. 13. I don’t know – I generally don’t care for ironic music, so I’m not completely on board with this one. But there’s commitment here, as in the excellent tenor solo. It sounds like the Willem Breuker group to me, but I don’t really know. 14. I like the skittering, barely-in-control quality the pianist’s improvising had. That’s not a negative criticism – it was cool. It reminded me of Elmo Hope, but the drum sound seems to indicate that this is a later recording. In any case, I enjoyed it. Thanks for putting together this very interesting BFT.

26 Pictures From the Insane Traffic Jam That Has Atlanta Looking Like "The Walking Dead"

After another Pete Seeger album, which I posted about in another thread: Pete Seeger and Sonny Terry - Recorded at Their Carnegie Hall Concert (Folkways)

Oh, and while I haven't heard The Weavers' version of "Goodnight Irene" in many years, I sure like Leadbelly's menacing version(s) and James Booker's surprisingly funky readings.

Right now I'm listening to the 1957 Folkways album Pete Seeger Sings American Ballads. Okay, I understand the reservations some folks have expressed about Seeger, especially JSngry's comments about PS being creepy/corny. Corny he certainly was - "Everybody sing, now!" But I'm not sure Jim is right about "agenda first, music second, always." That construct certainly showed up sometimes, but not always. Part of Seeger's agenda was that there was a body of great American music which should preserved as living music. Seeger is not unlike many other musicians: some of his output is corny and regrettable, but much of it is moving and beautiful. This album is haunting and excellent. To be kind of corny myself, there's a quality that shines through Seeger's creepiness/corniness/political agenda. I hear/feel a warmth, a sincerity, (and to be really corny) a love that emanates from his music. Weighing all the factors, I have no problem with describing Pete Seeger as an American hero. So long, Mr. Seeger.

11:00 PM, and the news programs are showing live shots of the interstate highways - still packed with cars not moving, or creeping forward inches at a time. The Facebook page for the school system where I taught for 29 years is filled with angry or disbelieving posts by parents whose children aren't home from school yet, or who haven't left school yet, and presumably won't until tomorrow. I'm a native Atlantan, and am used to our helplessness when it comes to snow, but I've never seen anything like this. It's difficult to grasp what's causing this level of traffic gridlock. As far as I can tell, the onset of the snow was so sudden that road conditions deteriorated far faster than anyone had imagined. I walked into a supermarket to do my weekly grocery shopping around noon, and there were just light flurries. When I walked out 25 minutes later, I instantly knew that there was going to be trouble, and that I wouldn't be driving to the suburbs to teach my music lessons this evening.

John Coltrane - Live Trane: The European Tours (Pablo), disc seven. There has been some dissatisfaction expressed here with this set, but I would not willingly part with it.

Are there power outages? Sure hope not. Not many - only in a few scattered areas. That's not much comfort to the people who are affected, I suppose.

Atlanta has just fallen apart. Some snow was expected, but it came up suddenly about noon and covered more area than expected. We don't have much snow equipment, we don't drive in the snow very well here, and that's exacerbated by the nasty, slick ice we tend to get on our roads. Every school and business closed at the same time, around 1:00 PM. The roads filled up quickly, there were many accidents, and all the highways became parking lots. Many folks have run out of gas on the roads, adding to the gridlock. There are people interviewed by phone on television that have been on the road for over eight hours, and have only traveled ten miles in that time. (20-30 mile commutes are not unusual in the Atlanta area.) There are still school buses that are stuck in traffic hours after leaving school. Some schools have just given up, and are keeping their kids overnight. It's a nightmare. My wife works nearby, and it took her an hour to get home.

I passed on a $30 copy of this once. Stupid stupid. I believe that's what I spent, though my copy didn't come with the insert. It's a good one and includes Carter's last released recorded performance on soprano sax. Does anyone know if the liner notes are posted online anywhere? How about right here: Bob's Notes (handwritten) Sep. '77 Dear John, Are you sure that you want me to do the liner notes for your record? Surely our long personal and musical association will reduce my credibility to your listeners. I was worried as I listened for the first time that I might find the slightest thing wrong with the recording or some music that I didn't like. The only thing I don't like is that I'm not playing here and sharing this music. I'm truly delighted with the whole thing and will be happy to do the notes if you are still so inclined. BB (typeset): About Rudolph's In the late summer of 1973, upon returning from Europe, John Carter began organizing a new jazz group. John was also looking for a small concert hall for presentation of regular community concerts. At this time, Rudolph Porter had plans for utilizing his building in just the same way. Fortunately for jazz in Los Angeles, their collaboration produced two and one half years of fine jazz concerts. Rudolph's Fine Arts Center came to be a place of varied artistic happenings, including poetry, workshops, clinics, and other musical presentations. Rudolph's, like many other clubs, lofts, workshops, etc., went the way of the "Landlord" in the summer of 1976. Rudolph's echoes, echoes, echoes in the John Carter Ensemble which was organized and developed in the Sunday afternoon concerts. Tell the saxophone players to bring their clarinets! That phrase has somehow lowered the clarinet's priority in recent years. John Carter is a clarinet player of the first order. He has made this almost willful little instrument, and its partner the soprano saxophone, obedient in his hands. About the Players Melba Joyce is one of John Carter's favorite singers and this record is the fruit of many earlier plans and a long standing desire for these two to record. William Jeffrey, drums, is busy with finishing his B.A. requirements and doing studio composing and arranging but finds time to bring his personal touch to John's music. Stanley Carter, acoustic and electric bass is John's second son and a promising young bassist with a clearly real feel for the new music. Chris Carter, John's youngest son, plays finger cymbals and sees no difference between this and any other music. Such is the nature of Rudolph's and its offspring. Now, come share a piece of American culture with the John Carter Ensemble. Bobby Bradford And I got my copy for two dollars, in 1980 or 1981, I think.

Although I haven't heard the unedited June Fillmore East shows, the bits of Grossman that made it the original double album are indeed better than the Black Beauty show. And I listened to an August 2, 1970 show today where Grossman was also much better than in April. It must have been one of his last ones, since Gary Bartz was in the band by the Isle of Wight show on the 29th.

Steve Grossman is among my least favorite 1970-75 Miles saxophonists, but I second this - he sounded a lot better on the April and June stuff that was not officially released. Haven't listed to this stuff for a while.. but my memory of it is that I was disappointed by Grossman....so I am wondering if I should get this box when I have much of this material live with a better version of the band. Do I have it wrong? Everybody has a different opinion on when Miles reached his peak as a bandleader/conceptualist, but his peak as a trumpeter was 1969-70, in my opinion. To me, this will be worth hearing for that reason alone. And the rest of the band is exciting, or at least interesting, on the chopped-up Fillmore East excerpts. I agree that Steve Grossman adds little worth hearing at this stage in his development. I listened to Black Beauty recently, and had forgotten that he's basically noodling around the horn.

Keith Moon Star Jones Mars Williams

Nathan East Mae West W.C. Fields

Miles Davis - Dig, from the Complete Prestige box. I don't listen to this session often, because everyone involved did better later. But I'm enjoying it quite a bit tonight - the musicians were mostly at the top of their 1951 game.

Tabby Thomas - Rockin' With the Blues (Maison de Soul). As far as I can tell, this album came out on Tabby's own Blue Beat label in 1984, and on Maison de Soul a year later. The backing band includes Henry Gray and a very young Chris Thomas King.

Art Blakey/JM - The Witch Doctor (BN dark blue label)

I've been a little slack about staying on top of the BFT lately, but luckily it's been more or less running itself. I just updated the Tom in RI, I did you one better and gave you June, moving myself back to July. If that doesn't suit you, I'll put you down for July and move myself (or someone else) back to June. Hardbopjazz, you're not eligible to do another BFT until next February (the twelve month rule), so I put you down for that.

The Chicago String Band (Testament mono)

I've got a friend who owns a mastering studio and also tours 30-40 weeks a year as soundman with a nationally known rock band. He collects guitars, but I didn't know the extent of his mania until recently. There are always half a dozen guitars in his studio, and another 10-15 in his living room and bedroom. He recently realized that I had never seen his guitar room, so he took me in. It was packed, and he told me that he has around 250 guitars. Most were in cases, but even this non-guitarist could tell that some of the visible ones were very cool. He does play, and I think about half a dozen are in rotation at any one time. I think the plan is to sell them off as he needs money in his old age. Anyway, it was very impressive and disturbing at the same time - kind of like some of our record collections, I guess.

So we shouldn't be looking for a deluxe reissue of Congliptious on six 78s housed in a classy felt album? The Pinetop Smith my only such album, and I think it's kinda cool.

Nothing I haven't mentioned before - This again. Then this again: A 1943 album of late-20s Pinetop Smith, in really nice shape. That inspired me to pull out: Cow Cow Davenport - Chimes Blues/Slow Drag (Broadway). Worn, but quite listenable.