jeffcrom

My first wife, who was not a trained musician, was a Milt Jackson fan and had many of his solo albums. After spinning a Modern Jazz Quartet album, she turned to me and asked, "Why doesn't Milt play like that all the time?" My answer was similar to Mike's.

I bought the recording of X when it came out, and took to it right away. I love an opera in which the cats get a chance to blow. As to the libretto, my problem with it is that cleans up Malcom X a bit - the most shocking thing he says in the opera is the "chickens have come home to roost" line about Kennedy's assassination. Other Anthony Davis I have found to be a mixed bag. I got rid of several albums, but enjoy others. The I've Known Rivers album with James Newton and Abdul Wadud has been mentioned several times here lately - I really like the lesser-known follow up by the same group - Trio2.

Pony Poindexter - Pony's Express (Epic reissue)

Goin' Up the Country (Rounder). Mississippi/Louisiana field recordings made by David Evans in 1966. The two threads that emerge from this record are the influence of the great Tommy Johnson and the distinctive sound of the Benontia (Mississippi) school of blues, despite some commentators' insistence that no such school exsists.

Bud Powell - Bouncing With Bud (Delmark stereo). I would prefer this in mono, I think; the way NHOP's bass is panned hard right separates him from the piano too much.

Don Pullen/Chico Freeman/Fred Hopkins/Bobby Battle - Warriors (Black Saint)

So far I'm digging everything.

Lou Donaldson - Blowing in the Wind (Cadet mono). This one has a few really lame tracks, as well as some very tasty ones.

Joe Keyes C. Sharpe A Flat Miner* *What you get when you push a piano down a mine shaft.

Stan Getz - Cool Velvet (Verve mono)

Rebecca Ruffin Parker Doris Snydor Parker Chan Richardson

Yeah, that's a good one. I went to a workshop over 30 years ago where Holland was talking about what a fun date that was, and how much he enjoyed playing with Roy Haynes. Benny Carter - Live and Well in Japan (Pablo). I wish Carter had recorded more on trumpet. His one solo on that instrument here had me shaking my head in wonder.

A double whammy, kind of: I scheduled a trip to New York in the spring of 1988 to go to Sweet Basil and hear Gil Evans, one of my heroes. He died about a week before the trip. And I didn't learn of this until I got back to Atlanta, but while I was in NYC, there was a memorial concert for Mr. Evans (at St. Patrick's?), with the Evans Orchestra, Cecil Taylor, and others.

Just became aware of this picture of Roy and my friend Roger Ruzow of the Gold Sparkle Band, now leader of the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra. I don't know what the gig was, but this is from the First Existentialist Congregation in Atlanta, 1999. Why wasn't I there?

Napoleon Strickland Other Turner Barney Fife

I really need to write you a new birthday song.

PM sent on: Lacy ,Steve/Area – Event ’76 $10 Pearson ,Duke – Profile (Blue Note) $12

I've got Crossroads, with Lancaster and Sunny Murray, and think that it's a beautiful thing. On the title cut, Eyges and Murray get their wires crossed and the beat gets turned around. I've always loved that that didn't bother them - that take got issued anyway.

What a wonderful player. Other Dimensions in Music is one of my favorite free improv groups. As far as I know/remember, I only got to hear Mr. Campbell once in person, with the Brotzmann Chicago Tentet +2 in Atlanta. Far too young....

Commodore Vanderbilt Milt Gabler Billy Crystal

Okay, that made me laugh out loud.

Roscoe Mitchell Solo: Live at the Mühle Hunziken (Cecma)

Okay, I get that. Maybe I even agree, partly. Mr. Rollins' musical world became much more limited in later years. But there was/is always the possibility for Rollins to improvisationally knock you on your ass. Realistically, it hasn't happened as much as some of us would like. But it has happened enough to keep me interested. (Split an infinitive there, didn't I? Oh, well, it was a pretty poorly worded sentence, anyway.)

Happy Birthday 2014, Clifford!

Syl Johnson - Is It Because I'm Black, from the Numero Complete Mythology box set. Finally!