jeffcrom

I wandered into one of my favorite brick-and-mortar stores today, just to hang out for a few minutes - not intending to buy anything. As I was leaving, I saw, in the used LP section, the Numero six-LP, four-CD Syl Johnson box The Complete Mythology. I couldn't resist; I knew that I would never see it at that price again. The Magnificent Goldberg had told me that if I ever found a copy of Is It Because I'm Black (included in this box) at a reasonable price I should snatch it up - I believe he called it the best soul album ever. I never got one, because every decent copy I found cost as much or more than I paid for this entire set. I'm listening to the first LP, Johnson's 1959-62 Federal recordings, and I'm a happy boy.

Me, too -- and I once felt that Rollins probably was the most important living artist in any field. I stopped following him around the same time. Then, at some point, I came back. I'm not enamored of everything he's done since the 1970s (and I haven't heard everything), but some of it is stunning - and some of the rest is pretty good. I'm glad I came back. But I understand - kind of.

One reason I don't post about all the 78s I listen to in this thread - it's too much work! If I listen to a CD for an hour and feel like posting about it, I can do that pretty quickly. If I listen to an hour's worth of 78s, that's ten records to post about. So this is far from complete, but here are some highlights from the past few weeks: A four-pocket Bud Freeman album on Decca called, for some reason, Fashions in Swing. It was later released as a 10" LP called Wolverine Jazz, since all the tunes were recorded by Bix and the Wolverines in 1924. It's in nice condition, and sounds a lot better than my LP. Couldn't find a picture of the 78 version online. Rubberlegs Williams - Going Back to Washington Corner of 7th and "T"/Did You Ever Set Thinkin' (Haven, 1946). A nice little jump blues. The Lord discography was no help with this, but I found a Bill DeArango discography online that says DeArango and Al Haig are on this. Bob Effros - Sweet and Hot/Tin Ear (Brunswick, 1929). A very nice, interesting little record. Effro was a hot studio player; as far as I can tell, this is the only record under his name. "Tin Ear," an original, is especially interesting - it's a multi-sectional piece in several different tempos.

Kenny Wheeler - Deer Wan (ECM)

In Atlanta it's going to get down to around 0 to 5 degrees F (- 17 to -15 C) tonight. I know that that's not unheard of in some places, but it's pretty rare here. I tried taking a walk this afternoon; I didn't last long.

Byard Lancaster - It's Not Up to Us (Vortex) Lee Konitz Nonet (Chiaroscuro) The Byard Lancaster album was, for me, a memorial for Michael Bell, the owner of Records Galore in Clarkston, a suburb of Atlanta. Mr. Bell died in December after a long battle with cancer. It's Not Up to Us was the first record I ever bought from him, sometime back in the 1980s.

Chico Freeman - Peaceful Heart, Gentle Spirit (Contemporary). This album meant a lot to me at the time it came out (1980). Not so much now, but it's still very enjoyable. It has never been available on CD, as far as I can tell.

I bought most of David Murray's albums between 1976 and 1992 - not every one (I couldn't find every one), but lots. I was a huge fan. I still remember the first time I heard him - I was extremely excited that a young musician was influenced by Albert Ayler and Ben Webster seemingly equally, and that he had such a strong and recognizable style. I went to hear him every time he came to Atlanta, which in those days was fairly regularly. I heard him solo, with his octet, with Don Pullen on organ, and with the WSQ. My enthusiasm was reinforced by my friends and bandmates, most of whom were also Murray fans. Then I bought the 1992 big band album, and it was like a switch flipped. I don't think I've bought one of his albums since. I think that it was a combination of things. That album was disappointing, but as starthrower said, Murray was getting more predictable. Early on, the youthful fire and excitement of his playing papered over limitations in his playing in a way that wasn't apparent at the time. And my tastes were also changing and developing; over time I increasingly recognized that his playing wasn't really organic - it was a pastiche of his influences. In retrospect, I had begun to get disenchanted with his work before 1992, but didn't want to admit that to myself. I will still occasionally pull one of his albums off the shelves, and enjoy it, but the impact is not nearly the same.

Rev. Johnny L. "Hurricane" Jones - Secret Storm (Jewel)

Sweets Edison Candy Crowley Peppermint Harris

Tom Waits Small Change The One That Got Away

Love the duo album as well. Could you please say something about the music on this Lugano album? Thanks in advance! First, the sound is about the level of a decent bootleg. I get the impression that Wedgle recorded the gig. The instruments are fairly cleanly recorded, but the bass is pretty far down in the mix (as is the saxophone on "Cliches"), and there's prominent tape hiss. And there's some weird editing - the track Wedgle calls "Slumber" is missing the beginning, but the melody at the end is Lacy's "Flakes." Or maybe they were using "Flakes" as a kind of theme, because it also shows up at the end of "Aloud." But it's an exciting performance. Mr. Lacy is in excellent form, and Wedgle is wilder and less restrained than on the duo album. If you like these musicians, it's like having a good bootleg recording of them - excellent music with a rough presentation.

Posted for The Magnificent Goldberg, who is still having technical problems: Well, I didn’t have much of a clue about most of this music, I’m sorry to say. But I enjoyed listening to most of it, even if I didn’t like it much. So, here we go… 1 A kind of uneasy tune played by a pianist with a lot of Cedar Walton’s touch. That little five note figure, repeated four times, coming in at the end of every chorus really breaks up the flow. I can’t imagine why they’re doing it. Personally, I find it most irritating. 2 I haven’t heard Mark Murphy since the early sixties, but this singer sounds as if he’s a more aged edition of him; very deliberate. Except his accent isn’t quite American. The song isn’t saying much, even after two listens. 3 A hard bop kind of tune, played by what sounds like a standard hard bop quintet. And a standard hard bop tenor player. But nothing like a standard hard bop trumpeter. I know I’ve never heard this guy before in my life. He has entirely the ‘wrong’ sound for a hard bopper; something like Red Allen. Now the tenor player again. Now the pianist; another who’s following the hard bop norm. I want to hear more of the trumpet player, whoever he’s like, because he’s definitely a person. 4 Pianist with a very pretty sound but using harmonies that are too deliberately not what you’d expect. And a bass player who, really like the pianist, doesn’t seem to be playing anything in particular. Doesn’t sound like anything is actually happening, or give a clue as to why not. 5 Another hard bop band; this one sounding definitely like what Larry Kart calls ‘retro hard bop’ (or words to that effect). One thing that’s clear as far as I can tell is that, unlike the genuine article, there’s no joy in the music in these people. Even people I don’t like at all, like Jackie McLean and Lee Morgan, the joy they take in playing what they do is wholly apparent. Yes lads, you’ve passed the test, you can call yourselves jazz musicians now. 6 Nice little tune with a smashing rhythm riff. No idea who’s playing. 7 Oh I recognise this. Yes, ‘Round midnight’ from the album ‘The blues, that’s me’ by one of my all-time favourites on the bassoon. Just sit there and let Illinois encompass you. 8 Very competent piano player; could be one of scores. So could the bass player. Sorry, this, and several other cuts, are a bit too much like jazz for my tastes. 9 Well, this is enthusiastic all right. I like the alto player, who has more than a touch of the sound of Sonny Criss on occasion. 10 Not sure I know why a pianist would have a nice sounding band behind him, then play an original ballad for eight minutes without letting any of the band have a go. Nice pianist, but I don’t understand what he’s thinking of. 11 Well, the song seems to be ‘I don’t care if I don’t care’. Original title – no good for a BFT, as it’s so darn easy to flick over to AMG and find out that it’s #2 from this album. http://www.allmusic.com/album/shop-of-wild-dreams-mw0001745195 It’s kind of nice. Good rhythm section, too. 12 Nice swinging little thing. Nice tenor player; something of a Hawk sound to his voice. Lovely fruity trombonist. Nice stride pianist. Blazing trumpet player! This is definitely up my street and I’m disappointed I can’t truly say I recognise anyone. 13 Avant garde circus music? Then a kind of soupy sax, backed up by some interesting noises off. Off he goes, into the wilderness, with less interesting noises. Well, after three and a half minutes, incomprehension drove me to the next track. 14 I think this is another retro guy – full of chops but no exuberance. Well, some nice things in there Spoon, though not a lot were really my kind of thing. So, many thanks. What I really wonder is, why did you put that lovely bit of Jacquet in the middle of it all? It sticks out like a sore thumb. Anyway, glad I recognised something. And two trumpet players I have to find out about… MG

Porcino's lead trumpet was a major factor contributing to the high quality of one of my favorite big band sessions, Chubby Jackson's 1949 date for Columbia. R.I.P.

Professor Bop Professor Longhair Dr. Feelgood

Tabby Thomas - King of Swamp Blues (Maison de Soul). RIP.

Prokofiev Peter The Wolf

The great Louisiana bluesman Tabby Thomas died on New Years Day, just a few days shy of his 85th birthday. He recorded for various small labels beginning in the early 1950s, and had a minor hit for Excello with "Hoodoo Party" in 1962. He was the father of bluesman Chris Thomas King and ran the legendary club Tabby's Blues Box in Baton Rouge for many years. Here's the obituary from Offbeat magazine.

James Rivers - Ole (J.B.'s). I'm not sure anyone here except The Magnificent Goldberg would like this one, but he'd dig it, and so do I. James Rivers is a New Orleans R & B/soul-jazz saxophonist who has been on the scene there for many years. Based on the matrix numbers on the labels, I think that this one came out in 1978; the style seems about right for that year. In the band are Carl LeBlanc, who went on to play guitar with Sun Ra and banjo with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Jonathan Moffett, who later moved to L.A. and played and recorded with a bunch of big names, like Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Bob French and the Original Storyville Jazz Band - At Heritage Hall (SONO). A 1978 album with Teddy Riley, Frog Joseph, and Ellis Marsalis in drummer French's band. It's a fair-to-middling, set of non-purist traditional New Orleans jazz, with an eclectic approach and modern influences, including Bob's nephew George on electric bass. It's nowhere near the best New Orleans jazz ever recorded, but tonight I'm somehow reminded of Thornton Wilder's play Our Town, in which an ordinary day was good enough. Teddy Riley, Frog Joseph, and Bob French are all gone now, and this not-bad album seems like a treasure, and makes me glad to be alive.

Jimmy Giuffre 3 - Fusion (Verve mono)

Posting for the representative from South Wales: Well, I’m terribly late to the party. No time until Christmas Eve, when I managed to get #1-9 in. And the rest this evening. But it’s a shame, because I really enjoyed these last tracks a lot more than the early ones. Anyway, here we go. 1 Vibes player – very fast vibes. Interesting bits of band behind him. There’s something old-fashioned about this – well, definitely pre-bop. I don’t think it’s Lionel Hampton; I’ll guess Red Norvo, of whom I’ve heard very little. Nice stuff, this. 2 Another vibes player. With a trumpet. I don’t know either the vibes or trumpet man. This is definitely more modern than #1. But there’s something deliberately unswinging about it; well, at least sometimes. Especially during the vibes player’s unaccompanied section. I suspect it’s quite hard for a vibes player to swing without accompaniment, but I can’t say this gets to me at all. 3 Using Jim Sangrey’s rule of thumb, is that Mr Persip on drums? This is nice. I like all the musicians, like the way they’re playing but somehow there seems to be nothing going on. It’s just … nice. 4 A lot of vibes players here, aren’t there? Can’t say I dug the pianist’s intro. It warmed up when the vibes player came in, though but, now at 3:30 the pianist’s playing too much piano. I can’t really follow what the vibes player’s doing. And he keeps doing it. Perhaps this is the pianist’s record, not the vibes man’s. I’d like to guess Booby Hutcherson but I’m far from sure. I can tell this is damned good, but it’s not getting to me, I’m afraid. 5 Another vibes player, with organ, but not one of the usual suspects. Once they get through the intro, they swing quite nicely. It has all the simplicity of most of Johnny Lytle’s work, but there’s very little of that I haven’t got and don’t recognise this. Nice organ player. I guess this is European. 6 WTF? Oh, another vibes player, how astounding! Now a tenor player. I guess this is one of those German radio bands. Maybe the vibes player is a special guest. The tenor player and the very nice trombonist seem to be members of the band. Good work by the soloists all; I just don’t like the tune or the arrangement. 7 One more vibes player! Don’t know what this is supposed to be; sounds like programme music – something behind the action in a film, maybe – but I suspect it’s very serious jazz. 8 Another serious cut, with another vibes player. 9 Ah, a flute – and vibes. I had quite a strong Milt Jackson feeling about this at the beginning. Then I didn’t. 10 Ah, do we have some Cal Tjader now? Well, it sounds a bit more like Milt Jackson. Trouble with all these tracks featuring vibes players, they all meld into one after a bit. But this is nice. 11 Another nice one. Yes, this is a bit more like Cal; not so much vibrato. 12 ‘Tenderly’ – first tune I’ve recognised. And this really sounds like Mr Jackson. It’s really very nice. 13 ‘If you could see me now’ you’d see me worrying whether this isn’t ANOTHER Milt Jackson cut. Nice support from the pianist. I’m going to guess this is an MJQ cut from one of their live albums – ‘Euro concert’ perhaps, because I know that’s one of Mike’s old pair of slippers. 14 Now here’s an interesting thing. Love the pianist’s left hand, but his right hand doesn’t seem to be quite in sync always. When it is, it’s right there, though. This sounds as if it should be one of Booby Hutcherson’s mid-seventies cuts; it’s the odd rhythm that does it. I think the pianist’s actually playing the way he should. 15 ‘My funny valentine’ – just bass & vibes. Pretty, but I constantly get a feeling that they aren’t listening to one another. And, even more important, they’re not wholly interested in the song; it’s just something to play. 16 John Patton’s ‘Ding dong’. Guitarist didn’t really have much to say, but the vibes player’s really talking to me. Now it’s the organist’s turn. And I think the organist is Wonder Boy. If I’m right, this is probably from the album Booby made with Joey D a few years ago. Drummer’s irritating, I’m afraid; forget who was on that album apart from the two principals. Actually, I’d rather listen to Big John’s version any day. 17 ‘Ding dong merrily on high’ – hur hur. Well, it’s New Year’s Day, so I’ve missed it, but Happy Christmas to y’all. This is the MJQ, surely. They did this stuff SO well. Oh, here’s the guitarist, so it ain’t the MJQ. Don’t care, I still like this. MG

Willie Humphrey in New Orleans (GHB). Two hours into the new year, I played this CD by a minor hero of mine, recorded April 18, 1988, when Willie was 87. I last saw him perform two months before he died at the age of 93. He still sounded great.

[The picture of a Willie Humphrey album cover was posted here in error, in case anyone was wondering.]

Happy 2014 to all.