jeffcrom

The Rounder LP and the Fat Possum CD overlap, but there are tracks on each that aren't on the other. I've snatched up everything I've ever found by these two men together - McDowell and Woods have as close a rapport as any two musicians I've ever heard, in any genre.

Ken Colyer - New Orleans to London (London 10"). Ken Colyer, who jumped ship 1952 (he was in the UK Merchant Navy) in Mobile to get to New Orleans and play with his idols there, is my favorite European trad jazzman. I believe that this was his first album after being arrested and deported back to England. It's a delight. I couldn't find a picture of the US London issue I have, but it has the same cover design as the British Decca cover shown here.

Buck Clayton Jam Session: All the Cats Join In (Columbia). A gorgeous 6-eye copy brought back from Bellingham, Washington.

Jeez - this is my most pathetic showing in any BFT yet, and you've only posted part of the answers. My only excuse for missing three tracks in my collection is that I was on the others side of the country from my record collection, and had little time to devote to the BFT this month. Still - pathetic!

Johnny Griffin's Studio Jazz Party (Riverside mono). Just back from visiting the wife's relatives on the left coast; nice to be back to the cats and the turntable. I picked up a few records and CDs out there, including this one - slightly battered, but quite listenable with the mono cartridge. I had never heard of this session before - it's, to use a technical term, a hoot.

I have a couple of near-mint Louis Armstrong Hot Five 78s - the lineup with Earl Hines. The first time I played them, my reaction was, "Oh, that's what Zutty Singleton is doing." After years of familiarity with those recordings on LP and CD, I had very little idea of how much of the drumming actually got recorded.

No problem. In any case, I readily admit that we 78 collectors are nuts.

DL, please.

It's been a busy month, but I'm glad to be able to finally devote some time to this BFT. I'm visiting relatives, and only have an iPad to access the internet. Typing on it is awkward, so I'll keep my remarks short. That shouldn't matter, since this is one of those BFTs where I don't recognize anything and don't have much to say. 1. To this vibist, the instrument is a percussion instrument for sure - rhythm is at least as important as melody. Nice piano solo, and I like the bass clarinet in the ensemble. 2. I like the missing beats which turn some measures into 7/4. A fine, fairly modest little piece. 3. Tasty altered blues changes with good solos. 4. My first thought was McCoy Tyner; I don't think so, but it's someone who has listened to him. I love the no solos/ collective improv approach. Beautiful cymbal sound. 5. This vibes that's an earthy sound, which is not what you automatically think with vibes. Can't think of the name of this tune. Cool track. 6. Cool to hear vibes at the center of a larger ensemble. Tenor player sounds familiar, but I can't place him. Good vibes solo, cool plunger trombone, and nice piece. 7. A virtuoso player and an exciting recording. Nice and spiky - I like it. 8. Beautiful, soulful playing from both the vibist and the pianist. 9. This sounds familiar, but again, I can't place it. A well-constructed three minutes. 10. Some vibraphonic goodness from the early fifties, I would guess. Like it; no ideas. 11. Well, the chords are "Love Me or Leave Me." More good stuff I can't identify. The bassist makes the most of his eight bars, 12. A nice solo "Tenderly," although the pauses bothered me. Monk made that kind of hesitation work, but it doesn't work as well here. 13. "If You Could See Me Now," one of my favorite ballads. The electric bass makes me think this might be the Montgomery brothers, but I don't really know. 14. I don't respond to Latin rhythms as much as some people, but this is very good. Interesting piano solo and equally good vibes solo. 15. Beautiful! I love the very natural bass sound. I get the impression that the vibist has a lot more chops than he/she is displaying here - I like the restraint. 16. Great groove and once again, excellent playing all around. 17. Merry Christmas! Enjoyed hearing the music, even if I didn't have much to add to the conversation this time.

Don't tell that to our 78 listening crew. I'm sure they have some comments to make about that statement. Some of our members think 78s sound better than CDs? Oh well, I actually respect that if it's what they truly feel. . I doubt that anyone thinks that 78s sound better than CDs per se. I listen to 78s regularly, and enjoy the experience for a variety of reasons, not all related to sound. I do think that, when the source material only exists in 78 form, a 78 in excellent condition sounds more vibrant and "better" than most CD reissues.

Don't tell that to our 78 listening crew. I'm sure they have some comments to make about that statement. Depends. But we're nuts, anyway.

Charlie Parker's Complete Birth of the Bebop on Stash is extremely valuable, although the contents are probably duplicated on the CDs mentioned by Ghost in his first post above. The Stash CD has a private Bird session from around 1942, and it has all the material found from the famous 1943 jan session with Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, and Bird on tenor.

Mousie Alexander Dave Tough Ace Cannon

Yes, the 1948 Carnegie Hall concert came out on a two-disc Vintage Jazz Classics album, which seems to be kind of pricey when you find it these days. The Cornell concert, featuring practically the same program, was issued on two MusicMasters CDs, which I'm thinking should be easier to find. Webster is not heavily featured on either, but he gets a few solo spots.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

In post #60, I posted a poem by Natasha Trethewey. I just finished reading her collection Native Guard, and found this poem almost overwhelming. Like a Charlie Parker solo or a Beethoven symphony, it's an amazing technical achievement and a strongly emotional expressive statement at the same time. Myth I was asleep while you were dying. It's as if you slipped through some rift, a hollow I make between my slumber and my waking, the Erebus I keep you in, still trying not to let go. You'll be dead again tomorrow, but in dreams you live. So I try taking you back into morning. Sleep-heavy, turning, my eyes open, I find you do not follow. Again and again, this constant forsaking. * Again and again, this constant forsaking: my eyes open, I find you do not follow. You back into morning, sleep-heavy, turning. But in dreams you live. So I try taking, not to let go. You'll be dead again tomorrow. The Erebus I keep you in - still, trying - I make between my slumber and my waking. It's as if you slipped through some rift, a hollow. I was asleep while you were dying. - Natasha Trethewey

The first hundred were pretty uninteresting, so I stopped looking.

From an Ebay listing for a lot of 78 RPM records, this minor masterpiece: a record shop that closed up in 1962 had been vacant since 1962..When I got into the store, I found inmost of the unopened boxes the records listed below, all mint condition OR NEAR MINT CONDITION or good condition .(WE WERE EATING CHICKEN AT THE TIME, SO OUR FINGERS WHEN TOUCHING THE RECORDS SMUDGED some of the records except 22 of them which are listed as just good condition which were not in any box . they were loose. . there are about 150 of them,..BELOW YOU WILL SEE THE RECORD LABEL, THE SONG, THE SINGER THE FLIP SIDE..the pics that you see is just a template, it doesn't represent any of the records.

The Christmas/Hannakah episode of Frank's Place.

Sigh....

Last night I made my wife happy by taking her to the Atlanta Ballet's presentation of The Nutcracker at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. The orchestra was excellent, but the only reason I'm mentioning this is that, before the performance and during the intermission, Christmas carols were played on Mighty Mo, the Fox's huge theater organ. Hearing the thunderous sound, all I could think was, "Wow - this is the organ which Sun Ra played on his recording "Hiroshima." "Hiroshima" is impressive even on my crappy Saturn pressing, but I would have loved to been in the room when he played that.

I had totally forgotten this until I played Herb Geller Plays as a memorial to Mr. Geller a couple of nights ago, but there is a great version of "Sleigh Ride" on it.

Claude Thornhill - On Stage 1946-1947 (Monmouth-Evergreen). Despite the title, these are transcriptions intended for radio, not live recordings. About half the tracks are arranged by Gil Evans.

Fletcher Henderson All Stars - The Big Reunion (Jazztone mono)