mikeweil

To complete my Melvin Rhyne collection and discography research, I am looking for these rare items: Johnny Shacklett Trio ‎– At The Hoffman House Universal Artists Recording Co. ‎– JBS 2001 LP, 1969 https://www.discogs.com/Johnny-Shacklett-Trio-At-The-Hoffman-House/release/4607350 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Melvin Rhyne: Tracks : Jeff Pietrangelo (tp) Melvin Rhyne (keyboards) Jack Grassel (g) Andy Lo Duca (d) 1998, LaDonna 013148044287 [CD] .................................................................................................................................................................. Please pm me - thanks!

Thanks for that link - I wonder what became of these tapes,especially after reading this sentence: " Coincidentally the following morning Guernsey’s phoned to report that attorneys for the Impulse! label had just threatened a lawsuit if the reels were not withdrawn from the auction."

Now listening to the other "half album" contained in the Tjader LP (tracks 2, 4, 7, 9, 11), with the music of Mario Ruiz Armengol - some of the most beautiful melodies in all of Latin American music. Notice that Tjader solos much less often than on the Brazilian tracks, and the woodwinds are used more like on the Shearing sessions, play countermelodies to themes - not as sophisticated as in the latter, but very close. IMO Tjader's album makes a better impression when you listen to either the Brazilian or the Mexican tracks. The latter are more unified as they are all by one composer and written in the tradition of Mexican Boleros - I dislike terms like "Latin Jazz" or "Exotica" as they never do justice to the many styles covered and can keep you from taking a closer look. Armengol's music is unique, but his albums are hard to find. I have this one, which, paradoxically, comes along much jazzier - you can find it as an amazon download or on Spotify: This includes two compositions Tjader covered. I can fully understand why Fischer was fascinated by his music. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Ruiz_Armengol https://www.discogs.com/artist/1272748-Mario-Ruiz-Armengol

It's good music - Pass is excellent throughout, and you will not get all of this in other releases. I got it recently went it was running low, and can recommend it.

I still have to get me the complete Sun Ship sessions .....

My latest purchases are all about Melvin Rhyne: Japanese guitarist with Rhyne and Grady Tate (!) All-Star band with Rhyne, James Spaulding, Al Kiger, Larry Ridley, Alonto "Spookie" Johnson, etc. - loose jam session affair, it seems. https://www.discogs.com/Uncle-Funkenstein-Together-Again/release/4017046

Royce Campbell is a very fine guitarist! He mentioned on facebook he has a new organ trio recording in the can.

I think the big difference in Fischer's arrangements for Tjader and Shearing is that he used them for theme statements and backgrounds for Tjader, but treated them as an independent counterpart for Shearing and thematic material on the Shearing album. Plus, the moods and grooves in the Shearing album are more diversified (program your player to just the Brazilian Tjader tracks - #1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 - and you will get the idea). It's all much more worked out in detail with Shearing, who often weaves his solos around the woodwind parts or is composed into them, while Tjader plays solo over the rhythm section alone, and his theme playing is more or less in unison with the woodwinds, or they play unobtrusive parts behind him. Maybe what the producer asked for. OTOH Tjader was not as good as Shearing in playing written parts. The tunes by Mexican composer Mario Ruiz Armengol on the Tjader album are a completely different pair of shoes and much more challenging for an arranger. I always listen to the two groups of pieces separately. If you do so, you might appreciate Ardeen de Camp's vocals better.

I happened to step over Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz when it was originally released, liked and bought it, and still have it, to the envy of several people over the years. It's probably the most African, in conception, of Masekela's albums. That Ghanaian group adapted African multi-beat grooves to a guitar-based instrumentation, with great success. For this I will get me this box.

The best, or most interesting arrangements, all newly witten for this recording, are - not surprisingly - those of Gene Puerling and Clare Fischer. The group sings nice and clean, the whole project was and sounds like a labour of love, but they do not really swing. If you can accept that, it's a very nice album. If not, it leaves something to be desired ..... crossover by classical artists into jazz or pop territory somehow never convince me. The whole record, btw, would gain from longer pauses between tracks. It would let the music breathe instead of jumping to the next number.

I will re-listen this afternoon and compare.

Excellent!

This afternoon - newly received, excellent notes by the guitarist.

This afternoon and evening: