mikeweil

Laws did not join his Jazz Crusaders friends on their move to California as he had been awarded a scholarship for Juiliiard in New York. He studied classical flute with Julius Baker there. I find In The Beginning may be the best of his CTI efforts, as it has more coherence - Afro-Classic to me sounds like trying either to be classical or jazz, and doesn't find a real bridge between the two. Laws played some amazing solos as a sideman: Listen to his piccolo solo on Afro Blue on Mongo Santamaria Explodes At The Village Gate; Some great solos on Ron Carter's Uptown Concersation; free form playing on Chick Corea's Is Sessions; he was an excellent reader and extremely versatile. No Laws solo here, but this is one of the pieces he wrote for the band:

I think Hubert Laws is one of the many alumni of Mongo Santamaria's band who perfectly understood the balance of Cuban music, jazz, and rhythm & blues that Mongo wanted - he wrote quite a number of excellent examples during the seven years with the band, and played some mean Texas tenor along the way - that's Laws belting it out on Cold Sweat! His early albums for Atlantic are nice and feature a similar mix - there was a Rhino CD combining two of them: https://www.discogs.com/Hubert-Laws-The-Laws-Of-Jazz-Flute-By-Laws/master/962886 Another example of that blend is his reunion with the Jazz Crusaders, one of my favourite Cuban Jazz albums:

Belgrave played on Changes One & Two, Mingus' next albums for Atlantic.

I think "A Tribute To Monk And Bird" is a brilliant piece of work! R.I.P.

The earliest recording I know of was the one by Cal Tjader released on Fantasy LP 3-216 — Ritmo Caliente. The first part of this track until 2:13 was recorded on November 11,1955, the remainder (you can hear a fade-out and fade-in) on February 21, 1956. Ray Bryant's first recording for his Epic LP LN3279 took place on May 3, 1956. Candido played conga on it but didn't get the relation of the breaks in the tune to the tumbao correctly. Next comes Wild Bill Davis in July 1956 for Imperial LP9010; George Shearing in January 1957 for Capitol LP T943, and again Ray Bryant as part of Art Blakey's Pecussion Ensemble of the Drum Suite LP on Columbia 1002 (February 22, 1957), followed three days later by Arthur Taylor's Wailers on Prestige (with Ray Bryant in the band). The tune is one of Bryant's many gospel-tinged pieces - the title "Cubano Chant" and use of a Cuban rhythm was suggested by Cal Tjader. Both probably met during Tjader's time in George Shearing's Quintet from January, 1953 to April, 1954 - the Quintet had several Bryant tunes in the book.

The Portrait box has some Musicraft sides not in the Mosaic. This tracklist may be of some help.Tracks are roughly in recording order. https://www.discogs.com/Teddy-Wilson-Portrait/release/6266887

We already are - at least that's what I thought.

Has this Jack McDuff LP been mentioned? I always enjoyed it a lot and would love to have a CD as one of the LPs of my copy is warped at the beginning. p.s. just saw there was a Japanese CD in 2007 ...

As soon as Jazz Messengers get it back in stock I will order one.

I'd say it depends on how you see the function of a recording. If you think it is primarily a means of documentation of a "live" music, it's definitely ambiguous. If you see it as a medium of art with its own rules, it's a matter of definition. It would at least be fair to ask the musician or give them a chance to re-do their solos. Teo Macero certainly had a classical composer's attitude. Not all are like this, but some act like a general leading an army. Some casualties along the way, well ....

Pre-Bird on Mercury was heavily edited. The CD reissue had index marks for each razorblade edit. Very revealing. Mingus sort of re-constructed/re-composed a Yusef Lateef solo cadenza note for note with half a dozen edits or so. I find that kind of abusive. Anyway - for perfectionist Mingus, editing obviously was another means/extension of the compositional process.

So Louis Hayes is John L. Nelson's nephew - had no idea. Will check that out, not just for Hayes, but for those compositions.

Very sorry to hear this. R.I.P.

One would have to look at the contracts. Mingus recorded for many labels: Starting in January 1956 it was Atlantic, Jubilee, RCA Victor, Bethlehem, United Artists, Atlantic again, before the sessions for Columbia in May and November, 1959. After that it was Mercury, Atlantic, Candid, Atlantic, United Artists, and then Impulse in 1963. After that it was live recordings for the remainder of the decade. Considering Mingus' temper it mustn't have been easy to deal with him. Who recorded for more different labels in those years? Perhaps there's some info in his autobiography?

Wasn't there a report here in some thread that some libraries are disposing of their CDs as interest in them constantly decreases?

Received both singles reissues. - Bethlehem singles: As I presumed some of the single issues were edits of the LP tracks, like on Mood Indogo, where they cut off the instrumental intro at the break before the vocal starts. As there are no timings on the CD or booklet it is a bit cumbersome to find out details. The mono sound is very good, much more dynamic than the stereo version. She uses the full expressive piano range from pianissimo to smashing chords. As the CD runs only for 46 minutes, they could have added the unedited tracks for completeness, and in mono as well, to do her full justice. The single issue of "He's Got The Whole Wolrd" indeed is an alternate take. Anyway it's nice to hear these tracks in the order the single buying public got to hear them - especially when listened to while reading the corresponding chapters in her biography. - Colpix singles: All mono mixes just as well, and again more direct and dynamic than the stereo CDs issued 2004/05. Again, edits on some tracks, but no alternate takes. Two discs, 81+ minutes of music. "Summertime" had to be dubbed from an LP - clearly audible. If she had any input in the choice of tracks for the singles issues, it clearly shows her preference to be viewed as a folk singer in the first place. There is one mistake: They credit "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl" to Nina ! Since some of these tracks never made it to the original LPs, maybe a gap-filler for some, but all were added as bonus tracks to the Colpix/Parlophone/Roulette CD reissues. Cardboard slipcase without inner sleeves .... p,s, why did they use a photo from the Colpix release "The Amazing N.S." for the back cover of the Bethlehem singles CD?

Already mentioned in the Nina Simone thread - I post my comments there.

Textbook stuff for conga and bongo students.