mikeweil

I'm pretty sure this is the Kenny Rogers who was a member of Frank Foster's Loud Minority when it recorded for mainstream. Bobo recorded a lot as a jazz traps player - during his time with Cal Tjader he played whole straightahead sets, and there's a number of Blue Note sessions. He kept it simple, was very clear and right on the beat, sharp attacks, razorsharp timing. On the Hancock he's a bit constrained. But his clarity is great. Yep.

There is a December 2, 1954 session by a band named Juan Tirado Mambo Band: Don Elliott (vib) Hecor Romero (p) John Drernak (b) Juan Tirado (tim) Frank Conlon (bgo) Eleuterio Frasqueta (cga) Only two of the four tracks recorded were released on a Prestige single, among the two unissued is a "Farmer's Market Mambo" - maybe a cubanized version of the Art Farmer tune?

So the late Forties sessions are not included? I would have bought the set for these. But so, I have all of the albums listed except Blue Rose - thank you, SONY ...

The short answer is that mono playback of a mono LP improves the signal-to-noise ratio. You can also accomplish this by hitting the mono button on the amp, if you have one. Folks seem to be divided as to whether a mono cartridge is substantially different from hitting the mono button. Mono and Stereo grooves are cut differently and need stylusses of different shapes. The differently cut stylus reading the information differently in the mono grooves is what reduces noise the most. I switch between a Grado Blue and a Grado Mono cartridge on my Thorens turntable - I happened to have two headshells - but have to adjust tracking force due to a weight difference between these cartridges.

Bobo was a helluva timbale player, that's for sure - his tastes and choices as a bandleader are another matter. As a timbales soloist, he has some fantastic moments on several Cal Tjader live albums. As far as his own band is concerned, he had some great players, like conguero Victor Pantoja, and Sonny Henry's guitar was the trademark. That made the difference from most other latin bands. Whether you like it or not is a matter of taste.

I have three of the Verve CD reissues, and they all have the same three way mix of tunes that Jim so aptly described. I have to admit I rarely play them. It must have been great party music back then, and he toured a lot with that band, but in retrospect it lacks a bit in depth. His one Roulette album is a bit jazzier. The one Columbia I have heard is pretty commercial.

Robert Levin's rendition is interesting, too, especially the second part, where he uses various keyboard instruments that suit different characteristics. A piano playing friend of mine always thought that some pieces sounded more logical on organ, and was delighted when I pointed out to him that Levin took the same choices. There are cheap copies on amazon.

That edition also includes two discs of late Haydn piano sonatas and variations, which he plays formidably!

In the 18th century well-tempered was not what it is today. There is a lot of discussion abaout what Bach's tuning systrem really was - e.g. look at Bradley Lehman's website. Bach's student Kirnberger documented some systems of tuning, Andreas Werckmeister, and dozens of others. It definitely was not equal temperament in the mathematical modern sense - this was introduced only after 1900, and in vayring degrees. We now know that e.g. for organs in Bach's time mean-tone temperament was still the standard - even for Handel in London - this is much closer to the natural scale of brass instruments, and makes intonation easier in the Water Musick etc. (listen to Hervé Niquet's stunning recording for a taste of it). With well-tempered Bach meant his own system of tuning in a way that all keys were playable but still had individual characteristics due to varying degrees of deviation from pure intervals. One of the best examples for the dimensions these tunings open is Johann Kuhnau's Biblical Sonatas, where he uses remote keys that sound detuned in 18th century tunings as an expressive device to describe emotional states, especially in the sonata that tells the story of King Saul consoled by David's harmonious harp playing. In modern tunings, btw, only octaves are pure - all other intervals are out of tune - but average listeners never notice because it is omnipresent. With jazz it works, as this music was conceived with these tunings - but for 18th and 19th century music pianos should be tuned differently. Funny enough, we know that e.g. Schumann had his piano tuned every other week, but we do not know how - only that it was not modern equal temperament. An 18th century model harpsichord needs 18th century tuning - everything else sounds awful, as the many high frequency overtones of plucked stings will not mesh well. That's why all harpsichordists tune their instruments themselves.

Not white enough, I'm afraid, but a nice cover with a great jazz musician and a car ...

Frederick Haas has beautiful sounding instruments at his disposal, and they are well recorded, but his timing is a bit uneven, rhythmical coordination between both hands is not very precise. Perhaps that is what that critic meant to say with "quirky" ... his choice of tempos generates a certain superficial sameness. Violaine Cochard is much more compelling in comparison, more precise without being stiff. Céline Frisch's Goldberg disc is a very nice rendition, indeed. the most fascinating Bach disc I have heard in years, btw, is Violaine Cochard's latest on the new Agogique label:

DL for me too, please.

Al McKibbon was one of the greatest jazz bassists ever - people tend to overlook him because he resided in California and made a living of studio work, but he was fantastic. As great as the other modern jazz bass pioneers, Pettiford, Ray Brown, or Israel Crosby. You're right, no other jazz bassist had a better understanding of Cuban bass.

Shearing was very good at Latin grooves, chose the right sidemen who knew how to play them and had a thorough knowledge of the subject. He did that alreday in 1953 when Cal Tjader and Al McKibbon were in the Quintet - there is a 4 CD box out now with all the MGM sides - a copy is on its way to me. I have them on LP and wonder what they will sound like. There is one two-sided track, Tempo di Cencerro, on which he sounds like a Cuban Sonero.

Not exactly from a dryer - I recently spilled some (fortunately clear) water on my trousers, the left pocket was soaking wet, with my mobile phone in it. This Nokia slide phone shut off, and couldn't be recactivated, and wouldn't load the almost empty battery, at least at first. I took a deep breath, got some Kleenex, cautiously wiped off everything I could, took off the lid and the battery out and put everything over a soft lamp to dry all the parts at moderate temperature. After several hours I re-assembled, and it was all okay! Phew ....

Good question - I first heard of him when he arranged for Herbie Mann and Roy Ayers albums around 1970 - very nice and tasteful work, especially his writing for strings. His debut on Embryo, Circles, was an unusual mix of soul and jazz-rock with a two-guitar combo backed by four cellos - once you get used to it, you notice how tasteful it is done. Most recent thing I have is his arrangements for Nnenna Freelon's Columbia CD, Listen, from 1994, which he also produced - excellent job. According to IMDB he is active as a film composer, which is just what I suspected.