mikeweil

I replaced the download link with one on Mediafire - easier to handle. Please listen and tell who you think is playing. Thanks!

The encounters described by JSngry and Chuck Nessa pretty well match what I was told about Fischer by an old friend, a vocalist who attended a jazz choir workshop given by Fischer. He bragged about professionalism and the skills of musicians and all, unwilling to adjust to the level of the students he was supposed to teach. Well - there is more than one musician acting strange but playing great - you either love Fischer's writing and playing or you don't. I love it, the voicings, the rhythmic twists, and his great ear for woodwind sounds.

Oh yes - I remember that!

Misterioso is the one Monk Columbia LP still awaiting a proper CD reissue. It was compiled from several hitherto unreleased live recordings. The only CD reissue I know of was on French Columbia - are these boxes made by them? Some of the tracks were added to the respective CD reissues over the years, only three (*) remain un-reissued in proper form - here's an attempt to give an overview: 1. * Well You Needn't - Brandeis University, Feb 7, 1965 2. Misterioso - Lincoln Center NYC Dec 30, 1963 (added to the Big Band and Quartet in Concert double CD reissue) 3. Light Blue - Newport Jazz Festival July 4, 1963 (incl. in the recent Monk live at Newport CD) 4. I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You - Jazz Workshop SF Nov 4, 1964 (incl. in the Live at the Jazz Workshop double CD) 5. All The Things You Are - Jazz Workshop SF Nov 4, 1964 (incl. in the Live at the Jazz Workshop double CD) 6. * Honeysuckle Rose - Village Gate NYC March 2, 1965 7. * Bemsha Swing - Village Gate NYC March 2, 1965 8. Evidence - Tokyo May 21, 1963 Columbia should have released a CD including the yet un(-re)issued complete live sessions - after all the expanded reissues, the album Misterioso as is no longer makes sense.

I never saw that Carl Wilson album before. I was thinking Horst Jankowski ! Jankowski wears glasses! Will give this a spin later today - I have to stop piling up CDs on the lid of my turntable ... A few days ago I put on this magnificent Mongo Santamaria album - Hubert Laws plays some fantastic solos here. It's a shame Columbia never really cared about reissuing the Mongo albums he made for them.

Duh! Not available here due to those damn GEMA controlling copyright like hellhounds!

Sorry - done - looking forward to this!

July 1 is today - and I can't make it! Too bad ... have a great time, Jim!

Kenny Washington once wrote about Nash in some liner notes that he had the best time of all the drummers of their generation. My favourite Nash playing is found on one of Nnenna Freelon's Columbia CDs - he and Kenny Barron and Christian McBride play meticulously and make it all sound so easy ... There are copies for one cent on amazon - get it for that price! It's one of the best jazz vocal albums of its time.

That clip led me to another one which makes me think Marvin Gaye probably was the greatest soul singer in the world ... or is it just me? That conga player drives me nuts - no real empathy for the dynamics of the music.

Not sure about Clifford, but the guy with the black beret and the hands in his coat's pockets on the far right at the end of the hand waving part - could that be Gigi Gryce? p.s. after seeing the newspaper clippings above, I'd say yes. Hamp had such great players in that band ....

Re: Edgar Wallace - I even had one of his novels in English, but was spoiled by the rather bland films made for German TV after his novels, which lacked the subtlety of Chandler's or Hammet's.

Now there's one cover that maybe tops Thesaurus: Before and after workout ... These are the covers of the two Discovery Lps with the material reissued on the Waltz CD:

This is the Discovery CD - titled "Waltz", after one of the seven bonus tracks recorded at the same time. If you want all of it, there are used copies on amazon.

I love it! IIRC it was the first big band album to really catch my attention. Bill Perkins (on baritone) gives a gorgeous reading of a balld that Fischer wrote especially for him, Calamus. Larry Bunker swings the band meticulously. There's a nice chart in 5/4 that flows so smoothly that most listeners don't notice (Miles Behind), which has some fantastic sax section writing before the closing theme - Gary Foster leads them and proves to be a first class lead alto sax player. Fischer complained Atlantic had the low bass equalized out for their release - that same mastering was probably used for subsequent reissues. The only release that sounds the way Fischer wanted it was the Discovery CD. The Atlantic LP still is in my collection and sounds very good - the Discovery CD has a slightly wider frequency range and dynamics - much more bass drum punch. But musically, very good. I can recommend the other Fischer big band albums just as well, but Thesaurus is the best. I'm kind of biased, as I really love Fischer's writing.

Most of what Roach did in the 1960's was overlooked - AFAIK he was more or less ingnored by many agents etc. beacuse of his black power attitude. This led to a rather small number of albums in that decdade. This album may have been the first time ever I heard Clifford Jordan play - he left a lasting impression. I like the concept of playing each solo in a different time signature on one side. And I studied Max' solos - my percussionist friends always broke up when I played Max' patterns on conga drums. Turned out they didn't know about him ...

You mean this one?

Screeching Hi-Hats were part of many a recording - don't remember what it sounds like on the Benson, however. I remember Art Taylor's screeching on some Blue Note session - engineers should keep an oil bottle within reach. Another curious example was some clicking noise at the beginning of Thelonious Monk's last session for Black Lion in London - it can be heard on the first takes. The engineers couldn't locate the source - Nellie saved the session by cutting her husband's fingernails ...

I compared Not Since Niniveh with and without percussion: different takes, definitely, slightly different arrangements and routines, too. I do not have the other Mastersounds albums in question, but it seems like this was not percussion overdubbed to an existsing Mastersounds recording.

Columbo was a popular series over here, too, that's how I got to know him. Peter Falk would have been the perfect choice for playing Raymond Chandler's detective, Phillip Marlowe, but he did so only once, in a hilarious crime parody with an all-star cast, Murder by death - I never found the time to check out the moves he played in, and feel sorry for it. What a loss ... R.I.P. Mr. Falk, and thank ya!

Interesting thoughts about the sessions, Jim - I will try to find the time and compare some tracks over the weekend.

Head Hunters?!? LOL!

I have it - was available at bargain price recently from some German mail order shop. Sound is excellent on the studio tracks, the live sound is okay, but not overwhelming, the playing is very good. The DVD basically is a series of interviews with Brubeck - nice. For a Brubeck fan, the best way to get this music. I can't help but think they edited out a piano solo on the legendary Take Five - any opinions about this?

Phew! L.I.P. Mr. Sheldon!