mikeweil

After a long, cold, and wet/snowy winter, spring is coming - blue skies, sun and warmth for a few days now, we installed ourselves on the terrace of our new home, and enjoy it thoroughly after the move's hassle.

Why not use Opera? http://www.opera.com/discover/browser/

You mean January 2010, of course?

On to disc 2: # 13 - Rather energetic trio. Not bad, Like the rhythmic quality of the pianist's playing, who has absorbed his share of Ellington, and stays on the beat without drawing too much on modernistic cliches, but still sounds modern. Wonder who this is. # 14 - Another blank with this duo ... # 15 - ...and another, but I recognize Mongo Santamaria's Afro Blue, but for my taste this is too far removed from its Afro-Cuban heritage. I doubt they know anything about this, and just know Coltrane's version. Also, too long for my taste. # 16 - There are many German bands playing thems like this. Don't like the trumpeter's intonation. Two guitars - nothing I haven't heard a million times before. # 17 - After listening to this I jumped to different points of the trumpet solo, and it always sounded the same - what is this for?Doesn't tell me much. Just licks, no development. # 18 - This reminds me of those contemporary piano trios in the wake of Jarrett's trio that all sound the same to me. Almost like a modern version of bar jazz. But this pianist has an interesting sound in the treble register. # 19 - More trio, in a 9/8 rhythm. This is a Turkish gipsy rhythm, 9 divided in 2-2-2-3. Ah: Norwegian Wood - one of my two favourite Beatles tunes. Why do all of these modern trio pianists, bassists, and drummers sound the same to me? Don't like the drummer handles this rhythm, like the pianist much better. Oh - a ring modulator. Who is this pianist? Would like to hear him with more challenging drummer and bassist. But it's a bit long. # 20 - It's nice this band features a conga/bongo player, but the drummer doesn't change his playing a bit for him. So what? Their playing concepts don't really fit - sounds more like their fighting with each other - very egotistical drummer. Not to my taste ... one more example of a live track that doesn't impress me on CD. # 21 - Again, nothing new ... I think this is the first time I didn't recognize a single player - all stuff I wouldn't buy, except for that singer. Still, thanks a lot!

Again I'm very late, but better late than never. Listened to this one several times while at work or in the car, and now I'm typing these lines while doing some pc work. Disc 1: # 1 - Eddie Harris' tune "Cold Duck Time" - not played quite accurately, as far as the rhythm of the first phrase is concerned. I found Eddie's version with Les Mccann much more thrilling. Nice, but unspectacular. No idea whoe they are. # 2 - Sounds like a live recording of some 1980's quartet. No piano? Bass (dreaded pickup sound) is a liitle up front. But he and the drummer swing the band real hard, and it is nice how the soloists keep their cool while digging in - but agin no idea who they are. Like the trumpet better than the sax. # 3 - Sounds to me like some generic 1980's jazz waltz, not very original. # 4 - I love Rhodes piano, and that's a very nice player. Joe Lee Wilson? I like that singer, too ... I'd certainly like to hear more. Bass clarinet? Yeah! My favourite track so far. # 5 - Trombone and electric rhythm ... you got me drawing blanks all the way. Like it, the feathery touch of the rhythm section, and the bone's fluency. Who is this? # 6 - Very interesting - this comes along with the attitude of the Modern Jazz Quartet, but it definietely ain't them. Neither it is the Classical Jazz Quartet - this is not Kenny Barron. Vibist is emulating Milt Jackson. On the whole, I find it a tad too clean, but would like to hear more. # 7 - No idea again, nice groove, but doesn't give me too much right now. # 8 - I should know that alto - sounds like a cross between Hank Crawford and Arthur Blythe (the vibrato). Strange mix of conventional popjazz balladry and soulful lamentation. I dunno ... # 9 - Theme reminds me of a piece by the Bulgarian Jazz Quartet, of all people, from the 1970's, but it turns into a McCoy Tyner vibe soon. Doesn't strike me as very original. # 10 - The mood with its assymetric ostinatos reminds me of some piece by the first Mahavishnu Orchestra. Beautifully done with that violin as lead voice. Nice mix of an ECM-ish mood piece with very slight fusionistic touches. Makes me want to hear more. # 11 - Oh my - another unkown. This somehow attracts me, with its mix of a tradional trumpet/clarinet front line with growls and all but a modern rockish groove. I think the pianist is a little too busy behind the clarinet but knows how to pace himself in his solo. Drummer could be more flexible. Bowed bass ... original combination of things. Who is this? # 12 - This takes almost too much patience from me to listen through it - I use a whirltube or a meditation bowl myself every now and then, but not all of the time ... I don't hear too much of a connection between the bassits and the horns. Doesn't tell me much ... Thanks for the compilation - only two to three trac ks that really grabbed me, but these many players I don't recognize set me to thinkin' .... p.s. edited to straighten out the layout

My sincere condolences - strangely, I happened to think quite a bit about my mother's passing 6 years ago over the last days, as we're now at the end of a long series of changes her passing initiated. Try take it as it is, and do not forget what is best for you along the way. My thoughts are with you. It is a strange and shattering feeling, kind of left behind ...

Did you know there is a small town (1700 souls) in Eastern Germany called Nessa? http://www.gemeinde-nessa.de/

I pulled a sealed copy out of some sellout bin more than 20 years ago and bought it for its reputation - I had already heard John Handy live with Ali Akbar Kahn and had LPs with Don Thompson and Terry Clarke, but I never warmed to this one. Must have been great for those who attended the festival, but sound just nice, but nothing more, on the LP. The follow up, which I found some years later, I found to be harmless. Berendt had raved about this beeing one of the most exciting groups on the scene at the time, but, well ... Frankly speaking, I think John Handy never really fulfilled the promise of his audible potential - the encounter with Ali Akbar Kahn was the most interesting I heard from him, but ,unlike Charlie Mariano, Handy did not assimilate any Indian playing influences, making jazz and Indian music stand beside each other instead of really merging them. That's a Select box I really do not need ...

That'll be the quote of the week for me!

Glad to hear he got over it ... you happen to know who the dismissed pianist having trouble to read Pepper's new tunes was?

R.I.P. I never understood why he wasn't known any better - always found him excellent. Any hint on where to get those Vanguard reissues? (Neglected artist on a neglected label ...) Will spin some later today - among others, Johnny Griffin's Studio Jazz Party, which was my first encounter with Burns.

Here 'tis. Seems like y'all swallowed the bait ...

Monday night had the Gino Sitson Quartet - a New York based vocalist with roots in Cameroon - Helio Alves from Brazil on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Willard Dyson on drums - all played in great from. Recommended. A fine blend of modern jazz vocals with some African inflections. Not a single standard tunes, some tricky rhythms. Alves especially impressed as a great pianist of the Herbie Hancock school (rhythmically), but with a typical Brazilian groove.

Slow tempos? Monk always played slow to medium fast, never as fast as the showoff boppers ... (not meaning to put them down). I don't think his solo tempos are out of his normal range. Some of the Rioverside solos are rather contemplative tempos, that's obvious. The Vogue was his first full-fledged solo LP, after one or two on the Prestige LPs. I think it's good - it has a certain fluency you don't hear on his Prestige or Blue Note sides.

Please, Jim, move all these album cover threads to their own (sub?)forum ....

One I'd love to hear is the lost Blue Note sesion of John Collins with Milt Hinton and Kenny Clarke.

From the L&R list, all of these have been available on their label at some time - just reprints. The Multiple Koller is great. If you like German jazz of the 60's and 70#s this will give you some basic stuff. The Hipp should be interesting, as she didn't record often, but I never heard that one.

Horts Lippman and Fritz Rau were among the leading concert agents in Germany and founded that label some time in the 1970's to release tapes of the German Folk Blues Festival they had staged for many years. Reissues of German jazz legends they were acquainted with followed soon, and the label still exists, although they went separate ways later, and one of the two has passed since (Lippman). Niko, you can find some basic bio in German wikipedia.

Very sad news. I dig the Brazilliance albums a lot, they were of great influence on one of the bands I played in. A jazz life well lived. R.I.P.

Afraid this one's not in the big Mingus box. I think the Debut Story 4CD box has a track or two from it though - must check. I have the OJC LP and it's definitely an interesting listen ! "Interesting" - yes, for the band's playing and the arrangements, but I found her singing pretty much out of tune! I'm glad I have most of the bunch - I will get the Honi Gordon, and the Julian Priester which I had on a Japanese LP I obviously sold in the meantime ...

Mine arrived here yesterday, in perfect condition, a steal at $ 11.76 ... Pepper's self-consciousness is telling ... all brilliance nonwithstanding, it shines through that he was quite some junkie. If only Lester Koenig hadn't sent back the Steinway, and the drums wouldn't sound so tinny - bass drum like a washing powder drum.

Yes, that's one of the three tracks - it was Musso's feature in the Kenton band and for that reason was rather easy to identify. But the other two tunes are rather simple JATP-type heads and could have been written bay anyone in the band. Musso didn't record these tunes on his other sessions.

I hear you, too! Didn't mean to put him down in any way!

Happy Birthday! Unfortunately I never got to meet you while you were at Frankfurt music school - I'm still working there, accompanying the dance professor of the opera department. I wish you a good time in the US!