mikeweil

I bought my copy in 1994 and read right through it. I understood Mike Hennessey was pretty close to Clarke, so the personal accounts should be accurate. It gives some insights in Klook's personality and attitudes I didn't find anywhere else. There are some minor errors (just stepped over a misattribution of the Dizzy Gillespie Musicraft sessions to Prestige), but they are negligible. If you're a fan, I'd say get it. No other book on Klook around (but there is a chapter on Klook in Ursula Broschke-Davis' "Paris without regret" that is a nice complementary reading - Hennessey doesn't cite it). The personal recollections of many musicians that knew Clarke in the last part are nice, the discography of course is out of date as far as reissues are concerned, but pretty much complete and still useable.

Another quote, this time from composer Jean Sibelius: "The only people with whom you can talk about music are bank directors. Musicians always talk about money!

I think he did mostly studio and TV work, writing and playing, in Hamburg. I even saw him play organ in the role of George Frederic Handel in a hilarious film after an Alejo Carperntier novel. There was a film done out of that book??? "Barocknovelle" is it's german title - much fun to read! The German title was "Barockkonzert" - like the original, "Concierto Barroco". I'd give something to see that again - it's gathering dust in the WDR vaults. "Montezuma" was the movie title, after the (then lost, but meanwhile rediscovered) Vivaldi opera that inspired Carpentier.

"Miles and his team" - a very nice term. There are some very interesting comments about Miles wanting to record live in the Cellar Door booklet. Of course, with the length of these performances, and the record industry standards, some editing had to be done, but I tend to think Miles was glad that someone like Teo Macero did the job - Miles never would have had the patience and Macero's esthetics play an important part in the end product - Jack Johnson is the most extreme example, considering the many hours of studio and live material it was assembled from. I had no idea at the time, but now I am grateful for the expanded Cellar Door box- this is some of the most important music in all my life. I once played percussion along with the record, without paying attention to Airto - I was listening to the bassist in the first place, and found my way into the music and suddenly noticed I was playing about the same kind of sound and groove as Airto! This was quite a shock and very revealing - it says a lot about the constituting forces in that music and it gave me the confidence that I was able to understand that music. To have it in unedited form is a real gift for me. We can only speculate what Miles wanted - he wanted some of it released, that's for sure! Someone like Mingus put up with all the editing himself, but he was much more of a composer than Miles. Teo Macero's artistic influence should be discussed more intensely, I think.

If it wasn't for my dear wife's regular income and then fact I inherited a house and don't have to pay rent, well ...... I'd have to run after every possible job and teach a lot more than I do. I think in Germany there always was only a handful of jazz musicians that could make a living on gigs only, the late Albert Mangelsdorff was one of them. All others did teach or write/play for radio and/or tv or have a regular big band job etc. I was struggling for the last few years, but now with a new band that is running well I made almost 1.000 EURO last month only by playing concerts, which is good for a sideman. But this is an exception. This month it will be only half that much ....

I think he did mostly studio and TV work, writing and playing, in Hamburg. I even saw him play organ in the role of George Frederic Handel in a hilarious film after an Alejo Carperntier novel.

Agreed! I have Something Blue and like it a lot - that was a great band! Thanks for the hint!

Okay - Yahel and Blade are the most obvious partners with Bernstein after Goldings and Stewart - Blade's name was on my tongue .... one to get!

Okay, this time it's the real disc one I'm listening. These are my initial thoughts on first listen without any peeking or use of AMG etc. Track 1: If that isn't Horace Silver, I don't know. Must be one of his very last CDs, could be Brian Lynch on trumpet, sure is Louis Hayes on drums. I stopped buying them 'cause I didn't like his first Impulse/Verve CD, but this is much better. So ...... Track 2: Very interesting, but I have no idea, I'd say 1960's and I probably know some of these players but haven't heard this. Like it. Track 3: "Bohemia After Dark" on organ? And with a double bass? Well ..... this strikes familiar notes. Very nice mellow guitarist. Oh, Kenny Clarke, for certain! So that must be one of these Eddy Louis sides, I have that somewhere. Yeah. These were some of the best organ albums on this continent. Have 'em all. Track 4: Like on the second disc, a multiphonic trombonist. The 1970's are all over this track. We would have lovedto dance to this back then, they try real hard to get the groove goin', but from today's perspective it sounds like they try a little too hard. Track 5: Recognized this within one bar! Happened to get this CD last week. As the guesses are all made, I might as well tell right away. This is from Luis Gasca's first album, on Atlantic. His bandleader of the time (1969), Mongo Santamaria, is here, as well as his longtime arranger and musical director, Marty Sheller, playing a cowbell, and bandmates Steve Berrios and Julito Collazo (the latter only on studio dates). Joe Henderson is here, and Mark Levine, Gasca recorded some more with both before he dropped off the scene. There is an interview on jazzreview.com telling what happened to Gasca after 1975. At that time, Gasca hit the middle between Latin and Jazz better than most others. I'm curious to read the others' recations to this one .... Track 6: Hmmm .... this reminds me of the things that Larry Goldings and Peter Bernstein have done, but the horns ..... The tenor player really locks in! This is good! and greazy, of course. Yeah! That's not Bill Stewart on drums, I'd say. Good trumpeter! Who is this? Very much in the 1960's organ combo groove, but a much more recent recording, judging from the sound. Track 7: Very nice bass drum sound! Reminds of a thing by Joe Lovano I once had. "Three Little Words" in there? Nice! These two got good spirits! Track 8: No idea again! I can see the idea behind that piece, but find there is too much force used in getting it across. Tenor plays too hard for my taste, but that trumpet is nice. Track 9: George Coleman! With Eastern Rebellion, "5/4 Thing". I saw that band live several times, but without Coleman. Coleman played this in a local club with a European rhythm section. That's some of the best playing I have heard him do. Track 10: Thought I knew this, but no, but this soprano player and the whole concept sound terribly familiar. The voicings, in particular .... Track 11: Sounds like a Blue Note organ record with Grachan Moncur, as flat as the trombone player's intonation is ..... Sounds like it was dubbed from an LP with the center hole slightly off center. Thanks a lot, Stefan, for a very interesting ride!

Mine is sitting on the shelf at the Frankfurt Saturn Hansa jazz department ..... gotta pick it up soon!

Stefan, is it asking too much that you add recording dates or years, at least? Thanks!

So this was Emil Richards' tune, after all ..... the Columbia Paul Horn sides are high on my reissue wish list. Mosaic Select or singles?

I miss the option "It depends". I think there are some sessions where listening to several alternates can be fun, like with Wes Montgomery, who never played the same solo twice, or Monk, where you witness the process of re-composing. On other sessions it can be a drag. But then there is the programming function. It depends ...

Rooster, you risk beeing banned from all future Blindfold Tests on either side ......

Arrgh ..... I have that LP .... but haven't played it for quite some time.

So this is the real place for my guesses .... Thanks Stefan, for putting up with so many inconveniencies as far as postal disc delivery is concerned. The game is mostly over and the answers to disc 1 are posted while I listen to it and write this, but I resisted peeking at them or the others' guesses, so here are my two cents: Track 1: Somehow that first tenor soloist reminds me of Clifford Jordan, but I'm not sure .... I like the theme with it's existentialistic (that's what I like to call this) touches. I listened to a lot of this stuff when it was new (in the 1970's), but somehow lost interest since then. The unrest it displays is a little hard for me to bear, especially with the pianist. Energetic, but a little too uneven for my taste, overall. Track 2: Woody Shaw's group? More tynerish piano. Excellent soprano. Could well be Victor Lewis on drums, from the way he interacts with the soloists. Track 3: I might have heard this record ..... well I'm not that sure. There are few jazz waltzes like this. Who is this - very interesting. Clearly a product of the early 1960's I'd say. I'll probably slap my forehead when I read the names of these players ..... How nice to hear a bass without a pickup! Track 4: Who's on baritone? I like him best from this group. So much music I never heard ... Track 5: I find this one a little unsettled, rhythmically, and I hear a lot of standard licks that were common in that style in the 1970's, starting with the Tynerish chords of the pianist and the trumpet fluffs I hear in about every soloist of that era, to the insensitive bangy snare drum sound. Of course that's just me, I have simply listened to so much of that kind of thing in that time that I find it hard to listen to that any longer - so much unrest .... Track 6: That flutist sounds familiar and is very competent. Nice Latin inflected theme, well done. Curious who this is. The busy character of the flutist is nicely balanced by the rest of the group playing more steadily. I should be able to name that pianist .... Track 7: This should be from the West Coast. Some very fluent alto soloist I'm sure I have somewhere in my collection. But he gets a little repetitive, which is unavoidable at that tempo. Is that Claude Williamson on piano? At the risk of sounding some wrong chords I'd say these are white guys, FWIW. I'd like to hear them do other tempos. Track 8: Albert Mangelsdorff was my initial thought. But he did much more subtle things with multiphonics and wouldn't have used such a rhythm section. Too brassy for Albert. This is the kind of rhythm section I don't like - not really together, and some strange bass sound. Too much force. Track 9: I can't help it, I hate these 1970's to 1980's bass pickups. Nice concept for a tune, but the drummer plays with too much force. I prefer them more elegant, subtle and refined. Horrible tom sound. Is that a pocket trumpet? Track 10: Now this strikes me some. Very interesting alto, the tuba as a bass instrument gives a nice touch, and the drummer has the inner calmness one needs to play such grooves. I know Threadgill did a lot with tuba, but I don't know his music enough to recognize him. "You don't know what love is" - somehow I like this. Track 11: Now this is unrestfull, too, but I love vibes. Is this the Emil Richards tune, "Bliss"? At least this uses the similar changes and the same rhythmic concept. But I doubt this is him playing. Track 12: This sounds terribly familiar, but on second listen, no, I didn't have this. Would have liked this a lot in the 1970's, but find it a little sloppy now, but it's quite nice. They tried hard to capitalize on Eddie Harris's groove tunes. It's very danceable, for sure. Track 13: I still hate bass pickups ..... well ..... I know that guitar picker ...... but ...... they try a little hard ..... I heard Chico Hamilton play that drum pattern with that trick roll on the ride cymbal ..... take us home brothers ...... take it easy, brother drummer ..... nice closer. So much music unknown to me ...... thanks for an interesting ride through 1960's and 1970's jazz (that's what I think) .....

You probably mislabelled my discs, Stefan, as I listened to a disc with 13 tracks as disc 1, so I edited out my answers here ..... Won't have the time before Monday to listen to the real disc 1, as I'm out on a gig in Amsterdam ....

I had the Blakey Prestige stuff but sold it, Art and the percussionists were not really together, and it was a trifle too sloppy for my taste - just my taste. But yes, both this and the Byrds display the musical spirit of the times pretty well. But Fancy Free has a timeless aura around it that the Blakey Prestiges do not have ...

Hmm ....... does that mean that Columbia and RCA will no longer do single CD reissues like the Legacy and Bluebird first editions series. That Ellington sure was a candidate for a Legacy CD. Hopefully we will get more of these, but at that price I would expect Hybrid SACDs, too!

Happy Birthday and gigs-a-plenty!

Thanks, Jim!

Dear fellow members, I received this e-mail: Needless to say, that this is some serious abuse of money trusted to the Ivorian government. But someone must be able to access the e-mail adresses we used to register here ..... Be aware, all concerned.

Charles Ives composed many pieces of music, but with no avenue to have them performed he simply put them in a trunk in his home. Was that music unimportant? Well, he did listen, even if only with his inner ear, and had an intention, and we all listen now. I didn't mean to say it has to be listened to by others as soon as it is conceived ... p.s. perhaps I should have written "Music is unimportant without someone who listens, just the person who plays it is sufficient". That's what I wanted to say ...... oh the grammar of a foreign language ...

So many that are leaving us these days - sad news again. R.I.P. p.s. I particularly love the albums he did with Red Norvo.