mikeweil

Happy Birthday, Sir James! His early 1950's Prestige sides are my favourites, really groovy!

Jazz and Blues.

We all must have been out of our minds that day - myself included!

Is that your basic character or is it the lack of dedicated co-workers? It is the group vibe in one of my bands that makes me carry on.

The answer to both questions is YES. A musician is what you are (among other things of course); playing a gig is something you do (when it works out). If you weren't a musician you wouldn't even bother to ask yourself these fundamental questions!

This really is the one great disadvatage of digipacks. Now there are glues that would allow removal/exchange of the plastic tray part without tearing the paper/cardboard, but retailers hate these just like removable price labels ...

I think this is the same guy that invented ( or marketed in the US ( the Billoti "Trinome" back in the 60s ..it was a matronome that allowed you to program up to 3 different simutaneous subdivisions upon one another ( i..e. 4 against 3 against 7 ..or whatever else you could dream up ) I don't even know if the mechanical device itself is still being made, but maybe Dahlgren ( or someone) has devised a software version. This might prove to be an independence helper if still available .. edit: I did a little search ..check this out: http://www.oberlin.edu/con/bkstage/200005/...n_jonathan.html and HERES the computer program version! ..taa daaa !!! http://luckymedia.com/Quadranome/ Thanks for these links! An old musician friend of mine constructed an electronic metronome for two simultaneous meters more than 20 years ago, and always wondered if anybody else had developped anything in that direction. Now I now what to tell him ...

Yes, advances in mastering techniques or in playback equipment - or both?

Nice to see the BFT clubs sticks to it!

As I have noted before, the session was recorded and first released under Duke Pearson's name, who had the great idea for the two-trumpet frontline, but on the ill-fated Jazzline label of producer Fred Norsworthy. Black Lion reissued it under Byrd's name because the expected higher sales figures that way (the same happened to sessions of Dave Bailey (> Grant Green or Kenny Dorham), Rocky Boyd (> Kenny Dorham), and Willie Wilson (> Freddie Hubbard) from that label/producer. See http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Labels/jazztime.htm for details. Agree on Flavio Ambrosetti's alto qualities! Recently saw Franco on tv in Greg Osby All-Star band with Mark Turner, Jason Moran, Lonnie Plaxico and Billy Drummond - he had no problems keeping up with them. (Edited for mixing up the Ambrosettis)

Very nice choices, and what a great idea for a theme! I had wished for you to give us some examples for Swiss jazz, but this surpasses my wildest dreams. How about that 4 CD anthology - still available, and worth a purchase? How's the booklet? Maybe I can help out on the drummer on the Merrill track: in 1968 Peter Baumeister was a member of the first Dave Pike Set, the vibist's band in Germany. Volker Kriegel on guitar and Johannes A. (Hans) Rettenbacher rounded out the group. No idea what became of him after he left that band. Oh - Reclams Jazzführer (1st edition, 1970) tells he was born in Dortmund, Germany, in 1939, started playing drums in 1958. Worked with Joki Freund, the Mangelsdorff brothers the Jazzensemble des Hessischen Rundfunk (i.e. the Frankfurt scene), the Modern jazz gRoup Freiburg, Barney Wilen, Kriegel, and the the Dave Pike set. He studied economics and graduated in 1968. I suppose he dropped out of jazz ...

The 2-CD set by Nova Stravaganza led by Siegbert Rampe on Virgin Veritas is the most up to date as far as historically informed performances are concerned - Rampe also published a voluminous book on Bach's orchestral music in German which demonstartes he is the most knowledgeable in this respect. For best sound and a broader view beyond the Brandenburgs I'd recommend the version of Café Zimmermann on the French Alpha label - they combine one or two of them with other orchestral music - this could become the new reference recording on period instruments.

There was an interesting thread on Debussy's piano music here some months ago on his Preludes - it's worth checking out. I'd recommend Deodat de Severacs piano works, especially a 2-disc set of a Japanese pianist on a Finnish label - there's a thread on this composer too. (Link)

Now I'm really curious what's going on there - will check in on Tuesday!

I'd enjoy a serious classical music discussion board, but when all posts are lost every few months, what's the use? They should approach it in a more professional way. I'm amazed at how naive some people on the web still are. Kudos again to King Jim for maintaining this place!

I'd buy all the Mosaic Selects I want (haven't got a single one of them so far!) and spend the rest on my Fantasy catalog wish list.

The Oscar Peterson Trio with Sam Jones and Bobby Durham happened to be the first jazz concert I ever attended, in Munich, back in 1970 or 1971, and i remember I was impressed by the virtuosity and flash, but it stayed in my memory more for the fact that it was my first experience of that type than for its musical content. The second, the next year, Herbie Mann's quintet with Steve Marcus, Sonny Sharrock, Miroslav Vitous, and Bruno Carr, I remember much more vividly. You should take in to account that Peterson suffered a stroke several years ago, and I remember an interview where he stated he had to re-learn a lot - to me his statements sounded like it was two different players before and after. I wouldn't pay that much for anybody except the Duke! I think it is telling that I have only "Night Train" in my collection - there are a lot of other pianists that touched me more than he did, and there are a number of technically lesser equipped players among them. Technique is only the surface of the music, which is important, but more or less superficial, IMHO. The personality is what counts, and I agree with much of what was said here about him being very good in various respects, but not that "deep". I don't have any problem with others liking him, but I dislike others putting down pianists I like - you can't argue about taste. One should always talk with respect about others, even if it is not your taste, that's all.

I second that recommendation - you get most (all?) of Prez along the way!

I, too, tend to let the past stay in the past, but ... I have the feeling it would bother you if you wouldn't call back, so I'd say you do and ask right away - although in a polite manner - what made her contact you after all these years. If you get the impression she doesn't tell the truth, I'd stay away from her. Could be she wants to make up for lost opportunities?

I was thinking about the next possible project for Kahn just the other day after purchasing a copy of his book on "A Love Supreme" ... A worthy subject, that's for sure!

Maybe people are listening to Monk's peculiar way of composing and style of soloing on them, but not close enough to his solo style when improvising on standards, which is similar, but not identical. His oblique chords and percussive accents are not as prominent in the latter. I was also wondering why so few recognized Monk the soloist ...

Sorry, didn't know about that!

i like The Lost Sessions disc but we can only say if we like or not if we have those sessions released if it's not that good we will post then "probably should have stayed in the can" Marcus You hit the nail of the head here, Marcus! I, too, found the Pearson/Quebec session disappointing, even more so as Crosby/Fournier were such a great rhythm section, but still it was good that we could hear ourselves. Cuscuna used to ask the musicians whether they wanted it released - that's why it took so long for the Andrew Hill Mosaic Select to appear, and that's why we will never get to hear the Silver Tentet sessions, which I endlessly regret - Silver didn't want it out, and MC handed him the tapes ... Why not ask Hutcherson as the sole survivor from the date?

I didn't even realize that myself!! After these sessions Duke didn't sit on Rudy's piano chair until December 7, 1966 when he recorded "Sweet Honey Bee". And guess who was playing tenor... Between his Blue Note periods Pearson recorded two albums for Atlantic, with Harold Vick or George Coleman on tenor - again, more conservative players than Gilmore. And he used a Henderson tune. Gilmore looks like an odd choice to me, too. Why did Pearson switch to Atlantic, BTW?

Verve had announced a newly mastered CD of "The In Crowd" with additional material as early as 2003, IIRC. They delayed it for unknown reasons.