mikeweil

Who is this Jim Sangrey?

Why didn't Dizzy Gillespie have his trumpet repaired?

Why do you ask?

This Don Ellis site is nice, but not up to date: The list omits the Legacy reissue of Electric Bath I posted above. Then there is a CD with the soundtrack of "French Connection", music that was not on the Connection LP, but this is only for diehard Ellis collectors. Responding to Chuck's comments: You're probably right. It was more of a speculation on my friends' side. I'd rather think that Columbia doesn't see too much sales potential - that they didn't continue after Electric Bath and Koch doing Shock Treatment suggests this. Bob Belden, who produced the Bath reissue, reducing his activities as a reissue producer after his automobile accident, may be another factor.

According to Bruyninckx he's only on that one track, if you know better, can you please post details, for my Lucky Disco? Thanks. Part of that LP, BTW, was on CD, Verve 516107-2. According to Bruyninckx there were Japanese reissues for both LPs, but only Soul Finger saw a Trip reissue. The Soul Finger - again, according to Bruyninckx - had one track with Lucky in a quartet setting, the remainder was a larger group with Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Bartz, John Hicks and Victor Sproles.

- but: that's an old joke, Jim ..... and you wouldn't be able to lift that glass with one hand, would you? If so ....

Consider how many blurbed tune titles came about by misunderstanding: Monk, when asked for a tune title in a studio, mumbled "..... worry later", which the egineer wrote down. It was, of course, San Francisco Holiday. Imagine a strung out Sonny Clark mumbling to Rudy Van Gelder "a melody written for Cannonball by ... what was his name?" - and you have "Melody for C." notated as a working title. Later, noone cares to research it, and there you have a new Sonny Clark tune. I bet, until this thread, nobody noticed.

For a first class Monk Tribute, try to get the 4-CD box on DIW-395/398, Interpretations of Monk, documenting a concert at Columbia University on November 1, 1981, produced by Verna Gillis. Each of the four hour-long sets is led by a different pianist: Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Davis, Barry Harris, Mal Waldron, with two different rhythm teams - Richard davis with Ben Riley or Ed Blackwell - and a frontline of Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, Charlie Rouse and Roswell Rudd. What more can you ask for? And they do not duplicate tunes! AMG link AMG link

Haven't heard this so far, unfortunately, being the Lucky collector I am, but I know Lucky plays only on one track, Spot Session - the title says it all.

Another thought: This is the first evidence of John Lewis' longterm collaboration with elegant guitar players: Jim Hall, who also was on some Atlantics recorded soon after, Barry Galbraith, and since the 1980's, Howard Collins. Listen to how beautifully Lewis and Hall interact; compare with the Hall/Evans collaborations and marvel at the great difference in conception these two master pianists elicited from Hall.

No bonus material existing. This was a one-day-in-the-studio affair on occasion of an MJQ stay in California.

I think all of John Lewis' albums as a leader are worth listening, most of them are underrated, this one here tops the list. Too much has been made of the tension between Jackson and Lewis - that Lewis could swing, but in his own elegant way, is evident from many an album - a recent AOW, Sonny Stitt Plays Bird is a prime example. I second the recommendation on the albums jazzman4133 has mentioned. To these ears, Lewis is at the very top of the list of jazz pianists with a beautiful touch and elegance. Except for two 78's in France, this was his debut as a leader!!! What a helluva debut!!! The trio version here of I Can't Get Started to me is the most beautiful of that tune ever recorded, alongside Prez'. p.s. Can anbody provide me with a CDR of P.O.V.?

Maybe Sonny remembered the tune from a Cannonball record but couldn't recall the title - it is also on Victor Feldman's CD "Merry Olde Soul" (Riverside, now on OJC CD), recorded in January, 1961. Sonny was heavily addicted and could use some royalties ... look at his face on the cover of Leapin' and Lopin'. His tune sounds like a simplified version recalled from memory - both versions with composer Feldman have more embellishments in the melody.

Berstein has a very nice warm sound and really knows how to deliver a melody. I must admit I like him better with organ than with piano. All the Melvin Rhyne CDs are great, he fits in there beautifully. Not to speak of the many Larry Goldings Trio records ... Lou Donaldson himself mistook him for Grant Green when he first heard Berstein on a record!

That seller needs some dough badly!

Agreed - influence never works one-directional. And it may not be overtly musical.

Remember the joke (courtesy of Jsngry) regarding a game of poker with Tatum? "Never play poker with a four-armed man!"

Your wish is my command, your highness ..... Ahem, I was slightly earlier with my identification ..... and if you want some more Rowles, there's plenty here.

The Mosaic has this as "The Sheik of Araby" - now which issue has got the title wrong? This track was first issued in that box. The melody does not sound like the Sheik to me, BTW. Is there any note about this in the Blue Note CD booklet?

I take it from the Mosaic booklet that it was two guys, two pianos.

Arghh ... didn't nail three I have, just didn't take my time - blame it on the customs. # 1 - So this is Rowles playing Body And Soul? I have that disc, and had the LP before, its had been my first exposure to Rowles, but didn't impress me that much. In the meantime he became one of my favorites, but not for this disc. This is a little scattered compared to his best solos, IMO. # 2 - I have this one! Didn't check thoroughly enough. Too many CDS, too little time ... at least I thought of Morton. # 3 - Never heard them before. # 4 - Sure that was Bix - way ahead of his time. It was Ralph Sutton doing all the solos for Commodore. This is among my favorite piano solo music. # 5 - Bud Powell detoriated - sorry to say that. Poor fellow. # 6 - I got Jo Jones, Tatum I thought of, but haven't heard the group stuff so far. # 7 - I had that on LP, but didn't like this solo. He doesn't do too much with it. I dig Timmons, but not with material like this. (The original liner called his other solo on that LP "My Funky Valentine" ...) # 8 - Very playful disc. Glad I have it. # 9 - Was too lazy to check my Ammons/Lewis Mosaic. Too little time ... # 10 - That Mehldau is too lightweight, for my taste. # 11 - Jarrett, alright. # 12 - Nice to see how people can be mislead by hearing Monk out of context! # 13 - Fred Hersch - that one is on my wish list ever since it was out! That guy is from the Evans/Corea school, but good! And Freddie Waits' offspring is one of the finest drummers of his generation! # 14 - Uri Caine? Was curious about this ever since it came out, but this track leaves me lukewarm. # 15 - Jason Moran!!!! Still have to buy this one - still I'm disappointed he doesn't take this idea any farther. Thanks for that damn fine piano lesson!!!

Now that I've posted my guesses i gonna go peekin'!!! Blame it on the damn customs!

So finally, here are my comments on the piano-centered Blindfold Test # 9. I found it pretty amazing that one can assemble such a disc with mostly standard tunes and still come up with so many items I do not know: my hat is off to you! # 1 Body And Soul The spontaneity and unprecictability reminds me of Earl Hines, but there are some phrases I would not associate with him. Hm ... # 2 At first I thought it is a Jelly Roll Morton Trio, but it is not in my collection, so I have to stay curious who it is. # 3 Could be one of those modern Scandinavian piano trios. Leaves me somewhat unsatisfied, does not seem to lead anywhere. # 4 I know this piece, probably the version done by the composer himself, don't have it here at the moment to check. He wrote a nice bunch of these, I have all of them played by other pianists - well he wasn't a pianist, of course. I like this a lot and wish classical pianists would play this as well (one from Italy actually does, on an otherwise Ragtime centered disc). # 5 Satin Doll A little too casual for my taste, the bass sounds terribly muddy. Not an item I would buy. # 6 Just One Of Those Things I'd say a pianist of the Swing Era - I'm not that much a fan of these heavily embellishing players. Is this Jo Jones at the drums? # 7 Lush Life He seems to play it more with the piano as an orchestral instrument in mind than as an intimate piece of reminiscing - he ignores the lyrics, to my feeling. I think I'll include a version of this immortal classic on my Test that I really like ... # 8 The Man I Love (AMG link) From this disc. I have to admit it was the drummer, his cymbal sound and beat, that gave it away for me, I happened to be in the bathroom 20 feet away as it ran, and recognized him, and considering the bassist - the two were on of the greatest bass/drums teams, IMO, and the fact it is two pianists playing, turned on the memopry light. I like its exploratory playfulness, considering it was meant and done as a completely unprepared one-session studio affair, it succeeded. # 9 Again, two pianists - I don not know enough from this era to identify them. Sure would like to know ... # 10 Blackbird At first I thought it was Mulgrew Miller and Tony Williams, but no, they did The Fool On The Hill, and this is too loose for them. No idea. Nice, but could be more concentrated. # 11 Someday My Prince Will Come Is this Keith Jarrett with Gary Peacock and Jack deJohnette? Don't have any of their discs - one of the early ones I had I didn't like, and didn't care to catch up. I think the pianist just takes off and plays whatever comes to his mind that fits the changes without much sense of form or the composition as a whole, which I prefer. I think I have already heard all of the phrases I know in different contexts, and the bass and drums are a little too confined to accompanists' roles. Nothing new, so what's the deal, except that he gets his rocks off? # 12 I Should Care (AMG link) Anybody who doesn't recognize this pianist should be sent back to jazz grammar school! # 13 Nice trio. The head reminds me of the stuff Chick Corea would write around 1970 when he was in an experimental mood. Nice interaction, nice drum solo that develops his ideas although I thought he started at too high a level - he knows what he does. In fact, is this Corea with Barry Altshul? If it is Corea, I like his playing here better than on his later albums. # 14 A Blues, at last. The way he throws in atonal clusters reminds me of Steve Kuhn. I'm afraid I like 'em either more straight or more out. # 15 Body And Soul Very nice closer. I like the way he only hints at the opening theme at first, then introdcuces that riff and combines them, but I was dissdapointed he didn't develop that further and take it through the changes or the whole song - as if he didn't know how to do that after that initial idea. C'mon, go through it all, I wanted to shout! So who is this? Although there are few items that I really like enough to buy them, I enjoy this disc a lot and will certainly play it every now and then - thanks a lot! Again I'm stunned that there so much music left to explore, even when restricted to pianists!

I too think anyone who receives a disc should at least post he has received and liked it - or not, maybe - to express his or her appreciation of the Test Master's efforts. The practice of having a new signup thread for each BT is well established by now, it seems. Please check your position on the Test master list, if you were under ' 20, as King Ubu asked me to place him further down the list, for several reasons.

Damn....glad you're OK! Some of those busses and trucks are so big, they can run over a small car and not even feel it! Mark experienced that once. and I was in a car! brrrrr. luck is on your side it seems. don't let it slip. Me too!!! Scary - you wonder that moment if you'll ever get out if this intact, and then suddenly it's over ... Glad to hear you're okay. To paraphrase John Coltrane when Elvin Jones wrecked his car: "I can always get another bike, but there's only one Brandon ..."