mikeweil

Found me a copy of a Japnaese LP reissue of that 1958 Newport album at the site of a US shop. As I love Randy Weston's music just as much, this is a double stroke!

I remember a radio interview on AFN over here where he admitted his favourite big bands and/or trumpet players were Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Maynard Ferguson, Harry James, Stan Kenton - these all were some kind of entertainers and loved a gimmick and effect. I guess he liked it AND used it to sell his band, which was somewhat bigger than the others, he had to. It was tough for a big band in the rock era, I reckon Columbia took up with him because he played the Fillmore like all their great new rock acts, tracks from his albums were found on anthologies selling the new progressive rock bands. His humour is similar to that of Gillespie AND that of NRBQ, I'll take it just for the fun AND for the substance. No wonder that band worked hard and was pretty much kept busy just with playing that stuff. He would have needed much more time to let it breathe somewhat more - he was aware of this - remember Jim, he more or less invented that stuff, and it's hard to do!

Some 1950's Cal Tjader albums on Fantasy/OJC have Paul Horn on flute, but not on every track. There was another great Johnny Rae album with Herbie Mann on United Artists that was soon reissued under Mann's name, with a killer rhythm section - Philly Joe Jones, José Mangual, Patato Valdez, Victor Pantoja, Bob Corwin and Jack Six. Mann had Johnny Rae, Dave Pike, later Roy Ayers - if you like his music .... Windows Opened on Atlantic with Ayers is a very good album. Among the straightahead stuff mentioned above, the three "opus" albums stand out to these ears. I didn't like Steve Gadd's playing and sound on the Laws album and sold it. Too short, only four tracks with Laws. Laws' "In the Beginning" on CTI has David Friedman on vibes and sounds much better to me.

Dood-doodleeoobup, doodoodleoobup, up-baaah, ----- I'll never forget the first scat on one of that Herman sides. A serious humorist. RIP

Hal Overton had done the arrangements for the 1959 Riverside album "At Town Hall" (now on OJC CD-135-2). The octet used his arrangements in a scaled-down version as well, AFAIK. But other than that Riverside, the Columbia, and the concert bootlegs from Europe there are no recordings of this. The last Monk big band LP for Columbia was arranged by Oliver Nelson with less than great results. While searching the pic I came across this one, which seems worth checking out: Lydian Sound Orchestra - Monk at Town Hall & More 2003 - CD Abeat ABJZ 013 From AMG: "It is ironic that it took an Italian arranger by the name of Riccardo Brazzale, using a top-flight Italian jazz orchestra, to produce such a fine big-band tribute to American composer Thelonious Monk. Occasionally others, of course, such as T.S. Monk, have successfully engaged in big-band tributes, but this one, Monk at Town Hall & More, is distinguished by its use of transcriptions from Hall Overton's arrangements from the classic 1959 Town Hall concert that were reinterpreted by Brazzale. The tentet organized by Brazzale includes some of Italy's best musicians, with Pietro Tonolo on soprano sax and Roberto Rossi on trombone, while trumpeter Kyle Gregory adds some tasty solos on trumpet. In addition to tunes by Thelonious Monk, the band adds a loving version of "Abide With Me" (featuring Tonolo, who unfortunately suffers from slight problems with intonation), and a short piece by Brazzale entitled "Additional C. Q. Six." Highlights include some impressive soloing by pianist Paolo Birro, who plays the Monk role smartly by not aping him; and a lyrical Rossi, who is heard on several tracks to good advantage. Although the new arrangements are an exciting concept, Brazzale is somewhat too respectful; he might have opted occasionally to pursue different avenues while remaining true to Monk's spirit. While the results are almost always of superior quality and many of the solos are first-rate, the talented Brazzale takes his cue directly from the 1959 set, resulting in uniformly high standards but lacking on occasion the high-spirited sense of wonder that infused Monk's music. - Steven Loewy"

Jim, it takes a while to figure it out, but isn'tall that difficult: you're a metrosexual if you: - live in the city - dress sharp - try to look as sharp - use cosmetics a real macho would throw into the trash can - go shopping on a regular basis to keep his image in style - looks after his lifestyle etc.etc. judging from your avatar, cosmetics and shaving gear are not regular features in your bathroom, so it's no wonder you can't relate to this ...

For Guitarists' God's sake, I can't vote in this poll, 'cause I love 'em all so much, each in his own way! Please add the option "all of the above"!

Yes, I too heard McGhee in this track. Generally I think his importance and influence in the 1940's to 1950's is greatly underrated - trumpet players still loved their Roy Eldridge and Buck Clayton, Harry Edison and Joe Newman, not to mention Freddie Webster, and McGhee was someone who showed how to integrate that into the more modern stylings of Diz, Navarro and whoever. Carmell Jones, Benny Bailey, Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham, Clark Terry all were trumpet players born into the time when swing was still kind of dominating the scene but bop was gradually taking over, so it's no wonder they had elements of both! The trumpet is a highly unforgiving instrument, the slightest technical insecurities show even to a non-musician, and McGhee was not as perfect a player as Diz, so he was easily put into the second league - but he was much more than that. His recordings from the 1950-60's for Blue Note, Bethlehem and Contemporary are among the best trumpet albums of that time, IMHO.

And who's that jazz musician gone acting .... at last, some justification to buy a porn movie

Yeah, start with Monk' Dream, that will get you hooked. Right now it's nearly possible to buy them in the order they were recorded. But a priority should the the 2 CDs from Linclon Center, Big Band and Quartet in Concert, a high point in Monk's career, is this still in print? I looked it up, it is, and even AMG's Scott Yanow considers it essential: GET IT!!!

Rather not, as most of the three albums the Adderley Brothers recorded for Savoy in 1955 are compiled on this available 2-CD-set.

Here's another Don Ellis website: Electric Heart. Another vivid memory is Don Ellis rehearsing and conducting the Berlin Dream Band, a jazz orchestra made up from the best musicians from the big bands of both Berlin radio stations, for the Berlin Jazz Festival (Gil Evans was guest conductor the following year, as was George Russel one year, as far as I can remember). This was documented by German TV, with interviews and all. It was fascinating to see this wailing dervish of a jazz trumpeter teach Leo Wright, Carmell Jones et al. to play in 7/4, 13/4 and you name it! He had so much energy, he made a helluva band out of mostly young college graduates on his last tour, I heard him near Frankfurt a year or so before his death. Dave Holland once said in an interview he found the way Ellis treated the uneven meters somewhat crude, but without him ....... even Holland wouldn't play them, I guess. He was the real pioneer and popularizer of this stuff.

I vividly remember seeing a TV recording of probably the Monterey performance on German afternoon Jazz TV for young people in the late 1960's. I didn't get a note, but I was thrilled! Three flutists walking to the soloists mic to blow fours, several percussionists, wailing rhythms - I was mesmerized. I bought every Don Ellis LP I found and got all the Columbia albums that way - Electric Bath in an awful sounding British mono pressing. Was delighted when the two Pacific Jazz albums finally were out on CD, I love them! Yeah, I'd buy an issue of the complete Stanford performance the second it was out! But, with SONY doing only Electric Bath themselves, Bob Belden more or less retiring from producing reissues, and Koch Jazz, who did the CD of Shock Treatment, being swallowed, I do not see any more Don Ellis reissues on the horizon. Go get the vinyl twofers Live At The Fillmore and Tears Of Joy when you can, I think they are his greatest achievements. Listening to Don Ellis (and Emil Richards' Microtonal Blues Band on Impulse) taught me counting odd meters. God bless his soul. It's an irony - but no wonder - he suffered from problems with heartbeat rhythms. Another special item for hardcore Ellis collectors is the limited edition (3000 copies worldwide) of the complete French connection soundtracks published by Film Score Monthly:

I only have two Tzadik CDs and like 'em both: - Milford Graves' Grand Unification: an excellently recorded solo outing by one of the greatest living percussive beings - Roberto Juan Rodriguez: El Danzon de Moises. This is a fantasy on the hidden Jewish thread in Cuban music. Rodriguez and Susie Ibarra lay down some irresistible grooves, there is plenty of humor and great arrangements. One of the best Latin Jazz records in recent years, highly recommended.

Another talented player that dropped off the scene, or played in no-name soul bands. I did a little discographical search and couldn't find anything after 1964 (Patton's "The Way I Feel" session) that can be related to him. Any Fred Jackson after that clearly is the Californian who doubles on flute and other reeds, he did countless studio dates in Hollywood, mostly section work, but also played with Bobby Hutcherson in the 1970's. I like his playing on his own record "Hootin' & Tootin'" and especially the Baby Face Willette the best.

You may be right, but Vitous has a reputation to know exactly where he wants to go, which would explain the rather cautious playing of his sidemen. When I said "taking chances" I rather should used the expression "cut loose" or similar - I hoped for a little more fireworks and exitement. This might have happened because Vitous changed his mind in the middle of recording. Of course I didn't expext another Infinite Search either, but a little more energy! What you say about melodic cliches is absolutely right and probably the most memorable aspect of that CD.

The Okeh sides included in the Ocium CD are exactly those available on the Epic two-LP-set Okeh Jazz and were probably dubbed from that ananlog source. I find these Okeh sides to be even better than the Apollo sides on the Delmark CD, musically and sonically. There is also a CD in the Classics series that includes the Apollo sides and some scattered sideman dates featuring Cobb from that time period, I'd recommend this to avoid duplication and hope there will a sequel in the near future covering the Okehs. Any Cobb I heard is great, he was real high energy tenor with Lionel Hampton and screamed with more musical substance and deeper excitemement than Jacquet, IMHO. The Hampton sides with Cobb are on Classics 803, 922 and 946, with Jacquet, Johnny Griffin and others at hand for comparison. And hell yeah, he outblew all the others on that Prestige Very Saxy session! What an achievement!

... or this:

... or this:

Oh, forgot this one:

Masabumi Kikuchi: Wishes/Kochi - with Terumasa Hino, Dave Liebman, Reggie Lucas, Anthony Jackson, Al Foster and Mtume. A fascinating branch of the electric milesean universe ...

I'm afraid this thread is once again goin' severely (there ain't no grinnin' off-topic-smiley, unfortunately, this one needs a day off badly)

Dan, that's a very rare bird you caught there! Could you post your impressions, please, especially if and how much of Thad Jones is on this album? Thanks!

Must be a real influential player , this Coleman ... now what was his first name?

Had a listen to Bittersuite in the Ozone (which also was on Moses own label Mozown) and recommend it. Open, free form playing combined with nice compositional touches, experimental but not extreme. Billy Hart plays drums here, Moses plays vibes and percussion, a little piano, and vocalizes. Jeanne Lee is on board, Randy Brecker, John D'Earth, the underrated Daniel Carter, Howard Johnson, Jack Gregg and Eddie Gomez, Mike Lawrence, Dave Liebman, and most of all, pianist Stanley Free, who dominates side B with a long piece dedicated to him: his open, lyrical free playing is so enchanting it is reason alone for me to keep this album. Why isn't there more of this extraordinary pianist? And what happened to Moses? I had his two Open Sky trio LPs with Frank Tusa and Dave Liebman, but sold them, was a type of music to me that's more interesting to play than to listen to. The most recent outing I have is a percussion duo LP with Billy Martin (of Medeski, Martin & Wood) dating back to 1987, released on a German label.