mikeweil

Tete was one of Europe's top five 20th century jazz pianists, period. Glad I sw him live in the 1980's.

Basically I dig the last Blue Note sessions more, Expansions, Extensions, Asante and the stuff on the Cosmos twofer LP, half of which is still due for CD. On the Milestones I find his piano playing a little overpowering. Orrin Keepnews' striving for different contexts in which to present an artist sometimes kept McCoy's working bands out of the studio, or altered their playing style. The most interesting band for me was the 1976 edition with Gary Bartz, Joe Ford, Ron Bridgewater, Charles Fambrough and the very underrated Eric Gravatt on drums. They only recorded one album, Focal Point, which uses sax ensembles via overdub to good effect, but the duo of Tyner and Gravatt (Parody) shows what energy this band must have had live - no two bars are played alike. To me this album is the real gem of his Milestone years, and I regret there was no live album recorded. Sama Layuca is another favourite. But I have yet to check out the live albums.

He was touring with Herbie Hancock's Future 2 Future band last year, playing the prince of darkness role very well.

Guy, many thanks for the input. Of course, I should have looked there first ... ... but I simply like to converse with you all here . The link doesn't work with me, perhaps because it links to a specific line on the page; perhaps this one will work: David Wild Website Go the FAQs page.

The 4-CD box set edition of John Coltrane's Village Vanguard sessions includes two tracks with bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik playing an oud, the Arabian lute - at least that's what the ession credits say. To these ears, this instrument definitely does NOT sound like an oud, but like a tamboura or sitar. Track 4 on disc 4 has this instrument alone at the beginning of the track. Anybody here on the board with a knowledge of middle eastern instruments with the same observations? ----- This wouldn't be the first time an "exotic" instrument was miscredited; the misattributions of bongos vs. congas go into the hundreds. Way back I wrote David Wild and Michael Cuscuna that the Calypso Boys on one of Dizzy Gillespie's DeeGee sessions did not play bongos as in the album credits but congas, maracas and claves. They corrected and admitted they had based their info on the original session credits, which were wrong. A similar story is on some thread here on the board with Herbie Hancock playing not a celeste on Freddie Hubbard's last 1960's Blue Note studio session, but a harpsichord. Some care with non-familiar instruments please!

Just another take on the endlessly repeated story of madness and genius. Not a single one of these scientists seems to get the idea of what a representative study really is. For each jazz musicians with mental problems - they exist, depending on how you define them - there are hundreds living unspectacular lives the press never writes about. But they wouldn't be nearly as "interesting". Tediuos crap.

Maybe Rufus Harley auditioned for the band and ended up borrowing the pipes for a few nights?

A great series of LPs, indeed. One of the last things I completed before I stopped buying LPs. Some material has been issued on CD in the Chronological Clasics series, on Ocium or whereever it fit into place.

A search on the web reveals it is spelled "Mais Que Nada" in recent years. Seems "Mas Que Nada" on the first Mendes single and LP was a misspelling. Check these websites for info on Mendes: Sergio Mendes Discography A & M Corner

Ubu, what is your source for this? "Rejected" only makes sense if the recordings were done by or at the order of Impulse.

What makes Primal Roots unique is the reference to afro-brazilian roots expanding the musical palette of the group (Claudio Slon was the drummer, Sergio's wife Gracinha Leporace ist the lead singer). Side one has shorter tracks, using less well known rhythms like the Samba de Caboclo, Samba de Roda and Candomblé rhythms, with percussionist Laudir de Oliveira playing some beautiful conga drums and singing lead. Clare Fischer plays organ on some tracks. Side two is a 19 minute improvisation by the group with guests Fischer, Oliveira, Airto Moreira and flutist Tom Scott. The only thing to brag about it is the short playing time, less than 35 minutes. I wonder what the bonus track is. The ** AMG gives the record don't match the tone of their review; it was not a big seller, but is one of Mendes' most satisfying records, from a strictly musical point of view, and can be compared to some of the other encounters of Brazilian and Jazz musicians of the time, like Cal Tjader's Amazonas and several Hermeto Pascoal and Airto Moreira albums. p.s. thanks for the list, shrdlu. But where the hell is Podunk Hollar ?!?!

The copy controlled Blue Note CDs I have play without any problem on my Windows 98 computer, but it loads a special player from the CD to do so; sound is as good as usual. Don't have a burner, so I can't try this ...

I too was disappointed by Am I Blue?. Pretty lame is the correct description, regrettably. But Joe is okay; Coles - he's the one I bought it for - is unspectacular, and the intention to make an organ combo ballad album is risky. Too subdued.

Got mine at a sale by a big jazz shop in Munich who had bought way too many copies when it was new, they had to clear their stock and sold some copies at half price ... In Germany it periodically appears on ebay in good condition. I agree, the box is the only way to get ALL of this music, and the chronological presentation makes a lot of sense. You'd have to buy several more CDs if you buy single album reissues, so it would get more expensive in the end.

This Japanese site has a wealth of rare vintage LP covers, for all of you who love this kind of stuff: http://gokudo.co.jp/ Click on "Jazz Record".

So much charm, and swing and drive at the same time. He has become my favouriote saxophonist over the years, and my wife's too. Every day is happy with Prez, birthday or not!

Because he always was and will be a musicians' or connoisseurs' musician!

If you can't post pictures, I'll gladly do it for you to complete the favourite Blue Note cover exhibition: And I beginn to like this one very much:

Chances are they just weren't aware there already was an album with that title.

Gene Harris was the first that came to my mind, Ray Bryant too, and Jay McShann. And John Lewis could play very bluesy in his own very elegant way. To me, his solo "Gemini" on his EmArcy CD "Private Concert (recorded in 1990) is the single greatest blues piano solo, outlining the very essence of the blues. Elmo Hope played some great blues too, check out "One Mo' Blues" on the "Homecoming" LP on Riverside.

Personally speaking, I find the industry's hassle about copy protection is ridiculous. They want to sell CDs, but they want to sell the technical equipment for copying as well. We are supposed to buy the equipment but not use It?!?!?! Or didn't they think about the possible consequences in the first place? Then they deserve it!

The last batch of Latin inflected Blue Note CDs was copy protected as well in its European pressings.

There IS a Japanese CD of Primal Roots, with one bonus track, EUR 33, but I ordered it. This is my Mendes CD for the desert island. And they have the double very best as well. Amazon, that is. Shrdlu, thanks for the recommendation!