MomsMobley

I'm not saying that John or I are "right" here, just that this is what two such people thought at the time, when we and Monk and all were still alive in the same continuum, for whatever that's worth. Nah, you and John were right but perhaps for the wrong reasons: Dunlop's fine, whatever, it's Monk that's more than half snooze by this point. Frankie made things busier but not better, yes, but "better" wasn't what Monk wanted, or was at least capable of performing in a band context at that point. Thus the ONLY necessary Columbia Monk are the solo recordings though sure, there are some nice things scattered throughout. Nice enough? Well, nicer than too flush knuckleheads buying their x to the nth power iteration of digital Miles but what do I know? I thought people who claim to listen so closely would want to listen to MORE also. Me, I'll take the sidedrum kicking in Nielsen's Clarinet Concerto every time.

I'm posting this from aboard the USS Kearsage so I obviously can't be here but there's a public memorial/celebration of the great (sometimes jazz) photographer Roy DeCarava in Manhattan on Monday, if any local landlubbers can shake themselves free: http://cooper.edu/news-events/events/in-memory-of-roy-decarava/ Ahoy!

Any organum types have this and think it worth the bread? http://www.amazon.com/Rachmaninoff-Works-Recordings-Max-Harrison/dp/0826493122 Max is usually excellent but I'm wary of Continuum books sight unseen, especially since the pb price is asinine given the likely quality; if I go in, it'd be cloth. A shame this wasn't on one of the better academic presses we can usually trust; it's not like distribution would have been that much worse. EDIT: that is correct, thank you J.A.W.

MOON MULLICAN

Allen is actually much more right than wrong. While Rouse can be an OK flavor (as on the charmingly fake ethnic Blue Note lp), he's DEAD AIR on nearly every Monk record. There are, perhaps, a few less boring Rouse solos but they all add up to nothing + 1. People want to love later Monk and I did also but there's no way around the fact much of it is coasting. Rouse is a swing era section player whom fate made a soloist but is there even one Rouse with Monk solo as great as those Monk + anyone else? Granted he's six years younger and thus of a different jazz half-generation but compare Rouse blowing blowing and blowing fumes to, say, Booker Ervin. (Can anyone imagine Rouse with Mingus? Hah!)

Point taken but Ornette hasn't been clogging our arteries or vas deferens with eight jillion lame-ass 'standards' records that need such a mewling excuse for 'guided appreciation.' It's hard to hold a grudge against Charlie Haden, of course, but as recording artist, sad to say he used up nearly as much of his goodwill as Ron Carter did. Is there something seriously profound in Jarrett's improvisation or-- I'm being kind-- "recomposition" of moldering cocktail shit we can't all get better (and hopefully did), when it was fresh, from Oscar Levant?

^^^^^^^^^^^^ INSIPID. Jarrett, not Guy's quotation of, which is great for a laugh at other's ungodly sense of self-importance and superficial 'magic.' Can any of you imagine Red Garland, Hampton Hawes or even near-death-but-still-earthy Bill Evans writing anything similar? I hope putting green marker on the outer rim of the cd will make it sound like Keith hopes. Chuck Jones cartoons infinitely greater than any/all Jarrett 'standards' too. Take it and it's yours!

Gary Bartz opened for Gil Scott-Heron in Brooklyn the night before too. Have you heard this yet, JSngry? I'll Take Care Of You Amazing, but not really, how many reviews of the Gil don't know it's a cover, let alone of one of the very greatest of all R&B performances: vocal, arrangement, band, the works.

Quite correct. Lovano is horrible, one of the most boring, pointless chops players to have such a long career but Steve Kuhn is terrific, and the rhythm section is right there with him. I appreciate Manfred Eicher getting Kuhn out there again but sure wish he had picked another horn, or just skipped the tenor altogether. Did anyone listen to, and not want to vomit, when they heard Lovano's nauseating Ben Webster imitations (try the worst ever version of "Soultrane" as an example) on that duet album with Hank Jones? Of course, I never would've willingly listened to such a thing except I was stuck in an airport lounge in Lyon where the bartender had it on repeat, damn you Jean-Pierre!

David Munrow is important revival performer but you can skip the rest and, musically, you can skip much Munrow also. Some friends of mine used to take off their John McLaughlin cheesecloth shirts and shag British hippy chicks whilst listening to David Munrow records but that was a different era. The Orlando Consort started off strong in Tudor polyphony but crapped out on the continent. If you can spare fourteen bones, hop on this from Amazon: My link If this doesn't make the Machaut to Dufay connection, both in song and sacred music, you might be stuck. Hit the library or look for a used copy of oop Ensemble Gilles Binchois recording Missa Ecce Ancilla Domini (Virgin). Also La Reverdie recorded two Dufay programs for the Arcana label; chances are you won't stumble into these but worth seeking out if you get the bug. The best of the limeys to my ears are the three Hyperion cds by the Binchois Consort. GOOD LUCK! Moms