Soul Stream

I wonder if Haley is even going to wear clothes next week....she's REALLY trying to stay in there, and it looks a little desperate each time she comes out wearing such skimpy outfits. After Simon's comments this last night, perhaps pride would just make her wear a parka next week. Melinda, although the best singer by far...I wonder if she'll ultimately be taken out by the voting public. I think Jordan is the darkhorse and just might win the whole thing when nobody's looking. I'm afraid Melinda appears too old fashioned, she's gotta avoid that. It's a contemporary vibe the winner has to have to some degree, and looking like Ella Fitzgerald ain't gonna do it on American Idol. Sanjaya was actually good for the first time ever this week. Besame Mucho suited his mellow voice well. I will say this...that guy does have a personality and is smart as a fox. Like Randy said "Dude, you're the smartest contestant we've ever had." (and I don't think he was talking about IQ)

thanks....so deserving on this 40th anniversary of his death and 80th anniversary of his birth....

Thanks Clem! Yeah, I'm pretty spoiled down here with great guitar players like Denny and Derek. Also, a guy I play with most of the time that nobody knows about, but really is the killer is Dave Biller. He's from the Barney Kessell/Charlie Parker school of burning and is a monster. Johnny Moeller is another guy who is phenomenal as well as the real unknown hero...Bill Cambell, who is about as bad and tasty a guitar player you'll ever hear if you could find him. Love to record someday, but....

Derek's a killer for sure. I just got off the phone with him. He plays with my organ trio quite a bit and was just on fire last weekend on my gig. He flys under the radar because he's such a humble and non flashy guy. I'll be playing with him this weekend and I'll tell him you dug the Milkcow session. As far as the guests go on that album...Derek didn't choose some of those (I'll leave you to guess which ones )

I think when Blue Note Cds initially came out, didn't sound very good. I like the more modern remastering for sure. Whether it's RVG or McMaster, ect. That said, I think OJC CDs have held up a lot better sonically. But yeah, I'm an RVG sucker I'll admit. Especially when it comes to my favorite sessions. As far as getting vinyl....i dig it on occassion for old times sake, but when it comes to sticking a CD on in the car or at home, nothing beats that kind of ease... ('cept the ipod and computer itunes...damn it!)

Hopefully, Rudy will continue to remaster these Prestige titles as they are certainly just as deserving as the Blue Notes are.

Thanks, I was just wondering about whether to upgrade some of the K2s....Tenor Madness being one of them.

Lon, how do you think the RVGs compare to the 20bit K2 series of titles on Prestige?

I'm really enjoying the new RVG treatments of the Prestige stuff. Good to see some some of the titles out of the old OJC territory. All the one's I've heard are a nice improvement over the old issues.... nice....

I think my gig last night covered the whole spectrum of the kinds of people you get in a typical jazz club.... When I walked into the bar, there was a fucking drunk chick sitting ON TOP OF MY GODDAMN HAMMOND B3!!!! Beer in hand, feet on the bench and laughing her ass off with her group of dumbass 20-something friends. Mind you, the B3 is on stage and not an easy place to go sit on top of. So after I yelled at the beotch and kicked her off my b3...we got set up and began to play. Her and her friends sat there talking loudly and oblivious to the fact that 3 guys were playing music 3 feet away from them. They were so loud, they drowned us out. After about 3 songs, they finally left. Sadly, they were the only customers. We finished the set, playing to the bartender. The next set, about 40 people showed up who sat quietly listening and were warm and receptive. Applauding the solos and really digging the music. THAT'S reality. And probably always has been like that. Bars and Concert Halls are just a different thing.

Funny, I was just digging through my vinyl to find something different to listen to, and pulled out a Muse LP I hadn't listened to in a long time called "Brooklyn Brothers" by Cecil Payne and Duke Jordan (with Sam Jones and Al Foster). I put it on and what's the second song I hear....a killer version of "I Want To Talk About You!" The liner notes talk about how Tony Williams gave Cecil Payne some Billy Eckstine airchecks to listen to and that's how Cecil came across the song again. Said it was his favorite ballad to play these days (recorded in 1973). Pretty cool...

Like the trumpeter Martin Banks once told me about tunes in general.... They're all the same more or less...they just have different bridges.

Thanks Jim.... I had to play it last night on a gig. Having heard it but not played it before, when it came to the bridge I did end up making a Dm/Galt change to the Bflat, but I wasn't sure about it. Listening to the beginning of Trane's version on Soultrane this morning, I still couldn't really tell until I got to the 5:00 minute mark or so that I could clearly hear it. Thanks for the help Jim! Beautiful tune.

hey, can anybody help me out on the last couple of measures of the bridge of I Want To Talk About You. I'm listening to Trane's version on Soultrane. I'm fuzzy about what's happening between C major and the B flat dominant chord that ends the bridge. thanks for any help you can give me....

Good drummers are...and always will be...hard to find. It's amazing what passes for a "jazz drummer" on most local scenes. As far as 'name' jazz drummers I don't care for... I honestly can't think of any. I'm a drum nut in the sense that if they can make music and swing on the drums I'm all in. Guys I always love to hear are Art Taylor and Philly Joe.

Charles McPherson "Live at the 5 Spot" Prestige....killer

The way John handled ii V progressions is very heavily influenced by Grant. Especially in the early to mid sixties. The pet licks they had for outlining those chords were very similar. You have to remember that John started playing the organ and then was out gigging with Grant and Lou Donaldson very quickly. It was a lot of on the job training. Lou Donaldson always told John to listen to Charlie Parker (according to John). And I think John just played so much with Grant early on that it heavily influenced his style more than any other musician. Patton said Grant sometimes would just play and play and play and hardly let Patton get a solo in on live gigs. So John heard the way Grant got through changes hearing him so much live and it shaped his style. Plus, John said he and Grant and Ben Dixon got together a lot at his apartment and also talked music on the phone quite a bit in those days. The use of space....yeah, I think the "no b.s. factor" that Grant Green used definately affected John. As well as people like Miles Davis, who I think John listened to a lot also.

Thanks everyone for the kind words! It does make me feel very good. I've never felt deserving of John's organ, but I am glad that it didn't get lost into the great unknown as so many things often do after one's death. To answer Chewy's question as far as John's concept on the organ and music in general.... This may be tough to put into words in many ways, but I will hit on a few things that struck me about John. Firstly, if the goal is for the music to be an extension of your mind, body and spirit then John achieved that 100%. His personality was exactly like his music would lead you to believe it would be. John had a way of talking that was very hip, and sounded alot like his phrasing on the organ. He WAS his music, his music WAS him! Funny, John was a very sweet cat with a huge heart and a great sense of humor and humanity but could intimidate with just his presence....reminded me a lot of Miles Davis in some ways and one in particular...he was SERIOUS about music. There was no goofing off when it came to music whether it was on the bandstand or practicing the simplest phrase. He also had a favorite phrase he would shout when he wanted someone to dig deeper musically and that was "Open it up!" John was also a very well educated cat. He spoke and wrote with great articulation and had beautiful handwriting. His brothers include Lawyers and Judges. All that came through in his music in a way. The basics had to be covered on the organ for John. He was from the John Coltrane school of thought. He loved Trane. Jimmy Garrison was a friend, so John really wanted that organ bass to be musical and a foundation to build on. I think Grant Green and John Coltrane were John's two biggest musical influences.

I do my best. I always play some Patton originals everyday just to make sure the organ doesn't forget them.

My feeling is that Hammond Organs are a lot like cars. They have to be used and maintained on a regular basis to keep them in good running condition. John's B3 had not been played in the four years since he had died. John was cremated and his ashes sat on the bench ironically enough. The organ was in real need of some oiling and minor maintenance and to just be running. It has mechanical and electrical parts that have to come to life in order not to deteriorate or gum up. I may be a nut, but a Hammond Organ to me is a living, breathing thing. Like any living thing they need love and attention and to be active. I play it most every day and it sounds wonderful. Nothing has or will be changed on this organ. It will remain completely original to the way John had it in every way. It has a permanent place and will not be moved or abused in any way.

Thanks Chuck, that means a lot coming from you!

Not to be a beotch, but if you think Antibalas is good, check out The Budos Band. Another Daptone congregation doing the Afrobeat thing a little better in my opinion. Live they actually gave the Dapkings a run for their money at SXSW a few weeks ago (although half the dapkings were in the budos band "filling in"). Don't know if their record lives up to the live show, but if you're into this sort of thing in, check them out. Like a member of the Sugarman 3 said about Budos...."A bunch of Staten Island dudes doing Fela.... I thought it would suck.... but they actually kick ass."

To make a long story short.... I met John a couple of years before he passed away and we became really good friends. I have a huge interest in John's concept on the organ and his original music and he really appreciated that I think. From the first time we sat down at the organ together we just hit it off. He gave me many many hours of instruction both at his house and over the phone. At times I would stay the weekend with him and Thelma. We'd play during the day and run around the New York spots at night, the Vanguard, Smoke, Showman's Lounge. Needless to say it was beyond my wildest dreams. I miss Big John a lot. He was even cooler, more spiritual, and more musical in person than you'd have even thought possible. A true original in every way.

No Lon, although I know it sounds like it http://www.georgecoleman.com/bio_frame_index.html go to the "Resume'" section and scroll down to t.v. appearances and you'll see it there.

MG, he wouldn't have taken it to europe. In his later years organs were provided for him at many gigs. Only occassionally would he bring this organ out. I think Joe Farnsworth would come get it for some gigs at Augie's back when that scene was just getting into the organ thing. Thelma has some video of John playing Augie's with Art Taylor as a duo on this organ. John lived up 3 flights of stairs, so he didn't bring his own organ too much after he came back up from the underground.