Peter Friedman

Definitely agree that Canadians Mike Murley and Phil Dwyer are overlooked / underrated. I was in Toronto about 4 years ago and heard a set by Mike Murley and he sounded magnificent on tenor. back when I lived in Rochester, NY I had numerous opportunities to hear Joe Romano when he would come home to visit his mother. He played both alto and tenor at a few different clubs. i particularly thought his tenor work was outstanding. Romano can be heard on a couple of Xanadu records led by Sam Noto. He is also on an Art Pepper 2 CD set called Live at Donte's on the Fresh Sound label. Not too many years before he died Joe put out a very fine Quintet CD titled "This Is The Moment". Fresh Sound released a quartet LP with Joe as leader. It also featured Frank Strazzeri on piano. Unfortunately I never have heard or even seen that album.

Eric Dixon plays and solos on - "The Count Basie Kansas City 7" on the Impulse label.

I am a bit confused about whether there actually was an alternate take of "What's New"? It looks to me like that tune was recorded by two different groups. The quartet version with Mal Waldron, Art Phipps and Art Taylor. The version on the "Makin' The Changes" album is by a sextet with: Jackie McLean, Curtis Fuller, Webster Young, Gil Coggins, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes recorded on August 30, 1957

I don't believe Betha Hope has been mentioned. She has a few very good CDs out, but I never hear anything about her.

Here are some other good CDs by Gene DiNovi.

The Decathexis From Youth (For Cole) Manhattan Nocturne Both tunes are from the terrific CD by Charles McPherson - The Journey - on the Capri label.

Charles Thomas He is a Memphis legend who had a major influence on Mulgrew Miller, James Williams and Donald Brown. Thomas has three excellent trio CDs out on the French - Space Time label -that are well worth acquiring. Cecilia Coleman Michael Weiss

As has been said, overlooked is very subjective. Many of those mentioned already are not pianists I would consider overlooked within the jazz world. Pianists like Hampton Hawes, Carl Perkins and Martial Solal (for example) have been referred to frequently and with very positive reactions over many years. It is difficult for me to think of Don Friedman (no relation) as overlooked. He has recorded a very large number of albums as leader and also as a sideman. In my view, Albert Dailey does qualify. His Steeplechase session is, to my knowledge, the only one he did as leader. Two that I perceive to be overlooked are Hugh Lawson. He played and recorded with Yusef Lateef and has a couple of recordings as leader. Another is Barry Keiner. Barry was a marvelous jazz pianist who died very young. He made a couple of recordings as leader that were released on LP, but never reissued on CD. Barry had a lengthy gig at a club in Rochester, NY and spent a good amount of time on the Buddy Rich Band.

I agree with Chuck. For my taste, the fifties had a load of outstanding recordings by Rollins as both leader and sideman.I liked a few things from the sixties, but after that there were some recordings i enjoyed, but nothing at the level of his 50;s sessions. Just my opinion.

I tend to agree with Chuck that the Urbanity album did not engage me. The Savoy trio with wendell marshall and Kenny Clarke was far more to my taste. But by and large, it was Hank's later recordings with more of a bop sensibility that I enjoyed the most. Just read an interview from Jazz Journal with Kenny Barron. He said that Hank jones and Tommy Flanagan were his major piano influences. Back some decades ago I was at Bradley's in NYC to hear Tommy Flanagan. Had an opportunity to sit down with Tommy between sets. In our conversation, I asked him to what extent Teddy Wilson, Hank Jones and or Al Haig might have influenced his playing. He responded that yes Teddy Wilson and Hank Jones were influences, but not Al Haig.

Aside from the fine recordings by Eddy Louis already mentioned, I like this one. Eddy Louiss - Bohemia After Dark - Gitanes with Jimmy Gourley, Guy Pedersen, Kenny Clarke R.I P.

I have 9 of the Prestige Mono SACD's. Tommy Flanagan Trio Overseas Elmo Hope Sextet - Informal Jazz Jackie McLean Quintet - Jackie's Pal Hank Mobley Quintet, Quartet, Swxtet - Mobley's Message Hank Mobley Quintet - Mobley's Second Message All Night Long - Donald Byrd, Jerome Richardson, Kenny Burrell, Hank Mobley, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins, Art Taylor George Wallington Quintet - Jazz For The Carriage Trade Phil Woods Quartet - Woodlore Phil Woods / Donald Byrd - The Young Bloods I am very pleased with the audio quality. In almost every case I replaced very early CD releases. The clarity and depth of the music seems definitely better than on the early CDs.

Page One The Real McCoy - (McCoy Tyner Quartet with Joe Henderson) Our Thing

"See See Rider" from Ike Quebec - Easy Living on Blue Note SHM - CD Especially love the great Sonny Clark solo !

Same here. I've never really understood the attention that this record gets relative to other recordings by Erroll Garner, but maybe this reissue will do it for me. I have the same opinion. I never really connected with this album.

Very much agree. I love that record, particularly the bonus track "Tibbit." And the opening track, "W.K. Blues" (penned by Mr. W.K. himself), was my get-up-in-the-morning track for over a year. That said, what else I've heard from Strozier, which isn't everything, has never quite lived up to the same level of excitement (for me). His participation on McCoy Tyner's Today and Tomorrow, as one example, seems oddly inhibited. On that debut record, however, Strozier is in full voice and very much uninhibited. Doesn't hurt that Booker Little's on the record too. I wish Alfred Lion had found a way (or a desire) to get Strozier onto his label. I passed on the Mosaic because I already had all the music. Maybe that wasn't the best idea. (All this belongs on a Vee-Jay thread. Then we could also talk about The Beatles' first U.S. album!) I tend to agree regarding Strozier. His Vee Jay album is by far the best thing I have heard by him. His other recordings have left me rather cold.

But what about the audio quality? Do you hear a difference between those that were RVG's and those not? What is your opinion of them?

R.I.P.

I just received another box of Blue Note SHM-CDs. Now have 27 of them. The ones I have heard thus far sound really good.

Great looking list. But I am a bit surprised they they're not reissuing Al Cohn Plays or Al Cohn's America. I am a bit disappointed in the list as I already have 11 or 12 of them on CD. There are quite a large number of Xanadu recordings that I do want to get on CD, so am hoping they will be released later .

Interesting that on the same tune - Born to Be Blue - on Dexter Gordon's "Lullaby For A Monster" , NHOP plays beautifully.

Just this morning listened to a wonderful solo by Ray Brown on Lullabye Of The Leaves" It is from - James Williams - Magical Trio 2 on EmArcy. The drummer is Elvin Jones.

Did you forget the Piano Trio in G Minor ?

This is my favorite Sam Most recording. It would be difficult to find a "bad" session with Duke Jordan, Tal Farlow, Sam Jones, and Billy Higgins on board.

I was fortunate to find a number of Xanadu CD reissues on EPM, Prevue and a Japanese label. There are many many more I am hoping will be now reissued by Elemental. As I am currently in Italy on vacation I am not able to list the ones I already have on CD or the many I am hoping to see reissued.