Peter Friedman

Michael, Thanks for sharing that great photo.

What may have been the last album by Bill Hardman as leader is this one. Bill Hardman Sextet - What's Up - Steeplechase With Junior Cook, Robin Eubanks, Mickey Tucker, Paul Brown, Leroy Williams Recorded July 7, 1989

During the '50's, '60's, and '70's there were many hard bop trumpet players on the scene. Players such as Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd and Blue Mitchell received most of the attention. But there were quite a few other very fine trumpet players who were also highly deserving. Bill Hardman was one of them. Bill is probably best known for his sideman work with Jackie McLean and with Art Blakey. I personally became strongly attracted to Hardman's playing when he was with McLean and Blakey. His solos appealed to me as logically organized and very swinging. His playing on the Blue Note album titled Hank Mobley that also featured Curtis Porter and Sonny Clark shows how good a soloist Hardman could be. In his later years Bill joined forces with Junior Cook. Once while in New York City I was able to catch the Hardman / Cook Quintet with Walter Bishop,Jr., Paul Brown, and Leroy Williams. It was a marvelous evening of music. Hardman's solo were particularly strong. I am not aware of a previous thread on Bill Hardman, so decided to begin one.

Another one not mentioned that I like is The Booker Little 4 & Max Roach. This one has Tommy Flanagan and George Coleman. I prefer this one to the Max Roach sessions without piano.

Saw Med with a late version of the Terry Gibbs Dream Band and also with one of the later Supersax groups. He not only was a good player, but had a sparkling style in his role as leader of Supersax when speaking to the audience.

Seems to be a bad period for drummers. Ralph Penland and Al Harewood passing within a few days of each other. Saw Penland a few times in the Los Angeles area and enjoyed his playing.

Oh yes, that Parlan, Tucker, Harewood rhythm section was wonderful. I recall seeing Al Harewood play live once. Can't remember the specific date or place, or who else was on the gig. But what I clearly do remember was that Harewood was ultra tasty and swung like mad.

The Lou Donaldson records I like the most are his early things. The Birdland session with Clifford Brown and Art Blakey, his sideman playing with Milt Jackson and Monk, and these 4 Blue Note recordings. L Quartet/ Quintet / Sextet with Horace Silver, Elmo Hope, Blue Mitchell Lou Takes Off with Sonny Clark, Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller The Time Is Right with Blue Mitchell, Horace Parlan Sunny Side Up with Bill Hardman, Horace Parlan

The key here is that Roy made so many wonderful recordings. Trying to identify one or even two favorites is, for me, an impossible task. I am pleased that we have so many of Roy's recordings available for us to enjoy.

Just read through this entire thread. it is very clear that personal tastes are quite varied within this group of , what I assume are, serious jazz fans. Here are some of my views. I like all the Dexter Gordon albums quite a bit, and all of Sonny Clark' s sessions except his standards album that is a bit weak. Blue Trane is one of my very favorite albums by John Coltrane on any label. Early Lee Morgan is terrific. There is a freshness and enthusiastic quality to those 50's dates, and the arrangements by Golson and Gryce among others were damn good. The Lee Morgan session I do not care for is Live at The Lighthouse. Though some are better than others, I like every one of Hank Mobley's albums. Among the Blue Notes I do not care for are the Braith and Wilkerson albums. Also in that category are the 2 volumes of Night of the Cookers which was a huge disappointment given that I like all the musicians. The first time I listened to Something Else it disappointed me, but I soon grew to really love that album. The Johnny Griffin albums on Blue Note are nice, but I much prefer his Riverside recordings. Didn't care for the Moncur albums and have disposed of them. I like most of Jimmy Smith's albums, but don't like Plays Fats Waller, Rockin' The Boat, Plays Pretty, I'm Movin' On, and Softly As a Summer Breeze. i liked Wayne Shorter's early sessions such as Speak No Evil, Night Dreamer, Juju, Adam's Apple, and Schizophrenia, but NOT Odyssey Of Iska, or The All Seeing Eye. The Andrew Hill recordings are not things I play, though I do have 1 or 2 of them. Not clear about why some don't like Joe Henderson's Mode For Joe or Page One. i like them both a lot. I am not a fan of free jazz so avoided the Cecil Taylor. Have heard, but did not like the Ornette Coleman albums. That is enough for now.

I also have the two French reissues and have pulled them off the shelf to listen to them.

Stan Getz - the tune Prezervation from the album with the same title. This blues is an alternate take of Crazy Chords that is on a different album. It lwas recorded in 1949 with Al Haig, Gene Ramey and Stan Levey.

No mention of the jazz section of the MHS? I have both classical and jazz MHS CDs.

The discussion thus far has been about Jackie's Prestige vs. Blue Note albums with some referring to his Steeplechase output. The first Jackie McLean album I bought was his October 1955 session on the Ad Lib label. This was Jackie's very first album as leader. I bought it on LP when it was initially released. I later sold it for a lot of money and replaced it with a Fresh Sound CD. I have always had a warm spot in my heart for that one along with George Wallington at the Cafe Bohemia from September 1955. Those two albums were what seriously turned me on Jackie's playing. I had heard him on the earlier Miles Davis - Dig - album, but it was the other two that made me a true fan of McLean. Another early album apart from Prestige was Jackie's December 1957 - Fat Jazz - on Jubilee. Had that on LP but now have it on Fresh Sound too. As has been said by others, the rough edges on these early McLean sessions I mentioned above as well as the albums on Prestige and the sideman dates with Blakey had an emotional gut wrenching quality that was, for me, something very special.

I am with Larry here 100%. Two marvelous tunes from an album I would not want to be without.

Taste is a highly personal thing. Live at the Lighthouse is perhaps one of the very few albums by Lee Morgan that I did not like. I disposed of my copy a while back.

I especially liked his playing on the many albums he recorded with Stan Getz,

Shorty Rogers wrote some good tunes and was a fine arranger. He also used many damn fine sidemen. I enjoy his recordings, other than some of his later sessions that veered too far to the commercial side for my taste. His trumpet playing, in my opinion, was often the weakest part of his recording sessions.

Check out the Paradigm Studio 20 bookshelf speakers. The retail price is $1500. for a pair, but you can probably get them for less. I have had Paradigm speakers for a number of years and am very pleased with them.

My choice would be Mobley on the Cafe Bohemia sessions. Another one features TWO of my favorite saxophone players. A Night In Tunisia on. RCA with Jackie mcLean and Johnny Griffin.

Thanks for the recommendation.,

What is the best source to get some of the SHM-CD's at a good price?

SACD,s XRCD's TOCJ's In that order

Happy Birthday Jimmy Cobb. Glad to have seen him play a few times.

Here is some Baroque music that I enjoy, and has not been mentioned. William Boyce - Overtures 1-9 Johann David Heinichen - Dresden Concerti Thomas Arne - The Six Organ Concerti Francesco Geminiani - 6 Concerti Grossi Op.2 & 6 Conceri Grossi Op.3