Peter Friedman

I was fortunate to hear Jay McShann live many times. Usually in the company of John Norris of Sackville records, and often with Ted O'Reilly, the jazz radio boss man of Toronto for many decades. John Norris recorded Jay McShann numerous times for his Sackville label. If you don't have any of those recordings in your collection, now is the time to rectify that oversight.

In alphabetical order; Art Blakey At The Cafe Bohemia, Volume One Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin' John Coltrane - Blue Trane Dexter Gordon - Doin' Allright Thad Jones - Detroit-New York Junction Jackie McLean - Bluesnik Hank Mobley - Roll Call J.R. Monterose Sonny Rollins - Newk's Time Horace Silver - Finger Poppin'

Dexter Gordon Trio - Lullaby For A Monster - Steeplechase Rich Perry Trio - Beautiful Love - Steeplechase Bob Rockwell Trio - Steeplechase

Kenny Dorham is one of my favorite trumpet players. His solos had a lyrical quality that , to my ears, told a story. His playing reaches me emotionally in a way that few other trumpet players can match. His compositions are also first rate.

I am a huge fan of Pepper Adams. Here are some very good CDs in my collection by Pepper as leader that I don't believe have been mentioned. I have all the ones previously mentioned too. Motor City Scene - bethlehem Julian - Enja Pepper - Enja Live In Europe - Improv California Cookin' - Interplay Live - Just Jazz Urban Dreams - Quick Silver 10 To 5 At The Five Spot - Riverside The Adams Effect - Uptown Pepper Adams Quintet - VSOP Out Of This World - Warwick

I Have the Christian McBride, The Hazeltine, and the Hank Jones. They are all very good, and the Hazeltine is, in my view, one of the very best things he has recorded.

Aside from the two Sam Jones Riverside recordings on cello, Sam also did one for Xanadu. It is titled: Sam Jones - Cello Again - Xanadu with Barry Harris, David Williams(b),Sam Jones(cello), Billy Higgins. Unfortunately it has not been re-issued on CD.

I definitely recommend getting this one. As Jack said, it is prime Sonny.

Fans of Cedar Walton will want to get a copy of a really fine trio CD by Cedar on the Japanese Venus label. It ranks among my very favorite recordings by Walton. Cedar Walton Trio - Midnight Waltz - Venus TKCV-35349 with: David Williams and Jimmy Cobb

Purely by coincidence I bought this CD just a few weeks before Walter Booker died. Walter Booker Quintet - Bookie's Cookbook - Mapleshade 07232 with Marcus Belgrave, Roni-Ben Hur, Larry Willis, Leroy Williams It's a nice one.

A very good bass player. Just learned earlier today that Walter Booker was married to Bertha Hope. That helps explain the fact that Booker is the bass player on Bertha Hope's 2 CDs on Steeplechase, 1 CD on Reservoir, and 1 CD on Minor Music.

Yeah, this is a nice CD. Both sessions are on the obscure side, so it especially nice to have them reissued on CD.

In my view, Cedar is one of the very best jazz piano players on the scene. He deserves a special thread devoted to his playing/ recordings.

I have a Comcast cable box that combines digital, high definition and their version of TIVO (it is has a Motorola label on it). This box allows me to record two separate programs simultaneously.

As much as I love Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Hodges, Rollins, Trane, etc. to my mind, the two greatest jazz soloists were Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker. I started listening to Bird back in the mid 50's and have been listening to him ever since. His greatness has been unsurpassed in my opinion.

I have tickets to see Sonny Rollins this evening here in Tucson. The newspaper indictated that his new CD would be for sale at the concert. Unfortunately, he is performing in a venue at The University Of Arizona that is generally a lousy place to hear jazz. It is way too large, and if you don't have especially good seats the sound is poor and it may be hard to see the performers very well. I usually avoid going to this auditorium, but am making an exception for Sonny Rollins. Our seats should be reasonably good ones which will help a lot.

This is definitely among my (many) favorite Ellington recordings. I had it on LP, then got the French CBS CD, and now have the recent CD with the extra tracks.

At one time I had an original copy on LP. My copy of the Mighty Quinn reissue on CD arrived a few days ago. The sound is fine. I have always enjoyed this one as well as the Quinchette on Dawn and the two on Prestige. All four have that Basie feeling, while the others he did on Prestige with Trane and with Sonny Red veer away in a different direction though I like them as well.

For those concerned about the Missing track (Bird Feathers) from the "Alto Madness" CD, here is one solution. Buy a copy of this CD - "Bird Feathers - New Jazz OJCCD-1735-2. This CD has the missing track, plus 2 tracks by the Phil Woods/Gene Quill Quintet, and 3 tracks by a Quintet with Hal McKusick, Billy Byers, Eddie Costa,Paul Chambers, and Charlie Persip.

My taste is rather conservative. I love the Miles group with George Coleman, but am not particularly fond of the playing of Sam Rivers with Miles. The only Sam Rivers recordings I personally like are a couple of the dates he did for Blue Note.

Don't delay, buy this material in any form available. It is great stuff. At one time I had all of this music on original Transition LP's, but now have the Japanese CDs.

Early in this thread there was a discussion of the Gigi Gryce tune "Social Call". One of my favorite versions of that tune is on what I believe to be the first recorded version. It is on the Art Farmer Quintet session on Prestige titled "When Farmer Met Gryce". It's a terrific tune and there are many other worthy versions available as well.

I am also a lover of Beethoven's piano sonatas. I have the complete set by Kempff as well as individual sonatas by Emil Gilels, Richard Goode, Arthur Rubinstein, Murray Perahia. Just listened to a wonderful performance of Sonata No.18, Op.31, No.3 by Richard Goode.

What Brownie said!!!!!!!

I agree with Brownie. This is also one of my favorite vocal CDs. There is also some fine playing on this CD by Lou Levy, Pete Christlieb, Eric Von Essen, and Joe La Barbara.