Peter Friedman

It is surprising that Jam Blues with Bird, Hodges, Benny Carter and Ben Webster has not been mentioned.

Lee Morgan fans should read the fairly recent biography of him. i just finished reading it a few days ago. It was very interesting. Delightfulee : The Life and Music of Lee Morgan by Jeffrey S. McMillan

I have had a copy of this book since it was originally published. Have referred to it many times over the past 42 years.

This is getting a bit complicated. I originally had the 2 LP set on Verve. Some time back I got this material on 2 Separate CDs on the Jazz Unlimited label. There are 3 tunes total on the 2 CDs that were not on the Verve set.

I have these 4 CDs under Hodes leadership. I like them all. Up in Volly's Room - Delmark Tribute To The Greats - Delmark From Toronto's Cafe des Copains - Music & Arts The Final Sessions - Music & Arts

I don't often want to sit in front of a television when listening to music at home. Most SACDs are hybrid which means you can play them as CDs in your car, your computer or in any place where a CD player is available. My preference is for SACDs.

This entire lengthy discussion has moved back and forth between interesting and pompous and silly. The whole thing began based on some less than clear words in a blog that was focused on praising tenor man Hank Mobley. The idea of a highly positive look at the career and recordings of Hank Mobley has been ignored. To my way of thinking, Mobley is deserving of a good deal of praise. It strikes me as a shame that the primary purpose of the article seems to have been lost because of a few less than ideal, though by no means evil, words.

Peter, is your Oppo the Blu Ray version? I have an Oppo DV-981HD which (it says) plays SACDs, but I've only ever had the machine hooked up to a TV, where it's been terrific for about 6 years.Deciding on getting a Blu Ray for a new TV, I held off on paying the big bucks for the Oppo, and went for a (Consumer Reports) highly-rated LG player. I'm going to use the Oppo now as a CD player only. Should I expect good results on all CDs, SACD included? Ted, I have Oppo BDP-93. It is a Blue Ray player that plays regular DVDs,CDs, SACDs, DVD-A and pretty much anything. Both audio and video quality is extremely good.

Just pulled off the shelf Mendelssohn's String Symphonies. Will have to play them soon.

Not true. I have a couple of players that play SACD's very well with no HDMI connection involved. One is a Marantz and the other a Sony.

Don Friedman has made a lot of good recordings. The 3 below are among my favorites. Prism (trio) - ABeat Circle Waltz : Then And Now (trio) - BRC Waltz For Marilyn (quartet with Peter Bernstein) - Jazz Excursion

I also have an Oppo and it is a terrific player for both SACDs and DVDs.

The Holberg Suite has long been one of my favorite pieces by Grieg. Will play it this morning along with the string serenades by Dvorak and Elgar.

Though I prefer these two pieces in their original string quartet form, it is both interesting and enjoyable to hear how they sound when arranged for string orchestra. Schubert - "Death and the Maiden" D. 810 Dvorak - "American" Op.96 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Rosekrans - Telarc

The Center For Creative Photography at The University of Arizona here in Tucson maintains the archives for the photographs and tapes of W. Eugene Smith. I saw in the local paper that the Center had put together an exhibit of Smith's Jazz Loft project. Yesterday I visited the exhibit. There are marvelous photographs , all taken in Smith's New York City Loft, of musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Hall Overton, Charles Mingus, Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Jim Hall and many others. Music from Smith's tapes, recorded at the loft, was being played in each of the rooms where the photographs and tapes boxes were displayed. I found especially interesting the photos of Monk and Overton rehearsing the Monk Big Band in preparation for the famous Town Hall Concert.

I too have the American Savoy/ Denon CD.

Respighi - Ancient Dances and Airs / Suite No.3 for Strings - Antal Dorati / Philharmonia Hungarica - Mercury Lovely melodies from the past based on Italian and French music for the Lute.

In a few instances I have had problems with the sound at the end of CDs over 74 minutes. it does not happen with every CD at that length, but when it does happen it is a definite drag.

Some other CD's by Joe Williams that I enjoy include these: Prez & Joe - Prez Conference - GNP Ballad and Blues Master -- Verve Every Night - Verve The Overwhelming Joe Williams - RCA includes Ben Webster, Zoot,Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry, Howard McGhee, Junior Mance

Here is another very nice CD by Dick Hafer. Dick Hafer Quartet - Prez Impressions - Fresh Sound With Ross Tompkins, Dave Carpenter, and Jake Hanna,

I agree with Brownie, they are all very good. Two of my favorites that have not been mentioned are the Barry Harris and the Tommy Flanagan CDs.

After reading all these comments it strikes me that the 2 opposite points of view are both partially correct. From my perspective, yes interpretation certainly does matter, but is by no means everything. A marvelous Interpretation of a composition one does not find interesting, or dislikes is of no value to the listener. To follow up on Jim's food analogy, an important question is why do I select a rib steak to purchase at the market rather than a strip steak. And don't forget the quality of the meat itself, is it choice or prime cut of meat. The interpretation of Beethoven's piano sonatas is very important and should be discussed, but there is almost no discussion of (for example) which Beethoven sonatas one finds most interesting, rewarding, pleasing, etc. Isn't it equally important to discuss both which compositions by Chopin are my favorites, AND which pianists are my favorite performers of those compositions?

Author Bill Moody has written a number of mysteries all focused on jazz musicians such as Wardell Gray, Chet Baker and others.

Sad news indeed. I was fortunate to see the Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond about 3 or 4 times. I recall a time back in 1957. I was in the US Army stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas and saw an announcement that the Brubeck Quartet was doing a concert in Wichita fairly soon. I found a friend with a car, and we drove the roughly 125 miles one evening to attend the concert, and then drove back to Fort Riley late that night after the concert. It was a terrific experience and Paul Desmond was particularly in great form.

A good friend who knew John Park very well sent me some cassettes by Park many years ago. Unfortunately he was playing with a mediocre group so while he sounded very good, the session as a whole was not wonderful. The very best solo I ever heard by John Park is on the tune "Street Of Dreams" which I have on this CD. Stan Kenton - Birthday in Britain - Creative World STD 1065 Park's solo on this tune is absolutely marvelous.