Peter Friedman

I too have bought many CD's from Hiroshi Tanno over a number of years. It is quite a disappointment that he is closing down. Did he indicate the reason?

My pick is: Roy Eldridge - Heckler's Hop - Hep This cd includes material when Roy was with Gene Krupa's band, Chu Berry's group and tracks under his own name. The 22 tracks all date between 1936 and 1939.

If you like this group, you can't go wrong with this. CD. Cedar is terrific as usual, and rest the of the group Is in good form too.

There is also this one that I have on an Epic/Sony cd. Curtis Fuller Quintet - South American Cookin' with Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan, Jymie Merritt, Dave Bailey 5 of the 6 tracks were recorded in South America in July of 1961 which is the same month when the Jazz Committee For Latin American Affairs session was recorded in Brazil. one track on the Curtis Fuller session was recorded in New York.

In my view Rouse was often a bit dull sounding with Monk, though at times his playing was much more interesting. His lengthy solos with Monk were part of the problem. Had his solos been shorter I suspect I would have found them more enjoyable. The strange thing is that I dig Rouse far more when away from Monk. That includes both pre and post Monk recordings. Perhaps as Larry suggested, it is that Rouse was more successful as a licks and blues player. I am with Jeff on the idea that viewing all players as GREAT or TERRIBLE makes no sense. Though Ben Riley was not the best drummer for Monk, in later years he became one of my very favorites on that instrument. I have seen Ben Riley live with the Kenny Barron Trio a number of times, and also have all the recordings that trio made. Riley with Kenny Barron is to my ears the ultimate in good taste in his solos, fours and playing in general. His solos and fours remind me often of the way a top level tap dancer would sound.

I also read his first 2 books when they were first released. They made me think carefully about a number of things regarding jazz. Though some of his ideas were/are controversial, his books were some of the first serious jazz criticism. I didn't care for most of his recordings, but will pull the cd of the one I like the best - Kenny Clark's Sextet Plays Andre Hodier on Phillips.

I saw Bob Kindred at 2 different Topeka Jazz Festivals back about 10 years or so ago. He played great. I was shocked at how few recordings he has made. His playing was at a level that I believed to be in the highest echelon of "straight ahead" tenor players around.

Yes, the Quartet recordings of Ruby Braff and Ralph Sutton are highly enjoyable. There are actually 4 cd volumes of that quartet on Storyville. Sutton and Braff also have a CD out on Chiarscuro titled "R & R" . It is mainly a quartet session with a few duo tracks too.

I wouldn't want to be without either the Prestige sides or the Blue Notes. If I had to choose say my six favorite recordings by Jackie McLean as leader, there would be things from both labels represented. Lights Out-Prestige Jackie's Pal - Prestige Bluesnik - Blue Note A Fickle Sonance - Blue Note and 2 more that would require some careful thinking?

I too am a big fan of Nick Brignola and have most of his recordings. Though I prefer Pepper Adams, who is my favorite of all baritone sax players.

I believe my friend Don Brown is older than me, and I will be 75 in about 3 weeks.

That post-comback Pepper period was a very mixed bag in my opinion. At times Pepper's playing was emotionally very deep and moving. At other times he seemed to be trapped in a Coltrane focused box that was unsatisfying to this listener. My favorite Art Pepper recordings are most of those he made for Contemporary. Contrary to Mom's the Living Legend session was not one at the top of my list.

We don't all hear the same things. I have been a Zoot Sims fan from the days of his earliest recordings. I have heard just about everything he has recorded. Though I very much like his early things, in my opinion, his playing gained in richness and depth over the years and his Pablo recordings are probably my favorite examples of his work on record. His sound broadened and moved a bit (just a slight bit) closer to that of Ben Webster. But those recordings with Jimmy Rowles, as well as with a few other pianists during the Pablo period stand out to me as marvelous examples of his playing. I definitely agree with Larry regarding Al Cohn. He got better and better with age. Those Al Cohn recordings on Xanadu with Barry Harris and Jimmy Rowles are , in my view, outstanding.

Listened to this cd a few weeks ago and see it has not been mentioned. Charlie Shavers / Budd Johnson - Live - Black & Blue Recorded in France in 1970 with Andre Persiany, Roland Lobiligeois, and Oliver Jackson A very nice date.

It is kind of funny, but not actually unexpected. Moms selected as his exception the Varitone Stitt sessions that are, for my ears, almost unlistenable. Different strokes...

I have an SACD copy of Getz / Gilberto that I purchased quite a few years ago. According to the information on the cover and booklet, it was released in 2002 by Verve. It is NOT a hybrid, so can only be played on an SACD player.

This is very very good news!

just curious, Peter, but do you think it's more difficult, for trumpet players especially, to play in Vail due to the altitude? I have been to the Vail Jazz Party a few times. Some musicians do seem to have a bit of trouble with the altitude. Terell Stafford had been at Vail for about 10 days before the Jazz party started so I believe he had fully adjusted to the altitude. Some other musicians on a variety of instruments did comment about that issue.

I saw Terell Stafford live many times within the past 2 weeks at the Vail, Colorado Jazz Party. Terell is among my favorite 3 or 4 living trumpet players. He blows with great power and yet can also play beautifully on a ballad. He swings hard. A friend with me at Vail described Terell as a modern Roy Eldridge in that he plays with such energy, enthusiasm and power.

Here are additional things with Pete Christlieb in a small group setting that I enjoy. Don Lanphere & Pete Christlieb - Get Happy - Origin Hadley Caliman & Pete Christlieb - Reunion - Origin Pete Christlieb / Bob Cooper Quintet - Mosaic - Capri John Leitham Quintet - Live - Cars John Leitham Septet - Lefty Leaps In - Cars Pete Christlieb - For Heaven's Sake - Cars Pete Christlieb and the Bill Ramsey / Milt Kleeb Band - Kelly's Heroes - Cars Conte Candoli Quintet - Sweet Simon - BR (Best Recordings) Pete Christlieb with the Lori Menchem Quartet - Live At The Jazz Cave - Cognito Andy Simpkins Quintet - Comin' At Ya - MAMA Ernie Watts / Pete Christlieb / Rickey Woodard - The Tenor Trio - JMI Frank Strazzeri and His Woodwinds West - Somebody Loves Me - Fresh Sound Christlieb also can be found on many big band recordings by such as Bill Holman, Bob Florence and Nat Pierce/Frankie Capp. It is interesting that in a published interview, (I believe it was in CODA) Warne Marsh referred to Pete Christlieb as the best or one of the best tenor players on the scene.

Yes, all of them were on CD. I have these 3 on cd : Out Of The Blue Out Of The Blue - live At Mt. Fuji Out Of The Blue - Spiral Staircase Another somewhat similar group was also formed to record on Blue Note. It was called Superblue. I have these two cds by that group: Superblue Superblue 2

I have these sessions on CD. Stan Getz/Paul Quinichette/Wardell Gray - A look At Yesterday - Mainstream Dizzy Gillespie & The Mitchell-Ruff Duo - Mainstream Charles McPherson - Siku Ya Bibi - Mainstream Clark Terry / Bob Brookmeyer Quintet - Gingerbread - Mainstream Clark Terry & Bob Brookmeyer - The Power Of Positive Swinging - Mainstream Clark Terry / Bob Brookmeyer Quintet - Tonight - Jazz heritage Art Farmer - Homecoming - Lonehill Unfortunately, I have never been able to find cd copies of the other 2 Charles McPherson recordings that were on the Mainstream label.

"Scoops" by the Ralph Lalama Quartet CD titled MUSIC FOR GROWN-UPS on Criss Cross

I went through a few changes in my reaction to Oscar Peterson's playing. In my early years of becoming a jazz fan, I thought Oscar Peterson was magnificent, and a strong favorite. Some years went by, and a snobbishness kicked in and I no longer believed Oscar to be so wonderful. "Not deep enough and too commercial". A few years later I got over that silly attitude and saw Oscar as a master at one way of approaching jazz piano. There are many very fine jazz piano players, and I realized that each of them could be enjoyed for what they give to the music. I would not say Oscar Peterson is among my top 10 favorite jazz pianists, but I do find much to both admire and enjoy in his playing. In contrast with what some others here said, I find Oscar's earliest recordings to be my least favorite.

I am probably in the minority here, but I was never much of a fan of most recordings by the 3 Sounds. My preference is clearly for the many Gene Harris sessions on Concord as both leader and sideman. Too my ears, the Concord dates swing much more, while the 3 Sounds sessions seem a bit on the tepid side. They strike me as aimed a bit at the new or fringe jazz listener who is not yet ready for the more hard core jazz to be found on many other Blue Note recordings. One exception, and the one I do like is - "Babe's Blues". Just one man's opinion.