Peter Friedman

I agree. A quick look at my record collection shows I reached for (i.e. bought) 17 Blakey albums before this one. Though I do have and enjoy the MOANIN' album, it is not even close to being among my favorites by Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The sessions with Mobley and Dorham, or Byrd, or Morgan; with McLean and Hardman; with Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson; and the ones with Hubbard or Morgan with Shorter all rate higher in my book. Not sure why, but I prefer Golson on the albums where he is the leader far more than when with the Jazz Messengers.

I recall seeing Herb Geller some years ago in England. he was playing at Peter Ind's club. More recently I saw him in California. He was playing at a Jazz Party weekend produced by Ken Poston. One part of the weekend event took place at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach. Geller was playing marvelously. In fact, he was perhaps my favorite player of the weekend which featured a large number of good musicians. Some fairly recent CDs I especially like by Geller are: You're Looking At me - Fresh Sound Plays The Al Cohn Songbook - Hep To Benny & Johnny With Love - Hep

There are many very nice CDs on Nagel-Heyer. Most of them are in the mainstream/swing style. I like the Coleman Hawkins influenced playing of British tenor player Danny Moss. He is leader on these 4 CDs. Weaver Of Dreams Steamers! Keeper Of The Flame Steam Power Here are a couple of other things worth considering. Zoot Sims - love For Sale recorded live in Dublin in 1978 with a good local rhythm section. Randy Sandke - Cliffhanger An excellent date with Harry Allen, Mulgrew Miller, Peter Washington and Kenny Washington

All Hank's must be related, so Hank Mobley and Hank Jones are probably cousins.

Here are some guitar CDs I enjoy that have not, to the best of my recall, been mentioned. Peter Leitch Quartet - A Special Rapport - Reservoir 129 Ed Bickert Trio - Out Of The Past - Sackville 2-2065 Joe Cohn - Restless - Arbors 19329 Barney Kessel - Spontaneous Combustion - Contemporary 14033-2 Gene Bertoncini With Bill Charlap and Sean Smith - Chiaroscuro 354 Doug Raney Quartet - Blues On A Par - Steeplechase 31341 Reg Schwager & Don Thompson - Live At Mezzetta - Sackville 2-2057 Peter Bernstein Quartet - Signs Of Life - Criss Cross - 1095 Emily Remler - East To Wes - Concord Jazz 4356 Herb Ellis & Red Mitchell - Live At The LOA - Concord Jazz 4372 Randy Johnston - Walk On - Muse 5432 Jimmy Raney - In Tokyo - Xanadu FDC 5157 Dave Cliff Duo & Quartet - Sipping At Bells - Spotlite 553

Cecil Taylor - Hard Driving Jazz with Kenny Dorham, John Coltrane, Chuck Israels, Louis Hayes

This DVD is a work of love by a friend of mine Dr. Ken Koenig. Ken spent a number of years interviewing numerous people about the jazz history and scene at The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach, CA The DVD has some terrific visuals and music along with the interviews and discussion. An extra is a lengthy interview with Howard Rumsey the major force behind The Lighthouse becoming a major jazz location in California. I definitely recommend this DVD to anyone interested in West Coast Jazz and the importance of the Lighthouse to that music. A large number of great musicians played at The Lighthouse

While listening this morning to the "George Wallington - Jazz For The Carriage Trade" CD on Prestige, I was somewhat surprised when I found that the drummer was Bill Bradley. I have had this session for a long long time, first on LP and now CD, but did not recall the name of the drummer. When I checked, I had expected someone such as Art Taylor or perhaps Nick Stabulas. I know that Bill Bradley is on a J.R. Monterose date on Fresh Sound, and on the Tony Fruscella album on Atlantic, as well as other recording sessions. He sometimes goes by Junior Bradley, and other times Will Bradley,Jr. However, he is not often associated with playing on hard bop dates on labels such as Prestige, Blue Note or Riverside. This got me thinking that there are quite a few recordings with sidemen who would not normally be expected to play on that particular session. Thought it might be interesting to see what others people can suggest.

Once again here is more evidence that taste is a very personal thing. This album has always been one I like a lot. Everyone sounds great to me on this one.

This thread strikes me as rather funny. A large percentage of the album cover photos posted are ones I like quite a bit.

I should also mention that I heard Allen Eager live in Los Angeles within a year or two before his death. Listening to him was a painful experience. He sounded terrible. It was as if he was a raw novice and was just learning how to play the tenor. Hearing someone with his legendary reputation from the bebop years play so poorly was sad.

As long as Allen Eager is being discussed, his sideman role on the 1955 Tony Fruscella album should also be mentioned. Eager sounds quite nice on this one, in my opinion, though Fruscella's playing is what deserves the major attention on this album.

My three recommendations are: Count Basie & His Orchestra - The Jubilee Alternatives Benny Goodman with Wardell Gray & Stan Hasselgard - Benny's Bop 1948-49 Nat Pierce - The Boston Burst-out

Bill Evans recorded this tune quite a few times. It was also a favorite of pianist John Hicks who recorded it 3 or 4 times. Art Farmer's version on the album HOMECOMING is nice, but not (in my view) among his best efforts. I would say the same thing for Warren Vache's treatment on his CD DREAM DANCING. Tony Coe plays a fine solo in his Paul Gonsalves style on this CD. WARREN VACHE/TONY COE/ALAN BARNES OCTET - JUMPIN' - ZEPHYR Ralph Moore shows us his vibrato on his solo from his CD WHO IT IS YOU ARE on Savoy.

Marcello, These photographs bring back some nice memories. I was at that gig the evening you took the pictures. That is when I was living in Henrietta, NY.

Yes, that's a good one!

Earlier today I was playing the Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk CD on Atlantic. The playing of Bill Hardman struck me as outstanding. His solo on Blue Monk is a fine example of Hardman's fine jazz trumpet playing. There were many very good hard bop trumpet players who came to the forefront in the late 1950's and beyond. As a result Hardman was not given the recognition that, in my view, he deserved. Players such as Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, and Blue Mitchell received many accolades while Hardman was rarely mentioned as belonging to that top level group. One exception was an article I recall reading many decades ago in the British periodical JAZZ MONTHLY. In that article , author Michael James wrote in glowing terms about Bill Hardman, and if I recall correctly indicated that he generally preferred Hardman's playing to that of Morgan and Hubbard. I share that opinion. In Hardman's playing I hear a strong Clifford Brown influence but with an individualism that fits beautifully with the hard bop music of Jackie McLean and Blakey's Jazz Messengers. His trumpet lines flow with harmonic and rhythmic skill that results in solos that are melodically logical and most enjoyable. Though I don't recall the exact year, (perhaps the late 1970's?) I saw the Bill Hardman/Junior Cook Quintet with Walter Bishop,Jr., Paul Brown and Leroy Williams playing at a New York City club. While Junior Cook played very well, I have a strong memory of how highly impressed I was by the terrific playing of Bill Hardman. Many of his solos inspired me to break out in a wide smile and sometimes a vocal exclamation of something such as "Yeah!!!" To the best of my knowledge that was unfortunately the only time I saw Bill Hardman play in the flesh. However I have a very large collection of recordings with Hardman that I get pleasure from hearing.

These two Atlantic CDs from 1986 and 1988 are in my view among his best recordings. Heads Up Fire

I didn't care much for Shearing for many years. Thought he was far too commercial for my taste. Over time I began to appreciate his playing quite a bit. His style of playing can't fairly be compared to the hard bop piano players such as Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, John Hicks, etc. It's apples and oranges. Here are a few of the Shearing CDs I enjoy: Breakin' Out - Concord Jazz Like Fine Wine - Mack Avenue The MPS Trio Sessions - MPS I Hear A Rhapsody - Telarc

I like this one quite a bit. However, I would probably pick these two recordings as my favorite Hawes on the Contemporary label. The Seance I'm All Smiles It is interesting to me that on some of the later Contemporary dates a Bill Evans influence can be heard creeping in to Hampton Hawes playing.

Yes, but catatonia isn't evidence of "creative decline". And it's the term "creative decline" that's I think is the issue. The catatonic state is more likely to be evidence of decline in Monk's general well-being though. Does that sound reasonable? I agree with that completely. I sometimes feel that there is an expectation from some listeners to hear a musician to have exactly the same idiosyncrasies, no matter what point he or she may be in life. But that point of view negates growth or change, which are elements of creativity. It seems logical that if "growth" can occur, it is also possible that "decline" can also take place. The reasons may vary, but there is no question in my mind that a musicians playing may decline. Some of Coleman Hawkins last recordings show clear evidence of decline. Yes, his health and mental well being may have been the reasons why, but nonetheless his playing had declined.

Just pulled two very good small group CDs off the shelf with Sal Nistico. Neither has been mentioned here to the best of my recollection. Both feature a front line of Nistico with other tenor players. Woody Herman Presents Vol.2 - Four Others - Concord Jazz Nistico along with Al Cohn, Bill Perkins ,Flip Phillips & rhythm section Three Generations Of Tenor Saxophone - JHM (2 CD set) Nistico with Johnny Griffin & Roman Schwaller & rhythm section

Jim's suggestion above is an excellent one. Here is one that is also a beauty. Harry Allen/Coleman Hawkins - 1933 - Hep CD 1028

In my view, all the periods of Monk's recordings have something to offer. The Riverside's though, are my favorites. I do admit to hearing a certain "sameness' to the quartet sessions with Rouse. I find that those recordings are ones I would not want to listen to one after another. They are more enjoyable to me spread out over time for listening purposes. For some reason, I actually find Rouse to be a more interesting tenor player on a number of the recordings he made as leader without Monk. These four are probably my favorites. Takin" Care Of Business - Jazzland OJC Moment's Notice - Storyville Soul Mates - Uptown Social Call - Uptown

I recently picked up a copy of a 2 CD set on the Giant Steps label by Ronnie Scott titled "Birth Of A Legend". It covers Scott as both leader and sideman with a broad variety of groups from 1947 through 1953. A most enjoyable 2 cd set.