Peter Friedman

Roland Kirk as Leader The Mercury Box set has most of my favorite Roland Kirk sessions. Other favorites are : Kirk's Work with Jack McDuff Rip, Rig and panic/ Now Please Don't You cry Beautiful Edith

This was released on CD in Japan a long time ago. I have had it on CD for at least 15 years.

I just received word that saxophone player Joe Romano died from lung cancer earlier today in Rochester, NY. Joe played in many of the major big bands. He was an excellent player on both alto and tenor. Unfortunately Joe only appeared on a limited number of recordings in a small group context.

Yes, but that same sort of variety can be found within most musical genres. Take for example what we think of as "West Coast Jazz". The Mulligan Quartet was very different than the Dave brubeck Quartet which was very different from the Lighthouse All Stars. Mm, but can it be found in Hard Bop? MG Yes, I think it can. Coltrane's "Giant Steps is quite different from Horace Silver's "Further Explorations". Sonny Rollins "Worktime" is quite different from Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil". Andrew Hill's "Black Fire" is very different from the Miles Davis "Bag's Groove" session. Mingus "Ah Um" sounds very different from Art Farmer's "Modern Art" album. Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin "Battle Stations" sounds different from Bobby Hutcherson's "Total Eclipse".

It is one of my favorite Randy Weston sessions.

Yes, but that same sort of variety can be found within most musical genres. Take for example what we think of as "West Coast Jazz". The Mulligan Quartet was very different than the Dave brubeck Quartet which was very different from the Lighthouse All Stars.

In looking at Joe Maini's discography on LORD I was surprised to see how the bulk of his recordings were with Ray Anthony. That seems like a strange fit for a serious bebop player like Maini. But I suppose you go where the money can help you pay the rent. It's too bad that a fine player such as Joe Maini made so few small group jazz recordings as leader or sideman.

Hi Mike, I very much liked your 3 previous CDs and was glad to find that you have another one now available. I just ordered a copy from cdbaby. Here in Tucson our PBS TV channel recently broadcast some of the concerts from the Rochester Jazz Festival. I watched the James Moody concert with you on drums. It was a good one. I still recall when you and some friends dropped by my house to check out my record collection. Also the many times you hung out at my table during the record shows in Rochester.

One of the interesting aspects of more than five decades of listening to jazz, and over that time period collecting an extensive library of recordings, is the process of re-evaluation of those recordings. I find that I am sometimes quite surprised when I put on a recording that I have not heard in a long time. Every so often I am amazed at how damn good it sounds. It may have been something I previously enjoyed, but did not consider it to be at the "outstanding" level. I now see that session in a very different light. Other times I discover that a recording I liked previously now sounds dull and uninspired. That one now gets moved to the disposal box. My suspicion is that this is an experience many others have had?

What works for me is to listen to a variety of jazz styles. Though I am an avid fan of Hard Bop, I also listen to a lot of other styles as well. It is not uncommon for me to play a CD by Johnny Griffin followed by an Eddie Condon session followed by a Dave Brubeck album, followed by Johnny Hodges, followed by Jimmy Smith, followed by Buck Clayton, followed by Bill Evans, followed by Louis Armstrong, followed by Charlie Parker, etc. That sort of listening prevents a sense of boredom with a particular formula associated with one style.

The music on Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside, Contemporary, Pacific Jazz, Verve, and a few other labels was what I grew up hearing from the mid-1950's on into the early 1960's as my jazz interest developed and intensified. When certain music plays a vital part of your early jazz experience it is apt to stay highly important to you over the years. Whenever I put on recordings by Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, Sonny Clark, Hank Mobley, Stan Getz,Sonny Rollins, Shelly Manne, and other jazz masters of that period I find the experience highly satisfying.

Very sad news. Tony Reedus was a good drummer. I recall seeing him some time ago with Mulgrew Miller.

This is (in my opinion) the cream of the Ike Quebec albums on Blue Note. A damn fine CD.

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.