Peter Friedman

Red Square Blue - Jazz Impressions Of Russian Composers - Angel with: Fred Hersch,James Newton,Toots Thielemans, Phil Woods, Erik Friedlander,Steve LaSpina, Jeff Hirshfield Fred Hersch - The French Collection - Jazz Impressions - Angel pieces by Debussy, Ravel, Faure,Poulenc, & Satie played by Eddie Daniels, Toots Thielemans, Kevin Eubank, Fred Hersch, Steve Laspina, Joey Baron or Jeff Hieshfield

I like Bellson on many of the Basie small group sessions done for Pablo.

Just put on the Fresh Sound re-issue of 2 Cecil Payne sessions (Performing Charlie Parker Music / The Connection) on one CD. R.I.P. Cecil

I had this one on LP and have been waiting for many years to have it re-issued on CD. Al's playing on this Earl Coleman session is simply GREAT!!!!! I suppose that since Earl Coleman is not well known this may never get reissued on CD. DRAG!

Stanley plays very well on the organ recordings, but my favorites are his hard bop sessions on Blue Note. I especially like his recordings with Horace Parlan. As a sideman with Art Taylor, with Sonny Clark, and with Duke Jordan he is damn fine too. By coincidence, I was just playing a CD on the Bainbridge label called STAN "THE MAN" TURRENTINE. This was originally on Timeless and has either Tommy Flanagan or Sonny Clark on piano along with George Duvivier,bass; and Max Roach on drums.

Just listened to another lovely version of WHAT'S NEW. This one by" Ruby Braff and His New England Song Hounds. Vol.2" on Concord Jazz.

There are so very many fine versions it's hard to pick one or two. Here are some that I like a lot. Dexter Gordon - Live at Jazzhus Montmarte - Black Lion Jackie McLean - Swing, Swang, Swingin" - Blue Note Art Farmer Quartet - Live At The Half Note - Atlantic Art Pepper - Among Friends - Interplay

I only have one CD by Jimmy Reed, but it's a good one. Jimmy Reed - Bright Lights, Big City - Vee Jay/Hall Of Fame

I only have one CD by Jimmy Reed, but it's a good one. Jimmy Reed - Bright Lights, Big City - Vee Jay/Hall Of Fame

This is one of my least favorite recordings by Howard McGhee. I found it rather dull. I would suggest only getting this one if you have all the other ones recommended in this thread and are a Howard McGhee completist. I sold my copy some time ago.

Just discovered a CD in my collection that has Jack Wilson on piano that has not been mentioned. It is an Australian CD as follows: Sonny Stitt & Richie Cole - Battle Of The Saxes - AIM label Jack Wilson(p), Ed Gaston (b), Allan Turnbull (dr) Recorded in Sydney,Australia in December 1981

The Randy Brecker "straight ahead" style playing that I like is on these CD's. In The Idiom - Denon Nick Brignola - What It Takes - Reservoir Marc Copland Quintet - Stompin' With Savoy - Savoy Lew Tabackin - Tenority - Concord Jazz Kerry Strayer Septet - jeru Blue: A tribute To Gerry Mulligan - Palmetto Horace Silver - You Gotta Take A little Love - Blue Note Horace Silver - In Pursuit Of The 27th Man - Blue Note Horace Silver - A Perscription For The Blues - Impulse

I have listened to a lot of Gary Peacock as part of the Keith Jarrett Standards Trio recordings. To my ears Gary sounds marvelous. His playing is filled with passion, a large "woody' bass sound, and his solos are highly interesting. I don't hear all that much Scott La Faro influence in his playing in the Jarrett Trio sessions.

Jim, I respect your right to make those choices. It probably won't surprise you to know that my choices would be the opposite of yours. A key factor for me is the ultimate quality of the music (which of course is a matter of opinion). In my judgement, the Cannonball albums after a certain point in time lost their "true essence". Rather than Cannonball moving to find " his own true voice", my interpretation is that Cannonball was looking for the commercial hooks to sell records and gigs. He was jumping on the currently "hip" bandwagon and no longer being true to his deepest jazz essence. This is just a personal opinion that you seemingly don't share, and that's ok. In looking over the entire discography of Cannonball, or any other musician, a key for me is to identify the very best musical performances. I don't focus on whether they are trying to forge new directions, or digging further into the rich lodes of what has proven to be the style in which the player has been most comfortable over time. What music has the most depth, and what do I emotionally and/or intellectually respond to the most.

It's also interesting that a large percentage of musicians started making "theme" albums at about the same time. Coincidence? I think not. Retreat is more like it. I mean, hell, when the "conservative moderns" stop moving ahead, that's a sure sign that stuff is coming to a halt, and sure enough it did. We've been down this road many times in many places on this board, but I'm of the unshakeable opinion that "jazz" today is a foregone conclusion, and if it isn't, then people are gonna get all up in arms about it not being jazz, if they do anything at all. Not at all my idea of a good time, but your mileage may vary. Sometimes it makes sense to retreat when you find you have driven into a cul-de-sac. There are many ways to be "modern" if that is one's goal.

Pianist Cees Slinger is not a name known to most American jazz fans. I first became aware of him when I bought a CD under his leadership that featured Clifford Jordan, Isla Eckinger, and Philly Joe Jones. It is titled SLING SHOT and on the Timeless label. That very good CD led me to two other CDs with Cees Slinger as leader, and they are also good ones. The Cees Slinger Octet - Live At The North Sea Jazz Festival - Limetree Cees Slinger's buddies In Soul - Happy Times - Blue Jack Slinger can also be heard as a sideman on a number of recordings by people such as Ben Webster, Dexter Gordon, Bud Freeman, and Alvin Queen.

Perhaps the term "dated" is not the most appropriate one to use in describing music from an earlier time period. I am not referring here to ROSEWOOD, but have no hesitancy in saying, that for my personal taste, the rough period of the late 60's and the 70's, when many jazz players put aside the acoustic piano and bass and switched to electric piano and bass, did not produce much jazz I find appealing. There are of course a few exceptions. Let me be clear, I am not referring to all the jazz of that time period, but just those sessions where the electric piano and bass were involved. There is nothing inherently wrong with electric piano or bass, and some listeners find them highly enjoyable. But my ears greatly prefer the no-electric versions. It is interesting to me that a large percentage of those musicians who switched to electric piano and bass eventually switched back.

There are many good recordings on Chiaroscuro. Here are some of the CD's I especially enjoy. A Buck Clayton Jam Session A Buck Clayton Jam Session 1975 Kenny Davern & Flip Phillips - Spanish Eyes Don Friedman - Hot House Dave Glasser - Begin Again The Trio -Hank Jones/Milt Hinton/Bobby Rosengarden Roger Kellaway Meets Gene Bertoncini and Michael Moore The Dave McKenna Quartet with Zoot Sims The Gerry Mulligan Songbook - Bill Charlap, Ted Rosenthal Joe Venuti And Dave Mckenna - Alone At The Palace Joe Venuti And Zoot Sims Bob Wilber And The Scott Hamilton Quartet

I saw Marchel Ivery playing once when I happened to be in Dallas quite a few years ago. Two CDs with him in my collection are definitely worth getting. Marchel Ivery - Marchel's Mode - Learning House Fathead Newman/Marchel Ivery/Rein de Graaf Trio - Blue Greens& Beans - Timeless The one on Learning house which also features Cedar Walton is a definite winner. Marchel swings his tail off. R.I.P. Marchel

Charles McPherson - Chuck McPherson Terry Gibbs - Gary Gibbs Jimmy Raney - Doug Raney Bucky Pizzarelli - John Pizzarelli

After jazz, my favorite musical genre is classical music. Blues would come in 3rd place. I have little if any interest in Rock, with just a couple of exceptions.

Russian born Dmitry Baevsky was born in 1975 and moved to New York when he was 19 years old. He has one very nice CD out under his own name. Dmitry also plays on the brand new CD by Joe Cohn. This guy can play.

They make a significant positive difference on airplanes. I used a pair flying to India a couple of years ago. Without them, the noise of the planes engines made it extremely difficult to listen to my iPod. With the noise reduction earphones listening was quite enjoyable.

In many situations surprise is not the correct word. I can listen to something by a musician I have heard very frequently over a long period of time, and on a particular recording everything just seems to come together in a way that reaches me deep down inside. It may be the way the soloist and the rhythm section fit together in a groove that brings a special smile to my face, or an exclamation of praise to my lips. Sometimes I may just focus on the drummer or the bass player. Or it may be a highly creative improvisation that leaps out at me and draws my attention in a new way. Sometimes when listening to a recording I have had for many years, I hear something that I had not ever noticed in my previous listening experiences with that particular album/tune. Just recently I was playing a Stan Getz Quartet CD that I had heard numerous times. For some unknown reason, this time my ears were especially attracted to the playing of drummer Victor Lewis. While I don't think "surprise" is the proper term to use here, the fact is that I developed a deeper appreciation of Victor Lewis than I had before focusing on his playing on this CD. Sometimes , as has been briefly mentioned, it is not surprise, but the comfort of hearing a musician or a style of music that has been an important part on my life. That recognition can bring a warmth and deep seated enjoyment. It can be highly satisfying to be so familiar with a recording that you know all or many of the solos by heart, and can hum them along with the musician. Some listeners may constantly seek the newest music out there and want to be on top of the most contemporary happenings in jazz. I am old enough that I left that attitude behind quite some time ago. I am not searching for something new and different (in the macro sense) when I listen to music. What I want is music that is emotionally and / or intellectually interesting and enjoyable. The personal listening history of each individual is critical in determining what it is that will stimulate that positive reaction for them.

Thanks Peter. Is "Bags opus" a reissue of the material on BN BLP1509? I assume "The harem" isn't available, if it's on Musicmasters. I guess all the Pablo stuff is out on OJC - more OJCs for my list MG MG, No "Bag's Groove" was originally recorded in December 1958 and released on United Artists. The personnel includes Bags, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers and Connie Kay. Tunes are Ill Wind, Blues For Diahann, Afternoon In paris, I remember Clifford, Thinking Of You, & Whisper Not. I have long considered this an excellent session.