CJ Shearn

Looks like a CTI 9000 series, and yes felser, agreed. By the time Matthews became house arranger the arrangements were just awful.

Yes the Hays session is a very deep record, Bill Stewart plays fantastic on it. HDTracks has hi res versions of the Smalls releases, but I'd rather get the CD's b/c of the nice presentation. The Magnarelli is significant of course being Mulgrew's last session. Gotta pick up the Lund and Hoenig releases at some point, and the Frank Lacy which just came out

Maybe there are three such efforts, CJ - I've got several Live at Yoshi's as well (Jessica Williams, Mulgrew Miller), released by MaxxJazz. I like live jazz but can't get it often where I live (the excellent Savannah Music Festival in late March/early April being the exception), but AYK live recordings often suffer from inferior sound. The nice thing about most of the Small's (there's one very early one I'm thinking of I wish sounded better) and all of the Smoke Sessions releases is very good recording quality matched with excellent performances. IMO, of course; YMMV. I wish there were more of these efforts. I have the Mulgrew Miller Yoshi's and Kennedy Center volumes and they are excellent. I really like the Smalls releases I have (about 8 or 9 total? I think) that push at the boundaries of the mainstream like the Kevin Hays, Will Vinson and Seamus Blake releases.

Yes, the Evans is quite good. So is the Jimmy Cobb, both I have heard on Rhapsody. Very similar to the Smalls Live label, but maybe a bit too much of that is overwhelming with 2 labels doing that. I like the presentation of the Smalls' releases I have, and most include inner sleeves The presentation of the Smoke releases sounds very nice too, from the descriptions

Way too young! RIP. I believe he is on "Miles from India" which I still like very much

Happy birthday!!

http://insidethespangalang.tumblr.com/ I read the article, listened to "All Blues" and my thoughts are contained in a brief podcast. I may have to re do it to clean up some rough edges but wanted to get my thoughts out before I forget

This set will be one I will definitely be looking after, having all the variety under one roof is too good to pass up. Same reason why I find the Clifford Jordan set appealing, and would like to grab down the line as well.

That's great that Raksin got that law passed. I had never heard the story of Nelson's death, very tragic.

Wow, that B side is awful!!!

RIP

I can't imagine that being any hotter than the master take. Or did lightning strike twice?

I think that's about it, 5 albums

Yes, the article should have been more about Clark.

I still buy CD's too, but I rip them to my hard drive.

You are welcome Chris I agree with you on "The Continents". If you enjoy that you will like "Piano Sonata: The Moon" which takes up most of disc 3 of "Trilogy" at nearly 30 minutes. I think that piece with it's smooth integration of composition and improvisation showcases just how together the Corea/McBride/Blade unit is.

RIP

Yes, it is a fold out digipak like the Miles Bootleg Series releases. Blade is fantastic with Chick IMO, I wanted this since last year but didn't want to spring for the expensive Japanese version. I ripped all the discs to my hard drive, but everything arrived fine in the digipak, no damage to packaging or discs. I would say it's a lot more "in" then the Gomez/Motian trio, but of course with that insideness, Chick definitely takes liberties with the standards and the originals. You see "Spain" on disc 1 and you think "again? really?" but it's an inspired performance where the melody doesn't pop in until mid way through, that track features Nino Josele on acoustic guitar and Jorge Pardo on flute Paco DeLucia's bands from Chick's Touchstone days (never heard that album yet).

Very awesome!!

RIP. I should familiarize myself with some of her other work, but the whistling of the Munich audience on the CTI All Stars recording in response to an I guess (lack of funk) is always a trip. And yes, "A Wilder Alias" is something else!

Out for a week in the US, the massive 3 CD set released in Japan last year. I like it quite well, although Gayle Moran Corea's vocals on "Someday My Prince Will Come" is definitely a YMMV thing.

"Holding Together" by Steps Ahead has some smoking Berg, which I think was his last recording. Maybe he flew under the radar because he was sharing the same grammar as Grossman and Brecker as far as that post Trane thing that began in the late 60's early 70's, he was such a fine player. I enjoy his playing very much.

Antonio Sanchez plays cajon on "Kin" with the Pat Metheny Unity Group, and I think I've heard a few other instances by other artists in a jazz context.

Very interesting thought colin. I think alcohol without question contributes to liver problems, oddly I never heard that IV drug use leads to hepatitis C......... very interesting

Same here, love his solo on "Eggplant"