John L

My evolution as a listener is somewhat the opposite, although I may have converged in the end to a similar place. I came to jazz as a huge blues lover, and appreciated jazz at first only as a realm of blues music. So I had little use for jazz that was distant from blues sensibilities. Over time, my tastes have broadened to appreciate a lot of jazz that explores directions that are quite divorced from the blues. Nevertheless, 'blues music" in the broad sense remains the music that I feel closest too, have the greatest attachment to.

Smooth jazz is alive and well on quiet storm radio stations, at least that part of smooth jazz that has real soul. I have warmed to it over time (not to the Kenny G-type, of course). My appreciation expanded during the years I spent living in Nigeria. I got to know and enjoy a number of very serious artists who were playing in the realm of what would be filed under "smooth jazz" in the US and most of the world. Bottom line: All "smooth" jazz is not alike.

I agree with you about the art for the Coltrane Vanguard set. It has always bothered me, especially this one:

With all this trouble from M-C-Ds it's gettin' hard sellin' M-U-N-C-H-I-E. But hey! Somehow, some way....

Thank you for mentioning William Bell, my favorite Stax male vocalist along with Johnnie Taylor (Otis Redding not withstanding). His most recent album is indeed outstanding, but he has consistently made excellent-outstanding music throughout his long career. He also produced some great sides in Atlanta for his Peachtree Record Label.

I might be able to go. I will let you know.

RIP 😪 I saw him in concert a number of times. I especially loved his shows with the Chicago tentet.

Yes. You are right. I was confused because it appears that the weaker vocalists had been almost eliminated from Ellington's recordings by the time of the Mosaics. That is in contrast to the early 30s when they were abundant.

While I generally agree with the sentiments raised here, I still have mixed feelings about it. It is true that some 30s Ellington tracks have less than desirable vocals. I suspect that Ellington himself may have had limited control over who was singing on some of those records. It is also true that some of those tracks have sensational arrangements and / or instrumental passages. Most of us now probably reach for the Ellington Mosaic set when we want to hear the 30s band. That set removed almost all of the vocal tracks, which makes for more consistent and maybe enjoyable listening. But that means that we are seldom, if at all, listening to some of the great Ellington of the period. Maybe some of the tracks with removed vocals would be listened to more often? On the other hand....

Really fascinating! Thanks. That is the earliest Tapscott or Blythe that I have heard.

He used to come to town regularly with Kahil El Zabar and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. It could sometimes take him a while to get "wound up." But when he did, watch out! His playing could be mesmerizing.

I was going to say - Julius Hemphill. Buster Smith is another candidate.

Thank you!

Wow!

Nice article.

Maybe. Maybe not. Ike was an extremely talented artist and producer who arguably had a strong positive influence on Tina's early musical development. That is despite the fact that he also mistreated Tina. My favorite Tina is still what she recorded with Ike, although I do also love "What's Love Got to Do With It." (By the way, her version of Proud Mary was an Ike production)

It would seem that it was $25 an hour, not per song. Still...

It is difficult to think of Tina as dead. She was larger than life in so many ways and the personification of eternal youth. My father became a big fan in the 60s and took me several times to see the Ike and Tina Turner review. I had never experienced so much pure energy, dynamism, and charisma on a stage before, and I haven't since. Tina was a force of nature.

Rouse may not have been as interesting, in and of himself, as some of Monk's other tenors. But he played the role of a foil for Monk extremely well. There are sublime moments when Rouse is playing something rather plain and Monk is comping behind him beautifully.

Given that Duke Ellington himself made so many of his own studio recordings of his bands, I imagine that he must have spent some time in the post-war years listening to these recordings.

I'm very sorry, Kevin. 😢 My condolences to you and the family. John

What about Philly Joe playing behind Miles, or behind Kenny Dorham on Whistle Stop (in both cases with Paul Chambers)?

It hits hard for me too. I grew up in Berkeley and knew him personally. He was a very special and generous person. His contributions to documenting American roots music were also immense. RIP

Yes. I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. I just meant to imply that she was a less obvious choice for a large Mosaic set, particularly if there had been (as claimed) discrimination against women.

Historically, the majority of great female jazz musicians have been vocalists. Mosaic has issued box sets for Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, Dinah Washington, and even Mildred Bailey. There certainly would have also been a Billy Holiday set if all her studio recordings had not already been reissued in lavish box sets by Columbia, Decca, and Verve. I don't really understand the charge of sexism.