John L

Actually, that is not a bad list. I would have expected much worse from Rolling Stone. I guess that 20 years is enough perspective even for those fools.

I hope that your kids don't start skipping.

This is a combination of Blue Note and Savoy tracks. They exist on discs of Fats and Fats + Tadd on those labels.

Given that more than 72% of recorded jazz was probably made by dead people, your collection apparently has a bias toward the living.

How... predictable.

I just hope that when he comes down to one of your Texas BBQs, he doesn't ask for veal.

See, Lon, and you would have blown the whole campaign in Philly just like Kerry did: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A...anguage=printer

Is that the pork version? Hoagie. Sorry about that.

You guys don't know shit. Without Cheez-Whiz, how else could you glue the beef to the top of a Cheesesteak Hoggie where it belongs? Sheesh!

I lived for 5 years in Philly. I therefore take swipes at Cheez-Whiz as personal insults. That is a staple of the Philly diet, the very foundation of the Cheesesteak!!!!!!

Lon: Would you really recognize Monk for the tone of one note, or for the specific note that was chosen and the place that he decided to put it? I would think the latter for myself.

People are interpreting the question in different ways. There are a lot of artist who are highly distinctive and always recognizable not because of their tone, but because of their phrasing, their rhythm, their overall approach to improvisation. I would put Monk, Cecil Taylor, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane in that category, for example. Not that Bird and Trane didn't have great individual tone. But I would say that their genius lay elsewhere. Other artists like Ayler, Bechet, Webster, Pres, Getz, Hodges, Lockjaw et al hit you right away with tone alone. That was a huge part of the whole package.

I am tempted to join Brownie and pick Pres. But what about Bechet and Ayler? How can a tone be more distinctive than that?

In addition to those mentioned, what about Ayler Bechet Webster Lockjaw Pops (especially 1940s-1950s vintage) Shepp Getz

Are you sure you're not me? At least on this thread? You think so? Can I borrow your tenor on this thread and try to verify that?

Which CD is that? Title/Year? Maybe I shouldn't have used the word "recent," as this remastering was done 3-4 years ago for the complete box set, "The Voice of Jazz." I imagine that all of the Columbia compilations on Sony released after that time use the same remastering. I am not an audiophile in general, but was absolutely amazed at what they were able to do relative to past reissues like the "Golden Years" series mentioned above. Yes, sound quality used to be a reason why many preferred the later recordings. But I don't think that it is really much of an issue any more. By the way, If I could have only one box set in my collection, "The Voice of Jazz" would be it.

Sonny who?

The good Reverend Gates might have rolled over in his grave if we didn't talk about God at least on this thread.

Frivolously? Why do you say that? Well, hell is real, and awful, and not to be joked about, or used as an album or song title, unless the aim is to show people how to avoid going there. What makes you think that Reverend Gates is frivolous or joking? The reason that his records sold so well is because he performed with perceived conviction and sincerity. The theme is exactly that: how to avoid going to hell. People didn't buy the records as a joke.

I love the 1920s Reverend Gates sides. The new Columbia CD is nice, although the tracks seem to be chosen more for the content of the sermons than the music. The early recordings on Document records in sequence have a much stronger musical impact (IMO).

Wolff: Columbia has recently remastered these recordings to great effect. They now sound fantastic, at least to my ears. For me, that will always be the peak for Billie.

RIP Rick James was a major talent. He was really a breath of funky air when he came along. He gave funk a whole new twist. His song writing was excellent. Man, it makes me feel old when I hear that people like Rick James are dying of "natural causes."

Do you know who he is playing with?

You are suggesting that I go back and listen to some Billie that I haven't heard in a while? Thank you!!! I would love to do that!

Brownie: After purchasing the 2-disc Decca set and unloading my Decca LP, I actually noticed that I was listening to these recordings much less often. Then I realized that it was due to the huge number of alternate takes, most of which have very little variation and are programmed in a strange way throughout the CDs. I ended up burning myself a single disc of the masters that is virtually identical to "The Billie Holiday Story" cited above, and I again started enjoying the music much more.