John L

Actually, this is what has come out on DVD. Although the title is the same, it is completely different than the Impulse! record.

Thanks for the heads up. I wouldn't have know about this without you guys!

As I undersand, the Broonzy was released in Europe in September. No? You should already be able to get it in Spain. Also recently released from JSP is a 5-CD box of all of Memphis Minnie's early recordings. They are going to follow it up with a another box of her later stuff. The early recordings are superior, especially the collaborations with Kansas City Joe McCoy that take up the majority of this set. Tasty!

No, it is unlikely that Blakey's "fatefull visit" could have happened on the day that Bird died. Or at least that would cast serious doubt that whatever happened that day was responsible for Bird's death. Recall that Bird was in very bad physical shape when he first showed up at Nica's three days before his death. He was in such bad shape that Nica called a doctor, who examined Bird and recommended immediate hospitalization, warning of possible death otherwise. Bird refused to be hospitalized and died a few days later. The only way that Blakey could have really been responsble for Bird's death is if he had been the one who put Bird in that kind of shape, i.e. unless the fight happened earlier.

I bought a CD player in the late 1980s. At that time, I remember that Caravan was the only Art Blakey title that I could find. I believe that the first jazz disk I ever bought was the "Best of Blue Mitchell" on Riverside. Then I bought the Cannonball and Cleanhead Vinson disk that was recently reissued on CD for the second time. After that, I picked up a John Coltrane on Impulse disk that was just entitled "From the Original Master Tapes." It included several rare takes from the Village Vanguard that hadn't been released in the US before, and didn't appear as such until the complete VV set. Kind of Blue and Love Supreme started to go through multiple incarnations from the very beginning. At that time, MCA launched a "Peacock Spiritual Series" that looked poised to release most of the Peacock gospel catalogue. But that series bit the dust right away and has never been revived. One of the real gems was the Gospelaires "Bones in the Valley" and "Can I Get a Witness" on one disk. They also put out some great Dixie Hummingbirds, Sunset Travlers, Swan Silvertones, and Julius Cheeks. If only they had continued...

If I am not mistaken, one of the tapes that was used for the release of the complete Rockland Palace concert (Jazz Classics CD-JZCL-5014) supposedly originated with Chan. Of course, it could have been a pirated second hand copy.

If you would like to hear an additional bit of hyperbole from a Billie/Pres nut, I would say that this may very well be the best box set of music available.

I think that the latest remasters of the Billie Holiday Columbia recordings are miraculous. It is like night and day with all previous releases. You may find fault with the brightness or other specific qualities, but there is no denying that the music is present in a way that it never was in the past. Billie and Pres are brought closer to you.

Now that would have been kinky.

Yes, you have to buy no less than 3 of them.

Good picks, people, although a bit of bluenotecentricitity is shinning through. Blue Note cranked out some gems. But when it came to soul, it was Prestige that really knew how to let the chitlins just simmer in their own juice. Some of the tastiest: Gene Ammons: Angel Eyes, Jug, Up Tight, etc., etc., etc. Jack McDuff: Live! Tough Duff, The Honeydripper Jimmy Forrest: Out of the Forrest, Most Much Willis Jackson: Please Mr. Jackson Arnett Cobb: Blow, Arnett, Blow, Party Time Eddie Lockjaw Davis: ALL the Cookbooks. Every damn one of them. King Curtis: The New Scene of King Curtis, Soul Meeting Getting Back to Blue Note, you can't be without all of the Stanely Turrentine/Jimmy Smith collaborations: Back at the Chicken Shack, Midnight Special, Prayer Meeting. I'm getting hungry just typing this.

Well, yes, except not in that order. They took the name "Art Ensemble of Chicago" in Paris as a quartet before Moye joined. They made several albums in Paris as a quartet. Chuck writes on the cover of his box that the name "Art Ensemble" dates back to a December, 1966 concert. As I understand (correct me if I'm wrong, somebody), the original Art Ensemble was also a quartet but with drums (Philip Wilson) and without Jarman. That is the group that plays on the first "basement tapes" from 1967 in the box set.

Well hell, Trane even tried to take composer credit for "Saturn!"

Great thread, people! Nice stories all around. Yes, the AEC were very special live. I had the fortune to see them once in the 80s and once in the 90s. Are there any good videos around of vintage concerts? Somebody must have had the sense to capture the whole deal live at least once.

It sounds like the time is ripe for you to order one of the few remaining box sets from Chuck Nessa. If you like the AEC, you won't regret it. This is the foundation, and there is no duplication with what you have.

A good-sounding prelude to a bad train wreck or a bad sounding prelude to a good train wreck? I've never heard it myself, but I am intrigued.

I myself find the "Brotzmann Plays For Lovers" compilation really drives the ladies wild. I don't know that one. I only have "Brotzmann plays for boar fuckers."

Well, from his knowledge that there were three autopsies after Bird's death, I assume that Dr. Progresso must have performed the third, where chips from Blakey's drumstick were found in Parker's brain. More seriously, that text is weird. Other than the Blakey remarks, everything resembles the usual truncated Bird bio. Furthermore, the Blakey remarks are stated in passing as if they are obvious fact and not subject to any speculation at all. I wonder if Blakey's family knows about this? If I were Blakey's kin, I would try to get it removed.

I assume that this is different than the "Antwerpen" concert from around the same time that has been released on Jazzman?

John, the 4CD box "At Birdland 1950-1951 Volume 1" (got it recently) was also released as two 2CD sets, as far as I know. So maybe you saw volume two of this? ubu Yes, that must be it. I must have somehow confused the second one with the volume 2.

I was fairly sure that I saw a volume 2 in Europe. But I could be wrong. I own the Charly myself. Note: the Cafe Society tracks are not on the Charly Birdland box, but they can be found on quite a number of other reissues.

There is a volume 2 of the Ember set. There is also a an over 90% overlap between the Ember sets and the Charly. If I am not mistaken, the two Ember sets contain everything on the Charly and a couple more obscure sessions. If you already have Ember vol. 1, you should look for volume 2.

James Booker could flat out play. There were a number of great individual New Orleans R&B pianists. Booker was the real virtuoso of the bunch. He could do what everyone else did and more. There are several CDs of his around. The one on Rounder, for example, is excellent: "New Orleans: Piano Wizard: Live!"

Shrdlu: I reminded you of Hitler? Well, I guess that it could have been worse. I could have reminded you of... ...uh... ...mmm... two Hitlers?