John L

Two boxes would work: one for studio dates and one for live dates. The studio box would be rather big, but probably somewhere in the range of the current Riverside box. No?

I expect that a new line of either CDs or something else will hold 1000s of times more wave files than the current product. Hard drives on home computers will become so big that we will be able to keep our entire collections there, while buying, selling, and trading through Internet.

Guns N' Roses was the last rock band that I really called myself a fan of. But I hardly ever listen to rock. So I don't really know whats out there these days. My son is a big Hip Hop fan. I also like some Hip Hop, including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg (only the first record), Tribe Called Quest, and Outcast. My son listens to less commercial stuff. He played for me a few artists not long ago that I really enjoyed. They restored my faith in Hip Hop as a vital innovative music: Brother Ali Vakill (with the Molemen) Rob Swift (good forward-looking use of jazz elements in the mix, including Bob James and other live musicians.)

Is that right? I never realized that.

The Lester Young Story would be worth it just for Michael Brooks' excellent and thoughtful liner notes.

Eddie Jefferson used to sing a lot of Pres solos, for example: "I've Got the Blues" (based on "Lester Leaps In.") "Baby Girl" (based on "These Foolish Things" (Aladdin version)) "Come Along With Me" (based on Lester's Aladdin solo on "It's Only a Paper Moon") King Pleasure also sang a lot of Pres: DB Blues, Sometimes I'm Happy, Jumping with Symphony Sid...

Thanks, Mnytime!

Interesting. I don't have the Cy Touff disk (although I should probably pick it up!). But I checked out the snipit of "Prez-ence" at CDnow. I am almost sure that it comes from one of Prez' solos on Aladdin from the 1940s. (I carry most of those solos around in my head). I can't place it exactly, however, and I am not at home at the moment. "You're Driving Me Crazy" is a possibility.

On that point, how many people could really be "sick of hearing about" the vast majority of artists on the Leo label? Or should I ask, how many people have even heard of the vast majority of artists on the Leo label?

I also enjoy Velma Middleton. I thought that she was a good foil for Armstrong, and could also deliver a song in tune with sincerity and good humor. Her stage act had to be seen to be believed (No, I'm not that old. I've seen only a taped concert). Seeing a woman that large doing repeated splits across the stage makes one suspect an optical illusion.

Ken Vandermark David Douglas

He was a major presence in jazz in more ways than one. RIP

Jay McShann once remarked that he never understood the difference between blues and jazz. Nobody blurred that distinction more effectively than Eddie Cleanhead Vinson. Swing, bop, blues, jump, R&B, and good humor all came together as one in Mr. Cleanhead. After getting the short shrift on CD for many years, suddenly there is a lot of great Cleanhead available. Classics and numerous other labels have reissued his classic 40s sides with Cootie Williams and his own orchestra that have now come into the public domain in Europe. Ace just released a disk of his King recordings from the early 50s. Not long ago, Bethlehem reissued a fine Cleanhead session from the late 1950s with Joe Newman and others. Fantasy has again made available the date with Cannonball Adderley. Now there is a newly discovered live recording from the Keystone Korner in 1979: This a a quartet with Eddie Marshall, Larry Vukovich, and James Leary. Cleanhead is in great form. This jazz-oriented quartet also gives us lots of Cleanhead's horn, which he typically used very economically in conjuction with his vocals when sharing the front line with other horns. This is a great new portrait of an artist that is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face every time you play it.

Thanks, Larry. That is as insightful a summary of Mobley's musical essence as I have ever read. And the Dexter Gordon quote is great too. If even Dexter was that impressed, you can be sure that Mobley had hipness in superabundance!

We all know that the French take cooking very seriously. Well, many French consider the #1 national dish to be Andouillette. And that ain't nothing but 100% seasoned pork chitlins tied up in a sausage. I always loved good chitlins. So when I moved to Paris, I joined the cult. The organization is titled AAAAA (Association de Amicables Amateurs d'Authentique Andouillette). They certify top quality homemade chitlins (andouillette) all through France. Most of my favorite places to eat in Paris proudly display the AAAAA sign in their window. http://www.planete-web.org/

I tried this one out, but couldn't hear the magic. As far as the hip hop/funk/jazz fusion is concerned, is there anything innovative going on here. Most of it sounds to me like it could have been recorded 10 years ago. On first listen, none of the material grabbed me either.

I found the sonic upgrade of this material in the new Columbia box set to be miraculous. I never thought that I would be able to hear these recordings in this kind of sound. As far as the music, it cannot be surpassed. If I had to choose one box set to take to that infamous island, this could very well be it.

Thanks for the link to that fascinating site, Chris.

Thanks, Joe. That sounds fascinating. So when are the private Brown/Dolphy tapes going to surface?

I think that the Roy Porter sides are still in dispute. Some solos on those sides sure do sound like Dolphy. That is an interesting story about the Brown/Roach audition. I have never heard it before. If it is true, it would suggest that Dolphy was a more known and respected musician in LA in 1954 than many of us thought.

Interesting thread! Yea, I can understand most of the opinions being expressed here. Mobley was not love at first listen for me. In fact, I still might not put him up among my very favorite tenors. That said, I have come to appreciate him quite a bit. I agree that he was phenomenal at what he did. In many ways, he was THE hard bop tenor. One thing that is deceiving about Mobley (from my point of view) is that, as I believe somewhat noted earlier, it is easy to listen to his records as pleasant background music. But Mobley will not get under your skin that way. He will not leap out at you like Hawk, Pres, or Trane, making you put down what you are doing and soak it all in. To really enjoy Mobley, you have to muster the energy for attentive listening. It is in the subtlety, the lyricism, the understated but potent swing, the fluency, the VOICE within. You need to really listen and concentrate on what Mobley is doing to get the payback. Certainly, other great tenors will also repay any undivided attention you give them. But Mobley NEEDS that attention to make his greatness known.

Thanks for this informative thread, people. I was wondering about this one. Given its short length and the discussion above, I will probably wait for the paperback... ...to come into my neighborhood used bookstore.... ...at a special discount cut-out rate.

Well, since you started, here are a few others that I would never want to be without:

I'm picking up and taking home my new and improved Bessie as soon as she hits the streets.

Actually, this raises some interesting questions. Is the acoustic Marsalis-inspired back-to-the-pre60s "blues and swing" movement finally over? Look even at W Marsalis' last release, "All Rise." That is anything but pure jazz in the pre-50s orthodoxy. It attempts to fuse classical, jazz, world music, your mama, your grandma, etc.