Ken Dryden

I was pleased when Lewis Porter asked me for a copy of my 2007 phone interview with Sonny Rollins during the summer, which was done to write a feature in Hot House promoting his 50th anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall. It was published today on his Playback with Lewis Porter Substack page, here is the link: https://lewisporter.substack.com/p/sonny-rollins-phone-interview-with I asked Lewis if I could edit the interview, as phone interviews inevitably have gaffs that would be edited out of a transcription or radio broadcast, but he believes it is important to share the conversation as it happened, He also shared a link to my original Hot House article. The interview has never been broadcast or shared on line in any form. Merry Christmas, everyone!

I have only seen bits and pieces of it and it is little wonder how little Ken Burns knew about jazz. What was bizarre to me was having Wynton Marsalis talking about what it was like playing with Duke Ellington, the question would have been better asked of Clark Terry.

Philology has quite a run, Paolo Piangiarelli was a dedicated fan but with a small marketing budget. He attended IAJE IN 2004 and raved about the young alto saxophonist FraHe was long frustrated with US jazz magazines not reviewing his recordings because he didn't have the funds to buy ads. Just his array of releases by Phil Woods and Lee Konitz, along with Italian jazz greats like Franco D'Andrea and Renato Sellani, to name just a few, is very impressive. I heard that he was battling depression around the time that his website went off line. He died on January 1, 2022. Philology titles regularly appear on Dusty Groove, but some are hard to find.

Can you share a scan of that article?

When I wrote liner notes for an Oscar Peterson compilation on Pablo, I found two errors for the track where Oscar Peterson took over from Duke Ellington for a song. Both the date and the drummer were incorrect, Eric Miller disagreed and he was a bit stubborn, then I provided the relevant page from Timmer’s Ellingtonia discography and the citation from Mercer Ellington’s bio of Duke that cited him firing Bobby Durham and replacing him with Chris Columbus. Eric Miller relented and made the edits. Thanks for sharing the update provided by David Wild.

Zev Feldman has been trying to locate a tape of the Monterey Jazz Festival gig featuring John Coltrane with both Eric Dolphy and Wes Montgomery, but he has been unsuccessful. It is possible that the tape never existed at all, or it was misfiled, lost or stolen. There was also a gig within the time period at a club in Oakland, though no tape is known.

The new Tone Poet LP.

Now if I can just find my misplaced Denny Zeitlin and Jim McNeely CDs.

A high school classmate played with Patti Smith, Benji King. He died from a head injury while taking subway stairs in NYC a few years ago. https://www.discogs.com/artist/850459-Benjy-King?superFilter=Credits

Honeydew was the label that recorded Dave McKenna then made two LPs by spiltting his date with one by the Wilbur Little Quartet. McKenna told me in an interview "It sounded like it was recorded in a toilet and I never got paid."

The advance files that I received to review labeled “Old Folks” as “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was.” I informed the label, which hadn’t printed the sleeve yet. Unfortunately, the liner notes mention the incorrect title, so I am unsure if a song was substituted late or the writer didn’t recognize the mislabeled song.

Another gem from Resonance Records...

He was. If i called and he was home and available, he always took time to talk to me. I miss the Brubecks, they were a sweet couple.

Issued on CD in 1989 and very affordable on Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/9138756-Gerry-Mulligan-Mullenium

I celebrated twenty years as a Hot House contributor this very month. I've had some great opportunities to interview a number of jazz greats and rising stars. Chrys Roney, who purchased the magazine almost two years ago, is expanding the scope of the magazine and she needs additional writers. In addition to the long time print version in greater New York City, there is an online premium edition for subscribers that has been active and growing with bonus articles and reviews. She is working on creating new online content, including a jazz channel of programming by different hosts. If you would like to learn more, contact her at Chrys@hothousejazz.com, I am sure she will be glad to hear from you. Feel free to mention that you saw this post and spread the word.

I feel like Art Tatum's Pablo Solo Masterpieces blow away the Capitol recordings.

I talked to Zev Feldman late last month and he is very excited about this release. I just finished hearing it and it is a lost treasure, with terrific sound. The LP will be out 11-28, the CD on 12-05.

There is discussion of Bob Btookmeyer’s unissued recordings that might be issued in the future. I sent Michael a couple of broadcasts that he didn’t know about, one was the premiere of Brookmeyer’s “Celebration” featuring Gerry Mulligan, the other a duet with Jim Hall in Stockholm with Red Mitchell joining them on a few songs. Scott Robinson has some unissued Brookmeyer music which he would like to release on his ScienSonic label. it was also a nice surprise to see one of my Brookmeyer reviews quoted in the book.

I asked for Michael Stephans’ email and he sent his phone number and told me to call him. We talked for an hour last night, it was a lot of fun.

I just finished this gem by jazz drummer and educator Michael Stephans, one of the best jazz books I've had the pleasure to review. .

I got to hear Ray Drummond in piano duos twice, with Billy Mays in 1990 in New Orleans and with Kenny Barron at Zinno in 1997. He was also a part of the jam sessions during the IAJE 2004 with James Williams and Ben Riley, I heard them backing Francesco Cafiso. He was also a delightful interview. RIP, Ray.

Zoot Sims said that “Stan Getz is a nice bunch of guys.”

I had two history classes with Dr. Bennett Wall, who told us that he flunked George Blanda twice when he taught at UK. How you can tell when the pickings will be slim at an estate sale, this was on the first items pictured.

Chrys Roney, the publisher and sister of Wallace and Antoine Roney, has done a good job expanding the scope of Hot House, especially by adding a digital premium edition with bonus material.

My profile of Charles McPherson is in the November issue of Hot House Jazz Magazine. The link to the club edition can be found here: https://mags.hothousejazzmagazine.com/75b036d592.html