Rooster_Ties

Ms. Lavette is playing here Sun, July 9 — at The Hamilton again — and I’m thinking I may go catch her once again, probably just a cheap seat at the bar. Would love if any other DC board members would like to join me. And I understand she has a new album just out too!

From 1975. Fairly intense stuff…

I’d still be curious to hear the results, mostly just to gage the quality and potential for the process, especially on such an older set of recordings. (But then I’m curious about everything, to a certain extent.)

Helen is really great! I’ve heard her live 6 or 8 times — half here in DC, half back in KC (and sometimes as a ‘sideman’ in other people’s bands, backing Greg Tardy for one, iirc). I like to think of her playing coming out of somewhere similar to Kenny Barron, Mulgrew Miller, John Hicks, and maybe a bit of Stanley Cowell (I’m glad to hear in anyone thinks my ears are on backwards on any of that — and I welcome hearing contrary feedback on that.) And I find her hand Independence especially nice too — as strong on that count as Brad Mehldau (if she comes from somewhere quite different). Her extensive classical background — she was exclusivity a classical pianist thru her entire undergrad studies until like midway thru her senior year — and my hunch has always been that that accounts for her hand-independence strengths. I think I’ve got about 5 discs of hers too, iirc — and she’s a non-miss performer whenever I see she’s in town.

(black cat crossing your path...) Source: https://sites.google.com/site/mobilemojojazz/jazz-humor

Coltrane ordering at Jack In The Box

The album (CD) I started this thread about is now ONLY $5 BRAND NEW from Dusty. Every single person on this board ought to own a copy. Carpe diem. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/966458/Shintaro-Nakamura-with-Shunzo-Ohno:Evolution Hell, buy a dozen and give 'em out as calling cards for a while. This album is outrageously good, every track, damn near every solo. Don't take my word for it, you can stream the entire thing off YouTube upthread. The whole thing was recorded old-school, in one room, with just a handful of mics, iirc. It does NOT sound like an album from 1984 -- it sounds like a few of the best players from 1974 (specifically 1974-era Woody Shaw and Joe Henderson, etc...) went back in time to 1964. It doesn't sound like an attempt to identically recreate the past of the mid-60's either -- though it definitely harkens back to that, but slightly informed by the playing of the 70's. I mention Woody Shaw and 1974 specifically because Shunzo Ohno here does kinda sound like what prime Woody (from '74) would have sounded like playing on a Blue Note album from the mid-60's (a little like hearing Tolliver and Tolliver's tunes on those Jackie McLean albums from 1964 & 65). Anyway, enough from me, just get on it.

Recognizing that you did seem to capitulate, and have now included McLean in your thinking -- I have to say that I can think of no "tougher" alto player than Jackie (other than players who are clearly a little more outside that seem to be up for consideration). If Jackie's sound and manner of soloing isn't "tough" -- what the heck is? Also, Dan, did you weigh in on whether Dolphy in the studio qualifies?

Someone should grab this one — an utterly fantastic release, that I’ve revisited numerous times. Perfect sound quality, strong and inspired performances, and Hank’s only(?) recorded appearance fronting a big band.

Huh?

Just saw this on the NPR app… Reuben Wilson, organist who helped usher in soul jazz, has died at 88. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/05/1180128842/reuben-wilson-b-3-hammond-organ-soul-jazz-obituary

Oh.

No.

How about Jackie McLean? I think he’s essentially a tough but arguably slightly more an inside player, than avant. Or Eric Dolphy? — at least in the studio (live might get to be a little more avant than you’re looking for, Dan). Or are they too ‘out’ for your definition of things.

They could definitely be legit, and yes, I really don’t know. A trusted source I know voiced some concerns about them being legit, and I’d read the same (idle?) speculation somewhere else (I thought around these parts, actually, but I really don’t remember where).

I’d heard enough conjecture that they weren’t, that I too wondered. Plus, the fact that none of the sessions were complete kinda wrangled me (as is the fact they were vinyl-only, although if they’re not compete, that really doesn’t matter much in the long run). The Tolliver and Duško especially — both of which I’ve heard in full — both absolutely deserve a full release (since none of that material had been issued before).

It isn’t clear those LP’s are legit, and they’re definitely not complete. This double-cd is definitely legit, and has both Jordan sessions complete. https://www.discogs.com/release/5725923-Joe-Henderson-Carmell-Jones-Clifford-Jordan-The-Erich-Kleinschuster-Sextet-Volume-1-196869

Bet that’s probably not including those two excellent Kleinschuster sessions — which are among the best Jordan things I’ve ever heard. I don’t suppose the liners on this new one list all 27 dates by name, do they? — a full discography would be nice (even if it wasn’t a true sessionography).

Late in my junior year of high school (in 1986), I won free tickets on the radio being the first caller to correctly identify what song the lyric “Not necessarily stoned, but beautiful” came from. It was from KSHE-95 in St. Louis, and the concert was America, with Graham Nash as the opener (just him, backed by some other trio — so Nash as a solo act, but not playing solo) — at The Fox Theatre in STL. Liked Nash better — but not a half-bad concert, I remember thinking at the time — considering what I paid for it.

Not necessarily.

The full-length track that was exclusive to that NPR story is now live on YouTube too…

Can someone get this, so I'm not tempted to? Please! She's been on my list of names I need to explore, and I'm just spinning this off YouTube as I type this (only 4 minutes into the first track), and it's marvelous!!

Very nearly my story -- except I was 26 when I bought my first Mosaic (in 1995). And I seem to remember wanting to get the Andrew Hill 63-69 box too (or maybe even as my very first, lone Mosaic purchase)... ...but I chickened out and decided on just the Don Cherry BN box instead (which was only 2 discs, and a LOT cheaper). But I think(?) my very next purchase was the Andrew Hill, probably not more than 6 months later. I still have all the paperwork from Mosaic in their boxes, so I could find out if I took a look -- maybe I will. BTW, as much as a Hill nut as I am now (and have been for 20+ years) -- when I bought the big Hill box, I really only bought it on the strength of all the sidemen (so many names that were already important to me). But Point of Departure was actually the only Hill leader-date I'd heard before when I took the plunge. Took me 5 years to really get my ears around that box -- but that's what so great about Hill, is that the music is always so fresh and unpredictable every time I hear it, even to some extent today. I was NOT a Hill convert from day #1 -- but I was intrigued from the git go, and kept listening.

“I just remember hitting my head, and now I have the cheese,” said Delaney Irving, 19, who comes from Nanaimo, British Columbia. Matt Crolla, 28, from Manchester in northwestern England, won the first of several men’s races. Asked how he had prepared, he told reporters: “I don’t think you can train for it, can you? It’s just being an idiot.”