Rooster_Ties

I've never been clear about what the complete discography of Max Roach leader-dates with Billy Harper really comes to. I know there's a Horo (a double LP, I believe), and one or two other dates I don't know any of the details of. Have any ever been released on CD? What does the complete "Roach/Harper" discography look like?

Direct Youtube link...

Especially players who's tenor work I really like. For the record, I try not to level that opinion as a criticism of the player in question - but it definitely is a preference of mine.

Especially like the McMaster issue of "No Room For Squares", since it has the entire Mobley Session with Andrew Hill.

You're missing out. Moon Germs is a great album. Soprano sax played by any of the great jazz musicians never bothered me. It's the later fusion and generic players that I can't tolerate. But Shorter, Lacy, Farrell, and even Zoot Sims is great to listen to on soprano. I really like Wayne Shorter on Soprano up throught the time when he left Miles - but only when I'm in the mood. I also like Nathan Davis' Soprano quite a bit (I've never heard anyone play as well in tune on soprano as Nathan Davis). But as far as other soprano-heavy players, I've never been able to dig Lacy much, nor much Wayne post-Miles, nor much Liebman, nor much Grossman -- though I have grown to like their time with Elvin (on the BN Elvin box) -- nor Jane Bunnett. It's just not an instrument I'm super fond of, 'cept in a few contexts that I've grown to like over time.

Literally, the worst sounding recording I've ever heard.

Just saw this on the DVR from last night, and had to share... (Yes, the Bruce Springsteen song.) John Legend: Dancing in the Dark (30-sec ad precedes, might be a bit loud.) I've never owned any John Legend, but he's always seemed like the real deal. And is there nothing the Roots can't do with at least some measure of credibility?

Do any of the CTI's feature him mostly on tenor? - especially without much soprano? I love most of his tenor work (which reminds me a bit of Joe Henderson), which I know best from the Elvin BN's, and those two or three Hill dates he's on. The only Farrell leader-date I have is Skate Board Park ( ), and I've always meant to get more by him (or with him) -- but it seems like most of his leader-dates have a ton of soprano (and some flute) -- neither of which interest me as much. (I've probably almost bought "Moon Germs" a dozen times for the sidemen, but I can't bring myself to buy such a soprano-heavy date.)

As long as we're in a thread about Naxos, I used to buy nearly every disc in their largely fantastic "American Composers" (which often included transplants to America). I had an e-mail exchange with someone at Naxos years ago (around 1999, iirc) asking if/when Naxos was going to offer a disc (or two?) of music by Carl Ruggles. There was this (then thought to be) "Complete Works of Ruggles" 2-LP set that Michael Tilson Thomas was largely behind in or about 1980, but other than that - anything approaching a 'complete' set of Ruggles has never appeared on CD (much to my great disappointment). Seems like a Ruggles project (at least with all the orchestral works) would be a text-book case for the Naxos "American" series. Back then (my exchange with the random Naxos person by e-mail), they indicated such a project was in the works (for Naxos). Here it is 2012, and still nothing that I'm aware of. What the hell?

I've seen tapes like that in the first video (a good 20-25 years ago in Goodwill stores, iirc), but I've never seen a player for them. I think I owned a two-track tape (or two) like that for a few years, just for the heck of it.

Tempting at that price.

PM sent...

I was wondering the same thing. They do have halfway decent liner-notes, so I accept that they might not be boots, but everything I've read here seems to indicate that they're of dubious origin.

That's what I was afriad of. I do like "New Steps" - but IMHO, "Other Voices, Other Blues" is even better (if similar, with the same quartet line-up).

"Between You and I" explained in a rather interesting half-hour podcast.

To clarify, there still is only ONE "Sun Ra" (fake) Horo that's been issued on CD, correct?? I have it (the fake "New Steps" quartet CD), but I really wished they'd also issued (even if fake) the "Other Voices, Other Blues" quartet release. I have "Other Voices..." on LP (maybe the rarest LP I own!), but would love to have it on CD.

Steve Coleman has a solo album (I think it'd just come out when I heard Steve a few years ago in KC). Invisible Paths: First Scattering (2007, Tzadik) And speaking of M-BASE musicians, I really WISH Gary Thomas had a solo album, with contributions on both tenor and flute - I'm sure it'd float my boat.

The first half sounds like just one guy. But the second half sounds like two. If it's not, the guy has remarkable breath control in order to start a phrase right after one finishes. Circular breathing?

So, who knows Michael well enough to shake him down for some info on the Hill?

Haven't moved them to DC yet (they're currently at my Dad's house near St. Louis), but I recently inherited about 20 complete years of Downbeats from my uncle, who passed away recently -- starting in April of 1965, through about the end of 1985. Long story, but my Aunt (my Dad's sister) passed away fairly unexpectedly back in November, and a few months earlier had told her daughters that she'd "donated my Uncle's Downbeats" to the local library. Ouch!! It was a couple days before we/I found his stash of really old jazz mags, untouched (close to mint), all down in their basement on some shelves behind some large-format paintings of theirs (both my Aunt and Uncle were art history professors, and accomplished artists themselves). I'd always had designs on my Uncle's jazz collection (particularly those Downbeats), and I was really disappointed for a couple days until I discovered them -- and of course I let out of quite a vocal exclamation that could be heard through the entire house when I discovered them. (Turns out she'd only donated a couple years worth of issues all from the 90's.) I should be bringing them all back to DC with me next month (thank goodness Southwest Airlines doesn't charge for baggage), and plan of reading through all 20 years of them over a the next year or so, or however long it takes. Luckily for me, they cover probably my very favorite decade of jazz history (1965-75), though my very strongest interests go back to '63. (So if I suddenly won the lottery, I suppose I'd be on a quest for a complete collection of DB's from the beginning of '63 through where my Uncle's collection starts up in April of '65.)

Good lord, this date is amazing. VERY much worth getting (IMHO), especially since I think I saw recently it's now available as a much cheaper domestic issue now (my copy is Japanese, probably ran me at least $20 iirc). In short, one of the very best post-BN "Lonnie Smith" dates I've yet heard. The side-long version of "Stand" has two (or three?) long, vampish sections that really dig deep. Putting the disc on as I'm typing this, I see that I had Smith autograph my copy when I heard him (for the first time) about 3 years ago in KC. It was recorded at RVG's studio in '71, and includes Smith on clavinet on a couple tracks (also on B3 on those same tracks), which expands the sound in a way that may sound dated to some, but really works for me. Here are two of the shorter tracks from side 1: Mama Wailer and I Feel the Earth Move. Edit: Listening to the side-long "Stand" now, and some of it is kinda free, and probably close to half of it isn't even related to "Stand" -- including several minutes of which make up a tune Smith later recorded separately as "Track 9" (that's what it's called, "Track 9") -- which can be found on his 2004 Palmetto album "Too Damn Hot". I think you can hear the whole track (not just a sample), HERE. For my money, it's one of THE highlights of the entire Lonnie Smith catalog (especially the version embedded in "Stand" back in '71).

Curious to see the track listing. Could be interesting.

I sure wish there was. I have the LY Mosaic, but "Contrasts" is one of those dates on the set that's split between two physical CD's. Love the cover too...

Cecil and a feline friend, source.

Kind of looks like a still image from a video-tape.