Rooster_Ties

Maybe I should add that I'm not entirely, 100% anti-sports. I do like to go to a couple baseball games per year (Kansas City Royals), but I go never giving a hoot who wins - and I just enjoy the game, the whole scene (people watching and such), the hot dogs, and most of all - that "bag-o-peanuts" vender who throws the peanuts to you from all the way across two whole sections!!! Damn, that guy has an arm!!! It's the whole "team" mentality that I can't get all wrapped up in. I usually like the Olympics, more so (cuz they're individual sports, mostly), although I like the winter Olympics better than the summer games. (More "go fast" kinds of sports - skiing, ski-jumping, bobsledding, and such.) Still, I'm never in a "Go U.S.A." kind of mood. I like to root (a little bit) for who I like, where ever they're from - I don't care where. I guess I'm saying that I don't have a problem with kinda rooting for individual atheletes (to a degree), but this whole "our team's gotta win!!" thing just doesn't click at all for me. After all, any of those team members could just as easily gone to different schools (or in the case of Pro sports), been recruited by other teams, or traded - and then "our guy" suddenly is "their guy" in the blink of an eye. Enough babbling from me on this topic, for now. Gotta go now, or I'm gonna be late for an appointment...

I voted for "The Procrastinator" out of those listed above - what an *incredible* fairly progressive album, with an incredible line-up. One of Lee Morgan's very best, easily in his top-5 (in my book), maybe even my #1 favorite Lee Morgan album, sometimes. But, maybe my all-time favorite "not originally released at the time" Blue Note, would have to be... (drum roll, please.....) "Mother Ship"!!!!

Some background... My wife is a *HUGE* University of Kansas fan (Jayhawks), specifically of basketball (she's a "fair-weather" fan of K.U. Football). She's a K.U. grad ('91), and she was at the university for most of Roy Williams' first four years at K.U. - and she's a "Final Four" fanatic. She's been a K.U. Basketball fan since she was a little kid, and Basketball is a fairly big thing in her family - her Dad and brother are both big fans too. Me, I've never given a hoot about sports of any kind, least of all basketball. To give you a better sense of how sports fits into my priorities - I routinely don't know who's in the Superbowl each year (until the week it happens), nor do I know who's in the World Series until that week. I once went 10 weeks into the regular football season, before I inadvertantly heard the name of the new quarterback of the Kansas City team ("The Chiefs", I think they're called ). But seriously, right now I couldn't tell you who the coach of the Chiefs was, even if my life depended on it - although I seem to remember that he used to coach in St. Louis (Cardinals) when they won the Superbowl a couple years ago - or so I heard. Anyway, I think I've demonstrated my lack of sports knowledge, and lack of interest. Last night K.U. lost the very last game in the Final Four, and my wife is more sad and upset about this about this than about anything in the entire 7+ years we've known each other. She was up until 2 or 3 in the morning last night, first listening to the sports call-in shows, then on-line, crying, the whole bit... During the game she was screaming her head-off, cussing like a sailor, although she didn't throw anything. ===== Does anyone have a spouse who is fanatical about something that you couldn't give two hoots about?? Care to share with the group how you handle it?? K.U. Basketball is a **BIG** deal to my wife, and I have to at least partially acknowledge that and at least give it some measure of respect, or else I'd have to go live somewhere else every March. But honestly, I just don't get it. I went to a small liberal arts college, where 80% of the student population couldn't give a rat's ass about any of our sporting teams. If people wanted to participate, great - more power to them. And if people were interested in going to the games, fine - it's a free country. But there wasn't much "school spirit", or at least not much in the way of athletics (we were a Division III school, with no athletic scholarships). And, I went to a small, non-traditional high-school that didn't have athletics (the whole high-school only had 25 students in it), so there wasn't any of that "team spirit" thing going on there either... I try to logically explain to my wife that having a single-elimination tournament, doesn't really tell anyone who the real "best" team is - it only increases the emotion, and the TV-ratings. You put all 64 teams back in the very same bracket, and have them all play again, starting today - and the odds of the same winner coming out on top a second time must be like 1 in 1000. I'm betting of the 64 games played, 10 or 15 of them would go the other way. And of course, it would be key games that would go the other way, up near the top (meaning the last 4 or 8 teams). If they really want to have anything even close to a fair and "real" tournament, they'd have double-elimination, and/or make each match up a best 2 out of 3 -- until the Final Four - and then make it best 3 out of 5. But the way it is now, all it does is ratchet things up, with maximum (manufactured) excitement. And it's the same thing every year around this time -- it’s "deep depression" time around our house, cuz the Jayhawks didn’t go all the way. Anybody got anything remotely similar to share about their situation?? A spouse that is deeply affected by the outcome of some periodic event that they (nor anyone else) can't possibly control -- and all you can do is ride it out???.....

There's an LP of it available too (on eBay), current high bid is $7.50, with about 12 hours left to go... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...6&category=1078

I never badger friends of mine to quit, but if I know they're trying to - I always offer to take them out to dinner anywhere - finest restaraunt in town (within reason) - if they can manage to make it 3 months without a smoke. Unfortunately, nobody I've made the offer to has ever made it that far. And, about me vowing never to get 'involved' with anyone who smokes... That wasn't always the case (not always a 100% hard/fast rule) with me. It was one of many factors, but never a deal-breaker, absolutely. That was, until (back in college) I got frisky with a couple gals who smoked (yes, at different times ), and I realized that kissing someone who smokes, was like LICKING out the contents of an ashtray!! That's when it became an absolute dealbreaker.

For all intent and purposes, I've never smoked. Technically, I think I've smoked less than 10 cigs in my whole life, all back during college, most when I was a freshman. Just thought I'd try them, for the heck of it, but I never had any intent other than curiosity. My Mom smoked (and still does). I think the most she ever smoked was about 1 full pack a day, maybe slightly more. I think she's now down to less than half-a-pack a day, maybe even one-quarter pack. I don't really know for sure, but when I visit her, I never see her smoke all that much any more, and when she does - she only seems to take a few puffs on one before putting it out, only half-used. My Dad smoked for a few years, way back in the 40's - when everyone did. I'm not sure how long he smoked, but it wasn't any more than about 5 years at most. One day he decided to quit, and my Dad has incredible will-power. I don't think he ever looked back. Watching my Mom smoke, as I was growing up, gave me enough info to know that I would never take up smoking, ever. Nor would I ever get involved with anyone (romantically) who smoked. Disgusting habit, and I can't tell you how nice it is to go to jazz bars where smoking is not allowed. That said, I've never let smoking turn me away from a jazz club, or even a bar with a good juke box, and decent pool tables. I used to bartend, and I realize smoking goes with the territory. I just try to plan my wardrobe, realizing that everything I wear is gonna reek after I get home, and need to be washed. I'm always sure to wear an old jacket, or one that need washing anyway. Or, unless it's really, really cold out - I'll just skip a jacket, or leave it in the car. Man, can't stand the smell of my clothes after I've been someplace where people are smoking. Funny thing - I don't really notice the smell of smoke at my parents house (nor does my wife, so it isn't just me being 'used to the smell'). BUT, then, for some reason - when we get back home and start taking all our dirty clothes out of our suitcase (it's a four-hour drive) - they smell of smoke just as bad as if we were bar-hopping all night long. Strangest thing. Personally, I'm all for banning smoking in all public areas, especially restaurants. I guess having smoking in bars is not the worst thing I could imagine, but it would be just fine with me if they banned it in bars too. I'm not the most anti-smoking person ever, and I'm normally not very vocal about my views on smoking. But anything that can be done to discourage smoking is perfectly fine with me.

Actually, if Lee had only lived longer - and (possibly) recorded more with Harper - he might have gotten my vote too!! That very last Lee Morgan studio date (with Harper) is a *MONSTER*!!!

Damn, how's the sound quality on that Wayne tape?? - (presumably from the mid-60's). I'd be interested in what the other tunes are too!! (Oh heck - why hide it - I'd be interested in getting a copy of it too. )

Oh, I've thought about doing just that, a couple times actually (at least with the 'Tolliver'). At least in the case of the 'Tolliver' - it would be a lot more reasonably sized, although I sure wish he had recorded more. A decent Tyrone Washington sessionography wouldn't be all that hard to put together either, since it's (unfortunatley) also pretty small - even smaller than Charles Tolliver's.

Here's a huge list of on-line jazz sessionographies - LINK: http://www.kyushu-ns.ac.jp/~allan/Document.../Jazz_ExtS.html And where the hell are Charles Tolliver and Joe Henderson!!!!! Damn it, here's the complete list (from the link above)... Cannonball Aderley, Louis Armstrong, Albert Ayler, Chet Baker (2), Kenny Barron, Tim Berne, Art Blakey (2), Jane Ira Bloom, Carla Bley, Raoul Björkenheim, Anthony Braxton, Willem Breuker, Clifford Brown, Milt Buckner, Ray Bryant, Donald Byrd, Don Cherry, Charlie Christian, Sonny Clark (2), Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane (2), Tom Cora, Sylvie Courvoisier, Marilyn Crispell, Sonny Criss, Miles Davis (2), Elton Dean, Pierre Dørge, Eric Dolphy (2), Lou Donaldson, Kenny Dorham (2), Hamid Drake, Dave Douglas, Kenny Drew, Marc Ducret, Marty Ehrlich, Duke Ellington, James Emery, Marco Eneidi, Bill Evans (2), Tommy Flanagan, Fred Frith, Stan Getz, Grant Green, Dusko Goykovich, Mats Gustafsson, Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill, Wayne Horvitz, Susie Ibarra, Keith Jarrett (2), Wynton Kelly, Rashied(?) Roland Kirk, Krzysztof Komeda, Lee Konitz, Gene Kruppa, Steve Lacy, Art Lande, Booker Little, Jackie McLean (3!), Matt Maneri, Warne Marsh, Myra Melford, Albert Mengelsdorf, Charles Mingus (2), Modern Jazz Quartet, Thelonious Monk (2), Michael Moore, Lee Morgon, Joe Morris, Fats Navarro, Charlie Parker, Evan Parker, William Parker, Art Pepper, Jim Pepper, Barre Phillips, Bud Powell, Bobby Previte, Sun Ra, Michael Riessler, Sam Rivers, Perry Robinson, Sonny Rollins, Ned Rothberg, Louis Sclavis, John Surman, Steve Swallow, Cecil Taylor pianist, Henry Threadgill, Lennie Tristano, Edward Vesala, Mal Waldron, David S. Ware, Eberhard Weber, Mike & Kate Westbrook, Barney Wilen, Reggie Workman, John Zorn. Excuse me, but where the %!@# are Charles Tolliver and/or Joe Henderson!!!! Not a criticism of the list (above) of on-line discographies/sessionographies (which I think is rather great, IMHO), but rather the absence of any kind of decent, halfway thorough online sessionography for Tolliver or Henderson. Aarggghhhh!!!!

Never heard of this guy, is this really worth anything close to $123.00 (high bid at the time I'm posting this)????? Link: Tony Pancella Piano Trio (LP) - Italian jazz

Any opinions about this release?? I found a review on AMG, which wasn't very descriptive. There's one of these (on CD) on eBay right now, with an auction closing-time of less than 1.5 hours. Opening bid required is pretty pricy ($29.99), so I probably won't bite - but I am kinda curious about the album... AMG Link: The Meeting - Chick Corea w/Friedich Gulda AMG Link: Friedrich Gulda bio eBay Link: $29.99 - ouch!!

In some ways, (apart from the song-writing credits), I could believe that any of the players (except maybe Hubbard) could have been leader on this date. In other words, listening to the album - one doesn't get the sense that this is a Wayne album, but rather that is plausibly could have been a Herbie album, or a Moncur album, or even a Spaulding or Chambers album (remember all the Chambers compositions on all those Hucherson albums, especailly all of side 2 of "Components".) In many ways, it's a little like various aspects of Wayne's, Herbie's, and especially Moncur's other albums. I'm starting to think that "ASE" might be the best "outside" album in the whole BN catalog, at least in my opinion.

Much as I love Osby's playing (especially all his albums since about 1998-99, or even maybe as early as 1996's "Art Forum"), and I do mean love Obsy's playing - as in I'd drive a couple hours to hear him, any day of the week... That said, I think Moran is still a bigger draw for me, personally. And the two of them together are unstoppable!!

Amazed at how much James Spaulding sounds like Jackie McLean, on the alto solo near the beginning of track 3 ("Chaos", I think). Also, Joe Chambers is really a great asset to this band. In some ways, I think Joe is the quintisential Blue Note drummer, if you want to talk about 60's BN recordings. Taking the album as a whole, (for me) it has the right mix of 'inside' and 'outside' sections. Even the quiet-but-free (rubatto) sections are really well integrated into the whole. Normally my attention tends to wander during the quiet/free/rubbato sections (when there isn't some sort of rhythmic plulse to 'hang on to'), but with "All Seeing Eye", they last just long enough to be interesting, but don't overwhelm the session. The quiet solo-piano sections with Herbie, or maybe plus some occasional drums or bass - were *really* beautiful. There are aspects of "All Seeing Eye" that seem almost like many orchestral works or symphonies. There's an ebb and flow between the various colors and moods, with transitions that build and release tension so seamlessly. (IMHO), a brilliant album. Did anyone get the feeling like this was a hugely collaborative effort?? I'm not saying anything should be taken away at all from Wayne, as the leader of this date, and composer of most of the tunes. Still, it reminded me of an intensely creative session where everyone gave 200%, and the results (which seem less like most typical "Wayne" BN albums), were such an organic combination of everyone's efforts. ( I'm not saying much of this clearly, as I'm up way-early, after daylight-savings-time kicked in. )

Just found my copy of "ASE" this morning, and I listened to it three times today. What an incredible album!! I'll post more about it tomorrow, but I'll say this - I heard new things in it even the third time through. 5 stars!!!!

Here's a link to the parent directory with all the images. click HERE. The album cover images all start with the name "jazz"...

Where's Jim??? He oughta be all over this topic (meaning the "Tyrone Washington" part).

Links: My Point Of View Expansions Black Fire Miles Smiles Jacknife Virgo Vibes Off To The Races Hub Cap Here Comes Louis Smith Soundin' Off More to come...

Hard choice, but in the end - I voted for Hank. This, despite the fact that I normally claim Joe Henderson as my all-time favorite tenor player, with Wayne Shorter as a very close second. But somehow, when I looked over all of Lee Morgan's discography (including his sideman appearances), I kept thinking about how all my favorite Hank Mobley albums were the one's with Lee Morgan. Ask me tomorrow, and I'll probably say Wayne Shorter. Day after that - Joe Henderson. Damn, this really was a tough question to answer!!!

Damn, what a difficult question to answer. Every time I think of who I'm gonna vote for, I think of two or three others who are just as good. Any day of the week, you could get a different answer out of me: Wayne, Hank, Joe, Jackie, Bennie - any and every one of those 5. Gonna hafta think about this one a bit, before I vote. Good subject for a poll!!

Yup, that's the one. IMHO, it's certainly an 'interesting' record (some of it even 'very interesting'), but it wasn't nearly as great as I was hoping for. Tyrone's other rare album (although it doesn't seem to be quite "super rare", just "mega rare") I think is called "Roots" (somebody help me here, and I can't seem to find anything about it on-line now --- damn BNBB being down and all). (IMHO), I much prefer "Roots" over "Do Right". "Roots" seemed more like "Natural Essence" (which I love, can you tell??). Also, there are some vocals on "Do Right" (eek!!), and it's just a less jazz-oriented album in general (even with my very open definition of 'jazz'). Very interesting, yes, and I'm glad I got it (even though I promptly gave it to our own Jim Sangrey, who needed it more than I did), but I wouldn't pay a mint for it, knowing what I know now (and didn't know then - I think I paid about $54 for it - ouch!!). If "Roots" came out on CD, I'd buy it for sure, even at import prices (up to $20 - who am I kidding, up to $30). If "Do Right" came out on CD, I'd probably pick it up (for the heck of it), if I could get it for like $10.99 or so. But Jim loves "Do Right", so obviously tastes vary... Hey Jim, how's about you post a review of "Do Right"??? Seems like a good time and place for it.

Much as I'd love to discuss Tyrone Washington's "Natural Essence" as an 'album of the week' -- I do realize that most people don't own this title (since it was only released on CD as a TOCJ, and is now somewhat difficult to track down). So, if I wanna discuss Tyrone Washington (as an 'album of the week'), then I'm thinking the most common source of his playing has got to be on... Horace Silver - "The Jody Grind" Plus, it's got Woody Shaw, who I'd love to include in an 'album of the week discussion too... (Just more 'thinking out loud' about what I might untimately pick, if I ever get picked.)

Sometimes, when he's on his more grungier side... Neil Young I love his 'clumsy' electric guitar playing.

(This isn't a specific response to the prior post - but rather a general observation...) I think the way in which the "album of the week" is chosen is really, REALLY great. The person who chose last week's album picks the next person to pick the next week's album. Wow!! No voting. No 'process'. No lobbying for what the next album should be (well, maybe some - but the real decision comes down to just one person). One person... -- one person picks a really interesting album, and they just pick whatever album suits their fancy. And then they pick the next person... What a GREAT, and **SIMPLE** process. Way back on March 21st, AfricaBrass said... Thanks AfricaBrass, for keeping this so simple!!! B) B) B)