Alexander Hawkins

I'm back at my piano today, but still having difficulty working this out! If anyone could help, that would be fantastic!

Is this it? I saw it today in a store, and with that line up, I've really got to get it!!! The Great Concert of Charles Mingus

I was just listening to B&S on 'Mingus Plays Piano', and his reharmonisation - I think via Tatum? I don't have his recordings to hand! - of the bridge is fantastic. I wonder if anyone with an ear more harmonically astute than mine could please tell me what the changes are here (I'm minus a keyboard at the moment as well!)? Any help would be really appreciated!

I really enjoy 'The Seance', on Contemporary.

Flight of the Foo Birds!!!

Funny - I was sitting at the keyboard for well on 2 hours with this MF yesterday thinking the exact same 'WTF'. Got nowhere..!

I might be making it up, but I think I've seen a photo posted somewhere on the web of these two together, near a piano. I guess it's possible that they played, in this case? Anyway, wouldn't it have been great if they did!

I agree, this is a fascinating thread. To my shame, I don't know enough Miles to contribute meaningfully, although from what I do know, I certainly side very much with those who can't 'get' or in fact dislike Miles, Bill Evans and Chet Baker. But then, where's the variety in us all liking everyone?!?

I'm not sure about this one either, but it's a little bit like two eight bar blues sequences, an eight bar bridge, and an eight bar blues type thing again.

In general, I'm not necesssarily wild about his stuff. My favourite playing of his would be on the title track to Blakey's 'Free for All', although I'm not sure that that's especially typical? Of those I know in the list, however, I think it's 'Night Dreamer' for me!

I bought this on the strength of this thread and have to say I think it's fantastic - very original, and challenging playing from Hasaan.

Thanks for these thoughts! I really agree about this melody/originality thing. I've been sitting today with a book of Monk solos, playing through them at the keyboard. There's just not a thing in there which doesn't say/do SOMETHING. I guess the nearest thing there is to a real lick is his whole tone run, but since it's so much his own, no matter! Apart from this, it's pure functional melody. And like you say Jim, there is this harmony/rhythm connection - there's a transcription in this book of one of his 'In Walked Bud' solos (the BN version, I think, off the top of my head), and I can't get over just the first 8 or so bars. The manipulation of the harmony and rhythm and melody is so simple, but so crafty: it's genius. No-one else could do it, I'm sure. Reminds me of Sonny Rollins in some ways... Anyway, more study...I'm really going to make a go of this Monk thing!

...is a complete art form, and one I'm not having much success with! I wondered if any of you had any advice/tips for getting around these things? I'm fine getting around changes, fine up-tempo etc., but sometimes just can't crack Monk's music. I don't know why this is: maybe because the tunes are so obviously original, and so suggestive of Monk's solo style, I find it psychologically difficult to think anything other than 'Monk' right through a performance - which clearly leads to the problem of cheap imitation... Anyway, if anyone could offer any sympathy ( ), or better still, advice, that would be really appreciated!

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind listening to Bill Evans (I appreciate that sounds somewhat damning, but it's not meant to be!). But I just can't identify with it in any way. I guess it sounds a bit classical and polished for my taste. That said, I do admire him for having his own sound and going with it. Perhaps my adverse criticism is undeserved also in the sense that his countless imitators probably spoil him for me.

I'm a soccer man myself (not American, only ever been to your patch once!) - but we get a bit of NFL on the TV over here...What's with this Michael Vick guy??? Maybe it's because I don't understand football well enough, but he's probably the one player who I've ever seen who's made me sit up and appreciate individual brilliance (I think it was a comeback game of his I saw - maybe something like Falcons/Tennessee???) Anyway, I'm happy to watch the game when he's playing!

What's the sound quality like, is it a distraction ? Thanks Chuck - nice to know I'm not hearing things! Clunky - I don't find the sound quality in any way distracting; but I'm admittedly nothing of a stickler in this department. In any case, there's no way sound quality should put anyone off something as good as this (IMHO)!

Thanks for that Brownie - I'll see if I can get my mits on that Fresh Sounds session!

I've just in the last couple of weeks heard my first Joe Albany (apart, maybe, from a few tracks with Lester Young)... The Right Combination (with Warne Marsh) and Bird Lives (w/Art Davis and Roy Haynes) This is great stuff. The guy seems to be a true original. I marginally prefer his playing on the album with Warne Marsh, and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations of some more Joe Albany, whether as leader or sideman? And a subsidiary question - on The Right Combination, is there a drummer? I could swear there was, but the sleeve of my LP only lists ts/p/b. Thanks in advance!

I've got a Pro'ject Debut turntable. It's my first one, and my system is doubtless not scintillating compared to some around here, but I love it; and bottom line, it does the job! I was a real kid in the candy store when I realised all the new stuff I could hear which simply was never on CD or anything!

Thanks Chuck!

Just a quick query... There was a documentary on BBC 2 the other night about Stan Tracey. There was a section where they were talking about his work at Ronnie Scott's, and about which saxophonists he liked/found it harder to get on with from a personal and musical point of view. Anyway, one whom he got on well with personally and musically was Sonny Rollins, and they mentioned that Stan had played on his soundtrack to Alfie. Is this correct? Does the Impulse! album contain the actual performances used during the film, or is it reworkings of the film score? It's just that I thought Roger Kellaway played piano on the album... Anyway, if anyone could put me straight, it would be much appreciated - Thanks!

I don't know these works at all well, but the other day on the radio I heard the Berg Quartet - I think - playing one of the quartets very convincingly. But as I say, this isn't from much of a comparative perspective...

Funny - Time Waits is perhaps my favourite of them (although I'm loathe to pick a favourite from an artist like Powell, who constantly amazes me); and the title track I find to be extraordinarily beautiful (if that's the right word; it's melancholy as well). What I like about Bud compared to so many other pianists is that everything is so distilled: I don't here any chord-running, or anything like that. It's melody or nothing, and I think this makes his message all the more direct.

I've got the Fred Jackson, which sounds fine. I have to add the rider to that that I am not in the slightest a stickler for sound - so long as I can here the notes, that's fine for me! This reissue was great for someone like me, who's sufficiently young and new to jazz that I missed 'Hootin' and Tootin'' the first time around, and also couldn't really afford to buy things like this as an expensive import! So I'm all for them. I wonder which other titles are out there?

Thanks for that Chuck. I'd actually picked up the stroking of the strings - just thought I could hear something else - I'm probably just imagining things!