Alexander Hawkins

I think my vote would be fraudulent, since I'm afraid I only have P.O.D. Unfortunately, I will have just to monitor this thread and dream..! p.s. I notice you're rubbing it in by listing the personnels..!

I've seen this a lot around in the UK - I feel quietly privileged that we've got it and you guys don't! - It makes a change!!! I must admit, I haven't bought it yet; but having thumbed through it a couple of weeks back, I think the conceit is that Haydon traces the respective careers of the members of the quintet, making a focal point of the concert in Massey Hall, where the careers obviously intersected. In that sense, it's a short history of each of the participants, focussing (maybe for a chapter or two) only relatively briefly on the gig itself... Having said that, please do somebody contradict me if I'm wrong, because as I say, that's on the basis of a 2 minute look at the thing! Whatever the case, it certainly looks like a nicely produced book, and something that I'll pick up when I can drag myself away from buying the CDs themselves!

What about a complete Baby Face Willette leader sessions as a Mosaic Select? I don't know how easy (or not) it would be to get hold of the Argo releases; and I'm sure there would be some attraction in 'complete' meaning just that!

Thanks, Green Dolphin! Someone's mentioned that to me in the past as something I should track down. Guess I'm either going to have to get lucky, or sit tight for it to be reissued, and then I can find out whether this is my disc!

I heard on the radio a while back what sounded like probably some AACM type musicians playing ragtime. It started fairly straight, and then chorus by chorus, would get further and further out. I think it was perhaps a trio or a quartet (but heard it on a really crackly radio station, so couldn't be sure). Anyway, I thought it was really brilliant stuff, an would love to get hold of it, but as the unhelpful title to this thread suggests, I've no idea who it might have been. I wonder if anyone could help, please? I don't know whether it was from a themed album, or anything - so sorry to give next to nothing for help!

Thanks for the rec's! I forgot about the NY Art Quartet. I do actually have that one... I quite enjoy it, not that I can make head or tail of 'Black Dada Nihilismus', or whatever it's called!

I just picked up this CD for next to nothing, knowing nothing about it, or anything, really! Could fill me in on the idea/reason for getting Jimmy Hamilton/David Murray/Alvin Baptiste/John Carter together? Presumably they weren't a working band for any period... Thanks as always

I've just got my mits on another couple of ESP titles which I didn't have before - Albert Ayler's (et al.) 'New York Ear and Eye Control' and Charles Tyler's 'Ensemble'. I really enjoy what I have on this label (which is admittedly not much: those two; Sunny Murray's 'Sunny Murray'; Marion Brown: 'Why Not?' Ayler's 'Spiritual Unity' and maybe a couple of others I can't think of... I think the music is occasionally a little 'hit and miss', but I really enjoy the feel of the stuff. Of course, I realise that that is a hopeless praise for *great* albums like 'Spiritual Unity'... But does anyone else have any particular favourites from this catalogue?

If it helps, off the top of my head, I think JoAnne Brackeen might be playing at Ronnie Scott's at the very beginning of May...

Hi Bertrand, In all honesty, I ordered mine over the 'net, and won't have it for a couple of days. However, I did see one in a store today, and from memory, it didn't have any extra tracks - and this tallies with the Amazon UK website's track listing. Hope that helps! I'll post again if the CDs shows up and I'm mistaken! Red

I love his brushes on the Tatum Group Masterpieces, volume whatever it is, in the trio with Tatum and Red Callender!

Don't know much of his stuff as a leader, but I really enjoy his playing on Sonny Rollins vol. 2!

I think maybe also the John Patton 'Got a Good Thing Goin'' which is certainly already in the shops over here in the UK is a Rare Groove!

Just listened to the clip offered by Amazon. Philip - you're right! 'Man of Words' it is. This is really stunning stuff (albeit on the basis of a radio show and a one-minute sound clip..!) I must buy it! Thanks again for the help.

Thanks for all the help. Actually, Philip, maybe you're right: I wasn't really thinking, and because I didn't hear an alto in the mix, thought that it would be the tenor/'bone front line rather than the Dolphy one. Shame on me for forgetting his other instruments! I've just managed to plug some working speakers into my computer, so I'll try to find some sound clips to help!

On the BBC around 10 days ago, there was a radio documentary about Booker Little. Towards the end of the show, there was a wonderful piece - but I don't know what it was. It is driving me crazy(!) that it isn't listed on the BBC website, because as soon as I heard it, I knew it was a must-have for me! Anyway, I was wondering whether some kind person with a better knowledge of Booker Little than myself could help me identify the piece, please? It was very slow, almost rubato tempo-wise. The whole extract was a solo trumpet solo, with occasional chordal interpolations from (I think) a tenor and a trombone. It was characterised by wide, angular melodic leaps, and a real melancholy feeling. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks as always.

For Scriabin, I'd perhaps start with the 'Poem of Ecstasy'; a work right at the extremities of the Romantic tradition - and 'Romantic' there could have had a small 'r'. Apart from that, the 10 piano sonatas offer a nice overview of his style, which could very crudely be divided into two periods; off the top off my head (and I haven't listened to them in a while, in all honesty), I think the first 4 sonatas would represent his earlier, more 'Romantic' period; whereas he goes out and further out in some of the others! I find my friends who listen to jazz more easy to introduce to his work, actually, because there's lots of quartal harmony which is pretty recognisable from McCoy Tyner, etc.!

Can I change tack completely? Does anyone listen to much Scriabin?

I'll take Massey Hall! The Five Spot Dolphy date is a point well taken, as is the Blakey Birdland recordings. And I would've given a lot to hear Clifford do his thing that night on 'Donna Lee'.

Just edited this because it didn't really make sense! The post was started in enthusiasm at having just picked up Black Stars...I should stress - the enthusiasm is still very much there! Big fan of Sam Rivers' playing throughout this disk, including his piano...

couw, that description of Pepper Adams taking a 'brawling' solo is brilliant. The Mosaic liners use the word 'scorching', and I think perhaps 'slashing', but 'brawling' is the 'mot juste' for my money.

My impressions on this: 1) It's really nice to hear Charlie Rouse in the non-Monk context. With my very limited jazz knowledge, I don't think I've heard him without Monk before! 2) Byrd by this date really doesn't sound that much like Brownie, to my ears at least. 3) He's got a beautiful tone! Here Am I, for instance, showcases it really nicely. The general tenor of this tune reminds me a bit of Herbie's 'Tribute to Somebody' (or whatever it's called - can't think of the top of my head!) on the 'My Point of View' album. 4) Pepper Adams is a fantastic foil for Byrd. I think his style compliments Byrd's lyricism very nicely, and, especially on the more down-tempo ballad-ish pieces like 'Here Am I', stops things getting too saccharine. 5) Are there some slightly funny things going on with A.T.'s timing with the kicks towards the end of Davis' solo on the opening track? But this is definitely a cool album!

OK, fair cop. I guess albums with 'jazz interpretations of spirituals', although generally, albums with the same kind of feel to them.

I must be preaching to the converted - but just thought I'd say how much enjoyed this album, which I've only recently picked up. There's a real fervour about the playing throughout, and for me, really 'narrative' improvisation, which makes the quote from Rimsky Korsakov's 'Scheherezade' on the last track so beautifully apposite. Does anyone have any recommendations for things which are in a similar vein to this album? Thanks, as always, in advance!

Sunny Murray - I recently got his self-titled ESP album, which I reckon is a pretty intriguing listen. The other Murray I own is 'Sunshine' on BYG/Actuel. Maybe Sunny Murray is a good place to start with very free jazz, since his compositions (on these albums at least) are structurally clear, and fairly easy to stick with melodically. If you go the Art Ensemble route, the first work I heard was 'Message...', which is a good way into the genre (speaking as someone who got into it that way!); especially since you can hear them doing a recognisable tune (Bird's 'Dexterity') in an accessible post-Dolphy style. However, the Art Ensemble album which I've been absolutely mesmerised by for the last two weeks (it practically hasn't left my CD player) is 'People in Sorrow', which is truly one of the most beautiful pieces of jazz (or any other genre) I can think of right now.