Alexander Hawkins

Not strictly on point, but I was listening to the Aretha Franklin gospel album earlier and remarking to myself how effective the piano+another keyboard instrument (here, organ) can be.

I don't think Tony's out of line here. £12 is very reasonable in this country for a new CD (sadly, of course). And he is a superb player, no doubt.

I take it that's an unfortunate type-o? Ooops... Obviously it was supposed to be "funky".

Wish I had time just at the moment to write more...I've been spending a lot of time with this lately as well (as with a lot of Elmo Hope). It's wonderful stuff. Hope seems to me to be a true original. I think he suffers from being more susceptible than most to the 'half-way between Monk and Powell' categorisation. I think he should be regarded right there in the canon: certainly that branch of it which leads down from Hines, Wilson, and Tatum through Powell, Monk, Nicholls and Hill etc. I enjoy his composing as well as his playing. Mirror Mind Rose from the Fox is *almost* prototypical Hill. I look forwards to discussion on this. I'm on a BIG Elmo Hope kick just now.

I take it that's an unfortunate type-o?

Now about that Miles...

I agree - it's cute all us Europeans trying to play American music

From Supa Groover to Groove Merchant in two fell swoops. Cool

...I guess this is as good a place as any to make a thousandth post before I go to bed.

Well, with 998 posts and an obsessive character in this respect,

It's quite a cool coda to an album, really. Just in the same way that Sonny's 'OK, fellas' is a brilliant way to start 'Work Time'.

Stuff on the Sonny Rollins Prestige box apart, I own nothing led by Miles. Nor any Stan Getz. Not by design, nor because I'm rabidly 'anti' either, but they're pretty egregious omissions. On which note, anyone without any Tatum should be shot

A second for 'The Begninning and the End'. Stunning versions of 'Donna Lee', 'Walking' and 'A Night in Tunisia'. The band is not too bad. Plus, it's not earth shattering, but I quite enjoy the Chris Powell and his Blue Flames (is this the name, or am I making it up?) recordings on the front end of the CD.

That's quite some collection of musicians.

Not to derail things, but I've been enjoying Phill Niblock's Sun Ra film 'The Magic Sun' over the last few days.

Understand your point, but what's the alternative - 'Mengelberg', 'Bennink' or 'Misha', 'Han'? I guess using last names is the usual thing. Using first names assumes a familiarity. I'm not really bothered by a writer refering to someone as 'Mr.' - nothing wrong with showing respect. I do have to say that I feel odd when someone calls me Mr. Secor. Even at my age, I think of Mr. Secor as my father, not me. Likewise, I know what you mean. Part of it simply jars because it's a usage we hardly ever see in the UK, and where it is used, there's often a slightly patronising (etc.) tone employed. So, teacher to pupil, 'So, Mr Secor, this is the second week in a row I haven't seen your homework' type thing!

I'm on the Waltz for Debby (anti-)bandwagon.

Would love to see these, guys. p.s. I still can't get the hang of the 'Mr X...' 'Mr Y...' usage.

This is one thing I was thinking of, although not sure where that Miles' Mode is!

I think there is one on Derek's Incus label (now run by his wife Karen). Including a fascinating version of Miles' Mode.

It was only John's second album. I think "Along came John" sold so well, they decided not to issue this for a bit, then along came "The way I feel" and you couldn't issue "Blue John" when you had that album waiting in the wings. I used to get tremendously frustrated about this album, because it was illustrated on the backs of the subsequent albums. (Same with "Rollin' with Leo" which was on all the inner sleeves.) Michael Cuscuna's dismissive comments about this on the Mosaic box are quite wrong. Patton's complete BN output should have been on a proper sized box. But I always think he doesn't have much of a feel for Soul Jazz. He's only ever produced two great Soul Jazz albums in his life, and they must have been accidents. MG I'm a real fan of Blue John. What I can't get over is how damn FAR OUT that first track is. George Braith is wonderful. I like the rest of the album, but the opener steals the show IMHO.

Tatum does some downright frightening stuff at the end of 'Just One of Those Things'.

Jo Jones is great here. I know I mentioned this above, but I was thinking about his contribution whilst listening to that of Bill Douglass on the Webster session. Douglass does just fine (and maybe is justified in staying out of the way that little bit more with the extra front line instrument), but Jones is a cut above IMHO.

I can't be the only person crazy about this...