Milestones

I can see a possible mental/emotional advantage, but you'd think the physical effects would be detrimental.

I am not a musician, but surely music depends on reflexes and timing--and you'd think these would be f---ed up by using various substances. Yet most types of music (jazz, rock, pop, rap) have had, at various times, the strong presence of drugs.

How do musicians play music when they're strung out half the time? Just asking?

Never heard a bad recording by her. She was a player with great talent and soul.

I would like (and possibly love) to hear McCoy and Freddie from this period.

An interesting "what if?" scenario. I can picture/hear Mingus' music being every bit as effective, if not more so, as John Lewis's score for Odds Against Tomorrow.

R.I.P. I have heard Ron Miles on several Frisell releases, but not very much on his own projects. A talented guy, and from what I hear a wonderful human being. He will be missed.

Hmmm, if one hears a tuba with Blythe, it's almost bound to be Stewart. I've followed Blythe extensively and can't think of him working much with singers. Is it the vocalist's record? Or is that asking too much?

The first track is "April in Paris." It is nice, but I have no guesses here. Track 8 sounds like Arthur Blythe at the opening, then Bob Stewart later. I don't know where this comes from, and I have no guess on the singer.

Yep, Art Taylor is outstanding on the landmark Coltrane album. Also, it is interesting to hear him (a few times) in a trio with Trane, such as: "Trane's Slow Blues" and "Goldsboro Express."

I've delved into the book quite a bit. It is often quite interesting. On the down side, it's aggravating that he asks the same questions of everyone--and some of those questions are quite dated.

I'm looking for some responses to the work of Art Taylor. He was extremely active during jazz's greatest period (in my view), and I guess he was the house drummer at Prestige. He was found on many jam sessions, and he was almost certainly the most frequent drummer for Coltrane's Prestige sessions. Of course, we can't forget he was on Giant Steps, with very fine work there--including the memorable opening to "Countdown." Art Taylor moved to Europe in 1963 and stayed for decades, pretty much not recording--not even for Steeplechase. Not as distinctive as Max Roach, Art Blakey, Elvin, or Philly Joe--Art nonetheless added immeasurably to all of his session. He was a vital figure in a vital period. This is a playlist I created that shows his range of work with Trane: Cousin Mary Bahia Trane's Slow Blues Blue Calypso You Say You Care Velvet Scene Goldsboro Express Dial Africa Countdown Spiral Slow Dance Cat Walk Good Bait Traneing In

Anyone with even a slight knowledge of old J.S. can hear the "borrowing."

R.I.P, Mr. Brooker. I never followed the group much, though I liked what I heard. I hadn't realized "Whiter Shade" went that far back--around the time of Sgt. Pepper.

The Hill Street Blues theme my be the finest TV theme of all time, at least for a dramatic show.

There is good and there is great, but then too it's all in the ear of the behearer.

Good albums for sure, but I personally don't find any of these "go-to" Tyner records.

Tyner from 1991 alone! Soliloquy (solo) Remembering John (trio) 44th Street Suite w. (Blythe and Murray) The Turning Point (his best big band record)

It is true that McCoy's work in the decade (80s) was rather poor. He started to come out of it late in the decade with Revelations (solo) and Uptown/Downtown (big band), but better records in nearly every format would soon follow. I find that the early 90s is the most consistent and finest period in his long career.

If John Lewis is NOT a composer, then hardly anyone in jazz is one.

Another Story is available on Apple Music.

I recommend Jim Hall's Textures and, to a lesser extent, By Arrangement. I also like the tracks of Andrew Hill with a string quartet, from the Mosaic box. J.J. Johnson's The Brass Orchestra is basically in the Third Stream vein. I would certainly call Sketches of Spain Third Stream.

How do you define that "Twilight Zone" sub-genre again? Moody and eerie? Perhaps some 60's Grachan Moncur?

If Hollywood stops making sequels and remakes, it will shut down.

Oscar nominations came out today, with a full slate of 10 nominated for Best Picture. I have not seen any of the movies (though some sound interesting), and I'm really not much into movies generally--and Oscar-winning films specifically--in recent years. The last Best Picture winner I saw was Green Book, which I thought was good--but probably not great. Interesting to see West Side Story get a nomination. It's not often that a winner is remade, and even rarer that the remake gets a nomination (Mutiny on the Bounty may be the only one previously).