Milestones

I wonder if Lou Donaldson would be the highest number as leader, given his long run and the fact that he put out 2 and sometimes 3 records per year. Silver was a little more judicious by comparison. Grant Green, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, and Jimmy Smith recorded like maniacs, but they had shorter careers at Blue Note than Donaldson and Silver.

You are certainly correct on #2, which I think is one of the greatest albums of a very great period in jazz.

I'm pretty sure Blakey is not as long a stretch as you would expect--probably 10 years, if that.

Just wondering if we can get some exact numbers on long runs on Blue Note, especially continuous runs. I believe Horace Silver is usually regarded as having the longest run, at 25 years. During that time he barely recorded for anyone else, and certainly he is completely identified with the label--the quintessential Blue Note artist. I don't hear that much about Lou Donaldson, who managed about 24 years straight. In recent times, Joe Lovano arguably did 26 years straight, though his last was an archive live record with Hank Jones; so it's probably more accurate to say 23 years. Or we could just look at it differently--highest number of leader dates for Blue Note. A good example would be Jimmy Smith, whose first run with BN was only about 7 years; but he sure cranked out some records.

OK, here it is--my second time creating a Blindfold Test. I have 13 tracks, and the main goal is musical pleasure. Most tracks are from the mid-90s to the present, but there are some oldies in there too. Here is the link: http://thomkeith.net/index.php/blindfold-tests/ Enjoy!

The record with Rava is pretty decent, very much a collaboration of the two, though curiously the album closes with a piano reading of "Over the Rainbow." This version of "Fort Worth" falls quite a bit short of the original, but otherwise I like what I'm hearing. Enrico Rava is quite mellow, but what else could he be given his age? But I can't compare it to other work; this amounts to my first exposure to Rava.

True enough, but I recall there were songs like "Embraceable You" at JATP.

Just saying that I find diversity essential. Are there any symphonies or concertos that lack the adagio/largo? Or, to put it in jazz terms, how often does a jazz album (especially a great one) totally dispense with ballads?

This was all way before my time. Groaning at ballads? I don't think I'd go for concert that was all uptempo and all about "battles." Ballads are a must.

It's amazing that we've had several musicians still active and vital at age 90 and above--the late Randy Weston and Jimmy Heath, the still-living Benny Golson and Roy Haynes.

And some Village Gate sessions with Clark Terry. Yes, quite a few great sideman appearances, plus all the stuff by The Heath Brothers. But you'd think there would be a Blue Note run, or maybe Concord, or a longer run at Steeple Chase. You could say he did better (late career) with Heath Brothers, even though those records are now a bit hard to find.

Does anyone else think that Jimmy Heath's discography is rather thin for an artist of his stature? He never seemed to find a decent run with any label other than Riverside in the early 60's. As a composer, yes, he's impressive: Gingerbread Boy The Quota The Voice of the Saxophone Ellington's Stray Horn Mona's Mood Big P The Time and the Place Gemini C.T.A. Trane Connections (and many more)

"The Voice of the Saxophone"...wow, what a beautiful piece of music.

I wouldn't call "The Serpent's Tooth" one of Jimmy's great compositions.

But Miles did not steal "C.T.A." when he recorded it with Jimmy.

That Miles...up to his tricks again. Jimmy Heath did do a date with Miles in 1953, and one of the tunes was Heath's "C.T.A."

R.I.P. Mr. Heath A great artist for sure, and a man of many skills. When seeing him in concert, I was particularly stuck by the logic, elegance, and concision of his playing. This man didn't waste a note.

I had not known Elvin appeared on a Kessel record.

I get the feeling that mainstream guitarists aren't talked about much around here, not even those considered "classic." I'm a big fan of Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall, West Montgomery, and Grant Green--all of whom are distinctive and often quite creative. But there is something to be said for significant, yet somewhat forgotten, figures like Bukcy Pizzarelli, Herb Ellis, and Barney Kessel. I'm not sure I could even tell them apart, such as Kessel and Ellis, who were together in "Great Guitars" for a while. I've known Ellis better, in part because of his longer stint in the Peterson trio. But Kessel's work with Oscar is not to be missed, including when the group backed Lester Young. I've enjoyed The Artistry of Barney Kessel compilation and the first Poll Winners record. He was also known to accompany the greatest singers: Ella and Billie. "Great" may be too strong a word, but I'm now starting to look more deeply into Kessel's work and feeling he should not be a neglected guitarist. Any recommendations (albums or individual pieces) are welcome.

I like Oscar Peterson now more than ever. Few artists of any sort are as consistent as he was. I guess some would view "consistent" as doing too much of the same thing and not producing a handful of masterpieces. But I don't always need a masterpiece or an innovative record. I've just put together a playlist of Oscar playing Gershwin--all kinds of 1950s work primarily, but also some tracks from the fine Zoot Sims record of Gershwin (on Pablo). Sorry, but this is complete listening pleasure.

Expertise is partly knowledge. If you have listened to and appreciated particular artists, then you are some degree of expert. I also make a lot of thematic playlists: jazz and blues, jazz/world music, duos (strictly two instruments), Miles Davis sidemen, jazz artists playing Gershwin, cool jazz, etc.

Some good stuff on this BFT some revelatory stuff. I've had no experience of Nat Pierce and very little of Percy France (just one Jimmy Smith record). The latter can sure play a ballad!

Here are some I would name: Beautiful Dreamers--Bill Frisell Sixteen Sunsets--Jane Ira Bloom Last Dance--Jarrett and Haden Trip--Tom Harrell Cross Culture--Joe Lovano Everybody has a Plan--Charlie Hunter Vanished Gardens--Charles Lloyd (w. Lucinda Williams)

Well, these are the first two playlists I made of Ervin's music. Perhaps my playlists are unusual in that the majority of the tracks come from albums led by others, notably Mingus, Weston, Haynes, and Waldron. ONE: 1. Lunar Tune 2. A Day to Mourn 3. Status Seeking—Mal Waldron 4. Scoochie—Roy Haynes 5. Portrait of Vivian—Randy Weston 6. Thirteen—Mal Waldron 7. Under Paris Skies—Roy Haynes 8. Devil Woman—Charles Mingus 9. Al’s In TWO: 1. Cryin’ Blues—Mingus 2. Prayer for Passive Resistance—Mingus 3. Sketch of Melba—Haynes 4. Berkshire Blues—Weston 5. Cry Me Not 6. Mr. Wiggles 7. African Cookbook—Weston 8. Warp and Woof—Waldron 9. I Can’t Get Started 10. The Lamps is Low

What is an expert in this situation? Maybe I'm one; I've created thousands of personal playlists.