Milestones

Some great responses...thanks.

What are the thoughts on this guy? He was never more than a name to me. I know he was popular in the 60s (long before I became a jazz fan) when he incorporated major rock and pop elements. Before that, he was involved in Afro-Cuban and Brazilian. Before that, bop and cool jazz. I really don't know Mann's stuff. I do have his last record, which was co-led with Phil Woods. And I just acquired Flautista, which works the Afro-Cuban stuff rather well. One record, Great ideas of Western Mann, features him exclusively on bass clarinet (not even Dolphy did that). He seems to be a worthwhile figure, albeit one somewhat forgotten.

"Lost in the Stars" from Mighty Lights is as good as it gets in ballad playing--just stunning.

Yes, I've heard about the Warne March influence, though I confess that I have very little familiarity with Marsh.

I've begun to think that Billy Hart is among the under-sung GREAT jazz drummers.

I would put him (at the very least) in the company of Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, and Chris Potter. Thanks for the discography. There's a lot to explore.

Any Mark Turner fans out there? He seemed to be a hot young saxophonist not long ago, yet the years have slipped by and he's now 50+. His activity has picked up a lot lately, especially with ECM releases--one of his own (Lathe of Heaven), a couple with Billy Hart, Stefano Bollani. He's also recorded quite a bit with Kurt Rosenwinkel. By no mean an innovator, he seems always worth hearing. He really knocked me out on the Tom Harrell record Trip. The Billy Hart records are good too. His playing is often called moody and cerebral. I had not really heard Turner until less than a month ago, and now I find that he is somebody I need to check out extensively.

Isn't this the same lineup that recorded Water From an Ancient Well?

There is no shortage of Weston solo, and I guess that applies to the bootlegs as well. I have twice seen Weston play solo concerts, and they were definitely fine experiences.

I was just listening to the Diana Krall Christmas album and thinking it was really well done. Any recommendation of records by female singers, especially jazz or somewhat jazzy?

It seems to me that a number like that is hard to top by anyone in any musical field on any instrument.

Happy birthday. I would like to see at least one more recording. He can take his time and get it done just right. I have heard McCoy play delicately--and quite well. There's no need to be the powerhouse he used to be.

I think we should include Ken Berry too, popping in there near the end.

Jim Nabors died peacefully at age 87. He made a nice little contribution to The Andy Griffith Show, and for reasons I still don't quite understand I was a pretty big fan of Gomer Pyle USMC. I have to say, though, that there were moments in Gomer Pyle they were absolutely hilarious. Other than Ron Howard, is anyone significantly associated with Andy Griffith still alive?

I saw Blakey and Messengers at what was called the Kool Jazz Festival (near Cleveland) in the summer of 1984. It was a good show, and actually Dizzy was there too (I believe he was scheduled) and played on a few numbers. It was good stuff, and yet not completely memorable. I was pretty new to jazz at the time, and I didn't have a lot of Blakey in my collection. The personnel was probably the same as what Late listed. But the festival show overall was something else. It opened with Miles, who had Bill Evans (sax) and John Scofield in the band; then Gerry Mulligan; then Blakey; then finished with Herbie H./Ron C./Tony W. with the Marsalis brothers on the front line.

Motian and Haden connected a great deal over the span of many decades, and Motian certainly had a feeling for Ornette and the avant garde. So why not Motian in Old and New Dreams?

I love Charlie Haden, but a 17+ minute bass feature?

I've heard some stuff by The Leaders, and it always seems to be a case of hit-or-miss. My favorite track by them is "Everything Changed," found on Slipping and Sliding--just gorgeous.

And some have the knack for hiring decent writers. The perfect example is Art Blakey, who had Horace Silver, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Cedar Walton, and countless others. But you need to recognize the talent, plus have the clout to lure them into the band. I'm curious to know if anyone can answer this. Does it cost more to record the pieces of living jazz composers vs.deceased ones like Gillespie and Coltrane (or for that matter, the likes of Gershwin and Porter)? .

A for hating that record, two words: electric piano.

Will he be releasing any small group stuff soon--perhaps a trio with African percussion added, or a small group with T.K. Blue?

I got the sense that this was over early, once Houston scored those runs. All told, it was a pretty anti-climactic Game 7. But the Astros are a great team and fully deserving.

I've been collecting a great deal of Lovano, and I have quite a bit of Douglas. Their live record from Monterey (Blue Note) sounds good, but I've only heard it on Spotify. Yet this album is not available under the used records at Amazon, and a new one costs about $30! I have also not located it in libraries, including college libraries. What is up with this?

Randy Weston is another great musician who is past 90 and still performing.

Well, I took one year of French in high school, and it was one of my true low spots as a student.