Vincent, Paris

I don't find the new liner notes interesting at all. Seems like all Blumenthal does is have a look at Ruppli discography and indicate the former and the next recordings to the one he's writing about. He doesn't seem to make any other research of any kind to prepare them, just use some knowledge not too difficult to have when you are a BN addict. Anyway, maybe with this thread I'll get my answer : Are the original liner notes by Joe Goldberg included in the "No Room For Squares" RVG edition? Thanks.

Why don't they ask Wynton to do some cover of that one ?

Still famous?

And if you become fed up with jazz, try another thing :

Where's Castro?

Never thought Erroll Garner looked like this :

In his case, I'd rather have something else on my knees than a banjo...

Never seen any place looking like that over here

Was that supposed to be funny?

I always found that one weird if you think about it...

We now know why Sun Ra was so often in the outer space. Must habeen so a busy place!

In his liner notes to "Tom Cat" by Lee Morgan, Michael Cuscuna makes a quote of an Art Blakey interview but he doesn't give any indication about the source. Here is the quote : "I always loved him. And over the years, conversations would get back to me where Lee had stuck up for me. you could'nt say anything bad about me around Lee. During that year (1964), he was really getting himself back together. it was beautiful to watch. on our Japanese tour, he only spent one week's salary. All that money coming from The Sidewinder... we held that for him." Cuscuna just writes that he had said so "recently" (the copyright on my "Tom Cat" CD is 1990). I have been through many Blakey interviews but never found that one. Does anyone from the board remember reading those words ? Thanks. Vincent

This was recorded while the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band had a three-week stay in Los Angeles while touring the West Coast. As Howard Rumsey tells in his inspired liner notes, some of the younger members from the band - Lee Morgan, Wynton Kelly, Charli Persip, Benny Golson - went to the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach, looking for some place to have a jam session and, probably, be able to judge by themselves some of the young West-Coasters, like a East/West, Black/White kind of confrontation. The session apparently smoked so much that Rumsey, then a new A&R for Liberty, suggested that they do it again in the studio, and the result is as great as you can imagine, if not as loose as a real jam.

Just received this : CHARLES TOLLIVER BIG BAND at the Jazz Standard September 27 and 28, 2003 The Jazz Standard is proud to present the long overdue first club appearance ever of the Charles Tolliver Big Band. Mr. Tolliver recorded two critically acclaimed big band records for the Strata-East label in the 1970s which featured the likes of Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, George Coleman, Curtis Fuller, Clifford Jordan, Harold Vick, James Spaulding and many other greats but never performed live with the band. Joining Mr. Tolliver for this historic occasion are: Jon Faddis, David Guy, Keyon Harrold, David Weiss- Trumpets Clark Gayton, Jason Jackson, Aaron Johnson- Trombone Gary Bartz and James Spaulding- Alto Sax Gary Thomas and Craig Handy- Tenor Sax Howard Johnson- Baritone Sax Stanley Cowell- Piano Ugonna Okegwo- Bass Billy Drummond- Drums Sets at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 pm September 27 and 7:30 and 9:30 pm September 28 Sometimes I wish I lived in NYC.

Yeah, especially the title-track. One of Herbie's funkiest solo (and more) I ever heard. He almost steals the show on that one. B)

Valdo Williams was one of those almost forgotten jazz artists who had a strong impact on their contemporaries but who never came out of the shadow. Jackie McLean says he was very influential on him ca. 1948. Here is an excerpt from a Down Beat article : "Writers and musicians sometimes talk as if only major players leave the big footprints. But minor players can be key influences, too. Jackie mentions two he knew from his old Harlem neighborhood. By example Ernie Henry (...) Less known was Valdo Williams. In the late '40's, says Jackie, "He was the first guy playing kind of free concept rather than Thelonious, who I thought was always freer then everybody else, even back then. Valdo's solos were very close to what you hear Cecil Taylor playing. When he played a song like 'All The Things You Are,' a blues, or whatever, he would play the correct chords, and accompany all the soloists in the traditional way. But when his solo came, he would stretch out and play against the form. If it was a 36-bar form, he would fill up 36 bars with his chorus, but it wouldn't be based directly on the chords. He would be playing much freer, freer than anybody I'd heard at the tim." Williams left New York for Montreal in the early 50's." (Down Beat, october 90, p. 22) In an interview with Ben Sidran, McLean says that Sonny Rollins used to know Valdo Williams too.

I own the CD version with the complete session with Lee Morgan (recorded on October 2, 1963). This had new liner notes by Bob Blumenthal explaining why the content of the CD was different from the original LP. I would like to know if the the original notes by Joe Goldberg are included in the RVG Edition since the this edition respects the original LP sequence. Also, I'd like to know if the liner photographs from the session by Francis Wolff show Lee Morgan or not. Thanks.

Me too! I never thought Schildkraut had recorded as a leader. I thought he had been lost for music until his death. And then I went back to AMG and found the following, It was released by Endgame in 2000. Schildkraut playing be-bop tunes mostly. Is this some kind of forgotten tape from the 50's or what ? Features Bill Triglia (believed he was out of business too) on piano and a bassist named Jeff Fuller. Anybody heard this ?

Thanks Mike. I bet you would know. So, was it ever released by Vee Jay (or anyone else) or is Willie Thomas sending you a private tape from his personal collection ? Do you have any idea why so many of these albums remained unpublished for years ? Vincent.

I was browsing some old Down Beat issues and found the following mention in the "ad lib" column : “Vee Jay Records recorded furiously in October. The company cut sessions by blind pianist Chris Anderson’s trio, the MJT+3, Lee Morgan, Frank Strozier and Willie Thomas (MJT+3 trumpeter). Eddie Higgins was signed by the expanding Chicago Negro-owned company and is set to record is first date this fall.” (11/24/1960, vol. 27, n°24, page 48). I did some research and found the following : - Chris Anderson trio session is "My Romance" (recorded on October 12, according to AMG) - the MJT+3 is "Message From Walton Street" (recorded on October 20) - Lee Morgan session is "Expoobident" (recorded on October 14, according to Mosaic) - Frank Strozier session is "Cool, Calm and Collected" (recorded on Oct. 13) - Eddie Higgins did record an album for Vee Jay, in November 1960, "The Eddie Higgins Trio". - Also to be mentioned is Wayne Shorter "Second Genesis" (recorded on October 11). I cannot locate any date by trumpeter Willie Thomas as a leader. Now, as far as I know, the Wayne Shorter date remained unreleased until 1974, the Strozier date until 1993 and the MJT+3 date until 2000 when it was finally issued by Koch. Could it be that the Willie Thomas is still on the shelves ? Was Down Beat report wrong ? Anyone knows anything about it ? Has this been discussed before ? Some interesting links : Frank Strozier Discography by Noal Cohen Eddie Higgins discography Vee Jay story & discography

They are not out yet but it should come : ESP catalog

Maybe I was told something wrong...

I know some of you don't appreciate him but CDBaby also has James Spaulding latest (and self-produced) album :

I think "Nature Boy" was mainly recorded for the Japanese market which is very interested by albums composed of jazz standards such as those Jackie Mac played on it. He had done such an album in the early sixties, "Swing, Swang, Swingin'". I met Jackie Mac last year in his hometown of Hartford. I asked him why he wasn't recording that much today and he said he wasn't really interested in making records with the conditions he was offered. I also believe that he has recorded so many great albums in the 60's (something like 25 great sessions in less than 10 years) than he thinks his legacy is already there. By the way, he did make a few records for a French label - Birdology - ten years ago and those have been reissued recently by Dreyfus Jazz. Now, Jackie Mac sometimes plays in Hartford at the Artists Collective building, often jamming with his guests as far as I know. He has like a jazz giant coming each month to play at the Collective. See Artists Collective.

Brownie, the Tony Fruscella discography is now online. Apparently, there's nothing like a 1949 live tape listed in it.