mikeb

AB-SO-LUTELY!!! Perhaps my favorite series of all-time. I suggested the following to Fantasy in the recent past, but got the "no plans at this time" reply, as well: 1) Trudy Pitts - The Excitement Of T.P./A Bucketful Of Soul 2) Byrdie Green - Sister Byrdie!/I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) ... yeah, I know, she was a vocalist, but I think 'Hammond' Smith is on both of these dates. 3) Shirley Scott - Now's The Time/Sweet Soul (which was also released as Happy Talk, if I'm not mistaken) Any or all of these would make me very happy!

Anyone picked up his latest, "Strings", on Milestone? Impressions?

Anyone picked any/all of these up yet?: Ron Carter - Songs For You (Milestone) Bobby Timmons - Prestige Trio Sessions (Prestige) Ahmed Abdul-Malik - Jazz Sounds of Africa (Prestige) Hampton Hawes - Northern Windows Plus (Prestige) Mongo Santamaria - Montreux Heat (Prestige) [strictly speaking, not a reissue] Sonny Stitt - Goin' Down Slow (Prestige) Impressions?

It's kind of a mix for me ... I usually get between four and five hours of sleep during the week (1 AM - 6 AM). Probably not much more on the weekends -- maybe 3 AM - 9 AM if I'm lucky. I spend most of my waking hours after the wife goes to bed (10:30 or so) on the computer with jazz on the CD player. I try to spend as much time as I can with her while she's awake ... I figure I can always go "play in my room" after she's gone to bed. I really should be getting more sleep, and my body is starting to tell me that. I just can't figure out when the hell I'm going to do everything if I go to bed at 10 or 11!!

Congrats, Mike!! You know, I was discussing with Dan Gould recently how guys named Mike are usually pretty cool ...

ROFLMAO!!!

Thanks, Daniel, I look forward to reading history! David, I stand corrected. Nonetheless, I will say that Joe C. oughta be writing for TV or the movies. He could do a helluva lot better than what's out there now ... if I read of one more reality-TV piece of crap, I'm gonna ... hmm, I thought there was a smilie for "hurl" ... guess not. How 'bout it, B3-er? We need a good "blowing chunks" smilie.

One of my favorite organ + big band LPs is Lloyd G. Mayers' Taste Of Honey on United Artists. Arrangements and orchestration by the aforementioned Oliver Nelson. My only complaint is that it is horribly short, something like 25 minutes. Bill Doggett did an LP or two with a large-ish band that I've liked, though the titles escape me at the moment. Anyone ever heard the Doggett LP where he is backed with a group pulled from James Brown's working band? Honky Tonk Popcorn -- not a big band, but a groooooovy LP, IMHO.

Oooh, oooh, Mr. Kottah -- I know! At least, I think I remember the answer to the Evolution question ... I think the fellow who would translate Aric-speak was Joe Christmas. He had the side-splittingly hilarious "Aric & Matt Talk To Lou Donaldson" thread and the sternum-crackingly funny thread about telling his children there was no Santa Claus. Wish Joe was here ... I think Naval activities have him quite busy. Or maybe he is here ... ?

Desmond is a favorite of mine, too, and he had an INCREDIBLE wit! Reading some of the liner notes to his albums is sure to provide a chuckle, if not an outright guffaw! Hmm, don't think I've ever used the word "guffaw" in a post. Certainly not this late at night!

Not that I can think of, though I believe he is listed as "Sonny Red Kyner" on Curtis Fuller's New Trombone ....

I kinda like it .... I'd say keep it and maybe add another one or two.

Sonny had another Jazzland LP -- "Breezin'" -- that has yet, I think, to see the light of day on CD. I've only heard it once, but from what I recall, it was a nice date along the same lines as "Images" ....

Listening to the RVG of "Jackie's Bag" as I type ... forgot what a GREAT album this is!

BTW -- Does anyone know how Mr. Preston is doing these days? He was touring with Eric Clapton last spring, and I think when the show hit Atlanta, Billy was sent ahead to Nashville to check into a local hospital. I believe it was a kidney-related illness. I've heard nothing since then. Can anyone provide an update? Thanks!

Well whaddya waitin' for, Jim? An invitation?

A lot of Johnny Griffin: Griff 'N' Bags Jazz Jamboree Blues for Harvey (great glasses! ) Plus: Lars Gullin - Baritone Sax/LG Swings Jimmy Hamilton & his Orchestra

Damn!! I just started my annual two-month CD-buying sabbatical ....

I have to emphatically second Brad's recommendation of "Gene Harris Trio Plus One" on Concord. It is definitely a soulful, foot-tapping good time!

According to the notes for this album, Baccus was from N.C., but went to school in Columbus, Ohio, and played with Kirk out of Cleveland for awhile.

Thanks guys, I will check out these "tri-bari" sessions! Let's see ... ah, yes, they'll go right under "item to check out" # 24,786, Lucky Thompson's "Tricotism"!

I, for one, will agree with you, Soul Stream. Baccus' album is good, but Lazar has more soul, IMHO. Looked for a couple of years for SL's "Soul Merchant" on Argo. It was worth the wait to me! "Playback" is great. "Space Flight" is Lazar's other release, featuring Grant Green and with Willie Dixon (!!) on bass. Not up to the level of the other two, I think, but not bad by any means.

Hey guys -- Have you heard "Goin' Down Home" on Cadet? Smokin' versions of "John Brown's Body" and "Work Song"! I once read (can't remember where) that the 'generally accepted' knock on DP was that he couldn't/didn't play the pedals too well. The, ahem, person who wrote this surely had never heard this album!

That's a great avatar, Jim! I'll have to show it to my wife ... I'm trying to convince her that we need a couple of young felines around the house.

I really dig "Lucky Strikes" on Prestige/OJC, and I just discovered "Brown Rose" on Xanadu. Both are quite good, IMHO, and are fueled by a couple of great pianists, Hank Jones on the former session and Martial Solal on the latter. Not being a fan of the soprano sax, I like Lucky's work on tenor more, but he's not bad on the soprano. I haven't heard but a song or two from "Tricotism", but I've read a lot of good things about it. With Oscar Pettiford and Jimmy Cleveland, how can it be bad?