randyhersom

Grabbed four of the five new James Finn sets. Liking what I've heard so far. Tending toward the Avant Garde, but also some nice flute work. The new design requires an extra click to get to the latest new releases so I don't consider it an improvement. Not bad though.

Wonderful set, left me feeling quite clueless. 1. I'm not good with big bands. Maria Schneider? 2. This lovely muted trumpet may come from Art Farmer 3. Guessing Anthony Braxton here. 4. I heard a lot of clarinet on the new Art Ensemble of Chicago sets on Pi. 5. Of the two names that came to mind, Dave Holland has recorded with vibes, and I'm not sure Ken Vandermark has. I'll go with Dave. 6. La Banda's my guess, an opera influenced ensemble including Willem Breuker. 7. Elvin and McCoy with Pharoah? 8. No idea at all! Maybe a group featuring Michael Moore? 9. Oscar Brown Jr? 10. Later Louis Armstrong? 11. John Mclaughlin - My Goals Beyond?

#1 would seem to be this group.

Arabesque is now showing up. Think I'll start with Jane Ira Bloom's The Red Quartets, 8 Bold Souls and Tony Malaby. More will have to wait until downloads refresh the end of next week.

Tribute is brilliant, enhancing the spanish guitar feel of Charlie Haden's bass lines with a couple of guitarists and Carlos Ward on some tracks. Very hypnotic.

Oh, yes, a recent favorite. Yo La Tengo covers Sun Ra's Nuclear War. It's an EP with 4 versions. One of them features childrens voices singing Sun Ra's lyrics that would not be permitted on network TV, unsettling but somehow appropriate.

If either of then solo piano pieces were 90's or later rock, then Brad Mehldau is likely to have played one or the other.

Santana covered Coltrane's Welcome on the album of the same name. He also dropped a quote from Afro Blue into his Lotus live album. Blood Sweat and Tears did God Bless the Child. Steely Dan covered Duke's East St. Louis Toodle-oo on Pretzel Logic.

I liked track 3 - fire away

2-1 Jazz version of King Crimson's Red, fabulous. I'm inclined to credit British musicians. Maybe John Ethridge? 2-2 Paul Bley comes to mind. 2-3 Some subtle hip-hop influences here. Graham Haynes perhaps? 2-4 Bossa feel. Bobby Watson perhaps? 2-5 Reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, but no vocalisms. Frank Kimbrough? 2-6 Quite lovely. Maria Schneider? 2-7 Pronounced rock backbeat. Maynard Ferguson? 2-8 A tenor tearing it up on Stevie Wonder's Sunshine of My Life. Joshua Redman? 2-9 Sounds like tenor and alto jamming over Rhodes rhythm section. Very fresh. Donald Harrison maybe? 2-10 Burning organ and tenor track. Agonizingly familiar, but I can't put a finger on it. Don Patterson? 2-11 Herbie's Mwandishi Band? No, that trumpet is just too Miles. Bigger band than I'm used to hearing with Miles. 2-12 More good solo piano. I hate to HAFC so I'll try Roland Hanna 2-13 Live organ date. Soft Machine?

This set seems to be about fusion in the best and most organic sense of the word. Disc 1 1-1 I'm going to guess that this is Andre Previn conducting a late Romantic piano concerto ... 1-2 ... segueing into Andre Previn, solo jazz piano 1-3 is this Wynton Marsalis - All Rise? 1-4 Something off Joe Farrell - Moon Germs? 1-5 Miles with Wayne and Herbie? 1-6 Electric Miles 1-7 More Wayne Shorter? 1-8 Kind of an inside-outside vibe here. Ted Curson? 1-9 Solo trumpet isn't done very often. Could be 50s or 60s, or a later player paying tribute. My wild guess is Leo Smith because he did a solo album, Kulture Jazz, but this isn't the style he commonly plays in. 1-10 Art Ensemble of Chicago 1-11 Blue Note era McCoy Tyner? 1-12 Piano trio is wide ranging stylistically, with an unusual vocal contribution at the end. Don Pullen? 1-13 Trumpet trios were very hard to find before the 80s. Roy Campbell? Once again, not as "out" as I'd expect for this player. 1-14 A Blue Note style with some percolating wah-wah guitar added in. Gary Bartz? 1-15 Nice. I'm going with Sonny Rollins against my better judgement. 1-16 Reminds me of Herbie Hancock's The Egg from Empyrean Isles. Whether I'm right or not, I love it.

Listened to and enjoyed my emusic download of One More Time - Steve Lacy and Joelle Leandre. With emusic you miss liner notes, so I'm wondering if anyone might post a translation of the French phone message that ends the CD. The final "Love you baby, au revoir" needs no translating and is a touching ending.

I think the same poet has collaborated with Dennis Gonzalez and MP3s are among the many full CD mp3s available at www.dennisgonzalez.com. I think his recent Old Time Revival has one broken link, though.

Having much more to choose from later in life really favors early acquisitions and perhaps leaves some quality stuff out of the running. It's probably Bruce Springsteen Born To Run. Coltrane's Africa/Brass, Neil Young Live Rust, Woody Shaw Love Dance, Walt Dickerson Peace and Stevie Wonder Innervisions would be in the running. Might be some Santana, Jim Croce and Elton John in there from my teen years. I still love 'em all.

Anybody heard Alex Skolnick? I haven't but I'm intrigued by the descriptions I've heard.

I dont guess you've heard the date he did with Frank Wright late in his career

The Piano Quartet version of The Star Crossed Lovers is a fascinating piece of music. Marty Ehrlich approaches Hodges part with much reverence, as if he feels that what he is trying maybe can't be done, but the best results will come from staying close to the source. Braxton's piano is in direct contrast - the impression I get is "Duke Who??". Of course Braxton selected the composition for his album and you know darn well he knows, but reverence is nowhere to be found in the piano playing. If I listen to it fifty more times I may be able to decide whether I like it, but I know I won't be bored.

Don Redman orchestra? or maybe Horace Henderson?

and Town Crier with Sir Roland Hanna, Paquito D'Rivera and Frank Wess.

Other new labels with jazz interest. Black Orchid (Joe Bonner) Synergy (Jim Ridl, Art Lande) MidLantic (David Eyges and Arthur Blythe) Songlines (Ellery Eskelin, Brad Shepik, Chris Speed) Passin Thru (Oliver Lake)

MAXJAZZ just landed, with Jeremy Pelt and Mary Stallings likely to hit my basket when I refresh on Monday. Hadn't noticed the Pi, will go check that out.

2-1 Modern day trad. The march rhythms at the beginning make me think the group may have Brass Band in their name - Empire maybe? 2-2 Johnny Hodges voice clip? 2-3 Johnny Hodges, I'm guessing as leader. 2-4 Duke Ellington 2-5 Slow lyrical clarinet over big band. Not much clue. I'll say Artie Shaw just because it doesn't really remind me of Benny Goodman, and it seems to be among giants 2-6 Louis Armstong 2-7 Roswell Rudd and Steve Lacy? 2-8 Wayne Shorter 2-9 Ahmad Jamal 2-10 Larry Goldings 2-11 Is this some of the mellowest Archie Shepp known to man? Dexter Gordon and Johnny Griffin were other possibilities I considered 2-12 I'll try Dexter Gordon here. 2-13 Perhaps the voice of Clark Terry 2-14 Sidney Bechet?

Great Set, very varied! 1-1. Tatum Webster? Nah, piano not ornate enough. Lester with Nat Cole and a whispered rumour of Buddy Rich? Nah, it's live. Stan Getz with Kenny Barron? Thats my final waver. 1-2. Coleman Hawkins featured with Fletcher Henderson 1-3. Fletcher Henderson. I just can't come up with a better gues for either 2 or 3. 1-4 Good tenor from the days before good sound. Chu Berry? 1-5. Lionel Hampton? 1-6 Pretty sure this is a well known Horace Silver tune. Sister Sadie maybe? 1-7 Anita O'Day? 1-8 Can accordion really be this good?! Richard Galliano the only name I barely know. 1-9 Hard to guess anybody but Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers here. 1-10 Post Cecil, I'll choose Marilyn Crispell over Myra Melford for my guess. 1-11 Sounds like a Blue Note boogaloo, late 60's - early 70s style. So why am I guessing Bobby Watson. 1-12 Love the droning bass, I'm suspecting Thomas Chapin, although Arthur Blythe and Rob Brown also came to mind. 1-13 I was suspecting Anthony Braxton & Evan Parker until the bass came in, no bass on that date. I'll still go with Braxton. 1-14 Hampton Hawes 1-15 Quite lovely. Is this the Don Grolnick London concert that just came out? 1-16 Funky. There's an album where Charles Earland plays Rhodes instead of organ. This it? 1-17 Ayler's Ghosts on guitar Marc Ribot? 1-18 Duke's announcement. : )

The Meters' Rejuvenation!!!

Sumi Tonooka's three Candid and Joken (Kenny Barron's private label) recordings are recommended. I think they can also be gotten from AllAboutMusic.com if you need liner notes. Some Grammavision stuff is starting to show up through Rykodisc.