randyhersom

Yep PHILLYQ I've read and enjoyed it. I'm mentioned in the chapter on the Providence 2000 national championships. P.S. You can keep the Q. It's bad news. Thanks to you all.

I'll be playing in the National Scrabble Championships August 1-5 in New Orleans. For those interested, results can be followed at www.scrabbleassociation.com. The finals will be shown on ESPN at a later date. 857 players are signed up so far, but only the 177 or so in the top division will be eligible for the finals and the $25,000 first prize. I'm currently 13th highest rated of those in the top division.

You may be able to find a 40 CD set on History for a very low price. I recommend it.

I got my disk Wednesday, and unfortunately it got cracked before I could listen to all of it. Can anybody in the US send me a replacement? PM please if you can. Thanks Much Randy Hersom

Duke Ellington has a Star Spangled Banner on one of the Carnegie Hall OJCs.

It appears I was wrong about Track 13?

1. Fletcher Henderson? 2. Lester Young? 3. It seems almost familiar, but I just can't get a handle on it. Cedar Walton? 4. Is this track 13 on this? 5. I think this might be Jackie McLean. The oversimplified rationale: If a tenor makes me think he's playing alto, it's probably Getz. If an alto makes me think he's playing tenor, it's probably Jay Mac. I hope that's actually an alto : ) 6. Dizzy Gillespie? 7. The composition is the same as track 3 of this. I know the composition from this album on ECM. I love the bassist's playing on both of them. I originally though it was the saxist's composition that was played on the ECM album, but the saxist himself doesn't seem to have participated in any recordings of that composition according to AMG. 8. Could be a Basie small group. The rhythm guitar definitely gives the feel of mid '50s or earlier. 9. Moments here made me think of Duke, but there's not enough ensemble playing. I'll guess Duke Ellington anyway. 10. Very lyrical. Waiting to hear if Jarrett noises start coming in. It's been a while, but I dont recall hearing the vocalizations on the ECM Staircase solo set. I'm going with Keith Jarrett. 11. Let's try Earl Hines.

1. Wow. Extreme vocal virtuosity. The voice is lighter than Sassy, Ella, Betty or Carmen. Maybe Mary Stallings with Basie? 2. Hard Bop heaven. Haven't been able to pick anybody out. Lee Morgan?? 3. Stan Getz and Johnny Smith? 4. Sounds like Brownie and Max, but where's this guitar coming from. Maybe it's Brownie's Paris sessions or something else without Max. 5. Donald Byrd and Paul Chambers? 6. Could this be a Fats Waller solo?. 7. Miles? 8. I first thought this might be Don Patterson with Booker Ervin and Sonny Stitt. The other possibility that crossed my mind was this. On relisten, the organ playing isn't particularly showy, it's just carrying a groove, Its gotta be the linked album. 9. Helen Humes? 10. Just like the other disk's track 10, this could be Keith Jarrett, but the vocalizations are not present. I don't know if Frank Kimbrough has recorded extended solo improvisations live, but I'll make him my guess. 11. Joe Henderson? 12. The horn voicings suggest Abdullah Ibrahim very strongly. A little more "out" than most of his work. 13. Anita O'Day with Cal Tjader? 14. Nice easy swing. I'll guess Count Basie for a third time and hope one of them is right. Edited to switch the two disks to their correct forums.

So far Palmetto is only showing up under the label list. I already own the Andrew Hill and Javon Jackson and have downloaded Marty Ehrlich - Line on Love, the Herbie Nichols Project Strange City and Bobby Watson - Live and Learn. The Bobby Previte, Ben Allison, Bill Mays and Larry Golding (As One) are in contention for the next choices. It's not a full catalog, but here are the artists represented so far. Artists on Palmetto: Ben Allison Ben Allison And Medicine Wheel David Berkman Bill Mays Trio Bobby Previte And Bump The David Berkman Quartet Marty Ehrlich Joel Frahm The Herbie Nichols Project Andrew Hill Javon Jackson Larry Goldings Trio Kate McGarry Ted Nash Bobby Previte & Bump Thirteen Ways Ray Vega Bobby Watson Matt Wilson Matt Wilson Quartet

I've enjoyed the recent Live at Yoshi's remakes of some of the great Columbia material. It's a two CD set from 2000 or so that I downloaded from eMusic, and a reunion of the Newport quintet, I think.

Still waiting for it to show up on eMusic.com. I checked this morning and there were a couple new CDBabys but no Organissimo.

1. Manteca. I'll go with Dizzy Gillespie. Probably Chano Pozo in the percussion section. 2. Solo piano, perhaps as far back as the 40's. Teddy Wilson? 3. Kind of a Horace Silver vibe going here. 4. Could be post-Blue Note Andrew Hill. 5. I can't get away from the feeling that this is Woody Shaw. 6. Ahmad Jamal is a possibility here. 7. It seems likely to be a bone led date, and since the music tends more toward funky than boppish, I'll go with Curtis Fuller rather than J.J. 8. Trio version of Maiden Voyage. I don;t think it's Herbie, maybe one of the newer pianists, say, David Hazeltine? 9. The soprano here plays freer than the rest of the ensemble. Maybe Steve Lacy with Mal Waldron? 10. Hubert Laws? 11. Sounds like a quintet with soprano plus alto sax, but I can't rule out two sopranos. Tyner influenced, but not Tyner. 12. Doesn't sound Brazillian enough to be Flora Purim, but I haven't a better guess at the moment. 13. Very nice. Art Farmer? 14. Luscious, sweet alto tone against luxurious band background. Hodges, Desmond and Pepper all came to mind. Although it sounds a tiny bit too modern, I'll go with Johnny Hodges. 15. This bit of playfulness reminds me of Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Michael Ray, best known to jazz audiences for his contributions to Sun Ra groups from the mid 70s on. Charles Sullivan, Dupree Bolton, Jabbo Smith ...

I'm very partial to Cockburn's Circles In The Stream live set. The version of Joy Will Find A Way with marimba is incredibly lovely.

They're still there on eMusic, and something of a bargain at per track pricing, assuming you like the style. The only jazz side I know to be missing is the Ran Blake.

Has anybody heard anything from Sumi Tonooka recently? She's a fine pianist, and I heard a stunning live set by her in the early 80's with a female vocalist. I've concluded, but not without slight doubt, that the vocalist was Rachelle Ferrell. She recorded for Candid and a couple indie labels.

Yeah, I like Witchi-Tai-To too. Sheila Jordan did it on Little Song, I think, and it took a few listens to get over my reactions to the vocals, but it happened. I've always liked Oregon's instrumental version, but it's quite a different experience with the vocals. Nice sets RDK, thanks.

1. Could go a couple of ways to go here. I pick up hints of Summertime in the melody, but it might just be hints. The bass playing is pretty audacious to attribute to a fifties or sixties session, but I'm thinking it might be just that. My guess is Gil Melle. On the other hand it might be as left field as David Seville or Serge Gainsbrough. 2. I'm thinking Lester Bowie. Not as "out" as most of his stuff, but the vocal trumpet style and reggae groove make me want to stick to my guess, even though it's clearly not Brass Fantasy from the instrumentation. 3. Clearly Gil Scott-Heron. Lady Day and John Coltrane. 4. Is this Kenny Barron and Regina Carter? 5. Not familiar with the style. New York Voices or something? 6. Nothing jumping out at me here. Erroll Garner is a possibility 7. Jarrett and Garbarek. 8. Baltimore Oriole, but not quite the same song Sheila Jordan sang. Kevin Mahogany? 9. Witchi Tai To - Not sure whether to guess Jim Pepper or Pat Metheny? Metheny wins the coin flip... wait the vocalist clearly calls out "Pepper". I'll switch back to Jim Pepper. 10. Drums heavily featured here. Either the drummer's date of the guitarist's. Chico Hamilton's the drummer I most think of leading small groups with guitar. 11. Entertaining but slightly hokey big band char introduces white or latin sounding vocalist singing I've Got Plenty of Nothing. Could this be that Swedish? import whose name is something like Nulle and Verdorkester. 12. I'm thinking this is a Jim Webb composition, possibly from the Missouri Sky Pat Metheny- Charlie Haden date. It definitely is overdubbed, if so. 13. I'm liking Sarah Vaughan here. Nice arrangement, Sarah often got too much goop from her producers. Aaah, live date. 14. It's been a while since I guessed Thad Jones- Mel Lewis Big Band. Why not now! 15. Rich, gospelly solo piano. The latest Down Beat mentioned a Red Garland solo date. Since I'm unaware of any Gene Harris solo dates, I'll go with Red. 16. Hubert Eaves, Stafford James, hmm ... Since the voice and the alto sax are never together, I'm going to venture Gary Bartz as my guess. Bonus The bonus disk stumped me time after time. I always like to take a guess because I might luck into a right answer, but I'm on very shaky gound here. 1. Recreation of Bebop era jive. "Groovy" would seem to peg it as sixties or later. I'm not sure Louis Jordan lived that long, but the song and style are both associated with him. Come to think of it the song might be pre-bebop. 2. More recreation of Bebop era jive. Open the Door, Richard. I think Jack McVea did the original. 3. Bird!! I always get Bird and Monk tunes wrong, but I'll try anyway. Chasin the Worm? Probably Miles on trumpet. 4. This seems to be halfway between Lester Young's style and Coleman Hawkins'. I think Hawk is likelier. 5. The Hucklebuck. I forget who made the original hit and forever incurred Bird's wrath. 6. More toward jump blues. Illinois Jacquet? The guitar sound is more associated with rock and roll or R&B than jazz. 7. I'se a Muggin in a jump blues style. I think the song is associated with Louis Armstrong, but its obviouly not him. Since I'm unfamiliar with much of this genre, I'll guess the names I do know a few times over. Louis Jordan? 8. Not much of a clue. Title seems to be Cadillac Boogie. Jay McShann? 9. I'll guess Les McCann with very little conviction. 10. Duke's Place, AKA C Jam Blues. In an entertaining live trio version that's not by Duke. Three Sounds? 11. Seems like boogie-woogie, but played by a quartet. Sounds like solo piano for much of the tune. Jaki Byard? 12. Similar style. Could be Oscar Peterson. 13. Jeannie and Jimmy Cheatham? 14. I kept wanting to say Duke, but I couldn't make out any piano at all. It sounded 30's-40's stylistically, but not particularly New Orleans based. 15. Moody's Mood For Love. Could be Jon Hendricks, no idea on the female singer. The song's historically associated with King Pleasure and Eddie Jefferson. On relistening I'm going with Eddie, not Jon. 16. This has the feel of Archie Shepp's standards playing. 17. Slim Gailliard's Flat Foot Floogie. Could be a cover, but I'll stick with Slim. 18. Any two of Slam Stewart, Major Holley and Milt Hinton. 19. Unknown R&B singing frog. I like it. Lee Dorsey as a wild guess. 20. T-Bone Walker did some dates with horns in this style. 21. Story song with two male vocals and excellent accompaniment. I haven't tried Cleanhead Vinson yet. 22. Could be Dexter Gordon. 23. Earl Hines is my wild guess 24. Tom Waits. The Piano Has Been Drinking. 25. If it isn't Big Jay McNeeley, then I fell for the bait.

So JackTracy, do you think the original masters exist without the organ solos edited out?

Rat Own, Rat Own, Rat Own

Michael Gregory Jackson came out with his first album in the mid-seventies, a minor classic Clarity featuring Oliver Lake, Leo Smith and David Murray. It was reissued on CD along with the ESP recordings, but it originally came out on an indie label. He made a duo album with Oliver Lake and a couple of Arista/Novus dates. He moved toward pop with the last Novus date and subsequent recordings. He also dropped the Jackson to avoid confusion with other Michael Jacksons, such as the relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies ; ) I only mentioned him because I had incorrectly guessed him earlier. He often sings in a falsetto voice along with his guitar.

Wow #6 is both incredibly obscure and incredibly experienced. Right clicking his picture and choosing properties provided the needed clues. I had already listened to some Michael Gregory and concluded that his vocal and guitar style was not nearly as dark and foreboding. 9 and especially 2 continue to taunt me.

I'm amazed how similar Stan Getz Sweet Rain and Pete LaRoca's Basra are to the track, but neither one is it. Dang, it seems familiar.

Two Milestone Joe Hendersons in 1967, The Kicker and Tetragon. Tetragon is all quartet, either Kenny Barron or Don Friedman on keys.

Michael Gregory (Jackson) should be considered for #6. I don't think he usually uses drums though.