White Lightning

It's a metaphor!!

I first heard Carl Fontana on Kenton in Hi Fi. 3rd track was "Intermission Riff". Fontana took 4 elegant, musical choruses there, I was in instant fan. Since then I tried to listen to CF as much as I could - Kenton's Cuban Fire, Herman's 3rd herd, Kai Winding 4 bone sextet, and small combo CDs. Unfortunately, CF has recorded relatively little. In fact, "The Great Fontana" is his first album as a leader. I always group Fontana with Frank Rosolino: Both were Kentonites, both wonderful bop players, both could play as fast as the fastest saxophone around, both very fluid, very inventive. CF is such a wonderful melodic player. It seems as if he could play an infinite no of choruses not repeating himself and it all make sense as if it was written by the songster. I like the way he caresses his bone - Up close to the mike, not shouting his head off as so many bone players does. "The Great Fontana" is truly a great place to start on a CF hunt: As FFAwrote: "It Might as Well be Spring" is a wonderful track converted to smaba groove. It'll make everyone who hears it drop their jaw in wonder and awe: wonderful articulation, control, imagination, and very melodious. All in high gear. "Polka dots..." is a great feature for his ballad talent. emotional, but not schmaltz, and a little dry humor that only adds to the overhaul ballad experience. Another thing that CF does best is his countermelodies. You hear it especially on head outs in which Cohn Melodies blend with CF's contermelodies perfectly. I also have a feeling that if you transpose two of CF's choruses of the same tune - one on top of the other you'll get a perfect contrapunktal experience. "America the Beautiful" - reveals CF sense of humor. He plays this tune with a "tongue-in-cheek" wit. A great ending to a great album.

Probably a Ducal punishment

When you think of it, I think that a part of the answer is found in the live recordings: Many times you hear playing the piano long interludes before the entire band comes in with the A train. I think that indicated that some of the musicians were late comers. It's not a one time thing - you hear it in many of the live recordings. Now - how many bandleaders you know that shows up on the stage BEFORE his musicians? Usually the entire band is on stage and then the Bandleader makes an entrance, right? If all these suppositions are correct, we're talking about a VERY lenient Boss!!! Add that to the $$$ and the fact that Duke and Stray wrote parts for the particular players, which allowed them more room for there musicianship - and voila! What do you think?

ghost of miles has asked me to pick the Album of the Week for Aug. 15-21. I've chosen what I believe is Carl Fontana's first studio recording THE GREAT FONTANA: It's been almost a year since Carl Fontana left us, and I thought it was appropriate to focus on this under-appreciated master of bone. Fortunately, this Album, along with a few others, reveals Carl Fontana's mastery. Plus it's a kick-ass mainstream Album! And it also has has Al Cohn!! A few details on the Album: The Great Fontana (Uptown) Rec. Sept 5-6, 1985 Carl Fontana (tb); Al Cohn (ts); Richard Wyands (p); Ray Drummond (b); Akira Tana (d). Shoutin' on a Riff It Might as Well Be Spring Soon I Thought About You Showcase Polka Dots and Moonbeams Always Expubident What's New? America the Beautiful I'm interested to hear what you have to say about this album!

Wasn't a machete somewhere in that fight?

Wheren't they bored to play basically the same repertoir night after night in all those one nighters? It can't be just the dough...

I'm not talking George Lewis and Bunk Johnson (Not even Al Hirt ), but the 80s renaissance of musicians from New Orleans: First it was Branford and Wynton in Bu's Messangers, then - Donald Duck Harrison and Terrence Blanchard in their stead - all hailing from New Orleans. What happened down there, that caused such an explosion of talent in the 80s? Are there any other good musicians that came fom New Orleans? THNX?

How the Duke was able to keep all those talented musicians in his bands for so many years? Was it just the music? the pay? Was he a more flexible band leader? THNX!

Strange... I think I know all the answers...

I don't see it as a matter of "either or" - do you prefer a musician's singing or playing. I think that all those musicians you've mentioned reveal a somewhat different artistic facet in their singing, that allows us to appreciate their musicianship in a more comprehensive way. Big T's singing is as much Big T as his music. I have to choose between his playing and singing. BTW, Big T thought so as well - remember "I gotta right to sing the blues" cards he placed on patrons' tables in places where he was not allowed to sing due to certain restrictions

I totaLLY agree with you Ubu "A Cottage for Sale" is the highlight of "Think Well of Me". This version by Big T still gets me everytime I hear it !

Bentsy, I totally disagree with you on that. Big T could definitely sing. I LOVE his singing as much as I love his playing. In fact, his singing and playing styles are very similar to my ears, with the slurring and the behind the beat southern-confort "laziness" and easy going.

Lon, Mazal-Tov on your B-day!!!

Actually, this one was recorded after PJJ's death. It's an excellent album, though.

Happy Birthday!!

How about these ones:

Ditto

Next we have Slava Ganelin, pianist & Keyboardist, 60, who immigrated to Israel from the soviet Unision (Lithuania) about 17 years ago. While in the Soviet Union, Slava formed the ground breaking Ganelin Trio - a unique free style Jazz that incorporated some folk music. After his immigration to Israel, Slava teaches and composes and also perform concert around the world. He's considered one of the most beloved and most appreciated Jazz/Modern Music here. Slava's next project to be issued in a few months is an Israeli-French collaboration, to make a "classic" quartet: Aharon Kaminski - One of Israel's Jazz dinosaurs - one of the first Jazz musician in Israel. Hugh Hooper - Bass (Soft Machine, anyone remembers?) Pierre Olivier Govin - Sax http://www.miorecords.com/1.mp3

I was there that year. Saw The Lloyd-Hollad shaw and became a huge fan of Dave Holland as a result. The weather there was unbearable in 95. it was sooooooooo hot, dry and breezy. I felt like walking inside a turbo-oven... How can people stand such weather???? I don't like Eilat as well. I mean the scenery is incredible, but the town itself is a tourist trap. I hate places like that - where you feel that everyone is either a tourist or a service provider. No "real people". I felt the same on the west part of South Island, New Zealand (the weather was a bit cooler, though...).

Abatte & Yitchak (Isaac) Yadid – Batti Abatte breehon, 33, Saxophones & Vocals, is an Ethiopian Jew who immigrated to Israel in 1999. Yitchak Yadid, 33, Piano, is a Jerusalemite. Together they combine traditional Ethiopian music – melodies and scales/modes with Jazz. They call it “EthioJazz”. “Batti” is both the name of an Ethiopian town and an Ethiopian musical mode. The solos are in the Batti mode. Batti mode is used in songs of praise to rulers and also in songs of yearning for a beloved. The song is about (so I’m told) a man going to the town Batti, and longing for his woman there. Listen to Batti

Over the past months, I've been exchanging some emails with a few of the board member regarding Israeli Jazz. Following these discussions, I thought it will be interesting to let you glipse on the Israeli Jazz scene. Admittedly, not as vibrant as in the US and several of the European countries, but still has some excellent talents. Some of which are working in NYC as well as in Israel. My plan is to upload one track of a musician/a group on my workplace's server for a week or so. So, here we go...

my vote goes for: Tears Inside Ramblin' Una May Bonita

I'll hunt for the Live Sonny Rollins' tapes in RCA's vaults.

Amazing! Same here! 30 Celsius, law humidity and Breezy. A Perfect Summer day after a few dreadful scorchers of 35c.