Christiern

Lil Armstrong ...

And here is Art Tatum again, this time having a good time with friends, including Beryl Booker and Charlie Shavers...

Smokin' Art, but not at the Half Note...

I got this from Elmer Snowden many years ago. The photo is identified onthe back as "Ray Brown," but I don't see the resemblance, although he does look somewhat familiar. Does anyone out there recognize this player?

This publicity shot of a sterling couple is worth adding here, I think:

Larry, I, too, will re-listen to earlier recordings, for what I hear is also fifferent from what you describe.

I realize that I'm a little late with this, but I assume that most of you don't know what Bob Weinstock looked like. Here is a photo of him with Oliver Nelson:

I never cared much for Stanley's playing, but I did take some photos of him in Perugia, at the 1984 Umbria Jazz Festival.

As beautifully as he plays, Lew is even more so as a person. Ditto Mrs. Tabackin

"Clementine" talking about "nonsense"? Gimme a break!

Larry, your assessment comes as no surprise to anyone who knows Peter's dedication and ability. Looks like it all predictably came together in a book that I long to savor.

Thank you, Allen, that was extraordinary and I admire you for sharing it. I never knew any details, such as the ones you touch on, but I was assigned to do an interview with Haig for Stereo Review, a few years back. I spoke to him and recall it only as a an experience so negative that I backed out of the interview. Now I begin to see a picture that wasn't there for me back then, but I'm not sure that I want to read the book.

In the June 18, 1927 issue of the Chicago Defender I came across this interesting celebrity endorsement by Andy Razaf. He was the lyricist who worked with Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, and others. His creative legacy includes such songs as: “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Honeysuckle Rose”, “In the Mood”, “Stompin’ at the Savoy”, “Memories of You”, “12th Street Rag”, “Black and Blue”, “S’posin’”, “Make Believe Ballroom”, “Christopher Columbus”, “Milkman’s Matinee”, Concentratin’ On You”, “You’re Lucky to Me”, “Porter’s Love Song”, “Knock Me a Kiss”, “Dusky Stevedore”, “My Special Friend”, “That’s What I Like ‘Bout the South”, “Keepin’ Out of Mischief Now”, “Blue Turning Gray Over You”, “Shoutin’ in the Amen Corner”, “Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You?”, “On Revival Day”, “Stealing Apples”, “How Can You Face Me?”, “Massachusetts”, “My Handy Man”, “My Fate is in Your Hands”, “The Joint is Jumpin’”, “I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town”, “If It Ain’t Love”, “The Burning Bush of Israel”, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?”, “Seeds of Brotherhood” and “Precious Rosary.”

Thanks, yes, this is where all the N.O. Living Legends sessions took place: The Societe Des Jeunes Amis hall, in the French Quarter--this particular one on January 27, 1961. Here's another shot of Billie and Dede from that day:

I met Dick in 1961, when I spent 3 weeks producing sessions in New Orleans. He was there every day, taking in the music and--I sometimes felt--making sure that I got it right. I also interviewed many of the musicians between sessions and, not surprisingly, they had little to say about Bunk Johnson's persona that wasn't negative. Dick, who listened intently as I interviewed, reported such remarks to Bill Russell (with whom he was working at the time) and it wasn't long before Bill asked me to edit out of my tapes and derogatory remarks re Bunk. Of course, I did not comply with that request, which--sad to say--had Dick's approval. I never quite trusted Bill Russell's research after that little attempt to edit history, but I still think both he and Dick contributed much to our knowledge of early jazz. Here's a photo taken during one of the two sessions with Billie and Dede Pierce. That's Dick (with pipe), seated in the background and engineer Dave Jones standing behind him. I'm the guy with the old typewriter.

I have just started reading John Gennari's "Blowin' Hot and Cool." Too early to give my assessment, but, at a glance, it looks interesting.

I knew Flo very well. We first met when Timme Rosenkrantz and I rented an apartment from Louis McKay, in 1961. She being the attorney for the Billie Holiday estate, I had to pay the rent to her, which I did at her office. Later, Timme and I found out that Louis was over-charging us and that he really didn't own the apartment--but that's another story. Flo was, indeed, a character. In the mid-seventies, for about a year and a half, she stopped speaking to me. It turned out that she did not like the fact that I (in my Bessie Smith bio) corrected the myth re Bessie's death. "But I found proof that contradicted the old story," I said. "I know you did," she replied, but you should have kept it to yourself." Apropos blow jobs, I have a video tape of a weekly show I once did where she says, "Nobody ever died fromn a blow job." Her sister, a probation officer, who also was a guest, chimed in. "You are wrong, Flo," she said. "We actually had a case where that happened." I did not ask her to elaborate. Flo and some of her feminist colleagues made asses out of the CBS crew at the Democratic Convention, Miami Beach, 1972. A documentary film, "The Year of the Woman", was shot there by an all-female crew, but it was never released. Still, I'm sure it's kicking around, somewhere. Look for it and check out the confrontation with Mike Wallace, et al.

The "screaming pretenders" were, indeed, on the scene in the '60s, and I used to wonder why. I concluded that mediocre musicians had finally found a development in jazz that readily obscured their shortcomings. I still think that was the case and I am not at all surprised to see that Michael Cuscuna can't come up with their names. I certainly couldn't--they were that forgettable.

I was at the Bottom Line in '74, I heard the records, I find this attempt to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse interesting, but sad. Rarely has obscurity been so well deserved--these Seattle guys shouldn't mess with it.

There are, I suspect, more people hopping around on one foot than there are people stumbling on three--so, a future singles sale makes sense.

There's a store in my neighborhood that can help you ...

Yes, that Mingus clip is from my show. Unfortunately (and this is not false modesty), the film also includes my "interview" with Mingus. Thanks to all who see my return to posting as a positive.

Here is "My Romance," a clip with Bill's Gomez/Morell trio taped for my "Jazz Set" show on May 30, 1972. PBS aired it in September of that year. Here is from the same show. And, finally, "How My Heart Sings". Sad to say, I no longer have my tapes of this series, which included: Roy Haynes Hip Ensemble 2/7/72 Roy Haynes (dms); and others. Larry Johnson 2/15/72 (Air: 7/27/72) Larry Johnson (vcls and gtr). Clifford Jordan 2/22/72 Clifford Jordan (ts); George Coleman (ts); Stanley Cowell (p); Bill Lee (bs); Tootie Heath (dms); Dee Dee Bridgewater & Sheila Jordan (vcls). Joe Lee Wilson 2/29/72 Joe Lee Wilson (vc); Rashied Ali (dms), and others. Jimmy Heath All-Stars 3/6/72 Jimmy Heath (ts); Curtis Fuller (tb); Kenny Barron (p); Bill Lee (bs); Al Heath (dm); Mtume (congas). Rashied Ali 3/14/72 Rashied Ali (dms); Carlos Ward (as, flute); Dave Burrell (p); Sirone Jones (bs). Ray Draper & the New Island Social Club 3/21/72 Ray Draper (tuba, Bar. horn, vocals, percuss.); Atlee Chapman (valve tb); Clive Stevens (sop & ten sax); Bu Pleasant (organ, vocals); Stu Williamson (bs); Richard Crooks (dms). Irene Reid 3/28/72 (Air: 7/13/72) Irene Reid (vcls); and others. Sam Wooding 4/11/72 (Air 8/3/72) Sam Wooding (p); Louis Metcalfe (tp); Jimmy Wright (ts); Jimmy Shirley (g); Al Drears (dm); Rae Harrison (vcl). Charles McGhee and The Gap 4/11/72 Charles McGhee (tp); and others. Keno Duke 4/18/72 (Air: 7/6/72) Keno Duke (dms); Frank Strozier (ts); and others. Joe McPhee 4/18/72 Joe McPhee (tp, ts); Clifford Thornton (tp); Mike Kull (p); Harold Smith (dms). Lonnie Liston Smith 4/25/72 (Air: 8/24/72) Lonnie Liston Smith (el & acoustic piano); Jazzbo Alexander (flute); John Gilmore (sax); Cecil McBee (bs); Norman Connors (dms); Ná Ná (congas). Jeremy Steig 4/25/72 (Air: 8/17/72) Jeremy Steig (flute); Gene Perla (el. bass); Don Alias (dms). Ted Curson 5/2/72 (Air: 9/7/72) Ted Curson (tp, piccolo horn); Bill Barron (ts); Lee Scippers (vibes); Sam Jones (bs); Freddy Waits (dms). Charles Mingus 5/9/72 (Air: 8/31/72) Charles Mingus (bs); Lonnie Hillyer (tp); Charles McPherson (as); Bobby Jones (ts); John Foster (p); Roy Brooks (dms). Ray Bryant Trio 5/16/72 (Air: 8/10/72 Ray Bryant (p); Harold Dodson (bs); Leroy Williams (dms). Bobbi Humphrey 5/23/72 (Air: 9/21/72) Bobbi Humphrey (flute); Harold Mabern (p); Bob Cranshaw (b); Mickey Roker (dms). Bill Evans Trio 5/30/72 (Air: 9/14/72) Bill Evans (p); Eddie Gomez (b); Marty Morrel (dms). I wish I could find clips from some of these shows online (other than Mingus, which is on YouTube.

Without Nick Perls, there would not have been a Yazoo label. He really loved this music and he had an odd fondness for surface noise, too. Here he is (far left) at a 1976 party thrown by Larry Adler's daughter for Elton John.

I think this is more about alleged news. Couric and her tabloid-oriented CNN counterparts are entertainers, not news people. Unfortunately, they are not good entertainers and if they have any substance to them, they are obviously too spineless to stand up against alleged news and program directors. So, IMO, it is unfair to lump them all under the "TV news" umbrella--there are still people who deliver the concept as advertised.