Harold_Z

I've never heard an interview with Artie Shaw that wasn't completely interesting. I've been impressed with his music and his intellect for a long time.

In a way this is a rough question...all the guys mentioned play good and sometimes great blues - and then where is that (non-existent?) line between blues players (Spann, Big Maceo, Memphis Slim, etc) snf Jazz players. Guys like Roosevelt Sykes, Sammy Price, Art Hodes could go ENTIRELY to the places Spann, Big Maceo, Memphis Slim go. Then, a lot of the newer guys can turn it on or off at will...and THEY sound pretty convincing! I guess I think there's a myriad of good blues players.

What and how a musician plays is entirely up to him and it's entirely up to you what you like or dislike. You can't make a committee decision that says the blues are played out just as you can't decree that rhythm changes are passe and you can't dictate a requisite blues content in or out of a given musician's playing. This is jazz...it's about individual expression.

I live in Northern New Jersey - near Manhattan. the scene here is the worst I've experienced and getting worse. Bar gigs are in short supply and a steady bar gig has virtually disappeared - everything is a one nighter. In some joints you may get one or two nights a month but that's about it. I'm a sideman - I just work when the phone rings and since 1990 I have a day gig (after 25 years full time) - but the bandleaders have to hump like crazy to get ONE lousy night! The Club Date scene (Weddings, etc) has gone primarily Disk Jockey. Some set bands are working but the freelance aspect has drastically delclined. Some occasional gigs , but not many. As a contrast - in the 80s I was working weeknights in bars and on weekends doing 3 or 4 clubdates on Saturday and Sunday. Decent "for real" studio work dried up in the early 80s - for the most part.

Jazz and Blues are part of the same continuum - indistinguishable at times. What is Bessie Smith accompanied by Louis Armstrong, or Big Joe Turner with Pete Johnson, or Jimmy Rushing with Basie? Jazz? Blues? - or part of something that is inclusive of both terms?

Wild Guess....Jabbo.

LHR's "Home Cookin'" always comes to mind for me - "Twisted" also. I dig it - and in the case of "Home Cookin'" actually heard the LHR version before I heard heard Horace's. It didn't deter from my enjoyment at all and I really think LHR was VERY creative in there lyric writing and delivery (King Pleasure and Eddie Jeferson too.) Chaka Khan did a nice "Twisted" also.

Any way of knowing how many of the original guys are still with it?

"Shining Star", "Way Of the World", and "Got To Get You Into My Life". Great stuff.

I'm in late on this one too, but I'll just toss my praise for this set into the ring and say that I agree with the previous positive posts. Praiseful previous positive posts - say that 5X fast

About 20 years ago I put NEFERTITI on one side of a cassette and MILES SMILES on the other. No big intention of pairing the two beyond the fact that it was the same band. Since then those two are the most frequently played Miles recordings I have - and I have many.

Wild Bill Davison made it to 84...did anyone ever ask him the secret of long life?

The Raelettes recorded a string of singles in the 60s for Tangerine. Definite R&B.

Happy Birthday, Lon ! Hear anything good lately?

>>Pesci, 60, has a musical background. He was a guitarist and lounge singer...<< Joe's partner in the lounge band business was drummer Frank Vincent. The highlight of the act was the comedy bits they did together. Frank is the actor who Joe Pesci Kills in the trunk of a car in "Goodfellas" and who kills Joe in "Casino".

I haven't heard this yet, but I'm under the impression that Joe Doggs is actually Joe Pesci - who sings just like Little Jimmy Scott - and as far as I know is a New Jersey cat.

Upgrade "Maiden Voyage". The first cd issue of that was pretty bad. The RVG was a distinct inprovement. As mentioned earlier - the Monk, Miles, Milt Jackson RVGs are pretty drastic improvements also. Otherwise - and I'll stress I haven't heard everything - many of the McMasters don't bother me in the least.

I dig doo wop and basically consider a lot of the records under discussion R & B. At least that's how I think of them. The records talked about here so far are some of the earliest music I remember - and I remember digging it and seeking out the records when I was old enough. For a great site devoted to this stuff - check this out United In Group Harmony Association

About a year ago, around 7:00 pm, watching TV, I suddenly got chills. Took my temperature and clocked in at 101. I fell asleep for about an hour and woke up feeling fine - no temperature - no further problem. WIERD!

the track that sticks out in my mind is "Straight To You" off of the Bessie lp. It's been too long since I've listened to Amina - gotta dig up those lps.

Well...that's pretty much my thoughts on this one. I dig McDuff, but I have a feeling that's pretty much HIS thoughts on it. I think it was a commercial effort. Brother Jack was trying for a big seller and if this was on at a party I'd probably be perfectly content. I remeber I dug the opening tune but got kind of bored with the rest of it. When McDuff hit the last track he did a standard groove blues and that sounded great...and I have a feeling that was the one HE enjoyed.

I've got to thank Lon for sending me a few TRAFFIC cds so I could revisit that scene. Steve Winwood's new cd prompted me to dig back a little further and Lon was there with the right(eous) stuff! MAN! What a nice group. It brings back the time when Jazz and Pop were not so far apart - when improvisation played a big part in the music of a group like this. I DUG IT.

Anybody know which take was used on the "Basic Miles" lp?

R.I.P Benny. WKCR has been playing Benny comprehensively all day. I was very familiar with his playing, but was struck anew today by his greatness.

My last few sets have been unhinged. I think it's an improvement.