John Tapscott

Of your list, I only own the date at the Las Vegas Tropicana and it is truly excellent. When I was only 16 years old, I bought the LP and have always dug it primarily because the band really cooks on that date. There's none of the bombastic pretentiousness that mars so many of Kenton's recordings. Now, many years later, I picked up the CD because of the additional tracks added that the LP was unable to accommodate. Get this one for really terrific live Kenton. Yes, it's a very good recording and the additional tracks make it even better. Ironic that Kenton initially held up the release of this album because the band sounded too much like Herman (lots of Gene Roland charts). But there's some charts with the more traditional Kenton sound, too. Yes, a very good one, indeed.

I saw the band once when Kenton was out ill. The replacement then was Nat Pierce, of all people! Who was fired after about a month when word reached Kenton in his hospital bed that the band was swinging like the Herd! The pianist on these particular tracks is one Claude Sifferlen. I also saw the Kenton band once without Stan - forget who the pianist was, but they played more Bill Holman charts than usual that night, which was OK by me.

If you want to hear the 70's Kenton band at its best and swinging hard, try disc 1 of this recent set. (Some tracks have another pianist filling in for an ailing Kenton - the band sounded more like a Herman Herd when he was absent). Disc 2 is a very good college band playing unrecorded charts from the Kenton book. Volumes 1 & 2 are of similar high quality, but feature Kenton bands from the late 50's, and different college ensembles. All are worth checking out. http://www.tantaraproductions.com/

Bought a recent Phil Woods CDR from Amazon - Phil Woods and Strings - The Thrill is Gone. Looks like it was a Venus release, recorded just 2 or 3 years ago. Cover art and personnel only, no liner notes. Great CD, wherever it came from - Phil with a rhythm section and a small string section - highly recommended to Phil fans.

I found "Legacy" a disappointment compared to some of Gerald's earlier Mack Avenue CD's esp. "Detroit", "Monterey Moods" and "In My Time". Not quite as "meaty" or gripping, IMO. The recording quality is not what it could be, and the production is mediocre (no soloists listed- what's up with that?) Too bad it wasn't recorded on the west coast. The L.A. Wilson Band is better than the NY Wilson band.

Hank Mobley - Far Away Lands (Blue Note) Hardly ever mentioned, but this is a GREAT Mobley record IMO.

I figured that, but considering the weird things that were sold at one time and they way they were sold, you never know. Remember the cigarette ads that actually showed doctors smoking and claiming the health benfits of smoking - good for your throat, clears your airways, helps you to relax, and so on.

Dr Kwak!! I love it. How appropriate. Wonder if it had FDA approval!? At least it's good to know they were sanitized. Wonder if they were individually wrapped?? When I was a kid, loading up my plate with food, my mother would sometimes say "You must have a tape worm!"

Whoa!! x 3 Don't you think the tempo drags a little?? I've seen this before but it's always amazing - the bass playing especially.

I saw Sam and his trio for the first and only time in concert about 6 or 7 years ago. It was a very good concert. While Sam would not be among the musicians I listen to often, I very much enjoy the Mosaic set, which I heard again not long ago. I'll have to listen to Miles in Tokyo later on today. RIP Sam Rivers and thank you.

Some nice Carmen on this one, circa 2002. Never heard of drummer Donnie O'Brien before this, or since, for that matter, but this is a relaxed and tasteful date.

Happy Birthday from Southern Ontario to Northern Ohio! Have a great one.

R.I.P. A great trombonist, composer and arranger. Love Bob's ABC Blues for Thad and Mel.

Stan Kenton: The Complete Capitol Recordings of the Holman and Russo Charts

Lovely pics. Thanks for posting. That's about the extent of it here so far (at least where I live - the so-called "banana belt" of southern Ontario - in most of Canada it's quite different.)

I was just about to name that one.

Nothing to do with your question but I must say that this is a fantastic set (and I'm not even a huge Dolphy fan). This is one of those sets where each individual session sounds even better as part of the whole than they do on their own. I can't explain why that should be, but it happens sometimes. The Elvin Jones Mosaic set is like that, too.

after listening to 3 hours of incredibly beautiful, sensitive technically astounding music by the brilliant musicians rez abbasi, iyer, maranthrapa, dan weiss, and their associates, my opinion is that the finest music is inclusive of, but beyond jazz to some yet unnamed form, in much the way that motorcars supplanted buggies and carts. i never realized that until last night. Of course, jazz isn't cool anymore. So what? Hasn't been for ages. I love swinging jazz and not some hybrid, yet unnamed form. Not interested. I'll take the horse and buggy called jazz and it if dies, well, I've got enough recordings to keep me listening and satisfied for the rest of my life. Nicholas Payton can go pound sand.

I agree. I wanted to say all that but I feel too tired and lazy tonight.

I slightly prefer the Roulettes - better sound quality. Classic music on both, though.

Two tracks by Benny Green "You Don't Know What Love Is" (solo piano) from the Benny Green Trio - Greens - (Blue Note) "Opus de Funk" from Benny Green - Source (Jazz Legacy Productions)

BC - 70. Does that work?

"For Cedar" from One For All Invades Vancouver (Cellar Live)

Happy Birthday, Don!! Hopefully, see you sometime in 2012!