John Tapscott

When I was really discovering jazz in the decade of the '70's, Woody Shaw was one of the musicians I listened to most. He really did have a pretty high profile in those years (and though Columbia eventually dumped him they record 5 albums under his name, which let's face it, was not bad at all) Yes, his life story is sad and tragic on many levels. But the music still stands and it's great. Listening to it helps to overcome the morbid and depressing thoughts one might have in reflecting on his life. And he was playing very well (perhaps even better than before) right up to near the end of his life. I think of how well he played on Neil Swainson's "49th Parallel" album (from '87, I believe). I read somewhere that he couldn't read the music for that date because of his eyesight, but learned it by ear.

Joe Lovano - Joyous Encounters (Blue Note) Also ordered Joe Locke's new CD "Rev-elation" from the Sharp Nine website.

Thanks, Paul. My fault for the off-topic.

Woody Herman got run over by the IRS, not a train. ← Paul, did the guys on Woody's band generally know about Woody's problems with the the IRS, or did it only come out after he had left the road? (and then in even more detail after his death). Thanks

Gee, I feel like a fool. All day yesterday, we kept hearing dire media reports that the price of gas would double today from its current high level of $1.03CDN per litre. In fact, a couple of rip-off gas stations jacked the price up near $2.00. Some people just can't resist taking advantage of others. Anyway there were long line-ups at the stations last night. At 10 PM I waited 20 minutes to fill my car at $1.03, then went home, took my wife's car and waited another 20 minutes to fill it. Finally got home for good at 11 PM. Guess what the price of gas is this morning? $1.03 per litre. No line-ups. Sometimes the media does us a disservice.

Kid Ory - Disc 5. Surprised more aren't picking up on this enjoyable set.

It's strange that this one is not yet up on the SharpNine website. Also agree with jazzydaddy earlier rec. of 'Bout Time. Worthy if you can find it.

I have the Verve double LP "Dizzy Gillespie - The Sonny Rollins/Sonny Stitt Sessions" from 1976. I believe it has everything that's on the CD. Literate liner notes by our own Christiern ( though I wish he had spent a bit more time discussing the music, rather than Dizzy's life and career - minor point perhaps, but a few more comments about the music would have been helpful). Anyway, listened to Record 2 last night which has the tracks with Stitt and Rollins together. A very nice set, with Stitt at the top of his game, and the others not far behind at all. ET is a great track, but the track I really dug last night was "After Hours" - terrific rhythm section work on this. Perhaps even more than the uptempo things, these kind of long, medium slow blues tracks separate the pretenders from the masters. No pretenders here.

Just got my Ory set today. It is only # 955 0f 5,000. I know they don't always ship by strict numerical sequence, but still this is very low for a soon to be out-of-print set. This set must have been a money loser for Mosaic. I'm really looking forward to hearing it. My guess is that many people are overlooking a very fine set.

Speaking of Kenny, does he still have that Saturday night big band radio program going? I've never heard it, of course, but remember reading about it in one of the jazz magazines 10 years ago or so. It also mentioned Kenny's huge jazz collection. I may disagree with Kenny about "Far Away Lands/The Rajah" (that was his opinion 20 years ago; we can hardly hold him to it now), but this guy is REALLY into the music. Gotta to give him credit.

Happy Birthday, Dan! Enjoy a few Gene Harris sides, as well.

All the best, Vibes!

Yes, I love this session, even though it's on that same cassette (white case) and is in danger of wearing out from lots of plays. One of my favorite Mobley dates. FWIW, I would have considered it to be a stronger date than "The Rajah" but I'm going to listen to both cassettes in my car over the next couple of days for a back to back comparison.

Don't worry Wes. It's just one horn on one session. I suspect it's a problem with the original tapes which can't be fixed. Overall I think the sound on the set is excellent.

It's not just yours. Mine sounds the same. Stanley sounds echoey and off-mike. It's strange because the other horns sound OK. But you kind of get used to it after a while. It's the fly in the ointment in an otherwise fine session.

Yep, Curtis solos on "Fun Time." Curtis has some nice solos as well on the Basie/Holman disc, "I Told You So." "The More I See You" had been one of Al Grey's features on the band for a dozen years by that point. (Along with Jimmy Forrest he left Basie for good shortly after after Montreux '77).

Almost certainly Dennis. (Curtis Fuller played that solo on his time with the band and Dennis inherited his chair). Mel was a lead player and played ballad type solos, rather than jazz solos. Not that the ballad stuff isn't hard...I have MAJOR respect for guys who can play like that...takes a lot of control and accuracy...and it sounds awful if you don't get it right...

Wes, you'll love this set. I just listened to it again last week and it is truly an outstanding set. My only slight disappointment is disc 6 which is all alternate takes of the tracks on disc 5. But disc 7 is fabulous and more than makes up for my slight disappointment. From beginning to end, the music is great (and for me, that includes the tracks with Buddy Rich). Booker Little's playing alone is worth the price of the set. And I've never been a huge fan of Julian Priester (though I love bop trombone), but on this set he sounds terrific. Easily the best playing I've heard from him.

J.J. Johnson - Disc 2

Jim, fabulous review, and probably just as entertaining as the CD (which I haven't heard yet, but definitely will). What you have said about WM is as close to the truth of the situation as anyone has ever come.

← Yes, you're right Paul. He had a lovely sound, warm and full, well up into the high register. Mel's best known solo was on Part 2 ("Carolyn") of "The Count Basie Remembrance Suite" recorded on "The Legend, The Legacy" - The Count Basie Orchestra directed by Frank Foster (Denon) rec. 1989. He recorded it again with the Basie Band on "Basie's Bag" in 1992. Unfortunately Mel was having some chop problems that night, so the earlier recording is much better. Another example of a studio recording trumping a live recording. (Though Paul, there's nothing wrong at all with the live recordings you made with Woody).

So do I. Toronto closed one of its premiere clubs for international jazz talent a couple of months ago. The Top of the Senator. ← That's sad... I visited the club twice during my short visit to Toronto last year. I really liked the club. ← Years ago, I lived and worked right in Toronto. The clubs were generally pretty well supported - this would be in the '70's and early '80's. Don't know about now - marriage, a daughter, a home and job in suburbia keep me away for the most part, though I did manage to catch a show or two a year at the Senator. But I do think the part about the low Canadian dollar vis a vis the US $ is a bunch of hogwash. For one thing, right now the Cdn $ is the strongest it has been in years (good for Mosaic purchases) and for years Canadians have been used to paying a premium to see American artists of any genre. I think one of the problems is the big summer jazz festivals, which tend to suck the life out of the jazz scene the rest of the year (a problem not unique to Toronto).

A couple of days ago I listened to Oliver Nelson Vol. 48 in the Verve Jazz Masters Series. It sounded GREAT! and caused me to add the Nelson to my Mosaic list, though it will won't be my next purchase by any means. But get ready folks, because this will be a wonderful set.

Just preordered the Hill and the Ervin. I gotta quit this Board or I'm going to go broke!!!!