John Tapscott

Actually, his name is Bernie Senensky - don't worry, lots of people seem to get an "m" in there. Stylistically Bernie is a modern mainstream pianist - roughly from Red Garland on the one side to Tyner on the other, and mostly somewhere in between. Some Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock influences. He's a very fine player, if not particualry original. I believe the PM disc is called "New Life" and has Michel Donato on bass and Marty Morell on drums - a pretty good fit for Bernie. It's a decent record though I haven't played it for a long time. Senensky was the house pianist for years at Torooto's now defunct Bourbpn Street club and backed a wide range of American soloists - Art Farmer, Art Pepper, Bill Watrous, Pepper Adams, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims etc. etc.

This is slightly off-topic, but can someone please tell me why anyone would bother playing a "straight" tenor? I think Joe played it on the Sinatra session, perhaps on the Trio Fascination sets, and obviously on this one, but he seems to have gone back to his regular tenor lately When I saw Joe live 5 years ago (one of the 2 or 3 greatest live jazz concerts I've ever attended), he played the regular tenor exclusively (no other horns at all, actually). To me, the straight horn looks like an awkward instrument, with the microphones down around the player's knees. I didn't notice any real difference in the sound of the horns, so I guess I'm back to my original question? Why would someone play the "straight" tenor?

Placed my annual Mosaic order yesterday: Elvin Jones Max Roach Andrew Hill Select

Once again, thanks for the rec. I've been enjoying this now for a week. A beautiful CD which opens up more and more every time I listen. Every track is a gem but I especially like Thad Jones" "The Summary."

Thanks for the info. Here is the line up for the concert I was considering going to: Sunday 3 July 2005 8.00pm An evening with Oscar Peterson Ulf Wakenius guitar Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen bass Alvin Queen drums Surprised to see Alvin Queen as the drummer. Any of you British folk know what's happened to Martin Drew - Oscar's regular drummer over the past twenty + years? In Oscar's 2003 DVD - A Night in Vienna, Martin looked very overweight and uncomfortable, though he played well. Wouldn't be a bit surprised to hear that he has suffered some health problems. I agree with Nate. I wouldn't spend 40-60 pounds to see OP today, though I do recommend that Vienna DVD. You can likely buy it for less than half the price of the concert ticket. You'll get a very good idea of how OP plays these days. I think he still plays quite well and puts on a satisfying show overall, though his left hand is very restricted. He plays with his left hand at a funny angle over the keyboard, sort of how Carl Perkins used to play (I've seen that in photos). I guarantee that OP's concert set list will be 90% the same as the DVD set list.

No doubt about it. The folks in Stamford Ct. would be hearing from me. Mostly black boxes, but a few Selects, as well.

All these ideas are great. I especially like the way of dealing with the junk mail. I kind of feel sorry for the people who HAVE to work for call centers. The callers are under enormous pressure and the turnover rate is incredibly high. My sister-in-law worked for a call center for a while. She said not to worry about being rude when you're called. They don't care. In fact, she said the caller would much rather have people hang up immediately or be rude right off the top, rather than the caller going through the whole sales pitch and then having someone say "No," at the end. I'm really annoyed when my own bank calls me offering some new product or service and offering to charge the "low monthy fee" to my credit card "for my convenience. " I can't even call my local branch anymore which is 2 blocks away (all calls are taken by someone 1,000 miles away) , but they can always find me.

My personal favorite has always been the Kenny Barron, but I would say start with where your tastes lie. I have them all and it's hard to say that there are any to be completely avoided for they all have good moments. I've never really warmed to the Mike Wofford, though the next time I listen I may really enjoy it. I also thought the Cedar Walton was below par (why didn't he explore more of his own compositions?) And the Ralph Sutton seems a bit flat compared to some of his other solo recordings. But the Hank Jones is excellent and perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the series for me was the Andy Laverne. A few years ago, I did my own star rating of all the Maybecks so if you're interested, send me a personal e-mail and I'll send it to you. Of course, your rating may be totally different, but it will give you an idea of how one person ranks them.

Donaldson, though I must say that the other name which popped into my mind before I saw the choices and Chuck's posting was Schildkraut.

Absolutely. I believe those recordings are the place to start if you're new to Florence's music. Then work backward to a great Bob Florence CD called Name Band 1959 (Fresh Sound) if you can find it, and/or forward to Bob's '90's and beyond recordings. You will hear a fascinating evolution in all this. Florence is a very engaging writer, no doubt about it. Also, I noticed the original poster asked about big bands with lots of solo space. Try Danny D'Imperio's recent "Big Band Bloviation" CDs Vol. 1 & 2. If anything, I think they have too much solo space for a big band, but they're pretty good. Very strong personnel.

If you can find it - Bob Curnow and his L.A. Big Band Plays the Music of Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays (Mama) Superb! Almost anything by Bob Florence, though if you're new to his music you might start with his earlier CD's, say mid 90's and earlier. His last 2 or 3 like "Whatever Bubbles Up" (Summit) and "Serendipity 18" (Mama) are quite challenging listening, even for long-time big band listeners. Don't get me wrong, I think they're great, but not everyone appreciates the edginess Bob seems to have put into his recent music. Phil Kelly and the NorthWest Prevailing Winds - "Convergence Zone" (Origin) Highly recommended.

The first MJQ album I bought was "The Last Concert'. There was something special going on that night and I've never found the other MJQ albums I've heard to be quite as stimulating, though often very enjoyable (especially the live sets). I agree with the earlier poster who called "For Ellington" a brilliant album. It is often overlooked and underrated. One of their very best, IMHO. I have the MJQ 40th Anniversary box and was quite surprised how much I enjoyed it the last time a gave it a spin. Also agree that I couldn't listen to the MJQ on a regular basis, though there are certain times when I need to hear that sound.

Went with the first option. I am in general agreement with that statement. There is one thing I don't like about Brubeck's playing which I notice more on his 50's & 60's recordings than on the more reecent things. He starts off a solo swinging nicely and then about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through gets into some block chords and altered rhythms which almost bog the rhythm section down. The swinging flow and momentum of the piece is nearly lost. It takes a really strong drummer like Joe Morello to keep the piece going at all and to maintain a semblance of swing during one of these episodes. It's a relief when they return to the head and Desmond starts taking the tune out. But otherwise, for me, Dave Brubeck is

6 weeks ago a friend of mine (a long-time Mosaic customer with at least 50 Mosaic sets) ordered the Farmer/Golson set and the Dexter Gordon Select. They arrived in a couple of weeks, but the Gordon set was missing disc 2. He called Mosaic immediately, and was told a replacement disc would be sent. A month later no disc. He called yesterday and was told it could take another 2-4 weeks. He's a pretty laid-back guy, but he's getting a little steamed over this delay. Uh Mosaic, take a Gordon set off your shelf, open it up and send the guy disc 2, OK? I sent an e-mail to Mosaic about a month ago asking whether 2 specific sets would be going into the running category anytime soon, so that I can plan my next purchase. No reply. OK, maybe these are no big deal, and I still love Mosaic, but to me these lapses seem strange for a company which prides itself on customer service. Anyone else have problems lately?

Thanks for bringing this up again. I meant to order it last fall but it slipped off my radar screen in the flood of new RVG's, Mosaics, etc. So I just ordered it and I'm really looking forward to hearing it . Not only do I dig Joe, but Hank Jones is THE MAN when it comes to this kind of date. There is nobody and I mean NOBODY better.

Happy B 'day Slide-Man! Just don't slip on that Apple Honey! All the Best.

Happy Birthday Wes! Thanks for the Mosaic chat. Hope a nice package arrives for you today from Stamford Ct.

A tough choice, since they're all great. I voted for "Ask Me Now". I also like "Green Chimneys".

Received Hi Voltage today. I'm now listening to this music for the first time ever, and man oh man, this is GREAT stuff. Beautiful sound, solid playing, everything just right. Heartwarming and soul stirring.

I had read some of the mildly negative comments about this CD, and so bought it with a bit of trepidation and lots of curiosity. FWIW, I personally didn't notice anything amiss with this session. I think it's excellent, far better IMHO, than the earlier H. Jones/E. Jones collaboration "Upon Reflection" which was AOTW not too long ago. If there's any sesne of "roughness" on "Autumn Leaves" it's a positive kind of tension which really brings the music alive.

I pulled out the CD and listened to it tonight. It is even better than I had remembered. Not as much Gil Evans influence as I had imagined and perhaps a bit more Shorty Rogers. But Nimmons is his own man. Some of his originals are quite astonishing, ranking among the very best ensemble jazz being written in that '56-'59 period. This music often swings like mad and is very creative and interesting. Nimmons gets a very full sound from the 10 piece group. The sound quality is pretty good, too. This is great jazz, plain and simple. If you see it somewhere, don't hesitate.

Oh yes, I forgot about that one. It is EXCELLENT.

Two good ones on the Sackville label from Canada Reg Schwager and Don Thompson - Live at Mezetta's (I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE). Ed Bickert and Don Thompson

The Verve CD includes all the tracks from one those albums and perhaps 2/3 of the tracks from the other.

I have this CD, but haven't heard it for 4 or 5 years. Nimmons is a decent clarinet player, and always plays with lots of swing and spirit. But I think his greater skill is as a composer/ arranger. He's always been fairly progressive and creative. As for the Canadian Scene, it has a sound like you would expect from a ten-piece group of the mid- 50's. It's actually fairly full and really swings in places. Good tunes and arrangements with lots of interweaving line and so on; touches of Gil Evans (Birth of the Cool) and Marty Paich here and there. The playing is excellent, recording quality OK, if not state-of-the-art for the time. The solos are generally concise. Don't be put off by the accordian in the band. It adds a different and very enjoyable sound to the ensemble. In the late 60'sr Nimmons 'N Nine became Nimmons 'N Nine plus Six. This is the group I prefer and they made a mid-70's album for Sackville called "The Atlantic Suite" which I think stands up as one of the finest Canadian jazz albums ever made. Nimmons at his best, IMHO.