John Tapscott

Max Roach Plus Four - Disc 1

$1.29 per litre this morning in the greater Toronto area. (nearly equivalent to the $6 per gallon gouge in Atlanta) A HUGE rip-off. Hope you all own some oil stocks.

This is the 2nd postive review I've read of this CD, and while I'm no Wynton promoter, I'm certainly interested in hearing this CD. I hope no one disses it until they've heard it, at least.

My first Mosaic order was back in 1993 and consisted of the Tina Brooks vinyl, the Count Basie Live Roulette (on CD) and the Stan Kenton Holman/Russo charts (on CD). I now have about 50 sets and have never gotten rid of any (and would do so only in the case of an extreme financial emergency. )

I actually have one for the very reason that you mentioned. Some in-laws, hearing that I was a "jazz fan," gave me one of his Christmas CD's for Christmas one year. Can't even remember the name of it. I don't let it near my jazz shelves but file it with my wife's Christmas music. To be perfectly honest, it's not terrible, and serves as decent background music for holiday entertaining. The arrangements are OK if a bit pedestrian. On one chart with a bit of rhythm, G "blows" a tenor solo, trying to give the impression that he's got jazz chops. But the solo is so obviously being "read", it's laughable.

Farmer/Golson Jazztet plus the Johnny Richards Select (early '06) Longer term - The Basie Verve set, the Buddy Rich small group set, and possibly the Jazz Crusaders set (I am totally unfamiliar with the JC's music, so I'm really looking forward to peoples' comments on that set).

I foolishly procrastinated and missed out on the big Andrew Hill Mosaic, so Andrew!!! will be my first purchase from this excellent list.

Just curious, Allen, who you think is playing on the last cut, 52nd Street. The liners credit Max but several here (including Chuck, Sangrey and Lon) think it's Sid. That's my guess as well. What do you think? ← It's a great CD, but I'm confused. Small point really. On p. 16, the notes read "....the public prevails and Big Sid remains at the drums for a loping version of Monk's 52nd Street Theme." So the liners are crediting Sid, right? I lean to Sid myself on 52nd St., and without taking anything away from Sid, I think that Max is OUTSTANDING on his tracks.

Elvin Jones - Disc 6

You should get this set because I suspect there will be some great music here. I base this opinion on two Rich Verve CD's I have from this general period - "This One's for Basie" (with a "small" big band) and Gene Krupa- Buddy Rich "Krupa and Rich". I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I bought these, but I was very pleasantly surpised by the quality of the music on these sets. Personally I think Rich ranks with the very best drummers, but quite apart from what you may think of him as a drummer or an individual, the music on these sets is very good to excellent.

Happy Birthday, Lon! You beat me to 50 by a couple of months. Sounds like you're happily avoiding the mid-life crisis. Hope I will, too. All the best!

Haven't heard any of them, but I did hear Adam Rogers in concert last week ago with the John Patitucci trio. They played one tune from Adam's recent Criss Cross CD (this one you bought) and Patitucci gave the CD a plug. Adam's a very fine player. Throughout the concert his playing often reminded me of Jim Hall's.

Don't know for sure, but maybe they're just waiting for a new pressing. If it was a label problem, wouldn't they just delete it from the site altogether?

I don't have it yet, but I have heard and read that the Charles McPherson Cellar Live CD is very good, too. I think I'll get it along with the Alexander/LeDonne.

My memory may be playing tricks on me, but I don't think Trane solos on this -- he just plays the melody. Guy ← Maybe a "solo" doesn't always have to include improvisation. 'Trane's playing on Naima is beautiful and very moving, at least to me.

"Out of this World" from Coltrane "Naima" from Giant Steps "Afro-Blue" from Live at Birdland "Impressions" from Live at the Village Vanguard (which I've always preferred to "Chasin' the Trane")

I have it. At 52 minutes, it's a little light on the playing time, but it is fine CD, no question. Definitely worth getting if Eric's your man.

Whatever your revisions might be, do not drop that Mingus CD. It is fabulous.

Hey don't overlook Al Cohn's approach. When someone asked Al if he ever played "Giant Steps," he replied, "Sure I play it, BUT WITH MY OWN CHANGES!"

Nate, the rhythm section on this Cd is different than the one you heard in Toronto. Here Mike Wofford and Bill Goodwin are in place of Bill Mays and Joe LaBarbera (who were unavailable for the Yoshi's gig). Part of the problem may be that the live recording doesn't really do justice to the rhythm section. At least that's my initial impression. But don't get me wrong - this a fine CD overall.

Got mine earlier this week and have listened several times. Early impressions. Fine playing from both Shank and Woods with the latter in excellent form and often stealing the show. On the down side, I don't hear the rhythm section really gelling, and the recording quality is Ok but a bit flat. In retrospect, a studio recording the day after the gig might have been preferable. Worth getting, though it doesn't quite reach the heights one might expect.

This new Criss Cross CD is one of my favorite new releases of '05. Smoking rhythm section of Joel Weiskopf (p), Paul Gill (b), and Billy Drummond (d) Highly recommended.

Most likely, indeed. It's a very mediocre article and surprisingly unreflective for someone of Chambers' reputation. I don't think he even bothered to read the liner notes of the Mosaic set. It's the kind of article that might have been written by a second year jounalism student. Blue Note would have paid for making these unreleased sessions (including Tina's leader fees, I presume). So BN would have suffered a hit, too, by leaving them in the vault. Was there a purpose behind it? Probably it was a business decision. I can only guess that the sales of "True Blue" were so low that it just didn't make economic sense to release them. I guess the thinking is that you cover your expenses on these lost sessions by releasing sessions by other musicians with more sales potential. (I believe the Mosaic notes say that the first recording was not released for musical reasons, something Chambers never mentions). Whether the release of the other sessions would have enhanced his career when the one already out there wasn't doing much is debatable. Blue Note was hardly responsible for "killing" Tina. Blame Tina himself and the dope dealers for his untimely demise.

Well, I sure wouldn't hesitate at that price!!!

Another good one is Fresh Sound 5040 "Will You Still be Mine - Celebrating the Music of Matt Dennis" - Jan Lundgren, Tom Warrington, Joe LaBarbera Also good sideman work by Jan on Andy Martin's "It's Fine - It's Andy" CD on Fresh Sound 5037.