duaneiac

Well, it seems like so many Concord titles are OOP now, so it might make some economic sense to reissue them in this boxed set format. Granted, there could be a sameness from album to album by some Concord artists. One really didn't need to have every Concord release put out by Marian McPartland or Scott Hamilton or Gene Harris, so a well selected package of 5 albums by each performer might be welcomed by collectors today. I think they did put out a boxed set of all of Rosemary Clooney's albums for the label. I don't think there were any "groundbreaking" albums put out by Concord, so maybe their legacy gets lost in the shuffle of all the holdings that company has today. However, starting in the 1970's, Concord did offer a refuge for many mainstream jazz artists who were being dropped by the major labels at the time. I would be glad if they reissued all of the Maybeck Recital Hall series perhaps in boxed sets of 5 or 6 discs at a time. That was a fine series of solo piano recordings allowing the listener to hear various pianists -- from legends to then new up-and-comers -- playing on the same piano in the same room (at different times) and hear what differences each of them brought forth from the occasion. I have most of them, but there were a few I missed. There were some fine releases in that series of 2-fers you mentioned. One by Hank Jones collected 2 albums that were kind of hard to find on CD otherwise. There was also a good pairing of 2 Jimmy Rowles & Ray Brown duo albums, a good set of 2 by Cal Tjader and two by the LA 4 (Laurindo Almeida, Bud Shank, Ray Brown and originally Shelly Manne, but I think Jeff Hamilton was the drummer for most of the group's existence).

I wonder if Concord would actually do this with any material which was originally recorded and released on the Concord Records label? They could easily put together boxes by Marian McPartland, Gene Harris, Dave Brubeck, George Shearing, Dave McKenna, Jack McDuff, Charlie Byrd, Mel Torme, Scott Hamilton, Louis Bellson, Tito Puente and others.

Best known for introducing what has become the theme song of Tinseltown, "Hooray For Hollywood". It was the first time I'd ever seen this film, so I was surprised to learn this song isn't even performed in Hollywood, but rather in St. Louis as Benny Goodman and his band bid bon voyage to a saxophonist (Dick Powell) who has been signed to a Hollywood contract. After the socko start of that opening number, the film has nowhere else to go but down, and that it does at a far too leisurely pace. The story is hokey with a waitress who is the spitting image of a tempermental movie star taking her place at a film premier and Dick Powell's character falling in love with her, but . . . well, who cares? Of main interest for some jazz fans will be the two numbers performed by Benny Goodman -- one, with the full band including Gene Krupa and Harry James (and I think Jess Stacy in the background on the piano), a condensed version of "Sing, Sing, Sing". This is followed immediately by a BG Quartet number which could have been easily edited out in theaters disinclined to show this integrated musical group back in those days. There's more Louella Parsons than you'd ever want to see. Hugh Herbert was kind of a one note comedian, but he is used sparingly and usually adds some much needed life to his scenes. Edgar Kennedy got last billing on the poster, but no one could do suppressed rage funnier than he could. His scenes were some of the best, IMO. I wonder why Johnnie Davis did not become a bigger star. His is the principal voice heard singing "Hooray For Hollywood", so he gained his bit of immortality through that. He was clearly a bit of a ham based upon his performance here, but not in an off-putting fashion. He had a good singing voice and it seems like he should have had a pretty solid future as a film and recording artist.

Du'ohh! You are quite correct. My mistake. I have the CD, but was too lazy to get it and double check the facts before writing. She has recorded a lot of CDs over the years for various labels, but I think most recently she has been recording on her own. She has many discs available for sale on her website. She is also a good, interesting writer and many of her essays & poems can be found on her website as well: http://www.jessicawilliams.com/currents/index.html

Long ago, there was an internet group of SF area gay & lesbian jazz fans (a small group, to be sure). One of the outings we took was to hear Jessica Williams at Yoshi's in 2003. It was the first of 2 nights which were recorded for 2 volumes of music released on the MaxJazz label. I recall one of the women in our group saying that Ms. Williams was a trans woman. This was the first time I'd ever heard that. I was very surprised and pretty much discounted it as a rumor, believing that the community of jazz musicians is rather small and insular and if such a thing were true, news of it would have leaked out long ago. I can't even begin to imagine what she has been through in her life. Certainly in the 1970's and 80's, being known as a trans woman would not have made it any easier for her to get gigs. Just being a woman made it difficult enough in jazz. Working for guys like Stan Getz -- not exactly known as Mr. Sensitivity -- as she did on the recently released CD recorded at Keystone Korner, must have been a tad stressful. I wonder if that gig was pre-op or post-op for her as she says her surgery also took place in 1976. She has long been one of my favorite pianists and I certainly applaud her for speaking out. I hope she is back to full strength and ready to tour and record again soon.

This 4 disc set looks like prime material and a must-have for any Van Morrison fan! It's Too Late to Stop Now… Volumes II, III, IV & DVD Track List Volume II (Recorded live at The Troubadour, Los Angeles, May 23, 1973) 1. "Come Running" 2. "These Dreams Of You" 3. "The Way Young Lovers Do" 4. "Snow In San Anselmo" 5. "I Just Want To Make Love To You" 6. "Bring It On Home To Me" 7. "Purple Heather" 8. "Hey, Good Lookin'" 9. "Bein' Green" 10. "Brown Eyed Girl" 11. "Listen To The Lion" 12. "Hard Nose The Highway" 13. "Moondance" 14. "Cyprus Avenue" 15. "Caravan" Volume III (Recorded live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, California, June 29, 1973) 1. "I've Been Working" 2. "There There Child" 3. "No Way" 4. "Since I Fell For You" 5. "Wild Night" 6. "I Paid The Price" 7. "Domino" 8. "Gloria" 9. "Buona Sera" 10. "Moonshine Whiskey" 11. "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" 12. "Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket" 13. "Sweet Thing" 14. "Into The Mystic" 15. "I Believe To My Soul" Volume IV (Recorded live at The Rainbow, London, July 23 & 24, 1973) 1. "Listen To The Lion" 2. "I Paid The Price" 3. "Bein' Green" 4. "Since I Fell For You" 5. "Into The Mystic" 6. "Everyone" 7. "I Believe To My Soul" 8. "Sweet Thing" 9. "I Just Want To Make Love To You" 10. "Wild Children" 11. "Here Comes The Night" 12. "Buona Sera" 13. "Domino" 14. "Caravan" 15. "Cyprus Avenue" DVD (Recorded live at The Rainbow, London, July 24, 1973) 1. "Here Comes The Night" 2. "I Just Want To Make Love To You" 3. "Brown Eyed Girl" 4. "Moonshine Whiskey" 5. "Moondance" 6. "Help Me" 7. "Domino" 8. "Caravan" 9. "Cyprus Avenue" Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/van-morrison-revisits-1973-tour-with-its-too-late-to-stop-now-set-20160503#ixzz48kL6FOC7

NPR has the new album available for your listening pleasure: http://www.npr.org/2016/05/12/477069552/first-listen-bob-dylan-fallen-angels

I got my copy in the mail the other day and am listening to Disc 2 right now. I am pleased with how good the audio quality is for a "live" session from that era. And of course, the band sounds great!

Disc 1 of 5

I'd be interested in the following: MJQ – HAMBURG GERMANY – 10-27-83 TWO DISCS MONK TRIBUTE ALL-STAR QUARTET BIG BAND CHICAGO JAZZ FEST 8-29-86 MONK TENTET ALL-STARS 4-4-2000 PARIS JIMMY HEATH – NAT ADDERLEY QUINTET 7-25-95 TOKYO TWO DISCS CANNONBALL ADDERLEY QUINTET – MONTREAL 1975 CANNONBALL ADDERLEY 11-2-72 WEST BERLIN AHMAD JAMAL LIVE AT KIMBALLS 8-11-85

At the Abdullah Ibrahim concert at the SFJazz Center today I bought this 3 CD set I never got to see the Collective that season, so I am interested to hear what fresh takes they had on the music of one of my favorite jazz composers.

One would think they would finally do the right thing and dedicate next season to the music of one of the group's founding members, Bobby Hutcherson, while he is still among us. Instead, how much ya wanna bet next year's honored composer will be Prince? I saw one of the group's shows in SF this year in which they played music associated with Michael Jackson. I enjoyed it more than I expected. I see they have the CD out of this music and I will eventually get it. I thought a couple of the originals by group members were pretty good and they are included on the 2 CD set.

I think at the top of any list of nice guy musicians would have to be Clark Terry -- just a wonderful human being. If you need to be convinced, just watch the documentary Keep On Keepin' On. Dave Brubeck. I think it was 2007 when I went to see the DBQ play at University of the Pacific in Stockton. I'd arrived a few hours early and while seeking out a restroom,I happened to pass by the concert hall (the same venue where the classic Jazz At College of The Pacific album was recorded many years before) where the group was rehearsing with singer Roberta Gambarini. I quietly went in and sat down in the back to watch & listen to them for the next 40 minutes or so. At the end of that, Dave Brubeck came down and sat in a seat a few rows away from me to be interviewed by some reporter from the local press. He had to sit with his leg propped up because this was after he had had some surgery on his leg and he was supposed to keep it elevated when possible. The interview lasted for about 15 minutes and then some one came to tell Mr. Brubeck he had to leave to go meet with the directors of the Brubeck Institute. As he got up to leave, the reporter introduced Mr. Brubeck to his nephew who looked to be about 12 and was a piano student. Mr. Brubeck could have easily said, "Hi, nice to meet you, but I'm pressed for time and I really have to run now." The man had to meet with some important people, he had to get some dinner between then and showtime and possibly even rest a bit (he was like 86 at that time). He had probably been introduced to literally thousands of kids like this over the decades and there was no indication this young man was any great prodigy or that he was even particularly aware of Mr. Brubeck's work, so one could easily have understood if he gave the kid a quick, cursory brushoff. Instead, he engaged the kid in conversation for a couple of minutes, asking how long he had been playing, who his favorite composer was -- I recall the kid said Chopin -- asking which Chopin pieces were his favorites and just encouraging him to keep at it -- just talking musician to musician. Very nice.

Thanks for those anecdotes about Ruby Braff. I have no doubt that he well deserved his reputation for being a jerk. There are just too many stories about him to deny that conclusion. Maybe my birthday greetings just caught him on a good day. It was towards the end of his life when I wrote him, so perhaps he had mellowed a bit or perhaps he was a little more reflective given that he must have realized the end was nearing. Didn't he battle emphysema the last few years of his life? Anyway, I never expected a reply from any of the musicians I sent birthday greetings to (now sadly almost all gone, save for Sonny Rollins who sent me a thank you card!), least of all from the notorious Ruby Braff. The fact that he would take even 10 minutes to write a thank you letter to some one he'd never met, and the contents of that letter as well, showed me there must have been a softer side to the man as well.

One musician who had a reputation for being gruff and prickly was Ruby Braff. I never met him, never even got to see him perform live. But there was a time when I was in the habit of sending birthday cards to my musical heroes just to thank them for the wonderful music they have bestowed on us throughout their career and to wish them well. I figure most jazz musicians are not going to get rich, so they may at least be rewarded with the confirmation that their work has meant a lot to some people and will long be remembered and appreciated. I never expected anything back from these greetings I mailed out, but one day in the mail came a letter from Ruby Braff, a full page and a half hand-written, very sweet and gracious letter. One could probably tell from his music alone, but this letter proved to me that underneath the fabled gruff exterior of Ruby Braff beat a kind, sentimental and generous heart.

MUKASHI TRIO Abdullah Ibrahim piano Cleave Guyton Jr. alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, piccolo Noah Jackson bass, cello So this was a unique and rewarding show. The music was very intimate with many sections written out and at times sounding more like classical music. Given the instrumentation, the music was quite beautiful and at times delicate and ethereal, but never wispy -- Abdullah Ibrahim's music is always grounded. The program began with Mr. Ibrahim playing solo piano for about 15-20 minutes. It was one continuous performance with one theme segueing into the next and that is kind of how the rest of the concert would go once the other musicians joined him. Mr. Guyton played flute and piccolo in the first set and added clarinet into the program in the second set. He was very good and I was impressed by his ability to play passionate music on the piccolo. The music tended to flow from one piece to the next. From what I could tell, Mr. Jackson played without music and would tell from the vamping by the pianist whether he had to switch from bass to cello or vice versa. Much of the music was new to me as I have not heard the CD recorded by this group, but there were also reworkings of some old familiar Abdullah Ibrahim compositions. The show concluded with a lovely version of "Water From An Ancient Well". Abdullah Ibrahim is 81 now, but he certainly gave no indication that he is ready to take it easy. This concert had two roughly one hour sets plus an encore and while his piano playing was not the primary focus of the show after that opening number, he still was very involved in the proceedings even when he laid out. I wish there had been a larger audience. I was up in the balcony, but from what I could see, it seemed like the place was maybe 65-70% full and some left at the intermission. Maybe there will be a better crowd for tonight's performance.

Thank you for that wonderful word portrait. I've never had a Blizzard in my life (no DQ in the small MO town I grew up in, only an A&W with actual carhops back then!), but I long to order one now just because of this paragraph.

Tonight, Abdullah Ibrahim presented at SFJazz -- "the pianist in a solo setting that reveals the depths of his genius, as well as one of the maestro’s newest and most stimulating ensembles – his Japanese-inspired Mukashi trio featuring a lineup of Ibrahim’s piano, winds and cello. With a name translating from Japanese as “once upon a time,” the group is designed to tell stories, and as their new self-titled Sunnyside album demonstrates, no one tells a tale through music like Abdullah Ibrahim." MUKASHI TRIO Abdullah Ibrahim piano Cleave Guyton Jr. alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, piccolo Noah Jackson bass, cello And then on Sunday, Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya Abdullah Ibrahim piano Cleave Guyton Jr. alto saxophone, flute, clarinet, piccolo Bobby LaVell tenor saxophone Alex Harding baritone saxophone Andrae Murchison trombone, trumpet Noah Jackson bass, cello Will Terrill drums

I don't know if it is a topic worthy of its own thread, but I got to wondering what has become of Bob Cranshaw since Sonny Rollins stopped performing? Has he recorded any albums with any one else the past few years? Has he become a regular member of any one else's group? Is he quietly enjoying his own retirement?

Well, except for Muhammad Ali, of course. When his time comes and articles, obituaries and remembrances are written about him, 99% of them will use the phrase "The Greatest" -- and they will be correct.

Huh -- all this time I just assumed it was a reference to Bing and Bob Hope because of their association together in the "Road" movies.

What a great offer. May good karma be with you. I'd be interested in these: Jimmy Smith - Sacramento Sonny Stitt - Lockjaw Davis - New Orleans Jazz Fest Kenny Burrell Guitar Band 7 - Montreux Dr. Lonnie Smith - Smoke 1999

A newly reissued two disc set of this "live" concert recording with bonus tracks from each of the featured performers: Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas, The Miracles and Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers. One would have thought Motown would have reissued this last year to mark the 50th anniversary of the concert, but better late than never.

For what it's worth, the Wikipedia entry for him states he lives in California.

Wow -- i just read it was his birthday today in the notable birthdays column in the local newspaper. He definitely made his own kind of music and lived life on his own terms. There's probably even fewer genuine "living legends" left in the country music field now than there is in the jazz field. May he Rest In Peace.