HutchFan

Now: Nancy Wilson - I Know I Love Him (Capitol, 1973) Earlier: Nancy Wilson - All in Love Is Fair (Capitol, 1974)

Now spinning: Nancy Wilson - Now I'm a Woman (Capitol, 1970) Nancy Wilson keeping up with the times. New decade, new sound. For this album, she hired the Gamble & Huff production team (including arrangers Bobby Martin and Thom Bell) to make a Soul-oriented record with the "Philadelphia International" sound. Wilson is like Stanley Turrentine. She always sounds comfortable -- fully inside the music -- in nearly any context. Jazz, blues, soul, pop. It doesn't matter.

NP: Such a great record. One of Joe Farrell's finest hours, imo.

Dan, I don't think you're inventing a difference. That's definitely something that would have to be worked out and agreed upon. The decision would definitely have big implications for the game. I can easily imagine pitchers wanting one definition & the hitters wanting another. As a longtime Braves fan, it's interesting to imagine how pitchers like Tom Glavine & Greg Maddux would fare with a robot calling balls and strikes, given the way that they constantly "nibbled" on the outside edges of the plate. I bet HALF (or more!) of their pitches that were called strikes would be balls -- even if the definition of a strike was only "barely touching." . . . I know that, over the last few years, the MLB has tried to narrow the strike zone (and extend it upward), but a machine would eliminate those sorts of cultural conventions, make the standard closer to objective. . . . Again, I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not.

Glad to hear that. I enjoyed Iverson's playing with the Bad Plus. But I think his solo work -- and sideman gigs with Tootie and Jabali -- are even better.

Thanks for the feedback, Jim. Guess I need to add it to my list!

Certainly looks like the guy was cheating. I've never seen a video analysis like this. Pretty damning evidence. OTOH, Gaylord Perry would be proud. ****************** Regarding poor umpiring and the missed balls and strikes: I think it's inevitable that robots will eventually be making those calls. It's a shame to take the people out of the equation, but this is something that could easily be solved with technology. The desire for greater accuracy will drive the change, just like the desire for greater accuracy led to video replays. I haven't really decided whether it's a good thing or not. But I think it's gonna happen.

Next up: Marc Johnson - Bass Desires (ECM, 1986) One of Ethan Iverson's substack posts just showed up in my inbox. The gist of the post is a long interview with Peter Erskine about the making of Second Sight, the second Bass Desires album -- an album that isn't in my collection, so I'm playing the first one instead -- and Gary Peacock's Guamba, which was made immediately after Second Sight. FASCINATING stuff. And there's a bunch of excellent photos too. Don't think I've ever seen the inside of Rainbow Studios in Oslo before. An aside: I know that Iverson comes in for a lot of stick 'round these parts. Frankly, I don't get it. At all. I don't always agree with the guy -- nor should I (or should anyone else, for that matter!) -- but it's clear that he LOVES the music. From my perspective, that's the most important thing. . . . Plus, he uses his insider's status to get to get interviews that are unlike any others. And the dude can write. He's putting himself out there, sharing personal responses to the music. I wish MORE musicians had the (writing) chops, the inclination, and the cojones to do it.

Now on my turntable: Teresa Berganza, Narciso Yepes - Canciones Españolas (DG, 1975) works from Medieval & Renaissance Spain Time-standing-still music.

This morning: Last night: Two Ducal trios.

How about Albert Stinson? IIRC, I first heard Stinson on Bobby Hutcherson's Oblique -- but he also made albums with Chico Hamilton, Charles Lloyd, John Handy, and others. If he hadn't died in 1969 (only 24 years old), I think he would have become a very well-known bassist. Good call. Those records are terrific -- and Di Geronimo sounds great on them.

Actually, Chick's on New Mood Indigo -- not Happy Reunion. Understandable mistake. Both LPs appeared on Bob Thiele's Doctor Jazz with fairly generic covers. For sure!

More Ellington: Duke Ellington - Unknown Session (Columbia, 1979) Septet recordings from 1960.

It's Duke Ellington's Birthday, so . . . Duke Ellington - Happy Reunion (Doctor Jazz, 1985) Selections from EKE's "stockpile," recorded in Chicago in 1957 & 1958 Ellington (p), Jimmy Woode (b), Sam Woodyard (d) with: - On tracks A1 to A4: Jimmy Hamilton (cl), Johnny Hodges (as), Clark Terry (tr), and John Sanders (v tb) - On tracks A5 to B4: Paul Gonsalves (ts)

I like Jack Wilkins. I think Windows is his best work -- but his Chiaroscuro LPs are solid too. (IIRC, the Chiaroscuro CD compiles two LPs.) I've also enjoyed this Arabesque release: I've also dug Wilkins' playing with singer Nancy Harrow. Her excellent and under-appreciated album Anything Goes (Audiophile, 1979) features Wilkins (instead of a pianist) with Rufus Reid and Billy Hart: Harrow & Wilkins also released a duo album -- Two's Company (Inner City, 1984) -- that's on my to-get list: I've never heard it (since it's not on the web, never been released digitally) -- but I bet it's good.

That's absurd.

I received my annual bonus, so I'm celebrating. Yesterday, I went to a record show & found some jazz LPs. Today, I ordered a bunch of classical stuff from philadelphiamusic on Discogs: - Beethoven: The Late Quartets, Vol. 2 / Quartetto Italiano (Philips, 2 CDs) - Brahms: Symphonies 1 & 2; Serenade No. 2 / Kertész, VPO (London, 2 CDs) - Brahms: Symphonies 3 & 4; Serenade No. 1 / Kertész, VPO (London, 2 CDs) - Brahms: Complete Trios / Beaux Arts Trio, et al (Philips, 2 CDs) - Copland: Symphony No. 3; Quiet City / Bernstein, NYPO (DG, CD) - Copland: Sextet; Piano Variations; Piano Quartet / BSO Chamber Players, Gilbert Kalish (Elektra-Nonesuch, LP) - d'Indy: Symphonie No. 2 / Plasson, ON du Capitole de Toulouse (La Voix de Son Maître, LP) - Dvořák: The Symphonies [Complete] / Kertész, LSO (London, 6 CDs) - Haydn: Symphonies No. 6 Le Matin, No. 7 Le Midi, No. 8 Le Soir / Marriner, ASMF (Philips, LP) - Liszt: Liebestraum, Favorite Piano Works / Jorge Bolet (London, 2 CDs) - Messiaen: Turangalîla Symphony / Ozawa, Toronto SO, Yvonne Loriod, Jeanne Loriod (RCA, CD) - Mompou: Cançons I Danses; Suburbis; Cants Mágics / Jean-François Heisser (Apex, CD) - Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 19 & 27 / Clara Haskil, Ferenc Fricsay (DG, CD) - Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 6, 17 & 21 / Géza Anda, Camerata Academica Salzburg (DG, CD) - Mozart: The Great Violin Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Henryk Szeryng, Ingrid Haebler (Philips, 2 CDs) - Schubert: Complete Trios / Beaux Arts Trio, Grumiaux Trio (Philips, 2 CDs) - Schubert: Sonata, D. 960; Wanderer-Fantasy / Alfred Brendel (Philips, LP) - Schumann: Scènes d'enfants; Scènes de la Forêt; Variations "Abegg" / Clara Haskil (Philips FR, LP) - Villa-Lobos: Instrumental & Orchestral Works / Cristina Ortiz, Angel Romero, Ashkenazy, et al (EMI, 2 CDs) If you look in the right places, you can find used classical music for remarkably low prices. This entire lot only set me back about $80. That's nuts!

Yes, Happy Birthday to EKE. I can't even begin to say how much my life has been enriched by Duke's music.

Now spinning this LP: Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade / Mehta, LAPO (London, 1975) A terrific performance enhanced by typically exquisite Decca AQ. For this listener, Scheherazade is one of those works that never fails to cast its magic spell. Absolutely.

NP: Art Farmer - Yesterday's Thoughts (East Wind/Test of Time, 1976) with the "Magic Triangle" rhythm section: Cedar Walton, Sam Jones & Billy Higgins