HutchFan

Yessir. He had such a great sound.

Ronald Acuña Jr. First player in the 40-70 club: My dad grew up near Pittsburgh watching the Pirates, and he says that only player he's ever seen who had Acuña's combination of skills is Roberto Clemente. . . . But even Clemente didn't put up these sorts of numbers.

Norman Simmons Quartet - Ramira the Dancer (Spotlite, 1977) with Lisle Atkinson (b), Al Harewood (d), and Ralph Dorsey (perc)

Yes. It's the 32 Jazz reissue cover.

with Frank Strozier

More from the MJT+3: The best kind of attack to have!

So soulful -- especially Mabern & Strozier.

It's funny how harpsichords only had a short time in the limelight. However, during that brief time, they showed up all over the place. Particularly in movie soundtracks. If the movie happened to be made during the High Harpsichord period, it was nearly inevitable. There had to be a harpsichord just like there had to be a sleek roadster (preferably British or Italian) -- for that extra whiff of Euro sophistication. . . . I mean a piano is smart. And the electric piano is hip. But a harpsichord! Come on! It's no contest! GW could make ANY instrument sound good. I love that stuff. Seriously.

Good record. I dig Rick Margitza.

Vassar Clements - Hillbilly Jazz (Flying Fish, 1974) Possibly even better than Concepts in Unity.

Thanks!

Agreed. I thought of Ramsey Lewis too. No doubt. Any particular artists or albums that you'd recommend? I'd love to take a swim in that pool, but I have no idea where to begin.

This one is completely new to me. I'm giving it a listen now via YT. Definitely a feel-good vibe. Thanks for the heads-up.

Now: Earlier:

Dub, It's just a question of the number of speakers that the recording is intended -- recorded & mixed -- to support. A 5.1 surround recording is made for two front speakers, two rear speakers, one center-channel speaker, and a sub-woofer -- as shown below: Usually, in 5.1 set ups, the rear speakers are smaller than the front speakers, and the center-channel speaker is purpose-built specifically to support movie dialogue. (There are purely musical recordings that use 5.1 surround. But I think the format really took off with the advent of home theaters and watching movies at home. OTOH, Quadraphonic was/is for music only.) Quadraphonic recordings are intended for two front speaker and two rear speakers. Unlike 5.1 systems, (I think) most folks used the same four speakers for Quad set-ups. Back in the 1970s when Quad LPs were introduced, you needed to purchase an amplifier that supported Quad LPs plus two "extra" speakers. Most folks assume that those extra costs are what caused the format to fail. Others objected to the format because it's not necessarily an accurate portrayal of how we hear music in "real life"; it's as if you happen to be sitting among the people making the music. Sound is coming at you from every direction. If you want a "realistic" concert hall-type reproduction, then Quad is not for you. So music-audio purists disliked Quad, just like they (usually) dislike surround set-ups. My assumption is that most listeners who buy a Quad recording today will be listening to them on their surround systems. If you've only got a two-speaker/traditional stereo set-up (like most music listeners, as opposed to movie watchers), then it wouldn't make any sense to buy a Quad recording. Good point! Hadn't thought of that.

Now streaming: Grachan Moncur III - Shadows (Denon, 1977) Andy Bey should've received a front-cover "featuring" credit, since his voice is so prominent throughout the album.

Miyazawa Akira Quartet - Kiso (Victor World Group Japan, 1970) Akira Miyazawa (ts, fl) Masahiko Satoh (p) Yasuo Arakawa (b) Takeo Moriyama (d) and Masahiko Satoh Trio - Transformation '69/'71 (Express Japan, 1971) Masahiko Satoh (p) Yasuo Arakawa (b) Masahiko Togashi (d, perc) An extraordinary album.

McCoy Tyner - Passion Dance (Milestone, 1979) with RC and Tony

Two terrific records.

More Japanese jazz today. Now: Masahiko Togashi - Spiritual Nature (East Wind, 1975) with Masahiko Satoh (p), Masami Nakagawa (bass fl), Keiki Midorikawa (b, vc), Yoshio Ikeda (b), and others Earlier: Takashi Kako - The Legend of the Sea-Myself (Trio, 1977) with Masami Nakagawa (as, fl), Keiki Midorikawa (b, vc), and Masahiko Togashi (d)

I assume that Quadio is a portmanteau of Quadraphonic and Rhino.

Tonight's theme is airborne instruments. A few moments ago, they floated over a sunbaked desert. Now, they're flying by Saturn like satellites: Libre - Con Salsa . . . Con Ritmo, Vol. 1 (Salsoul, 1976)