HutchFan

Really? You're willing to put all your chips on the "Nature" side of the "Nature vs. Nurture" argument? I was just wondering if Rod Stewart's jazz singing would be less "hideous" if he'd grown up in the US instead of the UK. Or if his parents had been jazz lovers. I think the geniuses are born. But he ain't one of those. Most jazz musicians (singers or otherwise) aren't.

LOL 😆 Yep.

Agree re: Rod Stewart singing the GAS. But him with Jeff Beck -- or a solo album like Gasoline Alley. That's terrific stuff, imo. Different settings, different results.

I think what you're saying is also true of non-vocal jazz. People who are new to jazz will generally have an easier time "hearing" Cannonball than they would Charlie Parker, don't you think?

I agree 100%. My understanding of what jazz is has evolved significantly over the years, generally expanding with time. Or maybe I'm just less concerned with the signposts of genre. ... At a minimum, I hope my capacity for hearing "wider" is growing.

Yeah. Better description.

Of course. Just like Sinatra with Basie is closer to "Jazz" (or fully is Jazz) compared to Sinatra with Jenkins. It's all a continuum. From where I'm sitting, the question "Jazz singer, yes or no?" mostly comes down to rhythm -- both the singer's internal, innate sense of rhythm and the singer's accompaniment. For example, I've been listening to some singers lately who sorta straddle the line between jazz and "cabaret." And I think the distinction almost entirely comes down to rhythm. But there's huge overlap between the two -- since it's a continuum. Makes sense to me.

Earlier: Now:

John Surman sounds so good on this one.

Now: Earlier:

I really like that album -- and First Meeting, the LP that preceded it.

Now spinning:

More Mulgrew: My autographed copy. That sounds like a good day.

I saw Charette perform in NYC a few weeks ago. NP: Mulgrew Miller - The Countdown (Landmark, 1989) with Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams Prompted by some Mulgrew discussion on another thread.

Yeah, Mulgrew was terrific. I had the good fortune of seeing him a few times in different settings. The last time I saw him was a solo performance at Spivey Hall. Very memorable. He played "Farewell to Dogma," one of his compositions that's always meant a lot to me. It still stings that he left us at such a young age. MM in 1983, backstage at the Keystone Korner

Next, a sort "companion album" to Yesterday's Thoughts: Exquisite.

Just finished this: Just started this: I really enjoyed that one. I'll pretty much read anything O'Brien writes.

Happy Birthday, BIG GEORGE!

So true! A bunch of his music got shelved, and so much of it was excellent. Even crazier is the fact that the same thing could be said of so many others too: Wayne, Hutch, Jackie Mac, Andrew Hill, and so on. I'm just glad that BN recorded so much -- much more than the market could bear -- and that it eventually saw the light day. Oh man! Am I ever JEALOUS!!! That's fantastic.

Bill Mays Trio - Summer Sketches (Palmetto, 2001) and Art Farmer - Yesterday's Thoughts (East Wind, 1975)

The music is what matters, not the format.

I don't think I've ever seen photos of a young Jorge Bolet before. He looks like he could've been a movie star, right down to the Clark Gable mustache!

R.I.P.