HutchFan

Hmm... Reading some of the responses to McCoy's output in the 80s, I feel like I should stick up for him. He may not have made any mind-blowing records during the decade, but I think he made some very strong records. Consider... along with my pick, La Leyenda de la Hora, McCoy released these albums during the 1980s: - 13th House (Milestone, 1981) - Dimensions (Elektra Musician, 1984) - Just Feelin' (Palo Alto, 1985) - Bon Voyage (Timeless, 1987) - Revelations (Blue Note, 1988) - Uptown/Downtown (Milestone, 1988) - Things Ain't What They Used to Be (Blue Note, 1989) From my perspective, every single one of these albums is at least "solid" -- and several of them are much better than that. I'm just sayin'!

Thanks mike & TtK!

O.K. Thanks for the info.

Are these two the only Shearing MGM LPs with Tjader? An Evening With and Shearing Caravan Shearing in Hi-Fi

Peter -- I've never seen this disc before. Could you provide the label and year of release? Thanks!

Just ordered a couple Melodiya/USSR classical LPs that were licensed & issued by Angel Records in the U.S.: Prokofiev: Four Portraits From "The Gambler"; Suite from "Love For Three Oranges"; They Are Seven / Rozhdestvensky, Moscow RSO, et al Rozhdestvensky's Prokofiev recordings are terrific. One more to add to my collection. and Scriabin: Sonata No. 1 in F Minor; Sonata-Fantasia No. 2 in G Sharp Minor; Fantasia in B Minor (The Complete Piano Sonatas, Album 2) / Igor Zhukov This is music that's as beautiful as the cover is ugly! I already have Albums 1 & 3 in Zhukov's series of Scriabin Sonatas. So this LP completes the set.

Charles Earland - Front Burner (Milestone, 1988) and Carlos "Patato" Valdes - Masterpiece (Messidor, 1993)

I agree. From my POV, Graillier's presence is as much of a selling point as Baker's.

Disc 2 and this (again):

If you'd like the book, we can get you a copy. I'll be your "American connection," order the book and then send it along to you after I receive it. No problem. Just ping me if you'd like to go down that path.

Sure thing. Will share my impressions after reading.

Hmm. I've never heard this album. ... Listening to the title cut now via YT. Yeah.

This just arrived in the mail: Looking forward to diving in.

Doc & Merle Watson - Lonesome Road (United Artists, 1977)

And that's only HALF the room! It's the like the stinkin' Smithsonian of Jazz Records. An awesome collection.

Discussing Max's records with Odean Pope & Calvin Hill on another thread. So this:

Best music library that I've ever seen IN MY LIFE, bar none. Was I jealous? HELL YEAH!

Good point on the fallibility of us all -- even our heroes. Definitely. But also: Being there to hear all those records as they were released gave you a certain perspective on them. Just like me approaching them all -- as a set that happened in the past -- gives me another.

I guess I'm in the minority, but I like Max's Quartet with Odean Pope and Calvin Hill just as much as the Harper/Workman band. Give this a listen: Again, I wasn't there in "real time." I'm too young -- so my only window on this time is via the records. And I think THAT ^ is amazing.

I've never heard Looking Out. Sounds like I'm not missing out on anything. But, obviously, I disagree re: La Leyenda de la Hora. When I listen to it, I hear something similar to Sama Layuca. It's a more lyrical version of McCoy. (Not coincidentally, Bobby Hutcherson is also present on both of those records.) I like La Leyenda and Sama Layuca for the same reason that I like Horizon. They're less relentless than his classic Milestone albums like Sahara and Enlightenment. There is some ebb-and-flow. It's not ALWAYS pedal-to-the-metal. That's my preference.

Disc 2 - Bizet: Symphony in C; Martinů: Fantaisies Symphoniques; Prokofiev: Selections from Romeo & Juliet

When they made Oasis, the New York Jazz Quartet consisted of Frank Wess, Roland Hanna, George Mraz, and Ben Riley. A terrific band!

Boatwright's renditions of Ives' songs are wonderful.