HutchFan

Yes. It's special.

Last night and again today:

Yep. Provenance is a HUGE factor.

Yep. As long as it's old enough, it doesn't matter what it is. (Not sure whether it's 20 or 25 years.) Like you, I've seen plenty of ratty old junkers with those tags. It makes me laugh. I want to watch the International Ella Day parade. Sounds more fun than the Macy's parade.

I may have told this story before. If so, forgive me. But it's a good Waffle House story. ... My freshman year at the University of Georgia, my dorm roommate Linn had some connections. He could get in events -- concerts and such -- as an usher. He managed to score us an ushering gig at the Atlanta Civic Center where the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran fight was being shown via closed-circuit TV. (This is way before pay-per-view.) Turns out, this was the famous "No mas" fight where Duran was so humiliated by Sugar Ray that he quit. An incredible night, historic bout, and I even picked up a couple bucks as tips for seating folks. Afterwards, Linn and I are driving back to Athens, stop in a Waffle House, late at night. Maybe 2:00am. We're both college students, not much money -- but we're both really hungry. No dinner all evening. So, after sitting down, we literally pile all of our money on the table, both bills and coins. And it ain't much. The waitress comes up, and we say, "Bring as much breakfast as you can for this much money. Be sure to include your tip because this is ALL we got." We don't even tell her what to bring! We don't expect much. We just want some food. A few minutes later, we were both eating enormous breakfasts. I mean the works. There ain't no way that our money covered even half of it. ... The perfect capper to a memorable night. I've loved WaHo ever since.

Oh man. That's a bummer. ... Maybe with vaccines on the horizon, it'll be rescheduled in the future. I had a chance to see Lieb & Beirach in November last year at Mezzrow in NYC. Some pix of me being a goofy fan with two of my musical heroes. ' It was a memorable night.

Listening to Mwandishi and Crossings from this set. So much to admire about this music. ... I've said it before but I gotta say it again: Buster sounds ridiculously good here.

Very nice. Similar story: I met Dave a few years ago after a concert and he signed Pendulum for me. It's another cover with cool artwork by Eugene Gregan. While he was signing it, Dave mentioned that this music had been reissued by Mosaic. I replied, "Oh yeah, I have that too."

Buddy Tate - "The Talk of the Town" from The Texas Twister

Tom, I'm following your lead and listening to some 1970s Duke as well. Also from the stockpile and also released on Storyville:

Yes indeed. It's a good one! Eric, I hope you enjoy the Goodrick. I think you will!

The Jazztet - Another Git Together (Mercury) The all 'round finest record by this band?

Wonderful.

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s Chet Baker – Broken Wing (Sonopresse/Inner City/Gitanes Jazz, 1979) John Coates, Jr. – In the Open Space (Omnisound, 1979) Ronnie Mathews – Roots, Branches & Dances (Bee Hive, 1979) Curtis Fuller – Fire and Filigree (Bee Hive, 1979) Zbigniew Seifert – Passion (Capitol, 1979) Mick Goodrick – In Pas(s)ing (ECM, 1979) Bill Evans & Toots Thielemans – Affinity (Warner Brothers, 1979) Last week, work was busy and stressful, so there's no new write-ups -- except for a piece on the Polish jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert that I'd put together months ago. You can check it out here. Turning to the other albums, there's some lovely, lyrical entries this week: the Chet Baker, the Bill Evans & Toots, and the John Coates. The Goodrick is an excellent below-the-radar ECM (recently reissued, coincidentally), and the Fuller and Mathews Bee Hives are among the best releases from that label. So, all in all, another solid batch.

Three Wayne Shorter picks on the 2000s and 2010s lists. I'm down with that. Honestly, I could have easily voted to include Beyond the Sound Barrier in there too. As others have noted, Pat Metheny is clearly a gigantic favorite with listeners, showing up on every decade's list. I knew he was popular and sold a LOTS of records, especially back in the day. But, he is clearly REALLY popular still. ... I dig Metheny, even if he wouldn't make my short-list of personal faves. The guy makes consistently interesting music, and I probably own about 15 of his records. ... I will say that The Way Up is a damn fine record, IMO, one of Metheny's best. Jim tells me that I shouldn't be, but I'm still surprised by the COMPLETE absence of any small or even middle-sized labels. Nothing from Sunnyside, SteepleChase, Criss Cross, Muse, HighNote/Savant, Gramavision, Enja, Black Saint/Soul Note, etc., etc., etc. Was there even anything from Atlantic?!?! ... Come on people! The internet means you don't have to shop for your jazz records at Walmart anymore!!!

Lots of Hammond B3 today. and and

NP: Cedar Walton Quartet - Bluesville Time (Criss Cross) Nice. ... I'm jealous!

NP: Illinois Jacquet - The Black Velvet Band (Bluebird)

Santi Debriano Group - Panamaniacs (Evidence/Free Lance) Been playing this CD a lot lately. It's a good one.

Yes indeed. Happy Birthday, Mr. Cables !!!

More Archie Shepp: Ballads for Trane (Denon, 1977) Listening via YouTube. ... I wish Shepp's Denon recordings were more readily available! They'd make a terrific Mosaic set ... but I realize that ship has almost certainly sailed.

Archie Shepp - Down Home New York (Soul Note, 1985)

NP: Kenny Werner - Introducing the Trio (Sunnyside, 1989) with Ratzo Harris and Tom Rainey

Humair / Jeanneau / Texier - Akagera (Disques JMS, 1980)