HutchFan

Hey, I've never seen that record before. Is it any good?

O.K. I hear you. I really do. That said ... I'm just gonna go on thinkin' the cover shows a woman who's just enjoying music a whole damn lot. ... Or more precisely, it's nothing more than some graphic designer at VeeJay knowing that Harold Mabern wrote a tune called "Make Everybody Happy" and that's what they're gonna name the record, so he got a photo of a really happy woman -- because dudes buy jazz records, and (most) dudes like to look at women -- and he put her face on the cover. Happy music. Happy face. Just that simple. That's how I want to think about it.

The LP from Buddy's just feels more together, more like a nightclub vibe than a festival. (Not that there's anything wrong with festivals in general or that LP from Wichita specifically.) Also, I like the compositions from Buddy's a bit more. I think picking the LP from Buddy's might have something to do with the rhythm section too. I think Ronnie Mathews and Victor Sproles sound great here. (Not that Duke Jordan and Wilber Little are slouches. Gawd no. I just prefer Mathews & Sproles in a big band context -- or at least on this LP.) Also, maybe it's this most of all: I heard and knew the Wichita Festival record for many years, and I got the LP from Buddy's, say, five or six years ago. When I heard the LP from Buddy's, I was like, "Damn, I think this is even better than Wichita."

Sad news. R.I.P.

Sheesh, Jim, it doesn't have to be all that, does it? As for the "everybody" in the title: Isn't it the folks who might listen to the music on the album -- one of whom (theoretically) is the woman pictured on the cover? ... I don't mean to be obtuse. Am I missing some sort of obvious sub-text? NP: Incredibly soulful music.

Weekly Recap - PLAYING FAVORITES: Reflections on Jazz in the 1970s Clark Terry's Big B-A-D Band – Live! At Buddy's Place (Vanguard, 1976) Bucky Pizzarelli & Bud Freeman – Buck & Bud (Flying Dutchman, 1976) Carmen McRae – At the Great American Music Hall (Blue Note, 1977) Richie Kamuca Quartet – Richie (Concord); originally issued as Richard Kamuca Quartet 1976 Irakere – Grupo Irakere (Areito, 1976) Graciela y Mario – La Botánica (Lamp/Coco, 1976) Sam Most – Flute Flight (Xanadu, 1977) This week's list might not scream, "Hey, I'm sexy!" -- but hold on. You just might want to give it another look ... - Not one but TWO superb Latin Jazz recordings. Blazing hot. - The Carmen McRae is on my short-list of all-time favorite vocal jazz albums. - The Pizzarelli/Freeman disc is one of those albums where everything just WORKS. - That Richie Kamuca LP is probably the best record he ever made. Anyone who loves Lestorian saxmen NEEDS to hear this. - Sam Most? Sinatra invited Most to his house in Vegas and gave him a gold friggin' flute. ... I'm just sayin'. - And Clark Terry? I l-o-v-e the sound he makes. He's one of my guys, an Ellingtonian who's close to my heart. There's some really good stuff here. Seriously.

Malanga isn't legit??? I thought they were.

NP:

LPs from a Sunday afternoon run at a local shop: Michel Petrucciani - Note'n Notes (Owl) This was the only Petrucciani Owl release that I didn't have, so I was happy to stumble across it. Al Haig & Jamil Nasser - Expressly Ellington (Spotlite) Late career Al Haig is very under-rated, IMO. I've streamed this via YT. It'll be nice to hear it in higher fidelity. Jimmy McGriff - Portrait (Blue Note) A 2-LP compilation of Blue Note & Solid State tracks from the brief Sonny Lester/Blue Note partnership. Appears to have been released in Germany only, per discogs. Johnny Hammond - The Prophet (Kudu) Arrangements by Pee Wee Ellis. I usually dig his work for CTI & Kudu.

and

Now: Earlier:

and with Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Ousley. and Ray McKinney

Larry Young - Lawrence of Newark (Perception, rec. 1973) Wow. I'm reminded again that this is a stinkin' BRILLIANT record, so clattery and cosmic and weird and fascinating. Even the (relatively) lo-fi audio recording seems to work in its favor, adding a veiled, mysterious quality. I've never heard anything else quite like it.

and

Earlier: The George Coleman Octet - Big George (Affinity) with Harold Mabern and Frank Strozier, among others

Richard "Groove" Holmes - Groove's Groove (32 Jazz) Enjoyable compilation of Muse cuts.

Dr. Lonnie Smith - Spiral (Palmetto, 2010) and Don Patterson - Why Not ... (Muse, 1978)

MJT + 3 - Branching Out (originally Vee Jay; licensed by Trip Jazz) Always pleasant to hear Mabern & Strozier together.

David Friedman & David Samuels - Double Image (Enja)

NP:

Very nice!

Back to "Fathead": Excellent set! I bet that was good! I would love to see Harrell live. Never have.

A magnificent performance, for sure! Hutcherson's two quartet records with Hancock -- Happenings and Oblique -- are two of his very best, IMO.