HutchFan

Seconded! An outstanding tribute.

NP: Desert-island Ellington. Cootie lit a fire when he returned to the fold.

Last night: Buck Clayton - The Golden Days of Jazz (Columbia Special Products) This 2-LP set is my "just-a-taste sampler" of the Clayton Mosaic box that I never pulled the trigger on.

Elvin Jones, James Moody, Clark Terry, Bunky Green, Roland Prince - Summit Meeting (Vanguard) David Liebman Quartet featuring Mike Nock - The Opal Heart (Inner City)

Dizzy Gillespie - The Giant (Prestige) with Johnny Griffin, Kenny Drew, NHØP, Kenny Clarke, and Humberto Canto

Bucky Pizzarelli with Joe Venuti - Nightwings (Flying Dutchman) Tommy Flanagan / Reggie Workman / Joe Chambers - The Super Jazz Trio (RCA Jazz Line)

I've thought about that sort of thing many times. Out in the "normal world," it might not mean much to folks. 'Round here, on the other hand, the finer points of collection filing are something that many of us ponder, I'm sure.

Sonny Stitt - So Doggone Good (Prestige, rec. 1972) with Hampton Hawes, Reggie Johnson, and Lenny McBrowne

So sad to hear that the Cornelia Street Cafe is closing. BIG bummer. That said, 41 years is a LONG time. It was a good run.

Frank Foster & Frank Wess - Frankly Speaking (Concord, 1984)

Yep. I agree. 40 minutes is a typical vinyl LP duration. And we've all bought plenty of those!

Here's some cool stuff that I discovered in 2018, all of it new-to-me: Dizzy Gillespie - At Onkel Pö's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg 1978 (Jazz Line, 2 CDs) I've probably listened to Dizzy more than any other artist this year. The man's music never gets old. Chico Hamilton - Peregrinations (Blue Note) with Arthur Blythe and Steve Turre (on bass!); thanks to Jim S. for his Chico advocacy, prompting me to dig into Hamilton's catalog. Ethan Iverson, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Ben Street - Live at Smalls (Smalls Live) This trio manages to sound traditional and contemporary at the same time. I think Iverson's an exceptional pianist, regardless of the context. Johnny Lytle - Soul Rebel and People & Love (Dusty Groove/Milestone) Jack McDuff - The Heatin' System (Cadet, 2 LPs) Two new soul-jazz favorites. The Heatin' System is one of McDuff's best. How come it has never been reissued (other than for a minute in Japan)??? Dusty Groove should do their thing with it, just like they did with Lytle's Milestone LPs. Carmen McRae - At The Great American Music Hall (Blue Note) Some of the most compelling Carmen McRae that I've heard. She's with her working band, and you can tell. James Moody - Heritage Hum (Perception) Along with Diz, Moody's been another huge focus for me this year. (No coincidence there.) I could have easily listed five or six other new-to-me Moody records. But his flute work on Heritage Hum is irresistible -- so it gets my vote. Cal Tjader - Primo (Fantasy) Superb Latin jazz, featuring arrangements from Charlie Palmieri. If you think Tjader's music is fun but "lightweight," you might want to check this out. The more I dig into Tjader's discography, the more I'm impressed. Lucky Thompson - Illuminations (Groove Note) Originally released as two LPs, Goodbye Yesterday and I Offer You, this album features a stellar rhythm section: Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, and Louis Hayes. (Note to those who are electric-piano-averse: Walton uses both acoustic and electric piano on these sides. FWIW, I love Cedar's playing here, regardless of instrument.) Rhythm section aside, Lucky is the star of the show. His soprano sax work is otherworldly -- so vulnerable and naked that it'll break your heart. . . . If I'm picking ONE new favorite for this year, it's this one. Who or what caught YOUR ear in 2018?

Sonny Stitt - Blues for Duke (Muse) with Barry Harris, Sam Jones, and Billy Higgins Four master musicians playing warhorses from the Ellington songbook. Nothing revolutionary, but it sure does sound GOOD.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: You need to share your memories just like this one in BOOK form, Chuck. Write a memoir, please!

I'm about two-thirds of the way through the book. Based on what I've read so far, I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.

Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, et al - The Bop Session (Sonet)

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