HutchFan

More RRK:

soulpope - do you like this version of Bruckner's 6th? Klemps often leaves me cold, but I think he's very effective here.

The Dynamic Sound Patterns of the Rod Levitt Orchestra (Riverside/OJC)

Rahsaan Roland Kirk - A Standing Eight (32 Jazz; originally released on WB) Disc 1

Prime HH! Duke Ellington - The Private Collection: Volume Two, Dance Concerts, California 1958 (Saja) I love their take on "The Mooche" here.

John Surman / John Warren - Tales of the Algonquin (Deram/Vocalion)

Elvin Jones / Masabumi Kikuchi - Hollow Out (Philips Japan) Trio with Gene Perla

One of my sons is an amateur musician and music-lover. He's said that he'd love to inherit my collection when I'm gone. So it'll be going to him. I consider myself very fortunate that one of my children has a love of music in common with me.

John Scofield Trio LIVE - Enroute (Verve) with Steve Swallow & Bill Stewart

The Milt Jackson Big 4 at The Montreux Jazz Festival 1975 (Pablo) with Oscar, NHØP & Mickey Roker

Willis Jackson with Pat Martino - Single Action (Muse) Willis Jackson (ts); Pat Martino (g); Carl Wilson (org); Jimmy Lewis (b); Yusef Ali (d); Ralph Dorsey (perc) Recorded in April 1978 at RVG's Studio

It's excellent. Glen Hall is a strong saxophonist (ts, ss, b cl) who moves freely from "inside" to "out," and the rhythm section is non-pareil. It was originally released in 1979 on the tiny Sonora label. Koch apparently thought enough of the record to reissue it back in the 1990s when they were dabbling in jazz. Their decision gets a "seal of approval" from me.

More Joanne Brackeen:

I picked up that CD a few months back, and I've really enjoyed it. I guess it's no surprise that it's so good, given the participants. It is a bit of an odd choice for a cover photo. Not bad. Just odd. I have the version that Evidence issued under license from Label Bleu. It looks like this: More what you'd expect with that title. Oh well. Either way, I dig the music. NP: Joanne Brackeen - Popsicle Illusion (Arkadia) Wonderful solo piano. "Illusion" must be an important word to Brackeen. Popsicle Illusion is her second recording with the word in the title. The first was New True Illusion. Given her "illusion" fascination, I bet Brackeen really digs this guy: Younger folks: Google Doug Henning.

Oh yeah. Me too.

Duke Ellington - The Private Collection, Volume 6: Dance Dates, California 1958 (Saja) Prime material from the stockpile. All of the ambient sounds -- people talking & laughing right along with the music (including Duke!) -- only adds to the you-are-there vibe.

Gary Bartz - Episode One: Children of Harlem (Challenge) with Larry Willis, Buster Williams and Ben Riley I like this one very much.

Thelonious Monk Big Band & Quartet - In Concert (Columbia Jazz Masterpieces) CDs 1 & 2

Some great Griff & Lock. NP: Art Farmer Quintet featuring Gigi Gryce (Prestige)

Franco D'Andrea - Dialogues With Super-Ego / Es (Red) Two solo piano LPs released on one CD; another volume in the "Franco D'Andrea Special Edition" from Red Records. And last night: Tito Puente & His Concert Orchestra (Tico/Fania)

Franco D'Andrea - Quartet Live / My Shuffle (Red, rec. 1985) with Franco D'Andrea (p); Tino Tracanna (ts, ss); Attilio Zanchi (b); Gianni Cazzola (d) Terrific.

I'm sorta surprised that no one has mentioned Martial Solal's MPS recordings. In this listener's opinion, they're among his very best. According to the incredibly subjective HutchFan Five-Star Scale, I would rate each of Solal's MPS LPs as follows: Martial Solal & Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Movability (1976) -- 5 STARS Martial Solal - Nothing But Piano (1976) -- 5 STARS Martial Solal / Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen / Daniel Humair - Suite for Trio (1978) -- 5 STARS Martial Solal - The Solosolal (1979) -- 4 STARS Martial Solal / Lee Konitz / John Scofield / Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Four Keys (1979) -- 4.5 STARS Lee Konitz & Martial Solal - Live At The Berlin Jazz Days 1980 (1982) -- 5 STARS I always thought these would make a great Mosaic set. Oh well. I guess that ship has sailed. On the updside, since Edel's acquisition of the MPS catalog, many of these vital recordings have been made available again. On the downside, they're largely only available as downloads. Regardless of how you listen, I would strongly recommend all of these records.