HutchFan

Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel - Riding the Nuclear Tiger (Palmetto) Haven't listened to this in ages, but I don't know why. It's good stuff. Bennie Wallace - The Talk of the Town (Enja) Typically strong set from Wallace. I really dig his approach, evoking the classic tenor sax sound of guys like Hawkins, Berry and Evans and combining it with a more modern vocabulary. It's distinctive, I think, the way he puts those elements together. (Or at least it was towards the beginning of Wallace's career. I'm not that familiar with his more recent stuff.)

Armen Donelian - Sayat-Nova: Songs of My Ancestors (Sunnyside) Disc 1

Jimmy Rushing and the Big Brass (Columbia/Sony) featuring Coleman Hawkins, Buck Clayton, Dickie Wells and others; paired on a single CD with Rushing Lullabies

Prompted by soulpope's mention of Barbirolli (above): At its best, Barbirolli's music-making seems intensely personal -- whether the composer is Mahler, Sibelius, Dvořák, Vaughan Williams, Elgar . . .

soulpope, thanks for that list of interesting M1s. I wasn't aware of that recording by Barbirolli. I may have to investigate.

On the way home from work: Mahler: Symphony No. 1 / Horenstein, LSO (Unicorn) My favorite recording of this symphony. When I got home, this was in my mailbox. Now listening: Mahler: Symphony No. 7 / Abbado, BPO (DG) Very impressive so far. But I'll need to give it half-a-dozen listens before I know where it fits in my totally subjective scheme of M7s.

Genesis - Duke For me, this conjures memories of high school.

Begin with Night Soldiers. It's his first (and best, imho).

Yes, his more recent books seem to have become a bit formulaic. But the early novels -- particularly Night Soldiers -- are excellent, I think. Yes! I've enjoyed those tremendously.

I've been meaning to pick up one of Ambler's books for years. Finally getting around to it. I've read most of Alan Furst's novels, and Ambler seems to be the author to whom he's compared most often.

Just finished: ' Genesis: Chapter & Verse Fascinating reading -- at least for a long-time fan like myself. Next up: Eric Ambler - Journey Into Fear

Sonny Fortune, Billy Harper, et al - Great Friends (Evidence) Oscar Peterson & Milt Jackson - Reunion Blues (MPS)

Jabali

Mahler: Symphony No. 8 / Sinopoli, Philharmonia O, et al (DG) Trying again to find my way into my least favorite Mahler symphony. I like it. But -- unlike all of the others -- I don't love it.

What's that like, soulpope? I've never heard it. NP: Paul Motian Band - Garden of Eden (ECM)

Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde / Bruno Walter, NYPO, Mildred Miller, Ernst Haefliger (CBS/Sony) I actually prefer this recording to Walter's more famous DLvdE with Kathleen Ferrier.

Over the last few days, I've listened to all five recordings of Mahler's Seventh that I now own: -- Bernstein, NYPO (Sony) -- Boulez, Cleveland O (DG) -- Kubelik, Bavarian Radio SO (DG) -- Levine, Chicago SO (RCA/Sony) -- Rattle, City of Birmingham SO (Warner) My favorite recording is by Kubelik, followed very closely by Boulez and Levine. For me, Bernstein and Rattle are less persuasive. I've ordered Abbado's recording with the Berlin PO. I'll have to see how it stacks up when it arrives.

Mahler: Symphony No. 8 / Ozawa, Boston SO, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, et al (Philips)

More Frank Foster: Frank Foster & Frank Wess - Frankly Speaking (Concord)

Roy Brooks' The Free Slave -- one of the earliest Muse releases -- was recorded at the Left Bank. Absolutely VITAL music, imho. Regarding the Stan Getz Dorn-issued music from that venue: I tracked it down because it includes Richie Beirach on piano.

Nothing much to say beyond the fact that these two guys are both favorites of mine as well.

First spin. Just arrived: Al Haig - Serendipity (Interplay/Absord Music Japan) with Jamil Nasser (b) and Jimmy Wormworth (d) And now continuing with another record that's new to me: Frank Foster's Living Color: Twelve Shades of Black - For All Intents and Purposes (Leo) Thanks again, Dan!