sal

Beautiful. Thanks for posting the pics, Mark!

I'd say the Blue Note box set is one of his better ones in that dept. I'd give it a 2 on the gruntophone index.

I have been fortunate to meet both jazzshrink and cannonball-addict once a piece, and meeting and becoming friends with sheldonm and ejp626 has given me the chance to go to shows in Chicago with people who actually like jazz! Makes the experience so much more fulfilling. Thanks guys! I look forward to meeting many more board members, both Chicago area dwellers and beyond.

I got 67.....

No kidding.

I love the alternate of "One Finger Snap" from Emperyan Isles.

He might be thinking about "Never Let me Go". Both that and "Inside Out" are much more "out" then the box set though.

I was playing this Conn really freakin' loud last night and have had the tunes in my brain all morning. Sometimes I think that I like this session even more than "Unity". Its one of those perfect moments in recorded jazz history. Every track is a gem. I can't get over that part of the head of "Plaza De Toros" where Sam Rivers is just fluttering that eerie soundscape while Grant Green hypnoticly picks at those two notes with Larry and Elvin throwing down that dirty Latin groove. Just beautiful. What a great album, with great tunes and great playing by all. Definitely one of Grant Green's finest hours. Sam Rivers is just a monster breathing fire all over the place, and Elvin so casually demonstrating why he's the greatest ever. I like Larry Young so much more than any other organist....there's just something so interesting about his music. It just grabs me and won't let go.

Man with the Golden Arm - good point comparing it to Light Made Lighter, one of my favorite Blue Series releases. Luc's Lantern sounds even more inside than that one to me, but definitely in the same vein of more accessible piano trio sessions. reyles, thanks for the heads up about the quartet disc! I didn't even know about his one. I love O'Neal's Porch, so I'll definitely be picking this one up. I feel like I really need to listen to Luc's Lantern some more. I'll do that this weekend and comment some more next week.

I picked this one up a couple of days ago. I've only gotten the chance to give it one listen (which I admit was not a 100% attentive one). My first impression is that its a good, if not great, session. Its very different from his other releases being that is very much in the straight-ahead mold, with very little of the more "downtown" sound Parker is known for. It has some very strong playing by the piano player Eri Yamamoto and drummer Michael Thompson....both new names to me. It also features lots of "up front" playing by Parker (not so much in terms of solos, but in the comping), which is a treat to hear in this more mainstream context. I guess really the only reason I wasn't quite that taken by the session is that alot of the compositions seemed to have a similar mood to them, which is strange for William Parker. But I really feel I need to listen to this one more times to form a solid opinion. Anyways, just wanted to get some discussion started about this one. Anyone else heard it?

I agree with the general consensus of the other posters. Get it ASAP! Its one of my favorite box sets.

No kidding....those were some good ribs.

I guess I take my singlehood for granted sometimes! Stay in touch Eric.....I'll be seeing Hutcherson for sure, and will try to see Stefon Harris, though I'm not so sure about the Blackout band.

jazzmessenger, PM me if you decide to come into town. I'll likely see all three of those shows.

All I can say is its about damn time Dewey Redman got in there! He's been scheduled several times recently, but it has never actually happened. I'm excited to see him on the schedule and am really looking forward to seeing him. I wonder if Joe knows that Stefon Harris' Blackout is an electric/fusion band. I doubt he would have booked them if he did.

Without any disrespect to Kenny Drew, I've always found him to be pretty much standard fare. He's really good at the bop/mainstream type thing, but then again, so were so many other players of that same time. He is a really good player, but I never really found much in him that really makes him stand out from the rest. Now George Cables, he sounds like no one else, and his individualism really shines on these sides. If you don't like his style, that's cool.....its all a matter of taste. But you can't deny that he is absolutely an individual stylist. Also, both pianists meshed well with Dexter, but it seems like Cables really inspired him to reach heights that I never heard Dexter reach on his recordings with Kenny Drew. Just my .02

Maybe alot of people had this material already, since there's a ton of Dexter fans on this board and the material has been availiable. In any event, I didn't have the material and I think the set is incredible. I don't know who impressed me more, Dexter or George Cables.

Agreed. This is some excellent music made even better by the nice new sound.

Is it ballads?

Great purchase!! I have and greatly enjoy all three.

Thanks for your insight, Michael. Just out of curiousity, how did Hank sound in 1985? Would he have been able to hang with those guys up on the stage? I've heard that he was not in the best of shape during his last days.

I like the album more than other Byrd albums from the period. Alot of his stuff gets repetitive to me, but I thought Free Form was refreshingly different. The RVG sounds nice.

Thanks for posting, Lazaro. The Velvet Lounge is a very special place, and I plan on attending one of these functions to help support Fred and everyone else who frequents it.

Anyone seen any shows this year? I tried to get some tix for the 3 night run at the Chicago theater, but they all sold out really quick.