Late

This is currently available at Tower Online for $15.99. Seems like a relatively fair price.

Agreed.

I guess it's easy to say if one already has the set, but I think the best albums from the Mosaic have already come out as individual discs. Still, if you like those that have come out individually, you'll probably want the others. I guess I'd just say to not expect as much from the remaining sessions, and you'll likely be less let down if you end up purchasing the whole sha-bang. (It's great to have the booklet and box anyhow.)

Durn, I wish I'd picked up the Verve Elite Edition when I had the chance. I guess that it has (how many?) bonus tracks that the current Japanese edition doesn't. I'm in the same boat as Chuck.

Good scores, Wes (though I only have two of the four, the Montgomery and McLean, pictured above). In my book, the K-2s provide far more "value" than the RVG series, namely because of Miyamoto's and Beck's remastering work. (I just wish they'd drop the outside jacket and the price some.) Sadly, after the last RVG batch, I went cold on that series. But I'm glad both are around. (Now if Malcolm Addey were ever given free reign to remaster a Blue Note "Afficionado Series" ... I'd be on that like a jackass.)

I'd say so. In the moment of initial composition, a poem might feel like (or should feel like) improvisation, but I myself would be very hesitant to leave a piece of writing unchanged after its initial pressing out onto the page. Here is where, I guess, I choose to differ from the presumed aspiration of The Beats. Just as with a lot "free" playing that could readily benefit from some self-editing on the improviser's behalf, I think The Beats could have managed with some of that themselves ... but that doesn't seem to be their goal (so, moot point). For me, the two art forms (poetry and jazz) stand distinct of each other, but are equally capable of moving an involved audience to similar highs. Thank goodness we have both!

Thanks for the thoughtful post, nmorin! Well, that settles it, I guess ... I'll be plunking down for the VICJ of And Horns. Ka-ching. I already happen to have the VICJs of Dig and Collector's Items. Both are excellent. You will not be displeased to upgrade to the K-2s.

Thanks, Leeway. I'd agree: a person who writes poems is going to be influenced by just about everything that person sees or hears. I would say, however, that jazz, at least demonstrably, actually does not have an influence on my writing. Or, I hope it doesn't. For me, a poem is just about the polar opposite of the spontaneity one is moved by when listening to improvised music. A poem, as I understand it, is the result of a long process of (often painful) revision, such that every line, when the thing is finally done, has been determined — it's "written out," which I would consider the opposite of improvisation. It may contain, when read aloud, patterns of rhythm that are themselves lyrical, but I would never want for a poem to rely on the success of chance, as an excellent improvised solo sometimes does. I'm happy to let jazz music do that ... because I think it does so a lot better. I've written poems about musicians, and jazz musicians in particular, but their flaw, in my opinion, is that they always can only defer ultimately to the music itself, as if to say "Man, ____'s music is great." I'd simply rather listen to the music (which is part of the reason I can't read liner notes any more). At one time, Oxford University Press was putting together an anthology of "Literature on Jazz," and decided to include a poem of mine on Eric Dolphy. I (happily) agreed to this, but now the anthology appears to have hit its final roadblock (it was in the works six years ago) ... and I can't complain. To me, the poem (an old one) is more narrative than anything else, and I'd rather just listen to any Dolphy album than read it. I hope that answers your question some. Thanks for indulging me!

By the way, just received the VICJ of Tadd Dameron's The Magic Touch today in the mail. Wow! Nice sound, and, more importantly, great writing and great playing (especially from Johnny Griffin, though Julius Watkins gets in one pleasantly bizarre solo).

nmorin — Please let us know what this one's like! (I was just about to make the same order myself.) I've always liked this session, but it never seems to get any lip service among Miles fans. (The track "Tasty Pudding" is tasty indeed.) I believe the VICJ flips the playing order in contrast to the OJC. Is this correct?

No, but as I'm a fan Tchicai's, I'd probably enjoy it ... Yusef's latest book, Taboo, just came out recently. Haven't read it yet.

Aha ... I did read your "drone" thread. To answer — no, I stay away (as far as possible) from droning. I think we might be able to thank Pound and Eliot (and even cummings) for establishing (and perpetuating) "the drone" in modern American poetry. To be honest, I just don't hear the purpose it serves. For me (and one of my very favorite poets, Louise Glück, does this to an extent), "the drone" distracts from the content of the work, as if a listener is supposed to notice some kind of mantra, rather than the very meanings of the words used themselves. I just can't get with any of The Beats, but that's another thread ... To my ears, Yusef Komunyakaa is one of the most musical of contemporary American poets on the scene today. His work, when read aloud, actually seems to benefit from the cadence of his speech. The only poet I can think of, off the top of my head, that I'm not bothered by "the drone" when hearing his poems read aloud is Theodore Roethke. Every syllable counts with that guy ...

Very worthwhile, particularly for the saxophonists' work. Evans' playing doesn't seem to draw a lot of attention to itself, but he turns in some unexpected phrases here and there. I'd give it a strong .

How true! Firebirds also gives you a chance to hear the little-played alto clarinet. It's even pictured on the cover!

Lazro ... Bueller?

A lot of people here advertise and/or discuss (which I think is great) their own books on jazz, or recordings of jazz, so I hope it's not too out of line to list a recent book of poems, published by the University of Chicago Press. Here or here. No poems on jazz, but Louis Armstrong does get mentioned once.

The Bards currently have this 3-disc set on sale for $19.99 ... Some of it's great, some of it's not, but it's the only way you can hear some of those BYG tracks (vinyl notwithstanding).

It's a good session. I like Things Are Swingin' a little better, but Jump for Joy is a nice pairing. It has fine versions of "Just in Time" and "Cheek to Cheek" — the latter tune, I think, is very hard not to make schmaltzy, and Lee brings it off without schmaltz.

Carrie Bradshaw dated Alexandr Petrovsky until she realized that she would always come second to his light installations ...

Really? That's strange, as my English EMI edition has Things Are Swingin' paired with Jump for Joy: Another fine one ... That was a fine series (is it still going?) — the English Capitol/EMI two-fer series of vocalists. Some fine Julie London and (even) Dean Martin could be picked up that way ...

David mentioned Don Ellis above, and I'd single out the following album as a "must-have" for anyone even remotely interested in "progressive" trumpet playing ... Just look at the line-up: Don Ellis: trumpet Al Francis: vibraphone Jaki Byard: piano Ron Carter: bass Charlie Persip: drums recorded in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey May 11, 1961 supervised by Esmond Edwards There is certainly some "out" playing here, and relatively early (1961), all things considered ...

I've never even heard of this record (or Tatro for that matter). What else can you tell me about it? Tatro played the tenor saxophone in Stan Kenton's orchestra when he was a teenager, but largely gave up the horn (whether or not entirely, I don't know) to focus on composing in later years. Jazz for Moderns uses two different octets. If you like Lennie Niehaus on Prestige, or Teddy Charles' stuff, you'll probably like this album. Here are the details: 1. Backlash 2:58 2. Multiplicity 2:50 3. Minor Incident 3:27 4. Turbulence 2:10 5. Low Clearance 3:01 6. Folly 2:19 7. Dollar Day 3:38 8. Easy Terms 4:13 9. Outpost 3:09 10. Maybe Next Year 2:57 11. Conversation Piece 3:02 Stu Williamson: trumpet Bob Enevoldsen: valve trombone Joe Eger or Vincent de Rosa: french horn Lennie Niehaus or Joe Maini: alto saxophone Bill Holman: tenor saxophone Jimmy Giuffre or Bob Gordon: baritone saxophone Ralph Peña: bass Shelly Manne: drums recorded in Los Angeles September 1954 - November 1955 supervised by Lester Koenig Sound Samples. The music is definitely not about "emoting" in the conventional "out" sense, but rather various degrees of dissonance and resolution. Joe Maini does, however, get in some fine (if brief) solos.

What Lacy have you all been listening to? The most recent Lacy disc to come out of my player was Futurities, Part I. I know Part II better, but am really getting into Part I. Here, Irène Aëbi is essential (so don't go there if you can't stand her) ... and I bet Creeley loved the result of his poems put to music.

I don't have Black Coffee (wish I did), but another "jazzier" side of Lee can be found on Things Are Swingin'. That one holds up over time.

I'll also have to go on the assumption that most here have the Lacy OJCs, namely the date with Don Cherry. Great stuff.