Late

Tony, you're in for a huge treat. To respond to your question first — I actually don't think there's too much similarity between 1961 and Free Fall, as the latter seems to intentionally abandon almost all of the sonorities the former created. Both are wonderful, but, at least for me, relatively separate sound worlds. Or, to put it another way, Free Fall is one step further down the evolutionary path Giuffre's music was taking at the time. If only this band had had the financial/commercial success it needed to stay together! When I first heard Fusion and Thesis ("1961"), these were the only albums I listened to for about two months. Dig in and enjoy! Then, of course, you'll want the recent two-fer on hat. My how I wish Giuffre's two subsequent 60's trios (with Don Friedman and Barre Phillips, then with Richard Davis and Joe Chambers) had been locked up in a studio, forced to record hours and hours of music.

The Vogue/Blue Note session is available on compact disc, albeit for a hefty price here.

Wonderful! I'm very patient. Strange, I was just listening to a bit of Fruscella before I made this Sunkel post. I'm still looking for the "definitive" edition (AMCY 1184) of Tony Fruscella, but I'm fairly certain it's out-of-print. That album is a gem. It seems so many of the artists I'm currently interested in (George Russell, Hal McKusick, Manny Albam, et al.) are on Universal's "do not reissue in order to cause fans pain" list. I hold out hope for the Japanese market though! In the mean time, any more words on Sunkel are welcome. Or, for that matter, those Decca Jazz Studio / Jazz Lab recordings! I'm exploring this area of the music with a lot of enthusiasm lately.

Sunkel, going by AMG, only made two albums — both on ABC Paramount. I've heard neither, but would really like to read/hear more about them. Were they ever issued on compact disc at any time? I would gladly reimburse/compensate/reciprocate to hear this long out-of-print music burned onto disc.

Yes, I do hear this, but for some reason I always hear "Swing Spring" as using "pedal point" harmony rather than "modal" writing, though the two might not really be all that different. Maybe someone more musically versed could explain.

Wait! I'd order this one directly from Hiroshi Tanno or Ray Mizutani. Cecil Taylor: Live at The Cafe Montmartre (TKCB 70310) 2 CD's. Same thing as "Nefertiti" — and this edition has great remastering, along with all the alternates.

General rule of thumb: keep the current thread going! What the heck if it takes lots of wild turns and U-turns (even though I sometimes do feel like I'm derailing another poster's thread). But, after all, keep in mind — when considering posting a new topic — those two words: Comical Rodent. How did it achieve its colossal stature on this very board? Just imagine ( ) if the lowly "Jack Millman" thread were to build up to the skyscraper proportions that are Brötzmann and Hanno — all the while discussing obscure West Coast stuff! Only 1,783 more posts more to go in this thread! C'mon fellas!

"Jazz Workshop," "Jazz Studio" and "Jazz Lab"? Yes, here's the Cohn "Jazz Workshop" album: Haven't heard it, but I did at one time own the Byers "Jazz Workshop" album ... and sold it! Probably shouldn't have, but alas. Had a memorable Phil Woods (on clarinet) solo, if memory serves.

Damn, you've got me jones-ing to hear these! I wonder when Universal will get around to reissuing these "Jazz Studio" dates. Ah, probably 2005. Yeah, that's right, just around the corner, a handful of months. (At least, in consolation, I can play the few RCA Joe Newman albums I have! )

Wow, that would be a very interesting Mosaic. I wonder if the idea has ever crossed Cuscuna's mind. Even a Mosaic Select, if we're talking only 4 discs, would be great. Tell us more, Garth and Guy. I know all those musicians except David Amram. And ... George Barrow led one of these sessions? On tenor? I only know Barrow through sideman work. Have any of these sessions, outside of the Millman, been reissued on disc? (By Fresh Sounds, I'm guessing?) It never ceases to amaze me that there's always some hidden nook in the jazz world to explore.

That would be one hell of a Mosaic! Have RCA/Victor recordings — especially from the 1950's — ever been leased by Mosaic? Here's another Jazz Workshop album: Don't know this one, but I'm sure someone here has it. Manny Albam also had a Jazz Workshop album on RCA. Who else recorded one? I dig the little "Jazz" logo used for each album.

The upside-down trumpet?

Looks like the And His All-Stars disc is a compilation of tracks from a variety of Millman sessions. It comes off as an integrated album nevertheless. Any takers on what kind of trumpet Millman plays?

Just like those potato chips, one taste ... and you'll want the whole album. Low calorie, too!

Dig.

Here's a trumpet player I'd never even heard about until last week when I picked up this disc: A tasty West Coast session of the day (1955), somewhat along the lines of work by Jack Montrose (who plays and arranges on this disc) or Dave Pell. If you like either of those two arrangers' work, you'll probably want to search out this disc. No amazing fireworks, but some very fun writing and playing, with sort of an all-star cast of musicians playing in California at the time. Millman is a solid improviser and writer, in the Baker/Sheldon mold. What's interesting about this session is that he's listed on flugelhorn more than trumpet — and if that's a flugelhorn I'm hearing, well, it's the most trumpet-sounding flugelhorn I've ever heard. If you look at the bottom right picture (though very tiny) from the cover above, you'll see that behind the saxophonist, Millman's playing a trumpet that has the mouthpiece lined up below the valves. Here's a larger picture (-- I hate colorized photos): This can't be a "flugelhorn," can it? What kind of trumpet is this? And ... does anyone have any other Millman records? Apparently he recorded an album for Liberty ... which Blue Note/EMI would have rights to.

Bummer. I wouldn't go in that case ... ... ... just kidding! Marilyn solo is a great show.

No problem. I just thought maybe Brad had posted, and then deleted his post. Well, we've gotten off on a fine tangent here! Sorry Joe.

To anyone who goes to these shows — please post your impressions/reaction here! Is this going to be a trio performance? Now that Mark Helias is in her group, I'm guessing the dynamic will be slightly different.

Strange that you mention this one. I just listened to it last night. A good trivia question: Who was the first trumpet player to record "Blues for Pablo." Answer: That's easy! Miles Da-- ... oh. Art Farmer. Kind of Blue is of course the landmark "modal" album, but — taking nothing away from this sublime recording — it's certainly not the "first." Both Russell's and McKusick's Jazz Workshop albums stake an earlier claim to "modal" writing, and ... what else? I sometimes wonder if Sun Ra's work from around 1954-58 might be considered "modal" in the conventional sense ... and if Russell ever heard Ra around this time?

TOCJ 62039

In my listening these days, and as I hear it, all those landmarks would seem to point to George Russell and his musical conception. To me, his RCA Jazz Workshop could be subtitled "Birth of the Modal." And, who was Russell's pianist of choice? Bill Evans. I think Evans's contribution to Kind of Blue, which I think was crucial, was fortified by his experience with Russell.

I haven't heard the album in question, but I have heard Kim Richmond live. Great chops, great fingers. This was 1997, in a quintet with Clay Jenkins, at the LACMA. Bill Perkins was supposed to have joined them, but apparently was ill. The next week Vinny Golia played the LACMA (do they still have those free Friday concerts?), almost exclusively on the Eb contra-alto bass clarinet. And Golia's on this Richmond album? Would be interesting to check out for sure.

Thanks, guys! (Why do I always forget to check AMG on these things?) Strange, though, that Ray Mizutani's site lists a different order. You're probably right, Lon, about sticking with what I already have. The Mosaic really does sound pretty good — which is fairly amazing, considering such an early ('83) tape transfer. The booklet, of course, is priceless. Oh if those Bohemia solo intermission sets were only recorded!

This is a nice album, with Marlon Jordan, of early 90's neo-bop fame, on board (on trumpet) with his father, which makes for a sometimes strange listening experience, as his dad of course is likely neither "neo" or "bop." It's been some time since I listened to this, and will have to now get it out. I remember liking it quite a bit, even if it was puzzling at times.