Late

It is a good album, and I bet that vinyl sounds fine. Fischer denies ever having heard Bill Evans up to the point of this particular recording, but that's very hard to believe ... at least for me. The album, to some, I suppose could sound derivative, but it still pays ample dividends. Besides, you get to hear more early 60's Gary Peacock! This one and Don Ellis's Essence will be properly reissued on compact disc ... when I'm 97, and near-deaf.

Just a note — the Koch reissue sounds just as good as the 20-bit French RCA reissue. (I have both.) The only difference is that the French reissue uses the original cover art. The Koch cover art is slightly modified. The French reissue also makes sure to use the band's full name ("George Russell's Smalltet") on the spine of the disc. This is a truly great album. An easy 5 stars in my book, and a session that seems to always get overlooked in favor of more conventional "5 stars" albums. Without this recording, I don't think we'd have Kind of Blue as we know it today. Mark, if you can't find it, send me a PM, and we'll work something out. Everyone here should have a copy, in some form or another, of this disc!

Any more news on the Andrew Hill Mosaic Select? This is the one I'm most eager about. Spring 2005, Fall 2005? I hope Addey takes up the remastering job on this one. (And, for that matter, I hope he's assigned remastering duties for Dance With Death).

Yes, but Dusty Groove is only offering them on vinyl, though for a fairly reasonable price. They did come out on disc in Japan, however, and I think sold for around 1830¥. I would imagine the playing time is quite short. Reinier, or Hans ... did you pick these up? Would be interesting to hear Julius Watkins with Jerome Richardson. I'm not familiar with a lot of the other musicians, but that never stopped me!

Couw, or anyone else, do you have these? (I don't, but have always wondered about them. Don't know if they're really "obscure" or "underrated," but I suppose they qualify, to some degree, as being jazz recorded in Eastern Europe.) Recordings I'd list as at least being "under-remarked" (but that probably aren't "obscure") are: • Marilyn Crispell: nothing ever was, anyway. • Howard Riley: The Day Will Come • Albert Mangelsdorff: Diggin': Live in Tokyo • Bill Holman: In a Jazz Orbit • Roland Kirk: Slightly Latin • Von Freeman: Doin' It Right Now • Hal McKusick: Now's the Time (as first mentioned by Tony J.) • Randy Weston: With These Hands • Al Cohn: Cohn on the Saxophone

Maybe Water will eventually look into reissuing these: And maybe Blue Mitchell's Bantu Village?

If you're a Bill Perkins fan, you'll eventually want The Five. Except for the first track (a saccharine version of "Whistle While You Work"), a very tasty album. Nice contribution from Conte Candoli, too.

Up for air, and to see if Mr. Dorham's daughter is still reading this board? And, while we're at it, what recordings between '66 - '72 with Dorham on them are you most fond of?

Where should one start with McIntyre on Steeplechase? Any particular favorites?

Good news — Capra Black is now available (again) on disc, as a German import. Dusty Groove is currently stocking it, in addition to Cecil Payne's Zodiac. Now if only Charles Brackeen's Rhythm X would make it out as a re-reissue on disc.

Maybe I am a dreamer. I did e-mail Cuscuna about a year ago, however, regarding this very topic. He replied that he'd love to do it, and would — given the go-ahead from Universal, who owns the rights to most (if not all) of this stuff. Some of it was actually recorded at that place ... what's it called ... some studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Never heard of it.

Very exciting news. If this one can come out, perhaps the complete New York Art Quartet recordings (with the ESP aside) can come out. Note that Andrew plays curved soprano on the Chained session. There's actually a photo of him with this horn in the Wolff book. The tray insert photos from Passing Ships and Grass Roots, which are actually the same photo, are also, I'm pretty sure, from the Chained session. It will be very interesting to hear how Andrew approached the saxophone. Didn't he start off as a saxophone player? It will also be very interesting to hear Robin Kenyatta play Andrew's music. Man, I hope this one truly does come out.

Seamus Blake.

This has always been a personal favorite: West Coast Hot Carter's on alto more than clarinet here, but he sounds fine on both horns. The amazing thing to me about the Carter/Bradford session here is how strong a band this quartet was. The "rhythm" section of Bruz Freeman (Von's brother) on drums and Tom Williamson on bass has got to be one of the most savagely under-documented and under-recognized duos in the history of the music. These guys can play. This group's inevitable comparison to Ornette Coleman's quartet seems both fair and unfair. Sure, these guys knew (and recorded with) Ornette, but they were also making their own music, which was particularly distinctive when Carter picked up the clarinet. There's also a fine dedication album to Carter by François Houle: In the Vernacular Some beautiful music here, including a previously unrecorded Carter composition.

Cuscuna, in an e-mail, said: "2005." This one, along with The Big Beat. I tried to push Tippin' the Scales, with the King cover, but no response on that one. He also made some mention about possibly reissuing Elmo Hope's Blue Note stuff as an RVG. Now that would be great!

... which was last night! I've seen Douglas once before, but this show seemed an unusually inspired outing. The audience seemed strangely subdued, but this didn't seem to bother the band. One thing above all — Douglas's chops are getting better and better. For those that think he rides too heavily on his use of nuance and "feeling," watch out. Last night he exhibited all sorts of playing: some clearly articulated pyrotechnic 16th note runs, some Rex Stewart smearing, and that gorgeous sound. He also seemed to be in a damn good mood: "You know what I love about Eugene? That green Victorian house on the hillside. Have you been to it?" That struck me as hilarious. ... and all in a Wayne Shorter thread!

Is it "Capricorian" or Capricornian? Finally, my favorite Rivers Blue Note on disc! The Mosaic version of this album is like going to the dentist. Some of Freddie Hubbard's most inspired playing in my book. Just listened to the Young session on the Mosaic yesterday. Will probably make the "upgrade" on that one — a fine date, with Eddie Gale more than making up for any of the stock licks Spaulding throws out there. Nice to see a change from the usual Morgan and Mobley picks.

Blue Spirits is a wonderful album, and probably the first to pick up of the two. The session with Joe Henderson is especially fine. Also, the bonus track "The Melting Pot," with Hosea Taylor on alto saxophone (let's see if that discographical error gets corrected this time around), is perhaps the best track on the disc. Very inspired playing there.

I know another trumpet player who would fit into that line above ... Dick Collins! Two fine albums for RCA. Haven't heard that Prestige comp yet.

Jeff, Returned the PM. Thanks! Laton Bluerein, What other TOCJ's were in that series? Do you happen to have a list? Hard to believe that Fischer title has been floating around (though in scant numbers, I'm sure) all these years. That geocities link above has some other interesting titles, too — namely TKCB 70387:

Was this ever issued on compact disc? On a random search, I found a listing for it here.

I'm calling (pretty much out of fun) the Japanese edition that you have the "definitive" edition, though I've never actually heard that version, simply based on my positive experience with other discs from that (Japanese AMCY Atlantic) series — most notably the eponymous Warne Marsh album. Sounds amazing. (This series also contains what I consider to be the best sounding version of Giant Steps, outside of original vinyl.) I don't think Koch reissued the Fruscella, but I would love to be wrong! The only other reissue of this album that I know of (and the one I've heard) is the European edition, reissued in a digipack. Jack Millman, Tony Fruscella, Phil Sunkel. Who will be discussed next? And what saxophonists would most closely allign with these trumpet players?

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.