Late

Thanks for posting that, Larry. Could you point me to any other articles/interviews that further discuss Blake's approach to ear-training? I find this aspect of his role as an educator the most intriguing.

1984. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers. That they came to my (relatively) small hometown at all now seems fairly amazing. Somewhere between 60-80 people crammed into this small performance hall, and the band were crammed on the stage. The messengers at that time were: Donald Harrison Terence Blanchard Mulgrew Miller Lonnie Plaxico I was 14 and missed the second set because of my curfew. I didn't know exactly what I was hearing, but I did know that the musicians up there had paid some dues. It would take about 2 more years before I finally got it and started buying records.

I thought Gilmore also briefly played with Mingus, c. 1965, the year he took a sabbatical from Ra's band. I think that's Gilmore on tenor, along with Charles McPherson and Lonnie Hilyer on the bandstand, in some of the live footage in the Mingus, 1968 documentary. How is that Blakey Limelight record (S'Make It)? I've thought about picking that one up from time to time.

Images Gallery.

Little did you know — Mr. Braxton is actually 2'3". The horn pictured is an alto saxophone. (Neck placement modified.)

Some good discussion here on Gilmore, courtesy of AAJ. I know others here are fans, too. Favorite appearances, solos?

What a wonderful, and at times wonderfully odd, record. Discussion-wise, it seems to largely get ignored in favor of albums like Let Freedom Ring or It's Time. Some of the most "out" Jackie on record, with — such a great choice here — Rashied Ali stirring the hell out of the drums behind him. Admission: I almost always start this disc with Track 2. Just never had enough "soul" to take in Barbara Simmons' recitation (... and I'm on record as liking Irene Aëbi). I wish Alfred had decided to record an all-instrumental version of the title tune, and then left the vocal version off for a 45 rpm release. Ah well.

I moved to Texas to go to school, and missed this concert: Luckily, it was recorded. Great saxophone section here, even if they've largely been restricted to that sometimes derogatory phrase local talent.

Up, to go with the Braxton playing at the moment.

Already mentioned, but worth mentioning again. Stan Getz: The Complete Roost Recordings Essential Getz. (You also get to hear very early Horace Silver.)

I always post this cover, and then lament its unavailability — Back to Sonic Temples for a bit. As a double-disc set, I initially found myself not always being able to get my ears around all of the music. It seemed either too long, or not really progressing in any kind of sequential, or narrative, order. So, what the heck, I programmed and burned a single disc from the available two. Now, I find I listen to this single "comp" more than the two-disc set! I wanted something that began with standards, moved to Blake's more noirish tendencies, and then ended up back with standards. Though I had to cut quite a few tunes, here's the order I came up with, at just a hair short of 80 minutes of music: 1. Stormy Weather 2. Black Coffee 3. Laura 4. Tangerine 5. I Can't Get Started 6. The Short Life of Barbara Monk 7. It Don't Mean A Thing 8. Night Music 9. Wende 10. Horace is Blue 11. Arline 12. Nothing or All 13. Spiral Staircase 14. The Only Painting 15. Nature Boy 16. How High the Moon 17. New Moon If anyone tries this order, I'd like to know what you think!

The JRVG of Shorter's Speak No Evil sounds a lot better to my ears than the domestic RVG. It doesn't, however, contain the alternate of "Dance Cadaverous." Just a FYI for Shorter junkies. And, yes, good to have another shot at picking up Trompeta Toccata!

No need to apologize for making a personal post, Chuck. Those are some of my favorite posts on this board. Isn't John Litweiler a member here? Would like to hear his thoughts too. I think I remember that James P story. Wasn't that the first time that Blake heard Johnson's playing? The Penguin guide mentions something about Blake playing with Arthur Blythe. The implication is that the pairing didn't go down so well, and, aside from Ricky Ford, Blake has generally steered away from saxophonists. Any truth to this, or is it just rumor?

Thanks for the pdf, Golden Arm. (I like your new avatar, too. Are those your creations?) Larry Kart, from this board, has a review in there. Time to log-off for a while, and actually listen to Blake.

Another to keep an eye on, and one I don't even have yet (but want to), is the J.J. Johnson set. Whenever I look at its price, I look somewhere else (and end up spending even more on separate discs). Gonna have to bite the bullet and plump for it soon.

I'm sure there are (probably many) reasons to tell against it, but it would seem a no-brainer to sign former Blue Note artists like Andrew Hill and Sam Rivers. What excitement that would generate! Is Greg Tardy signed with anyone now? He might be a good choice for a younger musician to sign to Blue Note. It'd be great to see someone like Ori Kaplan get signed too, but that's probably unlikely.

For those interested in Ulysses, I'd recommend this critical text for complementary reading: Description: For James McMichael, Joyce's Ulysses invites the wide range of interpretations it has received: what it also does is to prod its interpreters to put the book to some just use. If Ulysses were more conventional than it is, McMichael claims, its readers could set more comfortable limits for themselves in their responses to it, limits that did not extend beyond Ulysses into their dealings with persons in the world. But what happens instead is that the singularly unconventional narrative structure of Ulysses keeps reminding them that the story they are being told about any of the characters is the same kind of story they tell themselves whenever they think about a person. It reminds them that every person needs to be responded to justly and that the justice of their response to any person depends on how justly they characterize that person in their thoughts. McMichael insists that it is justice that Joyce himself most wants. Distinguishing Joyce not only from the immature Stephen Dedalus but also from Ulysses' perfectly unresponsive narrator, this study describes Joyce's tacit but discomforting plea that Ulysses be judged not so much for its literary mastery as for the degree to which it is a just response to persons in need.

Sound clips for Sonic Temples here and here. Some sound clips for Short Life of Barbara Monk, a fine quartet recording with Ricky Ford, right here. Some sound clips for Wende right here.

We need a Blake thread. I highly recommend this one: I was listening to it earlier tonight, and was impressed all over again by Blake's touch and conception. I particularly like "Arline," "Wende," and Blake's wonderful version of "Stormy Weather" on the above disc. John Litweiler and Joe Milazzo have written fine essays on the music, and musical vision, of Ran Blake. Maybe they'll share them here. Bring on the stories and/or recommendations. I know Chris Albertson has one (a story) about Blake's RCA album.

For better or worse, legal or il-, this is a fine comp: Also, check this search.

What do you guys think of this one? I missed out on a relatively cheap copy, and now have a line on a more expensive copy. Worth the extra dough in your opinion?

I'm looking forward to this one, too. The addition of Frisell to Douglas's current working quintet (Chris Potter, Uri Caine, James Genus, Clarence Penn) should make for an interesting album. I really like The Infinite, and have high hopes already! In fact, I already have a ticket for when Douglas makes his way out here (quintet only) in May.

Also wanted to say that Marsh's cover of the third movement of Tchaikovsky's "Opus 42," with Ted Brown in the front line (from Jazz of Two Cities), is one of the most beautiful things on record ... ever. One occasion where the word "sublime" truly does seem appropriate.

Listening to Live at the Half Note as I type this, and thought it was time to stir up interest again in this incredible duo. This live set blows me away every time I play it, not so much for its intensity, but for the spontaneity of improvised line and almost scary intuition these two had together. Just when I think I've memorized some of the lines, and try to sing along with them, Konitz or Marsh go just where my ears don't expect them to go. These guys were truly masters of (subtle) surprise. I don't know if this two-disc set is out-of-print, but if you don't yet have it, you're in for a big treat. "317 East 32nd." Yeah.

A Mosaic Select of Hill's unissued 1967 recordings (perhaps along with his unissued 1969 recording), were it to actually happen, would be terrific. Here again are the dates and personnel: • February 10, 1967: Robin Kenyatta, Sam Rivers, Cecil McBee, Teddy Robinson, Nadi Quamar 5 tracks • May 17, 1967: Ron Carter, Teddy Robinson 6 tracks — the Chained session • October 31, 1967: Woody Shaw, Robin Kenyatta, Sam Rivers, Howard Johnson, Herbie Lewis, Teddy Robinson 5 tracks • June 13, 1969: Carlos Garnett, Karl Porter (bassoon), Richard Davis, Freddie Waits, Sanford Allen (vocal) + string quartet I would think, however, that a single Connoisseur of Compulsion might be reissued first. I seem to recall reading on this board (or another) that this was Andrew's preferred date for re-release. What's most encouraging, at least to me, is that sessions from out-of-print Mosaics are now receiving fairly regular reissue treatment — sometimes with better sound (as in the case of the recent Sam Rivers and Larry Young reissues). Jackie McLean's Mosaic sessions are slowly being re-released, and I would think Sam Rivers' Contours actually will see reissue some time within the next two or three years ... or possibly sooner. (Heck, a Mobley or Morgan date is practically in every batch of new RVG's or Connoisseurs.) With so many reissues on the market nowadays, and with my futile attempts on keeping up-to-date with new music, I can honestly say that I can wait, in due time, for all the remaining holy grail Blue Notes to see reissue. As long as Cuscuna is on board, I think most of the Blue Note and Pacific Jazz vaults (and other EMI-related labels) will eventually, and relatively thoroughly, be excavated and reissued. (And in the meantime, we're lucky to have small labels like Water!)