Late

Fuchsia Swing Song is your pair of slippers? Very cool! If I had Rivers Slippers, they would be in the form of Contours. I that album, and everything about it: cover, personnel, compositions, solos, the whole happy meal. I only wish it were available separately, and with Malcom Addey remastering. Then it would be slippers with built-in arch massagers. Yow!

Jim's concern with the term overrated I think can be disspelled if we were to say, in the context of this thread, that overrated = "doesn't reach me" or "leaves me unmoved." That's what I think this thread really is about. Catharthic indeed. It's nice to know that some other posters are unmoved (if only temporarily) by certain recordings that commonly receive praise. When this phenomena happens (a recording receiving praise, and often universal praise), I think what tends to happen as a result is that you sit there, in your favorite listening chair, and say, somewhat anxiously, "Gee, I better like this!" or "What's wrong wif me?" So many factors enter into a person's appreciation, or enthusiasm, regarding any one album. Out to Lunch always reaches me when I hear it, but I can understand how it wouldn't reach others. (Overrated schmoverrated.) Soul Stream's point is excellent. Hold on to what you don't like! It could be your Linus blanket next election year!

Wait a minute ... Tony Jerant = Dr. J? Julius Irving, PhD, in the house? Where's that thread explaining handles? I love the cover too, for all the reasons you list. I've continued to spin this disc over the last two weeks, and am still enamored with it. It's not an earth-moving set, but it certainly has its fiery, and "progressive" moments. I had a weird delusion the last time I played it — that maybe Wynton would cover Jeffrey's "Made Minor Blue," with Lovano in the front line, for his imminent Blue Note release. Unlikely, but I'd actually buy the thing were this to happen! (Dig too the ruffles peaking out from Jeffrey's Nehru. Yeah Baby! way before Mike Meyers. And the German Shepherd evidently digs the Varitone!)

Met Al Jones (Joe X-mas) in Portland for a Marilyn Crispell show. Went through the racks at EVD Music beforehand, and also had pizza at Rocco's. Huge slices, nice price. Marilyn was in fine form too!

Quick note: My post above reveals that I was thinking along "modern jazz" lines. Of coure, Columbia has done fine work with, to name just a few, Charlie Christian, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong. Additionally, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of individual albums reissued as their own compact disc.

Good gracious, Ghost! I just read through this thread ... you are on the voracious side of reading! Kudos. I read so slowly, and wish I didn't. And ... most of my reading, to be honest, is student essays. I am, however, into some good books of poetry: • Killarney Clary: Potential Stranger (Univ. Chicago Press) I think Clary, while perhaps not a household name in poetry circles, is the pre-eminent prose poet in America today. Tight, condensed, amazing stuff. It's strange, but after reading some of her poems, I went straight to the player and put on Webern. His shorter work almost seems a sonic representation of Clary's use of language. • Yi Sang, Hahm Dong-seon, Choi Young-mi: Three Poets of Modern Korea (Sarabande) I'm reading this mostly for Dong-seon's work, which is very fine. James Kimbrell's introduction also opened my eyes to some conditions I have little knowledge of — namely, virtually no North Korean poetry exists in translation for foreign readers. • Rainer Maria Rilke: The Book of Hours (Northwestern) Going back to this one; haven't started yet. It's nice to have the German right there, in this edition. My German's pretty poor, but with the translation right next to it, I can follow it much better.

It's almost as if it were the Miles Davis Columbia Reissue Program, the focus is so strongly on this artist (which I can't, in all honesty, really complain about). Then, Monk seems to get the next preferential treatment, followed by Mingus ... and then it tapers off dramatically. There have been some great Columbia reissues (and re-reissues) in the last 4-5 years. I'm thinking of the recent editions of Filles de Kilimanjaro, Water Babies, Monk's Dream, and Monk., and before that the Mingus '59 recordings, Jay Jay's J.J. Inc., Giuffre's Free Fall (thank goodness that Cuscuna et al. revived that one), and the lush The Birth of the Third Stream. I have two questions: 1. What albums on Columbia haven't made it to compact disc, and would you like to see? 2. What compact discs on Columbia would you like to see an upgraded version of? Any and all comments on Columbia's reissue program encouraged! I really like Columbia reissues, especially as they're now using original, and un-bordered, cover art, usually along with significant alternates or bonus material ... but it does seem we have to wait a damn long time for them to come to market.

Glad to see someone else digs Serge Gainsbourg here! I think this one is his most jazz-inflected session. Superb (and cleverly lounge-y) arrangements by Alain Goraguer. This one is available for $7.99 at Dusty Groove. Austin Powers would be jealous! Some of you probably already have this one: ... but I think it's a great Shorty Rogers' session that deserves wider recognition. One of my favorite "West Coast" discs. (Jimmy Giuffre's listed as playing baritone on this, by the way, but he doesn't; he does play some excellent clarinet and tenor, however.) Lastly, I think this album was mentioned in a bass clarinet thread some time ago ... Bass clarinet, cello, and either zarb or berimbau (which are, to the best of my knowledge, Middle Eastern percussion instruments). Wonderful interplay here, and Colin is perhaps the perfect foil to the Eric Dolphy school of bass clarinet playing. Colin plays the bass clarinet as his main horn (in fact I think he only plays the bass clarinet), and has mastered some of this horn's finer nuances in sound and overtone production. Warmly recommended.

Interesting thread! Lots of honesty here (... not that there isn't otherwise). One thing that Vibes pointed out, and that I think is a good rule of thumb — sometimes an album will "make sense" two or three years down the road, and occasionally even become a favorite. This is exactly what happened with me and Andrew Hill's Judgment! When this first came out as a Connoisseur, I picked it up right away, and was both underwhelmed and disappointed. I think it was about a year between the first initial spins and my next close listenings. Then, for some reason, the (lightbulb icon) popped up above my head ... and I couldn't stop playing it. Now it's one of my favorite Blue Notes, and I've been sucked into the upgrade-to-the-Japanese-remaster void. Jan's point about expectations I think is also crucial. Sometimes when you find that impossible-to-locate disc, it's hard for it to measure up with what you've imagined hearing. One thing about The Sidewinder: I find that this album plays a lot better (I mean with more interest) when I program the title track last in the playing order. Joe Henderson's solos on "Gary's Notebook" and "Totem Pole" ... (to quote "O" from Sex and the City): Me Likey!

I won't say a word!

I'd concur on your Stop and Listen call, St. Vitus. And (viva la difference indeed!), I'm a fan of Tippin' the Scales, the (first two) Braiths, all the Reece's, and the Moncur's. Now, for some hugely unpopular choices of the "overrated" (strictly in my book): • Hank Mobley: The Turnaround, Straight No Filter, and A Slice of the Top • Lee Morgan: Indeed!, Volume 2, Volume 3, and City Lights While I like the compositions and the other session members' contributions on the Mobley sides, his own solos are mediocre (to me) in the extreme. In contrast, on the Morgan sides, I love Lee's solos, but often find the rest of the ensemble, and the writing, to be soporific. Well, I guess I just done banned myself. It was nice posting.

GO DUCKS! Oh, sorry. Wrong Ducks.

My vote goes to Red Rodney. The work he did with Bird on (one third of) Swedish Schnapps I think is full of fire and clarity, something that I don't always hear in Miles' or Diz's work with Bird. While the latter two tend to receive nearly all of the recognition when it comes to "having played with Charlie Parker," I think Rodney is deserving of equal attention.

When in Portland, and if you're going to Powell's, you might want to check out Everyday Music (about three blocks north of Powell's on Burnside) or Django's (right across the street from Powell's). Powell's, just in case you don't already know, is a huge (and wonderful) independent new/used bookstore. Have fun. We're actually having amazing weather right now. (At least down here, 100+ miles south of Portland.)

OK, never the mind the cover art for a second. These two "soundtracks" have some interesting musical selections. I don't have Vol. 1 (pictured above), but do have Vol. 2. Here's the track listing: 1. Curtis Amy: "Liberia" 2. Stan Getz: "Getz-o-Mania" 3. Johnny Lytle: "Agapee / Polemos" 4. Jack Wilson: "Gemstones" 5. Paul Bley: "Ramblin'" 6. Jack Wilson: "J.P. Blues" 7. Marian McPartland: "Coming Home Baby" 8. Ray Bryant: "The Fox Stalker" 9. Art Blakey: "Oscalypso" 10. Marlena Shaw: "Ahmad's Blues" 11. Al Cohn & Zoot Sims: "Improvisation for Unaccompanied Saxophones" 12. Les Double Six: "A Night in Tunisia" 13. Khan Jamal: "The Know Unknow" 14. Melvyn Price: "Last Train" Weird, and somewhat obscure, choices, but they do actually fit together. It also seems a good way to get what I think must be some Pacific Jazz singles. Dusty Groove was carrying Vol. 2 for a while for $5.99 (and is still carrying Vol. 1 for considerably more), so I thought, what heck, and ended up being pleasantly surprised. (And not just from the photographic "art" that gets more in the liners.) The disc is noticeably remastered from vinyl, however. My question: Has anyone checked out this bizarre series? It's a fun listen.

Nice idea, Tony! (I like slippers.) For me, it has to be Thelonious Monk with Sonny Rollins. Rollins' intro to "The Way You Look Tonight" always puts me in a positive mood. Bill Evans' Portrait in Jazz was one of the first LP's I ever owned, and that also has sentimental value, besides still being my favorite Evans record.

Somewhat related, and just out of curiosity ... has anyone ever seen the original covers to Fusion or Thesis? If anyone could post a link or image, that would be great! These will probably always be my favorite Giuffre sides (though Free Fall is up there too). Still haven't picked up the disc with Friedman and Phillips.

What do you all think (those that have it) of The Columbia Jazz Piano Moods Sessions? This is one Mosaic that seems to almost never get talked about. (Or at least I've missed any prior discussions.) Ralph Sutton? Joe Sullivan? Bill Clifton? Don't know these guys, but am curious. p.s. In Sal's first Mosaic thread, I gave a mini-review of the Elvin Jones set. I like this one a lot more than most, and I think one of the reasons it makes people hesitate (to consider purchasing) is because of its size. The Lighthouse material cooks (especially if you're a tenor fan), and The Ultimate Elvin Jones trio set is a hard-to-find gem that, aside from the vinyl, can't be found elsewhere. If Mosaic has another 10% off sale, and you like Elvin, I say this is worth trying out. The exciting moments in the box I think definitely outweigh the over-produced moments.

Paul Bley You knows it!

Today: • Charles Mingus: Jazz Composers' Workshop (Savoy) — Dig Teo Macero on this. • Paul Bley: Footloose (Savoy) — Amazing. • Paul Bley: With Gary Peacock (ECM) • Paul Jeffrey: The Electrifying Sounds of (Savoy) — Posted in the Recommendations forum about this one. • Jelly Roll Morton: Volume One (JSP) — Need to play this more. A lot more.

Tony Jerant started a thread on this album back on the BNBB, and I thought I'd start one here. I'm listening to this as I type, and must now allow for a Whoo! While this is probably not a revolutionary album, it definitely has some fine playing in it. If you like progressive hard-bop (for lack of a better term) with numerous (but controlled) gestures toward the "avant garde," you should certainly seek out this album. Jeffrey is a very solid tenor player, in what I'd call (if name references are necessary) a Joe Henderson-Bennie Maupin mold. A husky tone, and fairly well-mastered technique. His strongest suit, in my opinion, is his writing, and this album has some nice examples of it. Two notes: (1) Jeffrey uses a Varitone (electrified application) attachment on some tracks. While this might scare some off, he actually uses it pretty judiciously, and if you just think of the sound in a Roland Kirk type of way (tenor, doubled an octave lower by a baritone), it really isn't bad at all. (2) The disc is remastered from a vinyl copy. The sound, considering, is still pretty good, but on the opener, you can hear the needle running across the groove. That said, the band on this set is terrific. Tom (Rooster Ties) — if you like progressive trumpet (which I know you do), this is one to pick up. Jimmy Owens is in fine form on this album: looking ahead, and outshining Jeffrey in places. He has some very effective high note wails on the track entitled "Green Ivan," which is an attractive minor key composition of Jeffrey's. It's the kind of segment in a song (Owens' wails) that you have to fumble for your remote after hearing it, in order to play it again. The rhythm section: George Cables (acoustic piano), Larry Ridley (bass), and Billy Hart (drums). Recorded August 8, 1968. Ridley's fresh out of Freddie Hubbard's band, and lays down some nice bass lines. OK, enough from me. I know there are other admirers of Jeffrey in general, and this album in particular. What do you think?

Side note: One of the best shows I ever saw at North Texas was when Bill Evans (tenor) was brought in for a day (evening) to play with the faculty. This was '89, and he and Soph had an extended tenor-drums duo. It must have been totally unscripted, because Evans, on the stage, gestured to the other guys on the gig that he wanted just to play with Soph. (Just one tune, and toward the end of the set.) The other guys nodded, and walked off the stage. Soph ripped it up, and I had a whole new appreciation for Evans' abilities after that. The guy can play.

I went 5 months, three weeks, and six days once (1998; grad school; no intended reference to anything by L. Prima). I was aiming for the cool 6 months, but couldn't make it. I are a stupid moron dumbsh' ... It was a bet. (Please don't make me tell you for how much.) I lost it. (The bet and my wits.) I've since regained my wits (somewhat), and am now, since you mention June 1st and all, toying with the idea of a 3-month layoff. I ... can ... do ... it. I hear the Clinton Forry approach helps. You see, it works on a point system. Each album not purchased in a day, accompanied by each album (already owned) listened to yields a certain point ratio. If you stay within your point range (±2), you can maintain a healthy listening regimen, and feel better about yourself and your wallet. I've joined, quit, and rejoined Obsessive Upgraders Anonymous circles, but they just don't work for me.

I second that. I'd love to hear this music. Lacy in a trio is my favorite Lacy format. And hearing Cherry in a trio would be great too. What would have to be done in order for this music to make it onto compact disc, and available for purchase? It seems like there's quite a bit of Lacy material from the 60's that's never seen release or reissue. Supposedly, Lacy recorded quartet music circa 1963 for both Verve and Columbia that got "lost." What th'? Two somewhat "obscure" Lacy albums from this period (actually around 1965) are Sortie and Disposability, the former a quartet record, the latter a trio record (made at the RCA studio in Milan). Fine music in both, and I wish — especially as Lacy's still with us and back in the States — that they'd see proper issue on compact disc. Probably won't happen for another 237.6 years. I'll be dead.