Late

I think that Shorty Rogers Swings Tarzan would also have to be on that list. I've never heard that album, and don't even know if it's supposed to be "jazz," but I've seen the cover (a Tarzan model holding Shorty in his arms, as if Mr. Rogers were a newly wed bride), and have always been curious. Does anyone have it? Another RCA album that might also (technically) be on that list is one that Rogers doesn't play on, but did all the arrangements for, and receives album cover credits for: The Five, which is a quintet session with Bill Perkins, Conte Candoli, Pete Jolly, Buddy Clark, and Mel Lewis. Perkins has some attractive ballad spots on this album (also on disc through RCA Spain), which are the high-points for me. I think the one indispensable album from the RCA lot is Wherever the Five Winds Blow, which highlights some great Giuffre on clarinet. I also like Cool and Crazy for the swingin' big band arrangements (where Maynard is in top form). I have about 2/3 of the list up above on disc, but would probably still plump for a Complete RCA Recordings Mosaic. The Spanish cd's are often tinny sounding to my ears, and (judging by the new Bluebird reissues) I bet Shorty's RCA work would have new life were it freshly remastered.

Would love to simply have a of this long OOP set (— the Rogers). Happy to reciprocate too!

Uh?

Lon, single cup filters are the way indeed. What is a "coffee maker"? Kinuta, you forgot to substitute Celestial Seasonings Antioxidant Green Tea for the coffee in your list!

Forgot to add that anything "remastered" by Larry Walsh is usually in grave need of upgrading. Poor Larry.

This is not really responding to the question at hand, but since Mike mentioned the date with Walter Norris, I thought I'd chime in and say that I've always been a huge fan of Something Else!!!, and I don't even know why. It would seem like Tomorrow is the Question would be the "better" record of Coleman's two Contemporary sessions, as his musical vision seems more developed here, but the debut recording has always had a special place in my listening to Ornette. The piano here seems to work (though I've read elsewhere that it was "already" gratuitous), and the compositions ... that's why I like this album so much. Beginning with "Invisible" (which I'm guessing is what Ornette felt a lot like at the very beginning of his career), the ride gets even better. This session has additionally seemed to me like a good example of Billy Higgins' freer side, even though it's 1958. I've never heard him quite play like this on any other session.

Why? Don't know this story, but would like to hear it! As for We Insist!, I've always thought that the choice of Coleman Hawkins was, if somewhat unlikely, enlightened and damn-near perfect.

You guys are probably right. In the documentary Triumph of the Underdog, who's the tenor player in the concert scene from the 70's where Mingus says "Turn the fuckin' mike on"? For some reason, I got it in my head that that was Billy Harper. It doesn't look like George Adams, but could it be Ricky Ford?

The tenor player's name on the tip of my tongue was ... Billy Harper. But now I don't know if Harper even played with Mingus! Sheesh.

I'd guess that M. Fitzgerald might have a solid response to this one. I played this composition in high school (that intro is not easy to articulate cleanly!), and I'd have to say that the intro is simply Wayne's, and likely not borrowed. I could easily be wrong, but that's my hunch.

A mother indeed. It would be nice if the Changes albums were remastered once again, perhaps with a new remixing stuck in there. As they are now, they're actually not too bad. Thank goodness we at least have them on disc! (Were any of the later Atlantics reissued in Japanese editions?) That 1974 band — I can't think of a single member who didn't bring a certain type of "fire" to that group's sound. George Adams' solos are often just as ecstatic as Roland Kirk's, say, on "Hog Callin' Blues" from Oh Yeah, Don Pullen is virtually nonpareil (with only Jaki Byard, as I hear it, matching Pullen's brilliance, though in almost an entirely different manner), and I think Jack Walrath may very well have been Mingus's most fully realized trumpet player ever (though Lonnie Hilyer's work seems largely under-documented, and what I've heard is pretty eye-and-ear opening). There were other 70's editions, too. The group with Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hilyer, and Bobby Jones was tight, and — argh! — I can't remember the other tenor player who figured in prominently around this time. His name is on the tip of my tongue ...

Good Jesus. When was the last time you listened to these volumes? I think now that George Adams likely had the greatest intuitive understanding and handle on what Mingus wanted out of his horn players. Jackie McLean? Booker Ervin? Shafi Hadi? Roland Kirk? Eric Dolphy? All, I would say, hugely successful in their respective Mingus units, but to my ears there's something additional about Adams' work. Perhaps this is because he had the lucky advantage of coming after these other luminaries in the long, long line of Mingus saxophonists. Oh well. It doesn't really matter. Just listen to Adams' solo on "Free Cell Block F, 'Tis Nazi U.S.A." Then listen to Jack Walrath on "Black Bats and Poles." Good Moses. Almost better than that first crushing love you had in college.

Connie, if you don't have Bud's The Scene Changes, you're in for a treat. I think this is the perfect starting point for getting into Bud (though most I think would argue that his earlier sessions are better starting points). You may already have some Bud on disc, but The Scene Changes ... how can I put it? It's worth the $8.99 or $11.99, or whatever price you can find. The track "Danceland" should have been included in the soundtrack for Barfly (though there actually never was any formal soundtrack): Mickey Rourke standing there in the hallway, trying to get his damn key to work in the lock (which it finally did, but accidentally to someone else's apartment). Just a thought ...

OK, next time no clues. But ... the ice cream will be blueberry-lime. And the garment? Authentic Croatian knickers.

If you like Betty Carter, check out Cary on Carter's Droppin' Things. Some of the hippest (and left-hand only, I think) comping I've heard.

Damn. A year's supply of free grape ice cream goes to Mr. Michael Fitzgerald. That, and this fine crocheted sweater. Congratulations Mr. Fitzgerald, and thanks to the large number of participants who joined in on the fun. This year's turnout was encouraging, and we plan to do the same thing again next year. Ahem. And you don't own Bearcat? Were you in my house this afternoon? As I stomped around like a mad scientist who'd just discovered chai tea?

I'm an avid supporter of the "buy new music" slogan, but I will say that one's system does seem to play into the upgrade game. I recently re-did my whole system (into Rotel and B&W ... and credit card debt), and finer nuances in recordings have become shockingly evident. I kid you not: when I first got everything up-and-running, it was like I'd bought 1200 new cd's. Every album (whether in recent or 80's remastering) had something new, and often something better, to offer. And ... the limitations in the McMaster's became more glaring. One good method for an uncertain upgrader: If you really love a certain recording, upgrade it. You probably won't regret it. But, we all know — Rudy had a special fondness for Bud's playing, and therefore every Bud RVG is a mandate for those on this board. Seriously, however, the RVG's of Doug Hawkins' material truly are indispensable ... ... ... ... in my opinion. Those little gems should be in every serious jazz collection.

I don't think this sample covers the vamp in question, but here it is nonetheless. Maybe someone else can do better?

That's it, Temple! Thanks! Where did you find it? In the Blue Note cover art books, the red is even more saturated. Maybe now is a good time to send Michael C. an e-mail ...

No, not speaker wire connections, but connections between songs. Here's what I mean: I've been listening to Clifford Jordan's Bearcat almost every day for the past week. Whenever the track "Dear Old Chicago" plays, there's a short vamp that Cedar Walton plays behind Jordan that makes me think of another song. What song? I couldn't place it. For days, I kept humming that little vamp to myself, trying to add more notes, or hear a horn come in — anything to figure out what song the vamp was making me think of. It began to drive me crazy. Before I went to bed, I had that vamp playing in my mind. When I got up, that little vamp was still playing. Still, I couldn't for the life of me tease out which album I'd heard this very same vamp on. Today, I finally got it! Want to know the answer? OK, I'll tell you, but I thought maybe it would be fun if you guessed first. Here are the clues: • On the track "Dear Old Chicago," Walton plays this vamp at 1:17, 3:15, and 4:44 respectively. It's not repeated too much, but it's there. • This same vamp is played by a different piano player (and for much longer duration) 10 seconds into a track on a Freddie Hubbard record ... on Blue Note. Hopefully, those clues won't make it too difficult to figure out. (You have to own the discs in question, of course.) If no one wants to throw out a guess, I'll just tell you anyway. At least I can now die in peace, having solved the puzzle of the century.

• Jackie McLean: Tippin' the Scales With the original Japanese cover (please), and the (many) alternates at the end. This album doesn't get very many 's, but I think if the hideous 80's American cover were banned to oblivion, the tapes remastered again for disc, and the alternates not stacked up one atop the other, people might give this one a new, and open-minded, listen. The contrast between where Jackie was going (one step beyond) and what Sonny Clark was doing (in-the-idiom blowing) creates a fine tension in this (somewhat overlooked) album. I wish I could find the Japanese cover to post here, but it's in the new (miniature) Blue Note cover art book (as well as one of the earlier, and larger, editions). It has an identical flavor to Dexter Gordon's Clubhouse, another album worthy of individual RVG treatment.

Jan, I've read that Miles gave Gerry that nickname. I've heard it pronounced "JAIR-uh" (which would kind of sound like a lazy form of "Gerry"), but I've also heard it pronounced "JAY-roo" (and I don't know how that would have come about ... but the Cleveland reference sounds good). His album entitled Jeru, on Columbia, is a nice date, though it's very, very laid back. Gerry with piano, bass, drums, and the softest conga you've ever heard. Great for dinners with the wife. I wish Columbia would reissue it. p.s. In an e-mail I received some time ago from Michael Cuscuna, apparently many stereo reel tapes Mulligan made for Pacific Jazz in 1957 have been "found." Reunion, as a result, will be appearing (I'm pretty sure) in stereo for the first time in the Mosaic Select. And I think that Songbook will also be appearing in stereo. Mule's right: Holman's arrangements are great. The octet session creeps up on you. It didn't strike me as very interesting at first, but now I'm a solid fan. Where else can you hear Lee Konitz, Al Cohn, Allen Eager, Zoot Sims, and Mulligan all solo on the same record?

Shrink, I dig that album ... with one exception. I wish that Mulligan would have been banned from playing "My Funny Valentine." Jesus. I wish everyone would have been banned from that tune. OK ... I'll permit Miles' versions (but only from Cookin' and the Columbia album of the same title) and Chet's version (only the original vocal version). Other versions begone! Allright, let's now imagine if all the collective energy invested in recording "My Funny Valentine" covers (over and over and over and over) were instead invested in recording Bud Powell compositions, or Herbie Nichols compositions ... or Wally Cirillo compositions. The world could look like this: And people would be on the streets looking like this: And anyone who decided to play "My Funny Valentine" anyway (though oh so imprudently) would have to deal with this: And then, as penalty, made to watch 37,003 consecutive hours of Friends reruns :eye:, while listening to reggae Christmas compilations sung with a German accent. Yes, that's it.

Big Al — congrats! A great bug to be bitten by. I think you'll end up digging the CJB Mosaic when it finally comes out, though his big band work is somewhat different than his small group work. In some ways, I think it's more exciting, and Bob Brookmeyer also steps in as an essential voice. The CJB's first eponymous album is pure delight, from track to track (*). I try not to think about the time it will take until September! If you don't already have Mulligan's 2-disc West Coast Classics quartet sessions with Chet Baker, print out that 20% off Borders coupon (on this board), and get thee to your nearest Borders! These recordings, in my opinion, are where Mulligan first shows his "genius." (Quotes used because this term gets thrown around too much.) Then, maybe, you'll want to check out his two recordings with Paul Desmond (one on Verve; one on RCA — both in-print, and I'd personally give the nod to the Verve first). If you're still hungry for more, search out his sextet recordings on EmArcy. All of them are excellent. Michael Cuscuna has made mention that Mulligan's California Concerts on Pacific Jazz are going to be remastered for the U.S. market, and may be available as early as Spring 2004. Additionally, a Mulligan Mosaic Select is in the works, and it should be excellent. It will contain: • A 1957 quartet recording with Baker • A quintet session with Annie Ross • An octet session with five saxophones, Freddie Green, Henry Grimes, and Dave Bailey • The complete "Stringtime" recordings — Mulligan with guitar, violin, cello, bass, drums ... wonderful stuff * With the exception, of course, of yet another dreaded version of "My Funny Valentine." Like a comic who thinks repeating the same hit joke over and over is going to repeatedly bring the same enthusiastic laughter ...

I can't remember the alto player's name on the soundtrack for Scratch Me If You Can at the moment either, and I just read an article about him not too long ago! He's a graduate from the University of North Texas (then it was North Texas State University), and is evidently one of the most in-demand studio artists in L.A.. UNT puts out a monthly (or is it bi-monthly?) magazine for alumni, and guess who's on the cover for this month's edition?