Brad

From all that read, I'd heard he was underrecorded, especially as mentioned in Gitler's book. He's also mentioned somewhat in Gitler's other book, The Masters of Bebop in which he said that he recorded some solos with Lucky Millinder's band (How About That Mess and Savoy) and Earl Hines' band (Yellow Fire and Windy City Jive). His best known work is on Sarah Vaughan's You're Not the Kind and If You Could See Me Now. Dizzy apparently called his sound "the best I ever heard". He was, according to Gitler, harmonically and in spirit one of the early players in modern jazz. He was only around 30 when he died. BTW, if you have a chance to pick up any of the Xanadu Bebop Revisited series, don't miss the chance. They're fabulous records. As far as I know they have not been reissued on CD, although there was one on cd involving Bird, which I got outbid on unfortunately.

You need to keep things broad. Narrowing of interests also lead to narrowings of the mind. I suppose it's good to be a completist but not at the expense of other parts of your listening spectrum. I go on binges where I only want to listen to one particular artist. What happens is that after awhile you then lose interest in that person so you have to mix it up. Since this for me is paritally learning and broadening the horizons, to narrow your interests is to cut yourself off from learning about other things. Over specialization (unless you're a professional in a field, where specialization may be necessary) will not you allow to gain knowledge and increase awareness.

That's what you call greed. Glad it didn't sell. There are better ways to spend, both on yourself and for society, almost $2000 stinking bucks.

Bobby Timmons to me. That guy was drenched in the blues. Epitome of the hard bop sound.

I know I've seen the cd version of this on ebay not that long ago, both a fresh sounds and I think a japanese reissue. I think it went in the $30s or so, a lot cheaper obviously. But I either passed on it or forgot to bid on it. I didn't see it currently listed on the www.freshsoundrecords.com site.

Skeith, thanks very much. I should have done so. Based upon what I read here, JT may be right. They said that they didn't think anybody would love it but that people would like it a lot or hate it.

Has anybody picked this up. According to what I read in JT, it's by the same nonet that did 52nd Street Themes and arranged by the same person, whose name escapes me right now. Tower's having a sale starting tomorrow so I may pick this one up if it's the right price.

I, too never, made the move on this one. Sort of wanted to but for some reason never did. Somebody once compared it to Grant's I Want to Hold Your Hand, I suppose because they were both pop standards. Any validity in that?

Sorry, couldn't resist.

When I go to sleep, I like to take a headset and cd player with me. That usually does the trick. I don't have it on to loud so that it doesn't disturb my wife. Right now, I'm listening to Stan Getz West Coast sessions, the 3 cd set. Now, there are some times when I'm just so wired that I can't go to sleep and I have to go to another room just to settle down. Usually, some reading helps to do the trick.

Chuck, I'm repeating others but thanks for the reminisences. I just ordered it.

I've said this enough time that it gets monotonous but get rid of the political forums. It has no place here. I could go through the arguments pro and con but we know what they are. I rarely look at them (if at all) and can't remember posting in them here. It's not that much of a stretch to say that they were probably a contributing cause to the downfall of the BNBB. Out, out, darn political forums!!

The Kubrick films Paths of Glory and Dr. Strangelove are two of my favorites, esp. Paths of Glory, one of the greatest and not just one of the greatest anti-war films ever made. Growing up in the '60s, you can imagine what our reaction to what a film like that would be. Until I bought the DVD, I didn't know it had been banned in France for 30 or so years. Merde. How about Easy Rider, another great growing up film. Five Easy Pieces, for the one scene. I don't have to mention what that is. Godfather One and Two are timeless. Three is dreck. Lawrence of Arabia. What majesty and what a score. Oops, one of my favorites. Can't 'Round Midnight. Sorry.

Amazon says they have We Insist as an import. Amazon France (US subsidiary) also has it.

You forgot Red Menace

Well, I was a little overbroad Saturday in my comments (what else is new? ). But Jim and John are right. I think I alluded to the fact that there are the blues structurally speaking and there is that bluesy feeling, which is not just prevalent in jazz but in blues as well. Hard bop has much of that bluesy funky soulike feeling, which claim as their parent, the blues. However, I think the blues comes over better in jazz. I also recall hearing songs that transmit the bluesy feeling but are not based on the blues format. I probably wasn't making this point correctly but while blues may be a root for part of jazz, the music form hasn't relied on it for its sole expression (you can have jazz without blues) but the blues form as practiced by its practioners doesn't seem to have gone beyond its well known structure.

Well, I was hoping Jim would post. He always says things far better than I do. Hope that convinces those who don't have it to get it.

I just found New World's web site that sells these New World. However, it's not searchable by original label so any help with a discrography for this label would be much appreciated.

I was very fortunate to come into possession via Ebay of the Mosaic did a few years ago of the Master Jazz Piano Recordings. After reading the book and listening to the recordings, my interest has been piqued about the remainder of the Master Jazz Recordings. I haven't been able to find any online discographies. Any suggestions? I know a couple of recordings by Earl Hines under this label have been issued by New World but that's all I know. Any help would be appreciated. At the back of the book, Michael Cuscuna said they planned to do more but I suspect that because New World (who I don't know much about) came out with some of these recordings, this may have killed the project. If that's the case, it's truly unfortunate. BTW, if you ever have a chance to get this set, don't pass it up. It is incredible.

I know he's on a lot of Jack McDuff sessions and a Duke Pearson session, Prairie Dog, that somehow I've never pulled the trigger on. Any views on those. I just have his BN session, plus what he did with John Patton.

If you don't have this you should pick it up, just because it's one of Hank's last sessions and because the music is fantastic. Not only are Hank and Cedar notable here, but so is Charles Davis on baritone. Hank was apparently going through tough times and this shows to a certain extent in his music. The playing is intense here and this is a very good session. It's a good pickup, and if you're into Hank, a must.

Bobby Bonds was definitely an amazing player. It would take his incredible son to overshadow him and make you think of someone other than Bobby. Remember seeing with the Yankees when I was a bit younger.

What is it that compelled Rooster to find this case and then to post it. There's only one conclusion: he's fucked up or fucking nuts . By the way, probably saying that word at weddings might be inappopriate. Ain't that a f'in kick in the head.

I came to jazz from the blues, to which I'd been listening a long time and frankly it had become kind of stale. The blues is obviously an important part of jazz (e.g. Parker's Mood, etc.) but there's a big difference between the blues as part of jazz and The Blues. The Blues to me is a pretty archaic formula without much inventiveness; it all sounds the same. That's why I got bored with it and progressed to jazz. In fact, I think the next logical step is to move to jazz. I don't listen to the blues much anymore but the bluesy feeling and the metric structure is obviously an important part of jazz. Would jazz be the same without the blues? No. Would the Blues be the same without jazz? Maybe.

I heard a couple of cuts on the radio this on WBGO. Very fantastic sounding arrangements. I'm going to try to pick it up this coming week.