Brad

Three that I loved are Soul Stirring by Bennie (just a fun record, with some great artists), Stanley Turrentine with the Three Sounds (drenched in the blues; this session works slightly better than LD+3 for me) and the Sonny Criss Imperial Sessions. This one I didn't like at first but wound up listening to it a bunch of times. Other notables: Baby Face's Stop and Listen, Tina's True Blue, Blowin' In From Chicago (one of my first Conns) and Jackie's Destination Out. One I hated. That's easy: George Braith. Just do not like the sound of that stitch. Just couldn't get into that. This one is an ebay candidate.

Yeah, but don't do it again! B)

If that is indeed the case, can someone explain to me why they just put out a 2 cd set of the best recording from his BN days? To answer the original question, this set appears from time to time on Ebay so you may want to keep your eye on that. As an aside, with the original packaging, I have trouble keeping the cds in the cd holders. Does anyone else have that problem.

I'll be in the minority here and say that I like the first session better than the second. However, the second tries to be a little less conventional than the first and more challenging so who knows for sure. Agree that Mira is the highlight here. I'm a sucker for these kinds of latin rhythms, much more than I used to be. I find that one of the pluses and minuses on the first session is Freddie Waits. I find his drumming very, very good. However, at the same time it's too obtrusive and seems too get in the way of the whole session. That could be the fault of how it was recording and not his playing but I was reminded of Lou Donaldson saying that he prefers a rhythm section that doesn't get in the way and I think Freddie Waits gets in the way. On the other hand, maybe he has to pick up the pace because of Ron Carter. Jimmy Ponder was a definite plus and since I'd just listened to Phillip Catherine off the Dexter Gordon Something Different Session in the Steeplechase box, I found myself making comparisons here. Overall, I hadn't listened to this album in a few years and having listened to it again, I found it much better the second time around. A great idea to suggest this for album of the week.

It's hard to pick up a favorite here although I don't think Matador belongs on the list. Not one of my favorites. Ultimately, I picked Feeling the Spirit. It just has such emotion in it. Those spirituals are played so movingly (I'm not a religious person but this record almost makes you one).

Uh, oh, here we go again!

Bruce, Not really. Just got dragged around by my parents when I was a kid B)

I did an internet search and apparently it means Jungle Soul. Don't ask me what language it's from, however. I'm fluent in Spanish, knowledgeable in French and can read a little bit of Portuguese (having lived in Brasil) and that translation doesn't equate in any of those languages.

I'd vote for the Jazz Lab with Gigi (especially Xtasy) and Off to the Races. I'd recommend the Half Note material and the Jazz in Paris material also. Any of his material with Pepper Adams is great stuff (including where Pepper is the leader, such as 10 to 4 at the Five Spot. Mustang is also not bad but the late 60s stuff leaves me cold. I don't think that's what they should remember him for. People should think of the late 50s work all the way up to around '66. After that, it tails off for me.

RT, Here's a photo of the album.

I'd vote for a couple of stations in my area. One is WKCR It's not a full time jazz station but they have jazz from 6-930 am est, weekdays, highlighted by Phil Schapp's Bird show from 820-930. Then they have jazz from 12-3 and 6-9 pm weekdays. There's also a swing show from 6-9 pm on Saturday and a show just spotlighting one artist from 2-6 on Sundays. Another is WBGO, which is based in NJ and is very popular nationally. They have a good mix.

I voted for Pee Wee. I don't have any of these but I can pick up Pee Wee the easiest and now it gives me an excuse to do so!

Aren't the release dates for Miles material usually more or less simultaneous between the 2 companies?

Just put my order in. Is Mosaic going to release this in Lp?

I have to agree with Mike on these but from a different perspective. I listened to a few clips fromsome of these new releases (other than the Patton which I have as a TOCJ) and they're not my cup of tea. They're not anything I'd want to buy. However, I'm not going to say they're bad or whatever. They obviously appeal to others. And that's finem, and diversity is what it's all about.

Here's another vote for Tell It the Way It Is. There's also another album that's not uniquely is but that he has a major part in and that's the album Diminuendo, Crescendo and Blues from the C-Jam Allstars. It's a pretty fantastic album.

I have only one of his albums, With These Hands, which I liked very much, so I'll be looking forward to this set. I have most but not all of the Bennie Greene (I'm missing the Ike Quebec and Walking and Talking) so I'll probably spring for this also and offload my TOCJs.

I've read the first couple of chapters on Bird and Dizzy and while they're good summaries of their careers up till the concert, I've read a bit about Bird (I'm not professing to have anything close to semi-expertise) and there's nothing in there that I haven't gleaned from anywhere else. In fact, a lot of the stories and interesting anecdotes I've seen elsewhere. So, I think if you know a lot about these musicians already, there's nothing startling in there. I'm anticipating that the chapter on the concert will be very good though. Now, I don't know a lot about the other musicians so I found the chapter on Dizzy very good and the one on Bud good so far.

Any views on the Getz box?

Having read Kevin's post, it just sort of makes you shake your head in wonder. It's sort of tragic in a way.

The Propers always seem to be on ebay at reasonable prices. Regarding internet sellers, cd universe seem to have good prices. The new Johnny Hodges is listed as $16.79. Would be hard to beat that.

I don't think there ever could be a connection between the closing of that board and buying tendencies. If you're suggesting that people would boycott Blue Note and Mosaic because of the way the closing was handled, I don't think that would happen. I wasn't happy with what they did but that wouldn't stop me from buying BN releases. The closing of the board won't even rate a blip on the radars of history.

Today Billy Eckstine 1944-1945 Classics Stan Levey's Stanley the Steamer

I'd like to pick up that one too. Just haven't done it yet. My previous post wasn't aimed at any one in particular but it's just a shame that he doesn't get any attention. Obviously, that has a lot to do with that he didn't make a lot of recordings after his few BN albums because of his economic situation. The guy has a beautiful tone and has made some nice really nice records.

It's too bad this is the only kind of attention Louis Smith is getting in these parts. He's made some excellent cds from Steeplechase. Among others, he's made a trumpet-piano duet cd called The Very Thought of You with Jodie Christian that is really excellent and Soon, with Andy LaVerne, Jimmy Greene (great unrecognized sax player) and Ray Drummond.