JSngry

Who gets arranging credits on that one?

Listened to the cut on Myer's site, and what immediately struck me was Monk's comping, and again, how repetitive Rouse sounds once Monk drops out. Fortunately, on that cut, that's for just one chorus. If the whole set follows suit, if Monk keeps the pace lively like this instead of just letting everybody goooooo oooooonnnnn, then this will be a good set, I might be interested, this might be the album that all of us like to think that this band always sounded like.

Not that he'll be able to see it...

John Lewis focused his career on being "John Lewis" and played to that image all his life, but the dude had a deeper set of skills than just that. He'll surprise you, right?!?!?!?

I don't think the files jazz issues from those years (1966-75...and what jazz did they release after Bill Barron's Motivation, which was, what, 71-72? until hooking up with Arista) are going to be found, and really doubt they exist. My understanding is that what few releases there were either spec work done by a producer (e.g. Bill Dixon) or essentially vanity projects produced by the artist with few if any real contractual commitments from the label. I don't claim that with 100% certainty though.

Easy enough to forget, but he played piano with Dizzy's big band in the RCA era and wrote "Two Bass Hit" for them. Not that you'll hear him going all Bud Powell in that band (when you hear him at all), but he was right there, in that place, doing that thing, beeping that bop. Jim Hall got called for a lot of dates where there was an MJQ element/contingent.

Sleepy was The Face Of A Generation (Or Three)!

Does that contain all the R&B stuff? Some/all of the gospel?

Homecoming...bought it, like within the first week of its release, there was definitely marketing leading up to it and a buzz as a result. Truthfully, none of it sucks, but some cuts are better than others. A few rise above the "problems" referenced here, but a few is not all, right? Listening to it on LP was a challenge as a result. four sides, and none over the above-average cuts on any of the same side. And most all the reviews were of the "good but could have been better, and oh btw, check out Biting The Apple" type. But the hype worked, the buzz was real, and there was a ripple effect for jazz - all types of jazz - in general. So, yeat, significant record, just not a great (enough) one. Make mine Manhattan Symphonie as well.

So, uh, Sleepy left behind some kind of a perky offspring for his budget team, Thriftlodge. I guess if you like this kind of a team, it's there for you. Seems sorta Clark Griffith-y to me, but you know, there's a fanbase for damn near anything these days.

Travelodge is certainly still around, but at some point Sleepy laid down for a nap up from which he did not awaken. Maybe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travelodge

I've been following this team all year long. No need to stop now!

Bill Cole is (was?) an annoyance.

And not just the playing...Sonny has long said that Monk taught him more than anybody, before/after. Knowing what we do about Monk's grasp of both the concrete and the sublime, those conversations...

Those tempos...Buddy makes it easy for the band in that he pretty much plays the chart with them, they just needed to go with him. Ride along and don't doze. Solo-wise, I'm reminded of something that Freddie Hubbard said about Max Roach. He said that Max was all about the fast tempos, forget about catching a break, that's not gonna happen. Freddie said that he finally cracked that nut by not bothering about counting, to just relax about that and just ride the pulse, don't think, play. I don't know that Buddy's bands ever had soloists at that level (although the one time I heard them, Pat LaBarbara did a nice enough job), but here's an outtake where it seems like Ernie Watts was offered the speed test and accepted it. Points for trying!

I also think Extensions should be in the mix. that's the first one that shows the more "open" approach that Jamal would take towards the type of structures he worked with. Tell you what, though - if I was forced to have just one Jamal cut in addition to "Poinciana" it would be this: Taking an already interesting Bacharach tune and making it even more interesting...huge love here for that!

Truthfully, and if I have to choose, I prefer Monk with Rollins. It's bouncier! Aside from "natural tendencies", I think the simpatico is also very much a function of time and place. Sonny was in a kind of raggedy place in his life and Monk was without his cabaret card/work. From all accounts, they hung out a lot, not "rehearsing", but just playing. The records are delightful snapshots, but I have a feeling that what happened there happened plenty of other times in Monk's crib. I'd wager a good amount of lunch money that there was some duet action going on that may exist only in the ether of once-made sounds. If there was a way to capture and retrieve that....

Los Angeles Dodgers implicated in S.I. report on Department of Justice investigation https://www.lonestarball.com/2018/10/2/17928574/los-angeles-dodgers-implicated-sports-illustrated-report-on-department-of-justice-investigation File Under: Things You "Know" But Don't Want To Know

I was kidding about post-Beatles McCartney sucking. To the immediate point, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" has long been a favorite (and Jazz Fans Of All Ages should note that the Admiral Halsey flugelhorn is played by Jazz's Own Marvin Stamm!). If Buddy Rich playing Norwegian Wood would be a "travesty", how much more of a travesty would it be for him and his band to play an post-Beatles McCartney song, which is by the definition of the popular wisdom of a certain time (and which apparently is oblivious to the detailed, panoramic production of the entire song), already a travesty? In other words, it was a joke all around. Sometimes I pull 'em of, sometimes I don't.. I also read the recent GQ interview with Paul, and it's great. Recommended reading if you're at all a fan.

I really, really like that Uncle Albert thing. Seriously. Excellent writing, and the solos are all in.

Really, there's something quite Tony Williams-ish about how Buddy kept up a constant chatter with the band and soloists on those "jazz-rock" charts. Not with his time, but just with his textures.

and with Ralph Carmichael, you know there's going to be a god song! There should have been a syndicated variety show TV special with Stan Kenton playing Hair and welcoming special guests Stanley Myron Handleman and The Free Design. Something for the kids, as if Kenton playing Hair wouldn't be enough. You know, there was a copy of this floating around my high school, it was already there when I came in. The star of the show for us kids on this record was Bud Brisbois. We were adrenalized by "screech trumpet" and, mixed down as he might be sometimes, he's screeching all over this record. It was at least a few decades later that I came back to the record and heard all the flutes and shit. nice of Kenton to pay one last tribute to Les Baxter btw! The context(s) of this record runs soooo many different directions at once, you don't even have to listen to it if you don't want to, just look at everything that was happening before it, during it, and after it.

Look mum, it's like Sal and Carmen!

yeah, that one's been a longtime favorite. that one and this other one with Jack Sheldon: