JSngry

In what - their ass or that hole in the ground?

Hey, don't knock Zager & Evans = they went on to spearhead Ten Wheel Drive, which gave us Dave Liebman and Genya Ravan. Well, ok, a tap or two might be called for...

All right, then. The line starts here:

Ok, I'm driving my daughter to a friend's house yesterday, a friend who lives at the other end of Dallas. I pass a Virgin Megastore on the way and think to myself that I "need" to stop in on the way home and check out what's in the clearance bin, since I've had good luck there before. So I do. NOTHING in the clearance bins, so I go look for that Mat Manieri thing that was AOW a few weeks ago. No luck there either. I fact, the jazz selection SUCKED. "Screw this place", I scream at the top of my lungs (internally of course). But the end of the jazz "section" merges with the beginning of the Vocal section, and THIS little jewel box catches my eye: "Well, here's one I don't have", I mumbled (out loud this time). Checked it out - trio, 1987, no "production", no "guests", just Shirley, her trio, and some songs. 14 bucks. On the Audiophile label. Sold. This is a DAMN fine album. If you've kinda gotten jaded with Shirley's Verve albums (and although I love 'em, and still buy 'em, I don't buy them ASAP like I used to, so I guess I qualify as jaded), THIS one is a reminder of what hooked you (me, anyway), in the first place. Ballads - s.............................l........................o..............................................w ballads, and minimalist, often ethereal piano backing, with JUST enouh input from bass and drums to keep time from standing TOTALLY still. Imagine Ran Blake and Jeanne Lee rolled into one person and brought just a little bit more "inside", and that's pretty much what you got here. How cool is that? Very, if you ask me. The lady's a master and a treasure. This is an album of her's that I've overlooked for no good reason. My bad. If you dig Shirley Horn, you'll want this. If you don't, you won't. If you've never heard her, but are curious, this might not be the BEST starting point (I'll give the nod for that to YOU WON'T FORGET ME, HERE'S TO LIFE, & her outstanding Steeplechase recordings), but this one should come shortly thereafter. Highly recommended, and in my case, highly overlooked.

Well, based on what HE says, he should stop that before he hurts himself!

If you got a compruter, a prinster, and a pare of schizzors, you can write your own linear nohts for any CD you wants and have to never reed anything you don't leighk. POWUR TEW THE PEEPLES, MAHN!

ROTFLMFAO Glad that SOMEBODY got it.

Why is that? Because we are an "ilk".

And so is this album. You're in for a BIG treat.

What I've found interesting about everybody's comments is that it's got me to wondering how different people "hear" a piece for the first time. Do y'all listen for tone, or rhythm, or vocabulary, or jsut what? And what about studio sound? The Columbia studio & VanGelder studio I could spot right away, but that's just me. This subject might make for an interesting thread unto itself, something like "What do you hear when you listen?" Hey. I'm a guy who's trying to reach people with my music, and I'd sincerley like to know just "how" it is that different people "hear" music. There are no right or wrong answers either. MAybe when I have some time to phrase it correctly I'll start just such a thread...

The monoi stereo thing didn't register with me because I've been listening to this thing mostly oin the run in a variety of portable settings. I'm thinking the most likely time frame is between '65 & '72, maybe a few years later if it's a smaller studio. Now wait a minute... I've not heard Sonny fortune's Strata-East stuff. The sound is dry like SE, and the piano sounds like one they had on hand for some sessions (maybe that studio bought Atlantic discards ). Or maybe him as a sideman on an SE disc? Fortune was my VERY first guess the first time hearing it, based on the opening melody. The solo took me away from him somewhat (just somewhat, though), but the tone on the opening head had me CONVINCED that it was Sonny Fortune that I was going to be hearing. Then again, by the time Fortune began recording in earnest (after his first date w/an organ group on Prestige & various dates w/Mongo Santamaria), I don't think he'd be doing this type of material. Now, if this turns out to be Lee Konitz, I'm REALLY gonna be bummed...

Jim, I think #7 is an older recording (mid-late 60s) based on the recording sound - the studio sound, the mix, and the piano sound. It REALLY sounds like an Atlantic recording to me, but I find nothing in the Atlantic catalog that scream out "HERE I AM!!!", so I don't know. But that piano sound screams "ATLANTIC" (or Vortex or Embryo) to me, so I don't know. Once you get into non-American studio and label sounds, I'm pretty much lost, save for Tonstudio Bauer & ECM. And I could maybe, MAYBE, pick out a BS/SN label/studio sound on an artist I didn't know. Maybe. And besides, once stuff gets digitally remastered, you're often left with residual studio/label sound anyway, not the full deal. Kenyatta (born in Martinique, I believe) has this same type of lush, rhapsodic alto tone, as well as this kind of faciltiy and melodic sense. His Vortex album on Atlantic would be a logical choice, except that I have it, and this ain't on it. Maybe he did a sideman date that slipped under my radar, but I don't think so. I WANT to pick either him or Sonny Fortune (and Leo Wright still, maybe), but there's not the discographical evidence to support doing so. Ward I know only through the odd sideman appearance. He's recorded quite a bit with Ibrahim, but Ibrahim is one of those artists of whom I like virtually everything I've heard, but just haven't explored in any kind of depth. No good reason for that either, jsut haven't gone there yet. How about Dudu Pukwana? Now there's somebody I've NEVER heard. If this is him, then that's my loss! His reputation is not of being this type of player, but since I've never heard him, reputation don't mean squat to me.

Total guess here, but howzabout that altoist being Carlos Ward? Born in Panama. Robin Kenyatta still calls to me, but I can't find a matching recording.

I CERTAINLY got nothing against anti-dogmatic thought, but I also believe that a person is well-served by having multiple means of expression at their disposal. Going straight for the jugular, well, that's just silly if you ask me. How can you expect to hold a conversation and an argument at the same time? I understand arguing, believe me I do. But I'd prefer spirited conversation that doen't deteriorate into predicatabilty. But that's just me.

As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome here as long as you keep the insults to a reasonable amount (and if you can get by without them, so much the better), and don't cross over into direct personal attacks. Reading your stuff at AAJ, you seem like a knowledgable guy within your area of interest, and for me that takes precedence over your attack-dog mode towards things you don't like that I've seen on AAJ. I respect knowledge. I DON'T respect scorched-earth tactics towards things or people that one deosn't like, however, and I don't like one poster becoming so predictably inflamatory that the stink up the entire board. But stay between the lines, and I'll enjoy partaking of your knowledge, and do my best to ignore (or occasionally tweak, perhaps) the rest. Step outside the lines, though, and anything can happen, including Masterhit.

Down Beat used to interview him regularly it seemed, from the 60s into the 80s.

Check out what label this is on:

Produced by Johnny Ace!

Gee, I just thought you were glad to see me...

...os kniht t'nod I

Well...you know...the island and all that...

Hey - you deserve a break today...

Can I vote twice?

KOOL!!!

Say HEY!!!!!