JSngry

Depth is where you find it. And what you want or don't want to make of. So, that leaves the field....REALLY open! BTW, I found a CD of the aforementioned Joanie Sommers doing a set of brief standards w/a Shelley Manne band listed on-line, and sampling it, I'd say that those who dig Stacey Kent might enjoy this one also. It's HERE, replete w/short audio samples of every cut. Having listened closer, I'll say that although their voices have very similar timbres, but that Sommers uses a vibrato that Kent seems to have not much use for and that decision is one in Kent's favor, imo. But it seems like a set in the same light and breezy jazzy-pop-standards bag favored by Ms. Kent, so some of y'all might want to check it out.

Sent.

Consolodation of steps, my friend. It's the smart choice for business! Seriously, this test was one that I felt pretty good about on most cuts, so, in a concerted effort to postpone tackling the laundry, here's a track-track analysis of how and why I did what I did. #1 - Read the previous posts to mine, before even hearing the cut, heard it, and knew that they were correct. #2 - Knew it was a Van Gelder recording from the piano sound, figured it was a Lem Winchester Prestige date (a REALLY strong hunch), went to AMG and found a song title that fit the melody and went with that. Would have guessed Winchester anyway, but got a kick out of going for the exact tune. Still don't know if it's a good call or not though. #3 - Knew the session from note one, since I have the album somewhere. Didn't bother w/AMG because I know who/what it is, and getting the specifics would have been redundant in my mind, at least for me. #4 - Kowing that Jim is a big advocate of Louis Stewart, I figured there'd be a cut by him on here somewhere, and this sounded like the type of player I mentally concieve Stewart being, although I'd not heard him before. Recognizing the tune, I just looked to see at AMG if there was a version of this tune by this artist, and sure enough, there was. It's still a guess, though, and might be wrong. #5 - The Golson call was near-automatic, so going to AMG was merely to nail down the specific cut. Which, as it turns out, was better done by Joe than me! But, yeah, I'd have had no other call but Golson for this one. #6 - Still don't know who it is! But I'm liking Joe's call on Pattitucci, and therefore, Rubalcaba. But AMD is of no assistance here, even after having learned that the tune is AKA "Favela". So I'm SOL on this one. #7 - I'm still liking Hall, but no help from AMG here. His discography is immense, and I still haven't felt like going through it all. But the Raney suggestion is intriguing. I don't know his work all that well, but on what of it I do, the done is just a little "dirtier" than that heard hear, but JUST a little. But that's mostly the older stuff, so... #8 - Still a maystery to me, no help from AMG here either. I'm still thinking Getz becasue the tone is too close for comfort. He does play more on top of the beat than Getz usually does, but I've heard a fired-up Getz play like this, so I can't rule him out on those grounds alone. But w/not listing of a Getz performance of this tune that matches this arrangement, I'm at a loss. Whoever the tenor player is, if it's not Getz, he/she scares me by being able to come THAT close to all the little nuances - it ain't natural to copy somebody THAT much! #9 - Recognized Coleman instantly, figured that Strozier was a likely altoist due to the age of the recording and knowing that there was an informal "Memphis Mafia" in those days. Besides, it just SOUNDS like Strozier. Picked up on Pat Patrick fair & square, and just used AMG to find an album that matched, and there it was. But this one I nailed the front line on pretty easily. Pretty individualistic players all around, if you know their playing. #10 - Recognized the tune immediately, ruled out Breau, and, yeah, cheated by going to the AMG song listing. But it wasn't a difficult choice at all. When I saw Kessell had done this tune, I said, "GOTTA be him" because of the tone and overall virtuosity. Ain't but a handfull of jazz players who could pull off a performance like this technically. Looks as if the guess was correct, again, thanks to Joe. #11 - Still clueless. But reading Jim's recent raves about Eddie Higgins, this sounds like it could be him. rooted in Wynton Kelly's overall feel and concept, but more open harmonically. But that's just a guess. #12 - No brainer for me. Eddie stands out to me no matter what the context. Just used AMG to find the album. #13 - Ok, cheated w/AMG on this one. Knew the tune, looked for a guitarist-led date. Not to hard to find. Would have guess none of the players. #14 - Looked for the obvious "Sarah/Double Rainbow" match on AMG and didn't find it, so I listened closer, heard the flaws in the vocal, and decided it was somebody else. But who? Well, DUH - always trust your ears, and look for extended tune listings on ALL MUSIC GUIDE DOT COM I must say though, taht I'm a huge Sarah Vaughn fan, but this cut doesn't do it for me at all, for the reasons I first stated, and knowing that it really IS Sarah doesn't change that in any way. #15 - GOT to be Dexter. Knew it as soon as I listened to the music rather than the instrument. Tom Storer, your information after the fact made me very happy! #16 - Knew the tune & it sounded so much like later Red, I looked at AMG for a match. Not finding one, but seeing Jamal listed, I thought that he might be a possibility, but wasn't sure at the time. Red COULD play all those flourishes, but seldom did, and the musical connection between him and Jamal is well doicumented. But I could not imagine Jamal using a bassist who played so out of tune. THAT threw me. But having listened further, I'll commit to him. Ahmad Jamal, from THIS ALBUM.

Fans of the ECLIPSE should be aware of a Laserlight thing (can't remember the title offhand) that's got an alternate take of "Chinoiserie"(sp?) in which Harold Ashby's solo is considerably more adventurous harmonically than that on the Fantasy version. Well worth the minimal Laserlight price.

Please, let's not argue. She sings jazzy material with a pop esthetic. She'd be as out of place at Baker's Keyboard Lounge as Betty Carter would have been at Mr. Kelley's. If anybody wants to think she's a heavyweight jazz singer, well, go ahead. That's not ME you hear snickkering in the background. Honest... And if anybody wants to think that she's a hack or that what she does as well as she does doesn't require an unique set of musical and interpretive skills, well, go ahead. That's not ME you hear snickkering in the background. Honest... Pop singing is a whole 'nother game than jazz singing, and just because the material crosses genres, as do certain stylistic elements sometimes, that doesn't mean that they're the same thing, or that one is intrinsically "better" than the other, for that matter. Myself, I often prefer the best pop to mediocre (or worse) jazz. If there have been comparisons to Krall, that's unfortunate. In terms of skill, Ms. Krall is a pianist first and a singer second. I can find technical and interpretive flaws with her singing that Ms. Kent displays not a hint of. As for "depth", they're both relatively shallow, but Kent seems to not make that a concern, and that works to her musical advantage, I think. Nothing too meaty on the one hand, but on the other, no tricks and no gimmicks either. Just good songs well sung. It's POP fer Crissakes! Krall, otoh, for reasons perhaps pertaining to her Lutheran upbringing, her roots in jazz, both, or neither, really seems to be trying to be a serious jazz singer, which is something I DON'T think she's equipped for, not yet anyway. Her phrasing is often awkward, at odds with the phonetic flow of the lyrics, and that's something that a good singer of ANY genre needs to have under control so they can proceed accordingly in whatever direction they choose to go. I'd not say that Stacey Kent lacks substance, not at all. I would say that she lacks "depth" (or, to avoid fanning the flames of argument even more, what I[/] would percieve as depth), but I'm not bothered by that, because no pretensions whatsoever to the contrary are presented with her product. Thus, I don't even bother looking for any, and by not finding something I'd be ill-advised looking for in the first place, I avoid a disappointment that shouldn't have happened, and one that might translate into a disparagement of the talent that is borne of my self-induced misguided search. Better to take what is there for what it is and appreciate and applaud it as such, which as long as you have a reference bank that is broad enough and deep enough to allow for sufficient recognition as to what is what, is, I think, the ideal way to appreciate what all the musics of our world have to offer on their own terms.

I was talking to my good friend Dr. Harold J. Numbers last night, and he suggested this. It's an intiguing notion. Hey, it's all EMI, right? And we've seen numerous examples of hip-hoppers redoing Rudy's work (to say nothing of Rudy redoing his and Lion's OWN work), so why not? If the Beatles idea is too radical for you, how about some other items from the EMI pop catalog - The Beach Boys, The Band, Matt Munro, Gene Vincent, The Hollywood Strings, Helen Reddy, etc. Post your wish lists here.

Between 25 & 30 as I remember.

Damn, did I miss Laugh-In?

I'm more than ecstatic about the Roy set. I'm just "less than enthusiastic" (wink, wink) about Oscar Peterson. But hey, if you put my thing for Roy & my thing about Oscar on a balance scale or whatever it's called, the Roy side would come down so hard and so fast that the Oscar side would go flying out the window totally unnoticed. Which is probably what's going to happen as I listen to the set.... In all fairness to O.P. though, I find that I usually enjoy him best in the company and accompaniment of Granz' stable of mainstream players such as Eldridge, Hawk, and Prez, so I don't think he'll be too much of a drag here at all. Still, a little variety in the piano chair wouldn't have hurt, but I seriously doubt that Granz was thinking 50 years later box-set collation when he booked those dates, so...

As whole works, I'll go with SUCH SWEET THUNDER, THE QUEEN'S SUITE, FAR EAST SUITE, & SUITE THURSDAY (a rarity in the Ellington canon in being a suite in the "classical" sense of the entire piece bein centered around a single theme, in this case, a two note motif). The last one, though, got a performance on THE GREAT PARIS CONCERT OF DUKE ELLINGTON that pretty much spoiled the studio version for me. But for individual highlights and/or being favorites in spite of a "lesser" moment or two, add NEW ORLEANS SUITE & AFRO-EURASIAN ECLIPSE to the list, preferably towards the top. And although I've only heard the sketch version Duke recorded w a scaled-down band, I VERY much like THE RIVER. Too bad there's no "real" versions available by the full band.

For the last cut, that is.

Sent an e-mail to the program director inquiring as to this new talen, but have yet to receive a reply. I wonder if they were playing bootlegs...

The demise of Gene Quill is close to being up their with the demise of Woody Shaw in the pantheon of jazz tragedies.

I can second the recommendation for Freeman-Tuell. They've been in business as long as I can remember, and I've never heard a foul word about them.

Ahmad Jamal.

For once I catch one of these on time! May your best be ahead of you, your worst behind you, and a bratwurst or two beside you!

So much Roy! So much Oscar Peterson... Oh well, it ain't a perfect world. But thanks for trying, Mr. Granz. As it stands right now, this one might be my Christmas "present" from all the relatives' lump sum gifts. I DIG Roy Eldridge!

So, ok. The last few days or so, KNTU has been playing cuts off of what I just asssumed was a reissue of some old Joanie Sommers album (and if you only know Joanie Sommers from "Johnny Get Angry", know that she was no slouch as an "adult pop" type singer of standards as well). I was really enjoying this stuff. The band swung loosely, sounded like they were having fun, and the vocals were extremely good - the pitch was dead on, the phrasing surefooted and elastic without being overly mannered, the lyrics delivered with a real sense of authority and understanding. Having hear an old Joanie Sommers album like this in the past but not remembering what it was, I was wondering if it was the same one. Well, guess waht? Today, through the miracle of back-announcing, it was revealed that it wasn't Joanie Sommers who had been entertaining me, but Stacey Kent! Ordinarily, when sombody sounds this much like somebody else (and in fairness to Kent, she doesn't sound EXACTLY like Joanie Sommers, but close enough to fool me, who could identify Sommers on a "blind" hearing, but who doesn't know the subtleties of her voice well enough to distinguish between the original and somebody similar in timbre and style), I get really peaved, but I wasn't bothered at all this time. In fact, I remained pleased. Why? Two reasons - ability and intent. The abilities of all concerned are very high indeed. I really thought I was listening to a vintage "West Coast" date. But more important was the intent. I got the feeling that these folks were all about "entertainment" of a high standard and nothing more. That's no slam at all either - I can dig good, old fashioned, "put on a smile and put on a show" stuff, and that's just what this seemed to be. It wasn't "jazz" in the sense of a personal creative expression, not at all. What it was was taking songs and a "style" and using those as elements in a presentation that was clearly meant to bring a smile to the face and a pat to the foot of those who were so inclined, and I'm not such a hair shirt maniac about "art" and such that I'm "above" enjoying the pleasures a good song well done, and that's exactly what this was. In the "old days", you'd hear stuff like this in hip supper clubs and lounges, a time and a place when "entertainment" was an art unto itself, and was not mutually exclusive to "quality". I dug it, and wouldn't mind hearing more. I doubt I'd spend money on a CD or anything like that (although I could concievably buy ONE to have on hand for road trips and such), but I hope that enough people DO so that Ms. Kent can continue to be heard on jazz radio and maybe even cross over into the "adult standards" market and it's airplay niche, a niche that has over the last few years grown increasingly hospitable to singers and material like this. Stacey Kent & crew have a good thing going, based on what I've heard the last few days, and as long as nobody tries to convine me that she's a "real" jazz vocalist of significance (her "vibe" and "intent" are at odds with the "depth" that "real" "jazz singers" are all about, but that's cool - what she's into has a vibe and depth of its own, and pitting her against a "different" lineage ends up doing a disservice to both in the end. She doesn't need to be a "jazz singer" and "jazz singers" don't need her), I wish her much success. Save the labels for canned goods. Hey - it made me happy. Good enough!

If you're of a certain age, you probably remember when cereal boxes occasionally came with records built into the box, sort of a flexi-disc deal. Cut the record out of the box, and enjoy The Archies, The Bananna Splits a madcap adventure w/Count Chocula & Boo-Berry, you know, stuff like that. Well, if you could put any Blue Note performance on a cereal box record, which one would it be? For extra fun, which cereal would your choice come with?

The drag about all this is that I really, REALLY like Joe Torre as both a manager and, from what I read/hear, a person. But I can't pull for the Yankees. I could a few years ago when they were on the rebound, but enough is enough.

Lon, you only needed 10 OBIs for the watch, so you could have skipped the Cherry (yeah, it was in that first series). I just looked at my copy of WHISTLE STOP, OBI still attached, and that's what it says.

Go Carts!

...and could change it to go back in time to have it happen during any Blue Note session, right in Rudy's studio, right while the session was going down, which one would it be?

You got the recent OJC release of his Galaxy things from the 70s? I like the Sonet album MEAN WHAT YOU SAY from 1977. Charles Bowen, Tommy Turrentine (on a few cuts), and Mickeys Tucker & Bass. Don't know about CD on that one, though. How obscure would you conside Elmo Hope's SOUNDS FROM RIKERS ISLAND? That's a good one, as is anything Philly & Elmo did together. Just came out on Fresh Sounds CD.

Just found the Wilen thing for $9 @ Dusty Groove (THE BASTARDS!), and ordered on sight. More to come, I'm sure.