JSngry

If you GOT to have it, get it. There's moments. But otherwise...

"Unsettled" is not an innacurate description, imo, but that's kinda what makes it is what it is - unsettled, but often enough frighteningly real. Maybe it "helps" to know the history of what happened to Hank after this album, maybe that's the context one needs to really "get" it. He sounds as if he had already turned the corner to his ultimate fate, but only recently, so he's on the way to be going, not yet actually gone. Of course, if somebody isn't concerned with those things, then it may just very well sound like a session that is a bit "off" by the standards of all concerned. In one sense, I suppose it is (although the Mobley/Walton/Higgins triangle has never been more on the same page, imo, it might not a page that evrybody wants to read). There's no real "right" way to approach music, but for the type who listens for the personal stories being told, and is willing to accept that an unsettled person is indeed likely to tell some unsettled (unsettling, even) stories, this holds the potential to be some pretty gripping stuff.

Only good ones! And, that "Boogie Woogie Waltz" is a dangerous, DANGEROUS piece of music. You yhink yhere's nothing there, but you keep coming back to it, over and over. Finally, you don't CARE if there's anything there or not, you just gotta have it, whatever it is or isn't. That's my experience anyway...

I remember a Honda car commercial from ca.1990 tha had original music VERY much in the style of a "softer" Lee Morgan-esque Latin flavor. Always wondered who wrote it. Honda for a long stretch featured original music in their ads that made subtle but unmistakable references to the "Blue Note Sound", so I'm thinking the same guy was doing them all (writing & producing them, that is). Anybody know who this jazzy jinglemeister might have been? Oh yeah, Sonny did a Pioneer stereo commercial that used "God Bless The Child" from THE BRIDGE. This was in the later 70s, I think.

Oh yeah, I'm fine. Never been better actually. Saving a parking place for you, in fact! Dig - there has been blues since the beginning of humankind. What WE call "blues" today is a culturally specific manifestation of a combination of attitudes, perceptions, and feelings that have been around since the who knows when. Blues is not a "style, blues is a fact of life. "Blues", otoh, IS a style, but like all styles, it bears the stylistic trademarks of the culture that produced it. But the style is not the substance, it's just an expression of the substance, just like a word is not an object (or anything else, really, besides a word), but merely an expression of whatever it is that it is representing. The "problem" that we as humans have is a tendency to limit our receptiveness to that which we "know" at at least some level. But would anyboy argue that what we "know" is all there is? I hope not! And also - we LIKE styles, we LIKE categories - they make processing information a LOT easier, and that's nothing to scoff at. But again, if we allow ourselves to view the "style" as being identical to the substance, then we are missing out on a whole range of interconnectivity in human experiences that only serves to keep us isolated instead of bringing us into the greater "one"ness of life. Easy and comfortable, yes, but not necessarily the path to anything other than back to ourselves. Nice place to visit, but... Anywhere and anytime that people live lives that are not totally programmed from without, anywhere and anytime that people are confronted with unresolvable ambiguities /contradictions of any nature, anywhere and anytime that people laugh to keep from crying, and cry because there ain't words adequate, there and then you have the essence of blues. Most of us know them through their African/African-American manifestations and those idioms which have been touched by same. Cool, that's where and who most of us are to one degree or another. But to think that that is the ONLY manifestations of such realities is hopelessly naive, and not something that I think that any person with soul (another one of those universal words that have taken on a geo/chrono/socio/cultural specific meaning) would argue for more than the time it took for them to think about it. For those who want and/or need the words, help yourself. Words ain't real to me. Let me have some of whatever it is that makes the words necessary, THAT'S what I want! Houston, do you read me?

I don't know, but I found this album used a few months ago. Haven't yet listened to it, but the "gimmick" is revealed in the title. All the cuts are about 60 seconds long!

Well, ok. if you look at "blues" being "essential" to "jazz" from a strictly stylistic standpoint, then you draw a line that some people, both of today and of yore, have crossed, sometimes to the point of no return, and there you have your box, geometry be damned . It's a big box, plenty of room inside, but still a box nevertheless. But if you look at what "the blues" are expressing, and not just at how they are expressing it, you can see that most every culture has, or has had, it's own "blues", and THAT leaves a lot of room for expressions that can resonate across stylistic and cultural barriers. For example, King Lear was a bluesman, and so was Hamlet. Damn fine bluesmen too. And Shakesepere was their Willie Dixon. Those are just two examples. Some will call this approach nebulous, or too broad to have any real "meaning". Maybe that's true, but fuck it. That's where I'm at now, and going back to more narrow definitions for reasons that I don't relate to anymore just doesn't interest me. ANY music or other expression that has a "meaning" ONLY within certain parameters is pretty much by definition not "universal", and if one is of the opinion that are certain facts of life that are true, and are indeed universal, then I think it behooves one to look beyond one's own immediate point(s) of reference every once in a while, just to see how "it all fits together". I suggest this to those who demand a blatant "blues flavor" and to those who find "blues" to be a limited, stifling medium alike. And to anybody in between. I have no shame. There's only so many different stories humans can tell. What diferentiates them is indeed the "flavor" of the teller, the culturally specific nuances, but what ultimately gives them their TRUTH is their commonality. Style is cool, meaningful even, but substance is where the action is always gonna be once you leave home. And as anybody who has ever left home will attest, no matter where you go, you WILL find some kindred spirits, even if they seem like totally unknowable strangers at first. So for me, all this talk about "blues being essential to jazz" is kinda redundant. OF COURSE it is. But there's a LOT more to "blues" than 12 bars and a flatted third, if you know what I mean. Like Anthony Braxton said when asked about the various cycles of the blues (and I apologize for repeating this quote, I used it on Board Krypton), "We can look at the lineages of the last 2000 years..." Now THAT'S an understanding of the blues!

Ain't nobody gonna sing the praises of Fred Jackson on this album? That's just wrong! Tell you what - if FACE TO FACE is the "definitive" organ album (and I'll not claim that it's not, nosiree Bob, not me!) then "Whatever Lola Wants" just might be the definitive organ cut. Don't tell me I can't listen to that one piece and nothing else for days at a time. I can, I have, and I will again.

As an album, it's a bit of a mess since technically it's an album by the group Artistry In Music, The 3 principals (Mobley, Davis, & Walton) each get a feature, so there's only 3 tunes that feature the entire group, and one of those, "House On Maple Street", is too short for anything really meaty to get going. It's nice, but more of a teaser than anything else. BUT - Walton's feature on "Love Story" is a beautifully swinging performance that totally ignores that tune's cheesiness (Don Patterson did a totally different version, also on Cobblestone, that accomplishes this same feat), and Hank's feature is "Summertime", a number that I've raved about numerous times in the past as being about as bloody a piece of music as there is (yeah, it's kinda wierd to "rave" about such an obviously painful experiece, but such are the limitations of language. Suffice it to say that if you are drawn to deeply dramatic and compelling personal expressions, this piece will stick with you, haunt you even, for quite a long time, perhaps forever). This leaves two full-length group pieces, the title tune, and "Early Morning Stroll", and they are superb. Hank's walking a tightrope without a net here, musically and emotionally, and he gives the impression that he's going to lose his balance and go SPLAT at any, literally ANY moment, but he never does. Those who like their music "finished" will not find musch to like here, but those who like it real, no matter how frightening the consequences won't want to be without this one. FWIW, I made a mix tape for my buddy Pete Gallio a few years ago, and included the version of "Early Morning Stroll" from BREAKTHROUGH. I gave all the tunes homemade titles, and my title for this one was "The Ultimate Hard Bop Fuck You". Pete loved the title, found it a totally accurate description, and loved the piece even more (he's one of those players whose listening is very focused on very specific things, so he had never heard it before) . As the last tune on the last Hank Mobley recording we were to hear for years to come (the Montoolieoo thing was released waaaaay after the fact, and as a CD bonus cut only), I think it's an accurate summation of what we're hearing here - Hank just before he lost it and said "Fuck You" to music and life in general. This album's certainly not a "pretty" performance, but it's damn high on the list of Truthful/Realistic Artistic Expressions of the 20th Century, if you know what I mean. In short - GET IT!

You know, if we really wanted to stir the pot a bit, we could say that "blues" itself is just the tip of a much bigger iceberg, both in terms of culturally specific manifestation and, even more to the point, a universal/eternal reality of existence/perception, but lunch is just about ready, and I gotta drive my mom home after we eat, so screw it.

Yeah, that Scott side is special. Vick's RCA sides are interesting, kinda commercial in a way, but he still comes through as Vick, and that's always a good thing. His tone, his inflections, and way of "sighing" across the beat have always appealed to me, very personal, very natural, and very soulful. I got a LP thing on TK he did called AFTER THE DANCE that I haven't checked out yet. I looks to be a very commercial, 70s disco type thing. But I took a chance on it jsut because I figured that Harold Vick had the kind of natural, organic even, approach to music that could make something like that work in a way that most players couldn't. Maybe it sucks, but for 5 or 6 bucks, I'm willing to find out. Not too many players I can say that about. I'm also curious about Vick's career. Seems like he stayed on the scene, even though his "profile" was pretty damn low. He was in with the Strata-East crowd, and he played some BEAUTIFUL stuff on Bill Lee's soundtrack to SCHOOL DAZE (his last recording, I think I've heard). I'm just wondering if he taught, worked pits, had a house gig, or just exactly waht he did to steady stay around without a contract and high exposure. I'm under the impresion that he worked steadily in music, and that's not as common among players of this level of exposure as you might think. Anybody got details? Whatever. Harold Vick had a vibe of his own, and that's really all I ask of any player. Above and beyond that is icing on the cake, and not everybody can (or wants to) go there. You get that personal thing happening, though, and you're over the hump as far as I'm concerned.

Hey, they were in various stages of wandering in and out of the bathroom! And now they're changing to go out for an afternoon at on of those bigass game complexes with lasertag, bowling, and every video game known to mankind all under one airconditioned roof. We got a big dinner planned late this afternoon at a Japanese steakhouse, and I spent the morning surfing the web with her buying Shonen Knife CDs. All in all, quite a full day, plus I got an 8pm gig this evening. I takes my breaks when I can!

Uh, could you add a warning? It's my daughter's birthday, my mom's visiting, and hearing about the fucking moon came as a bit of a surprise.

Nat's one of those guys that deserves more praise and respect than he's gotten, but you gotta be careful not to overdo it and put him in the same leagues as the very heaviest cats. He's not THAT tough. But he is indeed a fine, multifaceted player who can always be counted on to bring an irresistable exuberence to any session he's on, and to always feature great players and good material on his own dates (except some of those kinda lame funk sides he did in the 70s) and in his own bands. The guy's a consummate professional with a distinctive, personal style, and if he's not a font of unlimited creativity or anything like that, well, so be it. I can dig a cat who stays within himself honestly, and who doesn't cop out to complacency and boredom. You know what you're going to get from Nat, he knows what he's going to give you, everybody allows for a little bit of unpredictability here and there, and everybody's happy and willing to party as the transaction goes down. Not a bad deal at all, if you ask me. Also remember - he was in New York BEFORE his brother arrived.

Yo! I made the same mistake. Come to find out that what I had was the MEDINA stuff, not this. But all's well that ends well. I got one online last year. Not the VERY best work by any of these players, but good enough to own and listen to more than once, that's for sure.

I can understand jazz people not caring too much for blues if all they know is the post-60s prediliction for screaming guitar solos, predictable and monotonous rhythms, and ultra-macho, often screamed vocals. That kind of music doesn't interest me too much either - it's formulaic, and aimed at an audience who has no knowledge or interest in too much of anything beyond brainless boogieing. An audience who takes Eric Clapton seriously as a blues player deserves what it gets. But that ain't what I think about when I think "blues". There's so, SO much more to it than that, and any jazz fan who doesn't check out the deeper and subtler aspects of blues music (or their culture's equivalent, in the case of non-Americans)is doing themselves a serious disservice, at least in my opinion. Seek beyond what is readily offered in today's marketplace, and you can find a world, a universe even, of music and philosophy that is as profound as any jazz, at times MORE profound than most jazz, and is definitely tied into jazz in a primal way.

Ok. Everybody digs the Reid Miles hubcap photos, right? Well, here's one by Frank Gauna, a photographer who did some post-Miles BN covers.

One of the worst cut-and-paste-jobs I've ever seen!

The REAL reason why military spending is on the rise

Quiet as it's kept, the genesis of both the diaphragm and the IUD does not lie in science

With special guest Bud Powell on artist's name

I think I'll stick to MULLIGAN MEETS HODGES, thank you very much...

Somebody call Bert Henry!

When you hear the neckbone snap!

Up the ass, that is!