JSngry

Who's the white guy on the cover? That's not Rudy. Perhaps that's Frank, on loan from Nica. Frank picked shit up, that was his gig. Or...if that's Ozzie Cadena, who, among the known parties present, is left to take the picture except for Rudy?

Two wives, both of who preceded him in death. I bet it was all the maid work that killed them. We all know what a neat freak he was. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/arts/music/rudy-van-gelder-audio-engineer-who-helped-define-sound-of-jazz-on-record-dies-at-91.html First wife was named Elva: https://www.geni.com/people/Elva-Van-Gelder/6000000046035598823 Cannot find the name of his second wife.

I had missed these. Cheap copies abound, so I carpe-diemed on both. Thanks for shining the light on these, CJ!

Blue Moon is a PD label that may or may not (stories differ) link back to Jodi Pudloh.

David Robertson CONDUCTS Orli Shaham PIANO STRAVINSKY Fireworks BERNSTEIN Symphony No. 2, "Age of Anxiety" STRAVINSKY The Firebird (Complete) This was a nice evening of music. First time hearing the first two, and the first time hearing the complete Firebird instead of the suite. The Bernstein piece was actually quite good, not a "great" work, but definitely interesting and engaging. Shaham really brought it, too. Support live music!

I like how on that Paris thing, there's some really uncomfortable things going on with singers (Watkins is not at his best, but the female vocalist, I forget her name, WHOA, where did THAT come from?!?!?!?!) , and new guys, and the drummer not always being locked in. Overall, it's a mess. If it had been a few years earlier, it would be like, ok, well, Duke's gonna work it out like he always does, might take a year or two, time will take care of it all. But November, 1973? Six months left? It's frantic, the tension between "just keep going" and "there will no longer be the ability to go forward" and you can feel in the music that, no, Duke's not gonna work it out. I say I like it. Ok, I like it in the sense that it's intensely real, not in the sense that it's fun. It's not fun at all. But it is powerful.

I dunno man, I bet his mom was like, son, it's bad enough that you bring this noise in here, you want that I should be a maid for them too? What's wrong with Elva?

I wonder if Rudy had hangers handy that he made the musicians use for their removed shirts, or if he just let them drop them on the floor for his wive to pick up.

Yep. That was The Last Days Of Duke Ellington. Rugged.

My bad- Rugged Jungle. The band is raw, often transitional, it's often a mess. Like I said, it's real. You hear stories about Duke just trying to keep going by any means possible, trying to get a handoff to Mercer going, but not really accepting just how near his end really is, scrambling to keep it going...rugged jungle indeed. Not for people who don't like final pages (even if they do like final chapters,) but I'm of the mind that it's not over until it's over, and those last few gasps count just as much as the fullest, deepest breaths. https://www.discogs.com/Duke-Ellington-Rugged-Jungle/release/6137958 if you can get it else-wise, sure. And if you can handled this stuff, then go on to THIS: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Trip-Paris-Duke-Ellington/dp/B00F0MNFOQ

Well, some of the same recordings at least. Maybe they have more? Or maybe it's just a sloppy product description by/for Squatty Roo. I know what Amazon says, but New Mood Indigo was put out by Bob Thiele's Doctor Jazz label first, as an LP. So already, potential for slop-info has been established. It's that kind of a world, Squatty Roo is. But Urban Jungle is one of the most REAL later Ellington records I've ever heard. That's the one that got me to find the others, and the hunt has had rewarding results. Just remember to, you know, wash your hands after handling.

How likely is it that PC came to the gig in his undershirt?

I know that I do like it! It's like jazz without the other stuff, not pure, but definitely pure-er. And Max!!!!!!

He was indeed a great player. Other than him and Frank Howard, who else was nicknamed "Hondo"? And why?

Unless there was more than one Mercer session with Chick, that part of it has already been released. The planned session to feature Ray Nance, that's on New Mood Indigo too, at least some of it. But if there's more than that being made available here, hey, count me in. The stockpile is the gift that seems to keep on giving! btw - which Squatty Roo do you have that's studio? I need to get that one.

It IS wonderful! What a band, what a gig! https://www.discogs.com/Anthony-Braxton-Dortmund-Quartet-1976/release/796824

Who's releasing this LP?

I have greatly enjoyed the Squatty Roo imprint's Ellington output, but it's always been live stuff, right? I'm wondering how much of this workshop material is going to be new to commercial release? Specifically, thinking about this:

$2.00 in the HP clearance section. Thought it was going to be a local vanity project type thing, but if it is, it's a really good one. and even if it was at the time, looks like it's more than that now: https://www.waldenchambermusic.org/index.htm

It would be a neat joke if they used a color cover photo on the box this time.

Reggie was the A&R guy for that whole Denon series, iirc.

Ok, this is all good to learn. Now I know that the "quirks" I hear are part of the intent. It makes a difference knowing that, because, yes, very striking performances, a worthy addition to anybody's Janacek exploration. Thanks to everybody for sharing their knowledge!

Who is this "The Austrian String Quartet" anyway? They have a timbre that is as evocative as their pitch is, uh...equally evocative? Was this a real band? I only see them on Vox/Turnabout, and even then on just a very few records, none of which talk about the band at all. Like, ZERO. Either way, I like this record a lot, comparing this to the Emerson version is quite the immediate contrast. I'd just like to know if the pitch is interpretive or simply casual. Either way, it's attention-getting!