T.D.

Michael Bisio sent this out today: On Sunday, December 10, 4pm as part of The Lace Mill presents series I will have the pleasure of performing with pianist John Blum. John is a visionary pianist who seldom leaves NYC … Not to be missed John Blum is a Jazz Pianist/Composer born in New York City who has been performing internationally for over 30 years. He is known for his explosive high voltage pianism, and as a musician who aims for the very personal. Blum's Piano technique is an amalgam of Cecil Taylor and McCoy Tyner, decidedly percussive but with relentlessly fast right-hand linear structure. He plays with such forcefulness and rapidity that he sounds like Conlon Nancarrow’s player piano rolls, interpreted via human hands, freed up into a liquid state. His antecedents are apparent: Boogie-Woogie, Harlem Stride, Be-Bop and Free Jazz, but John has absorbed all of these styles to find a unique voice that defies classification. This is interesting! I have (and enjoy) Blum's quartet CD on Eremite but know little about him.

On bandcamp. I enjoy older vintage Sakata, didn't know what to expect here, but it sounds rather good.

I don't know much about Paul Chambers, but I recall that Miles Davis, in his autobiography (the Quincy Troupe ghostwritten one), basically said that Mr. PC was so messed up that he was bound to have a short lifespan. He cited (iirc) an incident where Chambers was so drunk that he passed out in a restaurant with his face in a plate of spaghetti. Agreed on that Strata-East Mosaic, there's something spooky about some of the discs. The Wilbur Ware session didn't impress me so much, and the interview was so weird that I only listened once. Wikipedia said that Ware had a bout with heroin addiction and was incarcerated for a spell.

I knew nothing of this. But it got a writeup today on Bloomberg News, of all places.🤣 I subscribe to Bloomberg for news, esp. financial. Link (should be viewable via incognito/private windows) https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-11-17/andre-3000-s-flute-album-is-exactly-what-hip-hop-is-about BTW, check the author's CV: A.D. Carson is an associate professor of hip-hop and the Global South at the University of Virginia. His albums include "V: Illicit" and the academically peer-reviewed "I Used to Love to Dream."

"The Bastards" had this for $2.99, so it went in the cart

The Mosaic website ain't what it used to be (could say a lot more, but refrain...😢). I also expected a lot more in the way of discography there.

LP was the very first ECM release

Is it not clear from the Mosaic site? https://www.mosaicrecords.com/product/classic-don-byas-sessions/ This set of Don Byas recordings from 1944 to 1946 are gathered from sessions either led by Byas or where there is a significant solo or obbligato by him in the role of a sideman. This historical set is divided into three sections: The Savoy and National sessions which are owned by the Concord Music Group; The Timme Rosenkrantz home discs; and miscellaneous 78 labels where no ownership has been determined. The collection includes 193 tunes, including 40 previously unissued anywhere. 193 tunes spread over 10 CDs...if you figure a generous 70 minutes playing time per CD the average tune runs 3:38. So it must be almost all short tunes.

I've been buying various 1,800 yen 3-CD Japanese bundles, most from Euro labels like Timeless and Enja. Latest Hod O'Brien:

This just arrived. Excellent and very well recorded (or remastered?), outstanding sound quality. First listen currently. So far it seems a little too fusion-oriented for my taste.

Really regret missing this. Had planned on both the Lace Mill and Tubby's shows. But I had about a month and a half of major (work, not health) stress, which finally ended last week, but left me without energy to make the trip.

I enjoy this video of the young Hélène Grimaud playing the Bach-Busoni Chaconne in D minor:

I asked about my order ("is it on the books?") by following instructions, "questions to info@mosaicrecords.com". No response in 3-1/2 days. Yesterday I submitted an inquiry via the form on Mosaic website. Maybe that will do something. Wouldn't think I'd have to bug the principals personally, and in any case their contact info is not apparent on the site. [Added] Fred replied promptly to the inquiry submitted by "contact us" form on Mosaic website.

The spelling gremlins got him twice on that cover! And Monty Budwig didn't escape: