DrJ

Haven't heard that one yet, sidewinder...glad there's still some unexplored Lee Morgan for me! The Elvin box is on my list for sure.

Yes, absolutely. I agree with most others here, start with a small 1 or 2 CD compilation if the prior Holiday stuff you have heard doesn't grab you. The Columbia stuff is easily the best among the Commodore, Decca, and Columbia eras (later Verve stuff is great in my view too, but probably not the place to start)...my suspicion is you'll fall hard and eventually want the boxed set.

YES! Totally agree Rooster Ties, I absolutely love his arrangement of "Stormy Weather!" I wouldn't put that tune in the "unpromising pop/Broadway" category myself, which is why I didn't include it in my post, but some would say it's been done to death and so would group it in there, I can certainly understand that. Personally, I think it's a timeless masterpiece of a song, but regardless, the fact that Lee was able to come up with something pretty much new to say on this old chestnut (not earthshaking, but tasty and distinctive) just drives home the point we're making about his gifts as an interpreter of song.

Hey, great work Dan! You the man! If you can't interview 'em, nobody can! (Sorry, kind of in a giddy - and rhyming - mood this AM). Seriously, that's outstanding!

Well, I actually appreciate the feedback, not a hard sell at all! I find their web site a little confusing and hard to mine info from, and as a result I somehow missed that you could set the account up so you don't have to mess with the monthly selections...I'll consider cancellation more carefully before deciding for sure, because the periodic deals they offer sound great. My only other concern is the rather limited number of titles...I have the majority of what they listed already. But again if there's no penalty for hanging around and waiting for a good deal, so what? Thanks for the input folks!

Thanks for the tip, oh great King Ubu!

If I may so boldly say so, sidewinder's post struck a chord with me: I think Lee Morgan was one of the most convincing interpreters of otherwise rather unpromising pop/Broadway material in the 60's in jazz, right up there with Grant Green in that category. "Once in a Lifetime" on RAJAH is actually one of my FAVORITE cuts on the album, precisely because it is so lyrical and tuneful and sticks in the head (in a good sense, not in the "song virus" sense), a perfect vehicle for Morgan in his laid back mode. I also think his take on "Sunrise, Sunset" on DELIGHTFULLEE is superb for the same reason, with Shorter in his best shouting bag while Morgan holds back and builds tension (and while you're relistening to that one, pay CLOSE attention to the fire Philly Joe Jones is lighting under everyone throughout that track, it's damn near a single song drumming clinic), and the pop covers on STANDARDS ("This is the Life" swings like mad, and "If I Were a Carpenter," which ostensibly is a terrible choice, really works too). Yep, he had a real talent for this. Compare Morgan's pop covers to those by someone like, say, Hank Mobley, one of my favorites but really his Beatles covers were DIRE, they felt fully like someone who was trying their damndest to mine some gold from some rather harmonically thin soil and coming up with dirt and rocks. Lee mines gold!

Braxton FOR ALTO Not a full recording of solo sax, but I have always loved Eric Dolphy's solo flight on "Tenderly" (from the Prestige recording FAR CRY).

Answers to the name of "Lucky"...

If you find out, and there's more than one copy, let me know please. All I've seen are the very highly priced listings on half.com and Ebay auctions.

Another endorsement for GOD IS IN THE HOUSE, it is remarkable in terms of musicianship. The sound quality is not excellent but certainly very listenable (given the source they did remarkable things). I have one of the solo Pablo discs and really enjoy it in smaller doses. Tatum is indeed overwhelming to listen to at times, like drinking from a firehose, so nice to savor in sips for me. I must say that I found the COMPLETE CAPITOL material reissued in a 2 CD set a few years ago to be disappointing. Not to say there isn't a great deal of jaw-dropping playing, but this sounds like Tatum on autopilot. I eagerly await exploration of the Decca material. There is a 3 CD boxed set out on Definitive (from Spain) that calls itself the COMPLETE AMERICAN DECCA RECORDINGS: Tatum Decca Box ...but reading the AMG review (not exactly likely to be error free, I know) there are apparently a lot of unreleased alternates. Also, I'm always a bit hesitant to buy from this outfit given that my understanding is that the artists/family members aren't receiving any royalties (but then again, this material has probably passed into public domain, at least in Europe). I wonder if anyone has this box and could give a brief comment or review?

I've been lookin' for a copy of ENRICO RAVA QUARTET for years...doesn't seem to be out on CD in the U.S. and the import has proved elusive...course, I haven't looked recently will have to do some sleuthing. I love both FLEXIBLE FLYER and SCHOOL DAYS, and his work with SHEPP. I've heard the Herbie Nichols dates on CIMP (Cadence's label) are superb, too, I think they are continually available through Cadence. FWIW, I also think Rudd wrote what are, bar none, the greatest liner notes by a musician I've seen - the ones for the Herbie Nichols Mosaic box. Informative and charming, they simply ooze the respect and affection Rudd had for Nichols as a person and musician.

I joined (for the first time ever) just to get the 12 "free" CDs for purchase of one at regular price. For people who've never done it before, be advised they do make up some of the "free" CD cost by charging exhorbitant shipping and handling fees. But still, I calculated out that if I'd bought all these CDs at list price at the local Tower it would have run over $200 with tax, and it ended up costing me about $60 total through this BMG sign up deal (and that was only because I decided to buy one additional CD beyond the commitment, which was a bit pricey but no worse than anywhere else...otherwise would have cost only $40 for $180 worth of CDs). I'll be terminating my membership shortly after the order is fully charged/processed because I don't want to hassle with the letting them know I don't want the monthly selection etc. I used this to pick up a bunch of things that I'd been meaning to but hadn't either because I just hadn't gotten to it or they were ridiculously expensive at list: A bunch of the Verve mini-LPs (and a few Digipacks): Alice Coltrane - UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS Count Basie - KING OF SWING Dizzy Gillespie - AFRO Brubeck and Desmond - DUETS 1975 Phil Woods - AT THE MONTREUX FESTIVAL Archie Shepp - ATTICA BLUES Jimmy Giuffre - THE EASY WAY Plus a few other odds and ends: Monk - MONK'S DREAM, STRAIGHT NO CHASER (original album, not soundtrack), and LIVE AT NEWPORT 1963 & 65 Joe Williams - AT NEWPORT 1963 DUKE ELLINGTON AND JOHN COLTRANE To get all that for $60 is pretty amazing. Even at major discounts would run double that. I will plan to sign up annually for a splurge! B)

I think it's undervalued by many, largely because for some reason people always want to hear Lee in his fire and brimstone mode (well, OK, I can understand why). But the "mellowness" Lon mentions is a good way to put it - it's Lee in a less frenetic, more contemplative mode. I don't think it's nearly as bad as some others seem to, quite good actually.

Well, I took the plunge yesterday, a used set listed as "Like new/excellent" condition for about $170 including shipping...seems like a good deal. Can't wait!

Sounds wonderful!

I'm a huge fan of Donaldson's work from that era (simply haven't heard as much from later), as well as before. He was an old-school type of guy in that he played for the people, unashamedly and with great commitment as well as good humor. Definitely had the chops and musicianship - including a grasp of jazz history - to add something interesting to even the least promising situations. He managed to make a string of really good albums that sold well in an era when jazz musicians were dropping into obscurity like flies. Personal favorites: GOOD GRACIOUS!, HERE 'TIS, THE SCORPION, and SAY IT LOUD. But really there are good things on all of the records from this era. My fave Donaldson of all time, though, is not a "soul jazz" outing: it's LUSH LIFE, a splendidly luxurious ballad set, one of those later 60's BN larger group dates but decidedly different. Surely this one would make an outstanding candidate for the RVG treatment.

I forgot about IN THE TRADITION, that is a good album. More likely we'd see it reissued by Koch Jazz (since they've already done a couple of his other great Columbia albums), although come to think of it haven't seen much action from them lately - are they still doing reissues?

Yep, sorry, but it IS that much better, at least to my ears. Heck, start selling those BN cover animations and you'll easily have enough to afford all the CDs you want!

Sorry I can't help with finding that older Impulse! reissue. Personally, I've been seeking a copy of LOOK FOR THE BLACK STAR (Freedom) for the past 10 years, since stupidly passing on a Japanese import CD edition at Tower in Seattle back then.

The McKusick JAZZ AT THE ACADEMY does indeed sound excellent. I got it at Dusty Groove a while back and haven't regretted paying the import price.

I don't have enough of his work. I really enjoy his contributions to Bobby Hutcherson's PATTERNS album, Cowell's dark voicings add a lot and there's his lyrical composition "Effi" too. The only date I have of his as a leader is CLOSE TO YOU ALONE (DIW). It's good but frankly I was a bit disappointed, it lacks a certain spark. I'd be interested to see what others say about the best places to start with hearing Cowell as a leader.

I've read the first couple chapters of FORCES IN MOTION. Really well-written and very valuable stuff! I must admit I never expected I'd be reading so far just about Sun Ra, but I can see where Lock is going here. Funny that I'd never made any connection with Braxton's music and Sun Ra's but it makes perfect sense now. I eagerly await the "main course," the entry of Braxton and his music, in the coming chapters.

Let's give it up for the vibraphonists: Joe Locke put together an incredible string of albums for Steeplechase. VERY EARLY is probably my favorite, but they're all excellent. The others are BUT BEAUTIFUL, LONGING, PRESENT TENSE, WIRE WALKER, and INNER SPACE. What about Walt Dickerson's recordings for the label? Too many to list (check AMG), but the duos with Richard Davis and Sun Ra deserve special mention.

ROOTS (Perception Records, 1973) was the later one I was trying to recall earlier. I dig that one, think it's quite a bit more successful than NATURAL ESSENCE although certainly a lot more obscure. I find that one a lot more reminiscent of the adventurous BN Eddie Gales.