Joe

Jim -- I've never heard Davis' name associated with Knopf's. Any more info?

Nabatov is indeed a fantastic player. Also: Yosuke Yamashita and Sergey Kuryokhin.

I've found Ronnie Ball's playing often interesting. There's the audible Tristano influence, especially on the Savoy date with Ted Brown and Willie Dennis, but also something else. Can't quite pin it down, but it is there. Steve Colson has led some fine bands (hear NO RESERVATION on Black Saint) and contributed fine work to a number of relatively overlooked recordings (Bright Moments, RETURN OF THE LOST TRIBE; Oliver Lake's MY FRIEND LOUIS; Andrew Cyrille's ODE TO THE LIVING TREE). John Dennis -- not a lot to hear, but what exists is some pretty advanced, Tatum-derived stuff

Well, there's that whole Sonny Red / Sylvester Kyner / Red Kyner situation to consider...

And he throws a mean sucker-punch. That is, "with blistering understatement".

This pianist / composer is mentioned admiringly if en passant by Francis Davis in an essay ("Circles, Whirls and Eights", 1987) about Borah Bergman, but I've never heard any other critic stand up and be counted on Knopf's work. Davis references "three excellent but overlooked albums [dating from] the late fifties". I'm just wondering if anyone here has heard these records -- I believe they were made for the Playback label, a label about which information is just as scarce -- and can discuss them. And, lo and behold, a Google search reveals that Knopf appears to still be active in the music... http://www.wsumc.org/Staff/paulknopf.html Thanks in advance.

Good news; I think these are scheduled for the Mulligan SONGBOOKS Mosaic Select...

Yep, he's a excellent player too. Kinda lost him in the ECM mists, though...

Oh, yes, that Tony Argo date looks quite fascinating. Is it really available for download at MP3.com?

Richard Galliano? If so, yes, amazing musician. If not, I want to know more. Please.

I would be all for this. Some of the best Zoot on record, IMHO. And, yes, adding the CALIFORNIA CONCERTS material would be most welcome. Wonder what shape the masters are in, though.

http://www.erstwhilerecords.com/

Miles Davis' lone Debut session, BLUE MOODS. Mingus, Teddy Charles, Britt Woodman, and Elvin Jones. App. 27 minutes, but a fascinating 27 minutes all the same.

Reggie Lucas, who also made important contributions to the overall sound of those mid-70's Miles ensembles.

Is OUP reprinting or publishing an entirely new edition of this in '05?

Mr. Lowe, Mr. Kart -- Mr. Abbey will see you now.

Bern Nix

John Purcell, Arthur Blythe, Eric Person and James Spaulding have also logged time in the WSQ. Although they remain a fine group, I'm not so keen on their employment of African percussion, et. al. I find it telling that perhaps their finest latter-day recording is the REQUIEM FOR JULIUS. Hemphill was, in a lot of ways, the real guts and intelligence of the group. And if you're going to own any Hemphill, you simply must own: http://www.screwgunrecords.com/records.php...ecord=Blue_Boye And here's a fine recent record by Oliver Lake that seems to have been unjustly overlooked... http://www.passinthru.org/catalog.html#stick

I'd sure love to know.

Interesting. Isn't the SHADOWS score -- as used by Cassavetes; I seem to recall that maybe Mingus never actually got around to writing any music per se for the film -- mostly Shafi Hadi tenor solos?

Much ballyhooed when Sue handed it over to "the feds" -- as they are known in my line of library business -- in '93 or so. I just wonder is any of the many writers and researchers who post frequently here have ever actually been through the collection, know how accessible it really is, what the terms of Sue's bequest were (copyright?), and whether LC ever plans to include any of the material in their American Memory project? BTW, a finding aid for the collection is available online here (I'll spare you the EAD tutorial): http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/music/eadxml.../mu004009_x.pdf The recordings originally included in the collection appear to have been "transferred to Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division", but, sadly, I can locate no registry or inventory for them. Darn it.

Dr. Isiah Ross!!!

Not to mention a great vocalist ("Slow Drag"...)

Al Casey, Fats Waller's gittarist... And dare I mention Alvino Rey, pioneer of the pedal steel / console guitar and inventor of the "Golden Throat" (singing guitar; think FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE). IN the early 40's, he also employed Neal Hefti, Billy May, Johnny Mandel, Al, Zoot and Herbie Stewart (3 of the 4 Brothers). And Rey's grandkids are even making quite a name for themselves in pop circles as The Arcade Fire... http://pitchforkmedia.com/top/2004/index5.shtml

Howard Johnson plays both baritone sax and tuba. Warren Smith is a fine vibist as well as a very creative drummer / percussionist. Olu Dara has recently been recorded on guitar as well as his customary trumpet. He's truly "pan-stylistic", too. And then there are all those contemporary "non-idiomatic" improvisers who double on a conventional instrument and "electronics"...