Joe

In my mind, good criticism isn't a heavy gate which requires a good deal of force to open and whose posts run deep and sturdy into a bedrock of accumulated "facts" and knowledge. Criticism is much more dynamic that that, a place that could be an entry but may not be, and, at its best, criticism takes on some of the untrustworthy and "useless" qualities of artistic work. To me an excellent and honest "critique" expresses one individual's experience of interacting with a work -- listening, reading, viewing -- and any explication it offers grows from this remaining true to the individual's experience. If I did not think "critical writing" offered those freedoms -- one of which is the freedom to be who you are, whether that is an amateur, a simple fan, a practicing musician, a scholar, someone with an axe to grind, whatever -- I wouldn't even bother with it.

No, you heard somebody say Noel Coward, but the one time he blew an alto is a story that doesn't belong in this thread http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/isntitaw.htm

It would only be a problem if there were a whole bunch of vocalists named Naamah.

Did I hear somebody say Noah Howard?

NOTES AND TONES is an extremely valuable (the Johnny Griffin interview comes to mind) document but, you have to admit, contains a few too many softball questions. For my $$, not that there's a lot of it, John Litweiler is the most "literary" of our critics, and thus receives special honors.

I recall from the notes to THE IMPROVISOR that Von's European tour dates with Amina Claudine Myers ('00, '01?) were recorded. Wonder if they will ever see "official" release. Dig, too, Von's contributions to a couple of Steve Coleman releases...

Well, I was lucky enough to receive a Borders gift card as a Christmas gift this year, and I put it towards a purchase of JAZZ IN SEARCH OF ITSELF. Finally. And I just have to say: those "critics" (budding and otherwise) among us should be so lucky as to aspire to writing of this quality. An extremely happy addition to my bookshelf of essential jazz titles, slotting nicely alongside THE FREEDOM PRINCIPLE, A JAZZ RETROSPECT (Max Harrison), HEAR ME TALKIN' TO YOU, WHERE'S THE MEOLDY? and a few others.

Didn't Endgame also release that Percy France trio session? http://www.worldsrecords.com/pages/artists...ance_29537.html

Hilton Jefferson!

Yes, this is available for purchase on DVD. Worth picking up, too, as the little silver disc comes with some extra footage.

Another vote for WOWEE ZOWEE, which is profoundly stoned -- but, if Matador are going to issue it in expanded form in '05, you might care to hold off. I like BRIGHTEN THE CORNERS quite a bit; I think its Pavement's FOREVER CHANGES. But TERROR TWILIGHT... no thanks.

Took me some time to learn to appreciate Bird. I think this has largely to do with my having heard too many Bird-derived players before I ever got back to the source. Hence I initially heard what sounded -- but could not be taken to be -- cliches in his playing. Also, i sometimes found it difficult to hear him as an integral part of his ensembles, i.e., as anything other than a virtuoso soloist who habitually left his accompanists in the dust. So, other players ruined Bird somewhat for me. At first. I wonder -- have others here had this kind of experience with Parker or other widely imitated players?

Eric Kloss and Herb Geller

Chosen by Fred Kaplan. Interesting to see (yet another) list like this in a "non-specialist" publication... http://www.slate.com/id/2111310/

Short but sweet... Alos features what are, without question, the GREATEST LINER NOTES EVER !!!

I wondered what the heck Fred Ho was up to these days...

THE PRISON I have the faintest of memories of, and at that mostly of the packaging / libretto. All I know is I also would never be without a copy of AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN' and PRETTY MUCH YOUR STANDARD RANCH STASH. Especially the former.

... and then the trio was transformed to Giuffre, Richard Davis, and Joe Chambers. Curious, and interesting, connection. Really? I never knew that. Wonder what they sounded like: Giuffre and Joe Chambers... the mind fairly boggles (in a good way). BTW, the producer listed for METAMORPHOSIS is Cal Lampley.

A great record not many people know about. Also good for Tejas drivin'... Mike Nesmith's First National Band stuff John Carter, FIELDS Ry Cooder's BOOMER'S STORY Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks, WHERE'S THE MONEY Transona 5, MELATONIN BULLET and THREE-WAY GLIDER

I've always wondered what the "back story" on METAMORPHOSIS was. I believe that this group was, with the exception of Zoller, a studio creation. And, IIRC, Giuffre trio at this time consisted of Jimmy, Friedman, and bassist Barre Phillips, who appears on Zoller's THE HORIZON BEYOND (superb date, BTW).

Is it just me, or do you all detect a strong M-Base flavor to this music? There are also times when Mahanthappa's playing in particular calls to mind konakkol, sort of the Carnatic tradition's version of solfeggio; konakkol however being much more about rhythm than scale (melody).

Apologies if I missed a Don Friedman recommendation earlier in this thread, but I do happen to think his entire Riverside / Prestige output is worth owning: If asked to be very selective, I would single out CIRCLE WALTZ and METAMORPHOSIS in this group. Though I would hate to be without any of them, especially the standards on DREAMS AND EXPLORATIONS.

Dig what Tree Wave are up to...

You ain't just whistling Dixie. Think about Dallas in the teens, 20's and 30's of last century: Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson and Leadbelly playing on street-corners; Robert Johnson recording in a Dallas hotel room; Hot Lips Page, Budd Johnson and Buster Smith roaming around town; T-Bone Walker tearing it up in Oak Cliff... [sigh.]