Joe

Plus, we can always turn off our TVs, turn on our stereos, close our eyes, and just LISTEN to the music.

And, BTW, is all you want are performances, you might care to check out these 2 DVDs... http://www.reelinintheyears.com/afbf/

Yep, the Wenders film was a little goofy, a little gushy -- a fan film, no question about it. But I'll watch ANYTHING with live footage of Skip James in it. Spell-binding. I would have liked more of Blind Willie Johnson, a figure of extreme personal importance to me (to think he walked the same streets of Dallas that I have...), but I suppose that's OK, I have the records, which are majestic despite the limitations of the medium. However, I do think the J.B. Lenoir sections were superb, and a more than fitting tribute to an artist who certainly deserves to be better known. Jimmy Reed with a social conscience... The best contemporary interpretations for me were turned out by Cassandra Wilson, Los Lobos, the Blood Ulmer / Vernon Reid / Eagle Eye thing (would like to have heard more from that gathering), Garland Jeffreys, and Lou Reed, who sounded like shit but got the spirit right. But its hard to say when all you get are bits and bites of performances. Its just too bad Sonny Sharrock isn't still alive; I'd much rather have heard him pay tribute to Bind Wille than Marc Ribot.

An important piece of the puzzle indeed...

Damn, I've been waiting FOREVER for that Bud Freeman session. Finally!

Well, having watched episode 1, I think it would be a mistake to judge this series too harshly. Scorsese's "piece" is not a documentary per se; its just a non-fiction, non-narrative film. Yes, it was slightly disjointed, but I do feel that it was at least an honest expression of the various participants' experience of the music. And, as good as the Johnny Shinces footage was, I most enjoyed watching Son House. Damn!

Yes, a complicated figure. Not necessarily an admirable man, but what a powerful film-maker. Brownie -- I'm also a big fan of WILD RIVER. Best acting of Lee Remick's career, IMHO.

Well, I suppose if "Maiden Voyage" itself was originally just the theme to a perfume commercial...

2 scoops of James Moody please... AKA

SMACK UP! is as fine an introduction to Art Pepper as I can think of. Though there's much to recommend as far as the third volume of the COMPLETE ALADDIN RECORDINGS (the quartets with Carl Perkins) goes...

I like this one a lot because, with a little editing, it could easily double as a Dave Pell Octet album cover:

Some highly recommended late-period Pepper. (I'll spare you my full review of the set)... http://www.fantasyjazz.com/html/pepper_box4431.html

My first Cobb purchase: Cobb with Garland is, for me, a nigh-irrestible combination. For sure don't neglect the Black and Blue material. DEEP PURPLE, with Milt Buckner, is fine, as is the session with Al Grey

FWIW, another Don Martin Prestige cover (probably my favorite one, actually), for THE ART FARMER SEPTET Weren't some Prestige sessions originally ONLY released on 16 2/3 RPM? I'm thinking specifically of the Curtis Fuller / Hampton Hawes / french horns date...

You may know it as: But here's a new cover for it under it's original title:

RIP, Big Guy...

Feelin' elegaic this morning... Besides, this session was something of a tribute to the classic "Blue Note", "hard bop" sound.

Either: or:

But he left behind so many fine recordings. I'll miss him.

Very late 70's, Muse-y, Jim!!! But be careful. You can take this whole revisionism thing TOO far. I mean, what if Guidi Tri-Arts continued to design the covers for Contemporary Records into the late 1960's?

A session we'll never hear...

Alan is indeed on vacation. You can also reach him via: http://bagatellen.com

As requested. Kind of a combo of Reid Miles' classic typography, the mid-60's BN approach to cover art utilizing color photos, and the LT series "minimalism" Jim Sangrey digs so much... With apologies to Ron Carter!

THE COMPLETE ROULETTE RECORDINGS OF JOHN HANDY THE COMPLETE ROULETTE / ROOST RECORDINGS OF EDDIE "LOCKJAW" DAVIS THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS OF PAUL KNOPF THE COMPLETE IMPULSE RECORDINGS OF SHIRLEY SCOTT AND STANLEY TURRENTINE THE COMPLETE STANLEY DANCE-PRODUCED FELSTED SESSIONS