Joe

The expansiveness of Hill's solo piano music is what really impresses me. He is one of the great pianists when it comes to interacting with drummers, and yet his solo recitals seem to inhabit a very different, if parallel, rhythmic universe. Unlike, say, Monk and [bud] Powell, two of his great influences. Its in the solo piano recitals that I really hear what Hill emant when he told A. B. Spellman how much he admired Debussy and Ravel in the liner notes to BLACK FIRE.

The two releases in the JAZZ IN PARIS by Rhoda Scott fit the bill, IMHO. Duets with Kenny Clarke Regular Quartet (with Joe Thomas) I also really, really dig the Leon Spencer LEGENDS OF ACID JAZZ compilation.

The minute I heard BLACK FIRE I knew I had found a new favorite artist. Can we talk a little more about Hill's solo recitals? I think, in the main, his solo work is terribly, terribly interesting, and somewhat neglected in the context of his overall recorded output. These solo recitals, however, have been and continue to be (for me, anyway) a major component of Hill's overall musical contribution, especially since his tenure with Blue Note ended in the early 70's. From California With Love

Though slightly butchered, I'm still looking forward to this one...

The first 2 on David's list, for sure. Especially that Eldridge box!

It seems to me that, in order to have his music most fully relaized, Monk -- like Ellington and, less so, like Mingus -- required players like Rouse who, while identifiable and often unique -- especially in terms of TONE -- were not great individual "thinkers" as he was. I mean, Rollins and Trane and Griffin all apprenticed with Monk after a fashion. When we hear those players with Monk, we hear them on their way to something grander -- on their way to themselves, you could say. Think about this, though... what if Lucky Thompson, who plays so knowlingly and so creatively on Monk's final Blue Note session (1952?), had remained a regualr member of Monk's band? If Rouse was most like another other tenor player that had worked with Monk, it was Thompson, who, like Rouse, crafted his instrumental voice from equal parts bebop and "swing".

Anyone have any more info on the Bechet?

An incredibly fleet player. Patterson for me is the most convincing expoenent of Powell-inspired bebop on organ. And, in support of this claim I refer to you all... With Pat Martino, Howard McGhee, Charles McPherson, and Billy James. I just wonder how differently Patterson might be thought of today had he recorded for Blue Note and not Prestige.

I still have never quite warmed all the way up to 2 discs that are generally considered indisputable BN classics: Wayne Shorter, SPEAK NO EVIL Herbie Hancock, MAIDEN VOYAGE These two have just never engaged me as much as, say, EMPYREAN ISLES and THE SOOTHSAYER or ETCETERA. Discs I admire, but do not *love*. Not even the new RVG masterings have helped my appreciation of these discs. MAIDEN VOYAGE in particular still sounds cloudy and slightly pallid to me. I have the same feeling about Bobby Hutcherson's OBLIQUE and HAPPENINGS, but I'm slowly coming around to them. Hmmmm, Herbie Hancock seems the common denominator here. I'm not sure my MY POINT OF VIEW was given the RVG treatment. An album that for me never quite gels, depsite the presence of some great players. I think it's let down by Herbie material. Yet I love his work on Tony Williams' SPRING, MOncur's SOME OTHER STUFF, Green's FEELIN' THE SPIRIT and Donald Byrd's ROYAL FLUSH, among other BN sessions.

Andrew Cyrille pretty much salvaged the recent Shepp / Rudd / Moncur reunion disc on Verve for this listener. Not to mention the many fine dates his led under his own name... The man needs a thread (but not necessarily some threads) of his own!

Me too. Also "The Griots" from ANDREW!!!

And Young did begin his musical career as a pianist. Time for me to revisit Woody Shaw's CASSANDRANITE and Nathan Davis' HAPPY GIRL, which probably feature the best documentary evidence of what he sounded like as a piano player during this period. I have to say Young does not sound all that Jimmy Smith-like to me. Maybe a little bit on TESTIFYIN', but certainly not on YOUNG BLUES. I'm thinking speicifically of the version of "Nica's Dream" on that record, which has led me to believe that Young had listened quite a bit to another pianist / organist... Shirley Scott.

The session I kept thinking of was Sonny Criss's SONNY'S DREAM: BIRTH OF THE NEW COOL, with arrangements by Horace Tapscott. Partly this is due to similarities in Hill's and Tapscott's use of bass clef instruments, partly to some similar rhythmic devices. That said, Hill's scores are much more active and asymmetrical than Tapscott's... Another interesting thing to consider is that this session was recorded right on the cusp of the 1970's, and that several of the musicians involved -- Farrell, White, Priester, Johnson, even Shaw to a certain extent -- would go on to have important careers in "fusion". So far, I like PASSING SHIPS OK, but I'm not ready to proclaim it much more than "intriguing" at this point.

A much more reasonable review of this disc, IMHO: http://bagatellen.com/archives/reviews/000156.html

I would have to agree with this assessment. And that is also why BLACK FIRE is sitll my favorite Hill session. I don't think Roy Haynes conribution to that record has ever been appreciated to the extent it should.

On the new Water reissue of Eddie Gale's BLACK RHYTHM HAPPENING, there is a credit for one "Jamie Lyons -- Alto Sax". Is this really an error? Jimmy Lyons, perhaps? Is this how the credit reads on the original vinyl issue?

Herman Chittison, anyone?

What's a Milazzo, you say?

Was pianist King Fleming part of the Muhal rehearsal band / pre-AACM circle? I seem to recall reading something about this somewherer (Davis' OUTCATS), but my memory could be faulty. In any event, Fleming's Argo date MISTY NIGHT is certainly interesting, and I love to have more information on him. Ditto the post-Mingus Clarence "Gene" Shaw.

The Denon Japan Savoy CD re-issues from the early and mid-90's (purplish-blue inlay cards) are a veritable cornucopia of such gaffes and mis-translations, especially in the realm of composer credits. I wish I could think of some specific examples right off the top of my head, but, dang, it seems like every re-issue was screwed-up in some way, I can hardly pick JUST one...

Obviously, I need a much cooler handle... or new sexual proclivities... Hey, the prerequisites for celebrity NEVER change, do they?

With those forearms, he looks more like Popeye!

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/