Joe

Exactly. They didn't nickname his Led Wallet for nothing.

Braxton, of course. I recall something similar now. And Roger has always had big, big ears. Will Vinson's name I know, but his playing, I confess, I don't. Thanks for the tip. And maybe -- maybe -- I hear just a touch of "the Desmond scoop" in Eric Kloss' alto playing. Edit: and, then again, when I think of Desmond's articulation and his propensity to stay in his horn's upper registers, I can't help but wonder if he wasn't paying very close attention to the clarinet players in his formative years.

Not to derail this discussion, but to perhaps expand its scope... I'm trying to think of any players who, in turn, evince a Paul Desmond INFLUENCE, and I can't really think of any. Then again, perhaps said players occupy a different position with respect to what we think of as the main stream of jazz. E.g., just hypothetically, if we were to classify Chuck Greenberg as having been influenced in some way by Desmond, would that "count" in terms of the kind of saxophone lineages under review here?

Vinny Golia.

If all the dude had ever done was THEY LIVE, he'd still be a legend. Put on the f-ing glasses.

Here's a link, Peter: RomanoJFSR108bd.jpg Thanks Marcello. Would be nice if Fresh Sound would reissue it on CD. To hear a very special solo by John Park, try to get hold of this one. Stan Kenton - Birthday in Britain - Creative World Park has an alto solo on "Street of Dreams" on this album that is out of sight!!! A very close friend of mine - Jerry Atkins of Texarkana, TX- died a few years ago. He was extremely close to John Park and they got together frequently. Jerry accumulated a number of private small group recordings by Park taken from sessions in various clubs. The audio quality was not the best, but they give a good indication of Park's talent. Jerry, who played tenor sax himself, might have been John Park's number one fan. Thanks for the recommendation. And very interesting news re: those tapes.

Yep. Park was Kenton's lead alto and soloist in '73. He had to leave because of heart problems. He can be heard on all the Kenton CD's from '73 (including a multitude of bootlegs). He had many solos. I have that one record he made and to me he sounds more like Cannonball on that record than he did with Kenton. Actually he might have been a little more adventurous with the big band. Apparently he was going to appear on a Stan Getz record but before it could happen he died in '79 at the age of 45. His son Kim Park is a saxophonist as well and nearly as good as his father. Speaking of Canadian players we shouldn't overlook tenor man Kirk MacDonald. Another tenor player who I like is Pete Gallio from Texas. Kirk and Pete are actually quite similar - both strong Coltrane guys. Speaking of Coltrane guys - Pat LaBarbera. And did anyone mention Grant Stewart? Thanks. My family roots reach deep into Texarkana, and, Park's worthy playing aside, that record (IF WINTER COMES...) has always exerted a certain intrigue on me.

John Park made that one record as a leader recorded in part at a nightspot in Texarkana, AR / TX, correct? Kenton guy? Joseph Jarman seems to me a somewhat overlooked figure in context, especially given the trajectory of the other reed players with whom he was associated in his most active years: Roscoe, Braxton, Threadgill.

"The Ghetto Walk" from Miles' COMPLETE IN A SILENT WAY box.

Absolutely! Like Bennie Wallace, a truly distinct stylist who can play "in the tradition" as well as uniquely outside -- or, like, parallel to -- it.

Recently listened to Gary Bias' Nimbus West date EAST 10. A nice reminder of what is powerful and distinctive about his playing, especially on alto. Shades of Arthur Blythe or even Noah Howard (Bias isn't afraid to throw down with some vibrato), but his rhythmic feel or flow is rather different... the word "buoyant" comes to mind... anyway,a record worth hearing, as is his sideman appearance with Billy Higgins (MR. BILLY HIGGINS, reissued by Evidence). Jimmy Vass... some memorable mid-70's work with Andrew Hill, Rashied Ali and Muhal Richard Abrams, then mostly silence... dude could play, though. Among the more recent crop of players, I'd single out Stephen Riley for more attention. Tenor, mostly, and soprano. I think he's recorded almost exclusively for Steeplechase. Definitely a Shorter-inspired player, but, like Mark Turner, there's some Warne Marsh in his approach... and maybe even a little Getz (not a common influence, at least to these ears). If you like your tenors dry, give him a listen.

Joseph Scianni has recently (in the past 10 - 15 years) recorded for Bob Rusch / Cadence / CIMP. This includes a solo piano recital, NIGHT PEOPLE. I've not heard it, but am intrigued... in part as it wasn't recorded at "The Spirit Room." Another one: Jack Reilly. Studied with Tristano and Hall Overton; like Denny Zeitlin or Don Friedman or (name your own), a player with a unique approach to modal structures. Dates on Progressive and his own Unichrom label. BLUES-SEAN-GREEN, with Jack Siz and Joe Cocuzzo, is a good introduction to his work.

Mickey Tucker. How can we forget him? I believe he lives in Australia today. I wonder if anyone knows if he still plays. Mickey Tucker is one interesting dude. Not quite Byard- of Burrell-esque in his ability to move between older and modern piano approaches, but a player with ears bigger than hard bop. Cf. "Cecilitis", from his his Muse LP MISTER MYSTERIOUS.

Both as described as pocket trumpets, but this instrument sure looks a bit different from this instrument Perhaps some of the confusion stems from the distinctions between the piccolo trumpet versus the pocket trumpet? Curson would appear to be paying the former.

Hilton Ruiz indeed. Died far too young. His Steeplechase dates are very, very good. Two more. 1) Walter Norris; there's much more there than his somewhat controversial contributions to Ornette's SOMETHING ELSE. Check the used bins for his Concord releases. LIVE AT MAYBECK and SUNBURST, with Joe Henderson, are both excellent. He also recorded semi-frequently for Enja in the 70s, often in the company of bassist Aladar Page, with whom he had great rapport. 2) Hod O'Brien. The latter is still actively playing, as evidenced by his website: http://www.hodobrien.com/. His OPALESSENCE on Criss Cross is worth tracking down. Soloists include Tom Harrell and Pepper Adams.

Beautiful player. Another irreplaceable voice.

Curtis Clark. An "inside-out" player. Spent many years in Europe. Several recordings for Nimbus. LETTER TO SOUTH AFRICA, with John Tchicai, Ernst Reiseger & Louis Moholo is very strong. Also, the Ellington-esque Michel Sardaby, whose fine compositions are equally overlooked. Finally, Rene Urtreger, a superb Powell-inspired pianist who, like the much better-known Martial Solal, has taken his initial inspiration to some really wonderful and suprising places.

Duke, too.

Fred Kaz.

Another fine Chicago stylist. I've heard MISTY NIGHT but not his other Argo dates, including the one with a young Malachi Favors. Definitely a "touch" player. Maybe Ahmad Jamal-like, but definitely had his own thing. I've liked the Eric Watson recordings I've heard: with -- respectively -- John Lindberg, Bennie Wallace and Steve Lacy. Definitely Waldron-inspired, but with his own thing, too. Among contemporary players, I find Simon Nabatov's music consistently intriguing. Sometimes too much technique, but, if you've not heard his version of the Herbie Nichols songbook... recommended.

Dick Katz and Anthony Davis also come to mind. The former for his versatility and taste; the latter for being a somewhat forgotten innovator. His early India Navigation recordings are among the more important piano dates of the late 70s / early 80s, IMHO.

Austin Crowe, who plays with distinction on Walt Dickerson's first Prestige recordings. It's hard to say what makes Crowe's playing stand out... there's a "bounce" to his phrasing, however, and he understands the harmonic implications of Dickerson's melodies as well or better than any pianist -- a pretty amazing list: Andrew Hill, Sun Ra, Walter Davis Jr., the aforementioned Albert Dailey -- with whom the vibist collaborated. Check out Crowe's work on "Why" from A SENSE OF DIRECTION. His comping gives Dickerson another rhythmic element to play with / off, and his solo is both abstract and kind of funky.

Is there a good account anywhere of Sonny's conversion to Rosicrucianism / his years as a Rosicrucian? In my own preliminary search for more information, I cam across this: http://davidvaldez.blogspot.com/2011/10/sonny-rollins-letter-to-coleman-hawkins.html "There have been many young men of high potential and demonstrated ability who have unfortunately not been 'MEN' in their personal and offstage practices and who soon found themselves devoid of the ability to create music."

Maybe I'm being cheesy, but this will always be among my favorite Rollins solos...