garthsj

I had to check this list twice to make sure of what I was (not) reading .... How could anyone discuss Johnny Coles without mentioning his enormous contributions to several major Gil Evans dates ...? He was he "other" Miles on such recordings as the recent reissue on BN - "Gil Evans: The Complete Pacific Jazz Sessions" ... and also on "Into The Hot" on Impulse ... and several others. These are important and evocative solos that he contributes to these historic recordings... Garth.

I agree that LITTLE BOY BLUES is a hoot! I read it many years ago ... and now I am tempted to find the other two books. I have checked at ABE, and they are still available. I know that, like me, you enjoy jazz fiction ... Have you ever read SOLO (1955) by Stanford Whitmore ... highly recommended in the fifties jazz genre, as is SECOND ENDING (1956) by the late Evan Hunter (a.k.a. Ed McBain). Two other interesting "jazz novels" from the sixties that are fun are: GIG (1969) by James Houston, and a fine English book, STRIKE THE FATHER DEAD (1962) by John Wain.

In the mid-sixties I was doing a "closed circuit" jazz radio program at the University of Toronto, with a listenership of probably 48 people. However, I used this fact to convince the Canadian company pressing Impulse (Sparton Records) to send me all of their new releases. So these orange and black LPs kept coming, and kept coming. I must have had the entire catalog issued before 1968! While these were all "original pressings" I found that when it came time to sell them off that the Canadian pressings did not have the same value as the U.S. versions (although IMHO they were sonically superior), nevertheless they did go quickly. My point -- I was amazed at the variety of the music that Impulse put out, and not all of it was "great" ... a good example would be Chico O'Farrell - Clark Terry "Spanish Rice" ... but then there were real keepers like the Pee Wee Russell, Oliver Nelsons, and the first few Chico Hamilton albums ... and. of course, the early Coltranes. All of this is being brought home to me as I read Ashley Kahn's book. It also makes me want to revisit some of those, such as the Earl Hines.

My copy arrived today ... and taking some valuable time away from my own writing chores, I gave it a quick once-over. The book is very "user-friendly" and handsomely produced -- lots of pictues and illustrative material (notes, album covers, lead sheets, etc.) that interests the historian in me. It does not contain the kind of in-depth analysis of the music that some might wish for, but as an institutional history I think that Kahn has, once again, performed yeoman service. I have found his previous books to be very insightful, and his comments on NPR always capture my interest, even when he is dealing with more pop subjects. (On a very personal note, I am must confess a certain amount of professional jealousy here ... this is the kind of subject I should be writing about instead of my current impossible attempt to make some sense of television's impact on American society!)

Having been an "early adopter" of LoneHill reissues (or sometimes 'new' releases) I have noticed a definite improvement in their notations recently. Maybe when they realize that they are capturing the coin from the pockets of "serious" collectors they will become more meticulous and forthright in their marketing. I am also tired of their "Complete Session of ..... " labels. I wish they would cut that out. Fresh Sounds Records started out this misleading way too, and eventually Jordie Pujols realized that he was annoying his customers with misleading captioning. Pujols now apparently works closely with the record companies to get the best available master tapes. Perhaps LoneHill will move in the same direction. In the meantime, I have just listened for the first time in a long time to what was in this morning's post -- the LoneHill reissue of the Manny Albam Jazz Workshop album (from RCA), and remembered how much I used to enjoy this music, and the fine perfomances of Hal McKusick, Joe Newman, Al Cohn, and Bob Brookmeyer. Also, the very recent LoneHill reissue of Dave Brubeck's "At Storyville 1954" has the Brubeck fans all excited, as Dave, who maintains control over his material, has refused to allow Sony/Columbia to reissue this important album. This is where the ethics gets murky ...

Have you checked the Lone Hill catalog recently? Can you overcome your feelings of guilt? Seriously, I am amazed at what Lone Hill as recently made available, and they are certainly showing the American record company laggards how to do it. Yes, I know that by not paying anything for this material they can turn a profit with relatively low unit sales, but still ... why did they reissue the Jimmy Cleveland material, and not Universal. The same goes for the wonderful Maynard Ferguson "west coast" material that has been totally unavailable since the mid-fifties! The whole Norgran/Clef/Verve fifties catalog is going to be their playground in the next four years ... maybe some of those lost gems will finally see the light of day sometime soon. And, their liner notes are improving quite a bit, but still leave much to be desired. Any yes ... I do have some feelings of guilt ... bu not enough to stop me from picking up some neglected gems. http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/newreleases.php

Based upon the current rate at which they are releasing material, I think that just about every Mosaic set is going to end up on Lone Hill sometime in the next few years! My only regret regarding Mosaic sets is having sold my Nat King Cole set for $400.00 three years ago ... I could probably get almost twice as much today. (I have started a separate thread to discuss Lone Hill reissues)

My Mosiac set containing the material from this session includes an additional track, "My Old Flame" (5:16). Apparently this is NOT on the reissued CD. Is this correct? And if so, why was this left off? My Old Flame was on the original lp and is on the new cd. Thanks, Chuck. I was going by the track listing on Amazon.com ... they do not show this track. Now .. the next question, owning the Mosaic material, should I bother getting this RVG edition? I have never found that much difference in remastering quality between RVG's and Mosaic ... but then I can no longer hear dog whistles either. CORRECTION: I see now that it is on the Amazon track list; I was just reading the titles in a different order to that in the Mosaic discography .. sorry bout that! I need another cup of coffee!

My Mosiac set containing the material from this session includes an additional track, "My Old Flame" (5:16). Apparently this is NOT on the reissued CD. Is this correct? And if so, why was this left off?

If you check out Amazon.com for various Criss-Cross releases, invariably you will find them available for about $13.98 for NEW Cds from two Amazon participating associates ... "Import-CD Specialists" or "Caiman". I have had very good luck with both of these suppliers.

Joe, I switched to Mosiac CDs about 1996 .... I still have the Buddy DeFranco and Shorty Rogers sets on LP ... but I no longer own a record changer ... anyone open for a swop for the CD sets?

I am never sure that all Mosaic sets are shipped in some sort of rational numerical order. For instance, I got this set as a preorder the first day it was available, and my number is 1204 ... I guess that there might have been 1200 others just pining away for this great material ...

I received a note from Concord yesterday (Tuesday) to say that "box is in the mail" ... I guess I am just a sucker for the those nice neat little boxed sets ... I never bought the K2 reissues, because I still have the big blue box, so this will be something to look forward to. This will be my fourth edition; the sale of just one of my original 1950s hardcover albums back in 2001 more than paid for his set.

I have looked for these as well. Anyone have a good line on the Lonehill release that Garth references here. Thanks This album is available on several sites on Ebay (such as CD Hut) for $18.99. Considering that I have seen individual CDs of "Introducing JC" go for more than $45, this a bargain, and the sound is excellent.

I have looked for these as well. Anyone have a good line on the Lonehill release that Garth references here. Thanks This was the best deal hat I found ... considering thaat I have individual CDs go for more than $50 this is a good deal. http://cgi.ebay.com/JIMMY-CLEVELAND-Comple...1QQcmdZViewItem

I have looked for these as well. Anyone have a good line on the Lonehill release that Garth references here. Thanks This was the best deal hat I found ... considering thaat I have individual CDs go for more than $50 this is a good deal. http://cgi.ebay.com/JIMMY-CLEVELAND-Comple...1QQcmdZViewItem

No .. it is the flagon with dragon that has the pellet with the poison ... Let's hope that the new folks at Verve continue to reissue the important catalog in a decent CD format, and not just as downloads... Garth, Houston.

Don't know anything about the recording, but I can tell people something about Hadda: I worked with Hadda Brooks for a month, give or take, at a watering hole that will remain nameless here in NY in 1994. She was a wonderful ballad singer and boogie woogie (yes, you heard me) pianist. Brooks achieved some measure of fame in the '40s appearing in films like Out of The Blue and another with Bogart, (can't recall the name) usually in nightclub scenes as the sultry chanteuse. She was quite a beautiful woman back then and just barely escaped major stardom, best as I can figure. The last picture she was in was "The Crossing Guard" with Sean Penn, where she sang one of her signature songs, "Anywhere, Anyplace, Anytime" to him. She was a joy to work with, especially since the owner of the joint went out of his way to torment her, myself, and the bassist. We ignored him and pulled together to have a wonderful run. I still remember the way she did "The Thrill is Gone" rubato with me strumming and the bass (Morris Edwards) bowing. It gives me chills to think about it. Her other specialty numbers included That's My Desire, Don't go to Strangers, and the last night when we basically said screw the owner and played for us, she got up from the piano and spanked All Of Me. She was a champ. Sorry I don't know anything about this date. It sounds kind of bizarre, actually---but, hey, you never know. They're all great musicians. But 'Hadn't Anyone till You' was another of her signature tunes. Probably they were all in London separately and somehow Warne and Lee wound up backing her on her gig which was recorded. Stanger things have happened. And I hope you all didn't mind the reminiscing. It's just that I want people to know what kind of singer and person Hadda was. The Humphrey Bogart film referred to is IN A LONELY PLACE (1950) ... co-starring Gloria Graham, and directed by Nicholas Ray. This film is now considered to be one Bogart's absolute best, and has increasingly attracted the attention of film scholars as being a classic 'film noir'. ... Hadda Brooks is prominently featured in a nightclub scene singing a "full" version of "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" while Bogart and Graham are sitting at her piano bar. Interestingly she still gets accolades from my very jaded students, many of whom have never heard anything like this before. Fascinating how real talent always wins through eventually.

Hmmmmmmmmm ... I must admit I feel sorry for anyone not "moved" by the opening of "Hello, Young Lovers" from this set .... pure (bop) jazz trombone at its absolute best .... But, different strokes .... that's what makes art ... In this vein I must confess that I have never "gotten" the mystique surrounding Wayne Shorter as a player, who I find boring, although I do like his compositions; and I just do not "get" the enthusiasm for Lee Morgan's "lotsa notes without a coherent theme" playing (Art Farmer is my man!) ... so throw bricks ... I am ready ... Garth, Houston.

Pardon my bringing this thread up again, but I must compliment the Andorrean Pirates at Lonehill (which I am ambivalent about) for their recent reissue of the four albums from the 1950s featuring Cleveland as leader. This 2-CD collection contains the following very hard to find albums, especially on CD (God Knows! I have been continuously thwarted in my attempt to get a winning bid on some of these on Ebay in the past): Introducing Jimmy Cleveland Cleveland Style A Map of Jimmy Rhythm Crazy. A Saturday afternoon well spent ... I just love this period and style of jazz, (New York in the late 50s -- I should also note that I equally enjoy the West Coast sounds from L.A. during this same period). These albums have great arrangements by Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Gigi Gryce, and Ernie Wilkens, and wonderful stuff from sidemen such as Art Farmer, Lucky Thompson, and Benny Golson. My question for Mike Fitzgerald (or anyone else) reading this post, is why did Jimmy Cleveland, prolific as he was as a session player, make so few albums as a leader? Was there some "incident" which turned him off from this role? Garth, Houston.

I will happily admit that even an old dog like me has learned a lot from this board, and my musical tastes, so carefully honed over the years, have been greatly expanded by listening to what people have to offer on here. Why else would I buy Allen Lowe's wonderful compendium "The Devlin' Tune" or where else would I learn about those great inexpensive box sets from European sources ... So, yes, I am spending more ... and enjoying it as much as I ever did. As I have mentioned a few times, I sold my 8,000+ LP collection in 2001 ... but Damn! I already have about 3,800 CDs now ... what happend to my plan to downsize? I put a great deal of the blame on my membership on this board.

Using my very rudimentary German, the "Babelfish" translation site, and some instinctual probes, I have managed to order seven box sets from our German friends in recent months (thanks to those on this list who alerted me to these bargains). I believe that I paid less than $60 for the Wes Montgomery set, as well as the Prestige Monk box ... and just last week my order for the Tatum Group set, the Debut Story, and the 10-CD Oscar Peterson Pablo set arrived ... Even with the high postage, the prices are about one-third those in the U.S. Now if I can only find the time to listen to all of this music.

Hmmmmmmmmm ... as I already have all of this stuff in my third generation format (The Big Blue Box) I wonder what the likelihood is of this great set becoming available at Your Music for about $24.98 sometime in July??

Another sad day as one of my early heroes departs. How well I remember those yellow label 12" Prestige albums that I had specially imported into South Africa from the U.S. by friendly merchant sailors in the late fifties. (That was the only way I could get them after reading the reviews in Metronome or Downbeat). There were always arguments among my small group of jazz friends as to the merits between West Coast altoists like Bud Shank and Herb Geller, and the East Coast players like Jackie Mclean and Phil Woods ... I liked them all, and now Bud and Phil are making albums together (a very good one too, on Jazzed Media). Mclean has left behind a wonderful legacy of music for us to enjoy ... RIP Jackie!

I have just about everything that this band made available commercially ... It took me some time to convince others in the 70s and 80s that this really was a GREAT jazz orchestra. I used to feature the CBBB regularly on my radio show, and they never failed to elicit lots of mail and phonecalls. That two drum sound with Kenny Clare was amazing, and when Joe Harris played tympanies on occasion that was enough to send shivers up my spine... We must also not forget how much Sahib Shihab contributed to the "sound" of this band ... his flute and baritone are indispensible to what Francie Boland was trying to achieve, and his career was revitalized in this ensemble ... Garth, Houston.