garthsj

Larry, as I have heard that story, from the mouth of Phil Wood's on a recent allbum, when Gene was told that he was merely a bird imitator, he handed his saxophone to the guy, and said: "Here .. You do it!" ... Thanks again, I pulled the Quill and Bones album ... so many albums I often get lost in deciding what to play ...

Thanks to Larry Kart reminding me about the Mat Mathews album on Dawn, I pulled up the "Jazzville" 2-CD set on that label as well (I have the full set of Dawn reissues on Blue Moon). The first group on that compilation CD is the Gene Quill Quintet with Dick Sherman, trpt; Dick Katz, p.; Teddy Kotick, b.; and Art Taylor, d. Of course I have listened to a lot of Quill's work over the years, starting with those "Phil and Quill" albums he made with Phil Woods. The GMCJB also has lots of Quill solos ... but for some reason this totally forgotten session really brought home to me what a wonderful alto player Gene Quill was ... This session has "Loverman" feature for Quill that is just about perfect. ... Anyone else out there agee with me about Quill's qualities?

You are right, Sir! Both Gigi Gryce and Jerome Richardson are featured on clarinets on Mary Lou Williams's tune "Scorpio" ... This is a GREAT album (recently reissued on Fresh Sound), but playing it always makes me rather sad ... For fifteen years I used the "Bohema After Dark" from this album as my theme song for my radio radio, "The Sounds Of Jazz" ... I used to get lots of calls about that theme. Maybe I am biased, but I like this version better than the one that Cannonball did.

As usual I agree with Larry about the Mat Mathews album. However, there is one really fine Gigi Gryce Quartet album with Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson on Metrojazz (S) E1006 (1958) that sorely needs reissuing. I have never even seen this available as a Japanese reissue ... my LP is long gone unfortunately.

I apologize if this has been posted before, but this should be of interest to some here ... http://www.amazon.com/gp/r.html?R=7JQXHORU...6470_pe_snp_ZA2

For those of you interested, just follow this link to the broadcast of the tribute to Oscar Peterson that took place this past weekend. Some very fine things here. http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/singleConcert.html?20080112oscar

Pete CANDOLI was one of the greats in the jazz big band era .. and he lived a pretty fantastic personal life too ... He will be missed.

I though that some of you might be interested in this report from the Toronto Star: Musical Stars Come Out to Sing Oscar's Praises by Martin Knelman Toronto Star, January 13, 2008 Oscar Peterson was recognized all over the world as one of the giants of jazz, but from time to time he let it be known that he felt somewhat neglected at home, possibly even taken for granted. Yesterday, that stigma was gloriously removed once and for all with a classy, highly emotional, star-studded tribute at Roy Thomson Hall to the swinging genius of the keyboard who died on Dec. 23 at age 82. Admission was free but the opportunity to attend this event (organized by the National Arts Centre's ceo, Peter Herrndorf) seemed priceless to 2500 people who packed the hall for what had the mark of an unforgettable historic occasion. Contributing to the magic was the feeling that virtually everyone who appeared on stage for two and a half hours had a strong personal connection with Peterson. As Valerie Pringle, the perfect host, reminded us, Peterson will be forever known as the man who redefined swing, mastering the balance between technique and tenderness. The tone for the day was set by Governor General Michaëlle Jean, for whom this clearly represented more than just another ceremonial duty. She told about living in the same working-class neighbourhood of Montreal where Peterson grew up and about the hopes of immigrant parents from the Caribbean whose aspiration for their children was they could grow up to be, like Oscar, simply the best. Veteran producer Brian Robertson achieved pacing and momentum by mingling spoken tributes by special guests with short and effective musical interludes featuring a star-studded lineup. The Oscar Peterson Quartet assembled for this occasion included jazz musicians from Sweden, the U.S. and Canada. Monty Alexander, the pianist in the band, put us in an upbeat mood by almost out-Oscaring Oscar. But the pianist who brought the crowd to its feet was Herbie Hancock, who decided only a few days ago that he just had to be at this event and took a red-eye flight to overcome the obstacle of an impossible schedule. Hancock recalled that when he was a teenager planning to become an electrical engineer, hearing a Jazz at the Philharmonic record changed his life. "Who is that piano player?" he asked. The answer, of course, was Oscar Peterson. If it hadn't been for that, Hancock confided, the world would have had one more electrical engineer. Quincy Jones, the great jazz composer and conductor, drew a standing ovation as soon as he walked onto the stage. Recalling a half-century of collaborating with Peterson, Jones noted that jazz was never a macho form. "Musicians don't think twice about letting our feminine side come out." Alluding to a memorable concert tour that featured Count Basie and Frank Sinatra, with Peterson and bassist Ray Brown as the opening act, Jones quipped: "I wouldn't dare repeat the dialogue I heard between Oscar and Ray." Several speakers referred to Peterson's courage in continuing to perform after suffering permanent damage in a 1993 stroke. But in the words of Bob Rae -- accomplished pianist, former Ontario premier and friend of the Peterson family -- the world discovered that a one-handed Peterson was better than almost anyone else with two hands. To my ears the musical highpoint -- and the emotional one as well -- was provided by the sublime Nancy Wilson, who quietly and plaintively sang a little-known song about the pain of saying goodbye, filled with expressive pauses. And she added: "In my heart, no one I have ever loved has left. They're always here." The program included four female vocalists, but there was one glaring omission. Molly Johnson, Toronto's own marvellous jazz singer, was seated in the guest section but was left out of the performing lineup. The proceedings came to an epic close as the stunning Measha Brueggergosman joined forces with the Nathaniel Dett Chorale, the University of Toronto Gospel Choir and the Sharon Riley and Faith Chorale for the finale: "To Freedom," a kind of inspirational anthem written by Peterson in 1962 in the era of anti-racism marches. It got a rousing standing ovation from the audience. But to me, that is not the legacy of Oscar Peterson that will be joyously remembered decades from now. It's the swinging Oscar I will always cherish -- the one who could create mood-elevating miracles with Harold Arlen tunes like "As Long as I Live," "It's Only a Paper Moon" or "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive." That's his true exit music. It doesn't get any better than that.

Actually many of "the elite" do appreciate Oscar's contribution to the history of jazz ... don't be fooled by Oscar's detractors who are self-designated "elite" by virtue of claiming NOT to enjoy his music. Jazz fans have different tastes. I stick by my original statement that there is intense resentment that Oscar achieved so much universal admiration while others deemed more worthy (Powell, Jones, Twardzik, Hope, Wilson, etc.) are largely ignored by the general public. I love all of these pianists, some even more than Oscar, but to denigrate him because he was "popular" is not fair game ... he was popular for a reason, as many of the posts in this thread reveal. AS many know, I am a great Buddy DeFranco fan, so I got really pissed when Richard Stoltzman was suddenly hailed as a great "jazz" musician, as he was a few years back, thanks to skillful RCA marketing. (In fact he can't play jazz for s--t!). But I accepted the fact that Stoltzman will receive more attention from the mainstream media, and moved on ... Oscar had the whole jazz "package" in my estimation (I am also a self-designated "elite"!), and he was immensely popular. If your guy was not as widely recognized then just accept that fact and move on, but don't blame Oscar ... all he did was play great jazz piano, and was an incredible international ambassador for this music that we all claim to love. Garth, from Sunny Cape Town ..

Thankfully we are all entitled to our own opinions ... and I totally disagree with The Oscar naysayers! Oscar basically was my entree to jazz in 1952 ... He was a giant of jazz (literally and figuratively), and he was an outstanding human being. I attended his jazz history classes (with Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen, and Phil Nimmons) in Toronto in 1961, and he was a wonderful teacher and very approachable, which is more than I can say for many of the performers I have dealt with. ... Those who "hate" him are jealous of his success, wondering why their favorites did not warrant this kind of adoration ... Well there must be a reason that Oscar was so universally appreciated, and it was based upon talent. His detractors found fault with his technique, his improvisations, and his popularity. Too bad for those who wish to see him denigrated and his place in jazz history disputed. The detractors will be proven wrong --- and he will always be remembered as a great jazz musician. But Hey! ... you don't have to be right to be a critic! Written from Sunny Cape Town, South Africa, where I am vacationing for the next two weeks ..

I am strictly interested in the newer remastered "digi-pack" edition ... I did have many of the older jewelboxes ...

I have tried a search with success ... is there a complete list of the albums issued on the "Vogue Masters" Series (BMG) available? These are the fold-out digipacks with the "black" covers. Many thanks in anticipation ..

For whatever reason the Don Byas is one of the most difficult albums in the Vogue Masters reissue program to locate. There are several available on Amazon if you wish to pay a premium ... the lowest price I have seen recently is $38.00. Even on the European Amazon sites this album sells for a premium price ..

Jim Harrod posted the following on the West Coast Jazz site yesterday. I thought that some here would be interested. A while back I made a post to the list to the effect that Arthur Newman's entire collection of jazz books including his vast personal collection had been consigned to a book dealer in the east who would be putting them up for auction. The auction house is currently offering this collection on Ebay, grouping the books in related lots of four or five books per lot, with a very low starting bid. You can view a sample collection at: http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayIS...611049&rd=1 Click on "view seller's other items to see the other lots in this group of 249. Jim P.S. I have also provided a condensed url below. http://tinyurl.com/24g4n8

I am, and always have been a BIG Charlie Mariano fan .... and that goes back a long time! (In the mid-fifties I was completely captivated by his Bethlehem albums, and his version of "Johnny One Note" is still one of my favorite alto cuts ...) Admittedly I am not always fond of his more adventurous "world music" efforts, but I just counted, and I have 28 Mariano CDs in my collection. This discography is very frustrating, because so few of his recent, more mainstream, efforts are available in the U.S. I guess I will have to shell out those depleted U.S. $$$ and buy through one of the European Amazon sites .... If you have not heard his recent "Deep In A Dream," or "Not Just A Ballad" albums, then you are missing out on some of the greatest, most intelligrant, and emotional alto saxophone sounds in the modern jazz world ... IMHO, of course ... I think that this discography is missing some sides that he did with Howard Lucraft in June, 1957 ... These are available on the Fresh Sound collection, "Modern Sounds From California 1954-1957 (FSR 2202).

Sorry. My bad. I'd been debating about wether to post a link to the site or to include a product list in the posting itself. In the end, I...blew it. Thanks Bill Barton. Also, if you are inclined to support our Andorrean friends, there are great bargains to be found under the "Definitive" and "Jazz Factory" labels on the Berkshire site. I ordered nearly $80 worth last week, and filled many gaps in the "historical record" left when I sold my vinyl several years ago. The Lester Young "Aladdin Sessions" for example ... and the Hampton Hawes Memorial, as well as June Christy transcriptions, etc. Good hunting here ...

I thought that many of you might be interested in this new publication: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0195128257...0890_pe_snp_257

I know that there has been a gratifying interest in the neglected career of Hal McKusick on this board. There is a great, lengthy interview with him to be found on this site .. just go past the equally interesting piece on David Amram to find it. http://www.jazzwax.com./

I am not sure if this very swinging Paul Desmond album has been mentioned: "The Paul Desmond Quintet, and The Paul Desmond Quartet with Don Elliott" (OJCCD-712-2) This is great early Desmond, with some very inventive solos.

Interesting that there is no mention of Lucky Thompson using a trio format (WITH PETTIFORD) in 1956 ....

What's interesting about trying to buy these sets, is that if you check on German Amazon, you will find all of them listed there. However, the best prices for new copies are offered by "Camian Amerika" and shipped from Florida! However, Amazon.com here in the U.S. does not list them at all .... any explanation for this? How does one contact Caiman to make purchases other than going through Amazon?

Here is a report from the New Orleans Essence Festival which I thought makes some interesting points abut the lack of a black audience for jazz today . Is this true, and if so, why has this happened? Is it the fault of hiphop, or the increasing "elitism" of modern jazz? Comments, please. http://www.artsjournal.com/listengood/2007...obama.html#more

I agree, although I place the blame squarely on Verve. Verve has completely mismanaged Buddy de Franco's catalog during the CD era. (For instance, why did it issue "Mr. Clarinet" as a full-priced, limited edition pressing in an LP mini-sleeve when, at the time, the same exact session had been available as a Japanese pressing at the same price? Of course, aside from "Mr. Clarinet", the Verve Elite Edition disc with Oscar Peterson, and the tracks from the 5-disc Lionel Hampton boxed set, Verve U.S.A. has reissued NOTHING by Buddy de Franco on CD, not even a single disc compilation.) Perhaps I am stating the obvious, but I think that the only reason that Verve opened its doors to leasing its material to Mosaic again a few years back was because of the rather belated realization that European copyright laws only offered protection for 50 years. At any rate, as Ken noted, I am not sure that this set would be commercially viable, but I definitely would buy it. The question of commercial viability always comes up ... but when I look at some of the more obscure "Selects" currently available, I have to question this concern. The original DeFranco Mosaic Box (albeit with the additional attraction of Sonny Clark, who was in vogue at the time) was very successful, in both LP and CD form. (God knows! Many of us DeFranco fans had given up hope of ever seeing this material, in any form, ever again). This set commands a pretty hefty price on eBay when its somes up. I think that DeFranco has enough "cult" fans (like me .. I am the World's Greatest Living Buddy DeFranco Fan!), that this set, as a 'Select' should be commercially viable, and those five LPs would fit nicely on 3 Cds, with maybe the addition of the more commerial album (originally on the Dot label) with Nelson Riddle as an added bonus...

This may have come up before, but given the fact that none of the reccordings by this group has ever been reissued (as far as I know) on CD, would their output make a great 3-CD select? There is some amazing improvisation on those albums ... Get the word to MC, please ..

ah, this seems to be pretty much exactly what i was asking for (alvin batiste, have heard the name, but that's all...)! thank you! Also, thanks a lot to the others! i have some Bennie Maupin sideman stuff including Blackstone Legacy but not as much as i should have, i guess, and mort weiss looks really interesting too (just read the two older threads...) [just looked up that cobham album, a collectables twofer with magic but immediately forgot the correct title again ] How about clarinet wih piano accordion? Buddy DeFranco made a series of outstanding albums with accordionist Tommy Gumina in the sixties, as well as several cuts with Pete Jolly on accordion an some of his later "swing" albums on Verve in the late fifties ... The clarinet-accordion combination was quite popular with small proto-jazz groups in lounges in the early fifties. Speaking of the clarinet-vibes combination, some of DeFranco's great early recordings on the Capitol label were done with Theodore Cohen (now known as Teddy Charles), while many of his most recent recordings have been done with Julius Gubenko (Terry Gibbs). I have all of Mort Weiss's recordings, but I am still not sure about him. I like his playing, mostly, but he clearly is still scraping off the rust of the years he spent woodshedding ... He doesn't quite make the changes at times, but I admit I find his enthusiasm refreshing, and his willingness to "give it a go ..."