mhatta

I used to be turned off by this kind of “marketing ploy,” but I've come to think it's important to regularly remind people who don't know about them. Most jazz giants seem forgotten now or misunderstood. Better to be a nagging reminder than forgotten altogether.

Absolutely right! In terms of how a producer's name alone could make you buy an album by a completely unknown artist, Alfred Lion and Don were the twin pillars. Honestly, I had no idea who most of the leaders on Xanadu's albums were until I bought them. I bought them sight unseen, but they almost never disappointed. RIP.

I like it. Buster's bass has a slightly lower center of gravity than Ron Carter's and pushes forward more, so I think he matches better with the heavy Tony and the lighter Hank Jones than Carter does.

RIP. This was recorded in 1972. T

Spike Robinson was like that too. A whole generation of tenor players who idolized Lester Young seemed to hold their mouthpieces at an angle like this, trying to imitate Prez. I don't play sax, so I don't know what effect it has. Back in the day, I tried playing flat-handed across the keys like Bud Powell, but I couldn't play well that way.

Some people might dislike flashy stuff like this, but I actually quite like it. Or maybe I just don't really like the song “Invitation” to begin with...

I also have most of the first recording (which circulated as a bootleg), but I don't have the second recording at all, the one that includes Giant Steps and Satellite. If Tiberi recorded the second one, were there other taper(s) in Philadelphia besides Tiberi at the time? (I can't recall the name, but I remember hearing there was one). The sound quality of the first recording is terrible, so I hope the second one is at least a little better.

Joe Henderson in 1978 may not have enjoyed the widespread popularity he later achieved, but I believe he was in excellent form as a player. Also, Joanne Brackeen was at her peak. Personally, when I think of Steve Rodby, I recall him playing electric bass on Pat Metheny's best albums. However, it seems he originally played acoustic bass. I've heard a live recording of Joe Henderson in France from around the same time (November 1978), and Rufus Reid was on bass for that session (same pianist and drummer). Since Rodby was the house bassist at the Jazz Showcase, he might have been filling in for Reid. Danny Spencer wasn't particularly distinctive, but he was a competent drummer.

I knew there was a live recording of Giant Steps with very poor sound quality (it must be somewhere on YouTube), but I don't know if it's the same one Tiberi recorded. I knew nothing at all about a live recording of Satellite. I disagree with everyone about Satellite; it's a composition I really like. I think it has a sentimental yet futuristic soaring melody. Though the core is How High The Moon, of course.

I clearly remember the first box set I ever bought: Rahsaan Roland Kirk's Mercury Complete Box. It was really good. The top shelf of my closet is filled with Mosaic and other LP-sized box sets, and recently I discovered a Mosaic box set of Mildred Bailey that I had completely forgotten I had bought. Thank you, past me! Back in the day, Mosaic would send paper catalogs and pamphlets to Japan, and they were a valuable source of information on Jazz at the time. I feel like there was a stronger sense of belonging to the community than there is with social media today. Nowadays, you can often listen to the audio from CD box sets via music streaming platforms. You don't even need to rip it from a CD anymore. The other day, I found Woody Herman's Mosaic Select at a used CD shop in my neighborhood and bought it in ecstasy, but it is available as The Philips Recordings on many streaming services. In the end, most of the value of box sets today lies in the liner notes, which contain information you can't find anywhere else. However, that would be meaningless unless you're a jazz researcher or enthusiast.

RIP. I'd heard he was seriously ill, so it's inevitable, but it's still sad. While Richie Beirach is famous for his ECM recordings, I'd also recommend checking out his lesser-known albums produced in Japan. On the Trio label, albums like Sunday Song (a duo with Frank Tusa), Omerta (a duo with Dave Liebman), and Maracaibo Cornpone (where he appears as a sideman for George Otsuka) showcase a powerful side of Beirach quite different from his more decadent ECM music, and I really enjoy them.

For some reason I don't remember anymore, but apparently I bought this set nearly 20 years ago. And while I did open it, I “apparently” put it in the closet (probably without listening to a single track) – I don't even remember putting it there. Today, while cleaning out the closet for the first time in about 20 years, I unearthed it. The box is slightly damaged, so I can't even sell it! I plan to listen to it now.

Pepper Adams (and Byrd) played that tune as The Long Two/Four on "10 To 4 At The 5 Spot." I guess probably it doesn't have a canonical name.

I'm hoping someday Mosaic will release “The Complete Paul Bley GNP/Savoy/ESP/BYG/Fontana/Polydor/IA/Limelight or whatever Recordings 1957-1970.” Not holding my breath, though. For now, I wish at least someone would properly release Fontana's ‘Blood’ and Limelight's “Mr. Joy.”

I liked Blodwyn Pig's Ahead Rings Out. The music was good, but I wanted to make the pig on the album cover my profile icon. RIP.