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Sonny Rollins, Stars of Jazz (Prestige) Sanford Gold, Piano D'Or (Prestige)

The Lester Young Story (Verve)

Jeff Beck, Emotion and Commotion (Atlantic Rhino) Phil Urso, The Philospophy of Urso (Savoy)

Don Byas, Original 1945 Recordings (Tax)

Sidi Toure, Alafia (Thrill Jockey)

Definitively an annual highlight. Jupiter & Okwess, Kin Sonic (Glitterbeat)

Classic Blues Songs from the 1920s, volume 15 (Blues Images)

There's one HPB here in Dallas that has someone trading in batches of obscure jazz promos regularly. But they don't price them at $2. I rather like Rez Abbasi myself, mostly based on seeing him live a few times.

Tenor Saxes (Stan Getz, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Illinois Jacquet, Flip Philips, Ben Webster, Charlie Ventura) (Verve)

Charles Mingus, The Clown (Atlantic) Bud Powell, Swingin' with Bud (RCA) Jazz at the Philharmonic (1946), volume 5 (Verve) Funky Blues (Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Benny Carter, Ben Webster) (Verve)

Harriet Tubman, I Am a Man (Knitting Factory)

I did see him live--at the Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth, circa late 1980s--it was literally one of the best concerts I've ever seen in a lifetime of concert-going. His band, virtually all African musicians, was absolutely great. It was so good I went two nights for four sets. Never heard any recording of his as good (Home is Where the Music Is and Introducing Hedzollah Sounds are mighty fine of course). He played Dallas about ten years later, and it was good, but not even remotely comparable.

The lineup for the 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (only an hour flight from Dallas) has been released. Jazz Highlights: April 27: Ron Carter Trio; Christian Scott; Calvin Johnson's Native Son Stories of Sidney Bechet featuring Aurora Nealand April 28: Charles Lloyd and the Marvels; Delfeayo Marsalis Presents the Uptown Jazz Orchestra; Butler Bernstein and the Hot 9; Trumpet Mafia, Aurora Nealand April 29: Nicholas Payton; Kidd Jordan and the Improvisational Arts Quintet; Henry Butler Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, Panorama Jazz Band May 3: Archie Shepp Quartet; Jamil Sharif; Jeremy Davenport; Terrace Martin, Avalon Jazz Band, Wendel Brunious May 4: Marcus Miller; Wessel Anderson Quintet; New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Brian Seeger's Organic Trio, Avalon Jazz Band, Doreen's Jazz New Orleans May 5: Sean Jones Quartet; Louis Ford and His New Orleans Flairs; Astral Project, James Rivers; Dianne Reeves May 6: Terence Blanchard featuring the E Collective; Leroy Jones and New Orleans Finest, Joe Dyson; Ellis Marsalis World Music Highlights: April 27: Sidi Toure (Mali) April 28: Sona Jobarteh (Gambia) May 4: Jupiter & Okwess International (Congo) May 5: Jupiter & Okwess International (Congo) May 6: Lakou Mizak (Haiti) Blues Highlights: Friday, April 27: Bobby Rush Saturday, April 28: Eddie Cotton; Jerron Blind Boy Paxton Sunday, April 29: John Mayall; Kenny Neal with guests Lazy Lester and Henry Gray Thursday, May 3: Toronzo Cannon; Joe Krown Trio with Walter Wolfman Washington Friday, May4: Little Freddie King Blues Band; Lil Buck Sinegal with Barbara Lynn Saturday, May 5: Lurrie Bell; Major Handy and the Louisiana Blues Band Sunday, May 6: Buddy Guy; Mr. Sipp; Walter Wolfman Washington and the Roadmasters

There's a lot of interest to hear, especially on Friday and Saturday. I wonder when they release the detailed schedules?

There appear to be two Roscoe Mitchell concerts scheduled.

According to the Festival's post on Twitter, the detailed concert schedule is coming out on Tuesday.

At his performance I saw last Friday he said he had CDs in his bag (he didn't specifically refer to a new one), but it was 2 a.m. so I just went back to the hotel instead of inquiring as I normally would.

This is it, I believe: https://www.amazon.com/Norman-Granz-JATP-Carnegie-Hall/dp/B00005Y1SW/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1516285021&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Norman+Grantz+Carnegie+Hall+1949

Ernest Dawkins, Live at the Original Velvet Lounge (Delmark)

She said it was their first performance and a brand new group--Mitchell and Ellman both sound good, but a bit of a mixed reaction on Sara Serpa--her wordless vocals I find to be often beautiful (as is she), but when she sings lyrics, it sometimes doesn't work for me. So overall, a pleasing, quiet, chamber jazz group, but your degree of enthusiasm will depend on how much you like the vocalist. Now the other Nicole Mitchell group I saw, with Jason Moran on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Shirazette Tinnin on drums, they sounded amazing.

March 1, 2018: Jimmy Heath with One O'Clock Jazz Band, Murchison Performing Arts Center, Denton March 2, 2018: Carl Weathersby, Antone's, Austin March 16,2018: Chris Thomas King, Lava Cantina, The Colony March 22, 2018: Bria Skonberg, Tobin Center, San Antonio March 23, 2018: Victor Wooten Trio, Paramount Theater, Austin Bria Skonberg, Jesse H. Jones Hall, Houston March 24, 2018: Mingus Big Band, Cullen Theater, Houston Victor Wooten Trio, Granada Theater, Dallas March 25, 2018: Zakir Hussain and Rakesh Chaurasia, AISD Performing Arts Center, Austin Victor Wooten Trio, The Ballroom at Warehouse Live, Houston April 5, 2018: Melissa Aldana, South on Main, Little Rock, Arkansas April 12, 2018: Brad Mehldau, Paramount Theater, Austin April 13, 2018: Brad Mehldau, Cullen Theater, Houston Antonio Sanchez, Charline McCombs Empire Theater, San Antonio April 14, 2018: Brad Mehldau, University of Texas at Dallas April 14-15, 2018: Kenny Neal, Chris Thomas King, Lazy Lester, Jimmy Duck Holmes, Baton Rouge Blues Festival April 22, 2018: Rahul Sharma (santoor) and Aditya Kalyanpur (tabla), Austin April 27, 2018: Ron Carter Trio, Christian Scott, Sidi Toure, Calvin Johnson, Bobby Rush, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 28, 2018: Charles Lloyd and the Marvels, Delfeayo Marsalis Presents the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Butler Bernstein and the Hot 9, Trumpet Mafia, Sona Jobarteh and Band (Gambia), Aurora Nealand, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Conrad Herwig, Starr Theater, Fayetteville, Arkansas Rahul Sharma (santoor) and Aditya Kalyanpur (tabla), Houston Otis Taylor, Big Beat Dallas, Irving April 29, 2018: Kidd Jordan and the Improvisational Arts Quintet, Henry Butler Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, Nicholas Payton, Kenny Neal with Henry Gray and Lazy Lester, Panorama Jazz Band, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 3, 2018: Archie Shepp Quartet, Jamil Sharif, Terrace Martin, Toronzo Cannon, Jeremy Davenport, Wendell Brunious, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 4, 2018: Marcus Miller, Wessel Anderson, Jupiter and Okwess International (Congo), Little Freddie King, Lil Buck Sinegal, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Brian Seeger's Organic Trio, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 5, 2018: Sean Jones, Lurrie Bell, Jupiter and Okwess International, Louis Ford and His New Orleans Flairs, Astral Project, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 6, 2018: Terence Blanchard featuring the E Collective, Leroy Jones, Buddy Guy, Mr. Sipp, Joe Dyson, Ellis Marsalis, Walter Wolfman Washington, Lakou Mizak (Haiti), New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Ganesh and Kumaresh (violins), Bates Recital Hall, Austin May 13, 2018: Vid. Sashank, Unity Church of Dallas July 16, 2018: Ronu Majhumdar (flute), Tony Bose (sarod), Jones Hall, Houston September 28, 2018: Stanley Clarke, One World Theater, Austin October 6, 2018: Sweekar Etawah, Imdad Khani Harana (sitars), Houston

At the set I heard at Birdland, Tyshawn Sorey was on drums.

I haven't heard her latest one but the two prior recordings, Sixteen Sunsets and Wingwalker, are my favorites by her.

Last Thursday, the Lonnie Smith Trio at Jazz Standard (fantastic set). Later that same day, the Vijay Iyer Sextet at Birdland (same group as on the Far From Over record, very good). Last Friday, at Winter Jazzfest Marathon: Charnett Moffett Music from our Soul at the Bitter End (a great set by an inspired band); Stefon Harris and Blackout at New School Tishman; Mark Ribot's Songs of Resistance at New School Tishman (not sure Mark Ribot has a future as a protest song singer, but the band featuring James Brandon Lewis and Brigan Kraus was quite good); Nicole Mitchell Art and Anthem for Gwendolyn Brooks featuring Jason Moran at New School Tishman (jazz with poetry presentation was fine; the band shined, particularly Jason Moran); and Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble Featuring Vijay Iyer at Subculture (a packed 1 a.m. set for the Chicago saxophonist, with Hamid Drake on drums and Junius Paul on bass; that was rather enjoyable). Saturday at Winter Jazzfest Marathon: Nicole Mitchell's Pterodactyl at Subculture (trio with Liberty Ellman on guitar and Sara Serpa on voice); James Carter's Electrik Outlet at New School Tishman (exuberant, prodigious set featuring the impressive Ralphe Armstrong on bass guitar); Harriet Tubman Plays Free Jazz at New School Tishman (the jazz/rock/avant garde power trio of Brandon Ross/Melvin Gibbs/J.T. Lewis expands to a double quartet, adding a second bassist and drummer, plus James Brandon Lewis, Darius Jones and Jaimie Branch, and they play not free jazz but "Free Jazz," the Ornette Coleman composition, in an epic sonic assault; fantastic); and finally, the Sun Ra Arkestra plays a live score to Space is the Place at the New School Tishman (led by Marshall Allen, the Arkestra literally watched the movie with the rest of us and added music; when the Arkestra was playing on the soundtrack they doubled the composition live; it was an odd experience, there was Sun Ra on a giant screen dispensing enigmatic wisdom in his battle with the Overseer; I had never seen the cheesy, amusing, blackploitation film; then after the movie was over, the Arkestra played the traditional Space is the Place, which was great to hear live again, like seeing an old friend you never thought you would see again). A somewhat disconcerting experience the second night of the Marathon was hearing the last 20 minutes or so of Jazzmeia Horn's set. The odd part was trying to reconcile what I heard around me (multiple people expressing rave opinions about her, plus her Grammy nomination), with what I heard--someone who seemed not ready to be presented in this fashion, with vocal mannerisms at times quite grating and annoying to hear. Maybe if she studies for another ten years or so and has the right teachers she might develop, but that level of praise for such a young musician with flaws was ridiculous.

Knoel Scott, Live in Alaska