kh1958

Lucky Peterson Band at Tuckers. A two keyboard band tonight (plus the usual bassist and drummer), with some tasty guitar in the first set.

Coleman Hawkins, Wrapped Tight (Impulse orange and black) Wynton Kelly--Undiluted (Verve)

There's a new CD reissue of a Bola Sete album, Crystal Gardens. It' a superb solo effort, recorded in his home studio from 1970-72. There are three bonus tracks as well. Available from cdbaby.com.

If I have not confused my live Magic Sam recordings, I believe this is the one that has the best fidelity.

Mamadou Diabate--Heritage Bola Sete--Crystal Garden Barbara Dennerlein--In a Silent Mood

Phil Woods--Greek Cooking (Impulse, red and black) Charles Mingus--Mingus Revisited (Limelight, mono)

I have a respectable number of Black Saint/Soul Note LPs and CDs, purchased over the last 30 years or so. The catalog is rather large though, and they have never been that easy or inexpensive to obtain. These discount priced box sets are very welcome.

I have become seriously addicted to this series--so far I've listened to the sets of Charlie Haden, David Murray, Lester Bowie, and Henry Threadgill, with Enrico Rava and George Russell in the queue. Next orders will probably be Steve Lacy and Lee Konitz.

The Freddie Hubbard-Junior Cook quintet is in strong form on the new Jazz Icons DVD. It's really good.

Mingus Dynasty (Columbia six eyes mono)

I just watched/listened to the new Coltrane Jazz Icon DVD. Great!

Charles Mingus--Mingus Ah Uh (Columbia, six eyes stereo, black and white promo)

I came across this short Lobi Traore promotional film--he's interviewed in what appears to be his home in Mali, and there are brief performance excerpts on electric and acoustic guitar.

Charles Mingus--Blues and Roots (Atlantic)

Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane.

Charles Mingus--A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (Bethleham). 1957 Mingus is just incredible--the base group of Mingus, Richmond, Jimmy Knepper, and Shafi Hadi is one of my favorites. Charles Mingus--Wonderland (United Artists, disembodied Mingus head pressing). I noticed that there is a an ear or P in the inner groove, just like a Blue Note pressing.

I have a VHS copy; Rahsaan also plays with Buddy Guy on a couple of tracks. On one track, Dick Heckstall Smith is brave enough to play a two horn solo; of course, Kirk then shows him who's the master.

I saw him a couple of months ago with the Rob Garcia 4--I liked his playing.

I just have a slight interest in Kenton, but a CD issued by Fantasy called Stompin' at Newport (from the 1957 festival) is a good one.

There is one Ronald Hampton solo on Mingus Moves. Nevertheless, I still like the album.

Prestige blue and purple label pressings (which sound great) are not hundreds of dollars in price. They can often be obtained for a modest price (just avoid the electronically reprocessed stereo ones). Similarly, orange/black and red/black Impulses sound incredible, and most are not that expensive. Contemporary LPs, particularly if recorded by Ray DuNann, are some of the best sounding LPs of all--many are not that expensive. Columbia made great sounding records to the end of the sixties--the six eyes and two eyes label varieties. RCA made wonderful LPs as well through the end of the 60s (the black dog label). Capitol LPs also sound fantastic through the mid-60s or so. Argo is also an excellent label, but I've found that 99 % of the Argo LPs one runs across are by Ahmad jamal or Ramsey Lewis. That high price collector mania should be avoided--it's stupid.

Wolfgang's Vault now has the the July 13, 1977 Mingus concert (the part listed as soundboard recording in the discography) in Nice available for listening or downloading.

Charles Mingus--East Coasting (Affinity reissue)

I don't have it, but there are samples on the label website. http://www.resonancerecords.org/release.php?cat=HCD-2005

I can't say what the ten best were, but the 2011 jazz CD releases (a couple might be late 2010 releases) I liked the best were: Ambrose Akinmusire--When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note) Jane Ira Bloom--Wingwalker (Outline) Larry Coryell with the Wide Hive Players (Wide Hive) Captain Black Big Band (Positone) Orrin Evans--Freedom (Positone) Rob Garcia 4--The Drop and the Ocean (Brooklyn Jazz Underground) Chico Hamilton--Revelation and Euphoria (Joyous Shout) Tom Harrell--The Time of the Sun (High Note) Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya--Sotho Blue (Sunnyside) Vijay Iyer with Prasanna--Tirtha (Act) Frederika Krier and Gian Luigi Diana--Laghima (Setola de Maiale) Charles LLoyd and Maria Farantouri--Athens Concert (ECM) Rudresh Mahanthappa--Samdi (Act) Jean Michel Pilc--Essential (Motema) Noah Preminger--Before the Rain (Palmetto) Matana Roberts--Live in London (Central Control) And Coin Coin Chapter One Hal Singer and David Murray--Challenge (Marge) Carlo de Rosa's Cross Fade--Brain Dance (Cuneiform) Jamaaladeen Tacuma--For the Love of Ornette Kenny Werner--Balloons (Half Note)