kh1958

Wow....NYC...them's some spoiled jazz audiences! I'd kill to see a couple sets of Lonnie on a tuesday night. Yes, me too. The Jazz Standard has excellent sound, and was only a three block walk from my hotel. Peter Bernstein on guitar. The last song of the second set was Back Track from Too Damn Hot--it was unbelievable.

Over the course of a four day trip to New York City (mostly Jazz Record Center, Downtown Music Gallery, and concert sales): CDs-- Onaje Allan Gumbs: Sack Full of Dreams and Remember Their Innocence Sun Ra: Strange Strings Nino Josele: Paz Duke Pearson: Dedication (OJC) Elmo Hope: Sounds from Rikers Island John Patton: Accent on the Blues and Minor Swing Barney Wilen: Moshi James Blood Ulmer: Bad Blood in the City The Blues World of Little Walter (Delmark) New York Jazz Combos 1935-37 (Hep) Skeets Tolbert and His Gentlemen of Swing 1931-40 (Classics) Duke Jordon (Savoy) Chuck Wayne: The Jazz Guitarist (Savoy) On LP: Cannonball Adderley: Jazz Workshop Revisited (Riverside) Coleman Hawkins and the Swingville All Stars: Years Ago (Swingville) Brother Jack McDuff with Gene Ammons: Mellow Gravy (Prestige) Gene Ammons: Jungle Soul (Prestige) Willis Jackson: Loose (Prestige)

I've still got my mono LP, plus the CD release.

Downtown Music Gallery has a box of Strange Strings CDs already, if you are in New York.

Glad to get you on Accent on the Blues. THAT is a killer...sit back and let that one sink in for a loooong time. That's a session that, to my ears, just never gets old. Also you mention Minor Move...do you mean Minor Swing on the DIW label? What's the other Patton session you're missing? Minor Swing on DIW (not the Tina Brooks recording, my mistake). I don't have Memphis to New York Spirit.

Saturday night--Frank Morgan at the Jazz Standard and Onaje Alan Gumbs at the Kitano. The latter set (sparsely attended), somewhat unexpectedly (being only familiar with Gumbs as a sideman on a few recordings), was an absolutely killer set. Sunday night--Nino Josele Trio at the Village Vanguard. This turned out to be another unexpected extreme pleasure. Flamenco guitar meets jazz and Bill Evans associated songs turned out to be a very happy meeting. Monday night--Mike Stern--55 Bar. Miles Davis was right about him. Tuesday night--Lonnie Smith at the Jazz Standard. They didn't get too warmed up until the second set, but by the end they sure were. The crowd was embarrassingly sparse, especially for the second set.

You focused me on the fact that I was missing three of John Patton's leader dates. Thanks to the Jazz Record Center, Accent on the Blues and Minor Move are no longer on that list.

It was only three blocks from my hotel to the Jazz Standard, so I went to see Frank Morgan and heard a set on both Saturday and Sunday nights. The first night, Ronnie Matthews was substituting on piano, but George Cables was back the next night with Carmen Lundy and Billy Hart. Frank Morgan now plays seated, but he played beautifully throughout, and the group sounded wonderful. A few songs inton the set, he brought out Grace Kelly, who was greeted enthusiastically by the crowd. I thought she sounded okay, but I couldn't find anything very distinctive in her playing. If you closed your eyes, she could have been any competent alto player. I certainly wouldn't buy any of her recordings at this point. The second night I liked better because he also brought out Lee Konitz as a guest, which cut short the spotlight on Grace Kelly. I left intending to buy more of Frank Morgan's recent CDs, and intending on holding off on buying any Grace Kelly recordings at least until she grows up.

I saw him (on accoustic bass) with that group with Al Dimeola and Jean Luc Ponty (Rites of Swing, I think)--that was in the early 90s. I was fairly bored by the concert.

I'm going to New York tomorrow and planning to see Frank Morgan at Jazz Standard on Saturday or Sunday night, so it appears I will also be seeing Grace Kelly, according to her website.

Cubafrica is an excellent recording.

You are kidding My Argo`s are sounding really great. Mono! No, not kidding--every one I have has excessive surface noise, like they used cheap vinyl. Perhaps I have just been unlucky in my purchases, but I do have at least 15 or so original pressings on LP.

Makes sense to me. In my experience, Argo pressings are pretty poor. Not to mention, you can't play a record in your car or transfer it to an ipod.

A few of my favorites not mentioned are: The Cool World Roy and Diz Dizzy Gillespie in Paris (a 1952 live concert with Wage Legge on piano), and The New Continent. One of the first concerts I ever saw (in 1975, I think) was Dizzy Gillespie, leading a quartet featuring Al Gafa and Mickey Roker.

kh, I bought Historically Speaking about 1969, and inside I found John Coltrane's Soultrane! I didn't bother to take it back to the store. It's a pretty nice record--with Mulligan and lots of Alan Eager. I just bought the LP--found a very nice looking copy at a Half Price Books, but someone had stolen the record, so they gave me the cover--I quickly found for sale on ebay a copy with a good record, and a bad cover--so now I am set.

Gerry Mulligan--Historically Speaking (Prestige)

It's on the classic album, Junior Wells (with Buddy Guy), Hoodoo Man Blues (Delmark).

Wayne Shorter--Moto Grosso Feio (Blue Note, Liberty).

The thesis is a fascinating read. Thank you. I love the story about sending Sun Ra as a substitute on organ.

My Max arrived on Wednesday--no. 2754.

Ray Bryant--Cold Turkey (Sue)

I finally ordered Burning Desire this week and promptly received it, along with the amazing new DVD, American Folk Blues Festival, the British Tours, 1963-1966, and I must say I love the two extended jams, Ezy Rider/MLK Jam (20 minutes), and Record Plant 2X (11 minutes). This CD is entirely instrumental.

Mose Allison--Creekbank (Prestige)

Now you've done it, you've forced me to order. I sense lawsuits coming on. Mind you, on this board I think we could all sue each other. Plaintiff: "Your honor, as damages I seek the defendant's collection of original 1950s-60s vinyl, the defendant's Mosaics, and Van Gelders..." That would be the act of the lowest knave on earth, of course.

Now you've done it, you've forced me to order.