kh1958

Here to Stay is indeed top-notch.

The new ones seem to be a bit hard to find, but I did just find two of them at the Jazz Record Center--Believe and 6th Avenue Romp--I haven't had the chance to listen yet.

Salah Ragab does play congas with the Arkestra, I just noticed.

I have an LP, Sun Ra Meets Salah Ragab in Egypt, on Praxis, recorded in 1983. Actually, they don't really meet, as they each have a side of the LP. I should listen again before commenting, but my recollection is that both sides of the LP were good.

Two bad choices.

It really was fantastic. Saw another very interesting one tonight, my last night here--Don Preston (of the early Mothers of Invention and who later recorded with John Carter), at The Monkey. The club was very small--there were actually only 21 seats. The room had a five channel sound system (3 in front, 2 in rear). Don Preston played a couple of solo keyboard pieces, in an avant garde jazz vein, that were quite good. The rest was a trio, with Preston on various electronic keyboards, Andre Choimondeley on guitar, and Cheri Hosne on some sort of electronic percussion keyboards. I'm not sure what genre of music this was--improvised electronica? It sounded really amazing in the small club, with a great sound system coming at you from every direction.

Wow, that sounds like it was great! If I'd have known, I might have come up from Corpus for that show. I also missed the Dave Holland show in San Antonio last night (and the Los Lobos show at Antone's in Austin). Was a good weekend for music in TX! Actually, I'm visiting New York for a few days, so it would be alot longer trip!

Last night at Merkin Hall (nice venue), a Tribute to Don Cherry--first a short set by the Dave Douglas Quartet (with J.D. Allen on tenor, Henry Grimes, and Andrew Cyrille), next a short set by Roy Campbell (Mixashawn on sax, William Parker, and Hamid Drake)--both sets were intense and inspired. Then both groups combined to perform Don Cherry's A Symphony for Improvisers, recorded for Blue Note 40 years ago--a very inspiring and powerful performance, with Henry Grimes of course being on the recording.

Last night, a double feature at the Blue Note--the Bad Plus, followed by Jason Moran and Bandwagon. I had mixed feelings about the Bad Plus, some of their songs left me cold, but several were quite good, so by the end of the set I liked them pretty well. Jason Moran was a whole other story--his set as simply brilliant, confirming why he's among my favorites in jazz today. By the end of his set, the Bad Plus was virtually forgotten--it's a good thing they came on first. Damn, that was good, is all I can say.

Last night, the Mingus Big Band at the Iridium, and they sounded great--players included Craig Handy, Abraham Burton, Jaleel Shaw, Wayne Escoffrey, Earl McEntire, Frank Lacy, Alex Spiagan, Sean Jones, George Colligan, and Boris Koslow. Songs performed included--Jump Monk, Meditations, Opus Four, Portrait, Open Letter to Duke, A Song with Orange, and Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me.. However, the less than full house at the Iridium was a bit disappointing. Same as my last visit in May. I miss the overflowing, enthusiastic crowds at the Time Cafe. The new reissue of Music Written for Monterey, Not Heard, was available at the show, and I picked up a copy.

They played Lonely Woman in Austin.

Hard to go wrong for $5.99! I've been going to see Roy live since he was a teenager in Dallas and always been frustrated by his recordings, which never seemed to capture the fiery playing I witnessed. This one finally captures at least some of what I've heard. There's some pretty nice Slide Hampton on the record as well.

Yes, a very nice record, probably his best to date.

This is a recording that makes one appreciate the LP format, because the first side of the Lp is just a perfect sequence of brilliant compositions and performances--Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, Cryin' Blues, Moanin'--Booker Ervin is amazing--the Mingus solo on Cryin' Blues is one of the greatest recorded bass solos--Pepper Adams on Moanin' is fantastic.

Vinyl is also very frustrating. Like yesterday, I found an original Bethleham issue of the Mingus classic East Coasting, at a reasonable price even. There are no visible scratches on the LP. However, when I listened to it this morning (after cleaning it with a Nitty Gritty vacuum cleaner), it is marred by perhaps the loudest surface noise I've ever heard on an LP. This is very tragic, because if one can ignore all the surface noise, the sound of the record is actually very beautiful. On the British LP reissue I have from the 1980s and CD reissues, the recording quality sounds pretty mediocre. Now I know the original issue sounded great.

Last night, Stanley Jordon at the Granada Theater. It's been nine years since I saw him last--it was an amazing and beautiful solo performance--two sets, over an hour each. The first set was mostly mostly material I hadn't heard him play before, except Stolen Moments, closing with a very extended original piece I sure would like to have on record. The second set he performed the hoary rock and other chestnuts he's known for--opening with a thirty minute version of Eleanor Rigby that was quite a wonder. He's stripped down his performance style--none of the playing two guitars at once with lots of effects--basically, it was just him playing a guitar, more like the first time I saw him years ago when his first recording on Blue Note came out. He seemed to really enjoy playing at the Granada, which has very good sound. There was a decent, though not overflowing crowd. I'm really looking forward to hearing Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey and Lenny White at the Granada in a couple of weeks.

I suspect she's little known in the U.S. and her CDs are hard to find here, but Mexico's Magos Herrera is really terrific. I love her new CD, Soliluna, a collaberation with Iraida Noreiga (another very good Mexican singer), not to mention, Todo Puede Inspirar and Orquideas Susurrantes. She's making a rare U.S. appearance at Dazzles, in Denver, on September 14 and 15. I wish I could be there. http://www.magosherrera.com/

Lenox Lounge is in Harlem, as you well know. Club's client list is mostly local black people in their 50s-60s, at least that's how it was when I used to go there. It is not really dangerous; if you leave your 10-gallon hat and "Texans for Bush" t-shirt in your hotel room you should be fine. Subway stop is right near, but Lenox Avenue is famous for breakdowns... I do not own a cowboy hat or cowboy boots and I voted for Ann Richards, Al Gore, and John Kerry rather than Bush, so I should be safe.

I've been a couple of times. There is a very cool Deco bar when you walk in and a pair of doors in the back which lead to the room where they have the live music. The soul food is pretty good--by bar standards any way. It's a very small room and there's no stage--the musicians just set up in the corner of the room. If you're taking a cap uptown remember that when you get out of the club at 1 AM or whenever there will be NO cabs on the street in Harlem at that time of night-you'll have to hail a gypsy cab and pay $20 to get back to midtown. 125th and Lenox is a MAJOR intersection and it's totally "safe" by any resonable person's standards. Thanks for the information.

I'm expecting to be in New York most of next week and have noted that Bill Lee is appearing at the Lenox Lounge next Friday and Saturday. I'm assuming (perhaps wrongly) that this is Bill Lee the bassist and composer that I saw leading a quintet at the Caravan of Dreams in the early 1990s. He was most impressive and I would be excited to see him again. Does anyone know anything about this engagement? In addition, how is the Lenox Lounge? I've never been there. It's further uptown than I've ever been on my late-night jazz travels in Manhattan. Is the neighborhood safe? Is it easy to catch a cab late at night? Thanks.

Marchel Ivery's three CDs on Leaning House are all worthwhile. http://www.amazon.com/Marchel-Ivery/artist...6554364-5032618

I've enjoyed that series also.

Vinyl and digital.

It looks like a trio, not a duo. What about the kitten in the middle?

If you get the last Hank you lack, what then? I cannot in good conscience sell you my copy.