kh1958

Ahmad Jamal's Club Alahambra, on Argo. Occasional pops and crackles, but this is a truly beautiful recording (sonically and performance-wise).

Yes, there's Debut in Blues, which features a sextet. This was the second of the three. I have it in two LPs, the original Argo, and a Chess reissue (the latter being one of those cheapo reissue Chess pressings). I don't think there's been a CD reissue. I believe both Breakthrough and Debut in Blues feature Mr. Shaw's working band of the time. The repertoire is mostly originals by band members, and both the compositions and playing, by mostly unfamiliar names, are at a high level.

I have a Donald Byrd-Pepper Adams Fresh Sound CD called Out of this World, which purports to be the Complete Warwick sessions with Herbie Hancock. Not sure if it is complete. Perhaps not, as there are no alternate takes.

I hope you enjoy them. It took a pretty long search before I found all three of these, but it was worth it.

I downloaded to my itunes library/ipod from this one with no problems.

Now that's good luck. One of my favorites I've never gotten to see live.

I noticed that dustygroove.com has two of Gene Shaw's Argo Lps for sale. They're both good ones that don't turn up very often. Breakthrough was recorded on October 11, 1962 and features Sherman Morrison on tenor sax, James Taylor on piano, Sidney Robinson on bass, and Barnard Martin on drums. This LP has some really great tracks (Autumn Walk, Six Bits, the Thing, and It's a Long Way are my favorites). There has not been any CD reissue of this LP, to my knowledge. Carnival Sketches was recorded May 11 and July 17, 1964. This one was out briefly as a Japanese CD reissue. This is a sort of Latin record, but don't be deterred, the first side of this LP is great--it's a side-long suite composed by Richard Evans, and featuring Shaw's beautiful trumpet. Gene Shaw -- Breakthrough . . . LP . . . $39.99 (Item: 19831) Argo, 1962 Condition: Very Good+ View Cart We love this record! Gene Shaw was an obscure trumpet player who was also known as Clarence Shaw, and who played with Mingus (on Tijuana Moods and other sessions) before Mingus threatened his life, and he had to move to Chicago and change his name! (This can be verified in the liner notes to the 1963 release of Tijuana Moods, in which Mingus says that he loved Shaw, but can't get in touch with him anymore.) In Chicago, Shaw merged with the city's great scene of underground soul jazz players, and created 3 amazing recordings for Chess/Argo -- one of which is this album! The session sparkles with lyricism and imagination, and with a groove that mixes soul jazz rhythm with edgey modernist soloing. Highlights include the cuts "Autum Walk", "Six Bits", "The Thing", and "Our Tune". (Original Argo pressing. Cover has a bit of tape on 2 corners, and 2 edges, plus some light wear -- and pen notations on the back cover.)Gene Shaw -- Carnival Sketches . . . LP . . . $11.99 (Item: 5243) Just Reduced! Argo, 1964 Condition: Very Good- View Cart Excellent LP by one of the lost trumpet talents of the 60's! Gene "Clarence" Shaw played with Mingus, until the big one scared him away, and he fled to Chicago and started recording LPs for Argo. All of the LPs are great, and this one's a rare treat featuring a cool set of compositions and arrangements by Richard Evans that have a groovy Latiny feel to them. Evans plays bass, and Charles Stepney's on vibes. Shaw is stunning throughout, and this set makes you wonder why Mingus didn't come out to Chicago and re-hire him on the spot. Cuts include "Ain't That Soul", "Goin Back Home", "Goin' Downtown", and "Cha Bossa". Tough one to find! (Original blue label Argo pressing.)

This concert has been postponed until January 14. I was told that Mr. Newman has broken his hip. Let's hope he recovers quickly.

Every day I feel like it's Otis Spann.

I saw Mr. Harris this past Saturday night at Birdland. There was a good size crowd present--and he had Charles Davis on tenor sax, Early May on bass, plus a guitarist and drummer whose names were new to me. It was a very nice concert.

Actually, during that period, I thought Black Saint and Soul Note were the best active labels going. They had a mystique as far as I was concerned--the LPs had a consistent design look, the pressings were very good, and recording quality was first rate. A few more favorites that occur to me: Max Roach--Scott-Free (with Cecil Bridgewater, Odean Pope and Tyrone Brown--a powerful composition and LP-long performance--my favorite later period Max Roach). Sun Ra--Mayan Temples (my favorite late Sun Ra recording). Don Pullen--Evidence of Things Unseen (great solo piano recording). Charlie Haden--Silence (with Chet Baker). Yeah, I'd say it's pretty much worth getting anything on the label by artists you like or think you might like. They had a very strong run. ← I don't disagree. But why is that? I mean, what was it about Black Saint/Soul Note that often resulted in an artist's best work? ← I think this is a particularly interesting question because BS/SN don't have the same label mystique as BN, Impulse! or ECM, which would potentially bias assessments upward. Guy ←

Currently 2.27 million Skype users logged in.

I've used Skype to talk to someone in Mexico. You just need two computers with the software, and you can talk over the computer line as long as you like for free. The sound isn't as good as a land line, but it usually works pretty well. You can also use it to call someone from your computer to their landline--that's the Service that you have to pay for.

If FEMA's the promoter, they'll probably be forced to play Kenny G songs.

David Murray's Home is my favorite of his Octet recordings. The two George Adams-Dannie Richmond albums (with Jimmy Knepper and Hugh Lawson) are outstanding. Don Pullen's Milano Strut is worth acquiring for the haunting performance on organ of the title track. There are lots of wonderful recordings on these two labels from the 1970s/80s.

I really like the first side of the LP (Sneaky Pete, the Mercenary, Sonic Boom). The Lee Morgan/David Newman pairing is also on Lonnie Smith's Think.

Excerpts from The Onion on the hurricane... God Outdoes Terrorists Yet Again September 7, 2005 | Issue 41•36 Louisiana National Guard Offers Help By Phone From Iraq BAGHDAD—The 4,000 Louisiana National Guardsmen stationed in Iraq, representing over a third of the state's troops, called home this week to find out what, if any, help they could offer Katrina survivors from overseas. "The soldiers wanted to know if they could call 911 for anyone, or perhaps send some water via FedEx," said Louisiana National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Pete Schneider. The Guardsmen also "would love to send generators, rations, and Black Hawk helicopters for rescue missions," but, said Schneider, "we desperately need these in Iraq to stay alive." Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld praised the phone support, but noted that it would take months to transfer any equipment from Iraq to New Orleans, saying, "You fight a national disaster with the equipment you have." Government Relief Workers Mosey In To Help NEW ORLEANS—Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown, leading a detachment of 7,500 relief workers, moseyed on down to New Orleans Monday afternoon. "Well, I do declare, it's my job to see if any of these poor folks need any old thing," Brown said from his command rocker on the command post porch, adding, "Mighty hot day, ain't it?" Follow-up teams of emergency relief workers are expected to begin ambling into the Gulf Coast region as early as this weekend. "They should be getting the trucks good and warmed up anytime now, and they'll be cruising into town just as soon as all the reservists stroll in," said Brown, who is currently at his desk awaiting offers of food, water, and evacuation buses to roll in from "somewhere or other." White Foragers Report Threat Of Black Looters NEW ORLEANS—Throughout the Gulf Coast, Caucasian suburbanites attempting to gather food and drink in the shattered wreckage of shopping districts have reported seeing African­Americans "looting snacks and beer from damaged businesses." "I was in the abandoned Wal-Mart gathering an air mattress so I could float out the potato chips, beef jerky, and Budweiser I'd managed to find," said white survivor Lars Wrightson, who had carefully selected foodstuffs whose salt and alcohol content provide protection against contamination. "Then I look up, and I see a whole family of [African-Americans] going straight for the booze. Hell, you could see they had already looted a fortune in diapers." Radio stations still in operation are advising store owners and white people in the affected areas to locate firearms in sporting-goods stores in order to protect themselves against marauding blacks looting gun shops. Bush Urges Victims To Gnaw On Bootstraps For Sustenance WASHINGTON, DC—In an emergency White House address Sunday, President Bush urged all people dying from several days without food and water in New Orleans to "tap into the American entrepreneurial spirit" and gnaw on their own bootstraps for sustenance. "Government handouts are not the answer," Bush said. "I believe in smaller government, which is why I have drastically cut welfare and levee upkeep. I encourage you poor folks to fill yourself up on your own bootstraps. Buckle down, and tear at them like a starving animal." Responding to reports that many Katrina survivors have lost everything in the disaster, Bush said, "Only when you work hard and chew desperately on your own footwear can you live the American dream."

Apple needs to come out with an 80 or 100 gb model. (I only have 7 unused gbs left on my 60gb model--panic is starting to set in.)

Stopped at an unfamiliar Half Price Books and found: three used CDs for $8 each: Cal Tjader's Latin Concert (OJC) (with Vince Guaraldi, Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria and Al McKibben--the best recording I've ever heard from Tjader) Sonny Stitt--MCA/Chess reissue of his first Argo LP. Ahmad Jamal--Nature (with Othello Molineaux on steel drums) and two new Xanadu's for $5 each Shorty Rogers and Art Pepper--Popo J.R. Monterose--Straight Ahead.

Sums it up... By Rupert Cornwell in Washington Published: 03 September 2005 Why has it taken George Bush five days to get to New Orleans? President Bush was on holiday in Texas when Katrina struck. He then spent Monday on a pre-arranged political fundraising tour of California and Arizona, which he did not cancel or curtail. On Tuesday he surveyed the hurricane damage - but only from the flight deck of Air Force One, prompting criticism that he was too detached from the suffering on the ground. He didn't give a speech until Tuesday afternoon - 36 hours after the storm first hit - and didn't embark on a proper tour of the region until yesterday. Key advisers have come under fire for similar levels of detachment. As the full magnitude of the disaster unfolded, the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, was seen buying shoes in New York, and Dick Cheney remained on holiday.

It is shockingly expensive but that 30 inch Apple Monitor is a thing of beauty (I wish I had one).

Much thanks.

Any time it feels like I could make a grilled cheese sandwich just by going outside, it's hot enough.

I like his small group recordings (New Ideas especially) and never paid any attention to his big band--but, I recently picked up Live in 3-2/3 4 Time--and that is, unexpectedly to me, a very compelling record. Ellis plays very well on this one. I don't know about the rest of the big band's recordings, but this one I would definitely recommend.

Thanks very much. Receiving The Hank Mobley and Roy Eldridge Mosaic sets as birthday presents pretty much guarantees that!