Free For All

I also "came of age" during the 70's. I went to my first jazz concert and attended many more while in high school, usually at jazz band festivals. The 70's represented the last full decade of the majority of the touring big bands- I was able to hear Basie, Kenton, Buddy Rich, Woody, Maynard (with a full big band), Clark Terry's big band (with Branford, Conrad Herwig, et al), Thad and Mel (in Grinnell, Iowa!!!-with Pepper, Roland Hanna, Jimmy Knepper, Jerry Dodgion et al), Don Ellis (!) and Louie Bellson, to name a few. It's a shame young players don't get the opportunity to hear big bands of this calibre LIVE anymore. The remaining touring bands are, for the most part, "nostalgia" ghost bands which many people, especially the younger ones, find boring or dated. The tight, swinging touring band playing new as well as old music was a joy to behold, and seeing 16 or more musicians making a living (albeit usually a meager one) playing great music inspired people like me to work hard with the hope of getting an opportunity to play with one of them someday. I also heard Return To Forever (around the time of Romantic Warrior), Matrix (remember them?), Chase (a great band, what a loss), Weather Report (w/Erskine and Jaco) and others. And I won't even start to list all the individual "guest artists" I heard w/various high school and college bands as well as with their own groups. It may not have been Blue Note's greatest decade, but don't tell me the 70's were lame- that's the decade I went from "ignorant" to "obsessed"!

Couldn't agree more! The Blackhawk set has been at the top of my play list over the summer. I can find no weaknesses- Hank sounds just fine to me, the rhythm section swings like a madman and Miles sounds fantastic. A very "happy" performance and a nice contrast to all the other sets. I wonder how the Jack Johnson set will fit into this hierarchy when it comes out- it seems like it's gonna be a mutha.

I've also been enjoying the recently acquired "Moten Swing" reissue. When I think of favorite Kenny I always think of "Why Was I Born" off the Coltrane/Burrell.

This Palo Alto side just was re-released. It's a session from 1981 w/Jimmy Rowles, George Mraz and Billy Hart. I give it a hearty recommendation, two thumbs up! "Three Little Words" smokes, as does "Pent-up House". Pepper is such a monster- I first heard him on The Cooker and then the Thad and Mel stuff. Did you know that he even did a short stint w/the Kenton band?

The word "jazzy" has always scared me.

Frequently, until I realize that I have absolutely no other marketable skills! Sometimes it's the best of all things, sometimes it's simply the path of least resistance; I guess your personal assessment depends on the balance of these two. I just don't want to deliver pizza. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Man, this reminds me of "Sophie's Choice". The impossible decision. Each one of these sets has brought so much pleasure it's hard to pick just one- each recording has its own unique delights. I remember before the Plugged Nickel set came out, it was like the secret "Holy Grail" of jazz. Anyone who owned it was immediately elevated to a higher social status. The 65-68 set contains some of the most innovative and fresh playing and composition. And it's still totally fresh. Wayne's tunes are timeless. The Cannonball/Trane group was the first Miles I ever heard and changed my priorities about music forever. I've got 'em all, but I guess if I have to choose one it'll have to be the Gil set. Great playing by Miles plus some of the most detailed, engaging and imaginative arranging/orchestration of all time- the arranger in me can't help but focus on that. Gil's orchestration is, to me, on a level of someone like Stravinsky. My only regret is that Gil should've gotten a little more rehearsal time from Columbia; the only blemish is some of the loose ensemble passages, especially on the Porgy stuff. Certainly forgiveable given the big picture. The Miles portion of my music collection represents my favorite music. His music encompassed, if not directly influenced, many of the major stylistic shifts in jazz. A significant number of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz share the space on these recordings: Bird, Monk, Sonny, Gil, Cannonball, Coltrane, Wynton, PC, Hank, Wayne, Tony, Herbie, McLaughlin, Corea, Jarrett, Liebman, Grossman, Scofield, Kenny Garrett, etc., etc. etc. Whenever I need "grounding" or inspiration, whether I need to mellow out (IASW, KOB) or get pumped up (Milestones, We Want Miles) I listen to a Miles side. There were those who were better trumpet players but few who were better musicians or better leaders.

All I can add is that I know Jim, he's still around KC. I haven't heard his CD (I am impressed he was able to get Carmell Jones, though) and I'm not really aware that he plays around town a lot. So Dan, you say his CD is happening, huh? Rooster, what's this about your "rejection of most of the KC jazz scene"? B) I don't think this kind of attitude will get your picture on the cover of the KC Chamber of Commerce Annual.

I'm also a big Joe Henderson fan, but I decided to pick between Trane and Sonny for the heavyweight title. I have to admit I reach for Sonny more often than Trane, so I went with Newk. I've been listening to the RCA box lately, so maybe that swayed me- the long version of 52nd St. is amazing!

You mean like Krusty The Klown's superfluous third nipple?

Is that how Vanilla Ice got his start? P.S., maybe "hip hopify"?

What was Lee's relationship w/Cal Massey? That could have been an influence.

I don't know if this one has been discussed, but I think it's some excellent late (1987!) Chet. I don't know if the inspiration that night was spiritual or chemical, but Chet seems to be very much alive and kicking. Sometimes late Chet is almost painful to listen to, but this one is a pleasure. Even after reading "Deep In A Dream" and learning more than I needed to, I still love listening to all Chet. Talk about someone who did a lot with limited tools, especially late in his career! I really like those My Favourite Songs/Straight From The Heart sessions (1988). Also, from 1984, Blues For A Reason w/ Warne Marsh.

OK, I should be practicing, writing tunes, doing something more constructive w/my time than surfing cable, but here I am watching this show. Yes, it's part of a current trend of this type of show (the make-over shows like Trading Spaces and While You Were Out combined with the current media "Will and Grace" bandwagon), and is exploitive and stereotypical in many ways, but so help me, I can't......tear.....myself.....away (Shatner moment). I think I'm attracted partially because my wife and I are getting ready to buy a house and this makeover stuff is interesting. Or maybe I'm just gay. If these guys ever had to deal with me they'd just have to pack it in (no pun intended) and give up. I'm sure this is not everyone's cup of tea, what do you think? I'm sure it will run its course and disappear like most TV fads. In the meantime...............

Some of my favorite Benny- "Jazz Giant" - a great side; I originally picked this up because of Frank Rosolino. Came for Frank, stayed for the rest. Also "Further Definitions" He was such a classy cat- every time I saw him he was STYLIN'. He was a real gentleman, and the least we can do is try to spread the word of the correct bridge to "When Lights Are Low"! I've always wondered why Miles didn't just do another take. I'm glad to have the one we do, but I'm surprised Miles let the wrong bridge get out. Did he think he was playing "Good Bait" or what? I'm curious, what's the general opinion of his big band writing- like "Kansas City Suite"? What would YOU say were his major contributions to the music? Obviously his longevity makes him part of an elite list that includes Doc Cheatham, Jay McShann et al. Kind of a "Bob Hope" of jazz in that respect, but Benny never seemed to lose a step in his later years. Many (including me) considered him to be musically conservative, although his playing to me always communicated dignity, charm and good taste. He did witness (and contribute to) much of the history of jazz! There are SO many stories of premature demise (whether self-inflicted or by fate) in the jazz world, it's always nice to see someone make it to old age! Hope you enjoyed the ride, Mr. Carter............

Gee, Mike, I hope you're not coming down with something!

Eric, are you out there? You're a KC person, right? You want in on this?

Al Foster is amazingly versatile- just think about the contrast between the Joe trios and his playing on something like "We Want Miles"!

"You talkin' to me?" Count me in, Rooster!

I also had the opportunity to see Al with Ron Carter and Joe Henderson (around the time of those "State of the Tenor" sides- mid 80's) at the Vanguard. Got there early enough to sit up front- it was so good we went back the next night.

Some great Al Foster can be found on Dave Liebman's "Pendulum". I don't think it's ever been out on CD yet, at least in the US. It burns! A great version of "Footprints" with a long Al Foster solo that will impress you even if you don't normally like drum solos. W/Randy Brecker, Richie Beirach, I think Frank Tusa and some great 70's looking attire on the album photos.

Due to excessive wear and mistreatment my Real Book only goes from about D to T. "Brainville", hmmm....................I don't know if my solo would work over those changes.

I think that's the best approach- no rules. It's important to be able to read the audience/situation and be flexible enough to "audible". I've given up on the specific set list 'cause I never stick with it. I just keep a list of tunes separated by styles (med. swing, ballads, etc.); usually I have an opener and closer in mind, but otherwise all bets are off.

In many clubs it seems that if you intend to play any ballads, you have to do it early, like during the first set. As the crowd gets increasingly "medicated" and loose the whole point of playing a ballad seems to become moot (now, I must also say I've seen many players who were able to quiet a noisy room musically, I mean w/o yelling "SHUT UP!" on the mic, just by playing with conviction and finesse). Some clubs have "quiet" policies which can help, and certainly in a "concert hall" situation rowdiness is not as much of an issue, but the funky and noisy clubs seem to necessitate a slightly different type of programming. That being said, they're also often some of the best places to play as far as audience energy is concerned. For the most part, I prefer the funky weekend crowd to the "museum" audience that seems to be in a collective coma. It all depends on what kind of group it is- music that's highly "detailed" and uses a lot of space (that ought not to be filled by blenders and drunks) often fares better in a quiet environment. Funky, grooving, dare I say "greazy" music often thrives from the drone of the room. Just my opinion.

"Bluesnik"; obviously a great session. Has this one been remastered? I look forward to a version w/ the alt. takes at the end. I know, I can reprogram the order, but I'm often too lazy to do that. Is it slated to be redone?