brownie

Saturn at best but not really the best...

Arthur Blythe 'Illusions' (CBS)

The Don Byas Blue Star It has sides recorded by Don Byas between 1947 and 1952 after his arrival in France.

Hans, I see a number of those RCA/Jazz Tribune CDs in the shops I visit here but never those Duke Ellingtons. If I ever stumble on them, I'll PM you!

More sad news. He very much held his rank alongside Elvin Jones on the Lee Konitz 'Motion' set.

Has this been confirmed? His website has nothing about it... Would be sad news if it's true!

Herb Geller and his All Stars 'Gypsy' (Atco, mono original) with Thad Jones, Scott LaFaro, Elvin Jones, etc...

One Antonioni film which does not seem to be readily available these days is the 3-part film from 1965 (shot by different directors) 'I Tre Volti'. The Antonioni segment had Princess Soraya (who had recently been repudiated by the Shah of Iran) during a film test. I happened to be in Rome when it was released on Italian screen. Soraya might have been frontpage news at the time but she was no actress. The film was pretty bad and the it was some kind of a disaster at the boxoffice, then was quickly withdrawn. Still it would be interesting to see it how it fares today.

Great to see that Butch Warren is back on the scene Hope we can all hear him soon!

I have not seen Zabriskie in several years but I remember being impressed by it when it came out. It was somehow a US-based counterpoint to 'Blow Up' which was how Antonioni saw the late '60s England. I caught 'Blow Up' not long ago and thought it showed its age. A fresh viewing of 'Zabriskie Point' may bring a similar impression.

Julian Priester 'Spiritsville' (Jazzland, mono) with Sam Jones, Walter Benton & McCoy Tyner

Both Helen Merrill have been reissued in France on CD:

Gil Fuller & the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra 'Featuring Dizzy Gillespie' (Pacific Jazz, stereo)

Robert L. Campbell's discography of 'The Earthly Recordings of Sun Ra' (1994 edition) had this to say: Ed Bland also used Ra and Arkestrans on rock sessions, a limbo dance album for AudioFidelity (1965 or 1966) and with R&B singer Popcorn Wylie (supposedly on Epic records). The recordings have not yet been traced

Those 'Strayhorn' sides were included in the Cuscuna-produced release of the Roulette double CD 'Live at the Blue Note' in 1994: Malcolm Addey remixed the date.

From an Amazon.com review of 'Under the Jasmin Tree': MJQ in their prime, January 18, 2005 By BD Wong "BD Wong" (USA) - See all my reviews I just couldn't let the lame, non-review below stand alone and give the impression that this is anything but a fine album. MJQ came to be on Apple in 1968 because Apple's business manager at the time, Ron Kass, was a big fan. While we may laugh at the naiveté of the ideal now, things were wide open at Apple in those days, so if someone there wanted to release an album by their favorite performer, regardless of genre or sales potential, by god it was released! This album is quite typical of the MJQ sound: light but not shallow, swinging, classically informed. A highlight is John Lewis's suite Three Little Feelings. The MJQ came to Apple from Atlantic Records and returned to Atlantic after their two albums.

I second that recommendation. These recordings are terrific from every point of view: they feature (for the most part - even Strayhorn was not everytime consistently on the same high level) marvelous compositions and arrangements, the Dutch Jazz Orchestra plays them with absolue authority and the soloists are first rate. I third this. Got the set after seeking recommendations from this Board and Lon replied with a very favorable go ahead. Which I did. 'Just amazing' is absolutely right. Thanks again Lon!

I probably was too young to really appreciate many of his films when they came out. Over the years the full grasping of Bergman's achievements came through. And most of his later films ('Persona', 'Cries and Whispers', 'Fanny and Alexander' are masterpieces). But I also have a passion for his early films like 'Summer with Monika' and 'To Joy', one of te most moving film dealing with music!

Nice video of Billy Strayhorn playing piano with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1965: http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjc7mu9leYw

Same problem with Firefox. But Internet Explorer (which I use as a backup browser, just in case...) reads it fine!

Miles Davis 'In Stockholm 1960 Complete' (Dragon), disc 4

Harry Edison and Eddie Davis 'Jawbreakers' (Riverside, mono, blue label)

Mezzo will most surely air a number of concerts from Marciac later in the year. Mezzo is currently showing a series of excerpts from concerts from the first 30 years of the Marciac festival. This evening it's Richard Galliano time, Phil Woods on Wednesday, Guy Lafitte August 6, Kenny Barron August 8, Barney Wilen August 11, Daniel Humair August 13, among others... Mezzo, France 3 and Arte are listed as sponsors for the 2007 festival so those channels will have programs on the festival.

An article on Orin Keepnews from te ContraCosta Times today.

Earl Hines 'Plays Cole Porter' (Swaggie)