brownie

The year 2004 brought ears to my computing gear and the Happy Holidays tunes were at the top of my listening for the New Year. Many thanks for this musical present. My very best wishes for the New Year to the Organissimo musicians. And many more thanks for making this Forum available and for making it work. You guys are really the best

THE Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra's New Year gig at Birdland was the band's last. From AP

Now that I am into DVD, I bought this new 2DVD set 'The Greatest Jazz Films Ever' which included some well-known videos including 'Jammin' the Blues, 'The Sound of Jazz' and 'The Sound of Miles'. Thought it was a good idea to start my DVD viewing with this. And I played this right after the New Year celebrations.. 'Jammin' the Blues' looked better than ever, then came the famous footage of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker playing 'Hot House' after being presented with Down Beat awards. AND THEN none but Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker get into 'Ballade'. Hey, wait a minute I have seen a couple of very brief images of Charlie Parker from that film but for years jazz fans were told this was what remained of the film Gjon Mili - the famous Life photographer who filmed 'Jammin' the Blues' - made in 1950 but was reportedly lost forever. Here, it's complete with Charlie Parker following with 'Celebrity'. We've heard this before, but I had never seen that. But then there is more. A pianist gets into 'Ad Lib', takes me some time to recognize Hank Jones. Ray Brown joins him, then Buddy Rich and the trio gets into a very nice improvisation. AND THEN Lester Young and Bill Harris walk into the scene. Lester takes his sax and is joined by all of the others for 'Pennies from Heaven' and I'm in heaven. My man Lester Young as I had never seen him before! Music is superb. Lester looks and plays beautifully. And there is more: all this gentlemen are joined now by Flip Philips and Harry Edison and - in a corner - there is Ella Fitzgerald with her back to the camera. All improvise on a Sweets tune called 'Blues for Greasy' with Buddy Rich doing exactly what he should: great drumming! Lester Young enjoys all this and solos to prove he IS the President. Pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. It's all happening right in front of my very eyes! At one point Flip Philips gets ready to play but realizes that Ella Fitzgerald is still into another scat singing chorus to the amusement of Lester and Harris. The footage is amazing! Small problem, the music is not exactly synchronized to the images. But who really cares when music like this turns out of nowhere. The DVD back notes has this as 'Jazz at the Philharmonic' but there is no mention of Lester Young playing on that (Ella, Hawk and Bird are the only names mentioned plus Gjon Mili). But this is the real thing, 'Jammin' the Blues, Part 2'! The snippets of Bird that were shown before were the only remaining traces of that film. But I don't remember anyone mentioning there were other greats beside Bird who had been filmed by Mili. Or anyone mentioning the footage had been recovered. I could not find any mention either of this Lester Young music in the various discographies I have. The only indication I found about this film was that it seems to have been included in a DVD released in Britain in 1999 under the title 'Norman Granz Presents Improvisation'. But the Lester Young footage is not mentioned there either. The release of that DVD obviously did not make the noise it should have! That DVD I got comes from the Idem label. Another Andorra-based enterprise from the Disconforme group. I know a lot of people on the Board have various (and sometime good) reasons to keep away from their products. Well, I have to thank them for getting into 2004 to the sound and sight of unknown Lester Young music.

This Board has been the best gathering place I've ever been to. I like the people and the spirit here. Thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge, your thoughts, your views and opinions. Can't believe this place got started less than a year ago!

Daylight is coming to this city. So is some cold rain. But 2004 is going to be a Great Year. Let's everybody have one great 2004

I've been inside many clubs, none beat the Village Vanguard. The place has unbeatable acoustics and that goes for trios or big bands. Wish I was living near the place!

If you're to smoke Gitanes, don't forget to check the 'Jazz in Paris' CD series that came from Universal. Gitanes (under the guise of Gitanes Jazz Productions) sponsored the series. A saxplaying musician replaces the dancing gypsy on the logo. Gitane is gypsy in French

One Bill Frisell glorious moment I rediscovered recently was his masterful solo rendition of the Nino Rota's music for Federico Fellini's film 'Juliet of the Spirits' in the Hal Willner-produced 'Amarcord' album.

Bobbie Nell Brookshire Gordon who toured with Duke Ellington in the early '70s died Saturday. From AP: She also sang on the Ellington 'Togo Brava Suite' album on Storyville.

Havana cigars. If you can get them

Well I was not that far off track when I mentioned Ruth Brown. The photo did look like a nowadays restaged photo. But Roberta Flack looks better on the second photo Chris posted And I have no regret that that Bessie Smith flick did not happen. Melvin Van Peebles script? Come on!! The film could have competed with that 'Lady Sings the Blues' stupidity with Diana Ross as one of those Hollywood worst errors (horrors?).

Now, tell me if I sinned when I bought that Kay Starr without saying any Hail Mary

A wild guess... RUTH BROWN!?!

Tony Fruscella - The Brooklyn Jam 1952 (Marshmallow) Elmo Hope - The Final Sessions, vol. 1/2 (InnerCity) Charles Tyler - Voyage from Jericho (Label Bleu) Assif Tsahar/Peter Kowald/Sonny Murray - Ma (Hopscotch) Bennie Green/Sonny Clark (Time)

Could she sing us a song?

This thread is turning into a Hall of Shame

Buddy Rich was never a favorite of mine but he did a hell of a great job on those trio sides with Lester Young and Buddy Rich! And on some other dates too. Wish Kenny Clarke or Max Roach had been the drummer on that Dizzy/Bird session.

I gave those Final Sessions a spin yesterday. There's really beautiful music in those albums. The piano on the first session is not THAT bad. If it's the same in the second session (the one with Philly Joe Jones on drums), that one is a bit of a problem. It may have been left untuned after the first session or it might be that the studio people bought the piano from Cafe Bohemia that Horace Silver struggled on for the 'Jazz Messengers at Cafe Bohemia' sessions. Or the one from the Five Spot used for the Dolphy live sessions that Jazzbo already mentioned.

I am entering DVD territory these days. I have seen this double Japanese DVD 'A Duke Named Ellington'. Most of the cover and back covers blurb is in Japanese. I gather this was made for the US Public Broadcasting Service. Does this have any fresh ducal material or has everything in it been shown before? Could not get much information on this on the net. Is this worth getting it? Price is reasonable.

It it's your birthday, hope you're having a very happy one, Moose (the Mooche?)

I listened to that Dexter Gordon Dooto LP reissue a while ago and found nothing really wrong with the sound. Granted it is not really top quality highfidelity but it is very acceptable. And yes, it's not really my favorite Dexter album but there are so few samples of what he was doing musically at the time! Plus I never miss a chance to enjoy Carl Perkins' piano playing!

This originally was released on George Wein's own label 'Storyville' in vinyl days and has been continuously reissued on a number of other labels. A great album, one of Konitz' very best. These were Konitz's first dates on his own after he left the Stan Kenton Orchestra. I have the Black Lion CD of it that came out years ago.

The piano is out of tune but it is not bad enough to distract from the great playing by Elmo Hope. I have enjoyed the two Inner City LP albums of those 'Final Sessions' for years.

Great list! May I just add the following names? - Stan Levey - Chico Hamilton - Sonny Murray - Milford Graves They belong to the list! Mike, Alan Dawson passed away in 1996, Ed Blackwell in 1992, Mel Lewis in 1990, Billy Higgins in 2001

My son went out of his way to present me with one the item on my most wanted jazz list: the Tony Fruscella Brooklyn Jam 1952 that was issued last year by the Japanese label Marshmallow. He could not find this CD when he travelled to Japan last month. I had given him a short want jazz CD list and he found everything with good advice from Organissimo member JohnS. The only missing item was the one I was most curious about: the Tony Fruscella CD. My son had one of the Tokyo records store locate a copy which arrived after he flew back home. He had a friend of his who resides in Tokyo pick up the album and ship it right on time. This made a wonderful Christmas present.