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The French TV cable channel Mezzo premiered Sunday night 'Chet by Claxton', a 26-minute documentary by French filmmaker Bertrand Fevre in which photographer William Claxton discusses many of the famous photos he took of Chet Baker when the trumpet player was starting out on the West Coast in the '50s. The photos were gathered in Claxton's book 'Young Chet'. Nice show which was marred by several sequences showing a young man (presumably a contemporary Chet Baker) driving through the streets of Los Angeles nowadays to voice uninteresting statements on drugs, jazz, films. Background music was all Chet Baker's including the classic 'You Don't Know What Love Is' quartet rendition.

Mnytime wrote: Thanks for pointing it out. Should have read Rooster's full post first.

'Takin' Off' was a stunning debut album and one of Dexter Gordon's classic contribution to a very basic, very beautiful date.

'Night dreamer'. one of my favorite BN.

How come 'Point of Departure' is not listed? I always loved this album. 'Smoke Stack' got my vote then. For the Hill-Roy Haynes interplay.

I voted for 'Of Love and Peace', my second favorite Larry Young album after 'Into Somethin'. But that was a hard decision leaving out 'Unity' and 'Mother Ship'. And agree with BFrank about 'Double Exposure', a superb album.

Cab Elvin Chu Dodo Lucky (should be Unlucky) Clifford Django Pee Wee Chano Gato Bunny

Universal France will release this week a new series of 10-inch vinyl albums reissues. Included in the next batch are the following exact replicas: - the sountrack to the 1959 film 'Un Temoin Dans la Ville'. Music by Barney Wilen, played by Kenny Dorham, Wilen, Duke Jordan, Paul Rovere and Kenny Clarke, - the sountrack to the 1959 film 'Des Femmes Disparaissent'. Music by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons, Jymie Merritt). Both were originally released by Fontana. No idea if the sound has been 'improved'. Other 10-inch reissue LPs include albums by Henri Salvador, Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot.

Ghost of Miles wrote: From what I understand, Marcel Romano is still alive. Haven't talked to him in years. Will try to get in touch and ask him about the Monk music. As for the Jack Marray credit, the 'composer' of the music to 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses', I believe the music was not credited to Duke Jordan for fiscal reasons. When the film came out and the sountrack was released, it was a very open secret that Marray was Duke Jordan. The tune 'No problem' was a minor hit at the time and it was referred then as Duke Jordan's composition.

Martin Scorcese 'After Hours'. The one film from the '80s i always get kicks out of.

More women of jazz influence: Mary Lou Williams Nica de Koenigswarter Helen Keane

The New York Times has a Jutta Hipp obituary in their edition today. Jutta Hipp, Jazz Pianist With a Percussive Style, Dies at 78 By BEN RATLIFF Jutta Hipp, a jazz pianist from Germany who had a short, celebrated career in the 1950's playing in New York nightclubs and making records for the Blue Note label, then turned her back on jazz to become a dressmaker, died on Monday at her home in Queens. She was 78. The cause has not been determined, said Tom Evered, general manager of Blue Note Records. Ms. Hipp (whose first name was pronounced YOU-ta) left Europe for the United States in 1955. As a young adult, she studied at the Leipzig Academy of Graphic Arts in East Germany, but crossed over to West Germany in 1946 after the Russians moved in to occupy Leipzig. In an interview with Whitney Balliett of The New Yorker, she said that she had been excited about the initial postwar occupation of Leipzig by American forces. "We were very happy at their coming and brought out all our jazz records to play for them," she said. "No response. We were terribly hurt until we discovered what was wrong, which was that those G.I.'s didn't like jazz; they liked hillbilly music." She did not get along much better with the Russians, who wanted to put her design skills to work on propaganda posters. Ms. Hipp had been playing piano since she was 9, and in West Germany she played in a circus and eventually at nightclubs. In Munich she started her own small group, and around 1951 a friend sent a tape to the American jazz critic and record producer Leonard Feather. Feather found her in Germany in 1954 and arranged a visa for her to work in the United States. Once she was in New York, he booked her at the Hickory House jazz club. She started playing at the Hickory House in March 1956 and stayed there for six months. Through Feather's agency, three records appeared in quick succession on Blue Note: "Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims" and two volumes of "Jutta Hipp at the Hickory House," with a trio including the bassist Peter Ind and the drummer Ed Thigpen. She appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956.

Other ESP albums well worth investigating: - Giuseppi Logan Quartet - Albert Ayler 'Spirits Rejoice', 'Bells', - Sun Ra 'The Heliocentric World' volumes 1 and 2, - Paul Bley 'Barrage' - Patty Waters Sings - Sunny Murray

Mikeweil wrote: Had this Jazz Odyssey once. Pretty interesting album where Jo Jones talked about various drumming and jazzdance greats and and demonstrated how THEY performed. Then Jo Jones showed what jazz drums was all about. Willie The Lion Smith also played on that album. Wish I had not parted with it. It's indeed pretty rare nowadays.

You should have all the details at the Minor Music site. Minor Music is a German label:Minor Music

We all know that Chuck Nessa is very opiniated. Disagreed with him on Booker Ervin, but would tend to agree on David Murray. When Murray came on the scene in the late '70s, he was a very promising musician. Followed his early records (and several live appearances in New York and Paris ) and left it at that. He was going around in circles and IMO failed to deliver. Now when I want to hear Murray music that really moves, I stick to Sonny. I think David Murray is to the avant-garde what Charles Lloyd was to Coltrane. Lots of notes, no substance.

Yes, the Monk music is really the movie background music. You hear Monk much more than the Art Blakey music that was released on the soundtrack album. The Monk music (played by Rouse, Sam Jones and Art Taylor but not Barney Wilen) has never released on record. Monk was with Riverside at the time and the music was recorded without the label's approval (and probably knowledge). Understand Marcel Romano had a tape of the music.

Well, it's no longer valid. I was looking for that double CD. When I called to order by phone and mentioned the 23 cents prize, there was a long silence. The operator came back later saying that it was a mistake and they were changing the prize. That was my first experience with BN since their Board died.

Bob Florence who is a very interesting arranger leads an excellent big band (not sure if it's still performing). He made some swining records for the Trend Discovery label. Got the band's LPs when they were released but they should be available on CDs. Favorite albums include 'Live at Concerts By The Sea', 'West Lake', 'Trash Can City' and 'Soaring'. His big band at the time included soloists like Bob Cooper, Peter Christlieb, Bill Perkins and the underrated trumpet player Steve Huffsteter. Another underrated musician drummer Nick Ceroli propelled the band (he was replaced by another excellent drummer Peter Donald).

Ubu, you sure this is not an April 1 leftover?

Ghost, the only books I know on the subject (there aren't many) are in French. One suggestion, of the three films you mention only Godard's Breathless was considered part of the French cinema New Wave. The two others (by Roger Vadim and Louis Malle) were at best considered marginal contributors to the New Wave. The actual French New Wave directors (Truffaut, Rivette, Rohmer, etc) were not jazz fans. Godard was (he still is) an original who was/is interested in all type of good music. One worthy contributor to a New Wave film jazz score would be John Cassavettes (and the music to his film 'Shadows). In any case, the film music you have selected is excellent (New Wave or not)!

Any record with the Paul Mauriat orchestra should be avoided like the plague by jazz fans. Mauriat was France's equivalent to Percy Faith. He swings even less.

I have stayed away from most JSP/Proper boxes because I already had most of the stuff they released. But I got these: - the JSP Blind Lemon Jefferson and Charley Patton sets, both excellents, - the Proper Gospel box 'Good News', a 4CD compilation of some of the best gospel recordings (these were very jard to get). The Proper box also has excellent notes (these are nearly non-existent in the JSP boxes I have seen). All these are good, cheap and well distributed over here.

To add to my earlier post, Le Monde published in its Saturday edition, a long (almost a full page) article including a full interview of Wayne Shorter in connection with the release of his new album.

I always get a kick out of the 'Tenor Conclave' album. Coltrane, Mobley, Zoot and Cohn together. Plus the Red Garland trio. Couldn't get better.