GA Russell

There is already a jazz label called Contemporary, and I am surpised that Concord will allow Mosaic to use the word in its title.

I don't understand this. I don't know much about his discography, but he recorded an all-Jobim CD, "Falando de Amor" (it's on Venus) way back in 2003. Thanks for pointing that out, Jim. Evidently Aggie is correct. I went back to re-read the press releases that came with the CD. The word "debut" is used more than once, and there is no indication that he recorded for another label, but reading the material closely I can see that the references were limited to the ECM catalogue. I'll have to be more careful when I read the press releases.

Over the course of 2006 I noticed a number of times over at AAJ the name of an Italian pianist I had never heard of before named Stefano Bollani, always with high praise. It piqued my interest. When ECM emailed me that they would release his debut album as a leader, I wrote back requesting an advance copy. Piano Solo was recorded in August of 2005 and released in Europe in August of 2006. It will be released in the US February 6. I think I read that Bollani has recorded 12 albums with the trumpeter Enrico Rava, so I assume that he is well known in Europe. He is a conservatory-trained musician, and could have made a living down the classical music road but chose jazz instead. Piano Solo has 16 tracks totalling 68 minutes. None of the songs sound alike, although the majority are somewhat melancholy. He has a beautiful touch on the keyboard, firm but very pleasant to listen to. Every note is clear and precise. He provides a lot of rhythm with his left hand, and sometimes reminds me of Art Tatum with his runs. Familiar songs include For All We Know, Do You Know What It Means (to Miss New Orleans), On the Street Where You Live, Maple Leaf Rag and (here's a pleasant surprise) Don't Cry Put Your Head on My Shoulder from Pet Sounds. (Listening to that one made me wonder how many other songs from Pet Sounds would make good jazz tunes.) But in every case he puts the melody through the wringer, so that none of the songs are played straight up. Very inventive. Since I haven't heard any of his recordings with Rava, I don't know how Piano Solo compares to his other work. One thing that struck me was that this album would have been more appreciated by me and probably others if it had been his fourth as a leader. It's like the change-up in baseball. You don't throw a change-up on your first pitch because you're not changing up from anything. You first establish your fastball, and then when the batter is looking for it you give him the change-up. Well this album is like that. If Bollani had established himself first as a straight ahead jazz player, then this album would be all the more remarkable. But since this is the first of his that I've heard, it leaves me wondering how he sounds playing mainstream jazz. This is not an album for when you are in the mood to listen to Horace Silver, but for this group it would make an excellent change from the usual. CD Universe has it available for pre-order: List Price $17.98; Their Price $14.29; Pre-Order Price $14.04.

Thanks Hans! Most of these are within my budget. I've never ordered from Tanno before, so maybe I will sometime soon. edit for typo

Art Pepper - Smack Up (Contemporary OJC) I have just realized that this album contains a song from Duane Tatro's Jazz For Moderns. I used to listen to this a lot, and for the past five months I have listened to the Tatro a lot, but it's not until now that I have made the connection. Gerry Mulligan - Mulligan Plays Mulligan (Prestige OJC) I tried to buy this under the title Historically Speaking when I was in college, but inside the jacket was a copy of Soultrane. Coltrane fans would say that I got the better deal, but I was disappointed not to get what I wanted. It was a closeout of old mono copies, so there was no returning it for the right disc. I suppose I could have gotten my money back, but I just kept the Coltrane. The Best of Bobby Bland (MCA) Today is Bobby Blue Bland's birthday, so I pulled out this 80s release of his original Duke recordings.

Does 1500 translate into 15 US dollars, or is that a yen figure, and if so what does that convert into in American dollars?

Didn't Rod Stewart play harmonica on My Boy Lollipop?

Miles - Blue Moods (Debut OJC)

There have been two news items in the past week. The Ticats cut Tim Strickland because his knee injury is healing too slowly. The Als signed him. I doubt that the Ticats would have cut him if there was a chance he would return to his old form. I suspect he's done. Too bad, he was a great one. Arena football has signed three guys still under contract to CFL teams. I don't think that any of the three are much to be concerned about, but nowadays the Arena league can afford to pay more than the CFL can. If the CFL can't enforce its contracts they are in for a lot of hurting, it seems to me. The Arena schedule now extends to seven weeks deep into the CFL season. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

This is a horserace! Now Cape Verdean has come from behind to share the lead!

Here's a link to the list of everyone who will perform the two weekends of this year's Jazzfest: http://www.nola.com/weblogs/nola/index.ssf.../2007_01_25.rss As you can see, the artists include: Pharoah Sanders Soulive Rebirth Brass Band Pete Fountain Arturo Sandoval Mose Allison Kermit Ruffins Dr. Lonnie Smith Terence Blanchard Irvin Mayfield Branford Marsalis Roy Hargrove Nicholas Payton Danilo Perez Ellis Marsalis Donald Harrison plus many gospel, blues and pop acts.

Aggie, not to nitpick, and this will I think prove your point even more, but Emergency was not released on Verve but rather on Phillips' new US rock label Polydor. (Polydor had long existed in Britain.) I remember that the first three releases of that label were John Mayall's The Turning Point (his first after he left Decca/London), Manfred Mann Chapter Three (my favorite at that time!; the band's first album) and Emergency (The Tony Williams Lifetime's first album). So as you can see, the record company's point of view was commercial - going after the college market. And as I recall Emergency got plenty of promotional support in the magazines.

I have a sentimental attachment to The Jody Grind. My senior year in high school a black r&b station in New Orleans WYLD had a two or three hour jazz show every Saturday afternoon. I was the secretary of the school's bowling league that year, and I worked out everyone's average in front of the show. The big hit which I could count on hearing every week was The Jody Grind. That was my introduction to the Blue Note label.

I like this one! One of my few Mosaic sets which I've heard all of. The last two CDs bore me a little bit - they just don't seem as exciting as the first few. But I listen to them all at least once a year.

Stan Getz with Cal Tjader (Fantasy OJC) The Flowering of the original Charles Lloyd Quartet (Atlantic) Charlie Byrd and Cal Tjader - Tambu (Fantasy)

Thanks for your input everyone! Last night Song For My Father was in first place, but today Jazz Messengers has taken the lead. I've noticed that Father hasn't received much enthusiasm among the comments despite its many votes. Thanks for your comments, Quincy. I didn't expect that this would become a referendum on my collection. Actually, I have five Silver discs plus some sideman work with Miles and Getz. My database says that I have (along with the date purchased): Silver 'N Percussion (1978) Best of Vol. 1 (1980) Best of Vol. 2 (1990) The Hardbop Grandpop (1997) Jazz Has a Sense of Humor (1999) I saw Silver and his group in the spring of '69 in DC at a Left Bank Jazz Society concert. It was enjoyable, but not memorable. I don't recall the names of any of the sidemen. I find a sameness to all of Silver's work, which is why I haven't been buying more of his records over the years. I enjoy them, but I guess not enough to spur me to go and get more. Obviously I'm in the mood for a new one now. I've just finished listening to The Hardbop Grandpop. It's a good album, but not a must-have. Anyway, I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions!

I agree with Guy's nomination of Headhunters. From this past year or so I definitely would say Chick Corea's The Ultimate Adventure and Neenna Freelon's Portrait of a Lady.

I had forgotten that Jack was the drummer on Infinite Search! That's one of my favorite records. I've got to vote for that one!

Well, since it's one of my favorite and oft-mentioned discs, I'll go with Al Foster on 1978's In Out & Around by Mike Nock with Michael Brecker and George Mraz. For Jack DeJohnette, maybe one of his sessions with Charles Lloyd. I'll say The Flowering of the original Charles Lloyd Quartet from 1966 with Keith Jarrett and Cecil McBee.

Ever heard their Latin album on Capitol? That's a good one! Voices in Latin! I have the CD of that, which is coupled with The Freshman Year. I got it four years ago, I think from Collectors' Choice. I enjoy it too.

My last Horace Silver was Jazz Has a Sense of Humor which I got in 1999. That's been quite a while now, so it's time for another. Your Music has eight available. Whatever the group chooses, that is the one I will put at the top of my queue. I already have his Best of volumes 1 and 2, so I suppose that I already have his very best songs and hits. I don't plan on this being my last Horace Silver purchase, but I won't plan on making another one for a year or more. Please feel free to discuss the merits or demerits of the albums you are familiar with. Because there are so many available, we might as well make this a Horace Silver corner. Deadline for the poll is 11:59 pm eastern, February 6. PS - Please vote only once. I'm looking forward to seeing which one this group likes the best!

Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones (Capitol) The Four Freshmen - Voices and Brass (Pausa) Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath (RCA Neon)

Our Sunday paper lists the top ten sellers in both contemporary jazz and smooth jazz, but never for modern jazz (the sort that we like). As far as I know, Billboard does not have a chart for it. Does anybody know where, preferably on the internet, one can look up the sales chart of the sort of music we like? I ask because today is the CD release date of Sonny, Please. I'll be curious to see how the sales are for this album. I read recently (I think it was in the lengthy Houston newspaper article that was linked in another thread) that almost all of a CD's sales occurs in the first two months of its release. Of course, the article was about music in general, so that means pop music. It doesn't surprise me that teenagers want a new album right away or not at all. Adult fans of modern jazz I assume are much more willing to wait. I say that because of the great number of us here who will wait until an album is available at Your Music. The release of Sonny, Please has been the nuttiest thing I've seen about this. First it is available from the fellow's website without advertising at a price ten dollars over the eventual list price. Then it is available for about two months only as a download, and then not even from eMusic. Finally it is available today at stores. So this policy has flown in the face of the industry's experience of promoting a new release and getting all of the sales proceeds promptly. I imagine that Sonny, Please will do well on the Soundscan chart, but I have to think that they have missed out on sales because on the first day of its "release" it is no longer a new album. So anyway, anybody know where to look up modern jazz sales?

Right you are David! I always thought it was Parker, but a google search shows that you are correct. By the way, it also says that the poem, entitled Reflections on Ice-Breaking, was written: Candy Is dandy But liquor Is quicker.

Candy is dandy, But liquor is quicker. - Dorothy Parker