Lazaro Vega

Ted, no, I'm sorry they are not but if you p.m. aloc he might have something for you. Werf! Was thinking about you -- glad you caught that. And thank Heaven for Roscoe Mitchell's music. "Ericka" really caught me this time in the solo version from "Nonaah." It's as if two different people were having a conversation about the same piece: the melody guy and an interloper, with the interloper emerging victorious.

The center section of the alto saxophone quartet version of "Nonaah" is just beautiful, while the outer sections are a challenge. The first for the repetition of the same motive -- though the sonic clarity of the CD allows one to hear a part which is not fixed -- and the third section for the collective power jam free jazz shout chorus. Not a typical program in that we don't play anything from the recording "Sound," or from the Roscoe Mitchell/Fred Anderson Quartet live in Grand Rapids. Though you will hear some Benny Golson, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane in the first two hours of the program tonight.

Nearly impossible to encapsulate Roscoe Mitchell's music in a radio program -- the list of recordings is massive. Will do our best tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. including solo, trio and quartet pieces from the forthcoming Nessa double CD reissue of "Nonaah." The sound of the reissue is frightening. Lookout for Roscoe in the 1970's! http://www.bluelake.org/radio

Doug Ramsey's review is elevating. Was responding to this general air of struggle in some of these between in or out, up or down, accept or warn off of as relates to the indefinable "jazz" line in the sand.

And I really don't find the language that troublesome. Given that Clem thinks I'm a moron in the reading cata-goy, take that as you will.

Well put.

Early Arno Marsh.

p.s. re: no Salmon. "Fish Market." And that little rant was for the published reviews not the general "audience" responses.

Man, these "reviews." Good for the band to have the publicity, but, wow: if I read another "you might like it but it's not jazz" sentiment I'm going to throw a Jelly Roll collection at the writer...because, as the great Jelly Roll proclaimed, "You can take any song and make it jazz." Why not Ska, why not whatever? After all the oceans of music created in the last 40 or more years that fall into the avant-garde or free or whatever label you need to deal with experimentalist musical mind sets, to have writers wrestling with the "accesible/non-accessible" parameter as the only insight into that history leads one to conclude that they have nothing on Entertainment Tonight. Referencing Zappa isn't much better, because no previous band sounded like this one -- you can't "sum up" Reptet with comparisons. Perhaps the Reptet is helping to push the boundaries of what jazz is and can be -- an idea which does not cross the minds of some of these writers, who have it all set up for the music to fit where they are and don't seem ready to meet the music where it is. Like, wow.

His music director and bassist Hilliard Greene has come to play here a couple of times now. Great guy, versatile musician.

Morgan's solo on "Dat Dere" with Blakey! Wow. While he wasn't an avant gardist per se Morgan was leaning toward more open modal forms near the end -- the Light House sessions, for instance. Hadn't heard that he'd had his teeth knocked out, though. Is that well known? Or is this being confused with Chet Baker? And wasn't it a Ford ad that they used The Sidewinder for, a Mustang? For some reason I recall seeing a white Mustang convertible driving down a two lane road from an arial three quarters view associated with The Sidewinder.

Arno, Thank you. It was our pleasure. Terry Martin noted during the party that as many of the “Four Brothers” tenor players aged their sounds grew darker and more grainy, and that your playing is authentic. Couldn’t agree more. Chuck, please thank Anne for the hand made card: looking to frame it. It was good to see – and hear! – everyone. LV

The Arno Marsh Quartet in our backyard. Good times, good times. A 25th Anniversary party.

http://www.bluelake.org/radio

Chauncy's out on the road with Elmer Calloway and can't reply: reed trouble.

And it isn't just five hours of Johnny Hartman. He's the featured artist for about 20 minutes of each hour. If you can't have a happy holiday weekend listening to jazz then don't -- you won't be alone. As for me -- bring it on, all night long. Expecting a spike in the birth rate 9 months from now.

Tonight's broadcast of "Jazz From Blue Lake" focuses on vocalist Johnny Hartman. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. est July 4th at 10 p.m. "Live From Blue Lake" with the Blue Lake Faculty Jazz Sixtet followed by a two hour special on the 2007 Detroit Jazz Festival. Jazz programming continues until 11 a.m. Saturday morning ("Jazz a la Carte" celebrates the 4th from 7 to 10 a.m. and at 10 "Piano Jazz" with guest Bill Evans. Please join us via 90.3 FM, in Grand Rapids on 88.9 FM, or over the net from http://www.bluelake.org/radio. Have a great holiday weekend. Lazaro

Recently received and have been playing "Coltrane In Spring" from J.T. Nice quartet date with Danish musicians. Also, bassist Adam Lane's record with Paul Smoker, J. T., and Barry Altchul. There's a Boxholder trio record with Garrison Fewell, guitar; Charlie Kholhase and J.T. that's lyrical and beautiful. Not the NYC5 but worthwhile none the less.

Press release -- thought the NYers might be interested: "Projectile" with MARK HELIAS - bass, compositions Ray Anderson - trombone Ellery Eskelin - saxophone Tyshawn Sorey - drums Friday June 27th at the Cornelia Street Cafe 29 Cornelia Street, NYC 10014 * 212-989-9319 http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com/ Sets at 9pm and 10:30pm Mark Helias http://www.markhelias.com/ Ray Anderson http://www.rayanderson.org/ Ellery Eskelin http://home.earthlink.net/~eskelin/ Tyshawn Sorey http://www.myspace.com/tyshawnsorey http://www.markhelias.com for more info

We will be re-broadcasting Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings this Saturday morning at 8:45 a.m. Hope you can join us. And if you happened to have caught any of the live broadcasts in this year's series, we could use your comments for the grant follow-up. radio@bluelake.org . Thanks folks.

Yeah, like what Lester Bowie had to say about using the "star" system to mess everything up.

And the Decca's from 1934 sound pretty good. My comments came after hearing the re-performance. Seems like a lot of money to spend on a virtual performance. Blue Lake is playing classic pianists all week, btw. Tatum tonight and tomorrow an oft over looked influence on him, Earl Hines. This issue of fidelity, though: have heard it for years from the early jazz crowd. "Oh, you have to come and hear our bands play this music live because it sounds so much better." To me that entirely misses the point of Johnny Dodds. Now, the Tatum thing isn't exactly the same, though, again, it doesn't sound like Tatum. There are nuances you can hear on the original recordings which identify Tatum right off the bat, and it has to do with the sound he coaxes from the piano, and you get a sense of his thinking his way through this stuff, which the re-performance does not capture. The notes are spectacular but there was more to Tatum's music, and to most of jazz, than "just the notes."

Yeah, but Allen's not a sockpuppet, he's a saxophonist. I mean, he's real and writes under his own name, not a nom de sock.

Sockpups are anthithetical to the spirit of collectivism engendered by the AACM. The sockpuppet is a stand alone soloist and as such has been outdone by others, such as Mark Twain or Thomas Pinchon, so is now outmoded. Let the ladies read whatever they want -- freedom for the sistas!