ghost of miles

A round-up of the pieces I contributed to NPR's now-defunct A Blog Supreme: Take Five X 18: Writings On Jazz For NPR's A Blog Supreme

I could be misremembering, but I think Scott told me several years back that they were indeed contemplating such a set. This wasn't long after the 1932-40 DKE Mosaic came out. There's also a 1920s/early 30s DKE set on the drawing board, but no idea on when it might come to pass.

I love the late-1940s Ellington band. I wish that Mosaic would do a set of the late 40s-early 50s Columbia sides.

Lazaro, yes, and infamously out of print for many years. Indianapolis-based Owl Studios did a very small repressing of it several years ago, and now it's coming out again on trombonist Wayne Wallace's Patois Records label. Physical copies should be going out next month or February.

Up for the Night Lights Christmas countdown: Hep To The Holidays

Reposting this today in memory of David Baker on what would have been his 85th birthday. A concert of his music will be performed next month at the IU Musical Arts Center. The David Baker Songbook

A happy 87th birthday today to pianist Barry Harris, and three days late to Toshiko Akiyoshi. Here's this week's Night Lights program, celebrating them both: Bud's Buds: Barry Harris And Toshiko Akiyoshi

We re-aired Miles Between: Miles Davis 1961-1963 last week and it remains archived for online listening.

Having a hard time finding enough superlatives to describe this latest volume. The sound, the playing, the fluency and joy of this band, the wealth of new solos from Prez (not to mention new ones from Herschel Evans as well)... I'm on my fourth time through. (Not really an iTunes guy, though, so I burned the tracks to a cd-r and printed out the booklet. I spend enough time in front of a computer as it is.)

As Humphrey Bogart once said, "I was misinformed." I did check on the pronouncers for both of those with a generally reliable source... will go back and fix in the online file as soon as possible.

So much Bud Powell on disc 3!

Here's a recent Night Lights program about the arrival of American bebop artists on the Continent in the late 1940s, including studio recordings and concert broadcasts from Chubby Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Tadd Dameron, Charlie Parker, Max Roach, Kenny Clarke, and more: Bebop Comes To Europe

Mine as well! On disc 2 right now, enjoying Allen Eager and J.J. Johnson.

It's out. Here's the press release: Soul Jazz is a history of jazz and its reception in the black community in the period from the end of World War II until the end of the Vietnam War. Previous histories reflect the perspective of an integrated America, yet the United States was a segregated country in 1945. The black audience had a very different take on the music and that is the perception explored in Soul Jazz. Bob Porter is a record producer, writer and broadcaster in the fields of Jazz and Blues. He has worked for such prominent record labels a Prestige, Savoy and Atlantic. He has produced more than 175 albums and several hundred reissues. He has contributed to DownBeat, JazzTimes, Jazz Journal (London) and currently writes a book review column for the Journal of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors. He is a two-time Grammy winner, was awarded the Marion McPartland Award for Excellence in Jazz Broadcasting and is a member of the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame. He currently is the host of three separate radio programs on WBGO Newark. Available In The Following Formats From Xlibris E-Book Softcover Hardcover http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/CategoryCenter/MUS!025/Jazz.aspx Also Available From Amazon.com

Here's an overview of his 1957 recordings that I did for Night Lights: Rookie Of The Year: Curtis Fuller '57

No shipping notice yet for mine, but hoping it goes out in the next couple of days. Especially looking forward to the Allen Eager sides (of which I have a few already, on the Ace Face anthology) and just listening to this whole body of music over the next couple of weeks.

I've been on a Budd Schulberg kick--finished What Makes Sammy Run a couple of days ago and am about 100 pages into The Disenchanted. Excellent, often humorous and incisive writing.

My credit card was charged today, so I assume shipping notices are imminent.

I got the Film Score Monthly release when it was still in print. Excellent music... glad that it will be available again!

Best birthday wishes to you, Bill! Kate and I had such a wonderful time in Manchester with you and your family this past summer... we still talk about it! Hope that you have a splendid day.

Up in memory of Mr. O'Brien, who passed away today at the age of 80: A Portrait Of Hod O'Brien

Just received word from a family friend that pianist Hod O'Brien passed away today at the age of 80. He had been ill with cancer for some time.

Scott says the Savoy set should be shipping in the next 1-2 weeks.

You know who truly is dead, though? Our top story tonight...

True that he's not dead, but MediaMass itself is a hoax site. So much B.S. on the Internet, what with all the "fake news" and such.