ghost of miles

But don't you think that it is the small-group nature of these recordings that make them especially attractive? That is one reason why I for one find them so attractive. Oh, sure, but I think they'd like to do the big-band material as well. Cuscuna said several years ago, when I inquired about a possible 1930s full-orchestra set, that Sony wasn't quite willing yet to part with some of the "jazz giant" holdings they had. Maybe they licensed these small-group sessions because a large number of the recordings have been on the market for 15 years. In any event, in the booklet to the new Mosaic Sonny Greer is quoted as raving about how great the late-1930s band was, better in his opinion than the Blanton-Webster unit. I may e-mail Scott Wenzel and find out if they're contemplating having an eventual go at that era, although I'd imagine they're focused on getting out the Goodman set first.

This week on Night Lights it’s More With Four: Jazz and String Quartets as we explore historical recordings of jazz artists and ensembles with string quartets, ranging from Artie Shaw’s augmented orchestra of the late 1930s to Max Roach’s “double-quartet” of the 1980s. We’ll also hear music from saxophonist Lee Konitz (with arrangements by Bill Russo), vibraphonist Joe Roland (playing Miles Davis’ “Half Nelson”), pianist Andrew Hill, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and more. Jazz meets a classic classical format this week on “A Jazzy Quartet,” airing Saturday, December 16 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville; West-Central Michigan listeners can hear it Sunday night at 10 p.m. EST on Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted Monday afternoon in the Night Lights archives. Next week: "The Night Lights Before Christmas."

Hmm... maybe tonight's (for which I'm about to post a topic), "A Jazzy Quartet," featuring jazz soloists or ensembles playing with string quartets. Maybe last week's "The Arrival of Victor Feldman," and the late-November shows on Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite and "The Avant-Garde Plays the Great American Songbook." Hope that helps!

E-mail sent!

Is that the title of a forthcoming book? Happy birthday, Jim, and thanks much for everything. CD-R will be in the mail to you this Saturday by way of a b-day present.

Very sad news--thanks for letting us know, Chuck. And thanks, too, Berigan, for posting those messages.

Will Friedwald review from the NY Sun that somebody posted over at Songbirds:

I'd be interested to hear it. I listened to a lot of house & house-influenced rock circa 1989-93--I don't say that in the spirit of "been there, done that," but some of the modern house-influenced jazz I've heard has sounded pretty dated. It's certainly one of the directions jazz might be taking and even should be taking, though I'm never in favor of lame beats. (Er, rhythmic or literary! ) I mean, I think we'll always have the "classic" jazz format in terms of instrumentation, just as we still have string quartets and orchestras... and it will be represented to some extent in small clubs, etc. That's also still what I love to listen to most. But I've thought for a long time that "jazz"--jazz in the sense of a living, growing music--will surely not be your dad's jazz, so to speak--and will just naturally be incorporating turntablism, etc. into its sound. It already is, with varying degrees of success. So far Monday Michiru hasn't quite clicked for me the way she has for Jim, but I think I understand the aesthetic way she's struck out in, and I can understand why that way excites Jim. OTOH pokin' a stick up folk's asses is likely to make 'em dance, but maybe not in the manner that you intended. I'll try to catch that show Sunday night while I'm on vacation.

True that Fox has put the kibosh on releasing any more Hill Street Blues, owing to low sales for the first two seasons?

Also--maybe the strong response will encourage them further to do a similar set covering the big band from that era.

Good Lord... glad I went ahead & pre-ordered this yesterday morning, as I really want to listen to it over Christmas break. So this means they already have to do a second pressing?

"The Arrival of Victor Feldman" is now archived.

Many happy returns, Mr. BB!

Frank Kimbrough's Play Dick & Kiz Harp's two albums Mark Murphy--early & recent recordings The Mosaic Charles Tolliver June Christy (recent reissues) Any and all Duke Ellington (he always makes the list...) I've noticed in general, though, that I don't tend to play albums/CDs over & over again, the way that I did when I was younger. If I really like something I'll listen to it three, maybe four times.

Wow! I'd heard of this record, but hadn't even tried to check on its availability--thanks much, Jsngry! I'm buyin'... Tapscott fans should also check out the new Steve Isoardi book, DARK TREE. It comes with a CD of unreleased Tapscott/Arkestra material.

That Pathways book looks promising as well. I read the article in Downbeat--have any of our resident Chicagoites had a chance to view that exhibition?

They threw out a lot of Bernstein's music--I'm not sure why--and had Richard Edens write some new songs w/Comden & Green. That 1960 recording w/Comden, Green, and a couple of the other original cast members is really nice, though. (And of course SOT is what Bill Evans was improvising off of when he came up with "Peace Piece.")

Just a reminder to folks that you might want to filter any holiday online shopping you do at Amazon or CDUniverse through the search engine here at Organissimo... so that Santa leaves a little extra in the Big O's stocking!

Happy birthday to the hippest dentist around... we Sagittarians are getting longer in the tooth together, eh?

First star to the left, then straight on till morning.

Many thanks to all of you. It was an interesting day... we had breakfast this morning at Ladyman's, a wonderful throwback kind of family diner here in downtown Bloomington that's being forced out of business after nearly 50 years by a new landlord. Bought a huge Christmas tree and lugged it home by hand and foot--it's the first tree we've had in this house. Then up to Indianapolis for a great conversation & coffee/sandwich with a couple of board members (Joe, I hope I didn't talk your ear off!). After that we visited my mom's gravesite for the first time since the funeral; the marker finally got delivered about a month ago. Emotionally difficult, to say the least--I had Comden & Green's 1960 cast recording of "Some Other Time" stuck in my head all day after taping a Betty Comden tribute the other night, and that song now triggers a whole host of feelings about mortality and loss. Afterwards we had a great dinner with my dad and my grandmother (still going strong as a ragtime pianist/performer at age 88). Now back in B-town and listening to more J.R. Monterose (man, I'd forgotten what a great record Kenny Dorham's ROUND MIDNIGHT AT CAFE BOHEMIA is) in preparation for a show. Very grateful, as always, for this board & the friendship, knowledge, and camaraderie--jazz and otherwise--that it offers. Salutes and salutations all around "at the swingin' party down the line."

Glad to see the interest in Feldman! Listeners in Manchester, England and Texas suggested this as a show some time ago. Up for broadcast in a couple of minutes on WNIN and in about an hour on WFIU.

Can't stand "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth."

This week on Night Lights it’s “The Arrival of Victor Feldman.” Multi-instrumentalist Victor Feldman was a musical prodigy who sat in on drums with Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force Band at the age of 10 and was hailed by the English press as “Kid Krupa.” After continuing his rise to fame in the 1950s British jazz world, Feldman moved to America and eventually made his way to the West Coast jazz scene. We’ll hear the records he made both as a sideman and a leader, playing piano and vibes with Cannonball Adderley, Shelly Manne, Miles Davis, and Scott La Faro. You can read a 1971 interview with Feldman here. “The Arrival of Victor Feldman” airs Saturday, December 9 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville. It also airs Sunday at 10 p.m. EST on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted Monday afternoon in the Night Lights archives. Next week: "A Jazzy Quartet." Jazz soloists and ensembles accompanied by string quartets.

For those who might be interested, a two-hour tribute to Anita O'Day, including excerpts from an interview I did with her in 2003, is now archived online.