ghost of miles

Montg, got a call from Von Babasin today--he came across the post for this show on the Internet. Short answer is yes, the archives are different from what's already been released. He joined the board and started a thread here.

Best birthday wishes to you, Guy!

But I'd say, look at the historical patterns. And maybe it's not just jazz that has problems which cross all racial boundaries now--it might be popular music in general. I know Jsngry puts some faith in the underground dance music he listens to as a cultural movement that dissolves the boundaries. I haven't listened nearly as much or as closely as he has, and maybe there's something there. (So far I'm still a bit skeptical that much will come of it outside of the ever expanding-mutation of musical forms, which is certainly not a bad thing in and of itself.)

The disappearance of organ rooms was something I thought about as well--but I'd put the beginnings of the split all the way back to the jump blues of the late 1940s. I think one has to be very careful not to stereotype ANY audience (in this case the African-American audience), but I would say that said audience has always seemed, to me, anyway, more ready to move on to different, newer kinds of music than the "white" audience (which often follows later). In general, though, the challenges jazz faces today cross all racial boundaries.

That matches my own very limited experience in Bloomington & Indianapolis--it still retains a following, but mostly among older listeners who grew up in the 1950s, 60s, or 70s. Also have very limited radio-demographic evidence to back this up, but there seems to be more of an African-American audience--younger, anyway--for smooth jazz rather than straightahead/classic.

"Late Pee Wee" is now archived.

Got SOLO/STRINGS not too long ago as part of my Fantasy/OJC rampage, and it's an interesting record--two LPs on one CD, the first self-explanatory, the second a sextet affair with Ray Nance on violin, Ron Carter on cello, and George Benson on guitar (Richard Davis & Alan Dawson completing the rhythm section). "Spanish Tinge #2" from the solo record is borderline-beautiful, and the sextet does "Music to Watch Girls By," a Ray Nance blues shouter, an elongated "How High the Moon," and a weirdly compelling closer called "Cat's Cradle Conference Rag." Probably not the best gateway CD for somebody curious about Jaki, but as a fan I knew I'd want to listen to it again after hearing it for the first time.

Long may you drum!

I think that's one I have on vinyl (at the station, so I can't check right now)... I have a hodgepodge of LPs and cd-rs, in addition to the Fantasy twofer CD.

Friend of mine who saw Dylan several times in the late 1980s said he sometimes opened shows by singing "I'm In the Mood for Love" (and does a hilarious imitation of it). Granted, Dylan's appreciation for all musics American is wider than some might realize, but evidently said performances helped maintain the grand Dylan tradition of keeping audiences, erm, on their toes.

Made a small donation & thanks as always for the unsurpassed excellence of the board. Dan, I got the mandatory $2 shipping fee as well... didn't mind kicking in the extra two bucks, but it is an odd feature for a donation.

This week on Night Lights it’s “Late Pee Wee.” Clarinetist Pee Wee Russell’s career on record stretched all the way from the 1920s, when he played with musicians such as Jack Teagarden and Bix Beiderbecke, to the 1960s, when he appeared with Thelonious Monk at Newport and made records that included compositions by modernists such as Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Although he was pegged as being Dixieland by some and trumpeted as an elder hero of the 60s avant-garde by others, Russell remained a school unto himself. Jazz writer Whitney Balliett said that Russell played with an incomparable “daring and nakedness and intuition..he had discovered some of the secrets of life and his improvisations were generally successful attempts to tell those secrets in a new, funny, gentle way.” This program focuses on his late recordings, including his quartet with trombonist Marshall Brown, a big-band date with Oliver Nelson, and concert performances with Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk. After Russell died, his friend and musical cohort Ruby Braff told Nat Hentoff, “Like Louis Armstrong, Pee Wee will always be contemporary.” “Late Pee Wee” airs Saturday, July 7 at 11:05 p.m. EST on WFIU, at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN, and Sunday evening at 10 EST on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio. The program will be posted by Tuesday morning in the Night Lights archives. Next week: "Paris Noir."

Not 100% certain about this, but I think Monk was playing electric bass as far back as his stint with Lionel Hampton's big band in the early 1950s. (Wes was briefly in that band as well.) Count me as a fan of the Mastersounds as well, though they do indeed skirt being MJQ-lite at times. I love their version of "We Kiss in a Shadow." Many thanks to sheldonm, who helped me acquire some of their oop music.

Anybody heard from NoF lately? It's been nearly three weeks since his last post...

Hope to make the pilgrimage some day... have a great one, SJ!

Have a beautiful day, my friend, that's worthy of your presence here on earth.

Been on a Solal kick again ever since coming across WHEN A SOPRANO MEETS A PIANO while putting together an Americans-in-France show (many thanks to Brownie!). Ordered COMP. VOGUE v. 2 and 4, and v. 2 arrived today. Love that version of "Time On My Hands" with Sadi... say, Monsieur Solal turns 80 next month, correct?

These things have always been a bit cyclical for me--I seem to go through stretches where every year is a bit better than the year before, or stretches where every year is a bit worse than the year before. Ages 19-21 were, in retrospect, very good years; I was involved in a very passionate, on-again, off-again relationship, which brought its share of pain, but more than made up for it in pleasure and liveliness; and I felt myself improving as a fiction writer month by month. Hit a downward spiral in my early and mid-20s, but 1994-2003 was one long good stretch. Said stretch was ultimately derailed by a bad bike accident and the deaths of several people I was close to, in one way or another... still, in the past couple of years my wife & I have managed to find our dream home, and I've gotten a fulltime dream job. So I'm very grateful for those things, and I feel as if I need to put--WANT to put--more into the world. More out of gratitude than out of debt, as well as a sense that I've reached 40 without doing some of the things I really want to do (or was put here to do, if you want to travel that philosophical road). I hope I live a long time, but lately I think I've finally begun to let go of that underlying fear of death... just accepting that each day is a gift, "every breath we draw is a grace," as T. Merton says. Too easy to turn into a card sentiment, I suppose, but I really want to live with that as a sort of unconscious feeling in my bones. And let go of that fear... worrying about it will probably only hasten it, anyway. (And on some crazy level I still think it might be possible to live forever...staying away from the Politics forum surely lengthens the lifespan! )

Pay his $10 and get the CD!! Impulse wouldn't slip him an author copy? Cheap bastards!

What would Coltrane do?

OTOH Monk was already 30 the first time he set foot inside a studio for a leader date... the Blue Note/Prestige/Riverside period captures him in his thirties and early 40s. All in all I'd say he was an extremely vital guy who weathered the life better than some of his fellow geniuses (I'm guessing in part, too, because of Nellie). Will be interesting to see what Robin Kelley's forthcoming bio has to say about the Columbia years/recordings... like others here, I tend to favor the 2-CD solo set and the It club performances, but I haven't even heard all of the albums from that era yet.

Thanks for the mention, Big Al--Freeform83, you might also want to check out some of MartyJazz's comments about the live early-1970s band in this thread.

Considering that the Bolton/Anderza has no real connection to this music, your comment almost makes me wonder if Michael was just looking for a Select project that he could stick these two in, and came up with this one, but I think its great that Michael chose such a set for a Select, given that they usually pick a set of LPs that actually saw release. With only two issued albums, this wouldn't even be a possibility as a Select without knowing that there are 29 worthy but unissued tunes to include. WELL, no need to spend all that money for these two Bolton/Anderza tracks. Uptown is going to issue a Dupree Bolton cd including these two tracks (licensed from EMI). It will be interesting to see which package hits the market first. I think MC might have thrown these on the Select after Uptown "flagged" 'em. Great news, Chuck! Somehow I missed your April post... will be buying the Uptown for sure (and the Select as well).

Gotta do something to amuse myself, as I don't have a personal statement currently and have no friends to display. -_-

Glad somebody else started this topic--it's been on my mind, what with the spate of new CDs. Was listening to the PARIS cd earlier today, and while--at least on first listen--it doesn't sound much different from what Mingus was doing circa 1964, it's still prime stuff; I'm going to listen to it again later this week. I like the Monterey disc a lot and have been surprised at some B-town locals' critical comments--put off, I gather, by what they consider to be the ragged nature of some of the performances. Hey, it's a hell of a lot better than smoooooth...