ghost of miles

Back in 1989, I was listening to Sonic Youth & Public Enemy & had about 5-6 jazz records in my entire collection, all of them the result of recs from two jazz drummer friends of mine. (One of them had told me to buy "Miles Davis' KIND OF BLUE... make love to it, man.") I thought jazz was mostly for snobs. Uncouth, ignorant youth! And now back to my afternoon snifter...

I got that one as a gift years ago... a 1991 release on Night Records (which musta been the Joel Dorn imprint of the moment), and Lloyd's on three or four tracks, as I recall. Yep, it's a good 'un.

She's rumored to be out on the West Coast--'fess up, Mr. Moose! Lest we put the Ghost of Sam Spade on the case.

PIANO MOODS, disc 7.

This week on Night Lights it's "Count Basie: the 1950 Octet and Combo." In January of 1950, beleagured by the business woes that had afflicted so many other big bands around this time, Count Basie broke up the orchestra that he had been leading for 14 years. The small group that he formed in its wake featured younger, bop-oriented musicians such as tenor saxophonist Wardell Grey, baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff, and clarinetist Buddy DeFranco. The band, which ranged in size from a sextet to an octet during its existence, recorded a handful of sides for Victor and Columbia and was also captured on airchecks. We'll hear collaborations with former Basie big-band singers Billie Holiday and Helen Humes, as well as a live version of the bop anthems "How High the Moon" and "Ornithology," and some early writing contributions from Neal Hefti, who would play an important role in Basie's "New Testament" big band later on in the 1950s. "Count Basie: the 1950 Octet" airs tonight at 11:05 p.m. (9:05 p.m. California time, 12:05 a.m. NYC time) on WFIU. You can listen live, or wait until Monday afternoon, when the program will be posted in the Night Lights archives. Next week: "At the Birth of Bop." Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie at New York City's Town Hall, June 1945.

Nope--unless there's still something in the Impulse! vaults. The CDs I have have 10 songs apiece. I'm curious as to whether or not both albums came out of the same sessions; each CD simply states, "Recorded Los Angeles 1964." Judging from the personnel overlap, I'm guessing that they did.

Good to see you here again, Frank M. Did Jazzcorner torch the thread over there that Jim A. and I posted on?

I have TOUCH OF THE BLUES & hope some day to pick up WEST OF THE MOON, which I'm told is even better... I love Lee. First discovered her through the early songbook folios done for Liberty... I still love her version of "Down With Love." One of the reasons I'll probably pick up the Condon's Mob box is just to get those Wiley sessions in better sound. She sure was hell on Bunny Berigan, though!

It's the "Sidewinder" of Uptown Records.

It might not be bad publicity. Not saying that it's contrived, but it creates/contributes to the image of a mysterious, moody jazz singer.

Tonight: In the early 1940s pianist Freddie Slack, who'd been a part of the Will Bradley-Ray McKinley big-band boogie-woogie phenomenon, broke away to form his own big band. Although tinged by the boogie-woogie sound (one of the band's earliest recordings, "Cow Cow Boogie," became the fledgling Capitol label's very first hit), the band had a much broader range; it frequently featured vocalists Ella Mae Morse and Johnny Mercer, included Ellingtonian Barney Bigard for a spell, and in its postwar work began to incorporate bebop. Selections for this program include Mercer-written obscurities such as "The Air-Minded Executive" and "The H.C. Potter's Ball," as well as "I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City," Slack's theme song "Strange Cargo," and an instrumental, "Riffette," featuring blues guitarist T-Bone Walker. "Freddie Slack in the 1940s" airs this Friday night at 9 on WFIU. It will be archived sometime early next week, when we finally start up an archives section for The Big Bands.

I think it's just for that one session. If anybody's interested in hearing more of the Slack and Richards Selects, I'm featuring the Slack on tonight's Big Bands, and the Richards next Friday night: WFIU's "The Big Bands"

The follow up release "More of the great Alexandria" is also recommended. I'm not sure if this one is available on CD. "This writer is sure Miss Alexandria will understand if I say the album is worth getting for Wynton Kelly's piano alone." (George Hoefer, liner notes) Excellent. ← Alfred, MORE OF THE GREAT... is available as a CD, or at least has been, in Japan... I found it for half-off in a local music store, which made it about the price of a standard domestic release. Hopefully Universal will eventually put it out as part of the LPR series.

i can just imagine! ← It's only a matter of time until Oprah discovers Ayler.

Ready to start fronting the band, no doubt!

I think I heard the real-life "Pumpkin Pie" in the background at the start of the interview! "Wealthy Street" on now. You guys ever check out All Songs Considered?

Josh Sherman works (or used to work) for BMG & was involved with the massive Ellington set. Industry-insider joke? Glad that Savoy is still putting out jazz.

Came back from home b/c the Quicktime was going to take 45 minutes or whatever to download via dial-up... listening now to "Clap Yo' Hands" while I work on a Night Lights program.

Excellent! I'm going to try to hook up the computer in my new study tonight... will make for a great streaming test. (9 p.m. Hoosier time.)

Yeah, it's odd... I remembered those two threads, but I, too, entered "Lee Morgan Lighthouse" as a search phrase, and nothing came up. Did a simple "Lee Morgan" and then paged through until I found the threads in question.

Some earlier discussion here and here.

What I often ask myself is this: is dinner tomorrow's lunch? I'm interested in the hiphop BF CD-R--will send you my address.

Same day as the Monk/Coltrane... and Bud Powell's b-day to boot.

Booker & Ike for me... I've got the others in one form or another & am saving my pennies for the Cellar Door, Buddy Rich, etc.

Nice sets, Lazaro! I haven't listened to that Bill Henderson album w/OP in a long time... will have to dig it out of the collection (much of it currently housed in boxes as we complete our move) and give it another spin.