ghost of miles

Glad to hear that he's OK!

Steve, I'll still try to catch it... I'm usually up at that hour (10 in Indiana). Any chance to hear more Eddie Costa is worth it! Are you going to be playing any of the material with Farlow from the new Mosaic? Three straight CDs on that set including Costa--a real treat for fans.

That is unusual--maybe one of us should drop him a PM? Or did he take a sabbatical?

Yes, I've been following this... some interesting discussion. Most of KV's book picks are right on, although DANCE OF THE INFIDELS is chock-full of errors or downright falsehoods, almost better read as a jazz "novel." He's sure right that Jost's FREE JAZZ remains, several decades later, one of the best books on the topic, though I'm surprised that he left John Litweiler out of the mix. I'm enjoying KV's talk re: critics and such, and hoping to hear more about his approach to improv in the various settings/contexts that he enters or creates for himself.

I've wanted to do a program on EC myself, but Stevebop has beaten me to it with what will be, I'm sure, a thoroughly prepared and enjoyable program about Mr. Costa: CostaonWGBH This Friday night at 7.

Thanks for the rec, Jim... I'll keep an eye out for that one. Anybody who's sitting on whether or not to buy the BN recordings better act fast, by the way... they're going OOP.

I'd like to hear it some day. Found this web-page about it: LifeandTimesofMalcolmX I think Joe Milazzo once mentioned it to me... does it qualify as "Third Stream"? From the description, sounds as if it does.

Old Ike, of all people, nailed it in 1960 with his "military-industrial complex" speech.

Still reading TOUR OF DUTY, but I've also started Gene Lees' LEADER OF THE BAND, a biography of Woody Herman, in anticipation of the new Mosaic set. Anybody else ever read this Herman bio?

Without a doubt. In the "Babe" thread, no doubt...

Didn't Anthony Davis do a jazz opera about Malcolm X?

The Holiday Columbia recordings were re-issued yet again as individual CDs recently by Sony, in four volumes, I believe. Count me as another fan of the Decca period--although I'm a fan of every period when it comes to Holiday. And yes, Brownie, those Decca alternates are beauts. I'm particular fond of the alternate "No More," which, even through the bad audio quality, emotes an even darker and moodier vibe than the master.

These have piqued my curiousity: DorseyHeps Scroll up & down and you'll see some Jimmy Dorsey & Dorsey Bros. material there as well.

My mistake--Jazz Oracle. Website here. I have only a few of their CDs so far, but they do excellent work. The Purvis is wonderful.

It's the same label that did the Jack Purvis set... a very good label. Oracle, I think.

Deus, you beat me to it. I've been meaning to start a similar thread, albeit devoted only to the Tommy Dorsey big bands. I'm not a fan, but I'm teaching a class on big bands in American popular culture and can't really see ignoring Dorsey's 1940s units. Any recs for that particular organization--esp. among the various Hep releases?

Me three!

What's the skinny on Mingus' brief 1953 stay with the band?

I also think actually that musical satisfaction must have played a part, in addition to the money and the relief from the hassles of trying to lead your own band (Hodges, Williams, etc.). As great as these guys were on their own, I think that Duke did, in some cases, solicit even better performances from them within the context of the Ellington band.

Yes, Lee's small-group sides w/Barbour here are the highlight of the set for me. I really like the Christy material as well, but "intimacy" is the perfect word, DrJ.

Carl Woideck makes a fairly convincing case that it's Coltrane on at least "No Better for You." Sounds like Trane to me as well... Trane definitely played with him, but there is still debate, as you said, over which, if any, recorded sides he may have made with the Crosse band.

Several of the Gay Crosse sides show up on a Bear Family box that covers the 1945-55 Nashville R & B scene. (Some Phineas Newborn on it as well.) The best example of Coltrane soloing with Hodges (IMO) comes from a June 1954 California dance date. THE LAST GIANT uses "Thru the Night" from that performance, but an even better example is Coltrane's out-and-out gutbucket solo on "Castle Rock." Not sure what titles this date has circulated under, but it contains 7 tracks and is 29 minutes in length. There's also a Coatsville Harris record from around this time that includes two Coltrane solos--but I'm getting off on an "early Coltrane R & B" topic here.

--from Worlds Records e-mail There's been a lot of discussion on the Duke-Lym list-serve about this sound quality (or lack there-of) of this latest release. Complaints of too much compression. I haven't heard it yet so I can't comment. Medjuck, what were some of the comments? What I'm noticing is a tendency for the music to fade back and then in again--very annoying, as the music itself is wonderful. It's actually more irritating than surface noise, which I can always live with.

Am about 150 pages into Brinkley's TOUR OF DUTY and highly recommend it, especially in light of the lies that a GOP-supported group is trying to spread about John Kerry's very distinguished service record. Brinkley spoke with every person who truly served with or under Kerry; his book is well-documented ,and doesn't even include a firsthand account with Jim Rassmann, the Special Forces soldier--and future registered Republican--whom Kerry pulled from the river while under fire. Brinkley thought Rassmann's name was spelled with one n and was unable to locate him. Rassmann picked up the book in an Oregon bookstore last January, found his name in the index, read Brinkley's account, and started crying. Several days later he flew out to Iowa and joined the Kerry campaign. Aside from that, it's also a compelling read of a troubled period and Kerry's involvement in Vietnam Veterans Against the War, as well as his efforts to put the POW/MIA issue to rest and to help restore relations between the United States and Vietnam. (That's how he became friends with John McCain, who came to his defense today.) Brownie, thanks for that recommendation!

Ontario... I ran away there when I was 12 w/notions of living off the land. I think you're doing it the smarter way. Can you make it for two weeks without all of us pestering you about that Parker/Gillespie release? Enjoy!