ghost of miles

BLACK LIBERATION/RED SCARE: BENJAMIN DAVIS AND THE COMMUNIST PARTY, by Gerald Horne. Starting another Alan Furst, too--NIGHT SOLDIERS, as well as Melville's "Benito Cereno," which I've had a strange itch to read for some time now.

Any word this week on the status of the Eldridge?

Came across an interesting parallel in an article I was reading about Smith the other day. When he died I thought a lot about Charlie Parker, because they were both the same age, and because they both had an intensely devoted following--but now I learn that Smith was a huge Chet Baker fan! Why did I never hear that before? They both certainly have what I call a junkie-lullabye kind of intimacy to their vocal approach (although Smith's is much edgier, IMO). They both were junkies, of course, and if James Gavin's speculation is correct, Baker was a suicide as well.

Emphatically no, sir, most emphatically no!

Don't have a discography at hand, but I know that A LOVE SUPREME was recorded on Dec. 9, 1964, exactly one year before my birthday. Close enough--I'll take it!

Just got the Uptown Christmas CD from Chuck several weeks ago & will vouch for it as well. The Joe Pass mentioned earlier is also good, and I can't wait to hear the Pearson once the new Mosaic Select arrives. The Bill Evans Verve box has a very funny version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" on which Evans sings. That's one of my alltime favorite holiday jazz tracks.

I've heard good things about the big bands that Sam Donahue led throughout the 1940s and decided to bite on a couple of the Heps out under his name (specifically the Navy band titles--isn't this Artie Shaw's Navy band, taken over by Donahue after Shaw left the service?). Any opinions around the Organissimo joint concerning SD?

Last time I checked, the MERCURY BLUES AND RHYTHM 8-CD box was in the clearance section for $15.99. Even if you have to pay shipping & handling (about $3 a disc these days)), that still comes out to $40 for a box that retails around $90-$100. And if you don't have to pay shipping... it becomes a REAL steal.

Yes indeed. I have their first CD; how's the new one?

How about something akin to the U.S. "terror alert" system, to be activated whenever posters w/x amount of warnings are on the board? Glad to see ya around, Jazz.

My brother gave me the MARQUEE MOON Rhino re-issue as an early birthday present last night. Planning to pop it in the player at work later on today, but I was skimming the liner notes & came across this interesting tidbit: With the recording deal in place, the next step was to find a producer. Verlaine wanted to work with Rudy Van Gelder, who'd recorded dozens of classic Blue Note jazz records in his small studio in New Jersey. This was perhaps too out of left field for even a CBGB band... Richard Lloyd also provides an anecdote about auditioning for Atlantic Records. As he went to use the bathroom, he overheard Ahmet Ertegun say to Jerry Wexler, "Jerry, I cannot sign this band; this is not earth music." Lloyd says he thought, Wow, what a compliment!

Just saw this story last night, about the folks next door to Texas:

Yes, indeed, good news. Pullman has done an incredible amount of research--his work will easily supplant all that's come before. I sense this thread sending me happily back to the Bud RVGs...

WILISAU (the 4-CD set) is my favorite Braxton. Many here have probably already read it, but if you haven't, buy/find/steal (well, don't steal) a copy of FORCES IN MOTION, the Graham Locke bio.

I dibs Catesta's pad. The Midwest gets too damned cold this time of year!

Thanks for the link, Brad. That's the first time I've seen a title for Peter Pullman's forthcoming bio; is it really on the way at last? Anybody heard, or heard from Peter lately?

Amen. Remember the near-Sosa trade a couple seasons back? That one had me sweating bullets...

Also the classic Clifford Brown version, w/Richie Powell on piano.

I'm hardcore, man--I grind the beans for each pot just before I make it.

My wife likes to tease me about a mythical, homey place where good coffee is brewing, interesting books of all sorts are strewn about, and a plethora of superlative jazz CDs are casually stacked for listening. She calls it the Jazz Hut (I call it my study). My favorite coffee comes from a place the Organissimo band may know about--Uncommon Grounds, in Saugatuck, Michigan. (In fact, I think you guys just played across the street from there a week or two ago.) There's something about organic, wood-smoked coffee that sends me to cloud nine... I've been "trying" to cut down to 6-7 cups a day, from my current 10-cup-pot habit. All other chemical vices have fallen by the wayside save this one, and I don't think it ever will. Say, think I'll have some coffee!

Jim, are their contributions more straightahead than what you'd expect? I have to confess I haven't kept up with either's work in recent years...

Yeah, don't duke around when it comes to Duke!

A title meant as a riposte to the terrible book by Eric Nisenson (RIP, BTW). Also featuring Gary Bartz & Billy Harper. I haven't heard Thompson's first two Africa/Brass recordings, but this one's sounding good in the headphones so far...

Give 'em enough and

The Verve take was actually a complete one--I think. The Blue Note, as you say, was truncated. I could go on & on about Bud Powell, who was my first great jazz piano love, and who remains my favorite artist on that instrument. His tunes seem to be making their way into the canon more frequently during the past few years, which is a wonderful thing. Matthew, if you can find them, check out the live 1953 recordings from Birdland, which have come out on two CDs from Fresh Sound, and four CDs from ESP. (ESP's AUTUMN 1953 featuers live versions of "Parisian" and "Glass Enclosure.") They catch Powell during his last consistently great stretch, although he certainly recorded much of worth & value after '53. (The Xanadu disc of BUD IN PARIS is a particular favorite of mine.)