ghost of miles

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.

Hey, I think they're talking about us! disorders Now excuse me--I gotta get back to counting my jazz CDs, over & over again...

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!

In honor of the upcoming Basie centennary, some 1950s salutes from Shorty Rogers (SHORTY COURTS THE COUNT), Bob Brookmeyer (KANSAS CITY REVISITED), the Lighthouse All-Stars (MUSIC FOR LIGHTHOUSEKEEPING) and Bud Shank ("Jive at Five") on "Night Lights" this Saturday at 11:10 p.m. (9:10 p.m. on the West Coast, 12:10 on the East). Internet stream here.

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!

Thanks much for the advice--will do!

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!

Happy birthday to a great guy whose love and knowledge of not only jazz, but literature and religious history as well, is a constant inspiration and one of the many, many reasons why I've inhabited the BNBB and continue to inhabit this wonderful place that is made even brighter by your presence. Satchmo sez:

I heard Lovano talking about this record on WGBH a few months before it came out, and he sounded genuinely enthusiastic, so maybe he sensed that he'd just come up with a good one. I like the Schuller collaboration and the QUARTETS double-CD, as well as the first trio CD w/Elvin, but had avoided the Sinatra songbook--and I like Sinatra. I think I was just burned out on "songbook" projects when that one happened to come out. Will give it a listen if I come across it. I've heard only a handful of selections from I'M ALL FOR YOU, but they certainly live up to Joe's praise for the CD.

A poster here on the board has generously & graciously offered to lend me a hard-to-find LP for a radio program that I'm doing. What is the safest way to ship the vinyl back to him, ensuring that it doesn't get damaged at all?

Listing on Amazon, replete with cover: Bouncin'WithBartok Definitely getting psyched about this.

Down for a few hours...horrible, horrible. How many dead? Did Alexander Haig assume command? Isn't he dead? Nevertheless, I'm in charge here...--Ghost of Alexander Haig

You better put one of these on. At least until all the smoke clears. Hey, that'll also come in handy if & when I re-enter the Politics forum... B-)