ghost of miles

Brownie & Jim, I have not heard the Atlantic or Columbia releases, which were done in the mid-1950s and early 1960s respectively, I believe. Therefore I can't compare, but Schuller was writing about the late-1940s quartet, which is why I sought out the Heps. They consist of the group's Decca recordings and a number of rehearsals and radio broadcasts. If you can find any way to sample them first, do so--I don't think you'll be disappointed! They had a unique sound that, as Schuller says, anticipates the MJQ in some ways.

You're right, Pepe, it was cruel of me to suggest it. Perhaps Pakistan instead, as a pointman in the "war against terror"?

Joe Mooney Quartet, DO YOU LONG FOR OOLONG? Joe Mooney Quartet, JOE BREAKS THE ICE Lennie Niehaus, ZOUNDS! Ella Fitzgerald, JUKEBOX ELLA V. 1

White Lightning will see you now. B)

I recently picked up both Hep CDs of Joe Mooney's late-1940s quartet, DO YOU LONG FOR OOLONG? and JOE BREAKS THE ICE, after reading about Mooney in Gunther Schuller's THE SWING ERA. Wow! Imagine Nat King Cole meeting the early Jimmy Giuffre trio, except that Nat is playing the accordion. I would never have imagined accordion working so well within a jazz context--I would never have imagined accordion reflecting bop influence, but clearly I need to expand my imagination... The rest of the group included Andy Fitzgerald on clarinet, Jack Hotop on guitar, and John Gate Frega on bass. (Frega left the jazz scene in the late 1940s to become a priest.) Somehow they managed to blend a hip sensibility, a modern sound, and unison vocals into something that really projects a magical intimacy. I can't recommend these CDs highly enough! I know that Mooney was also part of a much earlier group, the Sunshine Boys, that had an influence on the Boswell Sisters--haven't been able to track down this material yet, though. (Evidently Venuti or Lang sometimes played with them, but a quick check of the Mosaic box does not reveal Mooney's presence.) Schuller devotes nine pages to Mooney near the end of THE SWING ERA--check it out if you're interested.

Hey Al, check out earlier Organissimo discussion of Television here. Believe it or not, Television--the original band--still gigs from time to time. What I wouldn't give to see that...

Has Johnny E contacted you yet? He's heavily involved in the improv scene there...

I'm not as fond of the metal spines as others, evidently. They do indeed look nice, but they tend towards an unpleasant cracking sensation whenever I'm reading the booklets therein. Glad to hear that the 1963-64 box is rumbling down the tracks, though. Will this be the last one?

And Tom had pretty much quit posting long before the BNBB blew up, owing to his increased responsibilities (at least that's what we surmised, and, I believe, what he himself said). I seriously doubt that he'll be popping in on Blue Note Europe anytime soon.

I'm listening to Disc 11 of the red Duke RCA Victor box and just went in search of the track listing (left the cardboard sleeve at home)--while doing so, I noticed that it apparently has gone OOP. Amazon lists only a "Order it used" option, and there's no "buy" option on the AMG listing either. I know it was supposed to be a limited edition--if you see it, damn your credit card, buy it! DukeRCAcomp

Ravi played with Elvin?

The Devil in Miss Jones?

So this will cover the 1969-73 era, I take it. Man, that's a chapter of Gordon that my ears have completely failed to tap yet... what's the group consensus on early-70s Dex Prestige? (I'm assuming they won't include the 1960 album RESURGENCE, which was released on Jazzland.)

Can we exile Deep to Blue Note Europe? B) I loved the old Blue Note board, but I have no desire whatsoever to resurrect it. This place is even better IMO. Many of the same posters are here, the feel is somewhat looser and yet more civil at the same time, and I'd much rather live with Jim Alfredson's subjective cool than the the vacillating corporate authority of EMI. (Remember the new software that wouldn't allow you to type "Jew"? And how it succeeded only in offending the Jewish members of the board? ) And just take a look at this new BNBB--the parameters don't promise much. Will Tom Evered be there? For me he was a neat attraction on the old board--a jazz-loving human face for the BN program, and also somebody who jumped into discussions about literature, etc. He posted about 700 times on that board. Will "Ben" be as interesting or as prolific? Hell, "Ben" probably won't even be a "Bo." Nothing against it, it's great if they want to encourage more jazz discussion on the Internet, I'd never argue against that. It just inspires no interest at all in me--not enough, at least, to toggle over there more than once in a great, great while.

I got that one too, Lon, but with the wrong booklet, so I had to return it and haven't had a chance to spin it yet. But if the likes of you, Jim Sangrey, and Joe Milazzo are singin' its praises, I doubt I'll be disappointed.

A wow for all of these. I have a fair amount of the Jazztet material, but I know there'll be much I haven't heard before... and I have very little of Dex on Prestige. Good news about the Granz, too. What astonishes me most, however, is this--that Mosaic has evidently gained access to the Argo vaults!

Simple - that was then, this is now. What was good then was good, but life goes on, things change, and doing something good now is more important to me than attempting to recreate a Camelot that may or may not have been illusory in the first place, and right here right now right on is working for me just fine, thank you very much. I'm loyal to ideals, not brand names. Same goes for the music itself, even moreso (yalldonthearmenow ) Amen!

Chuck, Are you talking about Malachi Thompson? No--he's talking about Malachi Favors of the Art Ensemble.

"I used to smoke marijuana. But I'll tell you something: I would only smoke it in the late evening. Oh, occasionally the early evening, but usually the late evening - or the mid-evening. Just the early evening, midevening and late evening. Occasionally, early afternoon, early midafternoon, or perhaps the late-midafternoon. Oh, sometimes the early-mid-late-early morning. . . . But never at dusk."--Steve Martin

Thanks for the link... I've been looking for a copy of THE SWINGIN' NUTCRACKER to play on the radio come next Christmas. They're temporarily out of stock, but I'll keep an eye out for it to come back in. Too bad Mosaic doesn't have much luck leasing from BMG--I'd really like to see a Shorty Rogers RCA set.

Kind of reminds you of Eastern Europe in 1945, eh? You have to watch those damn Rooskies--they move fast when there's new territory to appropriate. Maybe "Ben" can hire him to carry out some good old-fashioned Stalinist purges if things get out of hand... B)

Interesting--in the liner notes to the Rhino Handmade edition of Jimmy Scott's FALLING IN LOVE IS WONDERFUL, Billy Vera says that 10-12 years ago Mosaic tried to put together a Tangerine box that would have included the Little Jimmy Scott, Percy Mayfield, and Louis Jordan material, but that they weren't able to come to terms with Ray Charles' representatives. The Scott and Mayfield sides have since come out in the Rhino series, but a Mosaic with Jordan thrown in would have been quite tasty, I'm sure. Re: the Kenton post, I should ask David Baker about his experience, since he lives in my neck of the woods and actually played with Kenton (briefly--Jsngry's reply confirmed!) around 1952, I think.

Twisted European decadence, Doc. In any event, there's no hope for this new bulletin board--just take a look at the plague of posters who've already infected it: A hopeless case, Doc, unless perhaps your notable powers of persuasion can be brought to bear on this neurotic crew of wiseacres...

I've listened to it all the way through twice now, and offer the following impressions: (1) It won't disappoint those who liked the first record. (2) For the first five songs it sounds as if it will be as good as the first record, then tapers off... (3) But the last song, "I Didn't Miss You at All," is the best... Ellington's "Melancholia" set to words by NJ, a rather haunting and compelling, spare, piano/vocal only piece.

Norah Jones, FEELS LIKE HOME Duke Ellington, COMP. STANDARD TRANSCRIPTIONS Art Ensemble of Chicago, 1967/68 Duke Jordan, FLIGHT TO JORDAN Joe Turner, EVERY DAY IN THE WEEK