ghost of miles

Nope, but I'll look into him. And thanks for the CD links, King Ubu!

I just noticed that he hasn't posted since Nov. 27... and nothing in his last few posts indicates any kind of disillusionment or board controversy. Anybody heard from him or know what he's up to? He offered all kinds of valuable insights and information, and was quite a friendly guy to boot (I had a great time interviewing him for a special I did on Gigi Gryce). I know he's working on a Henry Grimes bio, and perhaps he's chosen to sequester himself from certain elements of the Internet for awhile. Wherever you are, Mike, you're much missed.

Staff? I'm jealous... so far I have only a flunkie.

I finally picked up that Blanche Calloway Classics CD but haven't gotten a chance to listen to it yet... didn't realize that Ben Webster played with both her and Cab.

No prob. I had just picked up the Henderson as one of my freebies for re-joining a couple of months ago--hope somebody else can nab it for the cheap price now and use their freebie pick for another! Right now I'm listening to JUKEBOX ELLA, which I also got by cashing in some of my free vouchers. If you wait long enough, BMG nearly always gets the Ella Verve re-issues.

Followup on this case deep in the heart--er, deep in some anatomical equivalent of Texas:

The Joe Mooneys are both excellent, as is the Earl Hines. Still waiting on the Don Redman... I'm definitely going to hit the Collectors' Choice sale again before August 1.

OTOH Joe Mooney has suddenly turned me onto jazz accordion. Who woulda thunk it?

I'm wishing with you, buddy! I'm waiting till the end of March, when I plan to pop for the Shank/Brookmeyer/Reece Selects all at once. Will probably pick up the Liebman sooner or later as well... but it's the big boxes coming down the line that really excite me--the Herman, the Farlow, the Jazztet--wowza!

"I'm preaching neutrality..." Or was it "Make love not war"?

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.