ghost of miles

Found this one used last night. I'd never heard of it, but I bought it anyway, because it looked quite interesting and covers an era that I love: The author focuses not only on the fight to integrate baseball, but also on the impact of Commissioner Happy Chandler, who followed Kennesaw Landis in that position.

BASEBALL'S PIVOTAL ERA, 1945-1951, by William Marshall. I just picked it up used last night--it focuses not only on Jackie Robinson and integration, but also on commissioner Happy Chandler.

Hey, maybe baseball will return as well... Bring back da Bums! Netspurchase

Thanks again for listening and for the input, fellow Organissimos. I was "assembling" the program as I broadcast it, playing the CDs and a CD-R of David Baker's quotes, so it's not really archivable--but I did tape both days, and would be happy to send a dubbed cassette to anybody who's interested (including you, White Lightning--I did get your e-mail!).

Up for Part 2 in about 15 minutes. Today would have been J.J.'s 80th birthday.

Slated for a Mars-only release. The import price is going to be--you guessed it--astronomical.

I believe it's called "Night Ranger Lives!" www.motoring.com

That was a f#@*in' great board! I sure miss it too--these days I just hang out here.

Modern Jazz Quartet, COMP. PRESTIGE AND PABLO Ray Brown, JAZZ CELLO Lem Winchester, WINCHESTER SPECIAL Dizzy Gillespie, PERCEPTIONS J.J. Johnson, QUINTERGY and VIVIAN

Thanks, Pryan. I'll be doing part 2 tomorrow, picking up with a couple more tracks from the Mosaic that I wasn't able to get to today, and going all the way up to the mid-1990s with THE BRASS ORCHESTRA. There's so much I want to play that I don't have time for... Hell, the Mosaic alone offers far too much great material!

Yes, one and the same. He'll be a part of tomorrow's program as well... talking about meeting JJ at Lennox and some other things. He's a very busy man, but once in awhile I get to interview him.

Up for broadcast in about 15-20 minutes.

Hey all, I'm doing a two-part special on J.J. Johnson in commemoration of what would have been his 80th birthday this Thursday (Jan. 22). The program will feature commentary from David Baker and a wealth of J.J. music, including early arrangements for Basie and Benny Carter, sides from Jay & Kai, "Poem for Brass," a few cuts from the Mosaic box, some music from ACROSS 110TH STREET (scored by J.J.), and much more. The shows air Wednesday and Thursday from 3:30-5 pm. The live webcast link can be found in the upper lefthand corner here: WFIU

High marks from me for the Braxton Wilisau ('91), JUMP UP, the Satie, and the new Giuffre re-issue (FLIGHT/EMPHASIS), which just seems to grow more revelatory each time I listen to it. Also Ran Blake's HORACE IS BLUE. And a big, big favorite: Horace Tapscott's THE DARK TREE V. 1 & 2. Great news about McPhee and OLEO. I wish somebody would re-issue his Giuffre tribute (a CELP, rather than Hat, release originally).

Wasn't this all part of the original joke?

In addition to those listed above, the Cole Porter record she did with Billy May... I believe it's called SWINGS COLE PORTER. As well as the other record she did with May, called SWINGS RODGERS AND HART. A fave of mine that's been re-issued only in Japan (but is on the Mosaic set) is O'Day's Billie Holiday tribute, TRAVLIN' LIGHT.

J.J. Johnson Mosaic set and lots more J.J.--I'm putting together a program.

Peter, you might want to give BLUE WAIL a listen. It's closer to straight-ahead than many of Uri's other recordings, I'm told (I still haven't heard enough to say that myself). Wild that he played with Mobley--I had no idea! I knew he was from Philly, but I didn't realize he'd been around that long.

Gawrssshh!

This sounds fantastic, if it ever materializes. What's left in the "official" Miles Sony re-issue program? The Seven Steps/Live 1963-64 box... the Cellar Door material... what else am I forgetting? In any case, maybe MC and BB will move onto the bootleg material after they wrap up the above-mentioned projects.

Colts, schmolts... is it baseball season yet? I now return to my "old Hoosier crank in winter" rocking chair.

Finally getting around to this, which I've been anticipating for the past several months:

I have only three of this pianist's CDs, but I've been re-visiting them and enjoying them greatly of late: BLUE WAIL SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK: TIN PAN ALLEY (a kind of concept album that attempts to recreate the sound of NYC musical life circa 1900) TOYS He's also present as a sideman on a number of other CDs that I have. I'm interested in his Mahler interpretations--anybody else out there a fan, or have any recommendations?

Here's one more to send us on our way!

We're countin' down to a million, Moose... only 899,941 posts to go! Personally the suspense is starting to get to me.