ghost of miles

Today I listened to the legendary Ellington-at-Newport-'56 performance of "Crescendo and Diminuendo in Blue," for the first time in a couple of years. I played it for my wife, who had never heard the famous 27 chorus Paul Gonsalves solo, and hearing it again whetted my desire to seek out more Gonsalves. The only CD I have with him as a leader is ELLINGTONIA MOODS AND BLUES--any other recommendations that fall outside of his work with the Ellington orchestra?

I know you're just looking for the single disc, but don't rule out getting the Mosaic eventually... It's become one of my favorite Mosaics, and it showcases Ellington in a number of different settings--doing covers of other big bands' hits, some songs of the day, the jazz violin sessions, the symphonic-Ellington sessions, the Mary Poppins soundtrack (quite good!) and the aforementioned afro-bossa, as well as a nice take on "Rhapsody in Blue"--really a great batch of music from the Duke.

This sounds interesting for Berigan fanatics. Buried in the discography notes:

Tom Tomorrow: thismodernworld

For me it used to be "Welcome," but lately I've really been getting into his recording of "My Little Brown Book" with Ellington.

Put my ballot in for ANDREW!

Hmm--I thought we already had a thread on this board, but my searches failed to find it--I must've goofed somehow.

There was some discussion of this set's forthcoming release on that other board we all used to frequent (and I don't mean AAJ or Harlem). Today I finally finished listening to it and can give it a hearty endorsement for anybody who likes or loves early jazz and hot trumpet playing. The English researcher who helped spark this set uncovered more than 400 sides on which Purvis--a flamboyant, unstable musician who grew up in Kokomo, Indiana--played. Those were pared down to about 70 for the 3-CD Jazz Oracle set, which comes with a 60-page booklet, including a biography of Purvis and notes on the music by Michael Brooks. Purvis had an erratic but intense sound, and it's fascinating to hear him with Hal Kemp and other lesser-known bands of the late 20's and early 30's, as well as with the Boswell Sisters on two tracks. Hearing Purvis' unpredictable trumpet among some tracks that undoubtedly were pedestrian in their day gives one a broader context of the jazz/entertainment sounds of the times; it's easy for a listener like me to forget sometimes that not everybody was Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Bix, etc., and that a lot of interesting players were recording in so-so musical settings. Anyway, definitely worth it for those with a predilection for the era: Purvis

Congratulations, man--it's your Jesus year! Have a good one, and try not to get crucified.

Last post o' the month for me in this thread: Louis Prima/Wingy Manone Mosaic, Disc 4 Jack Purvis, JACK PURVIS (Jazz Oracle set, disc 3) Vandermark 5, AIRPORTS FOR LIGHT Betty Roche, LIGHTLY AND POLITELY and... Love Oscar Brown Jr.!

Weizen's GOP spin cycle?

Why bother trying 'em at all? Why not just march 'em around naked with their crimes imprinted upon their skin?

Quartet Out, LIVE AT THE MEAT HOUSE. Or Organissimo, WAITING FOR THE BOOGALOO SISTERS. Or is that just too incestuous?

My mom's a prosecutor--I'd get axed in a second.

I had, may still have, the 1989 French CD release. Has the Jones material surfaced on CD anywhere else besides the LUST FOR LIFE title listed in AMG?

Zen Master Rama, aka Fred Lenz III, aka "the Yuppie Guru." My friends & I once put this guy's poster up on our refrigerator door, as he seemed the epitome of shallow 80's New Age Zen. He died several years ago, an apparent suicide, from drowning and ingestion of 150 barbituates (guess it was more than apparent). Here's a link to a website (a rather derisive one) about him: ZenMasterRama

I remember really enjoying this track, but I can't recall if it was the Okeh or Victor version that jumped out of the speakers at me one night. I'll go home tonight and listen to 'em both. Thanks, Chuck.

The BNBB ain't dead... it just looks funny.

This did get re-issued in Japan a couple of years ago, right? I keep meaning to pick it up--it came out over there around the same time as another elusive, technically-not-BN CD, the Russ Freeman/Richard Twardzik PIANO TRIOS.

Run, do not walk, to your keyboard to order this CD. (Well, you're probably already at your keyboard if you're reading this...) There is a lot of bone and sinew to this band. "Allnette" will put you in mind of another Texan saxophonist & and the fluidly tight quartets he led... "Cannon's Blues" kicks with an avant-gutbucket feel--I live near a hospital, and just as the track really started to howl I heard the sirens that I often hear a few blocks away, and they blended beautifully with the music. "Island Party" begins as a Rollinsesque Carnaval romp that turns fierce, and by God I hear a "Rhapsody in Blue" quote right before the drum solo. Muscular hooks aplenty here, too, as evidenced by "Oh Boys Try to Get Along" and "Donkey Dix"... The ghosts of Ayler/Murray collaborations are hovering about as well. Music with sass & swagger, playful but with just a hint of menace that lets you know these guys have a little more funk, a little more dirt on their hands, than the Vandermark clan from Chicago. It's aces, Jim--CD of the week, anyone?

Tonight, after work: John Coltrane/Milt Jackson, BAGS & TRANE Chick Corea, COMPLETE IS SESSIONS (inspired by reading raves about Bennie Maupin's playing) and... Quartet Out, LIVE AT THE MEATHOUSE (yeah, man!)

All ways wither once you have found the path of Zen Master Rama:

Contact Jim directly. I bought one from him several weeks ago & shamefully have not set aside time yet to spin it--a situation I'm rectifying tomorrow. I'm going to feature it on my May 7 radio show.

I've been in Seattle only once, for a few weeks after I came back from working on a salmon processor in Alaska (glorious work, that!). In addition to the places listed above, check out the Elliott Bay Book Company, a beautiful independent bookstore on South Main Street. Great thread--my wife & I are currently planning a trip to both Port Townsend and Portland for next spring. I was hoping to find Bud Shank in Port Townsend, but I hear he's moved to Arizona.

Roy Campbell's ETHNIC STEW & BREW comes to mind, as does the Horace Parlan Mosaic (mentioned by Rooster Ties in a previous post). Beck's SEA CHANGES also caught me offguard last year with its beauty & revelatory emotion--I played that one just about every day for the first month that I had it. And, many moons ago, Jackie McLean's DESTINATION OUT, the Andrew Hill Mosaic, and Anthony Braxton's WILISAU set.