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papsrus
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Posts posted by papsrus
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Shall I open a Paypal account for you to send yours to?
Seriously, what are you getting a grand for?
MG
A tax rebate to rescue the economy from recession. ... or a payoff from the government to stop talking about it, depending on how you look at it.
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... It's like the scene in "Life of Brian" where Brian is standing in the window addressing the multitudes: "You're all individuals!" "Yes, we're all individuals," the crowd yells back in unison. "I'm not," comes the answer from some bloke in the crowd. So HE's English. all the others are American
MG
Priceless!
The article was kind of charming, I thought. My father has always been somewhat enamored of the English, having gone there as a young doctor right after the war. Many wonderful stories of stoicism and kindness. Stories about the butcher who wept when my mother brought him some goods from a care package sent from back home, the rationing and just an overall sense of rising above things to carry on. Although my parents don't travel anymore, they still maintain a membership at the Sloan Club in London. They loved staying there.
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I have a mono lp of Cosmic Scene, and the Mosaic Single. Very nice little session indeed!
Yesterday I got the Jazz Beat version of "A Drum is A Woman" from Worlds Records. Well, aside from the obvious problems of provenance of which I'm well aware, this is a beautiful digipak with the best cover image, glossy as an Impulse reissue, I've seen on cd, and sound that I think is a tad better than the CBS cd from France. (Plus one extra track). Until Columbia and/or Mosaic see fit to grace us with an official release this is one worth having.
A friend of mine thinks the music on this is silly, but I really like it more and more.
Thanks Lon! From the comments here, "Cosmic" sounds like a winner. "Drum" I'm completely in the dark on, other than the controversial title.
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MG, the Ellington Meets Hawkins is magnificient! Definitely one of the most marvellous small group sessions ever made by the Duke, and up there with the best Hawkins albums... that Limbo Jazz and the Riccitic or whatever it's called, these two alone are woth the prize of admission for me! (One of them was just a rehearsal take, you can hear some chatter etc, added to the CD reissue)
Glad to know this one is highly thought of. I had noticed it, but I find myself a little wary sometimes of these "Ellington Meets ...." sessions. As I understand it, they were often somewhat like arranged marriages? ... Although, it sounds like Ellington practically lived in the studio and on the road, so it's likely he was comfortable in these situations. But for instance I thought that the Coltrane-Ellington disc, which while pleasant enough, fell somewhat short of at least what I'd anticipated.
In any case, glad to know this Hawkins session is a good one.
There are four double CD recordings of the Carnegie Hall concerts from the mid-40s, originally on Prestige. The sound is typical of live recordings from those times but I find them all perfectly listenable. These were big 'events' so I suspect they are not typical of live dates - lots of suite premieres including 'Black, Brown and Beige'. Very enjoyable. (Just seen that King Ubu has also recommended these while I was typing! Sorry to tempt you further, Papsrus!!!!)Tempt away. It's likely to be a long and varied journey.
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To an outsider, the article seems to capture quite nicely what it means to be British.
Britain Looks for Its Essence, and Finds Punch Lines
By SARAH LYALL
Published: January 26, 2008
LONDON — It was a lofty idea: formulate a British “statement of values” defining what it means to be British, much the way a document like the Declaration of Independence sets out the ideals that help explain what it means to be American.
To be seen at the races at Ascot is undeniably a British tradition. Summing up national values, though, appears debatable.
Because of the peculiarities of its long history, Britain has in modern times never felt the need for such a statement. But in an era of decentralized government and citizens who tend to define themselves less by their similarities than by differences of region, ethnicity or religion, the government felt that the time was ripe for one.
The proposal, part of a package of British-pride-bolstering measures announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s new government over the summer, raised a host of tricky questions. What does it mean to be British? How do you express it in a country that believes self-promotion to be embarrassing? And how do you deal with a defining trait of the people you are trying to define: their habit of making fun of worthy government proposals?
Detractors spread the rumor that the government was looking not for a considered statement, but for a snappy, pithy “liberté, égalité, fraternité”-style slogan that it could plaster across government buildings in a kind of branding exercise.
Nor did it help when The Times of London cynically sponsored a British motto-writing contest for its readers.
The readers’ suggestions included “Dipso, Fatso, Bingo, Asbo, Tesco” (Asbo stands for “anti-social behavior order,” a law-enforcement tool, while Tesco is a ubiquitous supermarket chain); “Once Mighty Empire, Slightly Used”; “At Least We’re Not French”; and “We Apologize for the Inconvenience.” The winner, favored by 20.9 percent of the readers, was “No Motto Please, We’re British.”
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I think you have some of the Mosaic material, Papsrus. It was seeing your mentioning of one of the 'Duke's Men' Columbia sets that had me searching. They seem to be OOP with just a few copies floating round. Then I got the Mosaic magazine through the post.......
Another one I'm very fond of is 'The Ellington Suites' with 'The Queen's Suite' on it. This was the first full Ellington album I bought c. 1976-7 when it first came out for public issue. 'Sunset and the Mocking Bird' is just sublime! ...
Yes, I hadn't compared the track listings but anticipated some overlap. The Mosaic treatment though is ... enticing.
Ordered this earlier on your rec:
Also, couldn't resist -- this one's on the way as of this morning:
This morning I'm listening to "The Duke Ellington Small Bands: The Intimacy of the Blues"
My appetite for small band settings led me to this one. From what I can gather, it is a mix of several studio sessions, one of which resulted in something he called The Combo Suite (the first six tracks here) ... also referred to as Hi Fi Fo Fum. Cat Anderson (I believe) on the muted trumpet is priceless.
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Any idea if these are the same people responsible for the first break-in? I would guess that's pretty likely. Or some of their friends. Also, did the police say if they were linked to any other break-ins in the area?
What about a neighborhood watch group? The police could help you and your neighbors set it up, I think.
Just spit-ballin' ...
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... * The big one...god knows what customs are going to sting me for this....the late 30s small groups Mosaic. ...
That is going to be some ride. I've had that Mosaic on the radar as well recently, but I need to wait a bit, digest what's on the way and save some pennies before making another large purchase. ... But that box looks very good. I'll be interested to read your thoughts on it.
EDIT: Speaking of Mosaic, this one also looks interesting:
Small group session from 1958. More high praise for Gonsalves, Clark Terry and Jimmy Hamilton. Anyone familiar with this one?
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I didn't know that was you, clave. I was sorry to see you banned over there.
Welcome to the O-board!
Yes, welcome. How about restarting your Brazilian music thread here?
Yes please!
Clave/seeline has done more than anyone to broaden my listening in recent years.
Second (or third) that, and good to see you Bev.
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Oh yeah, to seeline/clave - welcome indeed. Looked at your blog (it is yours, right?) and was intrigued.
Also looked at that AAJ blues thread and got kinda barfy. Glad you're "here" now, hope you come to feel the same!
That is a very cool blog. A ton of interesting music. Even some blues!
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My name is James. I'm a guy. I live with a girl. Have for a long while, ever since that wedding thing. What a party! She's indifferent about jazz, but loves hip hop, and other stuff I can't quite make out but which sounds nice enough.
Re: AAJ ...
Back to girl talk. -
Terence Blanchard with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
This alone might be worth it. He'll certainly be doing material from "God's Will." And the Preservation Hall Jazz Band would be fun to hear. Also, apparently there are "thousands more" musicians scheduled to appear that they're not mentioning. Wow! The focus must be on big bands. ... Really big.
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Complete overreaction. I listened to the sound clip of what Majerus said and it was nothing.
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Don't know this band, but I'm familiar with Shepik and have an interest in so-called Balkan jazz, or more generally Eastern European influenced music -- which eventually leads to Middle Eastern influenced music and beyond. It's a fascinating area out there on the fringes a bit, I think. Dave Douglas' Tiny Bell Trio, with Shepik on guitar, falls generally into this category. His "Songs for Wandering Souls," "Constellations," and "Tiny Bell Trio" albums are each worth looking into.
The other thing is the different instrumentation used in some of this music, with accordion and strings, violin, sometimes playing a roll. I have only glancing familiarity with Django Reinhardt, but I think his is an early example of music that falls broadly into this area -- gypsy jazz.
As with anything, a lot of different rabbit holes to tumble down once you start exploring. And isn't that a fortunate thing?
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James, you have an exciting road ahead of you! I keep returning to the world of Ellington/Strayhorn music because it contains all human experience in musical mode: excitement, tranquility, love, hate, lust. . . .All the colors and textures of life.
You can almost NOT go wrong. I've discovered over time that all periods are worth examining. I used to love the earliest most, and the latest least, but I've learned to just love it all.
One recommendation I would make: look for the Decca three cd collection "Early Ellington." It sort of went out of print but still can be found. Excellent music, sound and notes.
Another recommendation: seek out the Pablo and Riverside OJC cds, they also are sort of out of print but still findable now and not a clunker among them.
Thanks Lon. Looking over the Decca collection now. A little pricey. May have to save my pennies for a month or two on that one. Sounds really nice.
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Lots of good information here. Just getting into Ellington in depth.
I read the comment earlier in this thread that some musicians thought he was overrated, that his bands played out of tune and his arrangements were indulgent. Not getting that. ... I've yet to hear anything that's less than exciting. I will say the Coltrane/Ellington disc with Garrison and Jones didn't quite live up to what I'd anticipated. More spins, maybe. But Ellington seemed to be content to take a back seat in that setting and as a result the magical moments that could have developed maybe didn't fully.
Anyways, I'll be adding piecemeal to my currently tiny Ellington collection over the course of the year.
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I don't own that one.
I should.
Someday, I will own all the Braxton I can get my hands on.
It's difficult to find (especially when misspelling the first name of one of the performers). There are some downloadable copies. I have an MP3 version, just ordered a hard copy from amazon marketplace for a high but not outrageous price. There's three left here. The prices on the new ones are insane, IMO.
Listening now.
Thanks. One of the things that keeps me from buying any new Braxton is the amount that I already own. There's about 71 titles that I should listen to more often.
An even greater problem right now is financing...
I know what you mean, both in terms of listening and financing. I probably have somewhere around 20 Braxton titles ranging across his career. Highlights would include Dortmund, Montreux/Berlin, the 85 quartet discs, his standards stuff and the Charlie Parker project, the Iridium box (MP3). All of it compelling to listen to.
These duets with Blake, though, are something entirely different, to my ear. It's almost shocking to hear Braxton in this context, playing a lot of straight ahead bluesy phrases with a much warmer tone than I'm used to hearing from him. And he is really on top of his game here, with lightning-fast runs around Blake's playing. He soars on "Just Friends." An incredibly nimble player.
Maybe he has other similar discs, but I've not heard them. You may want to check out an MP3 version. Several pop up on a Google search for this album title.
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I don't own that one.
I should.
Someday, I will own all the Braxton I can get my hands on.
It's difficult to find (especially when misspelling the first name of one of the performers). There are some downloadable copies. I have an MP3 version, just ordered a hard copy from amazon marketplace for a high but not outrageous price. There's three left here. The prices on the new ones are insane, IMO.
Listening now.
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My mistake. Sloppy. Wonderful album. I don't think I've ever quite heard Braxton sound as he does here.
I've listened to some of his standards music and it all seems to me to have his sort of staccato style stamp on it. Great, but distinctly his playing. This on is different, to my ear. More lyrical than I'm used to with him.
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Thanks for that link, and apologies for the duplication. I looked for an Ellington thread here and I am somehow not seeing that one in the Artists directory. Perhaps my settings are off a bit.
Thanks again ... and thanks for all the recs so far.
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I recently got my hands on a copy of Ron Blake, Anthony Braxton -- "A Memory of Vienna" and if you can find it, I'd highly recommend it. I've never heard Braxton sound so soulful as he does on "Round Midnight." A beautiful and surprising disc.
Track listing:
Round Midnight
Yardbird Suite
You Go To My Head
Just Friends
Alone Together
Four
Soul Eyes
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
Has anyone else heard this one?
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I would get a collection of his stuff from the early 40s, just when Strayhorn hooked up with him. I have most of this on vinyl, but I think there are some good CD comps out there, referred to as the Blanton/Webster band if I'm not mistaken.
From the hi-fi era, get "Masterpieces" and "Ellington Uptown," both of which have longer arrangements of his classic stuff (to take advantage of the LP medium).
Thanks. I have the highly regarded "Never No Lament: Blanton-Webster Band" on order -- a 3 CD set which covers 39-42 I believe. Pretty excited about that one. I will look for "Masterpieces" and "Uptown" as well. The catalog is so vast, it's an interesting challenge to begin to acquire Ellington's essential recordings from various periods.
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Great! Not wanting to gum up the works here, I posted an Ellington topic on the Artists thread.
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I'm just now getting into Ellington in a big way. I'd listened to some of his later-period discs and enjoyed them in the past, but not with any great enthusiasm. Such Sweet Thunder and Far East Suite I considered good, not great, albums.
Now I'm suddenly hearing these in a whole new way, and I'm looking back into his catalog and practically salivating while pondering where to go next. I've ordered a Blanton-Webster band box set to get me started, and have Vol. 1 of Duke's Men: The Small Groups, also Blues in Orbit and a smattering of other small group stuff.
I don't want to overstate things too much, but listening to Such Sweet Thunder and Far East Suite, I'm starting to hear these as almost revolutionary. The detail in the music is vast and the musicianship is superb throughout, Hodges and Gonsalves in particular, but others will emerge too I'm sure as I listen more and more. And the arrangements, of course, are beautiful, exciting, funny. And that's just it -- there's so much to hear in this music.
And so ... I'll be interested to read others thoughts on Ellington, his sidemen, his early period, big band, later period, small group. There's a lot there.
*****Lester Young Corner*****
in Artists
Posted · Edited by papsrus
Well ... there's a ton of great information here that I've only begun to plow through, but I thought I'd chime in just to say (heh-hem) I had zero Lester Young in my collection ... until today. I'm taking some time out from my Ellington craze to feast on an armful of Young discs that arrived today in the mail: The Washington DC discs, vols. 1-5, and the with Oscar Peterson Trio disc. These will be my introduction to Lester Young.
I'm sure there are probably better places to start, but I seem to tend to begin with an artist's later-period music and work my way back. And I seem to like to hear these big band guys in small group settings before wading into their core stuff. ... NP: DC Disc 1
And thanks Mikelz777