papsrus

Bah. Just means more postseason baseball for the rest of us nonpartisan bystanders. Game 7s all around, I say!

Listening to 'Creole Rhapsody' with Jeff's comments in mind, I hear some of what he has described -- the relatively simple structure made ornate by unusual phrase lengths. Recognizing the trombone duet as a blues is a little more difficult; certainly not something that would have occurred to me without Jeff's comments. It's a beautiful piece, and I'm glad to have the insights offered here while listening. A big thank you to Bev for starting this thread, and of the ones I have on hand, I love the selections so far. They've directed me toward a period of Ellington I'd pretty much inexplicably neglected. 'Controversial Suite:' Recorded Dec. 11, 1951, Columbia. This is on the 'Ellington Uptown' release. I wasn't aware that the impetus for the piece was the schism at the time between traditionalists and progressives. Of course, knowing this brings the piece into starker relief. I love 'Before My Time,' with Procope, Nance and the rest summoning up flavors of New Orleans. 'Later' is less appealing to me, less flesh on the bone, or something. Comes off a little flat, to me. I work nights.

That old schtick?

Thank you. I see they are the Quadromania and Original Longplay people, too.

Yeah. The Yankees could come back and win three straight. Just not the way they're playing right now. The networks may not want a San Fran - Texas World Series. I'd like to see it. (no offense to Yankee and Phillies fans here.)

Yeah, and nobody's even gotten a hit off of CC on Wednesday yet. C'mon! It ain't over till the fat lady sings. It ain't over till it's over. It ain't over till Roy says it's over. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjMfQG4DejQ

... OK, that was bound to change. But still, there aren't even two outs in the Yankee 8th yet.

Yeah. And, heck, nobody's even out in the Yankee 8th yet. ...

Boom

Wonderful insights Jeff. Thank you.

Interesting thread. Don't want to dig up any old controversies, but this seemed like the right place to ask. Does anyone have any information on the Documents (not Document) label? I have a Teddy Wilson set released by the label. Says on the discs "distributed by TIM The International Music Company AG, out of Hamburg, Germany. A web address on the back of the jewel cases -- www.timcompany.com -- is a dead end. All of the material is outside the 50-year limit for Europe. Anyone ever hear of this outfit?

If it wasn't for Mosaic's upcoming Ellington box, I'd jump on that Art Ensemble set. Can't have everything.

Rangers kick the old barn door wide open. wow.

First game I've been able to sit home and watch in a while. Rangers are jumping out to a quick start.

Happy birthday, Chris. Hope you had a great day!

I noticed last night with some astonishment that there's a house on my street that has Christmas lights up already. Fully dressed. Oct. 16! In Florida, where the temperature is still in the 80s during the day. Not sure how he figures to get around Halloween.

Listening to what the liner notes claim is the first studio recording of 'A Train' on "The Complete Standard Transcriptions, 1941" (Soundies). This version apparently was recorded in Jan. 1941, a month before the Feb. '41 version that appears on the RCA release mentioned above. Not as polished, I'd imagine. Scott Yanow's notes point to Nance's solo not being quite as well-developed as on the more widely known Feb. '41 version.

Your late father truly sounds like a remarkable and inspired guy. Maybe, but I'll take Moms over milk every time. Plus, I've long since stopped being offended when someone tells me I'm full of shit. 'Bitches Brew' seems a bit too easy of a target though.

A guide to the new economy: Paper or plastic?

yeah, talk about torture.

Not albums, course, but: Buddy Bolden Bix and, um, lets see ... Miles Davis?

Dropping Game 1 the way they did dealt a near fatal blow to the Rangers' chances, IMO. Essentially gave CC a pass for what you have to think will likely be his only shaky (no, bad) start the rest of the way. You're never out of a 7-game series after just one game, but you just can't blow that lead, at home, in Game 1, in the late innings (in ONE late inning), when you've yet to win a single home playoff game in the history of your club, and then recover. Makes Game 2 an almost must-win for them. And any time Game 2 is a near must-win, you're in trouble. They go to NY down 0-2 and their chances of emerging from this series plummet. 1-1, not so bad. ... and the look on Nolan Ryan's face -- poor bastard -- as the whole enchilada unraveled was priceless.

It can be scary. Best wishes to you and your wife, Joanne.

All Moms is arguing for, as far as I can see, is an open ear to some neglected forms of early American music. That the blues form became a dominant influence on so much American music of the 20th Century seems undeniable. (And round and round we go). But what of the other strains, such as those trumpeted in the original post? What is their place? Where did they come from? Where did they go? Why are they worth listening to? This music is worth hearing on its own terms. A listener can judge the value and place of the music however he or she wants, after listening to it. But it does have some value, and some place. Seems to me.

Oh, I understand your take on it. But I think you know by now that my approach to listening is somewhat more prosaic. So I'm hearing it possibly in a more detached way. 'Blood Count': A beautiful song. That it was Strayhorn's last piece for Ellington makes it all the more so. I'm generally in the 'more the merrier' camp as far as different versions of a tune go. But I find the songs on that album -- bonus tracks and all -- difficult to separate from the whole. I put it on last night with the intention of stopping after 'Blood Count' and couldn't. Not to sidetrack too much, but for me perhaps the most poignant piece on that album is Ellington's solo version of 'Lotus Blossom,' complete with sounds of the band packing up in the studio in the background. 'Never No Lament': From the Blanton-Webster box. The soloists, yes. The orchestra, yes. But the thing that really grabs me about this tune is the quiet, steady propulsion of Blanton. Has that 'floating' quality.