Spontooneous

It's the title cut of this one.

1. No idea who it is, but I like the guitarist's time. And the organist's. The organ quote of Walter Brown's "Confessin' the Blues" at 1:46 warms my Kansas City heart. 2. Muscat Ramble. Goin' back to the roots but crossing the wires a little (to mix metaphors). It brings in the Latin tinge, and there's a dandy bit of ensemble writing with clarinets and a violin that would make Bob Wills proud. The tuba solo isn't just acrobatic, it's serious as a heart attack. Wynton wishes his music was as much fun as this. Or maybe he doesn't, and that's his problem. When the leader calls the New Orleans stuff, I tend to head for the men's room or the Waffle House -- but I think I'll play this one two or three times more before going on to 3. 3. This hits me right in a blind spot, because I've never paid much attention to calypso. (Does it count that I listened to my mom's Harry Belafonte record a lot when I was a kid?) There's some serious playing going on here, especially that powerful clarinet, who could almost be Bechet. Are there some jazz cats mixed into this band? I like the spot where it goes into a smooth swing. 4. Something familiar about this one, like it's in my collection somewhere. I just love the out-of-time head with the big ensemble sound. (Shameless plug: Something similarly wacky will be on BFT 84.) Don't love the tenor solo, which seems to go for the low-hanging fruit, but the trombone is above and beyond the call of duty. 5. My favorite thing about this circa-1941 performance is the drumming. Somebody learned the lessons of Jo Jones very well. The backdrops to the horn solos are a little too aggressive, or maybe the horns aren't aggressive enough. Can't ID the piece or the band. 6. Oh, this is tickling some memory cells! It's on one of the first jazz CDs I ever owned. And I saw this exact band live at the Folly Theater in Kansas City within a few weeks of this recording -- my only Blakey show. It was my first exposure to Kenny Garrett and Wallace Roney. The trombonist is a distant KC acquaintance. Thanks for making me listen to this one again, Jeff. It really is one of the best later Blakey records, isn't it? 7. I like the way the guitarist thinks, and the ending is really beautiful. 8. Just in case anybody was wondering where Ayler REALLY came from. Man, this is beautiful. Wish I knew who it was. 9. Are they playing ESP or just alluding to it? The guitar sounds like Scofield, but lots of cats try to. I like the groove, but in the end the whole thing leaves me cold. Sorry. 10. The real puzzler. Maybe some local hero, your friendly neighborhood bebop? It's beautiful, whoever it is. 11. Another puzzler. The vocal exhortations sound like Dizzy, but the trumpet solo doesn't sound like him. I wish big-band music today was as relaxed as this. 12. The rhythm section tries, but the saxophonist seems to have only one response to any situation. Too bad, because the rhythm section is doing some wonderful things. 13. The wide, athletic leaps in the trumpet have me thinking it's Jabbo Smith. But I can't confirm that, despite searching the collection for this side. 14. I keep thinking that this is John McNeil for some reason. That's a compliment. 15. I'm thinking this might be a boot of the real Sonny Rollins. If not, it's a brilliant imitation, probably the best I've ever heard, right down to the motor habits. The guitar might be Rene Thomas, doesn't strike me as Jim Hall. The bassist plods a little. But it's really a stunning performance.

I'm reporting this thread to the mods. According to the forum rules, it can only be posted on this board if it's "Album Covers Showing Laughing Women With Salad."

Thank you, Chuck! I've been wondering about that since 1987. I bought a LOT of those cutouts and still enjoy most of them.

Late '86 or early '87. It was a cheap used copy of Elvis Costello's "King of America," at the dear departed Exile Records in Overland Park, KS. I picked that title because my LP copy sounded lousy. Didn't have a CD player at the time, so it was played at other people's houses. I'd accumulated about a dozen CDs before buying a Magnavox player in '87 that I still have.

Time to start a poll: What is your favorite masturbation condiment?

AP is reporting that as of today, the company is delaying paying some suppliers. And the stock is sinking like a stone in after-hours trading.

The terms of sale remain extremely unpleasant: "It is possible to obtain the original, full length CDs for certain recordings as we have purchased back the inventory from distributors for such recordings. However, the inventory is not consistent and we need to check it case by case. Here is what you need to do if you want to have a special order: Send a letter indicating which titles you would like (specific product number). Attach a check for $15.98 plus $3.50 S/H for each CD, not each order. (Please note that the web-based prices do not apply do Special Orders). Please attach your email address so we can notify you. Send the letter to 1201 Music Americas, PO Box 500 - Special Orders, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716 Upon receipt, we will the check whether the CDs are still available. If there is 50% or more of your order available, we will ship the order and attach a check with a refund for any unfilled portion of the order. If there is less than 50%, we will notify you via email as to what you want to do. Please note that we do not accept credit cards. Also, please note that the shipping will take approximately four weeks, and that all CDs will be shipped via postal mail (thus, please make sure that we have the correct shipping address for you). If you correspond with us via e-mail, please make sure to note in the subject field: 1201 Music / Special Orders. Please do not inquiry with respect to inventory availability prior to the receipt of your order with check at our offices, as we will only check inventory once your order has been received."

Sharped two that are in my collection right by me, tracks 2 and 3.

Seconded. I was expecting a mismatch of singer and band, but everybody has it together here.

Porgie & Mudhead Ralph Spoilsport Molly Bloom

I hear ya. I was underwhelmed by this record too. The performance on film at the American Jazz Museum beats anything on "Bird Calls" hands-down for me.

The pseudonymous trumpet player is Carmell Jones, BTW -- but only one solo from him on the record. The American Jazz Museum in Kansas City has a wonderful short film of Vi singing and playing.

A download here, please, Jeff!

They want to sell CDs in the worst way. I think they found it.

A few months back in Kansas City, we had a few events built around a world-renowned jazzman in his 80s who is ailing, on oxygen and in a wheelchair. A collector of my acquaintance brought a collectable LP for him to autograph. At this point, the musician's signature is crude and barely legible. After he had scrawled across the front of the LP cover, the collector was livid. "He DEFACED my album!" he told friends.

On to Disc Two. 1. The tune is Cedar Walton's "Ojos de Rojo." The ensemble is bottom-heavy but doesn't sound bad at all. The tenor solo doesn't do much for me, but I love the poise of the piano solo. Eventually, I figured out it's the version here. 2. Never liked synthesized strings, but that part is over quickly. Shorter-ish tenor, but the presence of all those other horns suggests it isn't him. After a while it turns into something simpler and less studio-slick, and I like it better. 3. This is some pop tune I should recognize, isn't it? But I don't. I like the arrangement and the living-room atmosphere. 4. Oh, I know I've heard this, and it's in my collection somewhere. Don't care for the tenor solo (don't care for Breckerish tenor in general). But it picks up nicely after that. 5. Clever! Was the vocal melody composed to complement the "Four" changes, or is this just a happy coincidence? Is that Paquito on clarinet? (I'm just going to keep guessing Paquito until I get one right.) 6. That's some sort of exotic baritone guitar? I like. 7. Again, my brain is telling me this is in my collection somewhere. The solos hold my attention very well. The improvised counterpoint works. Yeah! 8. Love the writing. Often I tune out when the drummer does military-style rolls, but this performance keeps bringing me back. Can't ID it specifically, but is this from Dave Douglas? 9. Reviving Ellington's "Mount Harissa" is a good idea. The Joe Henderson-inspired tenor solo is fine (I don't often say that). The end of the original always feels anticlimactic, but the end of this one works very well. I'm liking Disc Two even more than Disc One, Tom. 10. More accordion that doesn't suck! At least it doesn't suck in small doses. Really nice bass work back there. 11 A memorable "Giant Steps." On a Spanish guitar? Then it morphs into Dameron's "On a Misty Night." Beautiful. This is a good listen, Tom, and it's going to send me on quests to find some of these CDs. Thank you!

Okay, time to embarrass myself. Didn't manage to identify a single track on Disc One. But that won't stop me from shooting my mouth off. 1. I feel like I'm in ECM land. Best soloist is the guitarist. Are the twining tenor lines overdubs? (I'm not bothered by that.) 2. Love the shape of the tune, and the artful pacing of the arrangement. Not much wrong with the playing either. 3. The ensemble of clarinets gives me flashbacks to BFT 80. It's one of those mid-tempo grooves that Wynton Marsalis favors, but the writing is too good to be his. These must be players young enough to consider him an influence. The alto soloist plays some Ornette licks. I've never heard these influences put together like this. I like. 4. So the clarinets continue! Maybe Paquito and a small string ensemble? The piano soloist tries too hard. But I like the abrupt ending. 5. Maybe my attention span's getting shorter as I get older. Seems like this one takes too long to get to the point. I don't dislike it, though. Maybe I'm just not relaxed enough to get on this wavelength today. Tenor solo seems like the best of the bunch. 6. At first the pulsing bass has me expecting the Who's "My Generation." And the trumpet theme has me expecting "On the Trail." Then the accordion comes in. I suspect we're in ECM country again. I don't know what just happened here, but I kind of like. 7. It's "Filles de Kilimanjaro," obviously not the original. About time people started playing this tune. Another accordion! Like the trumpet, the tenor's dark tone, and the drumming. Not bothered by the accordion, here or on 6. 8. "The Long And Winding Road." Sure, why not? At least it isn't "Blackbird," which I've gotten very tired of hearing in jazz contexts. This heats up nicely after a couple of minutes. 9. Can't work up much enthusiasm for this one, I'm afraid. Just not a type of jazz that I respond much to. 10. The tune engages me, but not much about the playing does. 11. It really is "Smoke on the Water," isn't it? But once again, the playing doesn't say much to me. I'm liking just about everything here, Tom. More to come.

And thank you for not including Wilton Crawley.

Now you make my insistence on 16 being Steve Turre hilarious. This was lots of fun, Colin.

One more download for me, please.

Still haven't overcome that weakness for model trains. It included a fairly big HO layout in the basement of my parents' home. Discovered later in life that I couldn't have both the trains and the records. So the records have taken over. But my lifelong passion for real trains has gotten even bigger. And Kansas City is a great place to indulge in it.

When I was a kid, I heard an uncle of mine railing about how "infiltration" was killing his business and killing the country. Later, the other adults figured out that he meant "inflation." Funny the things you remember.

Wow, that's...that's...oppressive. Can't breathe.