Spontooneous

Saw this on another Web page. Had to pass it on.

That problem goes away if you put a nickel on the cartridge, y'know.

Yes, the Hep has pretty much all the best of the later material. (What, you didn't download "Moten Swing," "Toby" and "Prince of Wails"?) The most interesting Motens are the earliest (the very ragtimey early Okeh recordings) and the latest (the "Moten Swing" session). The middle is kinda tedious. The "Moten Swing" session is just about the Rosetta Stone of swing.

Yepper. I have a big fondness for the Strayhorn set too.

I had the privilege of hanging with Ronnell Bright a little. I'll never forget his demonstration of how Sarah fed chords to him, instead of the other way around.

Don't wanna let ya leave town. But... The job sounds like it's got your name written all over it. Congratulations, Prof! (P.S. Vinyl Fever was darned fine, and I regret I haven't visited for ten years.)

A second (or third, fourth or fifth) to Mr. Kelly's and Swingin' Easy. No Count Sarah (with the Basie band, Ronnell Bright taking over the piano) is a strong one that gets overlooked. I've always been disappointed in the EmArcy date with Brownie. Many of the songs themselves aren't favorites, and neither is Paul Quinichette. A second to Peter's recommendation on Pablo. Also the Pablo "How Long Has This Been Going On?" I get frustrated with some of the Roulette sides. Some are mannered and some are just goofy. The two-disc Columbia collection from circa 1950 has a few gems amid the dross. Check your Dizzy collection for the May 28, 1945 "Lover Man." It gets overlooked between all the other monuments from that session, but it's a monument itself. Also try to hunt up the "Mean to Me" she recorded with Dizzy and Bird for Continental, I think, in 1945.

Can't provide a complete list, but here's a starter. Following are the ones I still have. Back in the day, when they were the only game in town, these were FUN! OK, they still are. Coltrane, Soultrane, VDJ-1502 Dolphy, At the Five Spot, Vol. 2, VDJ-1525 Roy Haynes, We Three, VDJ-1542 Sonny Rollins Plus Four, VDJ-1524 Mal Waldron, Mal-1, VDJ-1513 Mal Waldron, Mal/4, VDJ-1545 George Wallington, Jazz for the Carriage Trade, VDJ-1505 There ya go, a window on my taste in the late ‘80s.

An absolutely archetypal solo on "Well You Needn't" on "Live at the It Club." A lot of the playing on "Live in Tokyo."

It''s so hard to keep up with everything these young people are posting on the Internets, y'know.

I think it used to say 2002 on there. The link's been there since at least 2003. Well worth the download.

It's my birthday too! I wasn't posting here then, though. But all 311 of us were here waiting for you!

More superlatives from Distler: Hatto's Ravel Hatto's Messiaen Hatto's Liszt Sonata Hatto's Schubert D. 960 Hatto's Debussy Preludes Hatto's Hammerklavier Hatto's Chopin Etudes

Depends if you got it on one disc. I can do that for you, Chuck!

Y'all ready to buy that recording of me playing the Opus Clavicembalisticum now?

Jed Distler at classicstoday.com has regularly fallen all over himself with glee at every new Hatto release. There's a "perfect 10" review of her alleged Mozart cycle on top of the page right now. link

Oscar Moore Wesley Prince Prince

At different times in my life, I've been both those guys.

I'm looking forward to my new career in robot embouchure repair.

The horn is on display at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City. A few people have been allowed to play it since it came here, among them Jay Mac and Paquito.

Yeah, but can you write an ECM haiku? (Seriously now: Congrats on the Oregon award and the review. I'm still envious.)

It was straight downhill after he went electric, y'know.

And I just don't care what anybody says: I like "Oficium."

John Abercrombie made more than I care to hear. So did Ralph Towner. But then I think of those Hal Russell recordings, and all's forgiven.

Heard a promo copy the other night. First impression is pretty good. Horn solos are a little cautious and reined-in. But what a joy to hear Elvin in this context. (Am I the last one to know that Frank and Elvin were cousins?) Very good fresh liner notes by Frank. I thought I heard some digital pitch correction, on the piano (which needed help -- Mickey Tucker fought it bravely) and on the alto feature.