Fer Urbina

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From Ricky Riccardi's blog. F

Jazzwise obituary. F

I don't know. It plays OK for me F

If you have a lot of spare time or have lost the will to live, you can visit the Charlie Christian Yahoo list and read the long-winded and non-conclusive argument as to where is Christian really buried. At your own peril. F

Larry Appelbaum has dug up proof on who composed "Solar". Here. F

I mentioned it in my blog a few days back, but in October Hip-O Select will release a complete edition of the 1947 Symphony Hall concert by the Louis Armstrong All-Stars. Ricky Riccardi is listed as co-producer and it will comprise recordings from the Universal vaults and the Louis Armstrong House archives, in running order. Really looking forward to this. F

Very shocking and sad news: New Orleans raised and London based trumpeter Abram Wilson died yesterday after a short battle with cancer. Tomorrow's Warriors site Abram Wilson's site F

Agreed, and perhaps best experienced on this disc. The Classics Hawkins series contains 44 tracks from the European stay and Neatwork issued 21 alternates. There's also the Holland sessions from Avid. F

Just got an email from Mosaic. This box is shipping...

Interestingly, Benson is Off the Record's sound man. F

I've seen King a few times (Bull's Head in Barnes, Barbican with a big band assembled by Guy Barker - can't remember if he also played as a guest with Wynton and the Lincolnians - and last year he opened for Roy Haynes at QEH, at the London Jazz Festival). He never disappoints, although I have the impression that he has respiratory problems. Last year he published his autobiography to great acclaim for the story he tells and his honesty (haven't read it myself). Not to be mistaken with Peter King, Ronnie Scott's co-founder. Incidentally, this Peter King did play on Ronnie's first night, age 19. F

There's only one solution: burn down your listening/reading room! You channelling your best half's thoughts now?

[Hope this is the right thread for this] Most of us in London will know Paul Pace. He's being in the jazz scene for ages, he manages the gigs at The Spice in Cambridge Circus (I think he also does some work at Ronnie's Upstairs)... and tomorrow he's on a TV programme on Channel 4, The Hoarder Next Door. With all the limitations of a 50-min TV show, a programme about a jazz-loving man who has too much stuff at home... this should be interesting for a few of us. F

Thanks a lot! F

Another video, this one of interviews for the 1980s, sans-Robertson, reunion. If anyone could complete Helm's quote at the end ("Music is not a fad, it ain't no style..."), I'd be grateful. F

Here it is, for anyone to watch. F

I have a cd of his playing in Sag Harbor but I promised the guy who gave it to me not to circulate it because McKusik had asked him not to. You realize that now you'll have to watch over your shoulder and avoid dark alleys, don't you...

Got it, and have drooled accordingly . What I meant is that I hadn't seen the complete clip (that DVD has only an excerpt). F

that's a pleasure to read. that young person has his head on straight I'll second that. ********************* Had never seen this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO-nwWOb098 F

Here, nice little video from the gig that resulted in the live album Rock of Ages. Snooky Young, Joe Farrell, Howard Johnson, Earl McIntyre, J.D. Parron... how cool is this reeds/brass section? F

Nice article more focused on his sailing, here. One album I'd like to see reissued properly is the Ellington thing, with Hall Overton and Oscar Pettiford for Jubilee. F

RIP indeed. A force of nature in music, just have a look at his work in the 1950s (vibist, arranger, composer, A&R man...). This is a good overview by Noal Cohen. F

McKusick was a VERY nice man, kind and very generous with his time. I did a thing on Charlie Parker in 2005 and I spoke to a few old-timers. McKusick insisted that I called him to the hospital where he was recovering from some ailment I can't remember right now. As a musician he was curious, perhaps more interested than interesting, but always trying new things. As for late recordings, he did tell me he had a tape of himself in a quartet with Jaki Byard on piano. Mike Fitzgerald also has this here:

Just finished reading his memoirs, This Wheel's On Fire, and I'm enjoying a serious Band kick, so I'm very sorry to hear this. F