Fer Urbina

Have A/B-ed the album: the same takes were used for both the mono and stereo versions. However, two tunes were edited only in the stereo version: one is missing a short solo piano intro, and another is missing a whole 32-bar chorus. Also, AFAIK, the mono version has never been reissued. F PS A copy of the mono LP went for $400+ on eBay recently (wasn't me).

Not at all. Regardless of whatever other labels have done, all these sets have been reissued by the current owners of the original masters (Never No Lament is the actual title of the RCAVictor/Bluebird/whatever 3-CD set). F

Total number of CDs is 16 if I'm correct, and they cover the 1925-1965 period (aprox.) I guess you cannot go wrong with seven titles, it'd be difficult not get great music in there, although I would have chosen the Parker Dials over the Massey Hall any time. The Christian CD-set is an interesting choice... excellent sound, great musicians (Basie, Lester Young, Jo Jones, Lionel Hampton, Cootie, Dave Tough...) and a fantastic 20-minute uninterrumpted jam session. F

Didn't bother with the Pres book but have to wonder about "numerous interviews with Pres". What are these and can you list them. I only know of a couple. A member did one of them. If we're talking about the book by Douglas Henry Daniels, IIRC he interviewed Lee Young and other relatives at length, but I don't know about him interviewing Lester. F

FWIW, according to the publisher's website, he will be 30 this year, has a PhD, writes for Wire magazine and this is his first book. F PS Never would have thought I'd see a thread on Lee Morgan derailed to Chet Baker in this place...

I guess you're right Fer .... some hate it and some love it. Just in case, I meant hated "by musicians" because apparently his music was difficult and as a leader he was a very demanding taskmaster. Still, a fascinating and overlooked character. F

Haven't listened to the album lately, but I guess that this is too surreal. Someone who knew Scott called him "the leader that everybody hated" for his exacting arrangements (not caring for confortable keys, etc). Creative or imaginative as this music may be, it also seems a bit of a waste for such a line-up. And there's a fine line between hilarious and irritating in Dorothy Collins' sped-up vocals. F

Surprise is the word indeed: Harry Edison - trumpet Sam 'The Man' Taylor - tenor sax Toots Thielemans - harmonica Eddie Costa - piano (5 tracks) and vibes (7 tracks) Wild Bill Davis - organ Kenny Burrell - guitar Milt Hinton - bass Elvin Jones - drums Dorothy Collins - vocals (2 tracks) Recorded in January 1960. F

As promised, review of Griffin's gig in Spain, April 2, 2006. He seemed to be in good spirits (picture by Carmen Llussà) F

I never understood how some people seem to think that "so-and-so's a famous jazz musician, therefore he surely must know the history" I guess it's a good selling point to have a famous name in your faculty. F

Griffin played in Terrassa (Spain) on April 2 (Sunday). A review of the concert and a couple of pics will be up soon in Tomajazz F

The 1945-46 Herd's trumpet section was a bunch of 20-year old fans of Dizzy. He also contributed some arrangements to the band earlier in 1942 and if you listen to things like Red Top (a fast blues only available as a transcription recording or V-Disc) the trumpets play a phrase in unison behind Flip Phillips which is pure Gillespie (it shows up in Dizzy's "Shaw Nuff" for instance). As for the vibes player, Margie Hyams was with Herman for about a year beginning in September 1944. Lionel Hampton was having quite a success with a big band from 1942 on, so that may be why vibes players where incorporated into big bands. F

I don't know how reliable is MLW as a source (have read somewhere of doubts about the famous cutting contest in KC 1933 between Hawk, Prez, et al) but that thing about "creating a music they cannot steal" has never convinced me: for starters, is it really possible to create art with that aim? And then, was there c. 1941 a collective consciousness among blacks that they were being robbed by whites? (apparently Eckstine thought along those lines re: Herman, but that was later) And then it should be considered how early George Wallington and Al Haig started playing with Dizzy (and I don't think having white people in a mainly black combo was the easiest option, even then.) Also, Dizzy seems to have been a somewhat compulsive teacher, very keen on letting musicians (including whites) know what he was doing, what the pianists and drummers should do in his musical context... All that said, it'd be fair to say that Monk himself did create a music that nobody can steal. But regardless of race, class or gender. F

From Jazzdisco.org All these plus three more takes of Blue'N'Boogie (theme) are included in a Japanese reissue from the mid-1990s (Somethin'else Classics TCOJ-5568). CD title is "Billy Eckstine - Together". F

Read somewhere that Harry James-Ziggy Elman-Chris Griffin used to drive Benny Goodman nuts because they used to tune up slightly sharper than the rest of the band to make their sound "brighter". Also, the trombones at the end of Glenn Miller's "In the mood", slightly flat, perhaps? Top off my head Jimmie Blanton playing arco with Ellington, Jackie Paris in his LP for Time Records. F

Can't check now, but several sites (Zweitausendeins?) were selling the Savoy Eckstine 2-CD set at a very low price. I can't think of a better set than the Proper for Hawk's (a main character in DeVeaux's book) 1940-45 stuff. French label EPM put out a 3-CD "Be Bop Story 1944/1945" that must be very OOP, as OOP as a Bebop Revolution RCA published c. 1990 (was mostly Gillespie). Or you can always wait for set 3 of Allen Lowe's Devilin' Tune F PS At least some tracks from the OJC Minton's and Monroe's recordings were pitch-corrected in the Masters of Jazz series (Charlie Christian vol. 7 or 8). If I remember correctly "Swing to Bop" (Topsy) sounds in B natural in the OJC and should actually be Bb.

As real as pianist Lawrence Keyes' or saxophonist/flutist Paul Horn's. F

As a last resort you can always try Alan Bates...

Looks like this could be helpful. F

"Oscar ... bowed very poorly. He didn't bow too much, 'cause he knew it... Listen to 'Tea For Two' from The Unique Thelonious Monk where he bows and picks. It's like two different people. On the cello it was even worse" Katz does not mention any bowed cello recordings, though. F

They might know at the UK's National Jazz Archive F

- Stardust - Lover come back to me F

Ditto here for the Evans reissue (about time). I am listening to "Lester Leaps In" from New Bottle Old Wine and either it's my computer speakers or when the band is blasting it sounds like an old LP, so let's hope for that sonic upgrade. F

If I'm correct Roland played in George Shearing's Quintet of the early fifties. The "Volume 2" of the title in your reissue I think it's a follow up to Teddy Charles' "Salute to Hamp" (which would be Vol. 1) One of surprises in the Savoy album is the string quartet in Half Nelson. I'm not a specialist in "with strings" albums, but IMHO this is a very decent job in a jazz setting (in 1950). Has anyone listened to Phil Kraus' LPs for Golden Crest? Any good? F

Oops, thanks! Talking about Guys and Dolls CD, one place where Costa does NOT appear is in his own entry at allmusic.com There are three pictures taken from the booklet but none of them are Costa. Emailed them ages ago, nothing happened. F