MartyJazz

See "Eight Men Out" for a sympathetic portrait of the 1919 White Sox. But whether or not you like the film, Dan, that was an eternity ago. Today's ballplayer could not relate to that infamous incident whatsoever. All that aside, it's quite amazing that a city like Chicago with two baseball teams hasn't won the Series in oh so many generations. I read the book and saw the movie, Marty, and know all about the "extenuating" circumstances. But it has nothing to do with whether today's player can relate to what those players did an "eternity" ago. I'm talking about cosmic justice: cheat, and you never win the Series again. You're pretty absolute in your pronunciomentos, Dan. Just for that I'll root for the Sox, that is the WHITE Sox, to win it all this year now that my Yanks have come a crapper. Not that it will make one bit of difference. As for "cosmic justice", how can you of all people believe in that after so many Yankee World Series victories and AL pennant championships in your lifetime alone? B-)

You're right, it's a terrific LP. So good in fact, that the obsessive-compulsive I am will snatch it up if I ever see it on CD. Great versions of "Green Dolphin Street" and "Frank's Tune" in particular, which reminds me that Frank Strozier is also on the date.

May 7th. Recorded on this date: 1956, Elmo Hope leads a sextet that includes John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers & Philly Joe Jones (Prestige): "Weeja", "Polka Dots and Moonbeams", "On It", "Avalon". 1958 (5/7 - 5/12), Clark Terry Quartet with Thelonious Monk, Clark Terry, Sam Jones & Philly Joe Jones record 9 tunes for Jazzland. 1963 (completed 5/8), Horace Silver Quintet with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor & Roy Brooks - SILVER'S SERENADE (Blue Note): 1965, Nathan Davis Sextet with Woody Shaw, Jean-Louis Chautemps, Rene Urtreger, Jimmy Woode & Kenny Clarke record (EPM Musique CD): "Klook's Theme", "Peace Treaty", "Ruby, My Dear", "Sconsolato", "Now Let'm Tell Ya", "Kansas City Special". 1977, Archie Shepp Quartet with Albert Dailey, Reggie Workman, Charlie Persip - BALLADS FOR TRANE (Denon):

See "Eight Men Out" for a sympathetic portrait of the 1919 White Sox. But whether or not you like the film, Dan, that was an eternity ago. Today's ballplayer could not relate to that infamous incident whatsoever. All that aside, it's quite amazing that a city like Chicago with two baseball teams hasn't won the Series in oh so many generations.

Oh, and the Red Sox don't know from hired guns??!!!!!! Give me a break, please. That said, hired guns aren't the problem. The problem is going after aged gunslingers at the expense of young 'uns who require some patience but in due time will become as fearsome as the over the hill guys (e.g., Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson) once were.

May 6th. Also recorded on this date: 1964, Stan Getz with Bill Evans plus Ron Carter & Elvin Jones (Verve): "Night and Day", "But Beautiful", "Funkallero", "Carbetbagger's Theme", "WNEW Theme Song". 1971, Duke Ellington and Orchestra record "The Blues" (available on THE PRIVATE DUKE ELLINGTON, VOL. 10: STUDIO SESSIONS 1965, 1966, 1971 - Saja).

Glad to see it go to a good home. I thought about it but then I decided to stay happy with my LP copy. Interestingly, I recently received a DVD of Kenny in Europe playing "Scandia Skies" - wonderful seeing him perform.

I can hear Clifford in Donald Byrd's playing and Sonny made a terrific record with him (Sonny Rollins, Vol. 1 - Blue Note). I think by the time Lee really hit his stride, Sonny had become a leader in which for many years he would be the sole horn whether in a trio or a quartet context. One exception however - he did make one half of an LP with Freddie Hubbard (another Clifford influenced trumpeter) alongside him as late as 1966 (East Broadway Rundown - Impulse).

Give credit where it's due. DSGTrane is an absolute Woody Shaw fanatic, so I knew to go to him for the discographical data.

Cinco de Mayo. Recorded on this date: 1959, Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop with John Handy, Shafi Hadi, Booker Ervin, Jimmy Knepper, Horace Parlan & Dannie Richmond record for Columbia: "Better Git It In Your Soul", "Bird Calls", "Fables of Faubus", "Pussy Cat Dues", "Jelly Roll", "Pedal Point Blues". 1961, Walt Dickerson Quartet with Austin Crowe, Edgar Bateman & Eustis Guillemet Jr. - A SENSE OF DIRECTION (New Jazz): 1962, Dexter Gordon leads a quintet that includes Tommy Turrentine, Sir Charles Thompson, Al Lucas & Willie Bobo for Blue Note: "Serenade in Blue", "You Said It", "Love Locked Out". 1964, Stan Getz & Bill Evans with Richard Davis & Elvin Jones record for Verve: "My Heart Stood Still", "Melinda", "Grandfather's Waltz". 1987, Archie Shepp & Horace Parlan - DUO REUNION (L + R).

Is your VHS copy the one released as part of the "Joan Collins Romance Library" or something like that? (seriously) I ask because I picked that one up in a clearance bin just to have for archival purposes, but I've never actually watched it (I know...). But if it's got Sonny playing over the ending credits instead of Cher (whose version I always found jarring, both on its own and in the context of the film), it might be time to schedule a viewing,,, No mention of Joan Collins Romance Library on the box. I recall that I did order it online. The spine on the VHS simply has the film title and the number "6604" above the Paramount logo. The VHS copyright date is 1988.

May 4th. Recorded on this date: 1959 John Coltrane Quartet with Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers, & Art Taylor - GIANT STEPS (Atlantic, completed 5/5): 1974, Mal Waldron leads a quintet that includes Steve Lacy, Manfred Schoof, Isla Eckinger and Allen Blairman, live date - HARD TALK (Enja). 1982, Bennie Wallace leads a quartet that includes Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Dannie Richmond - MYSTIC BRIDGE (Enja): 1987, Archie Shepp leads a quartet that includes Horace Parlan, Harry Emmery & Clifford Jarvis - SPLASHES (L+R):

Discs received today. Hope to get 'em out by the 1st of June as I'm really tied up with work. Just kidding, I think. B-)

Thanks, I did mean Lewis Gilbert. Don't know why I wrote Porter....I've yet to read his Trane bio.

I do. I suspect people bought it who thought they'd hear the Burt Bacharch song. Interesting sidenote about this. I'm convinced that Lewis Porter who made the original ALFIE film, the one that catapulted Michael Caine to stardom, was either compelled to tamper with the soundtrack during the ending of the film or that he agreed to do so for commercial reasons. Here's my "evidence". Any of you who have seen the film in the U.S., whether it was during the initial run, or subsequently on TV, or now on DVD, should realize that Rollins is heard during the entire film, except (somewhat inexplicably) during the closing credits, when you hear Cher sing Bachrach's song "Alfie" ("What's it all about", etc., etc.). Well, being both a Rollins nut and a Michael Caine fan, I picked up a few years ago a VHS commercial copy of the film. Lo and behold, instead of Cher's warbling at the end, the viewer with receptive ears is treated to the sounds of Rollins wailing, wailing I say, during the closing credits. To me it was an unexpected thrill to make this discovery. Subsequently when I borrowed a DVD copy from the local library, I was saddened to see that Rollins' liberation was short-lived, i.e, Cher is there at the end. Reason enough to treasure the VHS copy, I say.

If so, I'd love a copy of that CD if not the video. Never saw or heard that particular CD. (I do have a private tape of that trio from Munich in '65 which is excellent).

Yeah, Allen! That clip was on the Blue Note story documentary, I believe. Flipped me out as soon as I saw it. Would love to have the entire video of that. In fact, my brother was watching it at the same time at his home and he immediately called me to ask "Did you see that?" We're both heavily into the Rollins of the '50s and '60s.

Chick Corea's "Spain" owes much to Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez".

May 3rd. Also recorded on this date: 1998 (completed 5/5), Roy Haynes group with Graham Haynes, Kenny Garrett, David Sanchez, David Kikoski, Dwayne Burno and Daniel Moreno - PRAISE (Dreyfus):

Also go to the Hep Jazz Records/CDs site (click here) to find some indispensable Shaw IMO. One set I cannot recommend highly enough that is available there is the the 3 disc box of Shaw's 1944-45 band (mostly RCA Victor, some Musicraft sides) which featured Roy Eldridge, Dodo Marmarosa, Barney Kessel, Herbie Steward, etc., with arrangements by Buster Harding, George Siravo, Eddie Sauter & Ray Conniff. Truly a terrific outfit with a very forward sound.

I truly felt at the beginning of this year that the Orioles would contend and perhaps break the stranglehold that the Yanks & Red Sox have on the AL East. So their success thus far does not surprise me at all. However, the Yanks' dismal showing at this point is cause for concern (among the minority here that root for the General Motors of the baseball world). The starting pitching is not holding up, e.g., Wright, Pavano, inconsistent Randy, Mussina apparently in decline. OTOH, I can be objective and feel positive that the basic baseball truisms to which I have always clinged chief among which is that there really is no substitute for home grown talent, remains axiomatic. So Dan, do you think the Orioles are for real and can they stay ahead of your beloved Sox?

Even when Crouch expounds about how important a musician Rollins has been, mentioning him in the same breath as Armstrong or Parker, he can't help but kiss Marsalis butt, in this case brother Branford: SC:I think that Branford Marsalis has the talent to expand upon Rollins and become a master of intimidating quality. Ridiculous. Branford has been around now for more than 20 years. If he had the "talent to expand" as SC states, it would have been done by now. IMO, one could have a supremely respectable jazz collection and not have anything by Branford. I really don't wish to denigrate Branford - I do own a couple of his CDs - but really..... Second, it is mentioned later in the article about how the many private recordings of Rollins might one day surface commercially. If this were to be done legitimately, it would take the cooperation of Rollins, an unlikely prospect IMO. I was fortunate to meet Rollins on a couple of occasions. When I was re-introduced to him by a mutual friend backstage at a concert in Purchase, NY, some 20 years ago, my friend cautioned me NOT to mention that I owned scores of private tapes of Rollins as that would quite likely incur his displeasure. I heeded that advice as it would have crushed me then, as well as now, to anger an artist who has given me such incalculable pleasure over the years, the many times I have seen him perform as well as the recordings I have listened to time and time again.

May 2nd. Recorded on this date: 1959, Jackie McLean leads a quintet that includes Donald Byrd, Walter Davis Jr., Paul Chambers & Pete La Roca - NEW SOIL (Blue Note): 1991 (completed 5/2), Valery Ponomarev leads a quintet that includes Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Essiet Essiet & Victor Jones - PROFILE (Reservoir):

Did you see the original broadcast? Anyone? Yes, as noted above, I did see it quite some time ago and am reasonably sure I do have it.

Somewhere in my basement is an audio tape I made from my tv at the time. Does anyone have the video of Tristano/Konitz/Marsh from One Life to Live (I think that was the name of the show). I'd love to see the Route 66 episode with Hawk, Roy, Jo and Ethel Waters. As of now it's just a fond memory. I'm pretty sure I have the Tristano-Konitz-Marsh if this TV program was broadcast from the Half Note. I know I definitely saw it over a decade ago because I recall how bizarre it was seeing jazz interspersed with some pretentious religious intellectual theorizing by the host of the program. I have a slew of jazz videotapes which have incomplete notes in each videotape box of which this is one of them. (On a sidenote, this is one I haven't loaned you, Dan).