MartyJazz

No, I never did try to create a poll on this board (I don't even know how to). But with only 10 choices for Monk tunes, I don't know how you even decided to attempt it. There I go again pooping on your parade I guess. As for "Ask Me Now", sure it "sounds good" (BTW, I love Steve Lacy's version on one of the early Prestige/New Jazz recordings he made), all of Monk's tunes do.

Monk wrote so many great tunes. You left out some of my favorites from your list, e.g., "Four in One", "Criss Cross", "Bye-Ya", etc. , that your poll for me is rather meaningless. However, if forced to choose from your abbreviated list and purposely leaving out the ballads, I see I'm the only one that so far prefers "Evidence". When you listen to the spacing and angularity of that tune, it's no wonder that whenever there's a tribute to Monk's music, this one is hardly played. Rather, the group or groups stick with the ballads, e.g., 'Round Midnight or the blues, e.g., "Blue Monk","Straight No Chaser", etc. One interesting poll would be to see which of Monk's ballads is a favorite. While ''Round Midnight" would undoubtedly come in first, there might be some support for "Reflections" (a personal favorite of mine ever since I first heard Sonny's version with Monk on VOLUME 2 on Blue Note), "Pannonica", "Ruby My Dear", "Ugly Beauty", "Ask Me Now", "Coming on the Hudson", and more I'm sure.

February 23rd. Recorded on this date: 1955, Max Roach-Clifford Brown Quintet with Harold Land - STUDY IN BROWN (Emarcy), completed on 2/25: 1961, Oliver Nelson group that includes Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Bill Evans - THE BLUES & THE ABSTRACT TRUTH (Impulse): 1961, Pee Wee Russell with Coleman Hawkins - JAZZ REUNION (Candid): 1961, Stanley Turrentine 5 with Grant Green performs live - UP AT MINTON'S (Blue Note): ****February 23, 1961 was a helluva recording date!!!!**** 1965, Elvin Jones 4 with Charlie Mariano - DEAR JOHN C (Impulse), completed 2/25: 1968, Horace Silver 5 with Charles Tolliver & Stanley Turrentine record first half of SERENADE TO A SOUL SISTER (Blue Note): 1979, Art Pepper 4 with Hank Jones record for Galaxy: "Straight, No Chaser", "Yesterdays", "A Night in Tunisia", "Diane", "My Friend John", "Duo Blues".

Interesting discussion. 30 years ago or so I purchased a way underpriced Columbia shrink wrapped MINGUS DYNASTY which I've never opened, simply because I already had another copy that I played every so often back then. Years later, I now play the CD when I want to listen to the music. I had always assumed that my shrink wrapped copy would just increase in value, but apparently not to those who believe that it is already warped. I think I'll take Weizen's advice and simply slit it just partially, but I really don't wish to open it fully. It's an OCD thing, I guess.

In that case, he too is probably a member of the "eclecticians" union.

Hey Michael: Doing things ass-backwards here. Yep, you have it complete in your excellent Kenny Barron discography and the tunes are in the exact same order as on the DVD. I had not been aware of the CD (2 discs, right?) release, but obviously this DVD is quite an enhancement as it adds the visual aspect. The DVD, by the way, does not indicate the date or location so many thanks for pointing me to the KB discography.

Here's a CD Now link for this DVD however since it doesn't give much detail, I'll supply the following: Personnel: Getz Kenny Barron, Alex Blake, Terri Lyne Carrington, Eddie del Barrio & Frank Zottoli (synthesizers) Song List: 1) Apasionado 2) On a Slow Boat to China 3) Soul Eyes 4) Espanola 5) Coba 6) Seven Steps to Heaven 7) El Cahon 8) Yours and Mine 9) Voyage 10) Lonely Lady 11) Blood Count 12) What is This Thing Called Love 13) People Time 14) Amourous Cat Now unless that previous CD was a two-fer (obviously, I've yet to check your website), this DVD has to contain more music since the jacket indicates the running time to be 93 minutes. Again, well worth getting.

Picked this up the other day at a local CD/DVD store in West Palm Beach that carries atypical stuff. Done apparently a year before his death, Getz is in absolutely very fine form and Kenny Barron is just superb. The rhythm section is filled out by Alex Blake and Teri Lyne Carrington. On a few of the performances, two synthesizers are added that are manned by individuals who composed some of the pieces on Getz's APASIONADO album. Even this stuff works. I can't recommend this DVD highly enough. Wonderful music played by a jazz tenor giant who made some marvelous recordings during the last four years of his life. And again, check out Kenny Barron! BTW, if this recommendation was posted here or under one of the other topic headings on this forum before, I apologize for my lateness.

Do you know if this recommendation of yours was originally released on LP? I seem to remember a recording on the Zim(?) label titled "The Apartment Sessions". Have to take a trip into my "archives" to check that out.

February 22nd. Recorded on this date: 1961, Abbey Lincoln and group that includes Eric Dolphy, Coleman Hawkins, etc. records STRAIGHT AHEAD (Candid): 1965, Coleman Hawkins 7 records WRAPPED TIGHT (thru 3/1) (Impulse): 1967, Buddy Rich Orchestra performs live at the 'Chez Club', Hollywood CA - BIG SWINGFACE (thru 3/10, Pacific Jazz): 1994, Kenny Barron Trio with Charlie Haden & Roy Haynes record WANTON SPIRIT (Verve):

OK, I did indeed see this act at the Carefree Theater in West Palm Beach last night. PC has an engaging on stage presence, can certainly sing and does accompany himself quite ably on the piano. In fact, his playing also serves to give his vocal chords a significant break now and then as he does tend to go into extended improvisations from time to time, exhibiting a surprising facility and a willingness to occasionally speed up the tempo. Some of his covers were excellently done, e.g., Cole Porter's "I Love Paris" and on a purely instrumental level he and his band did perform a very credible version of "A Night in Tunisia". BTW, it's not just a trio, the group is augmented by the presence of a tenor saxophonist, Scott Kreitzer, who plays basically in a late Stanley Turrentine style (not my favorite period of ST, but quite functional in this context). As Dan pointed out earlier and as my wife opined shortly after the performance (one long set, no intermission), PC still comes across as somewhat of a child prodigy in that the lyrics of some of the standards he sings would be more convincing if they were coming from someone who had been around somewhat longer. But hey he can't help it if he's only 21, and I say, more power to him. Our guests loved him and all in all, it was an enjoyable evening.

I guess because if we're going to include a lot of dead giants, well then it's very easy to say that when it comes to this or that, I or you prefer Coltrane, Marsh, etc. Everyone suffers when you mention players like that, no matter what point the discussion is focusing on. In terms of today's purchasing dollar and our attempts to support the music as a living, breathing source of pleasure, I for one prefer comparative discussions that focus on current players to involve their contemporaries. And I mean by contemporaries only those players who are still active, regardless of age and experience. (edited to replace Rollins with Marsh as one of the "dead giants" as I egregiously and unforgivably listed Rollins instead).

Never really heard Marsh play "outside" unless you're counting those '49 sides with Tristano for Capitol. Ditto for Von Freeman. Also, if I were to put together such a list, I would include only those players who are still performing and thereby leave out such greats as Trane and Marsh. After all, we're discussing the output of a man who has put out a substantial amount of stuff since "only" the mid '70s. I just think that critiquing him alongside his living contemporaries is more constructive. BTW, I love your inclusion of Bennie (not "Benny") Wallace, an unheralded wonderful player IMO.

I use Nero for burning CD-Rs. After loading tracks from various CDs and just about ready to write the CD-R. I highlight all the tracks, right click to "Properties" and then click on "Normalize" which results in a CD-R that more or less plays like any other professional compilation that a company would put out, i.e., a consistent volume level throughout. While I have the Adaptec software, I'm not as familiar with it as I'm quite comfortable with the fault-free CD-Rs that Nero delivers.

I love OBLIQUE also but how can you leave out MEDINA which also includes the session SPIRAL? MEDINA contains two great sessions of the Hutcherson quintet that included Harold Land. The list should definitely have been more inclusive. Hell a case could be made for the LIVE AT MONTREUX date that included Woody Shaw.

February 21st. Recorded on this date: 1949, Charlie Parker appears on WPIX-TV broadcast, NYC, with Joe Bushkin, Chubby Jackson, George Wettling, others, and performs: "Now's the Time", "Lover", "I Can't Get Started", and a blues jam (Stash) 1954, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers including Clifford Brown & Lou Donaldson - A NIGHT AT BIRDLAND (Vols 1 & 2, Blue Note): 1961, Bill Barron 5 with Ted Curson, Kenny Barron, Jimmy Garrison & Frankie Dunlop record (Savoy): "Blast Off", "Ode to an Earth Girl", "Fox Hunt", "Oriental Impressions", "Backlash", "Nebulae", "Desolation". 1966, Bill Evans Trio with Chuck Israels & Arnold Wise - AT TOWN HALL (Verve): 1975, Dexter Gordon with string orchestra arranged & conducted by Palle Mikkelborg - MORE THAN YOU KNOW (through 3/27/75, Steeplechase): 1983, Kenny Drew 4 with Philip Catherine, NHOP, Barry Altschul - AND FAR AWAY (Soul Note): 1990, Abbey Lincoln & group that includes Clark Terry, Jackie McLean, Alain Jean-Marie, Charlie Haden & Billy Higgins - THE WORLD IS FALLING DOWN (thru 2/27/90, Verve):

Thanks a lot for all the input thus far. You all seem to be more or less on the same wavelength as I am. Hoping for a good evening of entertainment but I really don't expect to be copping any of his CDs afterwards. Dan, your point about "occupying" a song the way Sinatra did is well taken. During his golden period, for me that's roughly the length between the start of the Capitols through the early Reprises, i.e., 1953-67, hardly anybody comes close (some will argue Nat Cole, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, etc., but not me) in terms of interpreting the lyrics to the classic American popular repertoire.

Doubling with another couple who are visiting from NY to see this guy tonight. Don't know much about him other than that he's a young (21) singer in the Sinatra mold who also plays piano, much like a Harry Connick Jr. I guess. Heard him tackling "Cherokee" on piano over the speakers at a local Border's recently and said to myself once I found out who it was, "well, he has roots for such a young guy". Normally I prefer much harder fare but this should be very appealing both to the wife and the easy listening couple we're going with. Anybody have any thoughts one way or the other on this performer?

February 20th. Recorded on this date: 1953, Wardell Gray Sextet with Frank Morgan, Teddy Charles, Sonny Clark, Dick Nivison & Lawrence Marable record (Prestige): "So Long Broadway", "Paul's Cause", "The Man I Love", "Lavonne". 1963, Sonny Rollins Quartet with Don Cherry, Henry Grimes & Billy Higgins record (RCA Victor): "You Are My Lucky Star", "I Could Write a Book", "There Will Never be Another You".

Listened to IS THAT SO? (Timeless), a trio recording with Ray Drummond and Idris Muhammad just the other evening. I recommend that one highly.

Couldn't agree with you more. Hill's compositions when performed by an ensemble can be tremendously engaging on so many levels making for a very rewarding listening experience. However, having sat one night back around '76 in a short-lived club on 8th Street in the Village where Hill played solo for two sets, I must admit that I was never so bored in my entire life. And there were quite a few musicians present - after all, it's the Village in NYC and the rarely seen Andrew Hill is present - who were looking askance at each other. He emptied the house by the end of the 2nd set, sad to say. I was still there because I believe in giving my musical heroes all the rope they need to hang themselves. It just seemed structureless and unengaging on any musical level one can think of. I have the solo set he did at Montreux many years ago on an Arista LP. Gotta take it out and hopefully revise my opinion of his solo work.

There are so, so many recordings which vary in overall quality however each one has something to offer. I used to catch David Murray back in the '70s, most often at Sam Rivers' Studio Rivbea in the east Village where I hung out a lot. Good person. In any event, among all I have which is considerable but not completist, I enjoy this one alot (Pullen on organ is terrific!):

February 19th. Recorded on this date: 1949, Charlie Parker 5 with Kenny Dorham, Al Haig, Tommy Potter & Max Roach perform at the 'Royal Roost', NYC (Savoy): "Groovin' High", "Confirmation", "Salt Peanuts". 1953, Miles Davis group including Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, John Lewis & Kenny Clarke record (Prestige): "Tasty Pudding", "Willie the Wailer", "Floppy", "For Adults Only". 1959, Wynton Kelly records part of KELLY BLUE (Riverside): 1977, Walter Davis Jr. records part of ILLUMINATION (Denon) with a group that includes Buster Williams, Art Blakey & Jeremy Steig. 1986, Steve Lacy 4 with Steve Potts, Jean-Jacques Avenel & Oliver Johnson record MORNING JOY (Hat Art): 1998, Geri Allen & others records part of THE GATHERING (thru 2/22/98, Verve). 1999, Charlie Haden & Quartet West plus others record THE ART OF THE SONG (thru 2/22/99, Verve):

You know what happened when Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder got together for a tennis match? It was endless love. (Sorry).

This first guy could possibly have been in a "hair" band: Whereas this guy, definitely not: