MartyJazz

Why is this in an Ervin thread?

Wow. Everybody has their own method. I could never see doing it strictly alphabetically because then you would have the Art Ensemble right next to Armstrong, too strange a juxtaposition for my taste. I don't like doing it by label because I think the artist should take precedence over whatever label he may have recorded on at any one time. My solution demands that whoever is viewing my collection has to have a grounding in jazz history. Consequently, I order them stylistically, e.g., New Orleans, Chicago, Swing, Bop, Hard Bop, Avant Garde, etc. Within these categories, there are artists that have entire sections devoted to them, e.g., Ellington, Basie, Parker, Monk, etc. All the giants and those who have made many recordings each have a cardboard 13" by 12" tab with their name dynotaped so as to more easily spot their section. Each musical style has various subsections, e.g., swing trumpet that houses recordings by Henry Red Allen, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, etc. While on the whole, it's satisfactory for me, I admit that once in a while, I have difficulty locating a particular recording especially if the artist has traversed over quite a few styles in his career, e.g., Steve Lacy.

Damn! Thanks again for turning me on to one of my LPs. I've been primarily listening to CDs for so many years now, I forget what's on my LP shelves.

While I do not own the CD under discussion, I expect to get it evenually as I do own a prior recording of Konitz with Solal in a quartet setting (with NHOP and Daniel Humair) which is excellent. That CD, is titled JAZZ A JUAN (i.e., Antibes Juan-les-Pins, July '74) released by Steeplechase (SCCD-31072).

The pianist on that 'I Can't Get Started' is Sonny Clark. He may not be mentioned but the piano player on that one is Sonny. Hampton Hawes played on the rest of the session.

I was fortunate back in the late '60s through the early '70s to regularly go the Village Vanguard on a Monday night to check out this band. At the time, I always looked forward to hear Pepper Adams, Billy Harper and Thad himself solo and one of the great added features was to see a very young, fresh-faced Dee Dee Bridgewater sing with the band. She was not anywhere near as polished and technically assured as she is now, but she was absolutely wonderful. Thad was a great m.c. as well as arranger, trumpet master. Ah, memories...... Funny that I don't own one CD of this band, but I do have quite a few LPs that I bought back then.

The RCA box set is definitely missing, and understandably so, the first session made by the Desmond-Hall quartet which was originally issued by Warner Brothers. The CD of that recording has been issued by Discovery under the title EAST OF THE SUN. Great versions of standards, e.g., "I Get a Kick Out of You" as well as a version of "2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West".

As is obvious by my avatar, Rollins is among my very favorites, especially his work from the '50s through the '60s. Love THE BRIDGE, especially the title tune and "John S." in which both Newk and Hall swing and interact terrifically. Got to see them at a reunion, can't remember whether it was Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center back in '91 in which they reprised some of those tunes, including "Without a Song". I can highly recommend from the same period Hall's work with Paul Desmond in a quartet setting on one session made for Warner Brothers and quite a few for RCA Victor. I believe all of it was issued on a Mosaic box, while the Victor material only was issued by RCA. One cut that has always knocked me out is their version of "Alone Together" which was originally on the RCA TAKE TEN lp. Really cooks.

Scoring a great set and scoring the same day/night are not mutually exclusive.

he he I once burned a cd with a dozen or so different versions of Tenderly, and I still never got sick of the tune. I don't have the same enthusiasm for Take Five, but it still could be cool.

Jim! First of all, congratulations on the birth of your newborn. Was surprised to see that discussion has already started. I need to listen more, but I feel confident at least that track 7 features Yusef Lateef and possibly Richard Williams on trumpet. I'll second Randy's feeling that track 3 features Larry Young but I know the cuts are not from either Unity or Into Something as I'm quite familiar with those sides. Obviously have to do more listening.

The HAPPY GIRL session is terrific and really points to how wonderful and underrated a tenor player Nathan Davis was back in that period. Got my copy at Border's for regular retail price some years ago and then I spotted one at a 2nd hand shop for $8. Copped it for my brother - the SOB doesn't appreciate it as much as I do! Regardless, well worth getting.

I've had that BYG double LP for many years and I find that it's my favorite Wes recording. Really swinging throughout.....a great live set.

Back around '73 or so, I lived in Brooklyn Heights and Henderson was just a block and a half away. This was just before he moved to San Francisco. Anyway, at that time I was living with a great young Italian woman who also happened to be a marvelous cook. So when I spotted Joe on the street one day, I introduced myself and within a couple of minutes I invited him for dinner. He came a couple of nights later and, as would be expected, it was a marvelous and memorable evening listening to him comment on musicians and his own recordings in particular. To get to the point, I put on the LP of Joe in Japan and I recall him stating that he too thought that it was a great recording and that he had been surprised at how terrific that Japanese rhythm section was. Certainly for my taste, the version of "Blue Bossa" on that record surpasses the many that Joe did either as a leader or sideman, and is my favorite version of that KD tune of all I've ever heard.

There is an excellent biodiscography on Shaw written by Vladimir Simosko. Information about the book can be obtained here: http://www.scarecrowpress.com/Catalog/Sing...data=0810833972

Many people have documented how difficult a man Artie Shaw can be, e.g., Gene Lees. However, a good friend of mine, Vladimir Simosko, was able to write a biodiscography of Shaw (Scarecrow Press) for which Artie cooperated quite a great deal. Vlad sent me photos of him with Shaw at the latter's home (envy, envy). The book is great, but quite pricey ($75). On another note, you can go to Shaw's website (www.artieshaw.com) and order a wonderful 3 CD set of the complete recordings (RCA and Musicraft) of the 1944-45 band (i.e., the band with Eldridge, Marmarosa, Kessel, etc.) for $45. Highly recommended, as for my taste (and I'm pretty much a Shaw completist), this band was terrific with forward looking excellent arrangements to match.

TRUE STORY Couldn't resist stating that this box set qualifies as my all time "steal". About 7-8 years ago, I went to a CD store in Boca Raton which had (and still has) quite a few 2nd hand CDs for purchase. I picked up the Kirk box, went to the desk and asked how much. Clerk said "$25". I raised my eyebrows in shock, and obviously thinking that I thought the price was too high rather than excessively low, he comes back with "OK, I'll let you have it for $20". (!!!!! ) I took out the cash immediately, (no credit card, didn't want the clerk to have any extra time to think about it) and walked out happy as a lark. When I went home, I pulled my CD copies of WE FREE KINGS and DOMINO off the shelf. A couple of weeks later I revisited the store and the same clerk then told me, "Boy, you got some buy last time - I thought that the Kirk box was only a 3 CD set; my boss was really pissed off". I gave him the two Kirk CDs which I was going to trade for credit, and told him instead to to thank his boss by giving him the CDs. He said the hell with that, I'll keep these Kirks for myself". Martin

A slight correction here. I'm too lazy to go downstairs and look for the LP. But now my memory tells me it's on the Peacock rather than the Progressive label.

Ballad-wise, I'd suggest "This Is Always," "Beware My Heart," and "Some Other Time" from "Inside Betty Carter" (mid-60's but the beginning of her more personal style); "Body and Soul/Heart and Soul," from "Finally" (1969); "Everytime We Say Goodbye" and "I'm Pulling Through" from "Round Midnight" (1975); "I Was Telling Him About You" and "Just Friends/Star Eyes" from "Now It's My Turn" (1976); "You're A Sweetheart" from "The Betty Carter Album" (1976); "I Think I Got It Now" and "Everything I Have Is Yours" from "The Audience with Betty Carter" (1980). That's eleven recorded ballads that I think easily withstand charges of "butchering," in fact I think they're all lovely, moving performances. In concert, I saw her, on numerous occasions, keep packed houses holding their breath and hanging on every syllable for her ballads, and applauding enthusiastically when they were finished. One could say they were all duped, but winning over a house full of savvy jazz fans with butchered ballads would be quite a feat; winning over a house full of jazz newbies with butchered ballads would be even more of a feat. One could also speculate that those who were so moved by her ballad performances, over a period of perhaps fifteen years that I saw her regularly in concert, were all trendy poseurs anxious to embrace a grotesque, strained effort at artificial originality, but one would be talking out of one's hat.

Kenny Drew Jr. appeared last night (2/24) at the Harriet Himmel Gilman Theater in the City Place shopping district of West Palm Beach. The concert was sponsored by JAMS (Jazz Arts Music Society of Palm Beach). His rhythm section mates were Bill Pillucere on bass and Tom Carabasi (d). Not having been especially knocked out by K.D. Jr's CDs, I went anyway because if you're into pure live jazz, southeast Florida does not offer much so one must take advantage of any opportunity to do so. In any event, I was forced to reassess my opinion of this pianist. He swung, both on evergreens ("Gone With the Wind", "In Your Own Sweet Way") and on originals composed by him and his more venerated father. Technically, he was quite impressive. He also performed an exquisite solo classical piece by a little known black composer, Robert Nathaniel Dent (sp?). This wasn't so much of a surprise in that the bio in the program indicated that he has been performing classical recitals in the past couple of years. All in all, well worth the reasonable $20 admission.

Sent you a PM on an extra box I own this A.M.

Completely agree. I've always found Spaulding's alto presence on a date to be a negative. But otherwise, this is a damn good album. "There's a Lull in My Life" may be the best Mobley ballad on disc IMO.

Great record! Especially as noted by others, the two cuts with Bud, "Dance of the Infidels" and, in particular, "Bouncing with Bud". Barney Wilen also plays very well in the front line with Lee and Wayne. I have this on an old Epic LP and a Fontana CD, not the cover indicated above.

Loved your post, and the part quoted above especially resonated with me. Yet, with all that, I confess that after 40+ years of listening and collecting avidly, and having 80+ Coltrane LPs, including all of the Impulses, etc., I have never been able to get into late (and by late, I mean essentially the group with Alice, Pharoah & Rashied Ali). Life's just too short, to attempt and re-attempt getting into a period of his music that, for me I stress, continues to repulse. And lest I be viewed as just a staunch traditionalist, I occasionally revisit with relish much Ornette, Shepp, Tchicai, Marion Brown, CIRCLE, Sam Rivers.....you get the point. Perhaps it's the following memory that's still so intense after all these years. I was 20 circa 1966 and I was just getting into Trane at the time, however my only two sides were Star Dust (Prestige) and Coltrane's Sound (Atlantic) and I was playing the shit out of them. I ask and get a date with this 18 year old beauty and take her to the Vanguard where Trane is appearing. Clark Terry's group is the opening act and he plays a wonderful set that features Ellington tunes, standards, etc., but of course I can't wait for the "monster" (as Lee Morgan called him) to appear. Finally, Trane, Pharoah, Alice, Garrison and Ali come on. I'll never forget the look on my date's face during the ensuing chaos. It said without words "I thought you liked me....why are you doing this to me?" Of course, we stayed throughout the set....even then I knew that I couldn't walk out on someone just because I didn't understand what was happening at that moment. But the truth is, I collected and listened attentively thereafter, believing that I would eventually come to appreciate ALL of Trane. Well, it's not the case....simplistically speaking, I don't go past late '64 or thereabouts when it comes to his output I guess my point is, that for some, it may be a journey but this is one destination you may never get to in terms of appreciation, much less enjoyment. Hell, McCoy himself has admitted that he left because he didn't like where the journey was heading. Regardless, there are many other wonderful and exotic locales that can be very rewarding. Marty B)

I thought Electric Bill referred to Frisell in which case, I'd definitely opt for the Blue. Marty