MartyJazz

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

There was an Applause issue of EXPANSIONS which I'm not familar with, sound-wise. However, I did previously own an Applause copy of Hutcherson's STICK-UP. Hated the sound on that one and got the regular Blue Note issue soon after. Marty B)

Ditto. I've had the June '51 broadcast with Rollins on an old Boris Rose bootleg LP for many years. Can't wait to get the additional session with Newk (note my avatar) and to hear what the session with Nicholas sounds like. The latter was also available on a BR bootleg but I passed it up at the time. Marty B)

This question prompted me to look at my copy of the LP so that I could relate the following. Back around when EXPANSIONS was first issued, I was given a promo copy by a friend of a friend who lived in my neighborhood and who was fortunate to be reviewing newy issued LPs for either BillBoard or Cashbox magazines, I forget which. Anyway, his concise review on the back of the LP states: "Nothing special" and it is signed "EVL". As I know that at that time he was heavily into hard rock, I was grateful for his ignorance of what constituted a great jazz album, as I was able to receive quite a few promo jazz LPs from him. Anyway "EVL" did very well himself in later years, writing God knows how many ninja adventure novels as Eric Van Lustbader. BTW, I like this album so much, I also picked up the CD when it first came out. Those who have lived in the metropolitan New York area for a long time, must recall that the theme song beginning the nightly jazz show at Columbia University's WKCR was, for many years (maybe this is still so?) "Visions", the first cut on this album. Marty B)

e-mail me at mmilgrim@gate.net if interested Shipping included within the U.S. and delivery confirmation receipts obtained on all shipments. I accept PayPal, m.o. or personal check. ARTIST /TITLE /# of CDS /LABEL /PRICE "Coltrane, John" /A Coltrane Retrospective: Impulse Years/3 /Impulse /15 "Coltrane, John" /The Major Works of John Coltrane /2 /Impulse /12 "Davis, Miles" /Live-Evil /2 /Columbia /12 "Davis, Miles/Monk, Thelonious" /Live at Newport 1958 & 1963 /2 /Columbia /12 "Gillespie, Dizzy" /Dizzy's Diamonds: Best of the Verve Years /3 /Verve /15 "Holiday, Billie" /Lady in Autumn: Best of the Verve Years /2 /Verve /10 "Kirk, Roland" /Does Your House Have Lions: Kirk Anthology /2 /Atlantic Rhino /12 "Lovano, Joe" /Quartets Live at the Village Vanguard /2 /Blue Note /12 "Marsalis, Wynton" /Quartet Live at Blues Alley /2 /Columbia /11 "Martino, Pat" /Head & Heart (Consciousness/Live sessions) /2 /32 Jazz /10 "Mingus, Charles" /Epitaph /2 /Columbia /12 MODERN JAZZ QUARTET /Dedicated to Connie /2 /Atlantic /10 "Monk, Thelonious" /Columbia Years: 1962-68 /3 /Columbia /17 "Monk, Thelonious" /Live at the It Club - Complete /2 /Columbia /12 "Roach, Max-Gillespie, Dizzy" /Paris 1989 /2 /A&M /12 "Rollins, Sonny" /A Night at the Village Vanguard /2 /Jazz Heritage /11 "Sanders, Pharoah" /Crescent With Love /2 /Evidence /12 "Tatum, Art" /20th Century Piano Genius /2 /Verve /12 "Tatum, Art" /The Complete Capitol Recordings /2 /Capitol /12 VARIOUS /Alligator Records 25th Anniversary 1972-1996 (Blues anthology) /2 /Alligator/12 VARIOUS /Fujitsu-Concord 25th Jazz Festival /2 /Concord /10 VARIOUS /The Commodore Story /2 /Commodore /14 VARIOUS /The Verve Story: 1944-1994 /4 /Verve /20 VARIOUS /The West Coast Jazz Box /4 /Contemporary /22 VARIOUS /Village Vanguard Live Sessions (Dizzy; Joe Farrell; Thad/Mel) /3 /Laserlight /15 Marty

I can only offer some partial help as all I have is a 2-disc British Verve LP issue (Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1). Ben Webster; Stuff Smith; Paul Smith; Barney Kessel; Joe Mondragon; Alvin Stoller. Los Angeles, 4 & 16 Sept '56 Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me Just Squeeze Me It Don't Mean a Thing.... Azure Cottontail Rocks in My Bed Solitude Sophisticated Lady Just a Sittin' and a Rockin' Satin Doll Ben Webster; Oscar Peterson; Herb Ellis; Ray Brown; Alvin Stoller Los Angeles, 26 Oct '57 Squatty Roo Marty

Aside from the private audio tapes I've had for many years, one of the video treasures I have of this great band is the Stockholm concert done during that fall '67 European tour. Only 33 minutes long, it's terrific to behold the members of that band in performance. (George Wein is the mc). As others have noted, snippets of this concert and others have appeared in various Miles video documentaries. I wonder how many, if any, there are of this tour. -_-

What I dig about KD is not only his unique, bittersweet sound but the fact that IMO, he was the greatest trumpeter-composer of them all. I just finished making for my own enjoyment, out of my own collection, a compilation CD-R of Dorham compositions on which he is featured either as a leader or a sidemen on 12 different sessions between 1955 and 1964. The compositions: Tahitian Suite, La Villa, Sao Paulo, Lotus Blossom, Sunrise in Mexico, El Matador, Escapade, Speculate, The Prophet, Short Story, Minor's Holiday and Horn Salute. All great pieces and there were many more to choose from. MartyJazz

Billie Holiday sang this tune on an earlier Columbia (late '30s). Wonderful vocal version.