tooter

Couw - you mean Ronnie Scott, not Ronnie Ross. Hope someone has the story. He was together in New york with Jimmy Deuchar and Ronnie Ross, so it says, in 1963.

I went for Milt Jackson simply because of the unfailing high quality of his improvisation - he never seemed to run out of ideas - but also in some small degree because he did not too often indulge in the grunting and singing along with his solos which I find very difficult to tolerate in vibists/bassists/pianists etc (except Bud Powell!). There is at least one recording I know of where Milt Jackson actually tries to sing without playing the vibes as well but this is best avoided I think!

Steve and Couw - Wonderful! Thanks very much. Sure that it is Alan Elsdon after looking at pictures elsewhere. I will get the website amended ASAP

Where is everybody? Received my disks this morning and have listened so I'll jump in first with both feet on the little I can guess at. Ears only. DISK 1 #2 Kenny Garratt or Gary Bartz alto sax, McCoy Tyner piano, Woody Shaw trumpet. #3 Bobby Hutcherson? #9 Ellington? - Johnny Hodges? #10 Body and Soul - John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones? DISK 2 #1 Gil Evans. guitar sounds a bit like Kenny Burrell #11 Exactly Like You - no prizes for guessing that?! Thanks Randy. Really enjoyed it and will listen again.

Can you identify these these musicians? The pictures forms part of a larger one at our website - www.ronnieross.com - and probably date late 1950's.

man with the golden arm Well, there are two new trio albums available on Mainstem which feature Bill on vibes - "The Right Vibes" and "The Right Vibes :Final Volume". Also on Mainstem is "Confirmation" but I haven't got them so I can't tell you what they're like. Sure they'll be good though. As to earlier issues, which I have got, I would suggest, after "Cleopatra's Needle", "The Bill Le Sage/Ronnie Ross Quartet" - he plays vibes on seven of the twelve tracks - if you can find it. "Road to Ellingtonia" is good too although Bill only plays vibes on three of ten tracks. A foursome of cellos is present - myself I usually avoid strings in general because they rarely swing but in this case, listening to the album, I had a vision of Bill rehearsing them with vigour and persistence to do just that. Perhaps I'm being unfair to them! Much of the other material I've got is obscure unlikely to be available I guess - airshots, etc. Hope this fits the "bill".

I was even thinking about approaching Bill Le Sage to ask him about Ronnie Ross, for his memories, and visited his website. But then of course very shortly thereafter I heard he had passed away, which was sad. The site carried on for a little while but I can't find it now. Yes, a really good player - I'll give the albums some thought and post again soon. If you could find it "Cleopatra's Needle" would make a fine start though - Ronnie Ross the leader.

Jazzman4133 - Welcome! - My! Aren't we formal? I've seen some other "Jazzmans" about, with different tail feathers. Are they family? B) Getting lots of help now since beginning posting for assistance with the Ronnie Ross discography - thanks to "Couw" for introducing me to this and another site. Some mysteries will no doubt never be resolved but making steady progress. Thanks too to the now quite large number of people who have chipped in - even if it doesn't result in new info it's very encouraging. Nothing on "Gee Whiz!" (Artists) yet though - still hoping - I wonder if there are any copies left in the world!

Tom Lord gives an entry for an album called "Gee Whiz!" recorded in 1988 by the Pride of London Big Band. Personnel given as Henry Lowther, Dave Hancock, Chris Pyne, Ray Swinfield, Ray Warleigh, Ronnie Ross, Stan Sulzmann, Brian Dee and Danny Moss (on drums?!). No track list given though and for the Ronnie Ross discography I'm trying to put together, I wonder if anyone has the album and/or can supply the info. Also full personnel - if really a big band there must be more of them. Appreciate it if you can help.

"Song of the Black Knight" is one of my favorites - NYJQ. You could try "Oasis" too.

tonym - Don't think so. Not sure that this is a full list but I have City Gates, Don't Lose Control, Earth Beams and Lifeline in my database. That's only the albums with the rhythm section as above. Got to go now, for today. Back tomorrow. Thanks.

It's just a recording I got from a broadcast a long time ago, Couw. The transcription is of the stylised playing of the first sixteen bars - he plays it somewhat different each time of course. My version is a little simplified but gives the gist I think. It's a quartet track with, I think, Don Pullen piano (of course), Cameron Brown bass and Dannie Richmond drums. Lasts (8:23) or thereabouts. It could be a more obscure tune than I imagine but it sounds so familiar somehow that I thought I'd heard it before in another version. My "patent" tune-finder program didn't work though. Rather a nice tune anyway - could it be Jobim? Kind of pretty?

I've been trying to find out the name of this tune for ages. Played by George Adams on flute with a light latin beat. Can anyone help?

In another place I have been told about an album "Messages from Munich" reported to have been issued on the Hot House label about 1996/7. Details so far:- Personnel: Rick Kiefer (trumpet), Rudy Friesen (trombone), Olaf Kubler (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone), Don Menza (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone), Dick Spencer (alto saxophone, flute), Hans Koller, Rudi Fierl (tenor saxophones), Ronnie Ross (baritone saxophone), Rudi Risavy (flute), Pepsi Auer, Joe Haider, Bill Le Sage (pianos), Peter Trunk, Hans Ratenbacher; George (Jiri) Mraz (basses), Cees See, Meinrad Gepport, Pierre Favre (drums). Leader: Ronnie Ross Dates: 1963 to 1967 Venue: Munich, Germany Label: Hot House Album Title: Messages From Munich Tracks: 1. Since Yesterday 2. Sub Basement Blues Note: Other tracks unknown I have contacted Peter Fincham who runs a "Hot House" label (could there be another one?) but he has no info on it and exhaustive searching has led nowhere. Apparently it's been reviewed somewhere by Alun Morgan. Can anyone shed any light on this please?

Thanks for sending the disc John. I'm out of my depth here but enjoyed having a go. I did get just a very little here and there but what really gets me is why I didn't recognise Stanley Turrentine. Tommy I would expect to miss but I'd have said Stanley should be unmistakable. Grrrrr..... I'll console myself by thinking about tomorrow!

I'm giving it a try. Emailing.

Medjuck - His real name was "McKinley" I believe, shortened to "Kinny" which eventually became "Kenny". I once read a very informative item on the difficulty of maintaining high notes on trumpet once breath begins to run out, thereby leading many players to begin phrases at the top and tail off to lower notes as breath expires. The article said that KD had not solved this problem like, say, Dizzy had and having been told about it I began to notice it. Doesn't detract from my enjoyment of oistening to him though. Any trumpet players care to comment? I doubt that Booker Little had a problem - one of my favorite trumpeters. Does anyone know his album under his own name with Tommy Flanagan, Scott LaFaro and Roy Haynes? Includes Bee Tee's minor Plea, etc. Great album!

I can't resist it! "Guessing" Art Pepper on #15.

Sorry, Tjobbe, it's a "j" not an "i", but I'll add my Happy Birthday for yesterday and a welcome from one newbie to another. It's kind of addictive, this BB, isn't it?

There was once a series of programs on Jazz FM here in the UK called "Jazz Greats" or "Jazz Immortals" or something like that. They had Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, etc, etc, AND ASTRUD GILBERTO. Nice enough, pleasant in a light, inconsequential way but "jazz great"? Ridiculous!

There's a very nice album "Invitation" by Milt Jackson that has KD and Jimmy Heath and Tommy Flanagan and Ron Carter and Connie Kay. How's that for a super line-up? Virgil Jones on trumpet makes an appearance too. Anyone familiar with it?

I too thought #1 sounded like Kenny Dorham but #2 brings Booker Little to mind, together with George Coleman which fits with the Max Roach group hypothesis. #3 guess George Coleman again and maybe Pepper Adams. #8 there's a connection with Miles. Tiobbe - Good - I am not alone then.

Is this a private party or can anyone join in, even us newbies? I received my unofficial copy this morning - even as I was sending my email, Couw, it dropped through the letterbox - thank you! It's playing even now and has been an eye-opener. Not sure of anything (ears only) until I came to #8 (danced with joy at success!) which I know very well indeed but won't mention of course. Still working on the others - with help. This is going to lead to me to places I haven't been before.

Don't know of any plans for reissues - would be interested to hear from anyone who does. I read that RR's career began to tail off with the advent of John Surman as the number one British player so I guess he became unfashionable in some circles. But to me his improvisations were almost always very good and sometimes superlative. Having listened to all I can, including recordings of broadcast sessions at the British Library Sound Archive (an on-going program - see more additons to discography in due course) of which copies are not available, and tried to track his development, it seems that a big turning point for him was his rubbing shoulders with Mulligan in Paris in, I think, 1959. After this his sound changed, became more robust. On earlier recordings he has a lighter but still very attractive sound, but some of the BLSA sessions I've heard his sound was virile indeed. The latest session I heard, one of the tunes bordered on "free" ("Part Two" - 1985), which came as a bit of a surprise to me. Greg Dyke, of the BBC, announced fairly recently that he would like to see the BBC archives made available on-line to anyone, free of charge I think. I don't see this happening anytime soon but am living in hope. The recordings might become available after fifty years but I doubt I'll be around to reap the benefit.

Thank you, Couw, nice to be here. Finding my way around the other place you suggested too now. Sidewinder - tried to email you but failed - returned. Interested in your tape. Can you email me please?