fasstrack

Lou Grassi! We played at Marshall Brown's Wednesday session every week in 1980-81. The rest of the band was Marshall; Tom Olin, Gene Allen, saxes; Hod O'Brien, piano; Dave Hofstra, bass; alternating with Grassi on drums the late Wade Barnes, another good drummer whose name I've forgotten; and a guy named Ira. Alternating with Hod was Timothy Marquand (son of the author of Mr. Moto, J.P. Marquand). Sometimes the late Chuck Clark, a fantastic tenor player and writer, would sub, that's how we met. Marshall was always red-faced screaming at poor Timothy, who just hung his head---purple after the inveighing---when Marshall let go with a fusilade that always began 'No, no, NO Timothy!! Those were the days......... BTW, I heard Kalaparusha play on Broadway on the Upper West Side years ago. He was playing solo and played Corcovado correctly with a beautiful sound. Randy Sandke is a man for all seasons. Sounds like another wild and crazy Allen Lowe project........

That's b/c he got branded a lead player---a result of being so good. That's where the work was and no one not being kept turns down work. He didn't have a career like Phil Woods, known for both. But in the late '70s he started pushing himself. Maybe in part he figured he'd better develop soloing before it gets too late. It had to be partly the challenge of doing it. The gig at Sweet Basil gave him a golden opportunity to get it together. He sang also, charmingly, (Guess I'll Get the Papers and Go Home) and had a lot of sitting in by guys like Benny Powell. That gig was a big party. I'm the sorriest person I didn't take his invitation back at the West End. I let another insecure musician on the gig get me uptight---foolishly. But Doc was a great personality, with a great face and smile, and his warmth came out in his playing. I remember running into him at Alex Music on 48th street, I think in 1995. He was trying out mouthpieces---looking for a shallower one. Later I saw him in the street. He said 'isn't it a beautiful evening?' and smiled a mile wide.

Furthermore not only is Frank Morgan a fine altoist, he did great as not only the Wizard but the Fortune Teller too. And as to that fine fellow Jim Hall, he protects us all in his other capacity as head of Travel and Safety. I'd go on but it's time for meds-and Cuddles withholds the drool towel when I'm late. And let's not even DISCUSS Nurse Diesel. (Humor me, I think I'm funny...)

Billy Hart has tremendous range-from Wes to Milt Jackson to Quest and Tom Harrell. Stan Getz! I haven't listened to his own projects but you can bet he's burning to make a leader's statement. He takes it all in stride and puts a fire under you. The only time I ever heard him lose it was at the end of Rapture on Tom Harrell's stories. It's a fast, energetic gringo samba, and 'going home' at the very end he's way ahead of the horns and tempo-a careening runaway truck going down the hill after crashing the guardrail. I can relate. We all have wince-worthy moments. On recording or painting it's presesved so everyone can gawk. Usually it's you that mostly winces. Look in the mirror, fix it. (thank you for watching Sermonette. And now for our National Anthem)... Meanwhile I heard Billy w/Tom at the old Bottom Line, 1995. What a thrilling night of music! The line-up had Donald Brown, Tim Ries, Ray Drummond. Tom and Billy were on fire, egging each other on. Billy Hart has tremendous range-from Wes to Milt Jackson to Quest and Tom Harrell. Stan Getz! I haven't listened to his own projects but you can bet he's burning to make a leader's statement. He takes it all in stride and puts a fire under you. The only time I ever heard him lose it was at the end of Rapture on Tom Harrell's stories. It's a fast, energetic gringo samba, and 'going home' at the very end he's way ahead of the horns and tempo-a careening runaway truck going down the hill after crashing the guardrail. I can relate. We all have wince-worthy moments. On recording or painting it's presesved so everyone can gawk. Usually it's you that mostly winces. Look in the mirror, fix it. (thank you for watching Sermonette. And now for our National Anthem)... Meanwhile I heard Billy w/Tom at the old Bottom Line, 1995. What a thrilling night of music! The line-up had Donald Brown, Tim Ries, Ray Drummond. Tom and Billy were on fire, egging each other on.

Frank Morgan was cool. Good player and he made some records that hold up. One with Kenny Burrell, one with Wynton. Not his fault the writers annointed him Romantic Junkie Rebel of the year. Don't blame him for milking it either. What would you or I do if handed money or fame? But I was friends with a guy named Clarence 'C.' Sharpe who to me went way deeper musically and in soul. I know this is subjective. But he was a beautiful, complex, real human with the same sickness as Frank Morgan, but who never played off it or used people at all. I never met anyone more supportive of his friends. Yet though he fit the romantic outlaw profile no kingmakers came knocking on his door. It doesn't matter-he went out with his head up. Everybody loved him.

This is getting kind of silly. I went and looked. The guy made a joke. Period. Was it in good taste? It certainly was not. But where's the trust in peoples' discernment? Why not leave it open for people to ignore, rail about, discuss sanely? Ultimately moving the action solves nothing of the real core speech/censorship issues-except for the problem of moving it here, and great job. I think this was an overly reactive moderation to a dumb joke that only served to draw undue attention to it. Most of all what gives one pause is not that it's censorship-I have to give that more thought-it's the lack of trust in board members' intelligence and moral compass. There IS an ignore button...

You naughty boy! They were great too. Too bad it ended badly (officialy they still publish. In terms of impact....). I remember the Foto Funny where a hippie's panhandling and someone in a suit, a very '70s straight-arrow guy, lectures him and tells him to 'get with the program. This is 1975'. 'It is?. Wow, man. Dynamite weed!!'

Damn, I spent a half hour signing up and making a comment---and seem to have gotten nowhere......

Hear hear.....

I hadn't heard of him, but wish him well and a speedy recovery.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Jim Hall. Excepting the pedals, which I find distracting and a bow to lesser players---though I know it's a part of adventure, and Jim in his quiet way is a great adventurer). Sometimes he does flatline a bit, but you have to wait him out, it's worth it. He started out as a pretty straight-arrow jazz guitarist, though at a high skill level and with a touch, sound, ears, versatility, a great rhythm man,and great sensitivity that already set him apart. But in his quiet way he steadily deepened the compositional qualities that were there from the beginning (he was a composition major and presented his college thesis--a piece for guitar and chamber strings at Town Hall in 1990, it was recorded on Jim Hall and Friends. I was at the concert FWIW). As a leader he really got daring, orchestral, and more compositional/contrapuntal with Jim Hall Live! (1975). Lots of stretching out there, and it steadily has grown. But I was reminded of his total maturity yesterday. I purchased a CD called Color and Light, jazz interpretations of Stephen Sondheim. (The 'jazzier' tracks were the least succssful IMO). There were a lot of reputable artists and good music, including a surprise appearance by the composer himself (sneakily fused together with a different performance by Herbie Hancock, to make it seem like a duet. Tsk, tsk and for shame). But the two tracks by Jim, especially the first one (had Kisses in the title)was such a class act, so mature, musical, perfectly arranged and executed, etc.---it just lifted the whole enterprise up several notches.

Not really predictable. There's as much variance story to story as personalities and cirmcustances involved. Musicians are only people.... Except for Buddy Rich....

Kenny Burrell is much more enjoyable since his playing calmed down-around the time of Togethering w/Grover Washington Jr. He always had a great, full sound, warmth-and is a very complete, rounded musician. But through all thore earlier recordings-some more than others-his time feel to me was nervous and rushy w/less than great control that made him sound choppy. It swung and was bluesy, but not really relaxed and mature like Jimmy Raney, Grant Green (though he's a way better musician than Lazybones Grant), or Eddie Diehl. Listen to 2 Guitars. Kenny is louder and 'fireier' but Jimmy is way more relaxed and mature. But he settled down and I really enjoy hearing Kenny now. He's a master.

Interesting choices, C.J. Worth looking into. Very sad about Mike Brecker. He should've just then been slowing down, enjoying the fruits. I thought Pilgramage deeply felt. He must've been in deep physical/psychic pain. He just WILLED that music to happen. I enjoyed Tales of the Hudson too. It was playing on the car radio and I was so intrigued when at my destination I asked my friend to tune in so we could find out who, what, where. Metheny was on that too.

I'm glad this is being taken up w/o being me being read the Riot Act (the White Death affair. Not sure if the thread was removed or closed-but it raised the wrong kind of hell than was intended). There are some aspects of modern times I wouldn't want to be w/o now that they're here, esp. email. There are ongoing dialogs that spoken would not permit the right level of prior reflection. And I've had charts and tracks emailed back and forth-inconceitable even 15 years ago. It's when you misbehave in public that it gets hairy. I have to admit to getting so wrapped up in finishing cell phone email that-in lunatic fashion-I did it while driving car service (stopped at lights, but still). When you think you can save the message and send later-not to mention the other person is not going to answer right away-it's especially demented. Customers complained sometimes. However long or boring a day I'm no better than the objects of my derision having done that.

The mind boggles...

The only reason it's a drag is that it's so Old Testament, you know? Judgement day every day. I'm not even saying it's not true...

I think some keys to Woody might be: 1. he played in part a saxophone conept on trumpet, and hanging w/Dolphy esp. while so young opened his ears in so many ways, not the least being those wide intervals. The 4th and pentatonic stuff was sort of in the air then. A classic case of great minds thinking alike, and he mined the gold according to his needs and ears. But he also delved deep into 20th century harmony. Then there's the Eastern and African influence, esp. of Trane (McCoy too). But he had a beautiful sound, esp. on flugelhorn, and that's when I like him best-more than the chord 'stacking' to make something happen over a few changes or playing these great devices he created into the ground or in a forced way. To me my main problem w/the big names of the 60s was an obsessive quality. Trane was great, but after that 1st amazing wave it didn't have the intuitive, singing, inevitable quality of Pres or Bird. Different goals maybe-but anyway, geez what amazing results...

I don't like this 'minor' appellation so much, Larry. I understand, but there are so many ways to contribute and influence. And soldiers carry on when the leaders burn out or die-important in itself. What made Hardman better IMO was when he dug stuff ou t of himself more and stopped copying Lee Morgan (you can really hear that copying on Blakey's Night in Tunisia-right alongside some nice ideas starting to coagulate).

He's tremendous-so many people like Woody Shaw (who IMO was the last really interesting player) took his innovations and ran with them. The other modal school players were mostly horn players (except Bill Evans-who also got more aggressive but never lost control of his touch). Andrew Hill was also innovative and fresh but fell in the cracks career-wise).That thunderous energy is part of what makes him exciting, but it would be as exciting w/o the sturm, drang, and noise. That said, I wish this great force of nature the best in health, spirit, and hapiness this Father's Day. And Quincy Troupe shouldn't have gotten away with trying to pass off as journalism repeating Miles's mean bitchery re Tyner and others in the bullshit 'book' Miles and Me. Constructive criticism while ackowledging artistic accomplishment must never be confused with such disgraceful pandering for bucks.

Let's not forget that McCoy was introduced to the public-after important apsenticeships ar a prodigy in the very jumping Philly-with the Jazztet. What he had then, besides great rhythm and that harmonic ear (and what he lost or gave up) was a beautiful, restrained touch. The McCoy Tyner of Art Blakey's A Jay Message morphed into something very different. The touch got harder I noticed w/1970's Plays Duke Ellington. But that was still controlled and effective. Soon thereafter along with great development and creative peaks came IMO a lot of banging and unneeded sound and fury. To me it diminished great artistry and a real original talent. You don't have to show power by banging. It's unmusical. I still love McCoy though. Man, sorry about all the damn typos. Can't fix 'em from a cell phone.

Thanks for mentioning Richard Wyands-an ace and a gentleman besides. At 80+ he's holding his own-despite not all that many gigs to go around, and general forgetting in Americorp of our oldest and wisest contributors.

Ingram then goes on to describe a two-year residency at an Indianapolis club until the Montgomery Brothers, minus Wes, headed out to the West Coast and became the Mastersounds. So, apparently, there were two Montgomery Brothers recording sessions with Wes that preceded what I always thought of as their first studio appearance together. Pete C (if you're reading this) did Seth at Sony ever get back to you on anything that might be in the vaults? And under what label's auspices would the Quincy Jones session have fallen? Undoubtedly these sessions would primarily be of interest to Montgomery buffs--I doubt there's anything earthshattering about them--but it is an interesting chapter that I had no knowledge of until yesterday. I'll also take another look at the liners for ALMOST FORGOTTEN, to see exactly what that writer had to say. Who would Ingram be? Couldn't glean it from here, but I assume he was a Naptown denizen. How much of his bio is about the jazz scene there, and if it is how does one get it?

Gilda!

Sad. No time like the present............