fasstrack

Well, to characterize Parlan, or anyone, as a "bebop" musician, severely diminishes his talents as an all around musician. I saw him with Coleman Hawkins and with Roland Kirk, and he provided excellent accompaniment for both. Accompaniment someone finally nailed it. He's known as a top accompanist and that's why he's hired and cherished. He's a great listener and supporter and that's what it's about---not whether he plays cross-handed or standing on his head. Those things are of ancillary interest---at least to me they are. I like a date he led: Glad I Found You. All I remember is Thad and I'm pretty sure Eddie Harris. They played Bud Powell's Oblivion and I think a tune of Thad's. Good record and Horace smelled like a rose on it, comping or soloing.

You nailed that one, Larry. I think I'll steal that. It's almost as bad as pre-fab improvising. Hard to be restrained but communicative of emotion, just as it's harder not to 'bang'---but worth it every time.

There was a little-known guy named Tony Zano, from Long Island, I think. He died at least 10 years ago. He was restrained emotionally somewhat, but not at all cold. And his ideas were really well-considered. Somewhat in a Bill Evans school and maybe a smidgeon of Tristano, but it would be unfair to leave it at that b/c he had a lot of depth. A completely forgotten player, as was Oscar Denard---who played really differently, more like Phineas Newborn, but like Zano is almost comepletely forgotten. On the other end of the (emotional) spectrum I worked from 1984-5 with Jaki Byard (in the big band though I sat in with his trio a few times). Jaki was very humorous in his playing plus somewhat of a put-on in his conversation so his real thoughts were sometimes veiled. So when he sometimes veered into the corny, dramatic, or overwrought, you never knew if it was for real or a deady satire. I thought the latter myself. Sometimes he would play these sort of rococo or Romantic passages---he was an encyclopedia of so much music---and I would ask the same question, if he was putting us on. He definitely had a wacky sense of humor. A very complex, multi-layered player and person---and brilliant.

Beautiful! A very nice moment.

Yes, beautiful, thoughtful, reflective playing with good sound and spacing. Good guitar, too. Any ideas who it was, anybody? Thanks for posting that, Larry. I hardly heard of the guy, let alone knew he was this good. Yes, beautiful, thoughtful, reflective playing with good sound and spacing. Good guitar, too. Any ideas who it was, anybody? Thanks for posting that, Larry. I hardly heard of the guy, let alone knew he was this good. Now that I think about it didn't Lars Gullin record w/Warne Marsh on an album he did with Danish guys? Funny, his phrasing in one spot was Warne-like and it triggered my memory somehow.

Cuber Libre aside, 11th house was sort of recorded like shit, poor Mickey Tucker having to play a pile of rocks to begin with, and Dennis Irwin might have been underwater---but the music was first-rate. Tom and Ronnie were in great shape and on Tom's tune open Air---a beaut in 3/4 that he later reprised with Phil Woods--they both play wonderfully, with the rhythm section stirring the pots. Cuber quotes the melody in the altissimo zone after a perfect Harrell solo, his solo is a highlight in a recording with a lot of them. Tom himself played way different then, a stone bebopper (post-bopper? Ah, screw these dumb terms). Plus the material is interesting: of it's day but not dated. Nice Mickey Tucker tune, can't remember the title just now. Also originals by Ron McClure and a nice one, Klepto, by Cuber himself. To overstate the obvious, I really recommend this.

Unless you were a bass player. Then, all your recordings sounded like you were playing a loud bumblebee. Jack MacDuff called it the 'nasalbass'

I couldn't open the realaudio file, David, and I have the program. Show's archive also wouldn't load for me Weird. My laptop's running slow since it was cleaned out and started fresh. Too bad. Nice article, though---nice tribute to a working musician in the trenches.

In the 2nd video was that Tommy Flanagan on piano? Sounded like his touch on I Love Paris---but no 'signature' figures, runs or anything. And dig that still with all the hair!

Maybe some sleuth here can dig up more Art Ford from youtube or elsewhere. I used to be a member of the Museum of Television and Radio here in NY. By sheer serendipity I found lots of those shows. Just off the top of my head I remember seeing Pres, Lady, Rex Stewart, Vic Dickenson, Bean, a 10-year-old Barry Miles, Ray Bryant, Mundell Loewe----too many more to remember now, including some 'no-names'that were phenomenal players. Wow! That oughtta be covered here---if it hasn't already.

Superb record, w/Barry Harris---and now I forget who else. Sam Jones and Tootie Heath? I'm getting old and have CRS Also great by Cuber on the same label (Xanadu): THe 11th Day of Aquarius, w/Tom Harrell; Mickey Tucker; the late Dennis Irwin; the late Eddie Gladden. 1978, I believe.... The '70s were amazing times for jazz, don't let anyone snow you.

Nell Irvin Painter: The History of White People. Trying to unload my mind enough to let it in and what I read so far I like. If the book is half as good as that name, we got a winner, ladies and gents.

Yes. She wrote it and she recorded it first. I thought her version came out after. Maybe '69, '70? Maybe not..... Jack Wilkins recorded that as a solo guitar piece, I saw. Probably a lot of people covered it. Pretty decent song.

Phil sleeps with oxygen and rents a tank when he travels. He's cool with that. Husbands his energy when playing to use at times most essential. He gets through it like the pro he is.

Uh oh....You, too?

My old friend Gary cracked me up yesterday when he, discussing financial settlement after his recent divorce, avered: "We had a pre-nup based on time served". Maybe someone else will get a chuckle...

I would agree that it is Mary Osborne. I know what she looks and sounds like. Main influence: Charlie Christian. Interesting that they're playing on I Found a New Baby changes--a Goodman favorite that he featured Christian on. Also:from the set it looks like the old Art Ford Jazz Party on PBS. There's probably all kinds of clips from that show floating around youtube. Also at the Museum of Television in NY and LA.

Now somebody oughtta post video of Zappa playing a bicycle on the old Steve Allen show. In his formative years, before the mature artist graduated to cars. The funniest thing to me is that I wrote the previous two sentences in dead-on seriousness (well, the second one was definitely the inner imp coming out...Zappaesque?)

Happens every time there are beautiful people as characters....

It's been a few years since I caught Tom, and I'm due. Last time was with Charles MacPherson here in NY. He was in good form, as was everyone. I never heard the Orchestra, but have hung and played with two memebers, Simon Rigter, and Peter Beets in their native Den Haag. Both are excellent players. Must've been nice, and I'm sure they played some of Tom's charts.

Sorry I missed this and hope you enjoyed it, Allen. Joel

Insane funny!

Johnny Mandel is a hero. Though we've never met, here is a nice story: I was a friend and onetime student of the great arranger Bill Finegan (of Sauter-Finegan and Glen Miller fame, as most of you know). In 2004 I felt Bill should have a lifetime achievement award, but was unsure how this could happen or who would listen to an unknown musician such as myself. I lived in Riverdale, NY, at the time and one of my neighbors was the late, great Dr. Billy Taylor (who I also later was also privileged to interact with, but that's another story for another day). I had spoken to the good doctor before and knew he was warm and approachable, even to stragers. One day I went to a local eatery to see about a gig. There was a band playing, and Taylor was having dinner. He let me approach him and I mentioned Bill and my idea for the citation. 'Bill Finegan? He's still alive? And he recounted how in the '50s on break from Birdland he would catch Sauter-Finegan and be blown away. He told me he would love to help and to write the Kennedy Center and please mention his name. As wonderful as that gesture was, I thought more and decided to contact Bob Brookmeyer, who I also didn't know--except for one nice email exchange--mostly b/c Brookmeyer and Bill knew each other long and he had long declared Bill a hero. (Finegan told me that after his wife Rose died Brookmeyer called him every day ---without fail). Brookmeyer also thought it was a great idea and said immediately 'what can I do to help?' The upshot was that Brookmeyer contacted Johnny Mandel, partly b/c he and Finegan were ASCAP members. Mandel went right to work making calls and ASCAP shortly sent Finegan a lifetime achievement plaque, and I got to initiate something my heros carried out. The funniest part was when Finegan (who later told me he didn't care about awards, but this one meant something) upon hearing my congratulations on the phone asked me in dead earnest: 'How did you know?' When all is said and done---egos, competition and all the other BS aside---who could really say musicians aren't nice people?

Yes, I've heard this before. On Friday Phil Schaap played it with interspersed commentary. He actually kept it short this time (I'll swear to it, get me a Bible...)and made some sense. Seemed to think Bird was often 'misrepresenting', meaning disingenous(sp?)in certain instances, or, more charitably, Schaap thought he in other cases might have misremembered things. I'll agree with Phil on at least one citation: Bird said Miles went back to Julliard 'to finish his studies'. This was around the time Davis left the Charlie Parker Quintet. It is a bit weird that Bird wouldn't know that Miles never did go back to Julliard after he quit to play with his band. So maybe he was 'selectively remembering' or downright distorting. Anyway, just a thought, and important only to the most obssesive jazz eggheads, excluding myself. Take it in or let it fly. It's a good interview, though. Bird seems in good spirits (before the descent) and gets on well with Desmond and Fitch. I always did like his speaking voice and he really is articulate and expresses himself well for a self-educated man.

I would like to hear your expanded explanation of this - since they "are the facts". Chuck, with all due respect, I think I'm talked out and it's time to let this rest. And judging from the hits in the last week so does everyone else. If you think that's a cop-out you may be right but I'll take my medicine and move on. Maybe I'll get a second wind later or somneone else will find this and put in their 2C.