sidewinder

Not an easy one apparently. Jacknife is looking as well. I've got it in JRVG but I've only heard it a few times. I like it but it got pushed back behind a bunch of other purchases. I can only listen to one at a time! Probably easiest to get via the vinyl route on the Toshiba pressing. Mr Tanno might possibly be able to help anyone looking for this.

Not to forget Jack Wilson's contribution to various Gerald Wilson Big Band albums put out on Pacific Jazz and reissued in the Mosaic set. He was a good fit for this band.

Just checked the 'Jazzwise' listings for London. Here are a few of the things going on: 19th Dec, Pizza Express Jazz Club (Dean St, Soho) - Scott Hamilton 20th Dec, 606 Club - Bobby Wellins 26th-31st Dec, Jazz Cafe Camden Town - Roy Ayers Ubiquity 27th Dec, Vortex - Stan Tracey 15th-31st De, Ronnie Scotts - George Melly (doing his usual Xmas 'season') and Ray Gelato's Giants. Pat Martino starts at Ronnies on the 5th of Jan.. I'll second John's recommendation to see Tate Modern, which is over on the South Bank of the Thames (take the footbridge over from Embankment tube station). It's free too and the reconstructed 'Globe' theatre and Bankside area (full of historic atmosphere with places like the 'Clink' prison and ruins of the Bishop's Palace) is just around the corner. The Museum of London is also worth a look if you are interested in the origins of the place, back to the Romans (its over by the Barbican, by the old city wall). Enjoy!

"It's only wafffer thin........"

There's a misconception in the media that he sort of came from nowhere and did the 'Blow Up' film. Apparently it was something like his 45th after a pretty long apprenticeship. I read that he had returned back to residency in the UK only a couple of years ago after many years in the LA area producing TV shows. Have a video copy of his 1969 film 'Alfred The Great' which I plan on watching sometime this weekend. Must have been one of his last before he dropped off the radar screens and started producing 'A Team' etc etc.

I have an old VHS copy. If you are a Tristano-phile like myself, its essential viewing. Its a rather short concert (29 minutes or so [?]) but watching Tristano freely improvise several of these pieces in his inimitable manner, at perhaps the very height of the "free jazz" explosion -- 1965 was the year of ASCENSION, after all -- is just fascinating. For those further interested... http://www.lennietristano.com/ Apologies - can't find the details of the DVD at the moment but I've got the feeling it was about 60 minutes long. 1965 sounds about right. I'll search for the details later..

I've always thought that the United Artists album cut with McLean, 'Matador', was very under-rated. Some of my favourite Kenny Dorham on that one. The mid-60s Prestige sessions made with Cedar Walton are also hugely enjoyable. It's fitting that he had that fine partnership with Joe Henderson. Both of these guys had the characteristic of being hugely consistent and also very flexible as sidemen to adapt to the salient requirements of the session. Check out also the CD that came with Randi Hultin's biography for a nice vocal performance by Kenny. Good voice too..untapped potential.

There's a DVD currently out of a solo performance given by Lennie in Copenhagen (I've seen it in the shops here in the UK). If anyone is interested I'll get the details.

I only saw Al Grey play on the one occasion (an all-star Gillespie Big Band reunion) but his enthusiasm throughout the performance was absolutely infectious. Several years later I picked up an LP of his with Jimmy Forrest which was signed by Al and his very positive comments on the LP about Jimmy (it was Forrest's last date) tapped into the same vibe. Same with Bennie Green. One listen to 'Soul Stirrin' puts a big smile on the face and lightens the mood enormously. Both of these guys are indeed sorely missed. Add Frank Rosolino to that roll call too.

Longer than Woody Shaw?? The honour, based on Michael Cuscuna's comments, must surely belong to the Eddie Condon vinyl set. That one hasn't even seen 'Running Low' yet !

Even though much of this one is in an 'R&B' type of groove, I really like it. Heck, it even has some nice early JJ Johnson on it. That alone steals it for me ! Must have had my set for 2-3 years now. It was one of the last vinyl copies, picked up just as the vinyl set was going OOP on the old BNBB.

Off the top of my head, Fats Waller put down some nice solo organ sides during a visit to London around 1938/39. I haven't heard these for a long time but it sounded like a theatre organ..

Yes please ! I'm familiar with the Coltrane footage (presumably this was of the quintet with Dolphy which had all of those trendy scaffolding props around the band?) but not the other material. Looks like this is a nice resource..

I got quite a thrill when I read that the first session on the Paul Desmond/Jim Hall Mosaic was recorded on the day of my birth.

Very cool indeed. One of the nice things about Germany has always been the public sponsorship of the arts and appreciation of music, in all its forms. From the UK we just get a glimse of this, via the excellent TV jazz broadcasts which are regularly put out by German-speaking countries over the satellite channels. I know that taxation is high in Germany (isn't it everywhere right across this continent, though ) but if my tax dollars were going towards this I'd feel that there was at least some payback. It would be nice to check this place out in person and the fine 'baroque' building that houses the collection is an eye-opener in itself. 'Respect' to the cultured citizens of Darmstadt ! I wonder if by chance they do a subscription Mosaic lending-library?

Gotta go with Sonny - on the basis of 'Go !' and 'A Swingin' Affair'.

Another vote for New Jazz Composers Octet 'Walkin' The Line'. This one should withstand the test of time and oozes 'class'. Andrew Hill's 'Passing Ships' would also be well up there on my list. An unexpected and wonderful treat...

Good news for any UK-based fans of guitarist Pat Martino. He will be bringing his group to Ronnie Scott's over the period Jan 5th-10th 2004 and if his previous (and to date only UK) appearance at the Pizza Express during 2001 is anything to go by, this should be unmissable. Some other excellent UK stuff also coming up in 2004, notably a Wayne Shorter 'Footprints' residency at the Barbican. Details (extracted from this month's 'Jazzwise') are: Mon 26th Jan - Wayne Shorter Quartet Tues 27th Jan - Wayne Shorter & Jason Rebello/Tomorrow's Warriors Wed 28th Jan - Guest Soloist TBC (the man himself, perhaps )/Shorter Stories Thurs 29th Jan - Wayne Shorter Quartet With BBC Concert Orchestra ( ) After a fairly dull December jazzwise, January is looking good !

Make sure you pick up the Patton, DrJ. I've been listening to it quite a bit over the last few days and it's a winner. Just a shame that they couldn't put out a regular Mosaic set with all of Big John's albums in one set but, heck, shouldn't grumble. This one is so good that it's taken up semi-permanent occupancy of the CD drive and I've hardly been able to get beyond the first disk of the Ellington Reprise... :rsmile:

They should have included 'Passion Dance' by Jackie and McCoy, which to my understanding followed 'Ghana'. It's an equally fiery performance and de Johnette really comes alive on this one (he always did sound good backing McLean). Too bad it was omitted. With respect to the Cecil Taylor solo performance, maybe the problem is that the style is just too far removed from the preceeding Turrentine/Smith number and the Blue Note 'house style'. Funnily enough, I actually quite like this performance of 'Pontos Candatos' and Taylor's timing and concentration on the performance is incredible. Freddie Hubbard was most definitely on form that night, although he does 'play to the gallery' a wee bit too much for my taste on a couple of occasions. It would have been nice to see James Spaulding in the lineup with Hutch (not to mention Harold Land..) but James Newton does a very credible job on 'Little B's Poem'. Nice performance of this. Two particular standout performances for me. McCoy Tyner on 'Sweet and Lovely'. Short but superb. Also Cecil McBee with the McLean/Tyner and Charles Lloyd lineups. McBee was all over the bass that night.. It must have been an emotional night for many of the musicians (Michael Cuscuna states as much in the notes, with many of the musicians meeting up again with Alfred Lion for the first time since 1967). My memory of the time is that the Blue Note style of jazz was just starting to get some recognition around 1985. The DMM reissue LPs were starting to reappear, clubs in London were promoting the Blakey/Silver sound and established artists such as Tony Williams were forming new bands based very much in the BN style. After the jazz-rock dominated 1970s and early 80s, it was a very distinct change. 'Thumbs Up' then for the DVD. Both sound and visuals a very distinct improvement on the VHS. Having said that, the VHS does have 'Passion Dance'. There was also a nice intro on the VHS with Joe Henderson playing a solo 'Recorda Me' on the stairwell. It would have been good to see that included somewhere (a 'miscellaneous out-takes' section on the menu could have included this plus a few other nuggets of interest).

I'll second that recommendation. 'Something For Lester' is a real sleeper and with the usual exemplary recording by Contemporary Records too.

Patricia - not sure when exactly it happened but most of the top end turntables these days have 33 1/3 and 45rpm, if you are lucky. I have a Linn LP12, a turntable which has been available in it's current form for at least 20 years and it 'defaults' to 33 1/3 but allows selection of 45rpm if you keep the power light depressed just a little longer. I've never actually used it 'in anger' ! I would agree with your comment about treating these black vinyl thingys like 'treasures'. Sometimes you feel like a combination of full-time museum curator and antique restorer. Recently, for example, got hold of a Red Garland Prestige original in not very good nick but with a bit of cleaning of the vinyl and restoration of the cover (some messy tape job was left on) it turned out to be a nice acquisition.

WOT - No 'Sidewinder' or 'Song For My Father' Not to fret though - Billy Joel and Whitney are in there .. ...

Just been in the process of checking out this set. I didn't have any of the 5 albums previously so the selection is fortuitous. The major thumbs up so far is for disk 3 and in particular the 'Understanding' album. Brilliant stuff - Patton and Alexander (and not forgetting Mr Hugh Walker, who most definitely gets in the groove and rides unless one happens to have cloth ears ) make a potent competition. Mosaic delivers big time yet again..

Regarding 'Song For My Father', I've got an old NYC mono vinyl copy that I'll cross-check against the RVG CD. I'll try to squeeze this in over the weekend, maybe also check out the 'Jody Grind' Liberty LP against the CD.