ejp626

By the way, anyone interested in doing the following one, please let me know. Thanks. Eric

I wasn't sure if this was still in print, but there seem to be sufficient copies floating around that it can be selected as AOTW. I think it is for week June 13-19. Booker Ervin The Space Book 1964 (recorded in 1963) This was my first introduction to Ervin as a leader, and I picked it up basically on a whim, but I liked it a lot. It has an inside/outside style that was fairly common in the mid 1960s. Byard's piano playing is inspired. I'm sure most of you know that it is a short album, and that additional tracks from this session are on Exhultation. On Space Book itself, there are two standards and two originals. I'll write more later and try to post the album cover. Eric Here is the AMG review: Tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin's quartet with pianist Jaki Byard, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Alan Dawson was so strong and dynamic that it is surprising that it only existed in the recording studio, and only for two sessions. For the fourth and final of Ervin's series of Books, the music is indeed somewhat spacey. The group explores two standards ("I Can't Get Started" and "There Is No Greater Love") along with a pair of Ervin originals (the intense "Number Two" and "Mojo"), stretching the boundaries of hard bop without totally abandoning the chord changes. This CD is a fine example of Booker Ervin's unique style. — Scott Yanow

Ok, it looks like I am going ahead for next week (June 14-19?). My selection will be Booker Ervin The Space Book. Eric

I have one ticket to the last CSO jazz concert this season, and I can't make it. I thought I would see if anyone on the board wants it. This is Friday June 25, 8 PM here in Chicago. It is a concert with the Scofield Trio and the Mehldau Trio. These concerts usually are two hours (not counting intermission). I would suspect that Scofield and Mehldau would play something together, but who knows. The ticket is in the Upper balcony (kind of like Business class seating) Row M, Seat 111. It is quite close to the center of the auditorium. Face value is $32. I'm looking for $20. I can mail it or deliver in person if you work or live in the Loop or near North Side. Thanks. Eric

Anyone else heard this CD - Owner of the Riverbank? I did see a middling review on line. It has turned up used at a secret shop near me, and I am going to snag it tomorrow. If I am not crazy about it, I'll be willing to trade in a week or so.

I'd like to see Detroit win it, but it seems awfully unlikely. Detroit and Indiana shot in the mid 30s and the Lakers and usually the T-wolves were in the mid 40s. Of course some of this is defensive intensity that is lacking in the West, but I think the Lakers simply have far too many scoring threats, and Detroit basically has two. I'm seeing Lakers in 5.

Sending a PM

I should be somewhere in the queue, but I can wait another week.

One good memory of Maynard. 1985 or so, I was in high school marching band and we competed in a Midwest band tournament with all the action taking place in Chicago's Soldier Field. That was by far the biggest place we ever marched in. That evening, after the competition, there were fireworks and Maynard put on quite a show. Our band split up and did conga lines snaking all through the seats in the stadium as he played. Great fun. It didn't really turn me on to jazz though. I was listening to Brubeck and Monk in those years.

I was wondering if anyone had heard (and had thoughts on) Akira Sakata's Fisherman's.com on some label called Starlet's Dogtail. This is a Japanese import that I was tipped to by Downtown Music Gallery (usually they steer me well, though I didn't care for Paul Dunmall). Anyway, was thinking about using this for BF Test, but that is years away. The line-up is Akira Sakata on sax synth and vocals (chants) Pete Cosey - electric guitar Hamid Drake - drums & conga Bill Laswell - electric bass and synth bass There are four tracks (slightly over 40 minutes). The only drawback about the packaging is that the composers of the tracks are listed in Japanese, so I can't tell who contributed which song. I like the first track best, which has a rock beat, both the way the drums and bass are playing (maybe a bit like Ginger Baker's crossover jazz work?), very uptempo, sort of fusion-y though basically rock-based. Then Sakata chants in Japanese across everything. Perhaps it is more of a "downtown" sound than jazz, but I think it is pretty rewarding, and of course some people want to hear everything that Drake and/or Laswell play on. Some people on the board would really dig it. I listen to it probably every three months. I believe there was a remix of one of the tracks, also available at DMG (perhaps still), but I did not get this. Let me know if you have heard the remix as well, and have thoughts on it. Eric

I like Heavy Sounds by Elvin Jones and Richard Davis on Impulse, which I listened to a couple of times over the weekend as part of my all Elvin weekend. I think is definitely better than the 3 star review AMG gives it. Frank Foster plays on nearly all the tracks. My favorite track on this album is the last one -- Here's That Rainy Day.

Actually, around the first of the year I wrote Mosaic, asking if there was a discount for buying multiple sets and/or Selects. I think there was a deal like that a few years back when I didn't have the disposable income. They replied that there were no sales or discounts planned for the immediate future.

I worked in New York during 9/11. Our offices were in 5 Penn Plaza, off 34th St. In fact, our office windows faced the Trade Center, so you can imagine what that was like. Almost no one came in the next day, but then the remainder of the week, there were frequent bomb scares with our building, One Penn Plaza and a nearby hotel. At one point, there were probably 2000 people milling about on the sidewalks, trying to decide whether to wait and go back up or to go home.

Elvin Jones Disk 6

TKM disc 1

Sent PM re: Dickerson.

Dusty Groove had Love Cry Want a while back.

For $27.50, I will package up the mousepad used to facilitate the on-line purchase of the Elvin Jones Mosaic. As an extra bonus, the Dizzy Reese Mosaic Select was ordered at the same time. The mouse itself is far too valuable to sell, but I may be able to lift the appropriate fingerprint using adhesive tape. For security purposes, I can only sell the last 25% of the fingerprint, but that would be an additional $5 -- a steal in today's marketplace.

(From the Artists thread: "BTW, his Vanguard recordings are nice as well. Maybe not as good as his Blue Note trio dates with Joe Farrell (my favorites!), but they are well worth a spin.") This isn't about the Mosaic set per se, but about the Elvin Jones shows at the Vanguard. I think there is one legitimate release on Enja and then the four Skyscraper albums on Honeydew. I have the first, but haven't tracked down the others yet. First question is if they are legitimate or bootlegs. Second is if 2-4 are worth acquiring. Third, is there anyway to promote the idea that the live sets at the Vanguard become a Mosaic Select -- after all Elvin was technically under contract to BN at the time, right? (just dreaming probably). Anyway, I do have the Elvin Jones Mosaic and enjoy it greatly. I am about to spin discs 1 and 2.

He and Johnny Griffin have a good duet album titled In & Out, which came out in 2000.

I have Trinitaires on CD. I can't remember right now where I got it, probably an import through Amazon. I like it, though not as much as his classic BN sessions or Beautiful Day for that matter.

It sort of looks like he is channeling Mingus in the cover photo. I do think it is a good album with strong ensemble work, even though I have not heard of any of them previously.

Perhaps you recall the thread about how United (and probably the other airlines) very rarely play the jazz channel anymore, replacing it with voice from the cockpit. Fortunately on my last long trip, I was able to listen to the jazz channel (after the batteries in my laptop had run down and I couldn't listen to my own music!). Anyway, one of the tracks was "Black Orchid" off a CD of the same title by Al McKibbon. I was really taken with it, and just bought the CD. It came out in 2003, but didn't seem to get a lot of coverage, or at least I missed it. It seems to retail for $10 at most on-line stores. I think it is a very good CD with a range of styles, and only a few tracks that would be classified as latin jazz. There are two songs written by Strayhorn -- UMMG and Isfahan, as well as Weston's Little Niles. I'm just spinning it a second time, and am forming my impressions, but I would recommend this. In general there is a mellow vibe, but some really funky tracks, especially the last one. Most songs also have flute prominently in the mix, in case you look for that or look to avoid it. Does anyone else have this CD, and what do you think?

Well, I'll 'fess up, I bought a set based on the first post and the comments back and forth. I have probably 1/3 of the music as individual CDs, but it sounded like a pretty good deal, especially since I could get the better liner notes (thanks couw!). No question that this forum is hard on the wallet. Recently I got Ranelin's Vibes from the Tribe, which I like, and just ordered Whitaker's Black Renaissance based on forum comments. So far I haven't been disappointed.

This is somewhat speculative, but according to an interview of Prince (the rock star) posted on the CNN website today, he indicated that he is working with major labels again. Then he said he might do an instrumental album on Blue Note. I guess it wouldn't be that surprising, given the Van Morrison album, but it still struck me as an unusual pairing. Who here buys everything on BN, and would you buy Prince just because he was on the label? I should say that I think he is a good musician, but I wouldn't consider him a jazz musician.