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I saw 1.5 sets on Friday. It was definitely enjoyable, though Osby wasn't quite as explosive as the last time I saw him. His new piano player is Megumi Yonezawa, who is good, but no Jason Moran. The bassist was good. I wasn't that impressed by the drummer, mostly because his exagerrated jazz posture, slouching over the drums, swaying, grimacing, etc. Honestly, it looked like he was a hunchback with constipation. That shouldn't matter but it did, and I did my best not to look at him. I also thought his drum solo on Aligator Boogaloo was wack. It really did kind of ruin an otherwise good performance. Let's see, in the second set, they also played East St. Louis Toodle-O, which Osby has been playing pretty regularly. I wasn't that familiar with the material in the first set. Many of you probably know this, but Osby's website gregosby.com has a number of MP3s of complete shows. What I didn't realize was that he has added an entire second page of more recent shows, including two shows from 2004. I think that is pretty cool. They do take forever to download though.

I think you would like Bird of a Feather. I'll have to listen to it again to give any real feedback, but I thought it was good on the first listen.

Is anyone going to see Greg Osby at the Green Mill tonight? I am planning on going. I usually stick for the first two sets, though I might only make the first one tonight (it has been a long week). I generally sit at the bar and will be wearing jeans and a gray shirt.

I forgot James Wilcox. I think his earlier works are better - Modern Baptists and Polite Sex. I really hated his last work Plain and Normal. Michael Malone, especially Handling Sin and Foolscap.

My copy finally showed up (won on eBay an eon ago). I like it, especially the title track and Killer Joe. It's a strong opening to the CD. Golson has penned many of the songs, but as mentioned above there are good versions of In Your Own Sweet Way and a few other standards. I found the liner notes interesting too. I'm wondering if there are many other albums inspired by airports. I can think of Sinatra's Come Fly With Me and the much more recent Vijay Iyer's In What Language (very interesting but not exactly jazz). Any others come to mind?

Another shout out for The Thought Gang. Really amusing stuff. I am, however, wondering if he cribbed anything from the Depardieu movies of the 1970s. Another author to check out is Eric Kraft, who wrote about a fictional New England seaside community. His first 10 novellas were collected into Little Follies. I liked the next two full novels, but it kind of trailed off after that.

Some price reductions and 5 CDs added at the end of the list. Eric

This is probably a stupid question, but is there any overlap between the material in the Disques Vogue In Paris series and the Jazz in Paris box set? I am looking at a DV sampler and can see several sessions (Monk/Joe Turner for example) that are clearly not part of Jazz in Paris. I already have Jazz in Paris, but kind of passedon Disques Vogue, even though Tower used to sell them cheap. Is there a list of the entire series anywhere? How are they in general? Any sessions that are must have? Thanks in advance. Eric

Trying to clean out some more space. Take a look! Shipping on one item is $2, multiple items shipping is generally free. Reasonable trades will also be considered. Eric $9 Benny Goodman 1938 Carnegie Concert 2 CDs (1999 version with highest fidelity and/or surface noise) Sam Rivers Fucshia Swing Song TOJC (no obi) Jackie McLean Right Now! TOJC (no obi) $8 xxx Tim Berne's Bloodcount Poisoned Minds - hold xxx Steve Bernstein (w Sam Rivers Trio!) Diaspora Blues (Tzadik) - hold xxx Sam Rivers & Alexander von Schlippenbach Tangens (FMP) - hold xxx Roscoe Mitchell The Flow of Things (Black Saint) - hold $7 Sun Ra The Solar Myth Approach (1 CD version – Affinity) Brubeck Time Further Out (1996 remastered version) Art Pepper & George Cables Goin Home (Galaxy) Anthony Braxton (Actuel 6) Ornette Coleman Body Meta (Verve) xxx Charlie Hunter Songs from the Analog Playground - hold Dr. Lonnie Smith Boogaloo to Beck (funky tribute album -- all Beck covers) $6 Brown and Roach Incorporated (EmArcy) Shorter Second Genesis (Blue Moon) xxx Bobby Hutcherson Mirage - hold Francois Houle & Benoit Delbecq Nancali Paul Dunmall Cocteau's Ghost $5 Best of Bud Powell on Verve Ultimate Bud Powell (Verve) Jon Hassell City: Works of Fiction (Opal) Greg Osby Season of Renewal xxx Lou Donaldson The Scorpion: Live at Cadillac Club - hold $3 Pee Wee Ellis Twelve and More Blues Sonny Rollins The Solo Album $12 Ken Vandermark & Paul Lytton English Suites (2CDs) $6 Hagans Animation Imagination (Blue Note) Charlie Hunter Ready Set Shango (Blue Note) $4 Tatsu Aoki Eigen Johan Horlen Chills

Hmm. I recently signed up with Emusic, which includes many titles from Concord. I wonder if those are going to be pulled immediately off Emusic, or shortly when some set licensing period expires, or if they will be left on the site. I'm guessing the first option, but hopefully not.

I usually am able to listen to all new CDs I buy once, though there are certainly several unwrapped CDs on my shelves. To my shame, I have never even listened the Hank Mobley Mosaic CDs and the Horace Parlan CDs, and I know I will love them! (I did have a few of the Parlans as individual CDs and listened to them that way.) Anyway, once I listen to something, it goes back on the shelves and probably won't be spun again for a year or more. But somehow knowing I CAN play them anytime I want makes it seem reasonable. This board has not helped my addiction, unless you count feeding an addiction as "helpful." Eric

Well, I enjoyed Ann Arbor, where I went to school. But since then, I have lived in New York, Toronto and Chicago, which all have their different strengths. It looks like I will be in Chicago for the immediate future, though I really prefer the other two. I probably won't ever live in a city under 1 million again. (Actually both my wife and I are big city people though we don't always agree on which city!) The books and CDs can all be ordered via the Web now, though there is still something to be said for going into all the different record stores and browsing and talking to the occasionally knowledgable clerks. For me it is the access to live culture and art museums, which does make the difference. Plus, we only have one car, which we rarely use. Avoiding having to drive is a huge plus for me. Eric

Well, the direct link to take you to the line-up this year's Chicago Jazz Fest is ridiculously long. I have pasted the schedule below, but if there are changes you will want to check closer to the date (for instance , Steve Lacy was involved with one event, but that has been updated). Search on Chicago Jazz Festival Special Events, and that should get you pretty close. It looks a bit conservative to me, but there is the opportunity to hear many older jazz artists. I will probably take the time to hear Hank Jones Frank Wess and Frank Foster. In terms of more progressive music, I think the events on Sunday look the most promising to me. I believe that the Jazz Fest will be relocated to the new Millenium Park (almost all music events other than the Blues Fest are moving to Millenium Park), and that really is quite cool. Certainly worth a trip to check it out. I couldn't stay for all the music this weekend (the opening weekend), but I did hear something called the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, which merged all kinds of traditional ethnic instruments and snippets of songs into a very interesting performance. Chicago Jazz Festival Performance Schedule Thursday, September 2, 2004 Dee Dee Bridgewater and “A Salute to the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra” led by Jon Faddis and featuring: Hank Jones, George Mraz, Billy Harper, Cecil Bridgewater, Jerry Dodgion, Garnett Brown, Earl McIntyre, Dennis Wilson, Mark Vinci, Ed Xiques, Frank Green, John Reiley, Tom Garling, Orbert Davis, Art Hoyle, and Pat Mallinger Friday, September 3, 2004 Ford Jazz on Jackson (Jackson Blvd. and Lake Shore Drive) 12:00 – 12:55 p.m. Joe Rendon and Friends 1:10 – 2:05 p.m. Jerry Dodgion and the John Campbell Trio 2:20 – 3:15 p.m. Jeru 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Toshiko Akiyoshi with Peter Washington and Eddie Marshall Jazz & Heritage (Between Buckingham Fountain and Jackson Blvd., just West of the Rose Garden) 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. The St. Patrick High School Honors Jazz Band 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Performance Duo “In The Spirit” with Emily Hooper-Lansana and Glenda Zahra-Baker 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. “Art of the Solo” with Hamiet Bluiett and Ray Anderson Petrillo Music Shell (Jackson & Columbus) 5:00 – 5:50 p.m. Henry Johnson’ Organ Express featuring Chris Foreman and Greg Rockingham with special guest Irene Reid 6:00 – 6:55 p.m. Winard Harper Sextet 7:10 – 8:10 p.m. “Latin Side of Miles” featuring Brian Lynch, Conrad Herwig, Mario Rivera, Edsel Gomez, Robbie Ameen, Pedro Martinez, Ruben Rodriguez 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. “Celebrating Count Basie’s 100th Birthday” with the New Kansas City 7 featuring Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Buddy DeFranco, Frank Foster, Benny Powell, Harold Jones, Buddy Catlett and George Caldwell Saturday, September 4, 2004 Ford Jazz on Jackson (Jackson Blvd. and Lake Shore Drive) 12:00 – 12:50 p.m. Jeb Bishop Trio 1:05 – 1:35 p.m. Erwin Helfer: “Homage to Art Hodes and Pete Johnson” 1:40 – 2:10 p.m. Kirk Brown 2:25 – 3:20 p.m. Ryan Cohan Sextet 3:35 – 4:30 p.m. Crosswind Jazz & Heritage (Between Buckingham Fountain and Jackson Blvd., just West of the Rose Garden) 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. “Jammin w/ Kids” featuring Kidd Jordan and Ken Chaney 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Charles Walton interviews Frank Foster Petrillo Music Shell (Jackson & Columbus) 5:00 – 5:50 p.m. Ten Part Invention 6:00 – 6:55 p.m. “A 100th Birthday Tribute to Coleman Hawkins” with the Bennie Wallace Nonet 7:10 – 8:10 p.m. “Jammin’ at the Petrillo” featuring James Moody, Jon Faddis, Von Freeman, Art Hoyle and the Ron Perillo Trio 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Orbert Davis’ Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Sunday, September 5, 2004 Ford Jazz on Jackson (Jackson Blvd. and Lake Shore Drive) 12:00 – 12:50 p.m. Joan Hickey Quartet 1:05 – 2:00 p.m. Swing Gitan 2:15 – 3:10 p.m. “Jazz from Down Under” (small band from Ten Part Invention) 3:25 – 4:30 p.m. The Janice Borla Group Jazz & Heritage (Between Buckingham Fountain and Jackson Blvd., just West of the Rose Garden) 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. “Percussion Discussion” with Hamid Drake 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Susan May with the Bobby Schiff Trio 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. “Jazz History” with the Jimmy Ellis Quartet Petrillo Music Shell (Jackson & Columbus) 4:45 – 5:00 p.m. “Bass is the Place” - Remembering Malachi Favors Maghostut 5:05 – 5:55 p.m. Fred Anderson, Kidd Jordan, Hamiet Bluiett, Jeff Parker, Harrison Bankhead, Hamid Drake 6:00 – 6:55 p.m. Butch Thompson’s “Tribute to Fats Waller at 100” 7:10 – 8:10 p.m. The Monksieland Band with Roswell Rudd, Dave Douglas, Jean-Jacques Avenel, and John Betsch 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Toshiko Akiyoshi with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra

I think it is pretty much a dud. As it happens I did pick this up years ago (I can't even recall if I hadn't read the review or if I read it and said come on it's Sonny it can't be THAT bad), and regretted it. If anyone wants it for $4.95 (which includes shipping), you can judge for yourself. To me what is amazing is that this was a concert of some sort. The audience certainly was shortchanged. I see that Sonny Rollins is going to be at the CSO in 2005. There are currently no other musicians on the bill, and I am hoping (praying) that this is just because Sonny continues to perform with a bunch of no-name musicians and not that he is planning a solo outing. Eric

I enjoy this music and actually bought an import from Japan that does have both albums on one CD. You might consider going that route (if you are looking for a jazzy Christmas album), since the re-issue is almost certainly just the one album.

Just checking for more music from the Soundway label, it appears that Ghana Soundz 2 is in the works and should hit sometime this year. I'll definitely grab that one.

That sounds like a good idea. Thanks. I haven't really tried Emusic so far.

I guess this isn't all that new since the Ethiopiques series has been released through the late 1990s, though I only heard about it a few weeks ago. This series on Buda Musique is reissuing choice music recorded in Ethiopia on the Amha label, which was quite "revolutionary" at the time since it was the only label operating without official state sanction. I believe there are 18 in the series, and they may go up to 27. Anyway, I only got the first one in the series so far, which is a general sampler, and I am enjoying it a lot. Does anyone have any of these? Do you have recommendations for other ones in the series? Based on the descriptions on the Budamusique website, I will probably get vol. 4, 13 and 14, which are the most jazz-related. And if I really like those, then perhaps 2, 8 and 18. I'm going to try to hold off from getting the whole series. I thought I would take the opportunity to push a few other African collections on CD. I got these all at Dusty Groove (the bastards!) but I am sure they can be obtained elsewhere. Ghana Soundz -- really mind blowing great stuff from Ghana an obscure collector (I think the liner notes say if sales are good they will try to follow up with more CDs. I already did my part!) Nigeria 70 - a 2 CD collection of great music from Nigeria. I think Fela is only on two tracks, so there is a lot of stuff you will never have heard before. Afro Baby - "the evolution of the Afro-Sound in Nigeria 1970-1979". One track by Fela. I like this too but it isn't quite as amazing as Nigeria 70 and Ghana Soundz. Maybe I already got "jaded" (to steal from another post) because I had heard the other stuff first. Eric

Wow. It seems like Bird of Paradise has fallen on hard times. I went once while an undergrad at UM but they didn't really cater to students so I didn't go back, course that was almost 15 years ago.

I just finished Chinese Takeout by Arthur Nersesian, which is a novel about struggling artists trying to make it in Manhattan/Brooklyn in 1999/2000. It was pretty entertaining.

I have recently purchased Stanko's Suspended Night and Abercrombie's Class Trip. Both have similarities - kind of mellow, quiet, comtemplative CDs. I would say that Class Trip is more successful and a bit more varied. A few of the tracks have a little fire. There was a review (Jazz Times ?) of Suspended Night which I basically agree with that there isn't quite enough going on for the whole CD to work, though certain tracks are very good. I'll probably hang onto both, but I will clearly play the Abercrombie more. Just wondering about others' impressions. Eric

Hey, there's nothing wrong with Boss Guitar just because it got lumped in with the rest of that stuff. I'll certainly confess to owning that CD and a number of others - Far Wes, Full House, Incredible Jazz Guitar. I'm not so proud of owning Down Here on the Ground, but "it was in another country, besides the wench is dead."

I just got a catalog from Concord, with Ray Charles' new CD featured prominently. I think that this CD was in the works and they wouldn't have had time to rework the catalog after his passing, but I am not sure. Anyway, the album is called Genius Loves Company, and it appears to mostly be duets. It is supposed to hit the stores 8/31. I hope it is a good final record, unlike those awful Sinatra Duets albums. Here is a track listing. Here We Go Again with Norah Jones Sweet Potato Pie with James Taylor You Don't Know Me with Diana Krall Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word with Elton John Fever with Natalie Cole Do I Ever Cross Your Mind with Bonnie Raitt It Was A Very Good Year with Willie Nelson Hey Girl with Michael McDonald Sinner's Prayer with B.B. King Heaven Help Us All with Gladys Knight Somewhere Over The Rainbow with Johnny Mathis Crazy Love with Van Morrison I suspect this will be Charles' best selling CD of the past 10 years. By the way, I see Concord also has a new Benny Golson album called Terminal 1. Is this directly related to the film The Terminal? Does anyone know?

You might call Jazz Record Mart in Chicago. I bought a copy of the Watkins there less than 3 months ago, so they might have some laying about.

Dusty Groove is now stocking the Andrew Hill with a bit of a discount. But of course I just had to have it the first day... Anyway, in general I do like the music, though it is dense and will take many listens to really appreciate. On a few tracks, particularly the first, you barely hear the piano. But the textures are really interesting. I picked up a lot on the reeds, especially the bass clarinet. It didn't sound like Dolphy or anything, but I thought it was in the same vein. I am not crazy about the vocals on track #5. I find them very distracting and insipid. (I suppose it is a lot like the poem on McLean's About Soul, which many people don't care for since it just gets in the way of the music, but that's what the musicians wanted to include, so whatcha gonna do.) The liner notes are great, a very long excerpt from an interview Hill did with a Danish jazz magazine. He talks a lot about his early career. I had no idea he played with Bird when he (Hill) was a young man. So I would highly recommend this if you are a Hill fan. Now we just wait for the unreleased BN sessions in 2005. Eric