Mark Stryker

I'm interested in that John Lewis book too. Please read it first and let me know what you think.

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27611/lot/70/a-buescher-alto-saxophone-played-by-john-coltrane/

I'm literally taking a break from writing a column about Joe Williams (ok, I'm procrastinating) to say that '60s Williams is absolutely the best. Leaving aside the record with Thad and Mel, which is in a category of one, the most rewarding chunk of his discography consists of the generally overlooked RCA records -- particularly Jump for Joy and Me and the Blues and, though I think the arrangements are uneven, The Exciting Joe Williams. His best ballad singing is here and the blues numbers represent a definite advance from his Basie tenure. Try this. Oliver Nelson arrangement. All the top NY studio cats.

This is a great record -- one of the best Criss Cross releases. FWIW, I first became aware of both Kikoski and Moore hearing them with Roy Haynes at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago in August 1986, about five months before 623 C Street was recorded. (Ed Howard was the bassist with Haynes' quartet.)

I stumbled over this New York Times (John S. Wilson) review of a January 1978 concert in which the centerpiece was a suite composed by Slide Hampton for Sanders and scored for a 13-piece ensemble. That's enticing to say the least. Does anybody know anything about this? I only see one record date in the Lord discography on which Sanders and Hampton appeared together -- a December 1978 quintet session under Hilton Ruiz's name for Denon, "Fantasia," for which the pianist wrote all the music. Did Slide ever document this Sanders-related suite or did Pharoah record a version without Hampton on the date? https://www.nytimes.com/1978/01/28/archives/pharoah-sanders-and-an-ensemble.html

I've heard this from others too.

My Chronology column for Jazz Times this month offers a deep dive into my favorite solo by Kenny Dorham's solo -- "It Could Happen to You" (1961). Thanks to board member Michael Weiss for providing the transcription of the solo printed with the column. https://jazztimes.com/features/columns/chronology-kenny-dorham-drops-a-sigh-in-1961/

Obviously, I was too young to see Bennett live in those days but I have seen three or four times since 1992 and there was often something just slightly stilted or pre-programmed about his presence and patter (but never his singing, which was as natural as breathing, save a few choreographed big crescendo arrangements on certain tunes). I think the herky-jerky movements on the TV show are exaggerated for the mass medium and you would not have seen them in a cabaret or club. But they were still in part of his showbiz DNA in those days and gradually fell away as he aged. On another front, here’s Tony with Harold Land, James Moody, and Jimmy Mulidore, Kenny Clare. Has to be in Las Vegas in the first half of the 70s. Clare talks about it in this fascinating 1975 interview. http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/Kenny%20Clare%20Jake%20Hanna_2.htm Everyone know this, right? All the A-list cats were booked so Tony had to settle for a group of journeymen — Stan, Herbie, Ron, Elvin. 1964.

Also Tommy Flanagan on piano. Beyond the music, there's that killer midcentury modern set with Saarinen Tulip Chairs -- so timelessly modern that they stood in for the 23rd Century on the original "Star Trek."

Just using this thread to post this performance with Tony and Bags. The tempo is way down but there's a lot of movement and momentum. Great performance.

Hey, I'm sorry that I'm just now seeing this query. I did not learn of any additional recordings while working on my book other the material cited above. I've never looked deeply, however, and I think there's a possibility of more stuff out there. Thanks for the shout and kind words. I really appreciate it. Yes, this is a great opportunity to get the book at a significant discount.

Steve Lacy and Gil Evans’ Paris Blues contains unusually meditative versions of “Reincarnation of a Lovebird,” Orange Was the Color of Her Dress Than Blue Silk,” and Goodbye Porkpie Hat.” Elvin Jones’ Dear John C with sublime Charlie Mariano has a fantastic “Reincarnation of a Love Bird” — I learned the song from this version to play with my group in college, though I brought the key down a step to avoid the altissimo register. Junko Onishi’s Piano Quintet Suite contains animated versions of “Peggy’s Blue Skylight” and Orange Was the Color of Her Dress Than Blue Silk.” (Two Detroiters here — Marcus Belgrave and Rodney Whitaker.)

Well, the premise was to create a playlist solely from live performances rather than studio recordings...

If you have access to Twitter;

Understood, though the New Testament Band was fairly big on protocol. However, I need to amend my earlier comment. The discography does indicate that Wess plays alto, flute, AND tenor on these recordings so, what the hell, maybe he is the second tenor soloist on Plymouth Rock. I would certainly trust Larry's ears in conjunction with the discography over suppositions based only on custom. Must have been a pain in the ass though for Frank to schlepp a tenor around for what at best was probably a single solo a night, maybe less. On the other hand, if he wasn't playing many solos on alto, then it would've been worth it.

Again, I haven't heard the recording, but it would be completely out of the band's character and general protocol for the cat sitting in the second alto chair to also play a tenor solo.

I don't have access to the recording at the moment, but the Lord discography says the saxophone section for these gigs is Royal and Wess on altos, Mitchell and Foster on tenors, and Fowlkes on baritone

FWIW, the three Milt Jackson records I recommend at the end of the chapter about him in my book are: Milt Jackson Quartet (Prestige), Sunflower (CTI), and the Fresh Sounds release that collects the Savoy and Atlantic sessions (but I I had to go with a single LP from this it would be either "The Jazz Skyline" or "Jackson's Ville" on Savoy). Since the Pablo records have come up in this thread, for me the best small group one by far is "Soul Fusion" with Monty Alexander's Trio (Clayton/Hamilton). I also like some of the tracks from the Bags/Basie Orchestra dates but long for different drummer than Butch Miles.

Alfred Lion, Creed Taylor, and Manfred Eicher had a ton in common as producer-owners starting with the fact that you can, with only a few exceptions, instantly identify a Blue Note, CTI, or ECM record in a blindfold test no matter who the artist is. You can also identify each label's records from the packaging without ever hearing a note of the music.

Ah, thanks.

Maybe, kinda? In concert, while the band was playing a lot of Nestico, the bread and butter were NT standards -- Shiny Stockings, Corner Pocket, April In Paris, In a Mellotone, etc. Besides, Nestico is sort of like Hefti Light anyway -- the charts are definitely less filling but, alas, not the same great taste. I've probably said this before, but the only post-1969 Basie big band LP that I need in my life is "I Told You So," arranged by Bill Holman (1976). That's a great album, and one to put with the earlier single-arranger dates from Foster, Carter, Q, etc.

RSV?

Interesting question. Just judging by the recordings, Jones was with the band as late as April 1972. Sonny Payne also recorded with the big band in April 1972 and he's subsequently on Basie recordings until October of 1973. This suggests Payne may have been back on the band full time for a year-and-a-half, but it could also mean that Basie was going through drummers and when the recordings came up, he just brought Payne back to pinch it. After October 1973, Basie stopped making big band records for a bit and from December 1973 to July 1975 (Montreux), Louis Bellson appears on a bunch of Basie small group recordings. Butch Miles' first recording with the big band are also in July 1975 at Montreux. So, if we assume that Payne really did rejoin the band after Jones, then the more narrow question is whether there was a regular drummer in the big band between roughly November 1973 to whenever Miles joined in 1975. I just found a newspaper review from Myrtle Beach, S.C., dated Feb. 5, 1975, that mentions that Butch Miles had joined the band only six days earlier. So that means Miles was on board by the end of January 1975. So now we know our date range: November 1973 through January 1975 -- about 15 months. But here are more pieces of the puzzle. An Akron Beacon Journal review from January 13, 1974 -- written by John Von Rhein who would soon become the longtime classical music critic at the Chicago Tribune -- names Payne as the drummer. And a March 20, 1974 review in a Minneapolis paper also names Payne So that's increasing evidence that Payne was in fact back on board as the regular drummer from April 1972 until at least March 1974. Who accounts for 10 months between March 1974 and January 1975? More fodder: A Leonard Feather review in the LA Times on December 3, 1974, says that Skeets Marsh was on drums -- that's the "egomaniac" (Elvin Jones' description) that was partially responsible for driving Elvin from the Ellington band back in 1966.) Feather is not complementary: "A drummer named Skeets Marsh, possibly aware that he is filling shoes once occupied by Gus Johnson and Sonny Payne, played as if the shoes were too tight. A Basie band with a less than perfect rhythm section just isn't the Basie band." Obviously, not clear how long Marsh was in the drum chair, but there are YouTube videos dated October and November where the drummer also appears to be Marsh, but the evidence now puts Marsh in the band for at least the months of October, November, and December 1974.

Wasn't aware of the existence of this music until this thread. A little research reveals there is actually film of the performance. Where is that? https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200016608

Lord lists three Basie air shots of Good Bait, all from the Royal Roost between Sept. 11-18. As for "Stay On It," it certainly looks possible that it wasn't actually released until later but I don't have time to decode the discography at the moment. More on Harding: These Basie charts are also attributed to him, covering years from 1942-54: Rusty Dusty Blues Ain't it the Truth Green (Jumpin for Maria) Hob Nail Boogie Wild Bill's Boogie Nails Howzit Paradise Squat Rails