Mark Stryker

A great one, yes.

"If you cut out all the drum solos, I'm not sure you'd get an LP's worth of music from the 4 volumes combined." Do the math. About 7 percent of Volume 2 is taken up by drum solos. If you cut out all the drum solos from Volume 2, you'd have a 40-minute LP -- that's before considering any of the other records. I only brought up the Enja recording because it came from the same batch of music, but, yes, to the extent it reflects directly on the Honey Dew LPs and the amount of drum solos, then it is, of course, irrelevant.

Even as hyperbole, this is terribly misleading as it relates to the individual records. On Volume 2, there are four tracks totaling 44 minutes. Elvin plays exactly one drum solo that lasts 3:30. On the Enja LP, there are four tracks totaling 42 minutes. Elvin plays two solos -- one lasts 4 minutes and one lasts 90 seconds, plus another 30 seconds of Elvin's portion of a single minute of trading choruses on the blues with Coleman. Certainly, Volume 1 has different propotions. Out of 37 total minutes, Elvin plays a 21-minute solo on "A Night in Tunisia." (out of 29 minutes total for the track), and on the remaining 7-minute blues, he plays a 90 second solo, plus a little trading. I don't have enough info on Volumes 3 and 4 to pass on any details. Some may find these records boring -- your mileage may vary and all that -- but to repeat what I said earlier, my view is that everyone plays great on the stuff I've heard and Coleman in particular is at his most adventurous. I'd recommend Vol. 2 to anyone for a great window into what Elvin was playing on a nightly basis in 1968 and how much freer George was sounding just four years after "My Funny Valentine" and "Four and More.".

I have Vol. 2 of the Honey Dew and the single volume that came out on Enja. Like 'em both, Every one sounds great. All from the same stand at the Vanguard in March 1968. I think the Enja release was legit. What I can't remember is if the material is duplicated -- that is, if some of the Honey Dew selections overlap with the Enja release. Elvin Jones Live At The Village Vanguard : Hannibal Marvin Peterson (tp-1) George Coleman (ts) Wilbur Little (b) Elvin Jones (d) Live "Village Vanguard", New York, March 20, 1968 Introduction Enja (G)2036-2 [CD], (Jap)ENJ1016 [CD] By George Enja (G)2036, 2036-2 [CD], (Jap)ENJ1016 [CD] Laura - - - Mister Jones (1) - - - You don't know what love is - - - , Musica Jazz/Enja (It)TIDE9134-2 [CD] Talk (by Elvin Jones) Enja (G)2036-2 [CD], (Jap)ENJ1016 [CD] Note: Musica Jazz/Enja (It)TIDE9134-2 [CD] titled "Elvin Jones". All titles from Enja (G)2036 also on Enja (Jap)SHJ-6061, SFX-10708. Elvin Jones Sky Scrapers Vol 1 : George Coleman (ts) Wilbur Little (b) Elvin Jones (d) Live "Village Vanguard", New York, March 1968 ? A night in Tunisia Honeydew HD6602 Blues inside out Elvin Jones Sky Scrapers Vol 2 : same pers Live "Village Vanguard", New York, March 1968 ? Whew Honeydew HD6603 Blues inside out - You don't know what love is - , Stateside (Jap)ISJ-80122 Body and soul - Elvin Jones Sky Scrapers Vol 3 : same pers Live "Village Vanguard", New York, March 1968 ? Yesterdays Honeydew HD6604 A night in Tunisia - , Stateside (Jap)ISJ-80122 Body and soul - Elvin Jones Sky Scrapers Vol 4 : Hannibal Marvin Peterson (tp) added Live "Village Vanguard", New York, March 1968 ? Mister Jones Honeydew HD6605 Raunchy Rita

I'll go further: In a one-artist, one-solo challenge, I'd take "Ray's Idea" from "Constellation." Two chorus, and 16 bars after the piano. The best of everything he had is all there is distilled form.

a) FWIW, in a one-artist, one-record challenge I'd take Constellation. b) I have a ton of Stitt records but could easily reduce them to these four and be content that I have what I need: 1. Prestige recordings with Bud Powell 2. Personal Appearance 3, With the New Yorkers 4, Constellation. c) Pound for pound, the Stitt box on Mosaic of the Roost recordings is quite rewarding -- the mid '50s material is consistently strong.

Thanks for the tip. Chuck is a smart, interesting guy. I was struck by this quote: "That's how the music sounds when you have an opportunity to play a defined repertoire for months until the performances become ultra-confident and refined. When you think you might be bored, that's when you dig deep into discovering refreshing ideas." I was around Chuck for several days in Urbana around 1985 and I learned a lot just being in his presence and hearing him talk about this and that. He and John Garvey, who led the U of I band, had grown close and Chuck was writing a lot of material for John's band when I was in it .

Multiple reports say that journalist Ira Gitler has died at age 90.

Saw that same quartet in spring 1980. I was 16. Don't recall the entire set list, but they definitely played “Strode Rode,” which I recognized from “Saxophone Colossus.” Might have also played Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again” too.

You know, that Munich concert above from 1992 is excellent. I heard Sonny in Chicago around that same time at the University of Illinois at Chicago -- my wife was on the committee that helped bring him -- and half of it was even better than this Munich performance. It didn't start that way. The first three tunes were a little unsettled and perfunctory, but then Sonny took a quick break and when they came back -- look out! Al Foster was on drums and they opened the part of the concert with "Tenor Madness" and Sonny traded fours (mostly) with Foster for what was at least 15 minutes. It remains I think the most euphoric Sonny I ever witnessed in person, though another moment came close. Around 2007 he played a concert in Detroit that feel on the same night as an opera I had to review for the Detroit Free Press. Since I couldn't make the concert, I was allowed to hang out for the sound check in the afternoon, during which Sonny played "Three Little Words" almost as if was 1965 again -- not with the same ferocity but the same sort of flow. Thematic but more bebop oriented -- longer lines -- that he was wont to do in recent years. Again, it was super intense. It was super relaxed, but the content of what he was playing was amazing. It is no coincidence I think that he did this without an audience present..

Interest figure -- a missing link whose rhythmic ideas had a big impact on Dave Holland and especially Steve Coleman. For my book I interviewed him about his time in Detroit -- 1965-1971 -- when he was involved with a little-known but important self-determination organization called the Detroit Creative Musicians Association and an exploratory band called Focus Novii, which also included James Blood Ulmer. (The book, "Jazz from Detroit," will be published July 8 by the University of Michigan Press.)

Here's an example of her work for Down Beat. I believe it was Gene Lees -- to his credit -- that brought her into the stable of writers for the magazine. I wasn't aware of her pioneering work in the advertising world. Quite a life ... https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2016/03/slide-hampton-interview-with-barbara.html

Much enthusiasm all the way around. The piece came to the DSO by way of the orchestra's artistic administrator, Erik Ronmark, who has a sharp ear for contemporary music -- he's a classically trained saxophonist and co-founder of a group called New Music Detroit.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra has posted a video of its performance of Norman's "Play" from a few months ago in November. This is the latest revision of the piece. Cristian Măcelaru is the conductor. (The orchestra live streams its subscription concerts every week -- one performance out of the set.)

A landmark set of recordings. The Detroit Symphony was important participant — Paul Freeman was the orchestra’s assistant conductor at the time and the DSO appears on a couple of the LPs. As it happens, I moderating a panel later this month about the late Walker, whom the DSO is honoring. The nice thing is that this is not posthumous window dressing; no orchestra played more of George’s music over the last 40 years. The panel will include the comooser’s son, Gregory, an excellent violinist, and the DSO’s principal trombonist Ken Thompkins, who played the trombone concerto with the orchestra a few years back and will be playing it on a recital with piano accompaniment as part of the ceremonies. Looking forward to all this. Coda: I can recommend George’s interesting memoir. https://www.amazon.com/Reminiscences-American-Composer-Pianist-George/dp/0810869403/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1549078289&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=george+walker&dpPl=1&dpID=41MeNT0bNDL&ref=plSrch

How much did you pay for Thad & Mel? That's one I still want, even though I have long had all of the music except a couple unreleased tracks in other formats; I also have a copy of Bill Kirchner's notes. I should have never passed on this the first time around. Same with the Decca Armstrong set.

Holy shit -- remarkable document. Forty-five minute television profile of Jackie McLean from 2004, interview by Gil Noble, themed around a tour of Harlem where Jackie grew up. Includes rare earlier footage and photos that I've never seen. I wish the older film clips of Jackie playing were longer, and Noble's questions are not always ideal; but Jackie is comfortable and tells some great stories about his youth, and you can feel his presence. Wow.

Edit: I see TD already mentioned Carmen Fanzone, a utility infielder who played maybe four or five seasons in the early '70s for the Cubs and Red Sox. Not only is he a jazz trumpet player eh's married to the singer Sue Raney. Flugelhorn solo at 3:30 mark. (I met both Carmen and Sue in Detroit four or five years ago -- nice people.)

I think that's Cuber doing the narration at the top here. Plays a great solo later too. He owns this one too from the get-go.

I regret not being old enough to have heard him live. People I know with good ears — both savvy fans and musicians—tell me exactly what Jim says here re: hearing him in the late 60s and 70s: The presentation was on a super-high level, and the content was always meaty, no matter what bag he happened to be dipping into. We need more of that in jazz — and life. Coda: The only Cannonball I don’t like is the early stuff on Emarcy; otherwise, it’s all good to me, though I have favorites — Portrait of Cannonball, Live in Europe, Black Messiah. Also, late Cannonball is seriously underrated. But if I had to take one Cannonball solo to a desert island it might be “Love for Sale” in ‘58 with Miles’ sextet. The duet with Louis Hayes on “Easy to Love” from Japan is fucking awesome too.

Excited to see these Hino releases. I've seen them in discographies but never heard them or even seen them in stores. [H6339]Add Terumasa Hino Journey To Air : Terumasa Hino (tp,flhrn) Olu Dara (tp) Pete Yellin (fl,as) Gary Pribek (as) David Liebman (ts,as) Steve Grossman (ts,as,fl) Mike Garson (p,el-p) Lanny Fields, Dave Holland, Teruo Nakamura (b,el-b) Bob Moses, Motohiko Hino (d) New York, March, 1970 Journey to air (part 1) Canyon (Jap)CAT1001 Journey to air (part 2) - Note: Canyon (Jap)CAT1001 also on Overseas (Jap)ULS1851. [H6344]Add Terumasa Hino Peace And Love : Terumasa Hino (tp) Hideo Ichikawa (p) Kiyoshi Sugimoto (g) Reggie Workman (b) Motohiko Hino (d) Tokyo, Japan, September 29 & October 1, 1970 Gongen Canyon (Jap)CAJ1004 Peace and love - Note: Both above titles also on Overseas (Jap)ULS-1852. [H6345]Add Terumasa Hino A Part : Terumasa Hino (tp,flhrn) Takao Uematsu (ts,b-cl) Hideo Ichikawa (p,el-p) Kiyoshi Sugimoto (g) Reggie Workman (b) Motohiko Hino (d) Yuji Imamura (cga) Tokyo, Japan, November 1, 8 & December 3, 1970 A part Canyon (Jap)CAJ1005 Ode to Workman - Be and know - Note: All above titles also on Overseas (Jap)ULS1853. [H6346]Add Terumasa Hino Love Nature : Terumasa Hino (tp) Gary Bartz (as) Kiyoshi Sugimoto (g) Reggie Workman (b) Eric Gravatt (d) Teaneck, N.J., March 31, 1971 Each/other Canyon (Jap)J-1006 Love nature - Sister Mayumi - Note: All above titles also on Overseas (Jap)ULS1854.

This fills out the Brecker story a bit ... https://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/2007/01/michael_brecker_remembered.html

I have gone back and forth on this record for decades, but when I was kid, LOTS of people loved it. Very much a straight-ahead product of the '70s in the sound and production, the arrangements and mix of personalities -- Mel, Ron, Carter, Hank Jones, Brecker, Freddie Hubbard, with Gregory Herbert and Cecil Bridgewater in the mix at times.

Thanks for sharing these wonderful memories. BTW. the old Cobb's Corner space is as we speak being refurbished and will reopen next year under the same name. New owners say it will be jazz club. Do you ever make it back out here? Do you mind if I copy this post and share it on my Facebook page?