Mark Stryker

Discovered two clips from a 1966 Tony Bennett television show today. At the start of the show, Tony notes that the guests include a number of notable jazz musicians -- Bobby Hackett (featured here on "Because of You"), the Paul Horn Quintet, Buddy Rich, Milt Jackson and Candido. Alas, I've not been able to find the part of the program where Bags appears. Anybody know any more details? Bennett neglects to say that he had a pretty fair jazz pianist working with his own trio at the time who is also on the program: Tommy Flanagan. He does introduce Ralph Burns' Orchestra and there are some good shots of the band. Certainly looks and sounds like Richard Davis on bass. I thought for a minute it might be Mel Lewis on drums, but I didn't think it looked like him. Sounds great whoever it is. In fact, the whole band is really swinging. Can anyone identify anyone else? The trumpeter on the far left might Joe Wilder. I will also note that when Bennett says, "Thank you very much, ladies and gentleman, and thank you for coming by my very first TV special," he sounds exactly like Alec Baldwin's impersonation of Tony Bennett. In this second clip, the first number, "Fascinating Rhythm," is a feature for Buddy Rich, after which comes a lovely version of "Keep Smiling at Trouble" where Tommy Flanagan sounds especially great. I love the camera angle where you can see audience members ringside sitting in Saarinen "Tulip" chairs. That one woman looks a bit like Lucille Ball Could there have been show biz friends on hand? At the start of the number Tony says "Hi Phil" to someone (presumably someone named Phil, but I digress.)

Was thinking that's probably what it is. I have one of the Polish LPs and some stuff and I think all of the material via download. Hoping (but not expecting) that it might be new stuff to me. Like baseball, hope springs eternal.

Tripped over this today. Anybody know what material is included? https://www.amazon.com/Thad-Jones-Mel-Lewis-Band/dp/B00V414YII/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488732111&sr=8-1&keywords=thad+and+mel+great+concert

Dexter was a man who knew how to relax.

Indisputably.

Without getting into a long discussion, I would be the first to acknowledge that the Prestige material is wildly inconsistent and certainly has issues, including some faulty rhythm sections, generally too little preparation and less inspired material. But Alan Dawson is neither the problem nor a symbol of what went wrong. Of the 16 LPs included in the Gordon Prestige box, Dawson is on just two. One is the best of the entire lot: "The Panther" with Tommy Flanagan and Larry Ridley. The other -- the two-tenor jam under Booker Ervin's name -- is just ok, but Byard, Workman and Dawson are by no means mismatched. Anyone who loves Dexter and hasn't heard "The Panther" and "Generation" (Freddie/Cedar/Buster/Higgins) is missing out. Those records are very strong LPs. Coda: The "Tower of Power/More Power" material isn't as inspired but it does have a great trio in Barry Harris, Buster Williams and Tootie Heath.

Everyone knows that he only had limited use of his right hand because of childhood polio, right? (Just two fingers were operative, I think.) The videos show how he actually played, which is quite amazing. Scroll to the 7:55 mark for a good demonstration.

Just a personal aside: Julius Watkins (native Detroiter) is buried in a cemetery 5 miles from where I live in Plymouth, MI, west of Detroit proper.

NYT obit. Was not aware of his interesting family background. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/arts/music/david-axelrod-dead-music-producer-composer.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share

Good lord. Amazing. And big thumbs up to the TV station for taking the time to lavish such loving care on this story.

Thanks ...

Question for anyone who has Bag's "Vibrations" recordedin 1960 and '61 for Atlantic. Do the notes detail who did the arrangements? I only know it via streaming sources and I'm not sure since both Jimmy Heath (who usually wrote for Bags) and Tom McIntosh (who also writes) are on it. And who did the choir arrangements recorded at the '61 date? Milt Jackson Octet Henry Boozier (trumpet) Tom McIntosh (trombone) Jimmy Heath (tenor sax) Tate Houston (baritone sax) Milt Jackson (vibes) Tommy Flanagan (piano) Alvin Jackson (bass) Connie Kay (drums) NYC, February 23, 1960 4262 Blue Jubilee Atlantic LP 1417 4263 Mallets Towards None - 4264 Bells And Horns unissued * Atlantic LP 1417, SD 1417 Milt Jackson - Vibrations Milt Jackson Octet Henry Boozier (trumpet -1/4) Tom McIntosh (trombone -1/4) Jimmy Heath (tenor sax) Tate Houston (baritone sax -1/4) Milt Jackson (vibes) Tommy Flanagan (piano) Alvin Jackson (bass) Connie Kay (drums) NYC, February 24, 1960 1. 4265 Algo Bueno (aka Woody'n You) Atlantic LP 1417 2. 4266 Little Girl Blue unissued 3. 4267 Darbin The Redd Fox Atlantic LP 1417 4. 4268 Sweet Georgia Brown - 5. 4269 Let Me Hear The Blues - * Atlantic LP 1417, SD 1417 Milt Jackson - Vibrations 1961 Milt Jackson Quintet Milt Jackson (vibes) Tommy Flanagan (piano) Kenny Burrell (guitar) George Duvivier (bass) Connie Kay (drums) 5 vocals NYC, March 14, 1961 5408 Vibrations Atlantic LP 1417, SD 2-319 5409 Untitled Original unissued 5410 Melancholy Blues Atlantic LP 1417 * Atlantic LP 1417, SD 1417 Milt Jackson - Vibrations * Atlantic SD 2-319 The Art Of Milt Jackson - The Atlantic Years

That's some fantastic Hank Mobley in that clip.

Happy birthday today to Langston Hughes, born on this date in 1902. This remarkable poem was written in 1935. "Let America be America again" Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.) Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-- Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above. (It never was America to me.) O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe. (There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.") Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars? I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek-- And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak. I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need! Of work the men! Of take the pay! Of owning everything for one's own greed! I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. I am the worker sold to the machine. I am the Negro, servant to you all. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean-- Hungry yet today despite the dream. Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers! I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years. Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream In the Old World while still a serf of kings, Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true, That even yet its mighty daring sings In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned That's made America the land it has become. O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas In search of what I meant to be my home-- For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore, And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea, And torn from Black Africa's strand I came To build a "homeland of the free." The free? Who said the free? Not me? Surely not me? The millions on relief today? The millions shot down when we strike? The millions who have nothing for our pay? For all the dreams we've dreamed And all the songs we've sung And all the hopes we've held And all the flags we've hung, The millions who have nothing for our pay-- Except the dream that's almost dead today. O, let America be America again-- The land that never has been yet-- And yet must be--the land where every man is free. The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME-- Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again. Sure, call me any ugly name you choose-- The steel of freedom does not stain. From those who live like leeches on the people's lives, We must take back our land again, America! O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath-- America will be! Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death, The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies, We, the people, must redeem The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers. The mountains and the endless plain-- All, all the stretch of these great green states-- And make America again!

Seems appropriate to point out here that this was recorded 51 years ago today:

I would never presume to argue with the first sentence. But the second sentence? Name one. I don't know anyone who else who can or would choose to play this way.. Now, if you mean to say that lots of other tenors would play a piece of material similar to this one in ways you would prefer to the way Sonny does, then I'd also have no argument.

For the record. I agree with Jim that 4 is the most consistent, best overall and filled with wtf moments. But "all-time great Sonny Rollins record" is a high bar, and I'm not ready to go there; but I don't discount Jim's personal truth when it comes to Sonny.

I think the single best track on all four CDs is actually the literal opener: Cut one on Vol. 1, "Best Wishes." Sonny plays his ass off -- very uninhibited -- and so does Al Foster. I'd like to hear the rest of this particular concert!

Taking orders for the bakery -- and getting paid for the misshapen cakes because you can't really tell the difference and you assume the customers can't either.

Speaking of Kenny Dorham, "Whistle Stop" was recorded 56 years ago today on 1/15/61. As you were ...

I've got that Hanna/Tucker on LP -- agree with Jim's assessment. Great blindfold test record.

A correction to my previous correction (now deleted): The exact date of the session remains a mystery. Sometime in 1968 is probably the best I'm going to be able to do. The March 25, 1969 date I thought might be correct is unlikely. I have, however, now heard some some of the solo piano material recorded at the date.

I have this and it's fantastic. All of Roland's meticulous structured compositions and he mostly alternates a solo piano "classical" track followed by a piano-bass "jazz" duet.

Gang -- anybody got this: "The Roland Hanna Trio," recorded in 1975 for Salvation (CTI subsidiary)? Ron Carter and Ben Riley, presumably made at the time of the first New York Jazz Quartet record. Looks like this trio side came out on vinyl, distributed by King, but was never issued on CD. Would be grateful if anybody that does have it could make me a copy somehow. Failing that, tell me how good it is and whether I need to go to the end of the earth to hear it. Trying to put to bed my Roland Hanna chapter for my book and it's bugging me that I haven't been able to hear this one ... https://www.discogs.com/Roland-Hanna-Trio-Roland-Hanna-Trio/release/6179102 Coda: was Salvation an American or Japanese label. The wrapping in the LP pictured is Japanese but references I've seen say it's American -- or maybe Salvation records was the Japanese imprint of a U.S. label? Help, quicksand!