Mark Stryker

Ok, this is Holy Grail shit right here. The night Sonny Rollins appeared on "The Tonight Show" 9/79 (the clip says 1980 but that's wrong.) He plays a cappella for nearly 7 minutes, and he really brings it. Totally prime Sonny. Don't miss the ending coda too. I've wanted to hear this for literally 35 years. I know now is not the time to praise Bill Cosby (and for good reason), but credit where credit is due, and it was Cosby, hosting that night, who brought Sonny on the show. Given the myriad layers of cultural meaning, context -- Sonny playing 7 minutes by himself on national TV, seriously?! -- and the quality of the performance, this is one of the greatest things I've ever seen. The amount of air, life wisdom and wit flowing through that horn is astounding. Hat tip to Michael Cuscuna/Mosaic Records for alerting folks that this had made it to youtube.

This transcript of an interview Phil did with Nate Chinen about Monk at Town Hall and Eugene's Smith's loft is worth reading: http://the-gig.tumblr.com/post//phil-woods-died-today-at-83-i-wrote-the-ny-times

Some insightful words from Phil's neighbor, Dave Liebman: https://www.facebook.com/dave.liebman.1#

Couple quick thoughts: I for one would have LOVED to hear what some of those all-star bands would have sounded like in real life, especially that first one from '67. What a glorious mess. But, really, who wouldn't want to hear THAT. Playboy's circulation peaked at 7 million in 1972. That's a pretty astounding number in context. I've posted this before but this 1964 round table discussion on the state of jazz with a stellar panel (Dizzy, Cannonball, Schuller, Mingus, Brubeck, Russell, Kenton, Ralph J. Gleason) ran for an amazing 17,000 words in Playboy. It's fascinating on many levels, including the fact that, even allowing for Hefner's love for jazz and its centrality to the Playboy philosophy, the music was still considered interesting enough and relevant to the wider cultural dialogue that any general circulation magazine, including Playboy, would devote so much real estate to such a rarified discussion. That would never happen today. Hell, even the jazz magazines never take on some of these big issues in this way. This issue was billed as a special Jazz & Hi-Fi Issue on the cover. I've told the story before, but I found a copy in a used bookstore down by the University of Chicago about 13 years ago. The issue just happened to be sitting on the top of a stack in the corner. I really did buy it for the articles! I'm fairly certain tne unnamed moderator is Nat Hentoff, who also wrote a separate overview piece. http://www.cannonball-adderley.com/article/playboy2.htm .

Here's my wrap up review with details: http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/arts/mark-stryker/2015/09/07/detroit-jazz-fest-wrap-carter-metheny-and-more-highlights/71842750/

On a personal note: I remember Alison when she was a gifted 12/13-year old bluegrass fiddle champion in Champaign-Urbana. I was at the University of Illinois and I remember her hanging around the jazz club/restaurant where we all played and hung out. She was friends with yet another fiddle champ from Urbana named Andrea Zonn who was just a couple of years older (and the daughter of contemporary composer Paul Zonn) and I recall these two really nice kids trying to look and act older than they were. The original bassist and composer in Union Station, John Pennell. had been through the music school at U of I and I remember when the band got going and heard some of the very first gigs. On a related note, Viktor, who was in high school, was just learning to play bass and couldn't really play jazz -- I remember him being a kind of bassist of last resort. Obviously, he grew up. I have an early Union Station LP that Alison signed for me. She wrote: "It ain't jazz, but it ain't bad!"

Excellent question whose answer I would like to know too. I can tell you that when I was in school in Urbana I played second alto in the top big band to the lead alto named Mark Kirk, a Phil Woods protégé who is maybe a dozen years older than me and had come back to school to get a master's in composition. Mark lived in the Gap near Phil and had played some 2nd alto to Phil's lead in a rehearsal band that Phil ran. I don't know the dates but obviously that was pre 1984. Of course, that's not exactly what you were getting at, which is when was the last time his lead playing was documented. It might be this appearance by Quincy Jones on Letterman in 2002. (Coda: David Berger contracted the band for Q, which is why he's back there playing 4th trpt -- hey, get yourself on the gig first!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gPWPN6YgDQ

http://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/08/28/pat-metheny-detroit-jazz-festival/71337158/

Essential ... https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-P1sXw3uymXUkJoNTVBM0VSS0E/view

Via Alex Ross on Twitter comes this review that confirms what I have always known: Only a fool, student or disempowered underling would agree to turn pages at a recital. You can only fuck it up. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/01/schubertiade-2015-review-world-class-musicians

Lee talks about Paul: Pages 85-86 of "Conversations on The Improviser's Art" https://books.google.com/books?id=pc4CsgVHLw0C&pg=PA85&dq=lee+konitz+and+paul+desmond&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAGoVChMI4a_WzJGzxwIVhdUeCh2bIQx8#v=onepage&q=lee%20konitz%20and%20paul%20desmond&f=false Maybe relevant, maybe not. I HAVE to hear the rest of the record. Alto-madness c. 1973 -- Konitz, Mclean, Bartz, Mariano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPsERNOU5ug

Every two weeks, except monthly in July and August I believe -- would have to check at home to be 100% sure. (June has me confused.)

Thanks for the good wishes, folks. Appreciate it.

Thanks for this. Appreciate it. I've edited original post to reflect the correct spelling. John L: I don't believe Peirce was in South Bend in the early 90s when I was there.

You know who plays some wild-ass stuff? John Peirce (alto), one of George Russell's "Indiana boys" (Baker/Kiger/Plummer/Young/Hunt), on "The Stratus Seekers." Inside-out, vibrant sound and tonal manipulation, all over the horn and not many cats dealing with Ornette and Dolphy like that in '62. Certainly a great fit for George. I have a vague recollection of Peirce being around Indianapolis when I was a kid, and he may have even played down in Bloomington -- but I could be wrong about all of this. Anybody know his story or what happened to him? (Paging David Brent Johnson and Michael Weiss ...) The only record I can think of that he's on is "Stratus Seekers," unless I'm missing something obvious. I did just stumble across a reference to an Ellis Marsalis session from '68 but not released until 2001ish that was taped in Vegas and Peirce apparently plays on at least two tunes, "Broadway" and "Embraceable You." Anybody heard this? http://www.allaboutjazz.com/afternoon-session-ellis-marsalis-music-in-the-vines-review-by-dave-nathan.php

Assume this is the Park/Kenton version of "Street of Dreams" referenced by Peter above: He sounds good -- personal take on the vocabulary, like he's been living it all in real time for a long time. A life spent making music and making a living, sometimes one or the other, sometimes both at the same time. Coda: Not sure who wrote the chart but I pretty much hate it -- the Kenton thing I don't need. But it is what it is and that's cool for what it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VijQAMq7KeA Also appears to be several cuts on Youtube of Park's LP "If Winter Comes," which apparently documents some gigs in 1975 and '79 in Kansas City and Texarkana (I Love You/I'll Remember April/I Can't Get Started, etc)

She's the real deal. Full stop. I haven't liked everything equally well but have heard her live several times in various settings, as well as the records. Looking forward to the new one.

The problem with picking one LP from the 80s is that while "Falling in Love with Jazz" is top to bottom the best, the singular peak of the cut "G Man" is truly Holy Shit Sonny on par with all the other Holy Shit Sonny from the past. So, what I really want to do is pick "Falling in Love with Jazz" and add "G-Man" as a 15 minute bonus track. Can I do that?. Fuck it, I'm gonna do it..

I missed this thread the first time around, but the decade by decade thing is an interesting frame. With Jim's previous caveat in mind -- the records are by no means the whole story; true for any artist but particularly Sonny -- here are my picks. This was actually easier to do than I thought it would be at first glance. Pretty clear choices all the way around. 1950s: "A Night at the Village Vanguard" 1960s: "Alfie" (but on another day I might pick "The Standard Sonny Rollins" and the reality is that if bootlegs were an option, I'd take the 9/6/68 Copenhagen recordings or the 11/4/65 Paris concert with Taylor and Rovere) 1970s: "The Cutting Edge" (underrated) 1980s: "G Man" (but "Falling in Love with Jazz" is also underrated) 1990s: "Sonny Rollins + 3" 2000s: "This is What I Do" ("Road Shows Vol. 3" might be contender if it counts since all the tracks were recorded between 2001-12) 2010s: "Road Shows Vol. 2" (all tracks from 2010)

I've had a cassette tape of the first four tracks (Mo Joe, African Queen, Cape Verdean Blues, Nutville) since the late 80s -- thanks, Michael Weiss! -- and can report that the music is fucking incredible. Joe and Woody are on fire -- actually, the whole band is. Strong, authoritative and Joe and Woody stretching over Horace's groove. Great Roger Humphries too. Sound on my tape -- several generation dub -- was passable bootleg quality, but would be interested in knowing if any source out there is better.

In the "Sidran on Record" interview that Ben did with Rudy (and reprinted in the book "Talking Jazz") Rudy doesn't really remember specific sessions but does say the impression that everyone had -- musicians, producers, himself -- was that the records they were making had real and lasting significance, more important than the politics of the day or anything else. https://books.google.com/books?id=m1zs6lpr5SkC&pg=PA310&lpg=PA310&dq=rudy+van+gelder+and+ben+sidran+and+sidran+on+record&source=bl&ots=x7ViqJcGvO&sig=pu4MJ9iueR9kwk7_v2F6ra_2WYQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=i0mbVfyrNoSXyQTdl4IQ&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=rudy%20van%20gelder%20and%20ben%20sidran%20and%20sidran%20on%20record&f=false

The 1956 solo LP is truly extraordinary -- Hank's greatest recording and one of the greatest solo piano recordings ever. It's that perfect. The 47 material is terrific too, but the shadow of Tatum is more present, while the 56 stuff has more swingers and has more bebop assimilated into the mix so the stylistic breadth is really beyond category -- ever modern. I think the Fresh Sound CD referenced by Jazzbo is the only time the '56 material has been issue on CD. The LP version that you most often see is a 1979 reissue called "Solo Piano" with an ugly cover. http://cdn.discogs.com/OiKQ5b9SIjnaJJ6Fn_vq6F8l68s=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb()/discogs-images/R-4517599-1367304007-3908.jpeg.jpg I think the original title was "Have You Met Hank Jones"

I was a late comer to "Our Thing" precisely because it was so hard to get that I got to know all the others so intimately and fell in love so deeply with "Inner Urge" and "In N Out" that even now, as great as "Our Thing" is, I prefer to stick with my first loves. I also still prefer "Free For All" to "Indestructible" (it ain't even close) and I think I'm right so no arguments. "Unity" was definitely a holy grail record -- I remember getting my first cassette tape copy c. 1985 and listening to it constantly for weeks on my Walkman (remember those?). I adore "Gettin' Around" -- in fact, just yesterday did the Twitter/Facebook, posting "Shiny Stockings" and saying of Dexter: "Now there's a cat who knows how to relax. Hutch, Barry, Bob and especially Billy in no hurry either. Coda: Michael Kocour and I once saw Dexter play 'Moment's Notice' in Chicago and Dexter was so far behind the beat that I swear the rhythm section lapped him at one point." But back to "Gettin' Around" -- yeah, "Heartaches"! That saucy vamp, The sly way Dexter sneaks in with that breathy attack on the melody and the hip way he phrases the tune with that incredible sound, and the way Hutch circles the tenor on the melody (that first vibes fill is so flirty and perfect). That whole record has such an incredibly relaxed feel, but I get why it's not as revered as the others. I mean, in a fire, I'm grabbing Our Man in Paris/Go/Swingin Affair but there's no other record that sounds like "Gettin' Around" and, well, that's what it's all about. .

A report from the funeral from David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker. http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/ornette-coleman-and-a-joyful-funeral Coda: this is the second funeral in month at which Geri Allen has played, the first being in Detroit at the service for her mentor Marcus Belgrave -- whom she also honored with eloquent spoken remarks during the funeral.

IMO this one and the later Blue Note Village Vanguard Twofer are his best live recordings. I know lots of people love "State of the Tenor," but for me the playing sounds too constrictive -- I'm not convinced Joe is really into all of the material selected for him, the tunes are atypically short compared to Joe's best playing in those days and the sound mix for me doesn't work: not nearly enough Foster in the balance and way too much bass (that's an LP impression; if that's been fixed on CD, somebody tell me...). In any case there were some European live concerts of similar vintage that I prefer, especially "An Evening with Joe Henderson" (Red). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMkkqphwI-k&list=PLF06EF13D310BE710 The recent SHM-CDs reveal much more of Al Foster's playing. See Best bought at CD Japan: Vol.1 Vol.2 Thanks for the reminder of the earlier threat, of which I was a participant! I guess I didn't remember how the earlier discussion resolved itself ...