Mark Stryker

Thanks. Read them on Discogs. Yeah, Charles! I've had this conversation with him about Stitt before, but he also says some stuff in these notes that was new to me. Great stuff.

I don't have the set so haven't read what Charles has to say, but he's so smart and hyper-articulate about the music and those who make it. I learn something every time I talk to him.

Yes, I meant Rhino of course. Made the correction, thanks

Just a quick side note to point out that as strong as the two Changes LPs are, the live performances of the band playing this material in 1975 that are out there -- Bremen & Montreux (especially the former) -- are even better. Just insanely great and powerful and more of a 3D impact of what this band was capable of. Whatever one decides to do viz the Rhino set, I strongly recommend checking out these concert performances.

In my long interview from a few years ago about saxophone players with Ethan Iverson, I spoke a bit about Blythe. Lenox Avenue Breakdown and Illusions are tremendous records. In the Tradition is let down by the insanely bright and shrill sonics. Still, throw it into the mix and that's a remarkable trilogy of consecutive LPs with a unique sound and point of view. Anyway, a nice memory for me: "The first time I ever went to the Village Vanguard in the spring of 1982 I heard Arthur Blythe play with his In the Tradition band with John Hicks, Fred Hopkins and Steve McCall. I sat at the front table, close enough to reach up and touch the bell of the saxophone. Recordings simply did not capture how full and rich Arthur’s sound was. I remember Phil Woods in a blindfold test once complaining about engineers who had made Arthur sound like a kazoo, and I know what he meant. The rhythm section that night was super loose — sloppy, actually, but in a musical way and with so much personality. I also remember having a one-hitter and lighting it up at the table. In those days you could literally smoke a joint at a table in the Vanguard. I felt like I was at the center of the universe— 18 years old at the Village Vanguard, having a taste, and hearing Arthur Blythe."

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/arts/music/abdul-wadud-by-myself.html

The two best ideas here would be sets devoted to to Mary Lou Williams and Geri Allen -- both artists deserve the treatment and there might actually be a market for them.. A well-curated Mary Lou Williams set that cut across a variety of labels and bands in the first half of the century, tracing her development as an arranger and pianist, would be a true contribution. Nothing like this exists does it? I'd have to think more about how to frame it, but conceptually I love the idea. There's also probably sets to be done with a more defined parameters focused on other periods in her career, but I'd have to mull that too. As for Geri, Allen, I think a tremendous set could be built around her initial records as a leader for Minor Music, JMT, and Blue Note -- almost all of which have been unavailable in physical form for 15 years or so and which as a group, tell a real story about about influential and eclectic contemporary pianist-composer coming of age on the left-wing, searching for a grand synthesis or outside/inside influences and slowing evolving back toward the mainstream -- Printmakers, Homegrown, Open on All Sides, Twylight, In the Year of the Dragon (with Haden/Motian), Nurturer, Maroons, Twenty-One.

Noted and corrected. Thanks

My three favorite Mariano recordings come from the same early to mid '60s period, all as a sideman -- the aforementioned "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" and "Toshiko Mariano Quartet" -- and Elvin Jones' "Dear John C." I mean, good Lord. The pure sound and rhapsodic glory of this ballad is from another planet.

Haven't seen it mentioned, but the eponymous "Toshiko Mariano Quartet" on Candid contains fantastic Mariano playing. This version of "Deep River" is tremendously moving. I've also come to really appreciate the symbolism of a Japanese woman, two white Americans of Italian descent (Mariano, Gene Cherico), and a black American (Eddie Marshall) playing the hell out of a Negro spiritual -- that's America.

Extraordinary excerpt from what promises to be a major memoir. https://harpers.org/archive/2023/05/easily-slip-into-another-world-duke-ellington/

A couple of quick points: 1. Though aging white men are certainly part of the mix, the jazz audience in Detroit is in no way made up predominately of these folks. There is still a HUGE contingent of African Americans across the demographic spectrum who go out to hear jazz in concert halls and clubs. As an example, a couple weeks ago I saw Christian McBride's New Jawn quartet at Orchestra Hall, where my conservative estimate is that the audience of roughly 1,500 people was 70 percent black. I would also note that that the idiom where aging white men make up, by far, the largest share of the jazz audience here is avant-garde/free jazz. I am relying here on anecdotal evidence rather than hard statistics (naturally) but they are based on regular (perhaps weekly) eye-witness accounts dating back to when I moved to Detroit in 1995. 2. The demographics at record stores and the demographics at live performances are different -- I can't quantify them, but I'm just pointing out that when you talk about he jazz audience, you're really talking about multiple audiences for multiple experiences.

I assume that RCA would have "rented" Miles and Trane from their respective companies for a one-off -- not unlike if Columbia "rented" Trane from Impulse or Impulse had "rented" Miles from Columbia. Yes, it would have been expensive for RCA, and I don't know the relevant financial condition of the label at the time. But I'm guessing that even if they were smaller than Columbia, they were still flush.

Leaving aside larger debates, I do not take offense to this wide-angle cannon fire, but I feel compelled to point out at least one important exception to the "Jazz Times has been shit for decades" dismissal that hits rather close to home (smile).

Holy shit, what might have been ... https://open.substack.com/pub/lewisporter/p/coltrane-projects-that-never-happened-8b5?r=1p3m1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

Thanks for this. For the record, these are the 10 records issued under either Golson or Fuller's name that feature both of them in a tenor/trombone front line. All of these are Golson-led except for the two "Blues-ette" dates and "Legend of Jazz Club," which appears to be co-led. Of course, there are many other recordings where others join them on the front line. "The Other Side of Benny Golson" (11/58) "Blues-ette" (5/59) "Gone with Golson" (6/59) "Groovin' with Golson" (8/59) "Gettin' with It" (12/59) "Are You Real" (8/77) "One More Mem'ry" (8/81) "Domingo" (11/91) "Blues-ette Part 2" (1/93) "Legend of Jazz Club" (9/98)

Not sure how I got to 59 years old without ever hearing this record, but here we are. Fantastic -- some of the best Curson I know, with the chops up enough to get his interesting ideas out with clarity. And everything Jim says about Booker here is right on. Great blindfold test record. I'd get Booker with his first few notes and Curson by process of elimination; but I'd never guess Woode (who sounds tremendous) or Bateman.

I could not disagree more. While I have said in print that in a one-artist, one-record challenge for Stitt, I would take "Constellation" (Cobblestone/Muse, 1972), the Roost recordings include a number of Stitt's finest LPs -- particularly "Sonny Stitt with the New Yorkers," "Sonny Stitt Plays Music from the Pen of Quincy Jones," and "Sonny Stitt Plays." These records and others in the Mosaic box are damn hard to find otherwise, and for that reason, plus their high quality, it's one of the Mosaic sets I play the most. As for the Muse records, the first two, "Tune-Up" and "Constellation," are unquestionably top-shelf Stitt, but after that not so much. "12" has some find moments too -- GREAT trio of Barry, Sam, Louis -- but I don't think Stitt quite captures the consistently inspired spark of the first two. YMMV

Off the top: 1. Frankie Newton across a zillion labels and his whole career as a leader and sideman -- anything where he has solo space or makes a significant ensemble contribution. There's a 3 CD set on Acrobat that kinda does this but it's by no means complete and there are no notes/context etc. on a remarkably individual music and life. 2. Complete George Adams-Don Pullen Quartet Studio and Live Sessions. This would at least include everything on Soul Note, Timeless, and Blue Note -- that's 10 LPs if you include the Timeless record from Montmartre with Scofield as a gues. (There are also 11 unissued tracks from this performance recorded the day before.) You would also have to think about whether to include the (presumably) bootleg live stuff that's some out on Palcosenico (two LPs), Flock (three tracks), and Repertoire (three tracks with Lewis Nash in for the Richmond). 3. Complete Frank Strozier as a leader on Mercury, Vee Jay, Jazzland, SteepleChase, and Trident -- there are seven LPs that got released, but what would have been his debut on Mercury date (c. 1958) remains unissued, so eight LPs total worth of material, plus alternates. 4. I haven't thought through the concept and organization yet, but I would LOVE to see a set devoted to Budd Johnson.

Larry -- if you still have that original True Blue, and if it's in great condition, that's a $5,000 to $7,000 record now on a good day at auction. https://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch.php?searchtext=tina brooks true blue&sortord=dprice&pagenum=1&incldescr=&layout=&sprice=&eprice=&endfrom=&endthru=&bidsfrom=&bidsthru=&currsel=&flabel=&fcatno=&ovrsug= Co-sign

Don't know ...

The complete discography includes 10 recordings: 3 Booker Ervin records 3 Jaki Byard records 2 Eric Kloss record 1 Phil Woods record 1 Roy Eldridge record E3251]Add Booker Ervin The Freedom Book : Booker Ervin (ts) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) Englewood Cliffs, N.J., December 3, 1963 A lunar tune Prest PRLP7295, P24091, (Jap)VICJ-23782 [CD] Cry me not - - - Grant's stand - - - A day to mourn - - - Al's in - - - Stella by starlight Prest PRLP7417 - - , OJC CD919-2 [CD] Note: Prestige P24091 entitled "The freedom and space sessions"; see October 2, 1964 for the rest of this 2LP set. OJC CD919-2 [CD] titled "Groovin' High". Above titles from Prestige PRLP7295 also on OJC CD845-2 [CD] titled "The Freedom Book". All above titles also on Prestige PRCD-30160-2 [CD] titled "The Freedom Book". All above titles also on Jazz Lips (E)JL771 [CD] titled "The Complete Songbook Sessions"; this is 2 CD set. [E3254]Add Booker Ervin The Space Book : Booker Ervin (ts) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) Englewood Cliffs, N.J., October 2, 1964 Number two Prest PRLP7386, P24091, (Jap)VICJ23784 [CD] I can't get started (*) - - - Mojo - - - There is no greater love - - - The second no 2 PRLP7417, - - , OJC CD919-2 [CD] Bass-ix - - , OJC CD919-2 [CD] Note: (*) This title also on Franklin Mint GJR072. Prestige P24091 titled "The freedom and space sessions". Prestige PRLP7417 titled "Groovin' high". First 4 titles also on OJC CD896-2 [CD] titled "The Space Book". All above titles also on Jazz Lips (E)JL771 [CD]. [B16924]Add Jaki Byard Freedom Together : Jaki Byard (p,el-p,celeste,vib,ts,d) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d,tymp,vib) Junior Parker (vcl) New York, January 11, 1966 Nocturne for contrabass Prestige PR7463, OJC CD-1898-2 [CD] Just you, just me - - Getting to know you (jp vcl) - - Night leaves (jp vcl) - - Freedom together - - Ode to Prez - - Young at heart (jb piano solo) - - Note: All above titles also on Prestige (Jap)SMJ-7435. [E3258]Add Booker Ervin Heavy!!! : Jimmy Owens (tp,flhrn) Garnett Brown (tb) Booker Ervin (ts) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September 9, 1966 Bachafillen Prest PRLP7499, OJC CD981-2 [CD] You don't know what love is (jo,gb out) - - Aluminum baby - - Not quite that - - Bei mir bist du schon - - Ode to Charlie Parker - Note: All titles from Prestige PRLP7499 also on Fantasy P7499. [K3027]Add Eric Kloss Eric Kloss (ts) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) New York, December 22, 1966 Milestones Prest PR7486, Prestige PRCD-24293-2 [CD] Softly, as in a morning sunrise - - You don't know what love is - - When I fall in love - Repeat PR7486, - Gentle one - - Psychedelicatessen rag - [B16927]Add Jaki Byard Jaki Byard With Strings : Ray Nance (vln,vcl) Jaki Byard (p,org-1) George Benson (g) Ron Carter (cello) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d,vib-2) New York, April 2, 1968 Music to watch girls by (1) Prestige PR7573, PRCD-24246-2 [CD] Cat's cradle conference rag (2) - - Falling rains of life (2) - - How high the moon - - Ray's blues (rn vcl) - - Note: Prestige PRCD-24246-2 [CD] titled "Solo/Strings"; see July 31, 1969 for rest of CD. All above titles also on Prestige (Jap)SMJ-7508. [B16928]Add Jaki Byard The Jaki Byard Experience : Rahsaan Roland Kirk (cl,ts,manzello,whistle,kirkbam) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September 17, 1968 Parisian thoroughfare Prestige PR7615, P24080, OJC CD-1913-2 [CD] Hazy eve (p,b duo) - - - Shine on me - - - Evidence - - - , Boplicity (E)BOM12 Memories of you (rd,ad out) - - - Teach me tonight - - - Note: All above titles also on Prestige P24080 titled "Roland Kirk - Pre-Rahsaan"; see Roland Kirk, July 11, 1961 for rest of this 2 LP set. All above titles also on Prestige (Jap)SMJ-7518, Bellaphon (G)BJS-40128, Prestige PRCD-24080 [CD]. [K3032]Add Eric Kloss In The Land Of The Giants : Eric Kloss (as) Booker Ervin (ts) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) Englewood Cliffs, N.J., January 2, 1969 Things ain't what they used to be Prest PR7627, Prestige PRCD-24217-2 [CD] Sock it to me Socrates - - Summertime - - So what - - Santa Clink (unissued) When two lovers touch Prest PR7627, Prestige PRCD-24217-2 [CD] Note: All titles from Prestige PR7627 also on Prestige (Jap)SMJ-7528. [E1047]Add Roy Eldridge The Trumpeters, Jazzfest Masters : Roy Eldridge (tp) Clark Terry, Bobby Hackett (tp-1) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) Live "New Orleans Jazz Festival", New Orleans, LA, June, 1969 Rifftide Scotti Bros. (Pol)72392-75246-2 [CD] I can't get started - Little Jazz - Perdido (1) - Note: For the rest of Scotti Bros. (Pol)72392-75246-2 [CD] see Dizzy Gillespie and Buck Clayton. [W8968]Add Phil Woods Musique Du Bois : Phil Woods (as) Jaki Byard (p) Richard Davis (b) Alan Dawson (d) New York, January 14, 1974 Samba du bois Muse MR5037, MCD5037 [CD] Willow, weep for me - - Nefertiti - - The last page - - The summer knows - - Airegin - - , Franklin Mint GJR072 Samba du bois (alt take) - Note: All titles from Muse MR5037 also on Muse (F)900322, Vedette (It)VPA8339, Toshiba (Jap)80135, Tobacco Road (G)2547. All above titles also on Camden Deluxe (E)74321-608222 [CD] titled "The Summit"; further titles from this 2 CD set by Bud Shank, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims. All above titles also on 32 Jazz 32016 [CD] titled "Musique Du Bois". All above titles also on Muse (Jap)IXJ-80135, Seven Seas (Jap)K22P-6002, K18P-9428, Muse (G)976037 [CD], (Jap)BRJ-4510 [CD], SRCS-9401 [CD].

That's the final appearance with him playing (at least that we know about), but there is a spoken-word appearance on the new Lakecia Benjamin record.

The Minor Key?

All true. I'd rather not address this publicly but if you poke around on social media you can find some details. I was a freelancer working on contract month to month. My last Chronology column -- about bassist Israel Crosby's work OUTSIDE of the Ahmad Jamal Trio -- will be running in the April issue. Sorry to see the column end, but I have some ideas for keeping it going and parlaying it into something else. Too early to say more.