Pete C

I bought the Plugged Nickel box about 4 or 5 years ago. I still haven't opened discs 6 & 7. I'm pacing myself.

It's impossible to generalize about when anybody is "ready" for anything.

What does re-invention mean? Same tunes, new arrangements? Same tunes with new arrangements based on the old ones? These recreations of historical artifacts are usually pretty boring. Mulligan's "Rebirth of the Cool" certainly was. I've seen Sketches of Spain played live twice (Maria Schneider with Ingrid Jensen & Chicago Jazz Ensemble with Orbert Davis), and both times I felt that the smart thing to do would have been to forget about trying to "do Miles" and instead use a different solo instrument. The jazz repertory concept is always too damn literal and reverential.

Sounds like creative hyperbole to me. I don't remember anything qualitatively different when I heard those recordings from other performances by the group.

Cannonball did a great job with "Fiddler on the Roof."

I love Phineas Newborn, but I don't get how he fits this topic.

If they threw the kinds of money around for jazz as they do for pop they'd lose their shirts. As it is, they lose on most artists they promote and make it up on the few who become wildly popular. And when they lose their popularity, goodbye. Why do you think Columbia dropped Wynton Marsalis when his sales started dropping? Sure throwing big bucks at jazz would result in greater sales, but never enough to warrant the money spent. Why is it that so many jazz fans think it's just a matter of getting the word out? Face it, no matter how good the music you like is, most people don't, or won't, like it.

Mellowed? She was too mellow in her early career. She really swung in her later years. There's an excellent documentary about her, Maxine Sullivan: Love To Be In Love Description This video profiles Maxine Sullivan (1911-1987), the legendary jazz singer who rose from humble origins in Pittsburgh to become one of the foremost black vocalists in America. Noted for her swing arrangements of classic ballads, she became known as “The Loch Lomond Girl” after her first big hit in 1937. Sullivan’s reminiscences are highlighted by a wealth of news clippings, photos, Hollywood musical clips, archival footage and testimonials from other jazz luminaries such as Ella Fitzgerald and Marian McPartland.

There's not too much Tapscott that's easy to find. Maybe his best is "The Dark Tree" on HatArt, with the amazing lineup of Tapscott, Cecil McBee, Andrew Cyrille, and John Carter on clarinet. The trio album, "Thoughts of Dar Es Salaam" is available and excellent, with Ray Drummond & Billy Hart, so that might be your best entry point.

Are you free-associating?

I only have one, a Mike Nock trio, and it's excellent. The Mike Nock/Marty Ehrlich one looks mighty tempting too.

You betcha. I wasn't aware of the Naxos recording of Ornstein. I'll have to look that up. Ornstein's "Arabesques" is one of my favorite piano suites. I have it on an album called "Past Futurists" by Marthanne Verbit.

There's always the Groucho Marx method.

It's brilliant. And it's amazing how Hines always sounded "modern" without ever changing his style.

I love Deep in a Dream. There's currently a copy on half.com for $5.41. Someone ought to grab it. Mariano was also a member of one of Shelly Manne's best groups, on Swinging Sounds, More Swinging Sounds, & The Gambit.

How are Catherine Deneuve's politics?

Not exactly.

I agree that early on Konitz had a tone that was much closer to Desmond's than his later work. I think a good example is "Too Marvelous for Words" on Konitz Meets Mulligan.

How about a lost tenors thread? Rocky Boyd, Azar Lawrence, Tyrone Washington...

These groups are generally part of a particular church, and probably perform there on a regular basis. One of the best is McCollough Sons of Thunder, in Harlem. They're on the CD I posted above.

HE'S SO EXCITED HE SENT A TELEGRAM STOP

Hey John L, fyi, last time I was in your town I saw a great gospel trombone band playing for tips at Dupont Circle. I watched them for close to an hour.

Have you heard Vernard Johnson? Gospel altoist out of Fort Worth? None too shabby! Great stuff. Any Ayler fan should dig him, as should any Junior Walker fan! ANother great instrumental gospel tradition is the trombone shout bands.

Oh, now I get it. Like the one George W. Bush has.