DMP

One of the best jazz performances I heard in the Johnny Carson era was Paul Shaffer (on organ) with the Tonight Show band playing Oliver Nelson's arrangement of "A Taste of Honey" - the one that appears on Lloyd G. Mayers United Artist album. Shaffer acknowledged the "great Oliver Nelson."

First time I ever heard Roland Kirk was on the Tonight Show - early '60's.

No funny signs here, but I do agree that "High Energy" should have made the cut, and, at this point, "Penny Arcade"/"Upon This Rock" would be the way to go with Joe Farrell.

Always enjoyed "Flute Fever," although haven't heard it in years. It was scheduled for release from "Colectables" a couple of years ago, but never made it. Guess they were too busy mining the Paul Winter "Columbia" catalog...

The local public library has several sets, including the Mobley and Turrentine. Must be a hip librarian there somewhere.

Bertrand - Thanks for the trip down memory (or lack of) lane! Think it was Smith, although he may have been announced simply as "Lonnie Smith." I do remember being underwhelmed.... (Jaki Byard may have played solo piano between Messenger sets.)

It was at the "Five Spot" (on St. Mark's), maybe around 1966. Lonnie Liston Smith is a possibility... Could it have been Ronnie Matthews?

The Limelight" various artists album mentioned above... It was a record of tunes from a Broadway show ("I Had A Ball" - a flop) by the label's roster. Always wanted to hear it for the Blakey cut (same one that opens "'S Make It," with Gilmore's solo in there). Also heard Mitchell with the Messengers, the "Buttercorn Lady" group but with a different pianist (not Corea, either), wish I could remember more.

All of a sudden 2003 looks like the Golden Age.

The way I read the original statement is that Concord is not planning to delete the OJC catalog. Good for them! (EMI, Sony/BMG routinely delete even recent reissues - Fantasy was an exception to this.) There have been titles that I've tried to order from my local outlet, and the response has sometimes been that they're no longer available, but I've been able to find them in the Concord site. We'll see.

Right, it was originally a Prestige reissue program. And no notes by Keepnews in those! But it - and the subsequent Milestone two-fers - was really one of the best, and needed at the time.

The sound? Very good, but I never thought it was anything special.

A recent "Cadence" had a review of a new Scott album (March, 2006), with Red Holloway and Plas Johnson - "From C To Shining C."

Picked up "Super Blue," and it's better than I remembered. Extra tracks, too - the alternate of the title track is actually superior.

If not drums, how about as a percussionist? (The only time I saw him "live" was with Joni Mitchell, he was playing percussion.)

I think the notes to the Byrd LP explain who that vibes player is...

Just picked up that "Acid Jazz" CD which has 2 (and maybe all?) of Trudy Pitts' "Prestige" albums, and, sorry to say, I'm a little disappointed. Not disappointed in Pitts, she's fine, maybe even more than that. It's the format of the albums - short tracks, average material - Pitts herself, in the new liners. seems to agree. (And Pat Martino, who gets co-billing on the package, is pretty much just a sideman, no solos - he's a wonderful musician, but this could be anyone.) Unlike some of the other organists who recorded for the label around this time, she's really under wraps here. So, my question: is there more representative stuff out there that shows what she might really be capable of? Anything where she stretches out? I know she's on a Roland Kirk record, but don't think she's much featured on that one.

That's the one that was reissued on "One Way."

The Ponty/Duke stuff has been out in the CD era - the original PJ album (a "live" date) was on "One Way" and a second album with pretty much the same group came out on "Blue Note." That King Kong album was also out for awhile, too. And Groove Holmes' "Welcome Home" has been out in Japan. (And the later Gerald Wilson shows up on the "Mosaic" box.) Now, where's Freddie Robinson's "The Coming Atlantis?" There's one cut on one of those "Blue Note" anthologies....

Chewy - I think these albums (which I enjoy and would love to have again, especially Bobby Bryant's "Earth Dance" and Ernie Watts "Planet Love") have pretty much been forgotten. And, as EMI is cutting back (and may wind up merging), don't think reisuing this stuff will be any kind of priority. And, while labels like Mighty Quinn occasionallty liscense EMI material, they usually concentrate on more "serious" fare. (A couple titles from this era once appeared on One Way.) Hey - maybe candidates for Mosaic Contemporary?

One of several Pacific Jazz/World Pacific titles from that era that will probably never see the light of day - Ernie Watts, Bobby Bryant, Wilton Felder, Freddie Robinson, Groove Holmes, others I can't recall at the moment. (In the meantime, we did get a reissue of Chet Baker and the Mariachi Brass...)

I'm holding out for Lone Hill issue - "The Complete Monk Montgomery/Wilton Felder Sessions."

Well, Keepnews reputation has suffered (justifialby) in the CD era - all those nonsensical reissues, what were all those labels thinking? BUT... His legacy at Riverside is more than secure, if for nothing more than all those Monk albums. Is there a more enjoyable body of work in all of jazz? Maybe he had little to do with it, but that's a tough position to take - someone came up with those settings. Monk and Shelly Manne!! Besides Monk, the whole Riverside catalog is filled with gems. And those original Milestone "two-fers" had to be one of the best - and most appreciated - reissue series. I even like the notes - filled with stories about the actual sessions, not just philosophical ramblings (like all those Pablos) or the typical track-by-track rundown. So, while I've been disappointed in what he's done lately, I have no problem with him blowing his horn over the albums he produced, bring them on! (Again!)

I remember hearing the Brubeck group in a college auditorium once in the early '60's, and Brubeck is pounding away - one of his typical heavy-handed solos - I'm thinking " geeze, this is terrible" - and, at about that point, the audience breaks out in cheers! Live and learn. Wonder what they would have thought of Wynton Kelly? (But I like Brubeck, how can you not? "Gone With The Wind" is a favorite that hasn't been mentioned.)

The arguments about Peterson have been going on for as long as I can remember, this discussion would be right at home in 1955. I'm in the pro-Peterson camp, but only appreciated him after Ed Thigpen joined the trio. Obviously Peterson appeals to a much broader audience than the hard core jazz fan, and, as we all know, this means trouble! The comment above concerning Monk's piano playing would make a good topic. Like Count Basie, Monk appeared to have limited technique (key word: "appeared"), but had a style that was perfect for his music. I've heard Peterson (in concert) talk about Monk in glowing terms, though.