paul secor

Is Charly itself still active? Or were they lawsuited out of existence?

Received the Roy Eldridge Verve Mosaic yesterday.

I voted yes, even though I don't like to see styles of music segregated. It does seem that newer styles of music are more and more shunted off to the Funny Rat thread - not the Rat posters fault - it just seems to have happened.

Can't get more concise than that. I find myself in complete agreement.

Duke Ellington/Johnny Hodges: Back to Back (Verve/Classics). Sweets Edison should have gotten a cover mention on this too.

Someone should go for the Bobby Bradford Soul Note. Good Bradford in an unusual setting (for him).

Couldn't resist that pre-order price. Just hope that there's no screwup with this set. That usually keeps me from ordering up front.

Sit down and try to figure out what's gone wrong and what you can do to change that - everything isn't due to luck. Talk to friends or someone who can see things outside of your perspective. NEVER GIVE UP HOPE.

Clem - I'm cool with what you're saying. Don't know exactly what set me off - I'm usually not that way about differences of opinion. Anyway, we are probably closer in opinion about Charlie Rich than I realized. I hear Charlie in the same way I hear Earl Hooker - another of my favorites in another genre. Earl was blessed with the ability to play almost anything on the guitar (in the blues genre and somewhat beyond), but he didn't have much of a voice, and it was hit or miss (and as often miss as hit) whether he hooked up with a singer or a record producer who made proper use of his gifts. Charlie Rich was either jinxed in hooking up with the wrong producers throughout most of his career, or didn't have a strong enough personality to stand up for what he wanted to do (probably both, from what I've read). In any case, you have to do a lot of listening to mediocre stuff to pick out the good. I've been willing to do that, but I can understand that many people would be frustrated. I just love the sound of his voice - can't say more than that. I would imagine that I'm a fair number of years older than you - I'm 58 - but that doesn't matter. You've obviously done your listening. I first heard Charlie Rich on a Sun compilation LP in he mid-sixties and I was hooked. Later on I picked up some of his RCA an Columbia LPs, and have bought most of the reissues as they've come out - probably a lot of the same stuff that you've listened to - Charly, Zu-Zazz, etc. If you come across his Set Me Free LP on Epic, listen to side two. It's some of the best Charlie you'll hear without lifting the tonearm or hitting the remote. Otis Redding could have covered "Got To See My Baby". As for Charlie Feathers, I never heard him in Memphis, and never heard his early records when they were released. I imagine that a lot of people who did hear them - and probably not many did - are dead now. The first time I heard one of his records was in the early 70's - a small label release (all of his stuff was then) - either something he released or perhaps a record released by Sam Phillips' brother. I'm hazy on that. I'm not sure if I even have the record anymore. In any case, I don't remember that it was one of his better records. The closest I ever came to hearing Charlie Feathers live was a very vivid dream that I had about 15 years ago. He was playing in a bar/club and I was taking photographs. I can still remember that the reds and blues from the neon lights and the shadows they cast were more real real than any colors and shadows I've seen in my waking life. At the end of the dream, Charlie was in the parking lot, packing up to go home, and an altercation developed beween two guys. Charlie walked over and acted as a peacemaker. Everyone seemed to respect him, and calmness prevailed. I don't know if that would have been his response in real life, but that's how my dream ended. As for Mystery Train goes - I believe that Marcus calls Charlie Feathers something like - nothing more than a wierd country singer - I got rid of the book years ago so I can't quote - I guess that's his opinion. It's definitely not mine. I'm not a Nick Tosches fan in general, but his "Hymn for Charlie", in the Revenant set is a keeper. The bottom line is that, possibly like you, I was a middle class kid from the north who was looking for something different - I started a few years before you, but so what - heard the records, got hooked, and have remained so. The only difference is that you're a lot better writer than I am. Keep writing. Perhaps I'll disagree - even if I do, I'll learn something.

I agree! The only thing, sound quality varies significantly betwen tracks and it's a bit unnoying. Another YES vote here.

From 1990: The Legendary Joao Gilberto

Interesting thread. These days I don't play much of anything again and again - too much to listen to - but over the years, I'd say that it's been Mingus, Mingus, Mingus ... (Impulse).

No problem with your opinions, Clem. I listen to music, and don't truck much with legends - whether they're written by Guralnick, yourself, or whoever. I also couldn't care less which country singers drank themselves or pilled themselves to death or near death. When I listen to Charlie Rich, I hear a unique voice - one that's unlike most other singers of the country genre (though truthfully, I don't classify Charlie Rich as a country singer) in that he has a true blues sound. Willie, Merle, and a slew of western swing bands may have played jazz influenced stuff, but I don't hear any of that as strongly blues influenced as a lot of Charlie's records. All of that's irrelevant anyway. I love the sound of the man's voice. I admit that he made a bunch of mediocre records, but he made a bunch of fine ones too, and those are the ones I listen to. As for Mr. Feathers, to my ears, he was truly one of a kind, and his recorded output is generally consistent - with the exception of his last recordings, when he was in ill health. I'm not going to build up either of these men by knocking someone else. Suffice it to say that I love their music, and that I'll keep listening to it. Signing off - Not a Professor - merely a listener.

Sorry I missed seeing that it was your birthday, Matt. Hope that you had a great one!

"urbane Charlie Feathers"??? Perhaps this was something that was discussed in Irony/Sarcasm 101 the day I skipped class.

I don't know about heroes, but I take my hat off to any musician who can get up in front of a bunch of strangers, take chances, and play with feeling. Someone who can do that, even if it only happens once, has my admiration.

The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (Verve) Debussy: Solo Piano Music Vol. 1 - Peter Frankl, piano (Vox). Chuck Nessa has written about this and recommended it at least a couple of times, so when I saw it today I decided to give it a shot. And the price was right - 10 bucks for 2 CDs. Blue Mitchell: The Thing To Do (RVG)

I've just been rereading the Doc Pomus section of the Autumn 1993 issue of Anteus. From Doc Pomus' journals: Joe Turner and Frankie Newton - my two early musical idols and inspirations - my life had direction, hope and meaning. Frankie died so young and before I could repay him. But Joe is still and I make myself always available and I'm always scheming how to make his life a little better - let him have the security of knowing I'm always there. And without making him feel I'm doing him a favor - The world should be like this - Offer everything not just stingy pieces. *** The blues person thinks of the blues song the way the pop person writes or (pop) singer thinks of the pop song. For example, "Moonlight in Vermont" is no more a pop song to a pop person than "Goin Down Slow" is a blues song to a blues person. And from Phil Spector's heartfelt speech inducting Doc Pomus into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: And this man was more than a songwriter. He was a poet, for I need not remind you that while he wrote "Save The Last Dance For Me," he never experienced the thrill or the emotion of that wonderful feeling.

Fogot these Bakersfield area faves: The Farmer Boys: Flash, Crash and Thunder (Bear Family)

Did he use the same chart on "Night & Day" that he used on his Verve big band date? Konitz was in the Kenton band for this tour also, right? The chart sounds the same to my (non-musician) ears. Konitz isn't listed in the personnel. Mariano and Schildkraut are the alto players listed.

Huh? Anybody else here know what bootleg this interviewer was referring to? Did it come out in the Bird's Eyes series? I have it on Royal Jazz 505 - Charlie Parker: More Unissued Vol. 1: "All of Me" I Can't Believe that You're in Love with Me" Bird, Tristano, Kenny Clarke - dm. on phone book I would imagine that it's also been issued on a Philology CD. The edition of the Bregman/Bukowski/Saks discography I have lists it as being issued on Philology CD W5/18-2.

I love the stuff she recorded for Federal - "Aged and Mellow" with Ben Webster backing her is my favorite of those records - but my all time favorite Esther Phillips is "Set Me Free". I first heard it on an Atlantic 45, and it was later released on a double LP with that title. I believe that Charlie Rich was the first to record that tune. I love Charlie Rich, and I like his version, but Esther Phillips did it best - no contest. I believe that there was a CD version of the Atlantic LPs also, but they're probably both long out of print. If you see the 45, the LPs, or the CD - grab any one of them.

"Night and Day", "My Funny Valentine", and "Cherokee" are on Bird's Eyes Vol. 8 - Philology CD W.80.2.

Eddie Johnson: Indian Summer (Nessa) One of the things I enjoy most about the Vinyl Forum is that I'm moved to listen to LPs that I've ignored for a while. Listening this time, I was struck by John Young's playing. Good record - perhaps a reissue someday, Chuck?

I believe that Art Is the Art and Alpha Omega contain material from the same session. I have a second volume on Trio with alternate takes of three tunes and four additional performances. Trio 3140 - Vol. 1 Side one: Summertime Too Close for Comfort Webb City Holiday Flight Side two: Begin the Beguine Surf Ride Body and Soul Fascinatin' Rhythm Trio 3141 - Vol. 2 Side one: The Breeze and I Without a Song Long Ago and Far Away Fascinatin' Rhythm Side two: I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me Webb City Begin the Beguine The discography that I have at hand, Bruyninckx, lists the Blue Note (April, 1957)as a separate session from the Trio (January, 1958), but that's probably because of conflicting statements made by Art Pepper. In the liner notes for the Trio issues, done by Pete Welding, Pepper remembered the session as predating his Contemporary recording Meets the Rhythm Section, which would place it sometime before January 17, 1957. He also mentioned that the recording took place shortly before pianist Carl Perkins' death, which would place it in early 1958. This may account for the duplicate listing by Bruyninckx. I'm not a discographer by any stretch of the imagination, so perhaps someone else here can provide a more definitive answer. Addition - Posted this before I saw the previous two posts. They probably provide more definitive information than I have.