paul secor

Horace Silver Quintet: Silver's Serenade

Charles Tyler: Voyage to Jericho (Ak-Ba)

Blow Mr. Hornsman - Instrumental Reggae 1968 - 1975

I've been there.

My musician friend Bill Morrison sent me a couple of short emails on Teddy Kotick: "He was on a Hod O'Brien LP - Bits and Pieces - 1982. At that time, I think he was living in Lowell, gigging around town, and playing, I think, in the Lowell Symphony as well. (He was born in Haverhill, a few miles north of Lowell.) I used to occasionally sub at the Bostonian Hotel down near Faneuil Hall, and although our paths never crossed, I'm pretty sure he played there from time to time with one of the pianists I worked with. This would have been early-mid '80s. He died of cancer in '86. But why he went off the scene I really don't know." "This was probably about the last thing Kotick recorded--released in '87, but recorded in mid-1983. The label was trying to interest Rounder in distributing it; they passed, as they didn't tend to have much luck with one-release labels; I got the LP. Zano's another one of those guys who had a lot of respect among musicians, but never got much public recognition." https://www.discogs.com/Tony-Zano-In-Retrospect/release/10284440 I (Paul) should also add that Teddy Kotick recorded on J.R. Monterose's Welcome Back, J.R.! LP in 1979.

Sonny Rollins: Work Time

Blue's Moods

I was listening to Roscoe Mitchell's Nessa recording, Celebrating Fred Anderson. yesterday and remembered a story I'd read (can't recall where) about Mr. Mitchell sitting in with Coltrane's group at a Chicago club in 1965 or '66, playing a solo that left many folks with dropped jaws, packing up his horn and leaving the club without saying a word. I have no way of knowing if that story is true, if it's a myth, or a combination of the two. And I don't care which it is. To me, it's just a great story. Sometimes myths are better than "facts". The truth is in the music.

John Brim/Little Hudson: Classic Early 1950s Chicago Blues (Flyright) A quote in the liner notes from Little Hudson about the music business (which he left in the mid-60s to become an electrician): "It's all right if you're at the top, but a local man ain't got no business out there."

Roscoe Mitchell Quartet: Celebrating Fred Anderson (Nessa)

Etoile de Dakar: Absa Gueye (Popular African Music)

Coltranology Vol. 1

Very good one!

You're correct, of course - only 5 or 7 musicians in the two Cecil groups. However, when I listen, it somehow sounds like the groups are larger than they are. Perhaps that's because there's so much going on.

Facts and mythology. As time goes on, who knows the difference? Reminds me of a Goodreads review I wrote on Michael Ondaatje's Coming Through Slaughter: "Thinking about this book, I remembered a line that's spoken near the end of the film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend". Donald M. Marquis, in his book In Search of Buddy Bolden ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3..., put together probably as many facts about the legendary New Orleans musician as we'll ever come to know. Michael Ondaatje, in this novel about Buddy Bolden (which was written before Marquis' book was published) has written a haunt "Thinking about this book, I remembered a line that's spoken near the end of the film, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend". Donald M. Marquis, in his book In Search of Buddy Bolden ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3..., put together probably as many facts about the legendary New Orleans musician as we'll ever come to know. Michael Ondaatje, in this novel about Buddy Bolden (which was written before Marquis' book was published) has written a haunting dreamlike version of the Buddy Bolden myth. Donald Marquis has given us the facts. Michael Ondaatje has given us the legend. In their own way, each has given us the truth."

When I read the Miles anecdote, I took it as interesting, perhaps somewhat amusing to consider. I can't see the point in getting worked up about it. The article was more interesting than probably 95% of the "jazz scholarship" I've read over the years. (I should mention that, for me at least, the true jazz scholars are the musicians, not journalists writing about the music. Hope that doesn't ruffle any feathers.)

Dances of the World (Nonesuch)

Sounds good. If you weren't already completely awake, Mr. Nichols could finish the job.

Trane: My Favorite Things (Atlantic) In my younger years, I played this one until I was burned out on it. It was a pleasure to listen to it today after a lot of years.

The Blindfold Test in Down Beat was published in 1964, but you got the rest right. Miles put down almost everyone he heard during that blindfold test - Cecil, Eric Dolphy, Sonny with Cherry, Money Jungle. The one exception was Getz/Gilberto. He probably admired that one because Getz got a hit record out of it.

I was surprised by the mention of Cecil possibly playing in Miles' band. Can't imagine those two butting heads. It would probably have taken less than half an hour of rehearsal before Miles fired Cecil or Cecil quit.

Seattle Slew Dirty Harry Mustang Sally

Pres: Complete Aladdin Recordings

LP 8

Cecil: Indent