jazzbo

I'm pretty sure that most of the vocals are by Marjorie Barnes. Quite well performed!

You're welcome. There are two Zodiac Suite cds, actually. One is a live event of the original suite on Vintage Jazz Classics, quite interesting. The other is a Smithsonian Folkways cd of the original recordings and alternates and EXTENSIVE notes.

www.cduniverse.com seems to list both at decent prices. . .

I really like Nat's, whether William did or not. Also really like a noncommercial version I have from a radio interview/broadcast where Strays plays and sings the item himself. And I really like the version on his Capitol lp. Especially the stereo version! Come to think of it I like Rickie Lee Jones' as well. I've become less and less and less of a Johnny Hartman fan over the years. His version doesn't do it for me.

The stereo recording from Le Cave in Cleveland by Ayler's group that appears as disc four in the Ayler box from Revenant is fast becoming a favorite. I love the sound of simple and direct recordings like this. And the playing is wonderful!

I agree: Donald is a melodic anchor on a lot of the material. Personally, I believe that Albert felt a deep responsibility towards Donald, and wanted to have him with him for extramusical reasons. . . . Seems he had Charles Tyler groom Donald as a trumpeter, he really had only been playing the trumpet a handful of years before being in Albert's group! What a feeling that must have been! I've never had an older brother. I do have a younger brother who is a trumpeter. . . I do believe that if I led a band I'd like to have my brother Bill along. . . for personal and musical reasons.

Well it certainly would be different. . . . I think that the introduction of Donald to the band really moved the music to a more "composed, arranged, orchestrated" format than it MAY have had with a different trumpeter. I honestly believe that Albert may have reassessed and transformed his concept to include Donald. Had Cherry remained his concepts and ambitions would have definitely influenced Albert's. Another trumpeter with a similar nature and background as Cherry's may have as well. With Donald in place Albert's vision was possibly more secure and focused? The music would have been different with another trumpeter, no doubt. BUT I'm not sure that I would actually prefer that different music . . . .

Digipak Miles? And "Birth of the Feathers." Wow.

Actually, my wife sort of likes Ayler. . . . She said in the past about some of the material with Don Ayler on board that "it sounds like insanity in places." She would know. I don't really think she's wrong. Of all the music I listen to, Helen may like the free jazz best. The wonderful thing about the last seven or eight years is that I have a listening room all my own, and Helen doesn't have to hear a lot of my music. My wife IS flipping out though I'm trying hard to quell it. . . but she's flipping out about my parents' impending visit, not Ayler! B-)

41-50 was the category I selected.

I'm slowly absorbing the new box set, which is going to be extremely difficult as I have to divert large chunks of time to preparing for and scheduling/arranging a trip to Austin by my parents (and keeping my wife from flipping out). What is clear from the moment anyone looks into this set and begins listening is that this is one of the best cd box sets ever assembled! (In my humble opinion). Right up there in my personal pantheon with the Miles at the Plugged Nickel, and the Parker/Benedetti and Nat King Cole Mosaics!

Okay I'm going to make an admission: I've only ever seen the final half of this movie, on TV. The first half would have to be incredibly STELLAR for me to call this a great movie!

I'm not sure it IS Holiday. Also from this page comes: Adding to the legend surrounding Gloomy Sunday is the recent discovery of a 1947 Savoy recording by an unknown vocalist identified as "Billie Stewart." On the flip side is In My Solitude, and the record label also identifies the singer as Billie Stewart. The singer’s voice bears a vague resemblance to Billie Holiday’s and some have theorized that Billie simply re-recorded the tune using an alias because of a studio strike that occurred in the 1940s. But research by musicologists has identified vocal patterns and style differences that appear to rule out Holiday. This unusual recording is still being researched. There is also a 1949 recording by Billie Stewart with some of the same musicians from the 1947 date. So much has been written about Billie Holiday including interviews with former associates and yet there has been no mention of her using an alias on any of her recordings. But musicologists have yet to identify this mysterious "Billie Stewart."

I THINKthis particular material from Fondation Maeght was on the recent Ayler tree, not sure right now (from my work vantage point). I was lucky enough to find a copy of the DIW cd shortly after its release. Great session!

"Not Cha Cha,But Chi Chi" B-)

GREAT NEWS JOHN and thanks for posting it. I've been reading that article on the Revenant site and really enjoying. . . a good apetizer for the box set which should arrive today!

Yes, I had two experiences with curries when I was in boarding school in Africa. I always enjoyed the beef curry that the school served once a week: beef stewed in a deep brown gravy with curry powder. The Indian students there turned their noses up at it and I didn't quite know why til I began to sample their packages from home, especially when Ramadan rolled around and entire meals showed up. What a difference! Back in Ohio for years afterwards my mother would make a hamburger curry with curry powder and onions and it was actually. . . good, with some chutneys and peanuts believe it or not. But when I finally came to more cosmopolitan areas and Indian restaurants my adventure became animated. And I began to cook at home from a few cookbooks and tips. . . . I'll try this wurst out sometime soon and see what happens! Thanks!

Thanks for the recipe Bev. If I try it, I'll build the curry sauce from components rather than "curry powder." Ten years ago I didn't know any different really, now I thrive on the variety of different "curries" and how they interact with the other ingredients of the sauce and what they cover.

Hmmm. . . less interesting. I like real curries. . . I don't like ketchup and curry powder!

Bockwurst with curry sauce? Wow. Interesting. . .

Thanks for the information. I certainly don't read the Times!

I'm probably going to get this "Black Coffee" though I think I have almost all the material here and there. . . .You're right on target Peter, great stuff!

"Say Buddy, do you want to buy a watch real Cheap?" I always remember that line sung that way . . . it's from Stage Fright, right? The Band. . . what a band.

I like the Django in Rome set. . . . Nothing groundbreaking, but nice sounding swinging stuff!