jazzbo

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!

That Warne Marsh release, "Live at Dana Point", has me hooked. Not really able to tell you explicitly why. Sure it's the way that Marsh spins in a swinging web. And the way that Albany plays. And the way that the discs are recorded which are very fresh and real sounding to me. And . . . well it's all that and more. Just a great two disc set that makes me need more Marsh.

I've been listening to some Peggy Lee again lately. I find myself looking at the cover of the "Singles" collection (I have it facing me on a "shelf" on the wall in front of me, right next to the Nat King Cole "Classic Singles" collection) and hearing her voice in my head and then reaching for one of her cds. She's slowly becoming one of my very favorites!

No I understand. . . . I just haven't really listened that hard to that one. It's sort of a "mood inducer" to me. I let it spin a web, and don't study the strands. A friend and I had a talk about smooth jazz a year ago or so ago. Over a few beers, something neither of us usually do (have a few beers any longer that is). And we sort of came to a concensus that electric Miles was a genesis of a lot of smooth jazz. Those were some dark Heinekens!

Well, I'm not sure when I'll get into a position I can listen to this. . . . I'm working though some new things (including the "Elis and Tom" dvd/cd combo from Brazil) and the Ayler box is about to hit and derail my listening and I have to knuckle under and prepare myself and home for a visit from my parents in less than a week. . . . AND I'm not as PICKY as you are, so. . . B-) But if I get a chance I'll listen. . . and report back something.

No I agree. That is one thing I am enjoying in the Billy Harper material you have pointed me to. And just overall I think this is a nicely programmed effort, with the various instrumentation of each track, culminating in the chanting piece. . . . I'm glad that Verve/Impulse put this out.