jazzbo

I agree about his interpretive skills, and I confess to really liking more and more as time goes by the "laid back, mellow" Lee. . . Sometimes his fiery stuff seems like a rotating bag of tricks, but he manages to bring out the heart of the song with his lyrical playing and wonderful sound when he's doing the ballads and the medium tempo numbers. . . .

Well, I splurged and bought the last Philip K. Dick book I need but one, "Gather Yourselves Together." This was an expensive book new, hardly distributed, and I paid a premium for it but still found it cheaper than a number of other places were selling it. . . . This is a powerful, and very modern novel. I kept thinking how a man in the beginning of his twenties could have written such a great novel in 1950 or so. . . . It was probably his second novel-length work and the earliest published, and it is very well-crafted and a great read. It has a jazz element: one of the three major characters was a jazz dj. It is a very insightful, in my opinion, coming of age story. . . . As usual the characters that Dick creates are full of life and interesting. . . their interaction seems real and intriguing. I'm glad I finally got my hands on it. My favorite of his novels is still "The Man Whose Teeth Were All Exactly Alike". . . .

The Toshiba cd I have. . . is remastered by Mc Master! Sounds okay.

Woody Shaw's "Moontrane."

Better present than sharks with frickin' laser beams mounted on their heads! Thanks for the headsup David!

Good selections as suggestions. Either would serve, the Kansas City Sessions being the one I would favor to recommend. If you could find it, the Keynote cd would be great, but it can be hard to get one's hands on these days. And easy to find and not too expensive: any of the Savoy cds out right now would be a good introduction. (Though if you do become the Pres fan I think you will, you'll want the complete two cd set!)

If this is the Caceres Bros. lp I believe it is (and I don't think there were more than one?) it's well worth seeking out! Also from these folks, the Walter Davis and the Barney Wilen are great to hear!

Looking at your favorites, I think you'd like it. I do. There's Massey here, always an ingredient that is nice to see on a Morgan date. Some say "plodding"---I say there is a mellowness to this date that I like in Morgan dates.

NO, you would do better to buy the MCA Brunswick/Vocalian material and sit back and groove!

Great NEWS!

Hey, you'll dig it . . .I can tell! If not, that's cool too. I just think they are all of a consistently good level, and not so different that I can dislike one a lot more than others. It's cool how we all hear things differently and have different tastes and standards and reactions. I find it all so fascinating and enjoyable to discover! For me, Alligator is one of the really good ones; it's got some of the baddest drumming there is on a Blue Note souljazz date as far as I am conerned! Leo / Idris is killin'!

I just totally ignore the stars in AMG. I use that site for discographic information. . . most of the time it's helpful along those lines (though they are not to be considered a thorough source of information, and do have some strange entries!) My honest appraisal of Lou's souljazz work is that it is some of the best of the type on the label! Even sessions not yet on cd such as Say It Loud and Cosmos I enjoy a lot! Then again, if you traded away Alligator Boogie. . . still you've kept Mr. ShingaLing. . . I'm confused!

Sure looks like the History box! I've heard not great things about the sound on that box. But the price is incredible!

Tony, yes, the material we had of the Gales were cdrs from tapes of lps. . . not the best sound possible! These Water reissues sound fantastic. I think they are more successful because they have such a variety of percussion and voices, and the musicians (singers included) are usig a broader palette of styles to choose from. I really like Natural Essence for succeding using a tighter weave from fewer thread colors. . . . And I really respond to Washington's playing, in every instance that I have heard it, but here on his prestigious label leader date it's front and center and satisfying. Anyway, I'm betting you'll really like the Water reissues.

Thanks Chuck. Roques eh? Interesting. I may try to find out more from this label ABOUT this label, though not getting an email response back from their website is not encouraging!

Well Chuck. . . what was the end result if you don't mind my asking!

I think you would dig them Late! Pimpin' my review of Eddie Gales

Water Records web pages

I can't speak for their rock and "folk" reissues. . . but Water Records' jazz reissues are da bomb! I've picked up all their jazz releases (well, if you want to stretch the definition that includes Ayler, Gale, Lancaster and Sharrock!) I love them all. Not just the music, but the remastering is FANTASTIC---in my opinion better than the remastering done by most of the majors. The cover reproductions are beautiful, and the original liners are reproduced in readable form. The whole package speakes of "love" for the music, not of "product." I'm won over to this label, wholeheartedly. I did a review of the Eddie Gales for AAJ to try to get the word out about these, which I think are great Blue Note releases. . .not reissued by Blue Note, so maybe a bit under the radar. The Ayler I picked up last, and was shocked at how wonderful the sound is and how much I enjoy the music now, when in the past it was not among my favorite Aylers. And the Byard Lancaster is BEAUTIFUL. Wonderful sound both from the musicians and the recording. The Sonny and Linda Sharrock cd, "Paradise," is very interesting. It grows on me more and more. A fusiony band that grooves along, and Sonny and Linda work their unusual magic over the top. . . . I don't think I would have grabbed this cd so quickly if I hadn't learned to value Water releases highly. A real testament to this label, to get you to buy a release because their name is on it. . . sound familiar? Anyway, I welcome others' comments about this label, and I invite y'all to give them a chance. I'm looking forward to what they may release NEXT!

Let's remember all who serve, and who have served, and especially those that have lost their lives in service. I hate war. To pieces.

It would be nice to see this album come out as an RVG or perhaps a Conn. I really like the blend here of the mainstream and the beyond the mainstream. On this and the other lps of his that I have heard Tyrone tries this type of mix with a success for ME. Not for everyone, sure, but it works for me very much. If it were more available (maybe through Water, which has done a great job reissuing the Eddie Gale Blue Notes, and the Byard Lancaster Vortex, and I hope more to come) I could enjoy seeing if this mix worked for some of these other fellow travelers as well. (The Eddie Gales were a similar attempt at a mix, which I also find works well for me). That time and beyond, when rock artists were filling stadiums and Elvis was king of Las Vegas . . . how bleak it must have seen for anyone seriously considering jazz as the focus for their art and a part of their identity. Pressures certianly damped the possibilities that a Dialog or Judgment would appear. . . . Jazz players and producers must have really felt at sea, and not liking the options they saw ("Look of Love" or "Super Blue" anyone?) The times they were a-changing, and things changed. . . .

Verve is sitting on some very very good George Lewis. . . the dogs!

The New Orleans and the Chicago series that Chris produced are excellent and well worth seeking out. The New Orleans Jazz Sessions Mosaic set is overall an excellent set. Different than those on Riverside, it's hard to explain it really, it seems to me to be honest and serious music that fans for New Orleans style jazz would surely love.

Tony, the remastering is decent enough. . . I think having all this material under one roof is a blessing. . .I think you'll enjoy it.

Conn, I get the opposite from Mercy, Mercy, Mercy. I can skip the title tune, but I can replay the album over and over and just revel in the sheer energy and the flow of ideas from Cannon.