jazzbo

Sorry Soul Stream, I misread your post to mean that labels should record Donaldson's group more, which is true enough!

Well, there was that Live on the Queen Elizabeth on Charioscuro, which is a pretty fine record, no Scorpion though, which is a mother of a cd! I agree, AMG is way off base on this one!

That would be my guess, not sure it could really be much else! Still good news, because it will be a beautiful box and tribute.

Very cool news! Thanks for plucking it from the list!

Jim, I think that the intention was to make a classic Blue Note album of the time which would be a soulful one, and not a very "Hill" album, and I think that in that sense it was successful. I would not at all be surprised to find that there was a heavy producer's hand, nor would I be surprised to find that Hill was willingly fitting his music into this mold to have a released session and make a splash back into the recording pool. So to that extent I believe that the rhythmic restraint was calculated. It makes for a different type of Blue Note album, neither soul jazz mainstream, nor fully fleshed Hill. . . and I like it! I think it's a nice accessible date to introduce someone to Hill. I think that Carter may have been chosen because he had experience in taking "traditional" formats and stretching them a bit. . . which may have been what all concerned walked in to the studio to do. And I think he did a good job in that light. All I can say is I like it. . . I like it more than the earlier session, which may or may not have had the same intention behind it.

Pretty hip book. Pretty straight shooting, and the stuff between the lines is deep.

If you can wait longer. . . I believe this set is scheduled to be reissued by Blue Note. . .(viewed by some now as the "Blue Meanies.")

I made the leading vote. . . for the fourth choice. I think this would be very interesting, and could lead to some nice discussion. I really like your idea for a play of that Ira Sullivan tune. . . you wouldn't have to play the whole thing, my guess is that he either will know or have no clue in a few minutes and you can go from there into discussing Ira and Johnny, etc. . . . . Anyway, congratulations on the opportunity; I know you will make the best of it!

Well, I just hear it differently! I hear Carter and Waits working to make this a more conventional souljazz date with a twist, not a "Andrew Hill balls out date". . . and succeding. And I think that was the intention of the producer and possibly the artists. Also I do think that Ron plays well here, coming up with some nice things. . . . I may have to revisit it with your impressions in mind, but hey I don't mind disagreeing!

Peter: email me at lonjazz@yahoo.com if you are still seeking this out.

Thanks for the response sir. Glad that the material was put to use!

Well, I relistened to the released session and most of the earlier unissued session. What struck me right off the bat was that I hadn't listened to this album enough in the last few years! This is one of the most enjoyable of Hill's dates, and a fun listen. I don't see it as an "unexpected" turn to soul jazz for Hill; I've thought that some of his other work (especially the Warwick as a leader and of course his sideman appearances for Blue Note) had soulful elements, and his compositions could certainly (this disc proves it) be played in a soulful manner . . . or not. My one bit of contention with this originallly released album is the choice of Ervin on tenor. I just found my mind wandering as he soloed. I enjoyed his contributions to the heads/ensembles, but his soloing rarely showed me anything interesting or new. I guess I liked him best on "Mira." Lee Morgan plays very well on this. On his more "reflective" solos it struck me that the swing/feel of his solo was quite like some tenor solos that I love of Yusef Lateef's, where Teefski slurs notes a bit and sort of slides along the melody line at his own pace . . . . And Lee's more "extroverted" solos here add some excitement to the procedings as well. Another great factor to this date is the presence of Freddie Waits. Man, I just love the SOUND of his drums here and almost everywhere he's recorded. And he works well with Hill because he has his own way of coming up with a quirky pattern that stamps his individuality. His playing on "Soul Special" for example was right there in that Lou Donaldson-with-Idris Muhammad (Leo Morris) bag, but also individually his own. And he added a lot of drama to the session with his dynamics---not calling attention to his playing, but punctuating and pacing the structure. Damned fine job by Freddie. I also really liked the comping that the Hill-Carter-Waits team produced for the soloists. Quite original in a quiet "listen closely and you will hear" sort of way. Ron Carter is a really good bassist for Hill because he roots the pulse and also puts out a lot of ideas. And Hill. . . well he plays very well on this date, making it a souljazz date but not fooling anyone into forgetting that he's a very complex writer and musical thinker with his own way of playing a line and presenting a song. "Soul Special" stands out as the heart of this session to me. . . . Hill's piano almost sounds like an organ on a Lou Donaldson date for a large part of it, and then there's that solo that you would never hear on a Donaldson date. . . . Sort of the intent of the album in miniature to my ears. The second date is good too, but not quite as fully realized as a "Hill" album to my ears. I love Jimmy Ponder, and I really love the way that he and Hill worked together to make a very different and interesting "sound" to their comping and participation in ensembles. It's a good date, but I think overall I have to give the nod to the first, though I found myself thinking by the time I was deeply into "Mira": "What if Cliff Jordan had been on this date instead of Booker?"

This poll/race has T H R E E winners!

Listening this week for the first time to the Philly band "Catalyst." Seems to me that some of this material is very influenced (or developed simultaneously unconnected, but that seems dubious) by the Weather Report of the time.

All these are solid recordings, worth getting for Gonsalves or not! I agree with Chuck et al that his best work IS with Duke. By the way, there's ten of the Private Recordings and all are worth getting even though Paul isn't all over all of them). I love the music on the Cote D'Azur box set, and one highlight is Ella scatting up against Paul's playing. . . wow.

Why do we have to marry her off, or have her become "solidly" in the jazz camp? I know this is just tongue-in-cheek stuff, but I'm so tired of Norah-bashing. . . she's a talent and doesn't deserve a lot of what I read about her on these boards, in my opinion.

Eric, thanks for the info. Guess I better gnab a copy.

My set shipped yesterday as well. I don't have the answer to your question GOM. . . . I think it's worth purchasing at the ridiculously low price. I ordered the Milton Brown set as well.

I think so too, and that is what is reported by some to be the case. It's said that Miles didn't want to be seen in the black community as the Italian-suited pure jazz artist, he wanted to be a popular artist again, cutting edge, and he wanted the concert money and high album sales that would allow him to have the very expensive edgy lifestyle he wanted or needed . . . . If this is true, he missed the mark, ESPECIALLY I think with this album. This particular blend didn't seem to reach many of his target audience (I know he hit some from personal experience, but certainly not the droves he wished to.) He did change the approach some and he did reach a number of persons in various sections of youth culture, and he seemed to have really hit target with this young man, who was back from living in Africa and trying to see a way into a small midwestern town society, and failing. For the most part in my experience this music of the time from Miles was appreciated by a motley crew of young persons who were a little bit outcast-like. . . .

Mule: let me know if you run across evidence that they referrence or mention in footnote the interview that I did with Michael Cuscuna for doobop, currently housed within All About Jazz. I have heard that it did, but have never looked at/had my hands on a copy. Thanks.

White suburban teenager's idea of what funk is? Well I don't hear it that way. I can pretty much not picture it at all as what a white suburban teenager at the time would think of as funk. Nor was it meant to be pure funk. It had a funk underbelly is how I hear it, with other pulses and currents swimming along. It was influenced by modern classical work as well, and a classical musician/composer very interested in Miles had a part in the process and performance. I think the recording was meant to be a statement of what Miles had in his head then. And Teo crafted from that something that he got Miles to stand behind as his "new direction" for the time period til the next "new direction" was released. If you were expecting it to be FUNK it won't live up to your expectation!

I liked the first one. Haven't seen this yet, but your statement makes me hopeful. I'll probably see it next weekend.

I would agree with Mr. C as well: Futuristic Sounds is a good place to start, as are either of the Delmarks, Sun Song, or Sound of Joy.

Unintentional double post.

Well, I have divided feelings. I don't feel about any of the boards the way I felt about the BNBB, and probably never will. And neither nor both the AAJ and this board are fulfilling the same need for me. NOR is that a bad thing necessarily. No sense looking back! And I've used the excessive time I spent there more wisely since it's demise. I haven't let the way the board ended color the way I feel about Blue Note music. After all, it's Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff's vision and the incredible work of the artists that I really appreciate. How is that tainted? Michael Cuscuna, reissue producer there, had little to nothing to do with the BNBB. I've become more and more interested in other music, but Blue Note music holds a great appeal for me, and recent events haven't changed my collecting tendencies in that direction. Also I enjoy a lot of Capitol, Roulette, and Pacific Jazz artists and grab those releases as before. And I confess I'll check out the new board and if it isn't dominated by Greg I might post for a bit!