jazzbo

What IS decent sound? For their time, I think there are quite a few Bird series that qualify. . . I like the sound of many of the Savoys, and the Clef/Norgran/Verve etc. sound pretty darned good. The HiHat stuff, the Montreal recording on Uptown, the Town Hall Concert recently on Blue Note. . .all decent live sound to my ears considering the time and circumstances.

Man, there are so many great trumpeters before bebop. Tommy Ladnier, Freddie Jenkins, Taft Jordan and Dick Cathcart () are favorites of mine that don't get talked up.

FANTASTIC NEWS! EVERY UPTOWN IS DA BOMB

Sly. . . deceitful. . . whatever! It's almost presidential.

I actually have quite a few favorites. The Coltrane at the Vanguard is amazing. . . Elvin bowls me over every time. This is a tune Wynton Kelly does very well. And Helen Merrill also does a favorite version.

Jim, it's the "Ellington Suite" by Chico Hamilton that you're describing. Really a great find!

Well, there will probably be some flack for this recommendation. . . but I recommend the Mosaic Benedetti box. Not only is there more fantastic Bird than you can shake a stick at, but you get a tremendous booklet as well, that among other things sets the record straight and reveals a very interesting and talented musician in Dean Benedetti, dispelling the awful BS that Ross Russell among others dished out towards him. Sound is manageable I think if you can manage what you have. Brilliance minute after minute from Bird. History in a box.

I went ahead and voted for Ms. Scott. She really just makes me feel great when I listen. She did so much. They're all great players!

Well I voted for Jack. He's my favorite on this list, and my followups would read a lot like Chuck's. And Grachan would not be on it!

Yeah, Hill being born in Haiti was just BS concocted by Andrew, like the spelling "Hille" that went with it or before it.

Get the material however you can. The Columbia sets have very decent notes, something Classics and Neatworks definitely DON'T. And I don't think the Classics and Neatworks better sonicwise by much either. The Columbias are from real source material, though scrubbed a little too clean. The others are from collectors 78s, of pretty decent quality. It's amazing music though and be sure to get it.

I went with Bubber Miley. I like all these cats tremendously though.

My personal take: I prefer the sound of the TOCJ and JRVGs to the McMastered Mosaics.

Tod, thanks for pointing this out. I've received it. It's a FANTASTIC Set, a real bargain!

I thought this was a great movie. The album covers they display were a real creative hoot! Levy does a wonderful job in many aspects: storyline, songwriting, acting. (Guest was great on storyline and songwriting too.) Fred Willard is "on." It is a very funny and clever film!

On the BNBB several posters reported the result of correspondence indicates there will be no volume two as there is little of jazz content left to reissue. Don't know how accurate that is. . . .

My favorite Lloyd is his work with Chico Hamilton. Both his playing and his "music directorship" were very interesting!

I share a birthday with Louis Armstrong. I'm very proud to do so.

Berigan, a twelve-year-old mind seems unable to grasp that just because I do not endorse your extremist imperialist fascistic stance that you've absorbed from the image-making machine of our current administration that I have to be a "liberal." These labels are meaningless because they are used as separators and no longer have any identifiable meaning on their own. I don't know what I am but I don't view myself as a liberal. I find myself in whatever camp doesn't stand for American expansionism so that fat cats can become fatter and twelve-year-old minds can continue in their exuberant brainwash, and whatever camp extols fiscal responsibility for the government to its people.

Berigan, a twelve-year-old mind seems unable to grasp that just because I do not endorse your extremist imperialist fascistic stance that you've absorbed from the image-making machine of our current administration that I am not on the other extreme. I don't know what I am but I don't view myself as a liberal. I would consider membership for myself in whatever party doesn't stand for American expansionism so that fat cats can become fatter and twelve-year-old minds can continue in their exuberant brainwash.

You might find this nice readin' and listenin': http://www.redhotjazz.com/mound.html

I've had this set for several years, and it's a fantastic value. Don't hesitate!

I haven't bought it. Though I've really had to sort of hold myself back. I just wish I had it. . . it's not my most favorite period of Miles. . . it's too expensive in that case. . . but I'm still curious. .. and yellow.

And I believe that those you list are from the only session with Hawkins. MOST of the Mound City Blue Blowers as a band were trio or quartet sides with Jack Bland, Eddie Lang or Eddie Condon, and that hot comb and kazoo sound from Red. . . .Some other sides had added musicians as well, including Bunny Berigan. Great stuff, if you ask me! The later incarnation was more of a small group swing Chicago style influenced project, and had Berigan and others as well. Red's vocals were a more prominent feature.

I love this band. There are two cds on Sensation of the original band, and a Chronogical Classics cd of the later incarnation of Red McKenzie bands which are different, but I like Red a lot. I recommend one of the Sensation discs HIGHLY.