mjzee

I started watching The Avengers box...blissfully silly, suspenseful, and dear Mrs. Peel; just wonderful.

Scott Asheton, drummer for the influential punk rock band the Stooges, has died. He was 64.

RIP. I enjoyed seeing him on the Story of Blue Note TV program/DVD, reminiscing with Bob Cranshaw and Tommy Turrentine.

Just listened tonight to Trane's version of Invitation from Standard Coltrane. Great arrangement, beautiful playing from all concerned. Trane and Wilbur Harden made a great team; if you can, seek out their work on Savoy.

Teddy Edwards, Back To Avalon, $5.99 Milt Jackson, Soul Believer, $3.19 Milt Jackson, Big Bags, $4.99 Johnny Griffin, Bush Dance, $5.99 Nat Adderley, Branching Out, $5.99 Chet Baker, Once Upon A Summertime, $4.31 Hank Jones, Ain't Misbehavin', $5.99 Benny Golson, Remembering Clifford, $3.69 Frank Strozier, Long Night, $5.99 Sal Nistico, Heavyweights, $5.99 The Mangione Brothers, Jazz Brothers, $4.31 Zoot Sims, On The Korner, $5.99 Zoot Sims, The Innocent Years, $5.99

The reason it hasn't come out to date is that it's Neil's least favorite record. I like it, though it's a mess. It's interesting as much as a psychodrama as for the music. Neil's doing too much drugs, he fires his friend Danny Whitten on the eve of a huge, high-profile tour, Danny then dies by his own hand, and Neil has to go out and face huge audiences expecting to hear Harvest. The record is an incredible document of those encounters. As for the format in which it's being re-released, it's been noted since the '70's that those 4 records are "of a piece" - call it The Danny Crronicles (I know, I know, Bruce Berry too). It's the journey of a man going through hell, and emerging the other side. As for why now, and in this format, it's for Record Store Day. it's good to support the survival of record stores.

I remember the Air record when it came out. It got a big buzz in Manhattan.

FYI, Neil's releasing Time Fades Away on vinyl for Record Store Day - only available as a 4-LP set with On The Beach, Tonight's The Night, and Zuma. Not sure if this is available where you are. http://pitchfork.com/news/54191-neil-young-reissuing-time-fades-away-for-the-first-time-on-record-store-day/

I am playing "This time ..." just now. Wonderful. Dex really makes that record. The arrangements are great, the other playing masterful, but Dex propels the date to another level.

Loved Lou with Milt Jackson.

I love, love, love the following passage from the booklet: (They) no doubt would have attracted greater critical and historical attention had they been based in New York. Yet such a move was not in the cards for a band that had been formed by the blues-drenched atmosphere of their hometown, Houston, Texas; that from the outset recognized and saw no problem with the need to retain ties to their community and communicate with their listeners (hence the inordinate number of singles released by the band in the '60s); and that quickly rejected the East Coast/West Coast scheme and declared themselves to be Gulf Coast musicians. It was this mindset that led them to drop Jazz from their name, and that is well expressed by Joe Sample when he says that "I visited New York in '63, intending to move there, but I noticed that what I valued about jazz was being discarded. I ran into 'out-to-lunch' free jazz, and the notion that groove was old-fashioned. All around the United States, I could see jazz becoming linear, a horn-player's world. It made me realize that we were not jazz musicians; we were territory musicians in love with all forms of African-American music. All of the musicians I loved were territory musicians, deeply into blues and gospel as well as jazz. "Eric Clapton once told me, 'You're not a jazz musician, you're a blues musician,' and he's right. We couldn't help but be influenced by the energy and the soulfulness of a Howlin' Wolf or a Muddy Waters - even though educators, purists and critics believe that these things are passé. The art buffs want to dictate that, as art, jazz must go on to something new. I'm looking for what comes naturally out of a neighborhood, out of a community of musicians. I'm not interested in slide rules; I'm only interested in the productive side of a culture. I hear it in Beethoven, in great Russian music - it's a spiritual sense coming out of the spirit of mankind, and you won't find it on a slide rule. So ultimately we started playing our music, and all those musicians who wouldn't give us our due would stumble if they got up on the bandstand with us. Crusaders music may sound easy, but when they tried to play our groove we would kick their butts hard."

Jazz Crusaders arrived today, #1929.

There's an interesting little moment at the end of the Isle of Wight concert. The last song played (which I had never heard before; it isn't on the bootleg I've owned for many years) was Rainy Day Women. In the last verse, Dylan sings: They'll stone you when you're riding on your bike They'll stone you when you're singing in your mike It occurs to me that the last time Dylan played England was the infamous Royal Albert Hall show in 1966. Could this be a subtle dig at that concert?

I'd go see Charlie Hunter if he hit Houston.

Arrived today in great condition - can't wait to hear it.

Not jazz, but when I used to walk through the 42nd St-GCT station, I caught Susan Cagle play a few times on the mezzanine level, and she knocked me out. I bought the CD from her. It was actually recorded on the subway platform. Much better than those guys who keep playing El Condor Pasa.

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Straight Ahead, $4.19 Harry Edison and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Simply Sweets, $5.99 J.A.T.P. In London 1969, $5.75 J.A.T.P., Frankfurt 1952, $5.99

Today it's on sale for $24.99! http://www.amazon.com/Avengers-Complete-Emma-Peel-Megaset/dp/B00E5G03I4/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1394201433&sr=1-1&keywords=the+avengers+emma+peel Thanks! It's now on order.

I'm in, as usual. Thanks for hosting the board, Jim.

Just finished watching the DVD of the 30th Anniversary Concert. It's great, just great. Wonderful hi-def picture quality, great sound, and it was just a great moment in time. All of these performers, still vital, slammin' it for Bob. A lot of poignant moments too - I was touched watching Carolyn Hester with Nancy Griffith, for example. Just a lot of terrific music.

Phil Woods, Pairing Off, with Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham, Tommy Flanagan, Gene Quill, Doug Watkins, & Philly Joe Jones, $3.59. Amazon

Sounds like fun. I've emailed Pattye.

That just makes it more satisfying!

I ordered the Jazz Crusaders. My awareness was widened by the Lou Blackburn set on BN (formerly on Imperial) that I want to hear more of this type of sophisticated yet grooving West Coast musicians.