mjzee

No, really, great work! Thanks!

So I was trying to find a bluegrass bulletin board without real success, but then Google revealed a bluegrass thread on All About Jazz, and I recognized many of the posters, so I thought I'd resurrect this thread. My post, alas, is about an obscure album by an obscure band (I know, that's red meat to you guys!). It's a promo copy I got in 1972. It's on Raccoon, the band is High Country, and the name of the album is "Dreams." It's something I could not put into any sort of context way back when, but now I'm pretty familiar with the structure and sound of the form, if not with some of the "why's." Anyway, this is a pretty good, straight ahead bluegrass album, performed by a bunch of long haired hippies. The names of some of the people in the band sound familiar, and I was wondering if anyone knew what some of these guys went on to do. Butch Waller Chris Boutwell Ed Neff Bruce Nemerov Elon Feiner Album was produced and recorded by Banana. I did recognize one other name: the credits state "Thanks to Sneed Hearn for 2nd fiddle on Virginia Waltz." I think he played on a Little Feat album. The songs were written by the usual suspects: Monroe, Haggard, and the ubiquitous Trad. One cool songwriting credit is McCoury; guess he was making waves way back then. Anyway, if anyone can contribute any info, it would be appreciated. And feel free to extend this into a general bluegrass thread.

OK, here's my Michael Jackson story: I was working at an entertainment superstore in the early '90's that sold a lot of records. Every so often an artist would visit, and would be shown to the owner's office for a chat and a photo. I often took the pictures. One day Michael Jackson was there. I was about to take the picture when he called me aside and said, in that whispery voice of his, "When you take the picture, make sure that you get me from here" (the top of his head) "to here" (his belt buckle). Only after I left did I realize the meaning of his request: he didn't want me to take a closeup of his face. His face was pretty creepy. It reminded me of one of those grinning skulls. And he had a band-aid across the bridge of his nose, perhaps the result of some recent whittling. Ah, show biz will make you crazy. Rest in peace, Michael. Oh, one more thing: I still remember my brother remarking to me, in 1969, "the only thing weirder than Michael Jackson singing 'I Want You Back' is Mary Hopkin singing 'Those Were The Days.'"

I just got an email from Rhino Handmade: Rhino Handmade is happy to announce that Hommage A Nesuhi, available as a limited-edition boxed set at Rhinohandmade.com, can now be purchased as a download from iTunes. The digital collection includes 61 renowned jazz recordings and a PDF booklet featuring notes by Joel Dorn, tributes by Sue Mingus, Dr. John, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, David Ritz, a history of Atlantic Records and more. It looks like a nice overview of Atlantic Jazz in the sixties.

My 3 favorites of hers were Hejira, Blue and Clouds. DJRD seemed like Hejira Vol. 2, but more unfocussed. One sensed she was losing self-control; a tipoff was her "pissing a tequila anaconda the length of the parking lot" (a startling turn of phrase to be sure, but one I wished she didn't share), but it does make me wonder about the nature of the white lines of the freeway she was a prisoner to. I just never got into HOSC, it just never connected to me. I once owned it in Quad! Through the box set "What It Is!", I got an interesting insight into the appearance of Cheech and Chong on Twisted. Tommy Chong was a bass player for a band in Canada; I'll bet they knew each other way back when.

The last shot... Lester Young - Pres Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Relaxes Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio: Swingville Coleman Hawkins All Stars Featuring Joe Thomas And Vic Dickenson: Swingville Coleman Hawkins - Bean and the Boys Jimmy Raney - The Master Jimmy Raney - But Beautiful Rosemary Clooney - Sings the music of Harold Arlen Rosemary Clooney - Sings the music of Jimmy Van Heusen Stan Getz - The Dolphin Art Pepper - Landscape Warne Marsh & Lee Konitz - Live at Montmartre Vol. 3 Sarah Vaughan - Duke Ellington Songbook vol 2 Bye, guys!

Yes, they released some of the Jazz In Paris stuff as a distinct series. I remember the Clifford Brown. Overall, Inner City did have an ambitious release schedule for a small label with limited resources and no major backing.

I had a few discs where one side was pressed off-center. Boy, did that destroy the music; gave me vertigo!

Does anyone else here love this album? I've just transferred my poppy, warped vinyl copy to mp3. There is such a sound, a mood to this record. The lyrics are insightful, and the playing is just beautiful. In my memory, I thought Jaco dominated the album, and was surprised to see he's only on about half the album. Also surprisingly, the unsung hero (besides Mitchell's guitar playing) is Larry Carlton; he may have done smooth jazz in other contexts, but here he drops perfect little pearls of guitar. Also Bobbye Hall on percussion! So tasteful. I also got a kick when I realized the rhythm section of Hot Rats, Max Bennett and John Guerin, do an obviously different job on two tracks here. All in all, just a masterpiece.

Maybe we should start a thread about vocalists who sound like Norah Jones. I just came across this one on Amazon: Diane Birch As the first reviewer notes, "Diane Birch is reminiscent of Norah Jones and Ella Fitzgerald in a way that works without trying too hard." Of course, that could just be her mother writing.

Rosemary Clooney Abbey Lincoln Emily Remler Mary Lou Williams Stacey Kent Alberta Hunter Annie Ross Blossom Dearie Jeri Southern Karrin Allyson And the obvious ones (Billie, Ella, Sarah).

Try here: http://www.gokudo.co.jp/Record/10inRec/ If that doesn't work, maybe empty your cache?

See http://www.jazzdiscography.com/Brian/BrianDL.htm

With the old download manager, there were tracks that failed to download. At the end of each session, I had to scroll to review if there were tracks like that, then resumed their downloading. The one session I've had with the new d'l manager, it connects with iTunes and automatically puts the tracks there. I reviewed each album in iTunes, and, sure enough, one track in one album didn't download. I downloaded the track again and it was fine. I haven't experienced the different file with strange symbols.

This is wonderful; thanks to you both. The Prestige 10"...wow.

Also see my post in the Jazz In Print forum.

One of the perks of running London's Southbank Centre is getting to choose who will curate the cross-genre linkings, tributes and one-off events that make up the annual Meltdown festival . The venue's director Glenn Max is still mildly astonished to have found himself sitting on the sofa of his great hero, Soft Machine drummer Robert Wyatt, discussing the ten-day programme, soon after taking the job in 2001. This year, his invitation went to Ornette Coleman, the saxophonist, composer and eminence gris of free jazz. The iconoclastic and genre- bending American dovetails perfectly with Meltdown's emphasis on the bespoke and on the cutting edge, and harks back to the festival's early years - the first curator, in 1993, was contemporary classical composer George Benjamin, whereas the last two festivals were stewarded by British pop artists Jarvis Cocker and Massive Attack respectively. More here: Financial Times

I gotta say that, every time I see a new posting in the "Artists" thread, I think, oh no, who died... To prevent these premonitory shivers, maybe we can add an "RIP" section, where we can respectfully discuss those who have passed on. We can then leave the "Artists" thread to those who are either happily with us, or have been gone long enough that the edge has worn off. Worth a thought.

Winding down... Sonny Rollins - Reel Life Gary Burton & Pat Metheny - Quartet Live Chet Baker & Charlie Parker - Bird and Chet at the Trade Winds Duke Jordan - Les Liasions Dangereuses Art Farmer Quintet at Boomers vol 1, vol 2 Art Pepper - Roadgame Art Pepper - Today Art Pepper - Winter Moon Art Pepper - Renascence Art Pepper - Tokyo Debut Stan Getz - Pure Getz Tommy Flanagan - Master Trio Tommy Flanagan - Eclypso 14 albums...not bad for a day's work. I'll wait a day or two, then cancel this account. In about 2 weeks, I get one more shot, then I cancel the other account. Then I'm back to being a mere mortal.

Let's not forget that tantalizing mention in Max Gordon's autobiography that he used to tape performances at the Vanguard. I often wonder if those tapes still exist.

Link didn't work.

I guess I see things differently. I paid my monthly amount precisely to download titles I almost definitely would not have bought otherwise. So it's not a matter of my paying half of what I "should have been" paying; it's money I would not have paid otherwise. I think that's why Fantasy, to use one example, stayed on eMusic, and, in fact, kept titles there that they otherwise put out of print - they were collecting money from these titles they weren't getting otherwise. I also don't think the timing of the price increase with the Sony introduction was coincidence. Total guess on my part, but I think Sony actually bought a piece of eMusic. This also coincides with their discontinuing the BMG Music Club. I think Sony is seeing that the future is music downloads, and they want a piece of it. It's easier to buy an existing company than to build one from scratch. I'm quitting eMusic. I really don't see a downside - I can always rejoin.

I concur on the Howard Alden/Jimmy Bruno duo. Check this out: They do great versions of both "Jaguar" and "Sixty Four Bars on Wilshire". (The Herb Ellis/Joe Pass mention is of a different album, packed as a two-pack with the Alden/Bruno.)

Some good whinnying singalong by Stephen Scott on Sonny Rollins "Without A Song - The 9/11 Concert," for example on the track Where Or When. Oh yeah, excellent playing, too.

I just take a subset. Every so often I rotate the selection. I have the 120gb iPod, so I have a ridiculous amount of music on there anyway - no way I can listen to it all.