Quasimado

Just picked up this fine 4 cd production by Michael D Anderson. Essentially it's a history of Bird's life and development in the music during the period stated. What is unique about it is that there are interviews with many of the musicians involved in the sessions (Bird, Max, Bags, Roy Porter, Teddy Edwards, Howard McGhee, Earl Coleman); AND the chronological selection of the music is in the main from relatively obscure sources (Boris Rose etc.), all of it compelling, and some of it pretty rare (example: *Dee Dee's Dance* by the Howard McGhee group from the Hi-De-Ho Club in '47). The historical musical perspective includes the earliest known demo disc, the McShann Wichita transcriptions, Monroe's Uptown House 1942, Vic Damon Studios in KC 1942, The RedCross recordings, Cootie Williams Orchestra, Bird & Diz at Lincoln Square 1945, the 3 Jubilee Sessions on the West Coast, some of the Dial sessions, the Homecooking sessions (some of it new to my ears), the 3 Ulanov's All Star Modern Jazz Broadcasts etc. Anderson has worked as a musician, and produced "Bebop City" on Public Radio from 1984 - 1995 (I wish I had heard that!). There are 2 informative 32 page booklets, with session details, photos, historical references etc... I would have liked clearer personnel listings, but the information is there if you search for it. Re Bird's woodshedding incident, presuming the dates in the booklet are correct, it would appear that Joe Jones threw the cymbal at Bird's feet sometime in 1940, when he (Bird) was 20. Now, he already had a lot of experience behind him - and you can hear just how good he was later in the November of the same year in the Wichita transcriptions with McShann (Lady be Good etc.) - he could really play! Maybe there was more to Jones' action than music... or perhaps he didn't understand where Bird was coming from... For the Bird nut (me) this is essential in every way ... Q

Anything by Oscar Pettiford. Also check out Peter Ind on "The Real Lee Konitz" (used be Atlantic) - swinging, inventive, accurate... Q

Ah, nice post ... and then there are Bird's rhythmic choices... sometimes heard (by me) initially as vague somethings, until with repeated listenings something clicked (in my mind) ... and that understanding threw the previously half-understood line into complete and amazing focus... Early Lee (including the Kenton years) ... so different from Bird, and yet so creative, melodically and rhythmically ... and his use of space as part of his line ... what an amazing musical tale he could tell... Ernie Henry, with that flowing, tumbling rhythmic line. His sound approximated Bird's, but his conception was his own. The stuff with Fats in '48 was already mature ... his rhythmic conception approaching the bizarre ... and yet so right. Q

What brought that on??? Q

Lee is right... even as he doesn't play as well as he has done, but then, he's in his 80s... If you don't have some kind of standard (standards?) in which musicians can demonstrate their understanding of melody, rhythm and Swing (put all these things together and think Western Raga), as has been established by the generally accepted Great jazz musicians of the past, then you might as well give Jazz away... just forget it... But (whatever) It (Jazz/ swing) won't go away, because it's so attractive to so many hip people who want to work within it's parameters ... Q

Larry, Which volume is his piece on Fats in? I tried going through them but couldn't find it. It's a pretty painful process on my old machine... Q November 1959 Whoops! Got it - wrong site... Harvey responds to Bill Crow (in particular) who badly missed the point about Fats in his review of Dec '58. Very perceptive article. Thanks Harvey. Q

Larry, Which volume is his piece on Fats in? I tried going through them but couldn't find it. It's a pretty painful process on my old machine... Q

Thanks John. Q

If I recall correctly the original Volume One of the Aladdins issued on the English Vogue lable had a very hip mosaic-type cover including a pic of Lester, glass in hand. Would any of our UK members be able to upload that? Q

Well, he's calling Jazz playing as a lot of people see it (I mean I get the feeling some of you guys seem to spurn any definition of the music you grew up on and loved). But again there are some of us for whom the basic elements (swing, musical invention) are still there, and he mentions Warne Marsh, which is right, because it shows people have been listening to the Real Deal regardless of politics, which is Great! Jazz will develop in it's own way, and for the people who love it, it's based on Louis, Prez, Bird, Bud, Warne and Changes (think American Raga!)... It's so beautiful, and very much alive ... Q

Great work! I look forward to getting into these. Q

Lester took Hawk out ... pure music. Q

This is a collectors item! - Wardell Gray/ Dexter Gordon w. Russ Freeman, Clarence Jones, Lawrence Marable *Stompin at the Savoy* recorded at the Cliff Club, Hollywood, 1953 Not much Wardell, but what there is great. Good Dexter, rhythm section... - Lee Konitz Quartet plus Warne Marsh (Lee with Ronnie Ball, Peter Ind, Jeff Morton) *Bop Goes the Leezel, You Go to my Head, Subconcious Lee* recorded live at Storyville, Boston, 1954. As far as I know, these 3 tracks are the only live recordings by this Konitz group that include Marsh... great performances by a great band. To my ears the tape speed seems a little fast, but then you can't have everything ... - Warne Marsh Quartet plus Zoot Sims (Warne w. Lou Levy, Fred Atwood, Jake Hanna) *April* taped at Ratso's, Chicago, February 1976. From the notes, this would appear to be the same Marsh group (minus Zoot) that made *All Music* for Chuck's Nessa label a couple of days later. Fine Marsh - Zoot sounds stodgy in comparison ... - Sonny Stitt/ Red Holloway Quintet w. Art Hilary (p), Richard Reed (b), Bruno Carr (d) *Blue'n Boogie, Stardust, Wee, Finale* recorded live in Norway, 1981. Typical blowing session by fine musicians. Q

Brownie writes: "... originally on a 22LP box (plus a 7inch disc of Lester singing) in Italy. A limited edition of 300 copies!" Lester singing?!!! I've heard about that! I need it! Where is it? Q

Interesting. If I recall correctly Julie Macdonald was married to Tristano drummer Jeff Morton (who is credited with the photograph in Reisner's book), which presumably accounts for the Tristano connection. Q

Any details? I presume he played the early Lennie free things, but otherwise I see more differences than similarities, Lennie settling for stretching out on the changes, as exemplified in that Half Note clip. That said, I'm interested in what he had to say/play. Q

Manhattan Studio? Now also OOP. It's available locally in the US on Jazz Records (JR11CD), the label started by LT himself and continued by his family. It has a powerful and relatively unknown catalogue. http://www.jazzrecordsinc.com/2catalog.html Q Thanks for the link. Unfortunately, they don't sell directly and the Tristano CD is not currently available from Cadence, the store they link to. It's listed at Cadence ...I just saw it, and if it's listed, it should be available (or Cadence isn't what it used to be ... ) Click on North Country Distribution (Cadence) through the Jazz Records *Order Page*, enter *Lennie Tristano* where it says "Click here for our main search and order pages". Most of the Tristano on the Jazz Records label is there, including JR11. Q I did not say that it isn't listed at Cadence; it is and if you had looked carefully, you would have seen that it's marked "temporarily out of stock", which means that it's "not currently available from Cadence" as I posted above. Whoops...apologies. You could mail Jazz Records directly. Carol Tristano runs it, or did. She's pretty helpful. Q

Manhattan Studio? Now also OOP. It's available locally in the US on Jazz Records (JR11CD), the label started by LT himself and continued by his family. It has a powerful and relatively unknown catalogue. http://www.jazzrecordsinc.com/2catalog.html Q Thanks for the link. Unfortunately, they don't sell directly and the Tristano CD is not currently available from Cadence, the store they link to. It's listed at Cadence ...I just saw it, and if it's listed, it should be available (or Cadence isn't what it used to be ... ) Click on North Country Distribution (Cadence) through the Jazz Records *Order Page*, enter *Lennie Tristano* where it says "Click here for our main search and order pages". Most of the Tristano on the Jazz Records label is there, including JR11. Q

Manhattan Studio? Now also OOP. It's available locally in the US on Jazz Records (JR11CD), the label started by LT himself and continued by his family. It has a powerful and relatively unknown catalogue. http://www.jazzrecordsinc.com/2catalog.html Q

I enjoyed LaPorta's autobiography, but as far as his playing went, at least in the early days, for some reason he seemed to be included in company that was out of his league - you know, the stuff with Tristano and Bird ... Q

I see there is a new 2 CD Clifford release *PLAYS TRUMPET & PIANO THE COMPLETE SOLO REHEARSALS* on the *RARE LIVE RECORDINGS* label. Seems to have a lot of interesting stuff including private solo piano recordings, tapes of him practicing the trumpet unaccompanied at home, an unissued live performance of 'I Come From Jamaica' and a trumpet alto sax duet version of 'Ornithology' with his teacher Robert Lowery in 1949 or 1950, among other things. Any Clifford completists out there who have heard this? Q

Tristano certainly didn't have a high opinion of Monk's playing, and didn't hide it. Interestingly, a friend of mine once asked Monk what he thought of LT. Monk replied, "What about him! He's one helluva piano player, ain't he?" Q

In the Program Page, re the Hard Bop tributes, Art Lange says,"it (the group) rescues these tunes from oblivion while communicating the joy and exhilaration at their essence, and shows that a fresh, imaginative and fearless attitude can revitalize such material without mimicking older performance styles". Well, I have to disagree. To my ears, the "jazz" alto on the "hard bop" tracks is tiring, lacks cohesion and is completely derivative... the fearless Attitude (in abundance) means the music is far from being either fresh or imaginative. The film scores, if that's what they are, are more interesting, in a fractured kind of way ... Q ... (Thank you for the programs).

I once went to a local jazz recital here in Japan where the featured musician opened by lying on the floor with his soprano (saxophone). (Very) slowly he rose to a kneeling position, and proceeded to breath loudly into the mouthpiece while making fluttering sounds with the pads/keys. I retired to the bar about this time... He didn't blow a note, but impressed some members of the audience with his sincerity. I believe he was self taught... (True story). Q

Actually it's up to you. Q