Quasimado

Fats is the man - I just hope they spend serious time looking at that Birdland session from May 17, 1950. I can't believe that is Fats fucking up on "Conception" - Fats never fucked up. Q

From the Lennie Tristano Forum (11/30/2004): "In roughly 1985 I ran across a compilation album that included two tracks said to be Lennie Tristano, in 1943, overdubbing four tenor sax recordings, unaccompanied, with two 78 rpm disc recorders. They were two jazz standards of the thirties. The recording was in a huge LP collection at a radio station where I did a weekly jazz program till twelve years ago. I have visited the station several times and tried to find it, with no success. Unfortunately, I seem only to recall the album title ended with the word "forties or 40s". I cannot recall who else was on the album or the album's label, just that there were eight tracks, including the two of Tristano. Tristano, once more, has been unaccredited as being ahead of his time. Those two unprecedented tracks were certainly well ahead of Les Paul's overdubbing of 1949. Is there anyone reading this that has those two Tristano tracks? I would love a copy, or even just the label and album title so I could search for it. Any help is welcome. Bob Fox" Q

You have an actual disc? That's a real rarity, I would say. I have both the Warne sides on tape. *Swinging* has beautiful Warne and very fine RB. *Now Hear This* is a well sung ballad, with some fine Warne obligato and an excellent solo. This was an excellent session all round... but just about as obscure as anything I can imagine ... Great Find! Q

Do you mean to say our ex- soul sister (the lady with the questionable mouth) is still around? I'm shocked to hear this ... Q

Well, to my ears at least, they are pretty much conceptually, rhythmically and harmonically a long way apart. From my understanding it would seem that it was really hearing Bud that turned Lennie from a flashy modernist to a pianist who came to appreciate the value of each note he played. I recall reading somewhere that he was so taken by Bud's ability to approach what he (LT) thought of as pure musical expression that he spent sets lying under Bud's piano! It's not a big leap from there to his concept of *playing from the id*, allowing the music to manifest itself through the elimination of (egoistic) emotion, in an environment of intensive practice. Despite Crouch's reservations, Iverson could do worse than investigate this path - it hasn't lost any of its validity, IMO. Q

Q

I don't think this has been covered here: http://thebadplus.typepad.com/dothemath/20...e-tristano.html It's is a great read (extensive, with related chapters). I have to disagree with his theory that LT disliked Monk's piano because it was too black. Quote *... the point is that Tristano’s paranoia about drummers and his distaste for Monk seem perfectly aligned. He doesn’t want too much African diaspora in his jazz, period*. Well, It's an argument, but IMO LT respected Bird and Bud for their amazing (at their best) melodic and rhythmic development of the line - a purely Black, bebop development. Monk is a master in his own right, but rather than too black, he is too *primitive* (ie his vision is too idiosyncratic) for Lennie to appreciate, compared to these two instrumental masters ... Q

Arrangements on the CP album are square, old man arrangements, not even coming close to Comstock. It's ironic that most (not all) of the "jazz guy plus strings" albums had arrangements infinitely more square than you hear on so-called "easy listening" records from this period. Nobody mentioned the arrangements ... Q

Chet Baker Sextet ('54) with Shank and Brookmeyer playing Mandel arrangement has a superb Chet solo - the kind that makes you sit up and think "This cat can play!" There's also a nice Bird w. Strings on Verve - kills Comstock. Q

I hope you didn't take any baggage into the interview, Allen Q

With a little less meditation and more drinking you'll soon be ready for AFL! Q

The same question could be asked about CT ... Q

Agree - a fine book IMO, well researched, many new facts uncovered - I would think essential reading for anyone with an interest in Twardzik and his music, and also the Boston scene at the time ... Q

Yes, that's one of these 2CD sets - isn't this the one that's below 80 minutes? I think it is. The second of the 2CD set is called "At Café Downtown Society and Birdland" Yes, that's it. Now that you mention it, the time for *Open Door* is just over an hour, although the cover says "Duration 130.14". Still, it's good music. Notes are by Bird nut Robert Bregman. Q

Talking of Ember Records releases, I just picked up *Charlie Parker at the Open Door*, which is a 2 cd set from one of Chan's tapes. IMO this is fine Bird from July '53, with reasonably good sound for a live recording from the period, although it's basically only Bird, as other soloists have been deleted, (which may bug some people) ... Personel is Bird/ Benny Harris/ Haig/ Mingus/ AT. Bud gets a mention but doesn't seem to play... Still, as I said, it's fine, later Bird ... has it ever been issued in the States? Q

Oh yeah, classic, beautiful Bird ... I've heard it said Lowe or Chuck Wayne, but listening to Lowe on *Bird is Free*, to my ears it doesn't seem to be him. On *Free* Lowe has a very sure attack and is pretty secure as he goes through the changes. The guitarist on *Lover* is more hesitant attackwise and seems a bit unsure as to where he is at times ... Q

It's remarkable to me that someone can supposedly hear Warne Marsh but not appreciate Konitz and Tristano in any depth. Usually it's Marsh who is unappreciated ... Q

I'm listening to the Autumn Broadcasts now, and this is Bud-at-peak-power, as Allen says ... there are gems everywhere. .. his line on *Oblivion* (track 14) is pure genius! Thanks Gheorghe and Michael for getting me to relisten to these... for me, Bud and a few others are what it's about... Q

*Heart* is certainly beautiful Bud... it would have been nice if he'd played more choruses - Bud at his best can have a lot to say. In fact most of the tunes on this disc (Autumn) are just 3-4 minutes long, which is a little weird seeing it was a live gig ... when Bud is playing well, the more the better. Q

Just listened to the Summer Sessions. To my ears Bud's best playing on this occurs with Bird - on both *Moose* and *Cheryl* Bird is playing to kill and Bud responds in kind, his playing on *Cheryl* being especially lucid and rhythmic. IMO the greatest Bud on disc is the Bird/ Bud/ Fats from the 1950 Birdland broadcast(s), where Bud reaches incredible heights, no doubt inspired by the greatness of his colleagues (although that ((their musical greatness)) was often a problem for him, too)... Q

Thanks for reminding me of that LP, Larry. It's one I lost along the way - fortunately I was able to pick one up through the mail from Jazz Record Mart last week! It's essential listening for anyone interested in Lee's early work. His playing on "All the Things" from the jam session after the concert is enthralling, and you have already mentioned his out-of-body playing on the Kenton track (his playing on the Paris and Munich concerts approximates that)... It seems amazing, but as far as I can tell, this Dragon "Sax of a Kind" LP does not appear to have been re-issued on CD, a situation one hopes will be rectified before too long. A Kenton- Konitz collection would be nice, too - in the Hamilton book Lee mentions receiving as a gift 2 CDs somebody put together of his playing taken from the Kenton band's weekly radio shows - there is a LOT of material out there (airshots, concerts) from one of his most creative periods ... Q

SIDEMAN the autobiography of Billy Bauer (WH Bauer Inc) from 1997 would seem to be close to what you (Brownie) were looking for ... some really nice remembrances, observations and photos of BB with Herman, LT, Konitz, Bird etc. example with Bird: BB: Charlie, while I have you alone I wanted to ask you ... every time in Birdland you'd come in this Cadillac. You just get out and little Pee Wee Marquet would park it. How did it feel to be in that Cadillac? CP: Well, BB Here's what it is. I go out of the house, get in the car, go to Birdland, get out of the car... Q

Absolutely some of the very best Fats and Eager! Q

I can imagine - many of the critics of the time were deaf - others carried imaginary baggage ... the music speaks for itself. Q

Schildkraut has 2 solos in the second half of both the Munich and Paris concerts... but certainly he is not featured like Konitz is. Q