theteach

Cookin' I think is such an underappreciated album. The build up to track #5 Well, well is a real pay-off. This weekend I couldn't get over the soloing going on on Track 1 of the Blues Book. I just kept repeating 6:10-11:20 over and over again. The soloing there is just plain clever and smart. Booker Ervin rocks. I picked up the Parlan set on Mosaic just for those OOP albums with Ervin. Lou

I wish Jazztet sets could be found as well. Is it me or did that liscense run out awfully fast? Lou

Earl May

Great responses everyone. If I could pick a live session it would be easily and by a wide margin be Arnett Cobb's Live at Sandy's. Lou

Hello everyone, I'm just listening to some of my favorite sessions and for some of them I say to myself, 'wow, I wish I was sitting in on that session." Here's my list of soulful cookin' sessions: King Curtis: Soul Meeting Charles Mingus: Oh Yeah Bennie Green: Walking Down Bennie Green: Walkin' and Talkin' Benny Golson: Groovin' w/ Golson Arnett Cobb: Party Time Oliver Nelson: Soul Battle Harry Edison: Mr. Swing/Swinger Booker Ervin: Cookin' If only I could include live sessions. Studio sessions only. Lou

Tonight I saw Bennie Wallace at the Jazz Standard. It's always great to see Bennie playing in clubs. He needs to do it more often! He was with his Coleman Hawkins tribute group. Adam Rafferty was great on guitar. Great night overall, and Tiki Barber was in the audience. Heard he's a Dizzy's Club Coca Cola regular. Going to see Wynton Marsalis and his orchestra perform Ellington's Nutcracker Suite this Friday at NJPAC. Can't wait. Lou

Being a Mingus completist, I had to pick up this album just out of curiosity. I've heard many people dismiss this album, as "sedated Mingus" since this date came right when Mingus got back in the game in the early 70s. However, this 1972 live recording has a very smiliar feel to the Carnegie Hall date, as the sound of the band has that pre-Changes I and II feel. Well, this album features to standards Perdido and Celia that essentially turn into a jam session. On Celia, Hamiet Bluett really lets loose. He does a nice job playing within the structure of the song and then letting loose but never losing control. His sqealing sounds an awful lot like George Coleman. On Perdido, there are some nice moments. First Cat Anderson joins the group and his contribution reminds me of MIngus's work with Roy Eldridge's collaboration on the Newport Rebel tracks. Pianist, John Forster, takes a page from Jaki Byard and breaks into a boogie woogie/classical/classical march solo. Needless to say, if you're a fan of the Carnegie Hall date, you'll enjoy this release. he sound is good, a little too much treble, would like more bass. However, I'm glad I got this release. Lou

I'm enjoying this new release. Specifically, I love Orange was the Color of Her Dress with Johnny Coles. His part truly gives the song a very bluesy feel. Later versions, without him, are missing something. My other favorites are Take the A Train, Jaki Byard's solo on Fables is amazing, and i love Mingus's intro to So Long Eric. It seems like maybe the band missed his cue to begin. By any chance, can Mingus fans really be treated with a release of the complete sessions of the 1961-62 Birdland Broadcasts? Now that would be a real treat. Lou

When I first saw this listing, I thought to myself, "Wow, what an odd combination!" But I see that this was an unauthorized release when it came out on LP. Any word if the reissue in March is also unauthorized by Sue Mingus? Lou

Hello everybody: I'm a big Duke Ellington fan and admirer and I really enjoy his numerous suites. I was wondering if there will ever be a possibility, or if it is even humanly possible, for a record label to create a box set featuring every Ellington suite performed in the studio. How many suites did Ellington compose? There seems to be so many. Thanks for any insight. Lou

Hello everybody: The merchant where I buy my rare cds just got a new stock of rare Candid cds. I was curious about the following Mingus cd. The Jazz Life FEATURING TOMMY FLANAGAN, CHARLES MCPHERSON, AND BOOKER ERVIN CANDID 79019 CHARLES MINGUS R&R - 11:52 Black Cat Blues - 4:13 Father and Son - 9:31 Lord, Lord, Am I Ever Gonna Know? - 5:22 Vassarlean - 6:41 Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah - 7:00 Benny Bailey - Trumpet Walter Benton - Sax (Tenor) Patti Bown - Piano Hugh Brodie - Sax (Tenor) Nico Bunick - Piano Kenny Clarke - Drums Ted Curson - Trumpet Eric Dolphy - Clarinet (Bass), Sax (Alto) Kenny Dorham - Trumpet Roy Eldridge - Trumpet Booker Ervin - Sax (Tenor) Tommy Flanagan - Piano Jimmy Garrison - Bass Lonnie Hillyer - Trumpet Wilbert G.T. Hogan - Drums Lightnin' Hopkins - Guitar, Vocals Jo Jones - Drums Jimmy Knepper - Trombone Cal Massey - Trumpet Charles McPherson - Sax (Alto) Charles Mingus - Bass John Morrison - Bass Cecil Payne - Sax (Baritone) Julian Priester - Trombone Dannie Richmond - Drums Max Roach - Drums Martial Solal - Piano Lucky Thompson - Sax (Tenor) Peter Trunk - Bass Julius Watkins - French Horn Recorded in 1960. Some of this material has had to shown up on any other of the candid recordings, right? A little clarification would help. Lou

Hey everybody: I'm planning on going to see the Clifford Brown Tribute show at Dizzy's club Coca-Cola in late June. This will be my first time in that club. Do any of you have any positive experiences there? How's the seating to see the artists? Is there room to enjoy a meal? Do you sit at your own table? I've been to Iridium, the Blue-Note, and the Fez before. I've enjoyed Iridium in the past, and laughed at the irrate customers in the Blue-Note who couldn't believed the cramped seating. Any comparisons to Dizzy's club? Thanks for your help. Lou

Yes, I see that this is actually apart of the Live Trane box set as it was mis-dated in the actual set. I already own this. Thank you for the clarification. Lou

Thanks for the reply. Anybody know if these are the Birdland recordings of 1962? Also any idea if these were previously issued? Thanks again. Lou

Hello: This Tuesday, an album titled John Coltrane Quintet with Eric Dolphy will be released through Koch and Passport. Was this recording ever issued in the past? Where and when was it recorded? Are Kock and Passport labels with good sound quality? Thank you for any help. Lou

Just listened to Alice Coltrane's Ptah the El Daoud. Pretty amazing. Lou

Ok then, I have a very limited amount of Miles in my collection. Any good Miles Davis albums featuring modal compositions (other than kind of blue) that are also acoustic (no fusion)? How about Alice Coltrane album recs or Tyner recs? Thanks. Lou

Hey: I'm a big fan of modal jazz in the spirit of Coltrane. Any good recent albums from the 90s or current featuring good modal compositions? Thanks. Lou

Wow, just watched this today after receiving it for x-mas. Sue's changes is simply amazing as Pullen's 'locked hands' and Walrath's solos are amazing. George Adams didn't blow me away; I sorta wished Rahsaan Roland Kirk was there to show him up. On Take the A train, Mulligan's play with Mingus is exceptional! Highly recommended! Lou

Ellington's Nutcracker Suite. That's the best there is. Lou

Essential Mingus (in my opinion of course) Mingus presents Charles Mingus (Candid) The Great Concert of Mingus (Verve) Mingus at Antibes (Atlantic) Oh Yeah (Atlantic) Tijuana Moods (RCA) Lou

I used to have this problem until I got engaged. Now I'm just broke. No live shows or new cds Lou

Try Peter Thomas's Kriminal Film Musik or Film Musik Also, try Barry Adamson's Moss Side Story. If you like Zorn's Spillane, The Bribe is another good one. Finally, this might be stretching it, but how about the avant/prog rock of Fantomas's Director's Cut. Lou

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've seen the Mingus Big Band at the Fez. I'm happy and excited to see them head over to Iridium in November. Lou

Great responses: I also use Langston's work set to jazz during the winter time with my students. We specifically cover Weary Blues and Note on Commercial Street. I supplement it with our study of African American Civil Rights along with our reading of To Kill a Mockingbird. Mingus has been a heavy influence for me. Can you guys also point to me any other contemporary artists that are in the same vein as Mingus. I have listened to most post-bop of the late 50s-60s; the avant-garde of the early 70-early 90s; and also the swing era. Any recent albums or releases that you think will catch my attention? I appreciate it. Lou