A Little Gem That Gets Less Littler & More Gemier

[JSngry]

Temporrarily out-of-stock on a pricy Japanese import here: http://www.dustygroove.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap...22&issearch=yes

I've got the 70s LP reissue, but, hey, this is one time where I can fully recommend dropping the J-Bucks to get something that pays back in value recieved with a nice return to boot.

An EX-cellent album.

[Johnny E]

Great line-up especially for 1957!

Bill Evans, Gene Quill and Dannie Richmond

[JSngry]

Great lineup indeed, and a repository of great tunes ("Idol Of The Flies" is a freakin' JEWEL of a tune!!!) as well as some familiar (and not so familiar - where the hell find Knepper find the lovely & sentimental "Close As Pages In A Book"?) items given arrangements with a lot more (and higly rewarding) care and detail than one might think they'd warrant taken at tempos that reveal a love of dancing (or at least playing for dancers), which at this point in time wasn't exactly fashionable (but Knepper being the Birdhound that I take it that he was surely saw Bird play more than one dance...). And Bill Evans in his best pre-LaFaro-era "I'm not exactly sure if I want to really be exactly here or not, so I'm not going to say too much about what's going on, but dammit, I just GOTTA say this about that" form. And the cuts w/Gene Roland are a gas as well.

Well worth a seekout.

[Peter Johnson]

Same trombonist as on Mingus Ah Um, right? LOVE his work on that side...I wasn't certain he'd done anything else! I'll keep my eyes open for this.

Huh--after looking at Allmusic, I see he died last year. Bummer.

Edited December 29, 2004 by Peter Johnson

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I just picked up Knepper & Pepper on CD this past weekend. Knepper could play that's for sure.

The thing about these Bethlehem's from Japan is that they usually sound phenomenal. The group of re-mastering engineers who do these is probably the same guys who do the Blue Note TOCJ discs. They do a great job regardless of the source material.

I'll have to look for this one.

Later,

Kevin

[JSngry]

Knepper might, MIGHT, be my most favorite post-Swing trombonist. The guy had both roots and chops out the wazzoo, to say nothing of a totally sunny disposition, which is accurately reflected in this album's cover photo.

LOVE that cover photo.

[jazzbo]

[jazzbo]

Knepper is a big favorite. I love that Mingus band with Shaw, Knepper and Hadi in the front line. FANTASTIC!

[brownie]

If you like the Bethlehem album, then it's time to check the Steeplechase date 'Cunningbird' that had Knepper fronting a quintet of Al Cohn, Roland Hanna, George Mraz and Dannie Richmond. Knepper composed all six tunes on that now obscure album.

[kh1958]

There are two outstanding Soul Note releases co-led by George Adams and Dannie Richmond (Hand to Hand and Gentleman's Agreement) that feature Jimmy Knepper.

[jazzbo]

Red Trumpet may well have it on hand:

http://www.redtrumpet.com/software/item.ph...&sid=1213764969

[jazzbo]

Alright!

I wish they had "East Coasting."

[jazzbo]

Oh, I have several copies of the material, I just sort of want to have the TOCJ Bethlehem cd version one day!

[sheldonm]

Knepper might, MIGHT, be my most favorite post-Swing trombonist. The guy had both roots and chops out the wazzoo, to say nothing of a totally sunny disposition, which is accurately reflected in this album's cover photo.

LOVE that cover photo.

This photo be taken from the photos used for the Grapes of Wrath !

[Brad]

I knew this thread was going to cost me!

[Spontooneous]

...arrangements with a lot more (and higly rewarding) care and detail than one might think they'd warrant taken at tempos that reveal a love of dancing (or at least playing for dancers), which at this point in time wasn't exactly fashionable ...

I think Knepper was in Claude Thornhill's band about this time. That might have influenced these things too.

(A friend of Free For All and me, Arch Martin, was the other trombone with Thornhill. The section had two trombones and a french horn, he says.)

[Chuck Nessa]

Knepper is my favorite trombonist after Dickie Wells. I was lucky enough to work with both of them.

Life can be GRAND.

[JSngry]

Back in stock at Da' Bastids: http://www.dustygroove.com/jazzcd3.htm#364989