Brubeck & Rushing -- I know what

[JSngry]

I agree with Jim's characterization of the sound there, but agree with Allen IIRC that the CD sounded much worse.

God, talk about the worst of both worlds...

Also agree with you re:Frishberg's accompaniment, although you specifically nail my heretofore unspecific "general feeling". That's a cat I've never warmed to in general, for some reason.

[medjuck]

I've got a cd entitled "The Scene Live in New York" with Zoot, Al and Frishberg from 1965 that sounds pretty good. The notes make mention of The You and Me That Used To Be saying that it was Rushing's final album but he lived long enough to learn that Down Beat critics voted it "record of the year" in 1972.

[AllenLowe]

hmmm - re: Larry's comments - I like Frishberg on that LP - a rare moment, for me, of musical disagreement with Mr. Kart. I find his playing very nicely Hines-ian.

Edited December 30, 2010 by AllenLowe

[Larry Kart]

Allen: Hines IMO would not have been an ideal (or perhaps even a satisfactory) accompanist for Rushing -- too aggressive. I'd prefer, say, Sir Charles Thompson or Nat Pierce's neo-Basie-isms or the way Dick Cary plays behind Rushing on the all-round excellent "Eddie Condon in Japan" (Chiarascuro) from 1964. Cary might be the best point of comparison to Frishberg, albeit Cary is much farther down in the mix, because they're working in the same general style but Cary's sense of light and shade and swing, when and when not to step forward, seems to me much superior. Also, doesn't Frishberg sound rather numb-fingered on his "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" solo?

Which reminds me, another thing I don't like about the "The You and Me That Used To Be" date is, by and large, Mel Lewis. Like too many more or less modern drummers who find themselves in a mainstream context with specific '30s material to work with, Lewis goes into a neo-"old-timey" bag, with (in particular) stiff, leaden backbeats. Hey, it's just music, Mel -- let it swing. A comparison with the lovely flow of Cliff Leeman (a drummer who actually was active in that era) on that Condon album is striking in this respect. Leeman was in fine form on the great Atlantic Joe Turner LP with Lawrence Brown and Pete Brown -- a model of how to pay tribute to the jazz-blues past while keeping things wholly alive and alert in the present.

BTW, one of the goofiest examples of a talented modern drummer going rogue on a mainstream date was the admittedly young Andrew Cyrille on Coleman Hawkins' "The Hawk Relaxes" (Moodsville) from 1961. Apparently feeling that he was backing an old guy, Cyrille plays in a stiff, simplistic manner that might have been thought arch at a tea dance.

It's so damn easy to get these things wrong and yet not that hard to get them right. The producer just has to make good choices and use his ears.

[Big Beat Steve]

The Spanish label As Is is releasing this month a CD that couples 'Brubeck & Rushing' with the splendid 'Rushing Lullabies'

Another one of those pairings that could drive you nuts because they are DEAD SURE to pair a relatively easily accessible (via previous reissues) record with one you've been looking for for ages.

In fact I picked up a (Fresh Sound) LP of Rushing Lullabies not long ago but what's been written about that Rushing & Brubeck pairing (which would have looked extremely incongruous to me too, though I am not a Brubeck hater) here has made me quite curious.

[medjuck]

The legitimate Sony cd of Rushing Lullabies was a twofer: the 2nd Lp was Little Jimmy Rushing and the Big Brass. It also includes one bonus track from the Lullabies sessions. Is it OOP?

[AllenLowe]

I haven't listened to the Rushing RCA date in a long time, but will try to pull it this weekend. I honestly don't recall having any problems with Mel or Frishberg, but will have to report back.