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Joel Ross - Kingmaker [Blue Note, USA 2019]

just looked up the review again, it's in the 23 January 1969 issue... the review is by Dan Morgenstern, no less, and it's one of the harshest reviews I've read in Downbeat.. only * actually, not *1/2 The O’Bryant album, part of the first release by Biograph Records, a new branch of Historical devoted to material leased from the Paramount catalog, is a horrible mistake. Perhaps we need to know that bad music was made by jazzmen of the ’20s, but 12 tracks of mediocre “hokum” music seem a needlessly sadistic way to belabor that obvious point. O'Bryant, a much-recorded Chicago-based clarinetist, died young, probably in the mid-1930s. The liner notes state that he was a major musician, but his music nullifies the claim. That he was once mistaken for Johnny Dodds (on other records than these) proves only that some people have tin ears. Not even Jimmy Blythe's excellent piano can redeem this set, especially since he only has one short solo spot. Jasper Taylor plays nice washboard, but washboard can’t save the day. The sole ray of musical light is shed by Bob Shoffner, who appears on one track. This is a collection of some of the corniest music ever rescued from well-deserved oblivion. In fairness to O’Bryant, it must be noted that he could play better than he did here (the records were deliberately corny—the laughing clarinet was the forerunner of the honking tenor).  In principle, yes, some people must have liked the music better than Morgenstern, otherwise it would never have been recorded and reissued... when I got the record (it was supposed to cost 3 Euro but it was on sale for 1 Euro iirc) and first played it, I just felt it get on my nerves in a way few records do... so I started to read around a bit and found the Morgenstern review spot on...  Regarding online resources for old-time jazz, I can also recommend the collection of articles here:  http://vjm.biz/articles.html

Miles Davis - Live at Plugged Nickel

The only Dylan album I have ever really connected with. I realise that puts me in a small minority. I'm interested to hear the bonus material.

dancing on Sine waves ! CLASSIC