AllenLowe

Ron is a very intelligent guy - thought I'm a bit biased, as he wrote the first article anyone ever wrote about me, for the Bridgeport Post, about 20 years ago -

Excellent review Nate - I remember listening to Braxton's Tristano album and really wondering if his particular methods were really conducive to re-examining the music in any convincing way. I still prefer him on his own turf, and was interested in reading your accounts of his musicians losing there way in standard form. I have had this particular experience, as I mentioned in an earlier thread, on the bandstand with one or two well-known "free" players and it is disconcerting, especially as they seemed to have no idea that they had lost their place (and this was in the context of a very convertional, play-the-changes and play-the-tune gig. Any claims that they were consciously extending the form were really b.s.) - my point is not that these guys don't have something to say, only that they should not try to prove that which they are unable to prove. That's why I'd rather listn to musicians like Ira Sullivan or Von Freeman play standards - they have nothing to prove, and they have such fresh and unique ways of approaching the music, from years of first-hand musical experience.

I don't know - to me the worst jazz song is anything written by Leonard Feather - if you don't believe me ask Chris Albertson -

Bob Neloms has basically retired from the music, is living in Manhattan. He had some physical prpoblems, but seems to be doing well, though is not active in the music.

Bob Neloms - with Mingus's last band, inactive these days, a brilliant musician and exceptionally creative -

Actually, I don't want to be negative, but I wish they'd found someone other than Gitler to do the notes - honestly, his Eager notes are weak and gramatically a mess - I think the guy has run out of ideas - I volunteer to do the next one -

How about an EP of the 6 minutes?

well, I'm prejudiced because he was a friend of mine, but Al Haig, paritcularly his recordings from the early 1950s. He set the standard, and pianist like Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, and Hank Jones have all cited him as an early influence, as establishing an alternative to Bud Powell's sound. Also, Bill Crow has pointed out that Al was one of the most important musicians in establishing the chord changes on standard tunes, the changes used by most pianists that followed him. A great musician and a very interesting guy -

Or do we mean Rudy the Wacker?

I thought that by "late Ellington" he meant music he wrote after his death -

there's also Rudy the welder -

well, we'll need 18 references and a background check -

Is he any relation to Rudy Van Gelder?

well, I should add - he is intelligeent - but also dishonest and completely lacking in principle -

Stanley's an intelligent guy but can't write to save his life -

Particularly interesting are his chord voicings, which were very advanced -

Profit is essential, an early modernist, influenced Bud Powell - very advanced pianist -

well, it's on a BMG Metronome All Stars Reissue LP - BUT - reading the notes (in like 6 point type) they do indicate it was simply called The All Star Band, and put together by Metronome in response to a reader poll- so you are correct -

Yes, I remember Al Haig, as a matter of fact he was a good friend - there actually was some kind of jazz joke a long time ago; Bird comes back and is told, "can you believe it, Ronald Reagan is president?" And Bird answers, "yeah, but that ain't the craziest thing- Al Haig is Secretary of State!"

Here it is: Metronome All Starts, 1/11/39, with: Sonny Dunham, Bunny Berigan, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden - nice band.

Somewhere there's a spectacular 1940s Metronome All Stars version - I'll have to do some research -

1.000-3000 - a broad range I would say - and to think I've only written about 76 -

not a great book, but intersting pics and the commentary is also worthwhile, as a contemporary witness -

I hope she has some tongue depressers -

I also didn't know "sophisticate" was a verb -