Jeffro

Can anyone recommend a live Hubbard CD? He seems to have lots of them, but I heard one in a record store that sounded great. Also, what do you folks think of the sessions he did with Woody Shaw (particularly Eternal Triangle)? Maybe I'm easily impressed, but I'm bowled over every time I hear that one.

I admit that on the rare occasions I make it to New York City, I binge at Tower, J&R, and the Jazz Record Center, as well as a number of smaller used and "mom & pop" stores. It can take me months to open and listen to all of them, as I actually have a life aside from listening to music (not to imply that any of you don't!). I know most if not all of them are available online and will likely be available in the future (though not always), but there's something about being able to hold them in my grubby little paws before I buy them, then hauling away the heavy bag(s) and guarding it/them against evil-doers on the subway...

I can tolerate some pretty damn loud, extreme music when it suits my fancy, but in 1997 I had to walk out of an outdoor Maynard Ferguson performance at Lincoln Center because I thought my eardrums were going to get pierced by his high notes (okay--a very slight exaggeration--but it was very unpleasant!).

There's always The Best of the Three Sounds, which may be out of print. (I was lucky enough to find a good deal on a used copy.)

I find that even my favorite bassists can be "hit and miss" when it comes to their recordings and performances. I'm a relative novice when it comes to listening to jazz, and most stand-up bass solos do little for me, but after hearing/seeing Ron Carter and a few others who really know their craft, my appreciation is growing. As others have said--Haden is great as far as his body of work and his connections to the wider world of music. Check out HADEN, CHARLIE & JONES, HANK: STEAL AWAY: SPIRITUALS, HYMNS AND FOLK SONGS recorded: 6/29-6/30/94 Verve/Polydor/PolyGram. Haden fans take note: there's an interesting 2-page interview with him in the Winter/Spring 2005 issue of Planet Jazz.

I don't do this too often, but I bought the Mr. Scruff Keep It Unreal CD because it had the song Get a Move On (the one we hear all too often in the Lincoln Navigator commercials).

I wasn't sure where exactly to post this, but since it involves live performances, I though this forum would be okay. Anyone have any comments about IAJE and their annual confeence? It sounds very intriguing and worthwhile.

Has anyone else read this? I'm not quite halfway through, but this one has grabbed me like no other book in a long time. Nice, concise, recent (2002-present) essays on people Nat Hentoff has known in jazz (& country & "roots" music, though mostly jazz) since the 1940s or 50s. Some famous, some not so famous. Even though it just came out this year, I've seen it on remainder shelves of Santa Cruz bookstores for $5 or $6 (retail price $16.95). Highly recommended.

Don Nania (& others)--coincidentally, I just ordered Mr. Clarinet. I hope I ordered the better version--there's an import called Complete Mr. Clarinet, on the Jazz Factory label, containing: 1. Ferdinando 2. It Could Happen to You 3. Autumn in New York 4. Bass on Balls 5. Left Field 6. Show Eyes 7. But Not for Me 8. Buddy's Blues 9. Things We Did Last Summer 10. When Your Lover Has Gone and then there's the orginal recording remastered with "special packaging" on the Universal label, including: 1. Buddy's Blues 2. Ferdinando 3. It Could Happen to You 4. Autumn in New York 5. Left Field 6. Show Eyes 7. But Not for Me 8. Bass on Balls

Besides Dynasty, can anyone recommend a good Jackie McLean CD that includes his son René? I saw the two of them together in New York a few years ago, and René is quite a performer in his own right!

I saw DeFranco in NY City in June, and in spite of the fact that I knew next to nothing about him and was there to see other performers in the band, he blew me away with his performance and the apparent ease with which he plays. I thought he played at least as well or (frankly) better than the much younger Ken Peplowski, another clarinetist whose music I enjoy. In fact, I was just shopping on Amazon.com, looking for some good DeFranco CDs to buy.

Both Wycliffe Gordon and the New York All-Stars have some real gems on this label. Randy Sandke & the Inside Out Jazz Collective have a good one as well (though it's a little bit "out there"--Scott Robinson plays both theremin & contrabass sax, two instruments you don't run across too often!)

Okay--these are some NEW artists I recommend: 1) Taylor Eigsti--outstanding young performer (pianist). Has opened for Brubeck, among others. 2) Milton Fletcher--pianist--no recordings yet (that I know of), but watch for his name 3) Anthony Wonsey (bop pianist--did 3 great sets at Monterey Jazz Festival a few years ago) 4) Along Came Betty--hard bop band, not unlike Blakey, Golson, or Silver--great original material. 5) Jackie Greene (Sacramento, CA multi-instrumentalist)--not really jazz, but he blew away the Monterey Jazz Fest crowd this year with his mix of blues, folk, rock, & country. I walked out of a Buddy Guy performance at the main stage to catch a second set by this Dylanesque performer (check out his Rusty Nails CD!) As far as other not-so-new artists you might like, try Sonny Stitt (sax), Chucho Valdes (piano), Art Blakey (drums/leader), Benny Golson (sax), Horace Silver (piano), Oscar Peterson (piano)...more later.

Since this is (I think) a jazz forum, I just want to say that I love his movie and soundtrack to Wild Man Blues (about his Dixieland jazz band and its tour of Europe; I can't believe no one has mentioned this one!) and the old classic jazz on films like Radio Days. I'd like to see/hear him play live, but it sounds a little pricey and the surroundings a bit stuffy. He's the first to admit he's no great clarinet player, but he enjoys playing, so more power to him! (I think he's named two of his kids after Satchmo & Bechet.)

Bop trumpter Red Rodney and pianist Jimmy Amadie are two that come to mind. Rodney recorded a few albums as a leader in the 1940s and 1950s, spent most of the 1950s in jail, and after kicking a heroin habit, staged a comeback, beginning in the 1970s, during which he did most of his recordings. I've always thought that his story would make a great biography or movie. Amadie began his career in the 1950s but had to stop playing almost entirely due to severe tendonitis. Only recently has he been able to record. Another great story, one of heroic and painful effort by a man who obviously loves his craft

I caught the very tail end of a 1/2 hour Nat King Cole-hosted show (from the 1950s?) the other evening on BET Jazz that looked intriguing. Anyone know more about this?

If you get a chance to see Harrison with the fusion supergroup Frequinox, take advantage and go!

I enjoy Clark Terry, mumbling or not. Anyone know how his health is? He's opted out of two gigs I've been at in the past couple years (Oscar Peterson @ Hollywood Bowl in 2001 and Monterey Jazz Festival, 2004), due to medical reasons, but I don't know much beyond that.

I heard Buddy DeFranco live in NYC back in June (after nearly walking away due to Louis Bellson's absence), and I was floored. Too bad his CDs are a rarity in the local shops here. I also recommend Ken Peplowski, Dr. Michael White, Goodman, and Bechet.

How do folks feel about the Penguin Guide as compared with the All Music Guide? I carry the 1996 AMG with me all the time and usually leave the 1996 (3rd ed.)Penguin behind. Personally, I find Penguin to be stingy in their "star" ratings and missing too many titles. And with AMG being online for no fee at http://www.allmusic.com/, I haven't bothered to buy any newer editions. Are the newer ones (post-1996) that more complete than the old ones?