CJ Shearn

RT, I was listening to Trio '81 earlier today actually. It's a date that I enjoy quite a bit, just hearing Herbie in a trio is a treat. I enjoy the long take of Dolphin Dance, Tony just sets up a mid tempo groove that Herbie gets off on quite nicely, plenty of heated playing. I prefer it to "Quartet" w/ WM, recorded the next day, though that one is pretty good too. Is the Trio '77 album being reissued? I read a post on Herbie's message board once where titles such as "Flood" (great one, got a CDR, gotta replace it with a real copy one of these days) were to be reissued this year.. As for the VSOP stuff, too bad they aren't reissuing "Tempest in the Colosseum" over "Live Under The Sky". I have the French imports of both and I prefer "Tempest". The playing is hotter, and Freddie, Herbie and Tony are especially on IMO. There's a spirited "Eighty One", with a funk beat for the head and a nice mid tempo swing/double time for the solos, and a nice "Red Clay" as a set ender. "Live Under the Sky" has fine playing, but there was a rain storm happening during the show that affected the instruments, Wayne's soprano is affected the worst, but compared to "Tempest" or even "The Quintet" albums, "Live Under the Sky" is the weakest. The playing is not bad by any means, it just doesn't rise to as exciting heights.

RIP Elvin. His influence is so great on a lot of drummers, even listening to guys like Erskine and DeJohnette recently, his presence is felt definitely. I watched a webcast 5-6 years ago of the Jazz Machine at the Blue Note w/ Michael Brecker guesting, and on one tune Elvin took an incredible 15 minute solo with mallets. This past semester got a suitemate of mine turned on to Elvin after showing him his influence in John Bonham.

anyone know if the new Miles '63-64 set will be in this "long box" packaging? I have the single CD's of the Miles/Trane and 2nd Quintet stuff and feel no need to get the boxes myself.

a few OMG moments for me: Bob Berg on "Pools" from "Steps Ahead: Holding Together" Michael Brecker "Sara's Touch" from "Steps: Smokin in the Pit" Jack DeJohnette: "Two Folks Songs" from "80/81"-Pat Metheny Pat Martino: "All Blues"- from "Live At Yoshi's" Branford Marsalis: "The Dark Keys" from "The Dark Keys" Pat Metheny: "Question and Answer", "Soul Cowboy", "Faith Healer"- from "Trio Live", "Are You Going With Me?"- from "More Travels" (video) "Syzygy" (from "Michael Brecker) Keith Jarrett: "Autumn Leaves" from "Up For It", "Riot" from "Inside Out" Russell Ferrante and Bob Mintzer: "The Tortoise and the Hare" from "Mint Jam"-The Yellowjackets Miles: "Agitation" (second set version, 12/23) from the Plugged Nickel Wayne Shorter: "Free For All", "The Egyptian" (from Indestructable) "So What" (Plugged Nickel) Herbie Hancock: "Chameleon", "Actual Proof" (both Thrust and Flood versions), "Dolphin Dance" (Herbie Hancock Trio '81) Eliane Elias "The Time is Now" from "Steps Ahead: Holding Together" Grover Washington, Jr "Rocksteady" from CTI Summer Jazz At the Hollywood Bowl

I saw Houston a month ago at Binghamton University, played with the Harpur Jazz Ensemble, and with the faculty at mid-day. It was a good show, met him after the mid day gig, he autographed a Joey D. CD, and he also gave me one of his organ dates recorded for Savant. Expect to hear a lot of standards, with improvisations always with the melody at the center.

this news is very sad. In the jazz class I TA, we showed a Coltrane documentary DVD (I'm not sure what one it was) we some of the classic Coltrane footage, and I sort of was watching Elvin on screen with almost a deep pain that he might be gone soon.... He's played his heart out (no pun intended) all these years in the most amazing, powerful, sensitive ways. Reading the description in Applebaum's article of Keiko hugging Elvin during "Dear Lord" almost brought tears to my eyes. Earlier I was listening to him on "Unity" and "Speak No Evil", and the live "A Love Supreme" in his honor.

yep Joe, you definitely are a fine player, and of course you already know what I think of the two compositions on the record Kurt is an interesting player, I've been meaning to check out Heartcore for a while, last month when I was at the Virgin Mega on Union Square in NY visiting a few friends on a campus bus trip, my friend Daniel and I were browsing the jazz section and heard part of the record, there was some pretty wild free blowing on tenor on one cut, and Kurt's phrasing was interesting, and since Daniel is also a fellow Metheny nut, he noted "he sounds like Pat", which I would agree with to the extent that he has that linear/angular sort of thing, and plays sort of like a sax, but Kurt from what I heard, is a unique writer.

probably more than 10 times a day, just guessing. Whenever I procrasatinate homework I read posts, or if I'm just sitting around. plus, I always remain logged on.

I ordered Prayer Meetin', Rockin the Boat and Free Form on monday morning and they shipped out yesterday afternoon. I've never heard "Rockin the Boat" (except for Can Heat on a compilation) or "Free Form", how are are they? Is "Rockin the Boat" a good date, or a typical late BN Jimmy outing? of those last 4 albums for BN, I think Prayer Meetin' is the special one, I didn't like Bucket when it was released on CD, that was just a tad boring to me.

Jim, that's really hip you know both Young and Carroll. Carroll impressed me with his ability to go from free blowing (Pepper Blue) to real nasty Texas tenor stuff respecting the tradition but with his own unique voice, Young was excellent as well.

I have one JRVG, "Jimmy Smith Plays Fats Waller". It sounds pretty good to my ears, compared to a lot of the U.S. RVG's I have which tend to sound inconsistent (some sound great with a nice midrange, some over trebly, some with the "A.M. Radio" sound that others have described here) as for the packaging, after opening the disc, I immediately transferred the disc to a jewel case, and then put the mini LP sleeve in a hard plastic case, where it is stored with my only other mini LP, "CTI Summer Jazz" at the Hollywood Bowl".

what a great show. Paul Mercer Ellington does a fine job of directing trhe band. As far as ghost bands go, this show definitely beat the Basie show that I saw a number of years ago when Grover Mitchell had the baton. Anyway, there were a number of highlights last night including a tune from the Far East Suite (my Ellington collection is deficient, I may have to grab some of those new reissues soon) with a smoking solo by a tenor player named Shelley Carroll. Carroll is a name to look out for, he has an impressive sound and is also a fine vocalist. He did nice vocal turns on "A Train", "All of Me", and an amusing nod to Joe Williams on "Jeep's Blues", which got really dirty. Other highlights were Charlie Yobung, III features on "Prelude to a Kiss", and a Mercer Ellington composition entitled "The Boss" with atrombone battle, one of the bone players quoted "Pass the Peas" during a chorus, which I thought was pretty funny. Anyway, since I'm part of the Harpur Jazz Project, the oeganization who helped put the concert together, I was able to get in for nothing, which was a bonus :-d signed up for a comp ticket.

Joe Henderson in Japan is marvelous. Picked it up in NY a few weekends ago. That rhythm section swings like crazy too.

I saw Jimmy in January '98 at theBlue Note in NY with Jack McDuff as a co bill, I was 17 at the time and incredibly excited to see Smith, someone I always admired greatly, he started with "Off the Top", then "Midnight Special", after that, everyone left the stage and Phil Upchurch played a medley alone. Jimmy came back on, played "Baby it's Cold Outside", and then a 2 minute version of "Got my Mojo Workin", before McDuff came on and blew the roof off the place. At that time I wasn't into many other organists besides Jimmy so it changed my view some. Also within the last few years, Jimmy's recorded output has been spotty, the record with Joey D. I think showcased some of Smith's best playing in recent memory, partially I think b/c he felt he needed to show something to Joey, since we all know he's considered the heir to Jimmy's throne. Anyway, about the alcohol issue, does anyone know when it started? b/c it seems to me that Jimmy had his head on right in the BN since those early albums featured such incredible invention, did the fame from the Verve years go to his head?

man, this sucks. I've heard two sad stories today, WB Jazz going down, and also that Fantasy may get sold. I have quite a bit of stuff from the Fantasy catalog, but I should get a few more K2's. WB Jazz going down worries me b/c now Pat Metheny's new record with the PMG slated for 2005 could be in jeopardy, although al he would need is to find another distributor, since he owns all the masters. Damn, this would also put a damper on the 24 bit remasters of Pat's Geffen material due out. oh well, I have all the originals anyway, but a remaster of Still Life (Talking) would be nice. Back to the Fantasy, I hope some of the Monk, Coltrane, Rollins, Evans and Montgomery K2's don't go out too fast before I can get them.

wow, the Blakey is going OOP? That is a record I really like, especially the cuts with Powell. And then theres that prototype arrangement of "Tunisia" which would be immortalized just a short time later.

For me it's Cookin'. The music on all 4 records is outstanding, but "Cookin'" and the heated quality of the playing, is just something I come back to. When I got all four albums the X-mas before last, "Cookin" was the first I listened to, so that could be a factor in my choice, but "Relaxin" is a close second, the studio chatter is priceless. ::harsh whistle:: Block Chords Red, Block Chords! and my favorite: (Miles to Bob Weinstock) Okay? Why???!!!! Coltrane: Can I have the beer opener?

picked up my copy yesterday. Despite the sound, the music is just burnin! It's interesting to hear the groundwork laid down for hard bop at this point and Blakey a bit more in Max/Klook mode.

another question for a layman is a resolution similar to a turnaround? b/c in a turnaround you are bringing the progression back to the beginning, with extreme tension through the use of a V chord (say, on a blues) and the tension is released when we go back to I. At least that's what I've gathered talking to musicians, and also through being a student and TA through the jazz in American music course, and what we've learned about progressions in rock pop and soul this semester (the professor is a jazz guitarist, actually)

Randy, I'mma lil late regarding that Antonio comment, but damn you are right. I have a Pat trio show on my computer from Marciac, France this summer with Chris McBride and Antonio, and that mother lights it up on "Lone Jack", listening to his solo right now, doing crazy syncopated cowbell shit while exploding over the top. And I was thinking to myself too how Antonio swings like Jack, but is very much his own man. Word is a live record of this trio is coming out, probably in April.

Jim R, though I haven't heard it I think "Cha Cha J" was Jimmy's first released tune on a piano, I think he attempted cuts on piano for the "Cherokee" session that were rejected.

I used to have this disc but later sold it as I wasn't listening to it all that much after awhile. I think Jimmy's playing on it although he stretches out at length, is pretty boring, I mean theres times where he's on auto pilot (which definitely was becoming pretty frequent by then) and just plays a bunch of his favorite licks often. I'd love to see if Verve would reissue Jimmy's "The Boss" with Benson and Donald Bailey, I've heard some stuff on there and it's great.

listened to a few soundclips on his site. Cat can play, but I definitely hear a Brecker influence, particularly in the little wav that plays when you enter his site.

Peter, I picked this up a few months ago, and it really is my first electric Miles from that period, I don't have IaSW or BB, but wanted to get the set since these sides were cut before BB was released, but I would say I second your opinion, it was really the first Miles release I didn't "get" upon hearing. It makes much more sense now as my ears were able to get past the initial intensity and realize it was still head-solo-head type stuff, but damn when Wayne and Chick solo, the intensity goes way past a breaking point, pretty much free territory, and Jack DeJohnette's drumming just seems to spur them on further, I will listen to this later now that I read this post.

JazzMoose, I think of this session as a nice compliment as a nice compliment to The Sermon and Houseparty, I understand your feelings, it is a great session but personally, "The Sermon" is my favorite of the thre, b/c it's just a record I've always listened to.