king ubu

well, not you, David... On #13: I really can't say! I don't have much else besides some half-albums I recorded from those radio shows, and Koch is not that familiar to me as a saxophone player (I usually consider him either a clarinetist or an all-reeds-man, and the later I usually find hard to recognize on a specific one of those reeds). I'll have to think about getting some Lüdi, too, maybe try to hunt some vinyl... Oh, and his first name is "Werner"! ubu

Sounds great, thanks for letting us know, brownie! But let me ask: is this really part of the series, with that colourful cover? Very much unlike all the others!

So you'll be there for goon, on April 17? They are playing here in Geneva on April 15th (http://www.amr-geneve.ch/prog2005/jazzfest/affiche.htm), so unless I am exceptionally inspired to make a 250km drive, I won't make it your way. Who are they playing with in Zürich? Very same group, David. You'll be here for Gebbia? (April 12, I think) I meant, if there is any other band playing the same night with them. For Gebbia, I will try to come. Just the Brötz group that night. It's not part of a festival as it is in Geneva (please give me the RSR/Espace2 broacast dates if you have them, for this year's AMR concerts!)

brownie, there would be enough fine stuff for another BFT, I guess, but I did try to collect the best. Though obviously for timing and variation reasons, some things had to be left off. Disc 1 has mostly old-time trad stuff (like #2-4, but no Hawk... not all bands are that bad, though), disc 2 enters hard-bop territory (but not many cuts are as good as the Ambrosetti and the Erwin Müller tracks), then discs 3 and 4 go beyond, some more hardbop, some "modern mainstream", some free, some jazz rock... pretty varied, all in all.

brownie, I'm glad to give you some you never heard! You do know I'm but a youngster trying to act big, so... B-)

Finished the write ups here, too!

Answers completed above!

So you'll be there for goon, on April 17? They are playing here in Geneva on April 15th (http://www.amr-geneve.ch/prog2005/jazzfest/affiche.htm), so unless I am exceptionally inspired to make a 250km drive, I won't make it your way. Who are they playing with in Zürich? Very same group, David. You'll be here for Gebbia? (April 12, I think)

And Mike: you mixed them Ambrosettis up in your last post, the old man, Flavio, is the alto player. There is by now a third generation working, Franco's son, who plays sax, but I haven't heard anything of him. And I was aware from the beginning that the Byrd/Coles album is a Pearson date, I was just referring to the disc I got (I'm also aware of all the stolen Bailey dates). ubu

Also credited to Coleman Hawkins (see ASCAP website and the Ocium release "The Hollywood years"), AKA "Boff boff". Any light here? EKE, I have no idea about "Mop Mop", I actually just took the info from my source (that CD box). Mike, as far as I know the box can still be found, but it's way too expensive. I got mine used after having had a "review copy" for years The list prize, I think, equals at least 70 Euro (no biggie for 4CDs in Switzerland...)

So you'll be there for goon, on April 17?

Are you talking about the new Kurt Weill Trovesi/Coscia disc, Nate? I haven't heard that one yet. One of my favourites remain Trovesi's take on "Midsummernight's Dream" (released on Enja). Of course - AND I HAVE TO STRESS THIS FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW TROVESI - this track is not doing him justice AT ALL! I intended this as a piece of fun to get things going, that's all. ubu

and the mystery man from #18...

Kaspar Ewalds Exorbitantes Kabinett:

Roman Schwaller

Peter Schmidlin

Heiri Känzig

Isla Eckinger, another "mountain" of Swiss jazz. He is playing with Scherrer's quintet on this BFT. Other jobs he held were a long-time association with Mal Waldron, and he has been all over the place, playing and recording, too for quite some time now (a fairly recent great disc he appears on is Charlie Mariano's "Deep in a Dream" on Enja, there's a thread about it somewhere on the board).

Gianluigi Trovesi

10. Fly Me To The Moon (Bart Howard) Joey DeFrancesco Joey DeFrancesco (org), Frank Vignola (g), Joe Ascione (d) Jazzfestival Bern 1999, Kursaal Bern (Switzerland), May 8, 1999 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2), source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/1999 The only organ cut to make the final selection, and a great one, from an inspired concert. They did "Volare", a tarantella ("you remember that thing your Grandma used to like?" - "you're Grandma liked it too..." crazy guys, those Italo-Americans, ask catesta ) I love this arrangement (done in the style of the Sinatra/Basie classic), and DeFrancesco has a great sound on organ. Pretty close to Smith, to my ears, but he adds some of his own, too. And as some of you noted, the guitarist is even better! The steam they build is great here, it starts all relaxed and then starts growing more and more intense. These guys are totally together. (A note on Vignola: at 2001's Bern festival Lewis ought to have played, but died a few weeks before. Vignola should have accompanied Lewis for that concert, but then accompanied Jones, who replaced Lewis - there was a short interview on the radio, and Vignola is an very humble person, who was totally in awe of both them great pianists. Of course he acquitted himself more than nicely with Jones...) The mighty man with his organ, at a 2003 performance in Switzerland 11. Whisper Not (Benny Golson) Benny Golson Benny Golson (ts), Don Friedman (p), Mark Abrams (b), Billy Drummond (d) Generations 2000, Eisenwerk Frauenfeld (Switzerland), October 6, 2000 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2), source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/prob. 2001 Now this, dear guys and gals (or rather dudes and darlin's? ), this is IT! da shit! Benny Golson has such a good sound on tenor. I loved him since I first got to hear him on Art Blakey's Moanin'. He's a thoroughly modern player, yet he has strong ties to the gloriuos past of jazz tenor, Hawk, Ben, Byas etc. And I admire him for staying around for so long and still doing his thing, still being a first-rate musician. This cut comes from one of my most-treasured live recordings, ever. Don Friedman shines, too, and while some may consider Drummond a bit obtrusive, I love his performance here. Ray Abrams I don't know at all, but he's good here, too. Don Friedman appears on this track, as well as on Disc 1 #15, btw. 12. Body And Soul (Green-Heyman-Eyton-Sour) Bennie Maupin Bennie Maupin (ts), Wolfram Derschmid (b), Reinhart Winkler (d) Inntöne, Diersbach (Austria), June 6, 2003 Recorded by Austrian Radio (OE1), source: Austrian Radio Broadcast/2004 Here comes another masterpiece, a performance that fits into the row of impressive interpretations of this tune by some of the greatest tenorists jazz has produced (btw: did I tell you already that I love the tenor sax?) No more words needed, but I hope this comes as a big surprise for you! 13. Snippet III - Elvin Jones (r.i.p.) Jazzfestival Willisau, September 2, 2001, taken from Elvin's announcement preceding the encore (guess, guess...) BONUS TRACK 14. Jada (Carleton) Glyn Paque Glyn Paque (as,voc), Bib Thevenaz (p), André Boucquin (d) Radio Studio Geneva (Switzerland), July 12, 1945 Released on CD1 of "Jazz in Switzerland 1930-1975" (Elite Special 4CD 9544002/1-4) For this track you got to thanks John Litweiler. He mentioned Paque in the underrated altoists thread and I thought it would be nice to give you an example of what he was talking of... A lovely cut with solid support by, I assume, two more Swiss fellows. Paque has spent a few years of his life in Switzerland, I found a reference that by November 1939 he was appearing in Switzerland.

6. Basin Street Blues (W.C. Handy) Duke Ellington & his Orchestra Ray Nance (t,voc), Clark Terry (t), Quentin Jackson (tb), Russell Procope (cl), Duke Ellington (p), Jimmy Woode (b), Jimmy Johnson (d) Kongresshaus Zürich (Switzerland), October 9, 1959 Recorded by Swiss Radio, Source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/1999 This concert (which is also circulating in video format, sometimes said to be from "Germany 1959") was re-broadcasted in 1999, another homage to the great old man. On this tune half of the band sits out, and the others have a lot of fun - not sure who's giving comments on the second trumpet solo, Duke himself? Jimmy Woode, btw, has been living in Switzerland for decades now, as far as I know, appearing several times as a sideman at the Bern Jazzfestival. I absolutely love this track, nothing they could do wrong at this point. Nance, Terry, Butter... and it's great to hear Procope getting a bit of solo space, too! 7. Mood Indigo (Ellington-Bigard-Mills) Mangelsdorff-Liebman-JennyClark-Jones Albert Mangelsdorff (tb), Dave Liebman (ss), Jean-François Jenny-Clark (b), Elvin Jones (d) Ravenna Jazz 1985, Teatro Estivo Rocco Brancaleone, Ravenna (Italy), July 4, 1985 audience recording, source: EZtree/2004 Continuing with more Ducal music. I was totally awe-struck when I heard this cut the first time. Mangelsdorff is so good here! Jenny-Clark and Elvin were frequent collaborators, and Liebman doesn't get in the way. I mostly included this to have Elvin present on my BFT (not just in that final vocal snippet, but playing), but Mangelsdorff alone deserves that this should be heard. I hear a lot of humour going on in his playing. Elvin plays great here, too, in my opinion. Even if rather sparse, he builds, and he has a weight that other drummers never achieve, yet still he's dancing. When he finally doubles (after the soprano starts intruding for the first time), this does swing a lot! Jenny-Clark has a nice solo spot (though I'm not so fond of that bass sound - pretty eighties, lacking depth and lacking... well, bass... but that's probably at least partially the fault of the recording, not of him). 8. Blood Count (Billy Strayhorn) [mono] Andy Scherrer Andy Scherrer (ts), William Evans (p), Isla Eckinger (b), Dré Pallemaerts (d) MIDEM 2000, Hotel Carlton, Cannes (France), January 26, 2000 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2/RSR 2/RSI 2), source: Swiss Radio Live Broadcast Scherrer is the most important Swiss modern mainstream tenor player. Born 1946, Scherrer made his debut record as a leader only a few years ago ("Second Step" on TCB), and has since been leading this quartet with yet another Bill Evans at the piano (and a great one, in my opinion). Isla Eckinger, bassist, is another important personality of Swiss jazz. He played with, it seems, everybody. Drummer Dré Pallemaerts is Belgian and is also part of Bill Carrothers entourage. Andy Scherrer is a highly self-critical artist (this, partially, explains his late debut on record) and one of the most impressive improvisors around these days. Scherrer's second disc (again on TCB) was dedicated to Mal Waldron, while his third disc, featuring a different line up, is an homage to Joe Henderson ("Serenity", Unit Records). These, and of course John Coltrane, are some of the most important influences on his playing, but he is beyond being an epigone. By other Swiss musicians, he is most highly regarded and considered a grand-seigneur. His performance of Billy Strayhorn's "Blood Count" is a masterpiece, I won't say no more, it's a deeply felt and masterly executed performance of a classic tune. [i do realize now that many of you disagree here, but...] Here's a photo of the master: Andy Scherrer performing with the Vienna Art Orchestra, © 2002 by Dirk Stockmans 9. Koko (Duke Ellington) John Lewis meets Hank Jones John Lewis (p), Hank Jones (p), George Mraz (b), Lewis Nash (d) Jazzfestival Bern 1999, Kursaal Bern (Switzerland), May 9, 1999 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2), source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/1999 This then is the last Ducal cut, and it features one of my favourite pianists, the swinging John Lewis. The second pianist (and I'd say the second to solo) is Hank Jones, yet another of those avatars of style. I love how they arranged this one, you can actually almost hear the Ellington sections coming in an out. I had planned to include another cut from this concert, "Django" (with Lewis the only soloist), but had to omit that for reasons of space.

1. Unidentified (High Society?) Gianluigi Trovesi Otetto Beppe Caruso (t), Massimo Greco (tb), Gianluigi Trovesi (cl), Marco Remondini (g), Roberto Bonati (b), Marco Micheli (el b), Vittorio Marinoni (d), Fulvio Maras (perc) Jazzfestival Willisau 2002, Willisau (Switzerland), August 29, 2002 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2) (rec. eng.: Martin Pearson), source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/2002 Now this is just a little piece of fun, for starters. I love the exuberance in Trovesi's music, but I also love the lyrical side of his playing, as in his duo with accordionist Gianni Coscia. And of course he belongs (belonged?) to the Instabile crew, too... 2. Snippet II - Illinois Jacquet (r.i.p.) same as Disc 2, #3 3. On The Sunny Side of the Street (McHugh-Fields) | solo & voc: Jacquet (as) Illinois Jacquet Big Band personnel unknown, including Illinois Jacquet (as,voc), Joey Cavesino (as), Ed Stoute (p) Jazzfestival Bern 1996, Kursaal Bern (Switzerland), May 9, 1996 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2), source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/prob. 1996 I deliberately chose the one track from that concert that has Jacquet on alto. Creamy big sound, in the tradition of the old guys, Hodges, Carter, Smith. I love it! Then, his singing is an altogether different affair... love his take on Satch! The man had much fun that night, giving long announcements that often ended up pretty funny! I'd have loved to give a longer snippet, but that would have given away too much information. His big band, while being a traditional outfit, is quite together. Pity I have no information on the band members. Also I'm not sure if that Ed Stoute is the same person that appeared on one of the Ken McIntyre dates for United Artist (reissued on that great Blue Note doubletime set some years ago). As Sangrey noted: they get that tempo just right here. And if this is music for the old folks, I have to admit that in some kind of way I have always been old... 4. For Dancers Only (Raye-Schoen-Oliver) | solos: Oatts (or Wess?) (as), Faddis (t) Carnegie Hall Jazz Band Jon Faddis (mc,t), Michael Phillip Mossman, Ron Tooley, Scott Wendholt, Tom Williams (t); Slide Hampton, Dennis Wilson, John Allred, Douglas Purviance (tb); Dick Oatts (as), Frank Wess (as/ts/fl), Ralph Lalamo (ts), Jay Branford (ts), Gary Smulyan (bari); Renee Rosnes (p), Todd Coolman (b), Lewis Nash (d); Gerald Wilson (dir) Jazzfestival Bern 1999, Kursaal Bern (Switzerland), May 9, 1999 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2), source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/prob. 1999 Continuing with a bit of big band fun. Jazzfestival Bern is the most traditional among the big swiss festivals (big meaning: four days, two to three concerts per night, nothing going on simultaneously... you see, all in nice relation with the smallness of Switzerland ) I love Lunceford a whole lot, and the Lunceford programme done in 1999 by the CHJB was a whole lot of fun, with seasoned players like Frank Wess and Slide Hampton, as well as great young musicians like Renee Rosnes... Having Gerald Wilson directing that segment of the concert was a nice thing, too (they continued with some Ellington and Coltrane music, as well as a Slide Hampton original, Clarke Terry sat in, too...). Wilson directed all FROM MEMORY! Crazy! After all these years (or rather: decades) he still had it all in his head! I'm not sure who the alto soloist is, but I think not Wess, so it should be Oatts. Faddis does his shtick, too. You can like it or not (I'm rather on the not side, usually, but I just heard some seventies Mingus with a very young Faddis, and he plays just beautiful there!) 5. Sonnet for Caesar (Ellington-Strayhorn) | solo: John La Porta (cl) The Ellington Legacy Orchestra Benny Bailey, Barry Lee Hall, Wayne Burgeron (t); Petar Ugrin (t); Art Baron, Britt Woodman, Buster Cooper (tb); Fritz Renold (as,cl); Bobby Watson (as); John LaPorta (ts,cl); Tommy Smith (ts); Bernd Konrad (bari,blc); Aaron Bell (p); John Lamb (b); Charlie Persip (d); Bill Berry (cond) Aarau (Switzerland), April 17, 1999 Recorded by Swiss Radio (DRS 2), Source: Swiss Radio Broadcast/1999 This was a nice project, organized by Frank Renold as a centennial tribute to the Duke. Several old Ellingtonians took part and delivered some great music, bassist John Lamb took over the Ducal chair, Bernd Konrad nicely filled Carney's shoes, while Petar Ugrin (Croatian, I think) filled the Ray Nance role very well, performing on violin just as competent as on trumpet. I love veteran John La Porta's frail clarinet playing here! In all of the Shakespeare Suite, this stood out as one of the highlights.

Alright... I'll start filling the gaps now, but I'll have some suspense going on, still This second disc did not have any such close-knit theme. However, there are a few things to keep in mind: - all recordings were made in Switzerland (all live, obviously), with the exception of #7 and #12 - there's some sort of a Ducal theme, that starts off with a track that I - always being aware what it was - never really thought of as being a Ducal one... (#3) - then there's the tenors... I make some frail attempts at playing saxophone, myself, and I love playing the tenor, it's - in my (and Ornette's) opinion - at the core of jazz... (a few more tenors, of course, can be heard on disc 1, not just Bean and Frog, but also a couple of nice Swiss guys, Roman Schwaller, Bruno Spörri, Hans Koch, Werner Lüdi...) Again I'm thanking everybody for your interesting and most often insightful posts (that has nothing to do with the ability to nail the tunes or not). ubu

Thierry Lang (photy by Dragan Tasic)

Pierre Favre (a fairly recent photo, I believe):