Larry Kart

About Jones, Flanagan, and Barry Harris, too -- I guess I just don't care for that out of Teddy Wilson into Bop approach. Too often it seems merely tasteful-bland to me, with a lot of gestures that become very familar over time, though there are exceptions in each case -- e.g. Jones' solo on "Autumn Leaves" from "Somethin' Else" is among the most magical things I know, though the overall musical context does do a lot to shape what happens there. BTW, Allen, I'm not just judging these guys against Bud's fiery genius or Duke Jordan's gorgeous lyrical flow. Just place Al Haig alongside any of the aforementioned trio...

Trumpeters Randy and Jordan Sandke Pianists Willie and Bethany Pickens Dave Brubeck and his sons Loren and Arnold Schonberg

I, for one, haven't mentioned Oscar Peterson because I've had my say before and don't have that many O.P.-led recordings, though I do like the Stratford Fest, Concertgebouw and Plays Basie albums.

With a few exceptions, Tommy Flanagan and (sorry) Hank Jones. Zoot IMO is terrific through 1957, so fresh and fluent; during his Mulligan CJB tenure, it's like his style became a "style." Some of the Pablos do have a latter-day version of his former freshness, and I recall some fine live performances too. I suspect that booze intake (Zoot's, not mine) had a lot to do with what I think I'm hearing. By contrast, Al Cohn kept getting better and better; his latter-day recordings for Xanadu et al. are his best IMO. Phil Woods' transformation circa 1958 from one of the most interesting alto saxophonists around into a professionally "hot," jazzy player is one of the great mysteries to me. Early Woods (e.g. the album "Pot Pie" with John Eardley, perhaps up through his sideman work on the Red Garland album "Sugan") is often a joy; afterwards, IMO it's like a bebop circus act. I've babbled on about this on other threads IIRC. Clark Terry, again with a few exceptions -- e.g. his 1955 album "Swahili" and the Riverside date with Monk and Philly Joe. Too often, later on, he just trots out his shtick. P.S. Mulligan as a soloist, though I think he got better in his later years.

Nice

Favorite Sinatra story, by way of comedian Shecky Greene: "Frank Sinatra -- wonderful man, saved my life. One night three guys were beating the crap out of me in the parking lot of the Sands Hotel, and Frank said, "That's enough.'"

I remember buying Boston Blow-Up soon after it came out in 1955. Pretty sure I didn't even know who Serge Chaloff was; thank heavens for record-store listening booths.

From Randy Sandke: A relatively inexperienced trombone player was leading a swing band in a series of concerts in Germany. On the first night, he introduced a tune by saying, "This tune is from 1939. Who here remembers 1939?" http://www.local802afm.org/publication_entry.cfm?xEntry=19499273

As for the race thing, I note that whenever a white musician or commentator brings up race, not in defense of white contributions but to recognize the role of the "black community," the tendency is to dismiss it as expressing "racial guilt." I think that's a simplistic response and not necessarily true. I certainly don't think Iverson's article insults anyone's intelligence (although it might call for one to exercise it). It is perhaps true that Iverson, a working jazz pianist and sometime classical pianist who admires, works with, writes about and interviews white and black practitioners of both worlds, occasionally talks about race because he is alert to its implications, observing and experiencing them as he does on a frequent basis. This is the beginning of Iverson's post: "Appropriation without reparations? The major piece on Woody Allen's jazz evangelism in the Village Voice today raises some questions. I'm sure neither Allen or the writer Stacey Anderson is racist, but this article could have been improved by embracing the challenge of race rather than resolutely ignoring it (it's not brought up once)." First, "I'm sure neither Allen or the writer Stacey Anderson is racist, but..." is a nice way to remind us that a court of heavy-duty social justice is in session here. Second, the opening sentence seems to me to set out Iverson's agenda -- when you appropriate, you must make reparations, or we will take you to task in that court of social justice for having failed to do so. In this respect, the Gene Sedric anecdote kind of takes the cake. He didn't travel to Sedric for lessons but Sedric came to his place? What other crimes against "the challenge of race" did the 17-year-old Allen commit? As for insulting the intelligence, the thrust of the piece, again, seems to be "appropriations-reparations"; Allen and his ilk are appropriators (if not much worse -- the citation of that "black hole" line) and must pay the price. But I'm thinking that that young black person Iverson brought to the party at the end would be thinking, "This to you is the problem, and this is the answer?"

Iverson is a very smart, nice guy and a talented pianist, but IMO he needs to give his own racial guilt a rest. No doubt it's a terrible burden to have been born and reared in northwest Wisconsin, as Iverson was, but if I was a curious young black person who came across one of Iverson's posts of this sort (and IIRC there have been more than a few, notably part of his long and mostly valuable one about Lennie Tristano), I'd say, "Thanks but no thanks -- you're insulting my intelligence." I mean, if you happen not to like Woody Allen as a filmmaker or otherwise (FWIW, I mostly don't), how much difference would it/should it make if the number of black musicians who worked on the soundtracks of Allen's movies were increased or more black actors appeared in his movies? He'd still be Woody Allen, unless Iverson has in mind a major sensibility transplant. Besides, the real problem here is Harry Allen -- and reparations for Gene Sedric.

I just read this story in the NY Times sports section about the firm that does the laundry for all the tennis players in the French Open: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/sports/tennis/03laundry.html?ref=sports and was struck my this sentence: "Every day, the players’ dirty laundry — literally, not metaphorically — is sent to Rit’s factory on the outskirts of Paris."

The Talibam does circumcisions?

Yes, he's a doubler, but James Moody! At his best, he just kicks the living kapok out of the instrument, and in a jazz way. Not that his way is only jazz way on flute, but it is pretty darn gripping and also not just a flute version of Moody on tenor and alto. Oops -- I see Peter above mentioned Moody, though with less enthusiasm.

Torrie Zito, no?

I assume they used it because it was a popular novelty number of the time, and they had to do something before they got to the other part. For my tastes, the way they look and sound -- I prefer "squareness" to "dumbness" (and I'm not sure that the raised-backstage Ross Sisters were square at all in real life) -- adds immensely to the sub rosa salaciousness of their contortions. BTW, here's Gaillard doing his "Potato Chips," with a powerful solo spot for Ben Webster:

It's a Slim Gaiilard "Vout" language number. Here's a snippet from a Nat Cole Trio version: And one by Ella Mae Morse with Freddie Slack:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Sisters

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=BNR74UCidBI&feature=player_embedded%3e Did the painter Balthus ever see this?

"Dave Tough was ill, so Buddy Dick took his place on the Sept. 5, 1945 session that produced the classic 'Your Father's Moustache.'"

As mentioned on another thread, Sonny Rollins may have been a fan.

With your wife, your kids, your musical talent, good sense, and good nature I thought every day was your birthday. :party:

Post of mine from 2006 -- ...ran across a used copy a while back of the 3-CD "Secret Broadcasts" set (RCA) -- stuff the Miller AAF Band recorded in the U.S. in 1944 for broadcasts to the services. This was a remarkable band within the given Miller style (though rhythmically more relaxed than the earlier Miller band), with Mel Powell on piano, nice trumpet solos from Zeke Zarchy, Bobby Nichols, and Bernie Privin, Peanuts Hucko on clarinet, the best string section any big band with strings ever had AFAIK, Junior Collins (later of the Birth of the Cool band) on French horn (what a player he was), Ray McKinley, etc. And the young Johnny Desmond was a very good singer. Also, the sound here is pretty astonishing; the broadcasts were recorded on 16-inch 33 1/3 rpm discs in good studios and have a wide dynamic range. I wouldn't say that this set is worth seeking out for everyone here, but I'll bet it will surprise some who have filed Miller away as mere nostalgia. On the other hand, it is kind of eerie to hear each broadcast begin with the AAF theme song that Chummy MacGregor (he of "Moon Dreams"), Miller, and some guy named Meyer wrote -- "I Sustain the Wings" -- and think that some of the guys who were listening to it were soon going to be climbing into B-17s. P.S. There's also a top-notch 2-CD set of later Miller AAF broadcasts recorded in Great Britain, "The Lost Recordings" (Conifer). Sound quality -- Studio 1 at Abbey Road -- is again remarkable. Remastering engineer Ted Kendall says that photos of the band from other contemporary broadcasts show one mike per section, plus another for vocals, which "would have provided reasonable control of the overall sound whilst leaving the tricky job of internal balance to those who could do it best -- the players."

As Louis Armstrong said: "Leave it all behind you."

And don't waste his time.

Far more serious is Rollins' rip-off of "In a Chapel in the Moonlight" from Kitty Kallen and "You" from Art Linkletter (both on "Sonny Rollins and the Contemporary Leaders"). The man simply had no decency.