Larry Kart

If he got his hands on that time-machine, who knows for sure?

Herbie Nichols Tristano-Konitz-Marsh Mingus

My favorite set of wishes so far is John Ore's: 1) To be able to play -- play well. 2) To be all over the world, in good health. 3) To have a time-machine. Also, on p. 133, "Julian Yuell" should be Julian Euell.

Leafing through the book, the photo at the bottom of p. 26 identified as of "Kenny Clarke and Art Taylor" is on p. 116 correctly identified as of Taylor and bassist Henri Texier.

I've run into Leukaufe's wife a few times over the years at pottery sales -- very nice person who clearly had borne a good deal of weight on her shoulders over the years. She remembered a review I'd written of a group with Carl and Tommy Ponce in maybe 1979. probably because that was one of the few times Carl had been written about. At about the same time I also wrote something justifiably enthusiastic about Jack Noren's bebop Baby Dodds-ish work with a quintet led by trombonist Bill Porter. Guess I was catching them, and Lin too, on some good nights -- there were other nights.

Got this from the library today, and it looks fascinating. But reading through Gary Giddins's foreword, I found this: "A handful of respondents [to Nica's question of what your three wishes are] are little remembered. Al Doctor once played alto saxophone with Ted Curson; Jothan Callins played trumpet with Sun Ra,... etc. But who were Sonny Nevious, Lynn Holiday, Paul Wheaton, etc.....?" As John Litweiler might say -- Jeebus! Lin Halliday (1936-2000) certainly was not the most famous of jazz musicians: http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpost2.php3?edit=949493038 but he did make four albums for Delmark with the likes of Ira Sullivan and Jodie Christian, all of which are still in print. Halliday had only one wish: "I'd be satisfied with a steady gig with Miles!" IIRC he did work with Miles briefly, after either Coltrane's first or second departure. Halliday also took Wayne Shorter's place on Maynard Ferguson's band when Wayne left to join the Jazz Messengers.

don't overlook the weston and sims! sims is one of my favorite cds actually That's my favorite period for Zoot, and that is one of his best of that period. Gus Johnson and John Williams really kick that date along.

Ha, yeah, probably should've started this earlier. :\ Thanks for the mentioning the song, I tried sending the instructor a couple songs that I thought would work well, but he said they wouldnt work as they lacked too many of the more jazzy elements, like the ones in the song you mentioned. Are you familiar with 'Jazzy Interlude' by Billy Munn? I was wondering if this one would also be viable for the paper, not sure if there's improv in that song or if its just a solo. The school is UW-Marathon County. In Wausau, Wisconsin, where I lived for a time. I would use the "Work Song" suggestion for your paper. It is clearly correct for what you need. I am quite a jazz fan and I have never heard of "Jazzy Interlude" by Billy Munn. You might also try allaboutjazz.com for this type of question. There are a lot of jazz musicians there who discuss technical musical issues all day on that forum, and they may be familar with "Jazzy Interlude" by Billy Munn, if you need to try to use it. More on Mr. Munn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Munn Certainly seems like an off-the-wall choice.

Wonder what, if anything, Gourley's passing means about the fate of the tapes he was supposed to have of otherwise unrecorded genius Chicago guitarist Ronnie Singer, who committed suicide with his wife in the early '50s. See pp. 268-9 of Ira Gitler's "Swing To Bop." Gitler heard him and was very impressed. The last time I heard of the tapes, a year or two ago, it sounded for a while like there was a strong lead there -- that Gourley did have them and was negotiating to have them released -- but nothing since. Comments on Singer: "Fantastic. Great talent. He would have been one of the all-time greats." (Lou Levy) '...a great player. He was saying as much as Jimmy [Raney] was at the time." (Gourley) "He had a spirit, a sound that reminded me of Charlie Christian, that kind of raw sound and power." (Gitler) '...he had something special." (Lee Konitz)

Good question about Newton. He was recording a lot in the late 1970s and 1980s and seemed to be rising to the level of a regular jazz recording star, in the way that anyone can become a jazz recording star these days. Then at some point he seemed to become less well known, and to have fewer high profile recordings. The Beastie Boys did him in: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4701570 I knew about that unfortunate story. But why couldn't Newton also continue to record albums while he struggled with the Beasties on the side? I don't know that his suit against the Beastie Boys affected Newton's career as a recording artist -- I was being somewhat snide. On the other hand, I think Newton was left holding the bag for considerable court costs, which certainly could have had an effect on his career; in addition, there was the no doubt dispiriting fact of losing a case to which he clearly had devoted much time and energy, as well as money, and in which he felt that right was very much on his side.

More about the interesting issues in the Newton/Beastie Boys case from an IMO objective source (see from the middle of page 103 to the top part of p. 105): http://books.google.com/books?id=KTRA-Ag5g...esult#PPA103,M1

Good question about Newton. He was recording a lot in the late 1970s and 1980s and seemed to be rising to the level of a regular jazz recording star, in the way that anyone can become a jazz recording star these days. Then at some point he seemed to become less well known, and to have fewer high profile recordings. The Beastie Boys did him in: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4701570

Your comparison is an insult to farting ducks the world over. Even when it's played by Sidney Bechet? or Lucky Thompson?

About "hotel tenor," the godfather probably was Freddy Martin, dubbed "Mr. Silvertone" by Johnny Hodges. Check out any track here: http://www.rhapsody.com/freddy-martin While that became the literal tenor sax sound that was required in bands that played in hotels for dining and dancing, I was thinking more of what became of that '30s sound later on when I stuck that label on Harry Allen. That is, tons of guys who were a generation or two or more younger than Freddy Martin, and who were aware of Stan Getz in particular, tried to find some middle-ground between the Martin sound and something that was a bit airier and with a less glassy vibrato -- this without disrupting (especially in rhythmic terms) the essential complacency, the sense that all was foreordained. Harry Allen reminds me of those guys.

I merged this thread with the other OJ thread because people were posting on both today. (This per a suggestion.)

Well, it may not have been Allen's story, but what I recall is that Puma just wanted to stay in the motel during the day and drink, while Wayne wanted to get out and about, and the tale-teller went with Wayne to a golf driving range.

Latter-day Red Mitchell, when he got swoopy-soupy. In the same vein, though I don't think he was ever not that way, Bob Magnusson.

Got to reluctantly agree with you there, for the most part... So do I. Don't forget Gene Quill, by the way... While I preferred Woods to Quill before Phil went over the line IMO, I don't think Quill ever did that, though there isn't a whole lot of Quill on record AFAIK after 1958. On the other hand, I can where a reasonable person might always have found Quill hard to take. And yet, Quill never seemed to me to be anyone but his somewhat acrid, fluent self, while Woods seemed to have stepped out of a phone booth in his new guise almost overnight. I prefer Quill when he was away from Woods -- e.g. the albums "Three Bones and a Quill" (Roost) and Johnny Richards' "Wide Range" (Capitol), both from the time (1957) Quill was a member of Richards' rehearsal band -- the three bones (Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, and Frank Rehak) were fellow Richards band members. On "Wide Range," Quill has a solo on a way-up piece, I think it's "Nipigon," that would take paint off the deck of a battleship. Genuinely exciting.

Got to reluctantly agree with you there, for the most part... Cut date might be a bit late. Just checked, and the last Phil Woods recording that I know of that isn't "jazzy" IMO is Red Garland's "Sugan," rec. July 1957.

Same here. There's some harmonica stuff on the Art Ensemble box Chuck put out and I didn't like it at all. You must be thinking of Roscoe's "sound" on Delmark. I did produce that session but think the harmonica sound last less than 20 seconds. U R a tuff crowd. I like many "mouth-organ"/harmonica performances. Both "Sonny Boys" are high on my list. Hammie Nixon, too -- the "Sonny Rollins of the mouth harp," as I think John Litweiler once wrote. The harmonica bits on "The Little Suite" from "Sound" are razor-sharp witty in themselves and a good cue to what's going on there overall. In effect, Roscoe was counting on the harmonica's associations to make his point.

This duo album -- Chuck Wayne/Joe Puma, "Interactions" (Choice) -- is a gem for both guitarists: http://classicjazzguitar.com/albums/artist...m.jsp?album=760 Puma's solo on "Body and Soul" is one of the best I've heard on those changes, regardless of instrument. Can't find it now, but I believe that Allen Lowe once posted a story about Wayne and Puma working at a New England club and not getting along at all, except musically.

Garbarek (gargling with holy water), Joe Lovano (though not always, and there are redeeming qualities at times), Ken Peplowski (sounds like a guy with a fat ass, which I believe is the case), post-1958 Phil Woods ("jazzy"), Charles Tolliver (he sounds like a nanny goat, someone once said), George Barnes (cheesy), Harry Allen (they used to call it "hotel tenor") -- probably will think of more.

The one with Tracey and Wellins, "Amoroso ... Only More So," mostly standards, is the best vocal album I've heard in a good while. What I've heard of the ECM left me cold too -- as fine a singer as Winstone is, the songs (mostly original music wrapped around texts by various poets and Winstone) struck me as arty/pretentious. Winstone seems to me a much more inventive, substantial artist when she's dealing with standards.

I told that story in a rather self-serving way, but the main point should have been that I innocently (not through any wisdom or cleverness) found much of the book funny at age 12 or so, and that Ellison meant those passages to be funny.

I caught McPherson at a San Diego jam session in the late 1970s and was blown away by just what you describe -- especially on a ballad, maybe "Body and Soul." Well beyond anything I've heard from him on record, and I've heard a fair bit. Also, there was another alto player at that session of about McPherson's age -- a local guy who I think had worked in Vegas show bands -- who also was really good. Italian name IIRC, but I don't recall it. Bought a self-produced LP by him, hope I still have it around. Can't get at it right now but will try to remember to look for it.