Larry Kart

Exaggerating a bit, it's like if he met Alfred Lion and said, "Blue Note, right?"

Thought I needed to make more space on my CD shelves so I took a look and decided that relatively modern American classical music was an area where weeding out could be done -- I'd bought a lot of stuff in that realm sort of on spec from Berkshire and other bargain outlets over the years. In any case, I found the weeding out process -- listen to a work or two or parts of works and decide yea or nay -- to be very stimulating by and large and even good fun at times; general principles in one's sensibility, so to speak, beings revealed. Above all , if you're being honest -- and that's the whole point --one can't fool oneself. No matter the received reputation of composer X, if his or her music isn't or is happening for you, it just isn't or is, and usually you'll learn something, or think you're learning something, in the process. A particular pleasant surprise was the muscular, stylistically varied music of Ezra Laderman -- I'd picked up a lot of Laderman at one time, all of it works for me -- and a CD of the music of Claudio Spies -- austere and/or delicate, somewhat in the vein of Webern, but with a flavor all its own. Spies IIRC was a good friend of Stravinsky in the latter's LA days. I'm still working or worrying my way though a batch of Wuorinen -- think the verdict there will be maybe.

I've heard the same about "Things Ain't What They Used To Be: Last Set at Sweet Basil." In recent months I've picked up four or so of the Reservoir Brignola albums. Not a weak one in the bunch. The one (if there's only one) with Jack De Johnette is really special; Nick's and Jack's rhythmic energy were a perfect rhyme. As that version (above) of "Sister Sadie" suggests, Nick wasn't just a burly, hard-charging player but a very brainy, heady one, too.

Thanks for the corrections.

on bari and then on alto, with Mike Holobar, Rick Syracuse, and Dick Berk

Love that record -- bought it when it came out. Richard Davis! Joe Chambers!

That does sound vaguely familiar. BTW, "There's No Business Like How Business" on "Worktime" reminds me some of one of my favorite but fairly obscure Rollins performances, "What's My Name" from the quartet side of the "Big Brass." The use of the verse on the former, the way Sonny leans into the refrain on the latter and then builds to a sonata-like climax.

Actually, IIRC, I modified the very end of those notes for the book, adding something about Ethel Merman (?!?!) and losing the casual final line that Jim quoted. Now I much prefer the original version. Also, the part of the notes that quotes from Terry Martin's essay on Coleman Hawkins is fairly profound IMO (that's Terry's profundity BTW, not mine).

I used to have the entire text of my jazz book, which includes the "Worktime" liner notes, stored on my computer, but it seems to have vanished from there, damn it. Otherwise I would post a copy of the notes.

My notes were written for the 1970 LP reissue (Prestige 7750). Goldberg's, which I don't know, were written later on I assume.

Indeed it is. That track transfixed me.

You've got a good memory. P.S. I knew a guy, a very good drummer, who when he was a student at the U. of Illinois in the '50s rigged his alarm clock in some Rube Goldberg fashion so that the needle of his record player dropped on "There's No Business Like Show Business." A particular Rollins sweet spot -- "Sonny Rollins Trio in Stockholm"(Dragon), rec. 3/1959 with Henry Grimes and Pete La Roca. If you can find a copy, count yourself lucky.

I got to write the liner notes for the reissue of "Worktime." You can bet I was on my toes there!

I reviewed it enthusiastically for Down Beat back in the day.

Sorry -- read right past that.

A particular Rollins sweet spot -- "Sonny Rollins Trio in Stockholm"(Dragon), rec. 3/1959 with Henry Grimes and Pete La Roca. If you can find a copy, count yourself lucky.

Margie Hyams. Her Wikipedia entry has a photo showing her trio on the marquee of the Three Deuces, ands she surely played the Street when she was with Shearing.

A fine album in general. Kelly's reading of "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" may be the quintessential WK performance.

A singer went to an audition and called “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off.” She proceeded to sing: “You like potato, and I like potato.You like tomato, and I like tomato. Potato, potato, tomato, tomato. Let’s call the whole thing off.” The producer quickly responded, "Okay, that’ll be all, Ms. Levine.”The singer answered: “That’s Le-VINE.”

The original cover probably fueled numerous fantasy scenarios. Also, on the Liberty cover, the tenorman looks more like Getz than Bill Perkins.

Nice doggy?

Another good outing for Galbraith is the 1956 Hank Jones album "The New York Rhythm Section" (Fresh Sound), with Jones, BG, Hinton, and Johnson -- TNYRS being the name they informally were known by because they had appeared together on so many medium and large-ensemble recordings of that time. BG plays very well there, as does everyone, but I think BG is in freer, looser form on "Guitar and the Wind." As for "Alabama Concerto," l'll have to listen again, but my impression always has been that what BG played there was mostly or entirely written out by Brooks. In any case, as extensively as BG can be heard on that work, I wouldn't say, again relying on memory, that he takes any real solos. Rather he is or is being used by Brooks more or less as the comping/fill in "glue" to hold the work together. This he does brilliantly. It must have been a very challenging role for him to weave in and out of the solo and ensemble work of Art Farmer and Cannonball Adderley; also the folk-based writing of Brooks was not normal material, and his writing was full of speech-like stops and starts. Altogether a very worthy work. Wish there were more Brooks available; only other album of his I know is "Folk Jazz U.S.A.", with Nick Travis, Zoot Sims on alto and Al Cohn on baritone, and BG -- originally on VIK but reissued on CD by Fresh Sound, coupled with "Alabama Concerto." Brooks probably is best known for composing "You Came A Long Way from St. Louis." He and George Russell and Gil Evans were friends. Brooks did a lot of writing for big bands of the '40s. Brooks wrote a brilliant piece about Ornette Coleman for The Jazz Review.

Just listened again to "Guitar and the Wind." Billed as a mood jazz album, it's also AFAIK Galbraith's best outing as a soloist. Milt Hinton is in very fine form behind his frequent rhythm section partner.