John Tapscott

All over the map in the last couple of weeks: Jackie McLean - Let Freedom Ring Lee Morgan - Search for the New Land Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra - Refractions Dizzy Gillespie - Dizzy's Diamonds Archie Shepp - Four For Trane Vic Dickenson - The Essential (2 LP's) John Taylor/Marc Johnson/Joey Baron - Rosslyn Keith Jarrett - Koln Concert Cecil Taylor - For Olim - (yes really, and I actually dug parts of it) Jim Snidero - Storm Rising Jazz MN Big Band Bob Florence - Whatever Bubbles Up Kenny Wheeler (with Winstone, Taylor & the Maritime Jazz Orch) - Siren's Song Carmell Jones - Mosaic Select Bill Charlap - Distant Star Up next Grover Mitchell's All Star Big Band - Hip Shakin' The Maritime Jazz Orch. (w. Wheeler, Winstone & Taylor) - Now and Now Again

The only one I've gotten so for is Lee's SFTNL. I've never heard it before and I really like it, esp. the title track and Mr. Kenyatta. The sound is just fine as far as I'm concerned, and including Grant Green on this album was an inspired move. I think Canadian guitarist Sonny Greenwich must have listened to this album a great deal. There's a lot of Green influence in his playing, esp. from this album's title track.

Jim: That's exactly how I felt in January '94 when the doctor told my wife she was expecting. My wife was much calmer about the whole thing than I was! In October this year, our daughter Julie will turn 9 and I can tell you that fatherhood is one of the very best things that ever happened to me. It's amazing the things you can do for your own child, that you've never done before, didn't know you could do, and wouldn't think of doing for anyone else. So take it easy. It should work out just fine. And I'm sure everyone will understand if it takes a bit longer to fix Board glirches in the first 2 or 3 months after the baby's arrival! One thing that was really helpful was to have the baby's room and furniture ready about two months before she was born. I can't imagine trying to do that right after the child is born. There's just too much other stuff to do. All the best.

I've really been digging this record. There is much to enjoy here. The arrangements, Rudd, and the swinging rhythm section are just some of the highlights for me. But I have significant reservations about Shepp's playing. I think he plays quite well here when he's interacting with the other horns, but on his own, especially when the tempo is up a bit, he sounds flat-footed, at least to me. On Syeeda's for example, the rhythm section is swinging very nicely, but Archie never quite gets in the groove, or catches the wave, so to speak. A lot of his phrases don't get "fit". It's not quite as noticeable when the tempo is down, but it's still there all the same, and for me, mars his work. Yes, I know it's an avant-garde technique to play against the rhythm section, but to do it all the time indicates to me a player who has some time problems. (Ornette sometimes played against the time, but he could also swing like crazy with the rhythm section. ) And I'm not sure Archie ever really solved this problem, not even on the later Sheep records I've heard. To put it simply, Archie doesn't swing enough for me. Also, I can't say I find his tone particulary pleasant, though I will grant that some people really dig it. Part of my problem, perhaps, is that I've been listening a lot to "Mode for Joe". Joe Hen is such a masterful tenor player, that when I hear Archie's playing, I honestly feel I'm listening to someone who's not in the same league.

Lon, your reputation is slipping. It was rumored that you had EVERYTHING! I have this on a 2LP set and am really looking forward to giving it a spin. This AOTW thing is great and has pulling out some records that haven't seen the light of day in a long, long time.

Just did it - ordered the Mulligan - my first Mosaic pre-order ever!

Seeing it in context actually makes it a bit worse, in my view. The opening sentence is superflous for the Trio album, because he doesn't go on to speak about any quintet albums. If he had started the trio notes with the second sentence it would be just fine. I agree with the poster who says that it looks like a cut and paste job. I think he opened the file for "Finger Poppin' in order to write the trio notes and forgot to cut the first sentence. Bob either needs an editor or a proof reader. I would gladly offer my services for the very cheap price of one CD.

I voted for the Dickenson, because it's the only one I have (and there's no way I could get one of the others by next week). But I have a question. I'm for democracy and all that, but is a poll now necessary for the AOTW? I think the person selected should just choose one. "Here it is, go for it." That's what I'll do if I ever get the chance.

Yes, a very good choice, though I haven't heard it for a while. I have it on vinyl, and will have to retrieve it from the basement this evening. Really looking forward to giving it a spin or two.

My local HMV is having a sale on certain ECM titles and I picked up this one yesterday, which was released a few months ago. It's a trio session with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron. I gave it a couple of spins this morning and man, I REALLY like this disc. This one's going into my 'heavy play" drawer for a while.

I can't wait for the Mulligan. It will be the first time I've pre-ordered a Mosaic set. It will cost me about $100 Canadian. So far I have about $35 of that, but maybe before the end of Sept. the tooth fairy will drop by!

I guess this is obvious, but the most ironic thing is that he re-uses this sentence for a TRIO album. I have generally enjoyed Bob's writing over the years and I think his Mosiac essays are pretty good (no doubt a bigger payday for those), but he has run out of gas on the RVG's. Granted it must be tough to write up every RVG like it's one of the 20 most significant Blue Note albums ever, but if you can't get up some enthusiasm for Blue Train, then I agree, it's time for BN to spread the work around.

Hank Mobley Mosaic Thad Jones small group Mosaic ChickCorea/Gary Burton - Native Sense Joe Henderson - Mode for Joe Bob Florence - Whatever Bubbles Up Kenny Dorham - Cafe Bohemia Ken Peplowski/Howard Alden Duo at Maybeck

I really hope you're wrong! I've already pre-ordered SFTNL. I've never heard it, but after reading so much about it on the boards and in books over the years, I had the impression that it was THE Lee Morgan recording to have.

I agree totally. The swinging blues has to be at the heart of jazz, modern or otherwise. Obviously everything that a jazz musician plays doesn't have to be blues based, but if you leave the blues and blues-feeling behind completely, you drift into the area of purely improvised music (and for me there is a difference between jazz and improvised music - the latter I'm not very interested in, while jazz I love). Is it fair to say that most of the great jazz musicians have had a great feeling for the blues - Parker, Coltrane, Young, Miles, Monk, etc. etc. Yes, there may have been some exceptions - Hawkins and Tatum come to mind, but they didn't drift away from the blues altogether. It's reported that even Bill Evans could play great blues piano in the Milt Buckner style when he wanted. If I were a jazz musician, I would include at least one blues-based tune in every set. At most jazz performances I've attended, I've noticed that the audience really welcomes and responds well to the tunes based on the blues.

After I posted Peterson's name I figured someone would post Miles' (in)famous words. Some of us think Miles was mistaken about that. If growing up in poverty and hard times has anything to do with blues feeling then Peterson should have been a much better blues player than Davis. I rather enjoy Gene Lees' rejoinder that even "Miles, the son of a horse-breeding, East St. Louis dentist had to LEARN to play the blues."

Well, I really like both Ray Bryant and Junior Mance, and I hope we wouldn't forget Oscar Peterson. Not the bluesiest, perhaps, but he can really dig deep when he wants to.

Sal, the only reason I asked was because I don't think you should anything put you off from getting this great music in one form or another. I kind of agree that you should probably save up for the box set. (I mean, I should buy it, too.) By the time you buy 3 or 4 of the upgraded CD's, you could have the whole box set. And I guarantee, this is music you'll never regret having. Not quite as good as half.com, but not bad, either. http://cheap-cds.com/surf/disps/065655

Sal: Could I ask why not? I have all Ornette's Atlantic LP's, and therefore have never picked up the CD's. But the LP sound is great, so I can't imagine there would be anything wrong with the older CD's.

Actually, the Verve Gitanes label is distributed in Canada, (but not in the US, apparently), so Paul MAY be able to locate it more easily here. For example, the Kenny Barron Trio Live at Bradley's CD was easily avialable up here, but sadly not in the US.

Pryan, try to find Teddy Edwards' "Harlem Tango" on Verve. It's a trio session with Christian McBride on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. It's great musically and also beautifully recorded, allowing you to hear Billy in all his glory.

While there are many Pablos I really enjoy, one gets the impression that Norman Granz rarely did second takes of anything, nor that was he overly concerned about consistent sound quality. Sometimes great, sometimes mediocre. I wouldn't say that Granz did things 'on the cheap' because he supposedly paid his musicians very well, but some Pablo sessions give the impression of being rather rushed affairs. Interestingly, I recall, that in the '70's Pablo records were among the most expensive domestic releases, usually priced a couple of dollars more per LP than other labels.

No wonder the public school system is in such sad shape (not only in the US, but also in Canada). Personally, I think the principal should send a letter to the kid and his parents saying the same thing, then immediately file his retirement papers. (I don't know what it's like in the US, but here in Canada, as soon as a teacher becomes eligible for retirement, he or she hits the door running, and I don't blame them a bit).

Dexter. I love his recordings there with Jackie McLean.

This a a tough one. Had to go with Benny, though. I think his playing with Brown was outstanding, generally more interesting to me than on his own Blue Note dates. And having the great Jeff Hamilton on drums didn't hurt a bit, either.