brownie

Christiern, this is a beauty! Any idea who took that one? Also, any idea when Peter Pullman's book will be ready? Waiting for that Bud Powell book...

My understanding of the Baker-Littman collaboration (I hate to use the term 'connection') is that Baker hired Littman to have the drummer to purvey him with the wrong substances. Baker knew enough about good drummers to be aware that Littman was not a very good musician. In his 'Deep in a Dream' book, James Gavin fails to mention that Littman fled from Paris the day or a couple of days after Twardzik's death on October 21, 1955. He had to be replaced by Swedish drummer Nils-Bertil Dahlander for Chet Baker's October 24 Blue Star session where he recorded 'These Foolish Things'. 'In Memory of Dick' was recorded at another Blue Star session on October 25 (with Dahlander on drums). I don't have a copy of the 'Deep in a Dream' book with me right now but Gavin mentioned that Serge Chaloff physically attacked Littman when the drummer showed up shortly after in a Boston club.

This is a must have album from a musician who remained in the shadows during his too-short career. It's much better than good. He should have had one-tenth of the fame that surrounded Chet Baker's playing at the time. Fruscella may not have been as romantic and as pretty at Baker in the '50s but he was the one with the unique tone and the masterful phrasing. His Atlantic album is his best record (they are very few albums under his name). And you also get a chance to hear Allen Eager - another unrecognized great - who just passed away. I keep a CD of this album in my car and play it when I'm in the right mood.

Valaida Snow was another trumpet playing woman. Clora Bryant was in fine form when she recorded (with Walter Benton on tenor) for Mode back in 1957. I have the VSOP LP reissue somewhere. This was more than a novelty album. She could really play. Glad to see she is still around.

How about Warne Marsh's Interplay sessions? Beautiful music on the ones I could find.

I do. Beautiful music. Mel Powell also did a similar trio date with Ruby Braff for Vanguard. Mel Powell is another artist who needs to be reevaluated.

Don't forget Dave Pell's Prez Conference. His GNP record (with singer Joe Williams doing Billie Holiday and Jimmy Rushing vocals) recreated the Lester Young solos with three tenors (Pell, Bob Cooper, Bob Hardaway) and one baritone in the Charlie Parker/ Supersax mode. The GNP was a pleasant album.

The Monk family also continues to issue CDs. You can check what they have at: www.theloniousrecords.com/ Anybody heard these yet?

Tenor saxophonist Harold Ashby passed away last Friday. This is his obituary in today's New York Times.

A superb date with Harold Land has not been mentioned yet: Hampton Hawes' 'For Real' album (Contemporary, still available on OJCCD). Hawes, Scott LaFaro and Frank Butler are the rhythm section. Could not fail to be great. Land was really inspired by his fellow musicians on that one.

Ghost, no need to wait for Mosaic to do Krupa-Columbia. Chronological Classics has - slowly but surely - issued all of Krupa's sessions. Don't have the full list with me now but they were up to 1945 (and about ten Krupa CDs) not long ago.

Keith Jarrett

Rene Urtreger is a favorite. I would be inclined to recommend the four but 'Recidive' would be my at the top of the list. 'En Direct d'Antibes' I heard it only once and did not feel like getting it when it came out on LP. I have not heard these four Carlyne reissues yet. There are a couple of Urtreger albums I would strongly recommend (both on the French label Sketch): - Onirica, a magnificient 2000 solo album, - H.U.M., a 3-CD set with Daniel Humair and Pierre Michelot. Three sessions from 1960, 1979 and 1999. The original session was excellent. The two further reunions were even better. Urtreger who started strong in the '50s, ran into hard times in the '60s (that's when he played in the group that accompanied pop singer Claude Francois) and made a rather unheralded comeback in the late '70s. He is now playing better than ever, as on 'Onirica' which is made up of short and swinging introspective numbers with a wide variety of moods.

The New York Times' obituary on Jimmy Knepper:

Ricky Ford and his Quintet (Eddie Henderson, trumpet, Kirk Lightsey, piano, James Lewis, bass, and Doug Sides, drums) will perform at a live recording date concert in Paris on June 28 at 9PM. Futura/Marge records are producing the concert which is being held at the La Fenetre theater, at 77 rue de Charonne. This should be very interesting.

Miles Davis BlackHawk Saturday Night Cecil Taylor The Willisau concert Bunny Berigan (38-39 airchecks) Shoestring LP Sonny Stitt 37 Minutes 48 Seconds Roost LP Warne Marsh/Red Mitchell Duo at Sweet Basil (Fresh Sounds)

How was his playing then? He was in a group that included Nathan Davis and Larry Young. This was pretty exciting music. Nathan Davis was the main man in the group. Woody Shaw already was a great improviser with a neat sound. They were playing at the 'Chat Qui Peche' club that is now a greek restaurant. I don't recall having heard Larry Young play organ while he was in Paris.

Very sad news. His distinctive sound will be very much missed.

Also don't overlook Curtis Fuller post-60s contributions. He blew great trombone with the Timeless All Stars (with Haorld Land, Bobby Hutcherson and others) and on the now hard-to-find Beehive LP 'Fire and Filigree' amongother albums.

Berigan, thanks for digging that up. I remember that interview (I was still reading Down Beat at the time it came out). Very interesting man and excellent musician, Woody Shaw. Caught him a number of times when he was in Paris in the mid-sixties. He also made quite a number of appearances all over Europe with his group in the 70s and '80s.

Another rare Dolphy appearance is on the WestWind album under Dolphy's name 'Unrealized Tapes' which was recorded in Paris in June 1964. The date also features Donald Byrd, Nathan Davis and French pianist Jack Dieval who probably organized the date. They play four Dophy compositions 'Springtime', '245', 'GW' and 'Serene'.

Eric Dolphy is also featured on the opening two tracks of a now out-ot-print album 'Surrounded' by Daniel Humair on the Flat&Sharp label. Dolphy plays his compositions 'Les' and 'Serene' in a concert recorded in Paris on May 18, 1964, just one month before he died. He was accompanied by Kenny Drew, Guy Pedersen and Humair. Dolphy was in top form that day. Other artists featured in the album which is made of unreleased live material are Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Martial Solal, Johnny Griffin, Tete Montoliu among others.

Twardzik was an innovative pianist who left his mark in a much too brief career. He made a number of records with Chet Baker when he played in Baker's quartet. A discography is available: Twardzik He is heard playing with Charlie Parker in the Uptown release 'Charlie Parker Boston 1952' (with Charles Mingus on bass and Roy Haynes on drums!) and on Serge Chaloff's album 'Fables of Mabel' that should still be available on a Black Lion CD. He appears also on the latest Uptown release by Allen Eager which I have not gotten hold of yet. He made only one date - excellent - under his name for Pacific Jazz. This was coupled with a Russ Freeman trio date when it was reissued. He died of heroin overdose in Paris in 1955. He was 24.

Ubu, I did not buy the box (already have some of the Reinhardt CDs in the series). It seemed to contain the exact seven CD already reissued. No added material.

Fuller is great on 'Blue Train'. His very first album 'New Trombone' on Prestige (with Sonny Red, Hank Jones, Doug Watkins and Louis Hayes) was also a very impressive opener. The Curtis Fuller Mosaic box is unfortunately not available any more. It had many great sessions.