ghost of miles

Joan Didion's SLOUCHING TOWARDS BETHLEHEM and Geoffrey Butcher's NEXT TO A LETTER FROM HOME: MAJOR GLENN MILLER'S WARTIME BAND.

I love the alternate take of Billie Holiday's "No More" that appears on her COMPLETE DECCA RECORDINGS. The audio quality is bad, as it was taken from a re-processed, multi-generational Japanese tape source, but the take is slightly slower and even moodier than the master. It has an almost-sinister spookiness about it--going to use it for my Holiday program on July 17.

No personnel listings come with the 1997 Rykodisc re-issue of Ellington's PARIS BLUES, although the promotional wrapper says, "Louis Armstrong appears on one track. Tres cool." Yeah, yeah... to my ears, it sounds as if he's on two, both "Wild Man Moore" (the name of the character he plays in the movie) and "Battle Royal." Can anybody else confirm that?

Thanks so much for your comments, guys! Next week's show will be on Jackie Paris... the 17th on Billie Holiday... the 24th (tentatively) on unreleased recordings of Miles w/Sam Rivers in Japan in 1964. And the shows will be archived... hoping that eventually I might get bumped up into a slightly earlier time-slot. Anyway, I really appreciate the feedback.

It's a good 'un, kids, don't miss out!

Chuck, is John still the director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago?

I just noticed that our newest member is John Litweiler, author of two outstanding books on jazz, THE FREEDOM PRINCIPLE: JAZZ AFTER 1958, and ORNETTE COLEMAN: A HARMOLODIC LIFE. John, welcome!

Thanks, man! Yeah, it's a freedom thing--a jazz freedom thing.

bebopbob: I have the Watkins on hold for you at a local shop. It's new/still sealed; their price is $14. If you can send me a check for $15 ($1 to cover postage), I'll buy it & mail it to you. Warning: contact me through PM rather than e-mail notification, which doesn't seem to be working lately.

Catesta, does your girlfriend approve of your posting her picture like that?

Add another vote for BUZZ here. Great review, Relyles! I'm quite a fan of Frank Kimbrough as well. In fact, Kimbrough has actually begun to post here on occasion.

Weren't they grouped with one of the McGhee Connoisseurs?

I think you mean to say, "Aaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

I somehow overlooked your comment here, Mobleytime... that is a shame. I think we have the LP in our station's library... I seem to recall using it once before for a Gryce special that I did. I'll check this afternoon, but thanks for the heads-up--I'll know to look for just "Elgy" on the CD when it arrives.

More about Paris in this article, which is accompanied by a picture of Jackie touring w/Charlie Parker: Both come from a Jackie Paris website here.

it is, you saw through my photoshop mock up. here's the original I think they were actually dancing to "Four Brothers."

it is, you saw through my photoshop mock up. here's the original a brewery? No wonder they all look so happy!

cool beans! better be archived as I believe 11 pm your time is sleepy time my time. I just found out that Night Lights will indeed be archived. I'll post a link to that as well, once we have it established.

Berigan, your allusion to SAYONARA reminded me of Truman Capote's famous profile of Brando, "The Duke In His Domain," which appeared in the New Yorker in 1957. (Anybody interested in Brando should check it out.) Capote interviewed him during the making of that film; its director, Joshua Logan, tried desperately to keep Capote away from Marlon, but ultimately failed. Brando was known for closely guarding his private persona, but Capote enticed him into talking freely & openly about his childhood, his problems with his alcoholic mother, etc. When the article came out Brando was quite angry and reportedly said, "I'll kill him!" to which Logan replied, "It's too late now, Marlon... you should have done that before you talked to him."

Agreed, DoubleM. Some of my faves off that record are "Plainclothes Man," "The Fix Is In," and "See You Later." Anybody who loves mid-90's Elliott in particular would be well-advised to pick up that record. I still can't get over those EITHER/OR outtakes... man, great stuff that he left in the vaults. Wonder if Kill Rock Stars will ever put it out as a regular CD.

Max Roach's WE INSIST: THE FREEDOM NOW SUITE Sonny Rollins, "The Freedom Suite" I also like to play Sinatra's "The House I Live In" on the 4th. As you can see, I tend to bring a certain civil-rights tinge to my 4th programming...

Either Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" or Miles' version of it (from MILES SMILES). Jackie McLean's LET FREEDOM RING (although his title is actually referring to the advent of free jazz, but it's such a fantastic album... sounds good any time!) Re: Duke, there are at least a couple of live versions he did of "The Star-Spangled Banner" floating around--during WWII he frequently opened shows by playing it. Charlie Haden did "America the Beautiful" a couple of years ago, but I much prefer Brother Ray's version.

Hey medjuck, I'm programming some music for my new program, which debuts tomorrow on the eve of the 4th of July. It will include Duke Ellington's version of "Rhapsody in Blue" (a perennial Independence Day number for picnic-with-the-Pops affairs) and Charles Mingus' "Freedom" (not necessarily "patriotic," at least by the conservative definition of the word). Off the top of my head: Peggy Lee/Johnny Mercer, "Freedom Train" Anything by Louis Armstrong (whose "symbolic" birthday remains July 4) Paul Robeson, "Ballad for Americans" (not really jazz, but a 4th fave of mine) Damn, there's much more, but I can't remember... I'll post whatever else I think of.

That's enough out of you. I always wonder how the guy can type straight with all that beer in his tummy and all the bottles strewn about his keyboard. Amazing! He has all those women to type for him, you know... You mean to tell me Catesta is actually sitting with his feet up on a desk, quaffing down beers, and dictating all of his posts to a bevy of beautiful women who dutifully type his every word into the computer, all the while gazing at him with looks of reverence and adoration? What a life!

Until recently I avoided the Funny Rat thread precisely because of its length...(maybe it's time for "Son of Funny Rat"?) but a couple of weekends ago I did make my way through the first 43 pages, and I intend to finish reading it during some other slow time at work. Definitely a good thread to read/be in if you're at all interested in modern improv & free jazz. It would be cool to see more threads about individual artists.