mjzee

Vladimir Horowitz - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, disc 5.

On a plane ride at the end of January, my wife and I sat next to a couple who coughed through the entire flight. They had masks on, but I still knew this wouldn't be good. We both started feeling bad within a few days, and were concerned it might be COVID. My wife went to the doctor and got tested. It wasn't COVID, it was parainfluenza, which is a different virus than the flu. She was told there was nothing to be done, she had to get better on her own. Indeed, she felt better in a few days. On the other hand, it lingered with me for about a month, and cleared up around the time I started experiencing seasonal allergies. As Rosanne Rosannadanna used to say, if it's not one thing, it's another. Feel better!

Good luck in Pittsburgh. I visited it once 25 years ago, so can't speak knowledgeably about it, but it seemed like it had good quirky vibes - I remember taking the cog train going up a really steep hill. And of course a lot of great jazz musicians came from Pittsburgh, so there's probably something good in the air. If you're on X/Twitter, follow Salena Zito - her beat covers the Pittsburgh area, and she's an excellent writer.

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 37.

Vladimir Horowitz - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, disc 4.

Picked this up recently. R.I.P.

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 36.

Vladimir Horowitz - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, disc 3.

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 35.

Vladimir Horowitz - Complete Recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, disc 2.

You can buy the 3 CD set direct from ESP: http://www.espdisk.com/bud-powell/4073.html It would come with the booklet.

Werner hasn't said which master tapes he's working from, or even if he's working from master tapes, or even if they're correctly licensed.

Found it - track #1 off this:

The biographic film that appeared on PBS's American Masters series a few years ago is worth searching out. RIP.

I have not read the other responses. #1: Third-stream jazz. SQ is late 60's. Sounds British...Kenny Wheeler? Intriguing; it held my interest. #2: Joe Henderson's composition "Recorda Me." Another good performance. Pepper Adams? #3: Sonny Clark's composition "Blue Minor," misidentified as track 5 on this album. #4: Miles meets Burt Bacharach meets trance fusion? Didn't go anywhere but was nice to have around. No clue. #5: Two baritones in a mating dance. #6: The guitar makes me think of one of those Laurindo Almeida albums on Tower, or maybe Charlie Byrd on Columbia. Late '60's. Fun. #7: Yesterdays. Not Art Pepper, but similar. Nice arrangement. #8: I'm guessing Ron Miles with Bill Frisell. #9: Coltrane-influenced sax. Sounds like the band is reacting to the tenor rather than to any set composition. The track doesn't do much for me - too self-indulgent. #10: Sophisticated Lady through a refractive lens. A lot of pianists play in this cubist style. Doesn't do much for me. #11: Sounds like a musician who fancies himself a singer - Kenny Burrell and Milt Jackson are examples. No vibes or guitar on this track, so it can't be them. Sax playing is more interesting. Is this Horace Silver's composition "Peace"? #12: I like the pianist, but the bassist is too busy and the drummer could do with less bashing and more timekeeping. Is this the bassist's date, since he's so prominent in the mix?

The ESP (available on Bandcamp) is licensed from the Powell estate, has corrected any pitch issues, and has dates with Bird and Dizzy not on the Fresh Sound "trio" release. I'd go with the ESP.

I find it interesting that this is a limited edition of 5,000. That number seems to be inching up again - a few years ago, it was only 3,000. I wonder if they're just feeling more self-confident.

WKCR.org

Tardo Hammer with Grant Stewart is real good.

Release date March 28: Gratitude is a heartfelt journey, bridging some of my earliest influences in jazz with a deep appreciation for the present and embracing the blessings of life, friends, family, and health from a new perspective. Community and mentorship are two essential elements of jazz. I'm infinitely grateful to the remarkable individuals I've had the privilege to learn from, collaborate with, and draw inspiration from throughout my career. Their encouragement has shaped me into who I am today. Envisioning this project, I aimed to assemble a group of musicians that have been, and continue to be, a significant part of my journey. The inspiration for this album reaches back to Christian McBride's monumental release, "Gettin' to It," which has the same rhythm section. As a young teen in Oklahoma, this album quickly became my guiding light. The laws of energy (Magnetism) brought me full circle in New York; after years of being in the trenches, I gained opportunities to work with each artist. The following compositions are dedicated to Jimmy Heath (Gratitude), Kenny Garrett (Kenny's Quest), Joshua Redman (In the Spirit), and my son (The Promise). This album truly brings me full circle.As you listen, may the music transport you on a journey of reflection, resilience, and celebration, where gratitude becomes a shared experience and a reminder of the connections and energies that bind us all. -Sharel Cassity (December, 2024)

Release date February 28: Trombonist Nanami Haruta made the move from her native Sapporo to Tokyo as a teenager and quickly established herself as a dynamic & inspired player. Master trombonist Michael Dease heard her at a festival when she was 17, and later convinced her to make another move, to pursue her degree with him and Rodney Whitaker at Michigan State University. With professional affiliations now including Whitaker's Sextet & drummer Ulysses Owens Jr's Big Band, "The Vibe" documents the respect she's garnered from her mentors and showcases her significant musical voice. With her quartet - including Whitaker, Owens, and Xavier Davis on piano - along with guest appearances by producer Dease and guitarist Chris Minami, Haruta unveils an assertive posture and a compelling, robust tone on this set of five originals, two pieces by co-producer/executive producer Gregg Hill, and four covers, including Curtis Fuller's "Algonquin." Release date March 21: Nnenna Freelon's voice is a reflection of life, filled with personal stories, deep emotion, and quiet wisdom. Since her 1992 debut on Columbia, the seven-time Grammy nominee has used her unique perspective to tell familiar stories - from reimagining Billie Holiday to paying tribute to Stevie Wonder. On Beneath the Skin, she goes the extra step, reaching in to create heart-spoken songs, born from curiosity to more closely visit stories inhabiting her own life. With co-arranger and pianist, Alan Pasqua, Nnenna's created her most personal musical statement to date. Freelon's vocal artistry, rooted in tradition but always forward-thinking, has captivated audiences around the world, and Beneath the Skin is sure to do the same. "What Freelon is building is not just a castle of love, but an expanded repertoire for jazz singers" - The Washington PostThere's no doubt that Freelon has now positioned herself in the very top echelon of jazz vocalists. - The Los Angeles Times

Release date March 21: Anchored in the idea that, despite all obstacles, the human experience casts a net of possibilities, Defiant Life - Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith's second duo recording for ECM - proves a profound meditation on the human condition and both the suffering and resilience it entails. Recorded within two days at Lugano's Auditorio Stelio Molo, Defiant Life was produced by Manfred Eicher. "This recording session was conditioned by our ongoing sorrow and outrage over the past year's cruelties, but also by our faith in human possibility." - Vijay Iyer Release date March 28: Nicolas Masson's acquaintance with his fellow quartet travelers Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret and Lionel Friedli goes back roughly two decades - in this time the players have developed an intimate musical bond, expressed purely and beautifully on Renaissance. Comprised exclusively of originals by the Swiss saxophonist and one collective improvisation, the album's spotlight shifts between contrasting moods and shapes, capturing the venturesome leader stretching his compositional muscle in evocative interplay with his colleagues.