mjzee

A smoker!

I was listening to "Outside Woman Blues" by Blind Joe Reynolds on a Yazoo compilation. Very scratchy, great fun. So I was wondering: where did Cream hear this? Yazoo wasn't around then. Were there blues compilations in England, and, if so, which labels released them? And if the cleaned-up Yazoo version is scratchy, what must've the older versions sounded like?

I'm a Junior Mance fan. Check out that instrumentation again: On a tribute to Dizzy, no horns or reeds! Very well done. What shines through on a Mance recording are composure and intelligence. Very enjoyable musician.

Currently available on eMusic: Hubbard: Fastball Hubbard/Heath: Left Bank

The version of Go Ahead John on BF is truly bizarre...the drums go back and forth between the left and right channel, seemingly with no logic...it has a very obnoxious sound, and is truly Big Fun. I'm disappointed that they didn't include that version in the Jack Johnson box, since it was the version that Miles approved. This is the descripton from the JJ box: "NOTE: The issued version of "Go Ahead John" on PG 32866 was oddly constructed, using various sections of the above takes. It begins with part two B, cuts to a section which uses part two A and part two C simultaneously, then a section with part one and part one remake simultaneously, and finally a piece of part two B for the ending. All of this was mixed with an automatic switcher that shot the guitar back and forth between each channel."

An atypical date that I've always loved is "Digital At Montreaux 1980." A unique lineup: Dizzy, Toots Thielmans on guitar (only; no harmonica), and Pretty Purdie, drums. That's it. Bluesy, funky, unpretentious, and a lot of fun.

This month's downloads: Art Farmer - The Summer Knows Art Farmer - To Duke With Love Art Farmer - Yesterday's Thoughts The Great Jazz Trio - At The Village Vanguard The Great Jazz Trio - At The Village Vanguard, Vol. 2 The Great Jazz Trio - At The Village Vanguard Again Pat Martino - Desperado Lennie Tristano - Note To Note David Fathead Newman - Davey Blue Emily Remler - East To Wes Sonny Rollins - The Cutting Edge The Complete Wes Montgomery on Riverside, disc 6 Zoot Sims - Soprano Sax Zoot Sims - I Wish I Were Twins

Thanks for posting that. Fascinating stuff.

Count me in. Ray's one of my favorites. What a powerful piano style, with great clarity. Also a good showman who communicates well with his audience. A favorite is Somewhere In France:

They've added a Coleman Hawkins title, "High School Hawk." I think this was mentioned recently in a thread as an amazing performance with a pick-up band, but I can't find the thread: http://www.emusic.com/album/11028/11028594.html

I've enjoyed this date for many years, since the first white cover issue. Great song selection, spirited playing, great Freddie. Much, much better than Gettin' Around (which sounds like a practice session, with everyone playing the songs verrrrrry carefully). I also liked "Landslide," but that's a discussion for another day.

This month's downloads: The Revolutionary Ensemble - Vietnam The Revolutionary Ensemble - And Now... Leroy Jenkins - Space Minds, New Worlds, Survival of America Leroy Jenkins - Solo Bobby Broom - Song and Dance Ben Webster/Tete Montoliu - Gentle Ben Wes Montgomery - Complete Live in Paris 1965 Sahib Shihab - Sentiments Mr. Billy Higgins The Godfathers of Groove Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers

Sco is nice on the "Phil Lesh & Friends" package. He mostly adds color, much like Weir did in the Dead. Unfortunately, most of the lead guitar lines are played by Larry Campbell, who's pretty conventional. And, unfortunately, Phil sings. Still, it was a fun listen, and one gets the impression that the group really improvised, albeit within familiar songs.

Hi, Aggie. That's a Jarrett thing. The last side of the LP of The Koln Concert was about 7 minutes long, and about half of that is applause. Probably Jarrett's desire, tho Manfred Eicher is definitely an enabler.

I really liked the first side of Cross-Collateral.

There was an intriguing passage in Max's memoir (a great book, btw), where he mentions in passing playing "that night's tapes" for Rahsaan in his hospital bed (working from memory here). How many gigs did Max tape, and are those tapes still in existence?

Here's the review from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/31/lorraine-...bookreview.html

I remember seeing Tommy Flanagan/George Mraz duo at Bradley's (the only time I got to see Tommy). Bradley's had this reputation as a great place to hear quiet (no drums) jazz. Bull; people talked loudly throughout the set. I sat near the stage and could barely hear George. I remember seeing Keith Jarrett at the Vanguard around 1976 (I think the quartet with Dewey). He made this very serious pronouncement at the beginning of the set that we should be very quiet while they played, and that the waitresses will not serve during the performance. About 20 minutes into the performance, the waitresses came out to solicit more drinks. Someone asked one of them about what Keith had said, and she just rolled her eyes. I laughed; her attitude was a wonderful antidote to the atmosphere. But probably the worst incident I saw was Javon Jackson at Iridium (when they were at Lincoln Center). Great band, with Larry Goldings. There's a party of 8 at the table right in front of the stage. Dinner's served first, and they're having a nice time. Jackson and the band came out, and IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIRST SONG, the entire party of 8 got up and walked out. Boy, did that deflate the band; I really felt for them.

Hummm.... At one point, I downloaded his last album, Another Day On Earth, from eMusic, but they're not offering it now. I thought it a rather glum affair (especially the lyrics...and the singing...and the tempos). Ah, but the old days: Taking Tiger Mountain, Here Come The Warm Jets, Fripp & Eno - No Pussyfooting...fun stuff. Then he got more serious. He forgot the value of a good joke. Oh, yeah: The Byrne/Eno My Life in the Bush of Ghosts is a lot of fun, too.

Other interesting recent additions: Jack DeJohnette - Golden Beams Collected Volume 1: http://www.emusic.com/album/11022/11022960.html Jack DeJohnette featuring Bill Frisell - The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers: http://www.emusic.com/album/11022/11022956.html Roberta Gambarini - Easy To Love: http://www.emusic.com/album/11022/11022952.html Charles McPherson - Live At The Cellar: http://www.emusic.com/album/11023/11023738.html

"The Trio," on Interplay, was interesting. It's very tough for a trumpeter to sustain interest over an entire album in a trio setting, carrying the whole melodic (and much of the improvisatory) content. I took this as a major challenge Ted set for himself, and damn if he didn't pull it off!

I like the Verve two-fer. I also like the Stuff/Stephane Grappelli disc on Pablo.

Has anyone heard his Pablo album?

This month's downloads: (19 albums...a personal best!) Red Garland - All Mornin' Long Red Garland - Can't See For Lookin' Red Garland - Dig It! Mobley/Cohn/Coltrane/Sims - Tenor Conclave Tony Oxley & Derek Bailey - The Advocate Coltrane, Burrell - The Cats John Coltrane - Traneing In Burrell, Byrd - All Day Long Richard Teitelbaum - Blends Jackie McLean & Co. Jackie McLean - A Long Drink of the Blues Jackie McLean - Strange Blues Jackie McLean - Alto Madness Red Garland - It's A Blue World Red Garland - Soul Junction Interplay for 2 Trumpets and 2 Tenors Red Garland - High Pressure Charles Mingus - Reincarnation of a Love Bird (Candid) The Mel Lewis Sextet (VSOP)

Just noticed that Mo-Roc is available from iTunes for $7.92.