mjzee

I would say yes. This, to me, was the autobiography Sonny wanted to write, and it's apparent he extensively cooperated with Levy. I found the details of his arrest as a teenager fascinating, how his father's experiences affected Sonny's politics, the details about Clifford Brown's death and funeral (with pictures), his many sojourns in Europe with pickup groups, his home life with Lucille...the list goes on. The book is exhaustively documented - I don't think we need the details of every tour Sonny did in the '70's, '80's, and '90's, so you may want to dip into the book for specific periods you'd find interesting - but you do come away with a good sense of the man's personality.

Release date January 17: Drummer/composer/educator Steve Johns moved to New York after graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1982. While still a student, he won the Outstanding Drummer Award at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival. His musical career then took off performing with a barrage of luminaries of the world jazz scene. Here is Johns' SteepleChase leader debut showcasing not only his versatile dexterity but his astounding talent as composer. Release date February 14: Alex Norris has been one of the most sought-after elite trumpeters for the past three decades on NY scene. Norris received a Master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Doctor's degree from the Univ. Of Miami Frost School of Music. He has kept busy schedule performing principal post in renowned large and small ensembles all over the world. Despite his impressive achievement Alex Norris' leader albums are scarce. This is his fourth album and the second for SteepleChase. Norris forms a time-tested yet distinctive trumpet trio with some contemporary twists superbly collaborated by Paul Bollenbach on guitar and Paul Gill on bass. ".Norris writes and plays with rare assurance and seldom walks on overly familiar paths.. he's not an aggressive stylist and his penchant for thoughtful dynamics gives him the confidence to leave space and unexpected intervals in his solos." (The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD)

Release date January 24: Back with a newly formed quintet, the German pianist Benjamin Lackner presents a different and exciting side of his composer-approach. Subtle fanfares meet contemplative lyricism in a program of originals that always puts melody and ensemble chemistry first. Saxophone and trumpet take the lead, forming their own little ensemble section, and contribute elegantly interwoven lines and striking solos to an especially harmonious group sound and a tuneful set of songs.

I recently found a used copy of "Sonny, Please," and am digging the hell out of it. If this turns out to be his final studio date, it must be said that he really went out on a high note.

Looks like Dusty Groove got in a bunch of Delmark CDs priced at $3.99 or less. Chris Woods, Chicago Underground Trio, Exploding Star Orchestra, George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell, Zoot Sims, Keefe Jackson, Kalaparush, Eric Alexander, Rob Mazurek, Flip Phillips, Junior Mance, and more - do a search for Delmark.

Bracha Eden and Alexander Tamir - The Complete Decca Recordings, disc 9.

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 12.

I did. Doesn't worry me.

Just noticed this new release at Dusty Groove: Trumpeter Jack Walrath is something of a secret hero in jazz – a player who's created amazing sounds for decades, both in his own groups and in lineups led by giants like Charles Mingus or Bobby Watson – but also an artist who's sometimes a bit under the radar, then pops up with an amazing record like this! Walrath is often at his best in a more open, freewheeling live setting – definitely the case in the way the Smalls Live series allows a key player to open up – often producing the kind of material that doesn't always get captured this well in the studio. And as with most Smalls sessions, the rest of the group is superb too – Abraham Burton on tenor, George Burton on piano, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Donald Edwards on drums – all stretching out on tracks that all hover nicely around the ten minute mark. Titles include "A Bite In Tunisia", "Roadkill", "Sacrifice", "Mood For Muhal", and "Left Turn On 86th Street"

I pulled the trigger and ordered. The audio clips convinced me: very lively and involving music. At the time, I detailed why I would not be buying the JATP box - I found the concept and execution of the music to be boring and predictable. As I mentioned at the time: I'm on the fence about this one. The format (long blowing jams on uninteresting standards) bores me - I barely made it through the JATP '40's box. All the usual suspects are here: Lady Be Good (2x), Indiana (2x), Idaho, Honeysuckle Rose, Tea For Two, Stomping' At The Savoy (3x). Nat Hentoff famously said that jazz is the sound of surprise, and, boy, this ain't it. I was concerned that this Vanguard box would be a similar experience, but the audio clips convinced me otherwise. We shall see!

Same here. Using iTunes, I also have the following recorded in 1974 that I like: Chet Baker - She Was Too Good To Me Dexter Gordon - The Apartment Don Sebesky - Giant Box Gary Burton & Steve Swallow - Hotel Hello Gerry Mulligan & Chet Baker - Carnegie Hall Concert Joe Pass - Live At Donte's Miles Davis - Dark Magus Pat Martino - Consciousness Paul Desmond - Pure Desmond Ralph Towner & Gary Burton - Matchbook Randy Weston - Carnival Sonny Rollins - The Cutting Edge (I track albums in iTunes by recording date; the Burning Ambulance list probably uses release date.)

Why not be more welcoming?

Lou also talked about the Birdland date in the movie "It Must Schwing." He was badmouthing Blakey there too.

Bracha Eden and Alexander Tamir - The Complete Decca Recordings, disc 8.

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 11.

Release date January 10: The liner notes for John Hart's new album authored by C Andrew Hovan touched upon the subject of longevity. Hart's four decades of performing as an A-player on the world elite jazz scene epitomizes the virtue of consistency and continuance. We have here a bit unusual trio of guitar/cornet/bass featuring thrilling interactions between Hart's guitar and Kirk Knuffke's horn. "Hart is a guitar player of refinement and taste. Through a merely flexible and swinging gait". (F. v. d. Linde - Jazz Journal) Release date January 17: Canadian-born saxophonist/composer Andrew Rathbun has been holding the position of Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo since 2012. Rathbun, however, is not the one who confines himself in the ivory tower but has been active in performing and recording in New York and internationally. He presents here his 10th leader album on SteepleChase. All but two titles were penned by the leader having guitar (played by Nate Radley) as featured instrument creating as always intellectual and at the same time thoroughly emotionally moving music. Release date February 7: Dick Sisto (vibraphone) and Andy LaVerne (piano) were fellow faculty members of the famed Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshop and have been close colleagues since 1996. During the last seasons of the Workshop in 2018 and 2019 Dick and Andy performed concerts as duo dedicating the program for Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro. This album is derived from those four concerts recorded live. Andy LaVerne who studied with Evans contributes also a very informative, insightful and fascinating liner notes here. David Janeway has long been a stalwart of NY jazz scene. Though under-recorded, Janeway’s undisputable talent has been under the radar. He formed a trio with Cameron Brown (b) and Billy Hart (dr) in 2020 and released the album “Distant Voices” on which D. McClenaghan of AAJ noted,“The trio makes the Janeway compositions sound like classics… these three virtuosos sound like one, like a group settled into the comfort zone… they go into the studio and turn out a compelling and polished product.”

Release date December 6: Vocalist and violinist Alice Zawadzki, pianist Fred Thomas and bassist Misha Mullov-Abbado present a rare alchemy on their trio debut, fusing folk idioms from a multitude of sources with free-flowing interplay and fluid structures. Inhabiting their own stylistic realm, the trio encompasses folk song, chamber music, improvisation and acoustic jazz, and on Za G?rami they present the full span of their reach in a mesmerizing whole. The album was recorded at the Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano and produced by Manfred Eicher. Release date January 3: "Taking Turns", recorded in New York's Avatar Studio in 2014, finds Danish guitarist Jakob Bro joined by a multi-generational cast of improvisers, highly distinctive players all. Lee Konitz, Andrew Cyrille, Bill Frisell, Jason Moran and Thomas Morgan lend their energies to a session that bypasses conventions of the "all-star" band and puts the emphasis on teamwork. Bro's space-conscious music encourages fresh responses: an atmospheric hint, or a fragment of gentle melody, opening new trails to explore. To the Rising Moon is Stephan Micus' 26th solo album for ECM. It features instruments from Colombia, India, Xinjiang (China), Bavaria, Cambodia, Egypt and Borneo, but taking center stage is the Colombian tiple, slightly smaller than an acoustic guitar. The sunny plucked sound of the tiples alternates with darker bowed strings, which bring a more meditative mood. Once again, Stephan Micus takes us on a unique musical journey to places unknown that couldn't have been created or played by anyone else. Arild Andersen, one of the most widely acclaimed bassists in jazz, presents his first solo album. Choice of repertoire in this recital reflects on Arild's artistic journey and, alongside Andersen originals, we find Norwegian traditional music, a romantic jazz standard and new light cast upon free-jazz classics. Andersen's performances combine his masterful bass playing with real-time creation of electronic loops that bring an atmospheric dimension to solo playing and fresh opportunities for interaction. Musical messages from Oslo, New York, Basel and Lugano - recorded between 2018 and 2022 - are juxtaposed and recombined on an absorbing recording that features Norwegian drummer Thomas Stronen solo and in a series of duets. With such partners as Craig Taborn, Chris Potter, Sinikka Langeland and Jorge Rossy, the musical frame of reference is very broad. Stronen offers a project that implies new threads of connectivity, new creative relationships. Produced by Manfred Eicher.

Up.

Beautiful. Thanks.

Riccardo Muti - The Complete Warner Symphonic Recordings, disc 10.

Kenny looks like he's really enjoying that cigarette. Satisfying!

Absolutely. Mickey Baker!

Can't forget the motor city...

YouTube has a number of tracks from the Savoy twofer "Savoy Jam Party;" you can listen to those to get a taste. I believe all of the "Savoy Jam Party" twofer is on the Mosaic box. One interesting aspect of the Mosaic box is that a good part of Byas's output was in 3-minute sides; the Mosaic box gives you an opportunity to hear him stretch out.