NEW, NEVER HEARD, DIZZY & BIRD FROM UPTOWN

[catesta]

You know, if you couple this great news with the "jacking off is good for your health" news.

I have to say, this has been one helluva week.

[Joe G]

And Alexander says there's no God! Pu-leaze!

Edited July 18, 2003 by Joe G

[catesta]

[BruceH]

We all have choices in this life.

Get ready for the Uptown.

In the words of Spongebob Squarepants:

I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready...

[Eric]

I will definitely buy this. Have most of the other stuff mentioned above.

I noticed at CD Universe a bunch of Parker CDs issued by Ember. I presume they are all live. Does anyone have any insight on them?

Thanks,

Eric

[mmilovan]

People, these are so good news, that simply I can't believe my eyes, ears and brain!

Only, I did not understand what is about that 6 min track from the concert - it is not included in this release or what?

Jim, your words about material you've heard are impressive, that all I can say: I can't wait!

[jazzbo]

Eric, I can vouch for the two two cd sets of material from Birdland. Excellent stuff, in the best sound I've heard this material sound.

[Chuck Nessa]

Only, I did not understand what is about that 6 min track from the concert - it is not included in this release or what?

That track is the same personnel from another engagement. It will not be included.

[Chuck Nessa]

Lacy and Cherry Atlantic trios...  Perhaps someone can put a bug in Michael Cuscuna's ear and they could be issued as a Mosaic mini-select? Any other ideas?

Can anyone (Kevin??) mention these sides to Michael sometime, and just get his perspective on this. Maybe get him to brainstorm about how to somehow get them released??

Or Chuck, do you have any kind of rapport with Michael, enough that it would it be worth you contacting him somehow (e-mail, phone, whatever), to discuss/brainstorm it?? Maybe even play the tapes for Michael, even over the phone (hell, Miles played music over the phone to people all the time!! - or so I've read in every Miles biography ever written). Then (maybe?) Michael could maybe talk it up with the right people, or at least help make some of the bigger "behind the scenes" movers and shakers aware of the music, and the need for it to be released??

Or is there anybody besides Michael worth bringing into the discussion on this?? Normally Chuck would be the first person I would think of in these kind of situations, but Chuck's already on the case!!

=====

By the way, on the Cherry sides – does he play trumpet / pocket trumpet / cornet on the whole thing, or are there any of his world music instruments?? (I don’t mean that disparagingly, although I am revealing my personal preferences (brass!) in Cherry’s choice of instruments.)

Look I need to give some background and ask for some help here.

Cuscuna and I are very good friends. I first met him in 1967 or 8 when he interviewed me. I think he was still in college at the time. I suggested he mine the BN vaults after he lost his job at Atlantic (while at Atlantic, he brought the Cherry/Lacy deal to me). I've stayed at his place in NYC while doing sessions there, etc. Get the picture?

I hoped to resurrect the Cherry/Lacy deal and asked Michael for advise on my course of action. He is the one who said the deal "was too small for them to deal with".

The last thing I need is people bugging him about these masters.

[Chuck Nessa]

AND....Cherry plays a valved instrument throughout.

[Rooster_Ties]

Look I need to give some background and ask for some help here.

Cuscuna and I are very good friends. I first met him in 1967 or 8 when he interviewed me. I think he was still in college at the time. I suggested he mine the BN vaults after he lost his job at Atlantic (while at Atlantic, he brought the Cherry/Lacy deal to me). I've stayed at his place in NYC while doing sessions there, etc. Get the picture?

I hoped to resurrect the Cherry/Lacy deal and asked Michael for advise on my course of action. He is the one who said the deal "was too small for them to deal with".

The last thing I need is people bugging him about these masters.

Understood Chuck.

For what it's worth, I haven't said a word about any of this, to anyone - except of course within this thread. No e-mails have been sent, nor have any phone calls been made - - - at least not on my part.

AND....Cherry plays a valved instrument throughout.

Cool!!! Thanks!!! -- Rooster T.

Edited July 18, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[Chuck Nessa]

If some of you did email Michael, no harm, no foul. I would like to know how many sent messages and what you said. Please contact me directly at cnessa@earthlink.net .

Thanks.

[brownie]

Cool, I hadn't realized that all of the Boston had been out before, I only knew of part of it.

It's so great that this stuff is out!

I was wrong. Doublechecked on that Uptown Bird in Boston. It indeed had 70 minutes

of hitherto unreleased Parker. Gave it a fresh listen last night. Music is just wonderful.

[Shawn]

As another attendee of Jim's wonderful barbecue/jazz party I respond with a hearty HALLELUJAH to his reviews of this concert. You could literally feel the electricity flowing through the room while this sucker played. Amazing.

P. S.

Chuck, thanks for sharing all the amazing music & stories, it was a great pleasure to meet you.

[Chuck Nessa]

Nice to see Shawn posting here AND I seem to have killed the thread by mentioning personal stuff. Please continue, and ask questions if interested.

I've been living with the Bird material for around 5 years and some of my statements from memory are now suspect to me. I need to research my notes. I will find the exact dates of the 2 concerts, and confirm my suspicion that Bailey was the vocalist on both concerts (I think Ella was an early report later disproved).

Two photos from the "other" Town Hall concert are reproduced in "Black Beauty, White Heat", a fantastic coffee table book. In these photos Diz, and Diz and Bird are shown playing with Curly Russell and Doc West and in the 2nd photo West and a different bass player. The pianinst is obscured in both photos.

One word of warning for sound/continuity freaks: There are a couple of breaks where discs on the recorder had to be turned over/replaced. Seconds of music are missing.

[JSngry]

Would the presence of West in those photos imply the possibility of a Bird/Diz/Garner collaboration, and would such an encounter help put the Bird/Garner Dial L.A. sides from later on in a better historical perspective?

Just mental masturbation, but I'm worried about my mental prostate....

[Chuck Nessa]

How can I check your mental prostate? Where do I stick my finger?

[JSngry]

Still workin' on that J&B I seel

[Chuck Nessa]

All is good!

[Chuck Nessa]

I see my last post was #1500 (viewers) for this thread. I think Jim deserves some sort of award.

[BERIGAN]

Chuck, if it isn't something of a testy legal nature, can you tell us what is up with the Erroll Garner estate??? They don't like money, or want too much???

[Chuck Nessa]

Nothing more complicated than saying no. Money was not the issue.

[Brad]

Just got back from vacation and saw this thread. Put me down as one who will buy a few copies for friends and myself. I have all of Uptown's Bird's stuff and I recommend it highly not to mention all the other stuff I have of theirs from this era. The Eager that just came out also has some Bird on it. Very neat disc.

Jim has said it all. This will be very important. What's amazing how lucky we are that somebody who loves music happened to pick this up. This is just one of those lucky happenstances that we thank our asses for in years to come. It's almost a freak of nature. Almost reminds me of those stories of finding rare Mickey Mantle or Honus Wagner cards in the attics.

But for this accident, it might have been lost to history and tossed in the garbage.

[brownie]

Two photos from the "other" Town Hall concert are reproduced in "Black Beauty, White Heat", a fantastic coffee table book. In these photos Diz, and Diz and Bird are shown playing with Curly Russell and Doc West and in the 2nd photo West and a different bass player. The pianinst is obscured in both photos.

The two photos of Gillespie and Parker at Town Hall in the 'Black Beauty, White Heat'

book are from the May 16, 1945 concert according to the Ken Vail's book 'Bird's Diary'

which also publishes two photos from that concert.

One - the bottom one - is the same as the photo at top in 'Black Beauty, White Heat'.

The bass player is Slam Stewart.

The second photo in the Vail's book is from the same series but this one shows West,

Russell, Gillespie and Parker. Parker wears a very stylish dark suit and is caught blowing

next to Dizzy.

The Vail book mentions three 1945 Town Hall appearances by Gillespie and Parker.

The May 16 New Jazz Foundation concert, then another concert on May 30 and finally

the second (and last) New Jazz Foundation concert. This last one had the Gillespie,

Parker, Haig, Russell and Roach lineup.

[mikeweil]

Needless to say I'll order a copy, no matter from which part of the world, as long as it is the Uptown issue! I can't say enough good things about that Mingus issue and would threaten to kill anybody who attempted to buy any Spanish bootleg of it.

Jim, I get your point! When I started collecting bebop, I always wondered how these huys sounded without the swing ryhthm sections the record companies engaged to play it safe, a appreciative as these players were ... now we're going to get a sample!