Tadd Dameron

[makpjazz57]

Yeah, the two Uptown Dameronia recordings are on my wish list for CD release and no, I'm not holding my breath!

Marla

If all goes as planned, the 2nd Dameronia on Uptown "Look Stop and Listen" will be out later this year.

Chuck,

You have made my day!!!!

Marla

[makpjazz57]

And with that last post, I made it to "Veteran Groover" status!!! A good day here on the south shore of Massachusetts.

Taking advance orders on Look, Stop and Listen?

Marla

[Spontooneous]

Great news, Chuck! My copy of the LP is showing the signs of having been spun too many times.

Some great Johnny Griffin in these grooves too, folks.

[Lazaro Vega]

Yeah, that is good news. Griff's version of "If You Could See Me Now" is one for the ages.

[Chuck Nessa]

Yeah, that is good news. Griff's version of "If You Could See Me Now" is one for the ages.

Not sure yet but you might get another take of it.

[Lazaro Vega]

That will be interesting as the way he begins his solo on the issued take is ingrained in memory.

[jasonguthartz]

... and Alexander really shines on his solo spots. I can't say that I know of anything he's done outside of this one album. Was he on any other Prestige sessions?

Alexander made one album as a leader:

Blue Jubilee - Jazzland JLP-23

During WKCR's celebration of Sun Ra's arrival day, Ra mentioned Joe Alexander in an interview with Phil Schaap. Robert Campbell lists Alexander as a member of the unrecorded Sonny Blount Orchestra, perhaps during the late '30s or early '40s.

[Late]

This is essentially a "Tadd Dameron" thread in general, so I thought I'd post here that I'm listening to Dameron's 1961 Blue Note recordings for the first time (thanks Al) — wow! Better than I anticipated. Hearing Sam Rivers in this context is just short of a revelation, and the recording is beautiful. I'm grateful that four tunes were reissued, but, man, what I wouldn't do to hear/see a fully formed session (with Reid Miles cover art).

Nevertheless, I'm content to spin these sides with repeated enthusiasm. It bears saying again: Tadd Dameron is truly one of the great composers in jazz history.

[bertrand]

There was a blurb in DB in '62 that Tadd was preparing arrangements for a Lee Morgan Roulette session with a large band (19 pieces or so).

Of course, this probably never happened - Roulette signed Lee but soon dropped him because they couldn't pin him down for an actual session. To paraphrase Dick Cheney, he had 'other priorities' at the time.

Should I move this to the political forum

Edited November 18, 2006 by bertrand

[brownie]

Lee Morgan at least recorded half a session for Roulette. The three tracks (with Wayne, Timmons, Jimmy Rowser and AT) that made up side B of 'The Best of Birdland, Volume 1 LP of the Roulette Birdland Series.

Side 1 belonged to the John Coltrane Quartet.

Teddy Reig is credited with producing the sessions but does not mention them in his biography.

[bertrand]

What's odd is that this half-session, to the best of the knowledge of everyone I've discussed this with, was not part of the later Roulette contract that Lee never got around to fulfilling. It stands out as an oddity.

This being said, I do not claim to have done extensive research on this, just talked to a few people in the music business and a couple of Morgan and Dameron biographers, so perhaps some information has been uncovered by others since that would clear this all up.

Bertrand.