Roscoe Mitchell - The Solo Concert

[Don Brown]

I have two daughters, now in their 40s, who loved much of the jazz I played in the house when they were very young. The older one still idolizes Ivie Anderson and Billie Holiday and is a stone Lester Young fan. The younger one also likes Billie but her favourite instrumentalists are Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon. Harry Edison's Verve album, Sweets, which features Ben, is always near her CD player. I think she got into Dexter later, probably through the 'Round Midnight film. She found him charming. When they were around six and eight, both girls claimed to violently dislike Albert Ayler but every time I put on Ayler's first ESP LP, Spiritual Unity, they'd both be up dancing as soon as Ghosts began playing.

Edited July 22, 2012 by Don Brown

[.:.impossible]

That's great Don!

[Chuck Nessa]

When we recorded Roscoe's Snurdy McGurdy (Dec 11 & 12, 1980) our kids, Eric and Carla (ages 10 and 6), were at the studio dancing to much of the music. A couple of weeks later at Christmas with the family, relatives were dismayed by the kids dancing to a cassette from the session. They could not see how anyone could have a "good time" with that music.

[.:.impossible]

I'm sure that was an enjoyable conversation!

[paul secor]

My wife bugs me occasionally about not letting other people know about the music I listen to. Chuck's anecdote is the main reason I tend not to.