Frogman, the definition of "Aficionado" is so very simple: a person who likes, knows about, and fervently pursues an activity or interest; in this case "jazz records". Is there anything else I can help you with?
Enjoy the music.
Jazz for aficionados
Jazz for aficionados
I'm going to review records in my collection, and you'll be able to decide if they're worthy of your collection. These records are what I consider "must haves" for any jazz aficionado, and would be found in their collections. I wont review any record that's not on CD, nor will I review any record if the CD is markedly inferior. Fortunately, I only found 1 case where the CD was markedly inferior to the record.
Our first album is "Moanin" by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. We have Lee Morgan , trumpet; Benney Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie merrit, bass; Art Blakey, drums.
The title tune "Moanin" is by Bobby Timmons, it conveys the emotion of the title like no other tune I've ever heard, even better than any words could ever convey. This music pictures a person whose down to his last nickel, and all he can do is "moan".
"Along Came Betty" is a tune by Benny Golson, it reminds me of a Betty I once knew. She was gorgeous with a jazzy personality, and she moved smooth and easy, just like this tune. Somebody find me a time machine! Maybe you knew a Betty.
While the rest of the music is just fine, those are my favorite tunes. Why don't you share your, "must have" jazz albums with us.
Enjoy the music.
I'm going to review records in my collection, and you'll be able to decide if they're worthy of your collection. These records are what I consider "must haves" for any jazz aficionado, and would be found in their collections. I wont review any record that's not on CD, nor will I review any record if the CD is markedly inferior. Fortunately, I only found 1 case where the CD was markedly inferior to the record.
Our first album is "Moanin" by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. We have Lee Morgan , trumpet; Benney Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie merrit, bass; Art Blakey, drums.
The title tune "Moanin" is by Bobby Timmons, it conveys the emotion of the title like no other tune I've ever heard, even better than any words could ever convey. This music pictures a person whose down to his last nickel, and all he can do is "moan".
"Along Came Betty" is a tune by Benny Golson, it reminds me of a Betty I once knew. She was gorgeous with a jazzy personality, and she moved smooth and easy, just like this tune. Somebody find me a time machine! Maybe you knew a Betty.
While the rest of the music is just fine, those are my favorite tunes. Why don't you share your, "must have" jazz albums with us.
Enjoy the music.
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Today's Listen: Dick Hyman -- MUSIC OF 1937 (maybeck recital vol three) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgJaGssX1Ec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aXCy7yu0Rw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyJm7pEPDqw Isn't it amazing how the good stuff never ages or sounds dated. Not too familiar with Hyman, or why I came to buy this disc. He can play. Although he is banned in Japan, a few LPs managed to swim the Pacific and get there. One of the greatest outrages in the history of Jazz. Cheers |
Rok, I don't think it was as much an outrage as the Grant Green outrage; not only was he denied what was due him for producing the music, I was denied the pleasure of having those records in my collection, I was denied the pleasure of listening to some of his best music. He was one of the very few artists that I had met and talked to, he was one of the very few artists that I had seen live many times; to be denied the pleasure of listening to his records was an injustice to me personally. Enjoy the music. |
O-10, IMHO,The reason Mr. Green's material was only released in Japan was that was the only place where the material would sell big. The market in the U.S. was changing, and not in the direction of Grant Green. Sad but true. No matter how good or bad, it was deemed not marketable by Blue Note. The masses speak volumes with their wallets. The bigger question was, Why then did they record Grant Green? To keep them at Blue Note? To give them a payday? I don't know. I am just glad the guy's at Mosaic found them and released them, so people who wanted more Grant Green would be able to hear him. |
Acman3, I agree with you. I said essentially the same thing a while ago. My question is DID they "sell big"? I don't know. I can tell you that in many parts of the entertainment industry "trial runs" are done outside of the U.S. in order to see if the project is commercially viable. It is cheaper to do so outside the U.S. This goes to the other parts of your comment. Why did they record him? Contracts. A contract guarantees an artist a certain # of recordings; or, at least, mandates that he record a certain number of records. |
Acman, how do you know that? could you share your new found knowledge with me? No you can't, because you are dead 200% wrong. llMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine [-] Mosaic released a four-disc box set titled The Complete Blue Note With Sonny Clark in 1991, rounding up everything that the guitarist and pianist recorded together between 1961 and 1962. Blue Note's 1997 version of the set, The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark, trims Mosaic's collection by two discs, offering only the quartet sessions (the Ike Quebec sessions, Born to Be Blue and Blue and Sentimental, are available on individual discs). In some ways, this actually results in a more unified set, since it puts Green and Clark directly in the spotlight, with no saxophone to complete for solos, but it doesn't really matter if the music is presented as this double-disc set, the four-disc box, or the individual albums -- this is superb music, showcasing the guitarist and pianist at their very best. All of the sessions are straight-ahead bop but the music has a gentle, relaxed vibe that makes it warm, intimate, and accessible. Grant and Clark's mastery is subtle -- the music is so enjoyable, you may not notice the deftness of their improvisation and technique -- but that invests the music with the grace, style, and emotion that distinguishes The Complete Quartets. Small group hard bop rarely comes any better than this. Those records were made between 61 and 62, when they were the market; that was when "straight up jazz" was king; no "soul jazz" no "hip hop jazz" but straight up "hard bop jazz"; the kind Miles Davis is famous for. Do You know who "Sonny Clark" is? Enjoy the music. |
Hank Mobley recorded "No Room For Squares" on October 2, 1963 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio. Lee Morgan; trumpet Andrew Hill; piano John Ore; Bass Philly Joe Jones; drums Donald Byrd recorded "At The Half note Cafe" with Pepper Adams, baritone sax; Duke Pearson, piano; Lex Humphries, drums; Laymon Jackson, bass in November 1960; that's two months from 1961. Frogman, I saw Trane at Gino's in St. Louis in 1963, and he was blowing a soprano sax, not a "tenor" sax. He played "My Favorite Things" much longer than what you hear on his album. Grant Greens music would have been right on time; now come back to me with your YA YA. Enjoy the music. |
I was listening to Sonny Clark and Grant Green playing "Airgin", this is one of Grants favorite tunes; he played that for himself. I say that because before he went to Blue Note, I saw him at a club he went to informally, and played his guitar when he felt like it. There was no admission and me and my jazz buddies really dug Grant, naturally we were there. His guitar certainly sounds nice with him and Sonny Clark; I was trying to see if I could remember when he played it back then, and the difference I'm hearing now. It's much more complex on this recording; the difference in time from then until now is not that great, now is 1961 and then was 1958; that's only 3 years but what a difference playing for yourself, and playing with guys of Sonny Clark's caliber would make. The comments made by the peanut gallery rolled off my back like water off a duck. I'm listening to the real deal, "Grant Green", and he was idolized by us, just as much as Miles Davis. We never talked to Miles because he was in New York. They might as well say Miles is from New York, I only saw him at a show in Chicago. When he came to St. Louis on a visit, he stayed out at his fathers farm, he never came out to socialize and have a drink. Naturally I feel closer to someone's music that I actually talked to, and heard up close and personal. Now don't misunderstand, I'm still a jazz "aficionado" and judging this music at the same time I'm listening to it. I don't say it's boss simply because I heard Grant live; but because it is. Although I talked to Grant, I can't say that I knew him, because that would mean we were friends, and seeing someone and talking to them is a long way from being friends; consequently, I'm giving this music my 'aficionado' judgment. Right now I'm listening to "you tube", but this music will soon be in my collection. The fact that it's not in my collection is what hurts; it should have been in my collection from the time he made it. What I'm listening to at the moment has Sonny Clark piano; Sam Jones, bass; Art Blakey or Louis Hayes, drums, and of course Grant Green guitar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFzKG6bIwJQ&list=PLC629098E62874E5F&index=7 Now I can only get whatever they offer, when at that time I could have gotten an individual record, and not missed anything; but this is better than nothing. Enjoy the music. |
From the time that I started posting on this thread I have expressed the opinion that there is a danger to the music lover in losing sight of a certain degree of objectivity in evaluating not only the music, but also issues related to the music. Music lovers tend to over-romanticize the music, the musicians and the process of making music. "Process" is the operative word. There is a lot about this process that is very mundane and, if you will, technical. We want our precious music to be solely the product of inspiration and emotion. There’s more to the process than that. This tendency to over-romanticize and to be resistant to understanding the.....here it is.....the much ridiculed (by some) nuts and bolts of the process not only ironically clouds our ultimate potential to fully understand and enjoy the depth of the beauty of the music, it can also cause us to make all sorts of unfounded assumptions about the process and to see boogy-men where there are none. This absurd and long running Grant Green and his unreleased recordings saga is a perfect example. So much has been made and speculated here about the reasons why some of his recordings were not released in a supposedly timely fashion. The OP has a very personal and romantic take on the situation and appears to be convinced that Green was a victim of greedy record label executives and has even insinuated that these executives deliberately fed this musician’s drug habit in an effort to exploit him. That the OP loves Green’s music is a beautiful thing. That the rose-colored glasses that he looks at everything Green through keep him from having a more realistic take on which of Green’s recordings have merit and which don’t is not. However, as concerns the issue of the release of recordings, he is so hell bent on believing that Green was a victim that he overlooks the most obvious. Personally, this is so obvious that it didn’t even occur to me to look at this aspect of the issue assuming that a true Grant Green-file like the OP would surely have done his homework; but, no, he prefers the romance of the "exploited artist" and fan (O-10). Acman3, don’t feel badly about not checking facts, your premise is correct; it is the important backdrop to the facts and your mention of the facts is what caused me to take a look at them more closely. The OP makes much to do about the facts. Since it is the Christian thing to do lets do the work for him and look at the facts (per Green’s Bluenote discography on Wiki); it may even put an end to this insanity: Green recorded 6 records in 1961 - 2 were released that year Green recorded 6 records in 1962 - 0 were released that year. But, wait!. 2 were released that were recorded in 1961. Green recorded 3 records in 1963 - 2 were released that were recorded in 1962. Green recorded 4 records in 1964 - 2 were released that were recorded in 1963. Green recorded 1 record in 1965 - 2 were released that were recorded in 1963. Do I need to go on? Is it not obvious? CONTRACT, CONTRACT, CONTRACT, CONTRACT, CONTRACT, no conspiracy, no boogy-men; CONTRACT. Green’s 2 year contract with Blue Note called for the recording of 6 records and the release of 2 records per year. In 1963 his new contract called for the recording of 3 records and still the release of two. By 1965 Blue Note had 11 (!!!!) unreleased recordings by Green including Green’s first (1960) which wasn’t released till much later. What the hell is BN supposed to do with all that material? There was probably a provision in the contract that stipulated that these would be USA releases. BN determined, for business AND ARTISTIC reasons, that the U.S. market could absorb only two recordings per year and, I am sure, were also concerned with the issue of overexposure for the artist. They chose the recordings that they felt were THE BEST for the U.S. market and later released the others in what is called a secondary market (Japan) where it’s possible the U.S. releases were not available. Then, on top of all that, we get to Acman3’s (and mine) premise; the backdrop to all the previous: By 1963 Miles had recorded "KOB" and "Seven Steps To Heaven" and Coltrane had recorded "Giant Steps" and that very year 1963 saw the release of his "Impressions"; jazz would not be the same again. As great as a Green was his style of hard bop was being supplanted by something else and probably the reason that by the third year he was required to record half as many records. What does he do? He tries to go the new soul/funk-jazz way. The rest is history and has been discussed here and beaten to death. The ridiculous "junky" issue: The OP obviously has no clue what a tremendous liability it is for a record company to have drug addicts on its catalog. The cost of a junkie not showing up for a recording session is tremendous. The studio and personnel as well as the other musicians still need to get paid; and that is just the tip of the iceberg. As Rok so succinctly put it: "get over it". |
If you had not made this such a circus, we would have discussed Grant Green's music, posted a few you tubes and moved on, all the while thinking he was a very nice player who made some good records. Instead, i'm beginning to really dislike the guy. Now that I know of his drug addiction, I see him in an all together different light. Drug use means he was not very smart. Don't have much use for people that squander talent like he did. Reminds me of a current situation in sports. A football player from Mississippi was projected to be drafted in the top Five of the NFL draft. Before the draft, a video of the player smoking dope appears on the internet. Instead of top five, he gets drafted 13th. The people in the know, say this means he lost Eight million dollars. A poor guy who probably never had two dimes to rub together, just threw 8 million out the window. Laugh or cry. Your choice Now he is trying to find out who posted the video. Not, kicking his own ass for smoking, esp on camera, but looking for someone else to blame for his stupidity. Typical of weak minded stupid people. It's never their fault. It's the CIA, Blue Note, KGB, the Trilateral Commission even, BUT NEVER them. So, instead of thinking he was right up there with Wes and Benson, I see him as just another junkie. He got off his sick bed and went to NYC to record, not to pay his rent, not because he loved music, but because he needed a fix. Pathetic. Seems as if Prince might be dead for the same reason. You should be running low on Kool Aid by now. Cheers |
I put every single CD I own by "Grant Green" on my computer play list; I went to sleep listening to Grant Green, I woke up just now Listening to Grant Green; just think of what I'll be able to do when I receive;"Grant Green: The Complete Quartets With Sonny Clark". I'll be able to re-live those glorious times when I saw him live. (he looked a lot different then) Lean, mean, Grant Green, with a head of thick black hair, playing his heart out; that man was born to pluck that guitar, I can hear it ringing in my ears. Music, music, sweet sweet music; it feeds my soul, it gets me through days like this when all of the "aficionados" are throwing rocks at me; I'm so hurt, they don't like me; well you know what, "My heart pumps purple panther piss for them" HA, HA, HA, HA. You know what, I haven't heard any "hard bop" in awhile, I think I'll see if "you tube" got "No Room For Squares", that means I can't take the rest of the "aficionados" with me because there ain't room; HA, HA, HA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xcq_zg-Zw5k I bought this record brand new when it came out; it got 5 stars, and with a line up like this, it should have gotten 6 stars, but they only give 5; can you dig it Frogman? Every individual on this jam is a star in his own right. All I can say is; Enjoy the music. |
Dick Hyman: Great clips. Monster musician! Hero of the NYC music scene. To my way of thinking, excepting the classical conducting, everything that Andre Previn is, but at an even higher level. Great jazz player leaning to the more traditional or swing jazz side of things. Great composer; wrote many of the scores for Woody Allen films and, among still others, for one of my favorite movies "Moonstruck". Jazz historian known for his mastery, as a player, of all different jazz styles. Anyone interested in learning about the subject of jazz piano styles and jazz styles in general needs to check this series out; absolutely fascinating: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QF5sghM6Xto https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X6tMTIhXkZM https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Beqtczz99Sw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rFnqgi3CR0g https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ym4fYYY7Ryc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oay3mlrgptk |
The exploiter could have made a lot more money, if he had taken better care of the "exploitee" Even a parasite knows that he must not do anything to harm the host; he must keep the host alive. In this case the exploiter wasn't too bright. Super talented people don't fall out of trees, and there were people at Blue Note who could have, and would have been more productive if the "parasite" who didn't play one instrument had realized that the host must be kept alive. It's better to ignore this post, than respond to it; does anyone remember "Before the beat, or after the beat" |
Hank Mobley, "No Room For Squares": Somehow, I managed to squeeze into this room 😉 One of about one hundred of my favorite records which during a move and while temporarily laid on the floor, my Chihuahua "Max" chewed the spines of because he was pissed that he was being forced out of his comfy digs. Original BN; great record and one of my favorite titles for a jazz record. Wanted to kill the little bastard and kinda wish Rok's cat had been around. Max is no longer with us......natural causes 😥 For me, if a tenor player had to be picked as being the "eye of the storm" of jazz, it would be Mobley. What I mean is that he is, to my ears, squarely (pun) and very comfortably right in the middle between the swing tenor tradition and the post-hardbop Coltrane infused style. Harmonically hip and sophisticated without getting too far out or with the sense that he was always reaching like Joe Henderson; a sense that he was comfortable just where he was with his vocabulary. Warm tone without the modern edge. Love his playing. Nice clip, O-10; thanks. And thanks for making think of Max. |
After listening to Hyman play The Viper's Drag, reminded of this. I love this stuff. No video. Criminal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwl0uLA4jM4&index=17&list=PLU_nnz-RXpdgHDOHS3YswbyH6s-eDlDNx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnbccXiTesI&list=PLU_nnz-RXpdgHDOHS3YswbyH6s-eDlDNx&index=16 The Frogman: What is meant by 'uptown' and 'downtown' in NYC? Great stuff with Hyman. Cheers |
"Fuego" in Spanish, means fire, and this album is smoking; where there's smoke, there's fire. This album was recorded on October 4, 1959, at Rudy's studio; needles to say, when speaking of recordings, there is only one "Rudy". We have discussed Donald Byrd many times, and in different genres. While the music was different, it was always good; he's the consummate musician. He never played anything but "jazz" for the period it lasted, and that was a long time. When times changed, he changed. Where I'm coming from is so many musicians had to play R&B when jazz was where there hearts were, a guy has got to make a living; Donald Byrd never had to play anything but jazz for that long period of time. Back to "Fuego"; this is "hard bop" at it's best, even when you can't precisely define it, you know it when you hear it, when you hear those polished notes emanating from Byrd's trumpet at a race horse pace, you know you are off to the races. He has a supporting cast of Jackie McLean, alto sax; Duke Pearson, piano; Doug Watkins, bass, and Lex Humphries, drums. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktAPvHQmHIc Enjoy the music. |
Jun.....I mean, Rok, in local vernacular you have "downtown", "midtown" and "uptown". each of those broad areas has smaller sub-areas with names such as The Village, Soho, Harlem. "Midtown" covers roughly 34st to 66st. The heart of midtown would be Times Square at 42st and Broadway, the area where the theater district is. Lincoln Center is at 62-66 Sts. "Uptown" would be the streets North of midtown all the way up to the 200's (below the Bronx). The center of Harlem would be at 125 St. "Downtown" refers to the streets Souh of midtown all the way to the bottom of Manhattan Island. That is, loosely, the geography. The three terms also have certain tacit meanings or implications as used locally and in the arts world. Moving "Uptown" used to mean that the person has "made it". Most of the expensive real estate is North of midtown (especially on the East side) but South of Harlem; although that's changing. "Downtown" is where the hipster are, the avant guard, the "new" music scene, also a lot of the jazz clubs. A person that is a very hip dresser and has a certain attitude can be said to look very downtown: or certain music can be said to have a downtown vibe. |
Today's Listen: Hampton Hawes -- HAMPTON HAWES TRIO VOL. 1 Another great one addicted to Heroin, dead at 48, and he didn't even record for BN. Sentenced to 10 years in jail in Texas. pardoned by JFK after 3 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8iSgxAZUtk the most https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_oMwwwOANI hamp's Seems to be a whole lot of in your face quoting on this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWxJeaTm8sg Great Player.. Cheers |
Fellow "Aficionados" I'm trying to get a feel for the recordings made in 1960, 61 and 62. I'm not going to provide links for these recordings because if you are a jazz aficionado, they should be in your collection, just pull them out and give a listen. First I want to establish the jazz mood for that period of time, next I want you to compare that to these "Grant Green" albums that I ordered which were not released, and I want you to give me your honest evaluation in regard to the mood at that time in regard to jazz in general. The question is, were these albums by Grant Green so out of step, that you, yourself would not release them if that was your decision to make. Remember, you are not comparing this album to that album, but the general mood of the jazz buying public, that is the question you're trying to answer. Since we've recently had a heated debate about this, they (the debaters) probably think I'm trying to win an argument, when all I'm trying to do, is get some valid answers, and there is no better way to get them than to ask anyone who reads this thread for the answer. Since there is a possibility you haven't heard the Grant Green, Sonny Clark albums, I'll provide them for you to compare with other prominent jazz musicians who put out albums at about that time. Disc 1 "Airegin" (Sonny Rollins) - 7:32 "It Ain't Necessarily So" (Gershwin, Gershwin) - 10:22 "I Concentrate on You" (Porter) - 5:48 "The Things We Did Last Summer" (Cahn, Styne) - 5:56 "The Song Is You" (Hammerstein II, Kern) - 7:46 "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" (Van Heusen, Silvers) - 6:25 "Airegin" [Alternative Take] - 7:37 "On Green Dolphin Street" (Kaper, Washington) - 6:26 "Shadrack" (MacGimsey) - 6:23 "What Is This Thing Called Love?" (Porter) - 5:50 Disc two "Moon River" (Mancini, Mercer) - 5:37 "Gooden's Corner" - 8:14 "Two for One" - 7:41 "Oleo" (Sonny Rollins) – 5:37 "Little Girl Blue" (Hart, Rodgers) – 7:15 "Tune-Up" (Eddie Vinson) – 7:19 "Hip Funk" (Green) – 8:39 "My Favorite Things" (Hammerstein II, Rodgers) – 8:32 "Oleo" [Alternative Take] - 6:00 Personnel[edit] Grant Green - guitar Miles Davis 1961 "Sketches of Spain" and "Someday My Prince Will Come" Art Blakey and the messengers Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Bennie Golson, Jymie Merit "Moanin, Blues March, and Along came Betty." John Coltrane 1961 John Coltrane — soprano and tenor saxophone Eric Dolphy — bass clarinet, alto saxophone McCoy Tyner — piano Reggie Workman — bass Jimmy Garrison — bass Elvin Jones — drums Garvin Bushell — probably cor anglais (described wrongly in the disc notes as an oboe),[7] contrabassoon Ahmed Abdul-Malik — probably tanpura (described wrongly in the disc notes as an oud)[7] Roy Haynes — drums 1961 village vanguard recordings Yusef Lateef 1961 recordings Eastern sounds I'm going to provide links for songs you're familiar with like : "It ain't Necesarily So"; "On Green Dolphin Street" , and "My Favorite Things" by Grant Green and Sonny Clark. "It Ain't necessarily so" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP1iyEUyHeI "On Green Dolphin Street" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgYNRz8y6R8 "MY Favorite Things" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTD-4AozN5o Since everyone knows I'm biased, I don't get to vote or make a statement in regard to this. The question is, do you think this album would be acceptable to the jazz buying public at that time. Enjoy the music. |
Hampton Hawes music was like a breath of fresh air; when I say that, I mean no stereotypical cliches. A ten year prison sentence for a person who's on a self destruct mission, doesn't seem like a right bright thing to do by the judge, but that's the way it was. Since we have an epidemic at the moment, if they keep that up they are going to have to build a lot more prisons. Heroin addiction is not a musician exclusive thing, and from what I've seen up close and personal, music has nothing to do with it. Contrary to popular belief, it never helped their performance, nor did they believe it would. They used heroin for the same reason all the rest of the addicts used heroin; to feel good. That is until "Ma jones comin down on me". Enjoy the music. |
O-10, I realize that I haven't earned the classification of "aficionado" (although I seem to have graduated to "connoisseur"), but since this is an open forum I will give this a stab eventhough you ask the question of your fellow "aficionados". Moreover, so far as I can tell, only one poster has expressed an opinion on the matter that you have not dismissed completely. So, your use of the plural with "aficionados" must mean that you are being inclusive. You obviously don't care about the calls from other participants here to drop this Grant Green business and at some point you are going to have to understand that you set yourself up for disagreement and worse. Several possible reasons have been given for why those recordings were not released. You have dismissed every single reason given as 100%, even 200%, wrong. Not only does claiming someone is wrong suggest that you know what the correct answer is, but you have failed to give your own (presumably correct) answer. So, what is it? Why don't we start there. My contention is simple, the records were released as dictated by Grant's contract. So, anything else, right or wrong, humane or not, is moot. You admit a bias (good!); so, it seems to me that rather than cherry picking the recordings that YOU feel "set the mood" for the time, shouldn't those recordings be picked by others? "Sketches Of Spain": with everything that was going on in jazz in 1961, "setting the mood"? Seriously? |
While Hampton Hawes was in prison, he met "Stymie" of Our Gang fame, he was in for drug addiction. Sonny Clark ODed while he was in prison; what a coincident that we are talking about "Sonny Clark", and I'm reading about Hampton Hawes stay in prison, who is reading where Sonny Clark done did it one time too many. I was moved by the pardon JFK gave him; a humanitarian in the White House, that's hard to believe. Hampton was back out on the streets in LA before he realized he wasn't dreaming. He was busted in order to get suppliers in LA, but when he didn't rat, they gave him ten years; "This'll teach you to squeal if we want you to squeal". He has a really good autobiography that I will have to get, "Raise Up Off Me", and he had a successful career till he died. His story had a good ending; I'll have to get some of his records. Enjoy the music. |
I am not quite certain, but Ammons, Hawes, Dupree and some other guys were in the prison at the same time, maybe even in the sam prison, and I have read somewhere (think it was Dupree who said it) that his best band was in fact, the prison bend. That might be a black humor joke, but could be true... As for Orpheus's quest, we cant know for sure, so what is the point of guessing? Green was not the only guy who had unissued material. I wrote before about Bobby Hutcherson, and his album 'The Kicker' made with same line up that made Green's 'Idle Moments'. Both albums were made within days,in 1963. 'The Kicker' remained on shelf for years. https://youtu.be/kv8I3QzIqQc?list=PLA4B6B56EDBBAC42F Maybe we should post the albums that were not published at the time when they were recorded? I am sure that from todays perspective we could find many good ones, and we would continue to wonder why they were never released, but like I said, until we find the way to know for sure, its quite pointless,imho |
As for 61. or 62. question, its a quite broad subject? Could we narrow it a bit? East or west cost, or bossa maybe? Personal favourits or 'influental' albums? Few ones that I like, out of head.... all known names...for a change https://youtu.be/nilp-xPq0Y0 https://youtu.be/Y8lNm8fO204 https://youtu.be/yStCqteGiQU https://youtu.be/AAQs6Z8jqXw https://youtu.be/GXhXkYw3FmIhttps https://youtu.be/GoBhmxHgHig |
You guys are making me spend money. I have to get some of Teddy Edwards. How did I miss him? O-10: There is a box set of Grant Green on Amazon. Seems to contain all the stuff I don't have: four CD set containing eight albums from the Jazz great: Grant's First Stand, Green Street, Grantstand, Reaching Out, Born to Be Blue, the Latin Bit and Sunday Morning. Real Gone Jazz. I think I will get the 'Complete with Sonny Clark' also. Maybe he could play a little bit. Sometimes. In spite of being from St Louis. hahahaha Just messin' with you OP. Cheers |
Rok, you wont regret it. Naturally I have all those individual CD's, and Sonny Clark is on the way. Grant Green is not the only gifted musician on those CD's. There is a lot of genuine love and admiration among the musicians on these CD's; consequently they make cohesive, coherent music together. Enjoy the music. |
You guys might find this interesting: http://www.mosaicrecords.com/story.asp I have written Michael Cuscuna re the Green record release mystery and will post his response if I receive one. |
Ok, I am hoping for an answer from Cuscuna and I am trying to help put this issue to rest since I have a strong suspicion that if we don't have some sort of resolution it will keep coming back again and again. So, for the sake of clarity and to keep from further fueling the confusion, can we agree that SOME of Green's recordings were issued in Japan; NOT that ****Grant Green was issued in JAPAN, BUT NOT HERE****. Alex, great set of clips. Evans and Montgomery : wow! If that clip of Montgomery is not proof of why he would become the star that he did become then I don't know what is. What a beautiful tone and light swinging touch! Thanks for those. I will post some 1961 faves later today. |
Frogman, I have that album, bought it when it came out. There has been a raging debate that Wes Montgomery was better before he became famous with the hit records he is known for, where were you? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Xozvcf0FA That is my favorite version of "Round Midnight" by Wes. Why don't you just "hang loose" instead of looking for a "T" that I didn't cross, or an "I" that I didn't dot. Enjoy the music. |
Quite often I have a story to tell that goes along with the music; there have been negative comments from "The peanut gallery" but that's the only comments they ever make, (haven't heard from them in awhile?) If anyone feels that I should just leave the stories at home, please say so. Enjoy the music. |
Today's Listen: Benny Carter -- FURTHER DEFINITIONS Saxophonists Galore. Players include, Benny carter, Phil Woods, Coleman Hawkins and Charles Rouse. Awesome playing all around. I wonder if any of you so-called aficionados can list the order of the Sax soloist on 'Honey Suckle Rose' and 'Cotton Tail'? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W6wxCHXmJE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgatnU6AakM If you get them all correct, you get a leather bound volume of every word / post that O-10 has ever uttered on Grant Green. (Only 4 million copies left. More on the way.) If you don't get them all correct, you get Three(3) copies of the leather bound volume, plus the supplement on Japan. Full disclosure: These collectible quality volumes have already been published in Japan. They are flying off the shelves. Good Luck. I know The Frogman will burn the midnight oil on this one. Cheers |