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Customer Reviews
A New Feature

Mosaic Records has a long history of receiving thoughtful feedback from our valued customers. In the distant past, we would receive an abundance of letters, which inspired us to create a dedicated brochure showcasing customer reviews (though not the one shown here).

Now, we invite you to share your own experiences on our website. Your insights will guide fellow customers in making informed choices.

We appreciate your contributions!

Freddie Hubbard 1938-2008
A Tribute

Steven Cerra has written a brief homage to Freddie Hubbard — an invitation to listen to Hubbard’s classic composition “Crisis.” Hubbard’s recording of “Crisis” included in Mosaic’s currently available box set, (”The Complete Freddie Hubbard Blue Note and Impulse Studio Sessions”) exemplifies the distinctive trumpet voice that seemed ubiquitous on so many touchstones of the art form.  – Nick Moy

Stomp Off, Let’s Go
The Early Years of Louis Armstrong

Ricky Riccardi’s trilogy of Louis Armstrong is now complete. His latest biography on the life of Louis Armstrong, “Stomp Off, Let’s Go” is what we have come to expect from Riccardi – a deep dig into the early years of Pops that is chock full of eye-opening research and a great read. Michael Steinman explains further in Jazz Lives. – Scott Wenzel

Teddy Wilson
Profiles in Jazz

Teddy Wilson was as tasteful and technically precise (but swinging) as one can find at the piano. He was also breaking racial barriers 12 years before Jackie Robinson did so with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Scott Yanow gives a lesson on the life of Wilson via the Syncopated Times. – Scott Wenzel

Columbia Records in the Late 1970s

In the mid-to-latter years of the 1970s a major American record label was home to an impressive and wide-ranging array of jazz artists such as Dexter Gordon, Weather Report, Woody Shaw, Herbie Hancock, and others who brought the label both critical and commercial success. In the next hour I’ll feature their music, and we’ll also hear from jazz producer Michael Cuscuna, who helmed the records made by Gordon and Shaw and who was close friends with Bruce Lundvall, the Columbia executive who helped shape this notable roster of musicians.  It’s “A Winning Season Of Jazz: Bruce Lundvall And Columbia Records In The Late 1970s”… coming up on this edition of Night Lights. – David Brent Johnson

Chick Webb
The Rightful King of Swing

A quick glimpse into the life of Chick Webb whose drumming had been praised by all who had the good fortune of seeing him perform live. Jazzwax has Marc Myers sends our way some excellent audio examples of the great Webb. – Scott Wenzel

How can anyone tire of this immortal footage from the CBS TV show “The Seven Lively Arts”? The year is 1957 in this live TV jam on “Dickie’s Dream” and it features Count Basie, Jo Jones, Benny Morton, Joe Newman, Dickie Wells, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Vic Dickenson, Roy Eldridge,, Emmett Berry and . Such power, raw energy and creative solos. For the ages. – Scott Wenzel

Lee Morgan
Whisper Not

Lee Morgan (tp), Kenny Rogers (as), Hank Mobley (ts), Horace Silver (p), Paul Chambers (b), Charlie Persip (d). Arranged by Benny Golson. December 2, 1956

This Lee Morgan session clearly had rich harmonic possibilities with the presence of two saxophones, and they were exploited by turning all of the writing over to Golson and Marshall, who even received billing in the personnel listing on the back of Blue Note 1541. The result is far more attention to organizational detail. Charlie Persip, like Golson, was a mate of Lee Morgan’s in the Gillespie band. Horace Silver returns, and Paul Chambers is on bass.

“I was in tune with everything the day I wrote Whisper Not,” Golson once told Nat Hentoff, “and it was done in half an hour. It came so quickly I could hardly get the melody down.”

The introductory four-bar pickup is the only thing about Golson’s jazz standard that has not become familiar over the years, and this debut recording is further enhanced by the composer’s voicings on the ensemble choruses and in backgrounds to the saxophone solos.

After employing open horn for the theme statement, Lee Morgan mutes his trumpet for two solo choruses precocious in their taste, ideas and swift flashes of technique. If Sharpe was close to McLean, Rodgers fits more comfortably in the Cannonball camp, with a pre-Bird tinge in his sound similar to Julian Adderley’s.

Hank Mobley rolls into a set of changes that show the tenor saxophonist at his best, while tremolo and on-the-beat moments during Silver’s chorus recall one of his “schoolmates,” Freddie Redd. The sextet is really playing as a band on the out chorus, with Chambers’ invaluable cut time a key element. – Bob Blumenthal

Dave Brubeck
How to Make Sense of His Piano Style

Lewis Porter reflects on the oft-maligned piano style of Dave Brubeck, and suggests that there may be more to Brubeck’s method than his detractors may realize. – Nick Moy

Jas Obrecht, author and former editor of Guitar Player magazine, conducted this 1981 phone interview with Barney Kessel. The subject was Charlie Christian who Kessel had known and his wealth of information and keen observations about the guitar legend are startling. – Scott Wenzel

While it is impossible to single out a recording from 1938 that is fully representative of Ellington’s late-thirties compositional methods, “I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart” says as much about what he could now do as anything else that he recorded in that year of grace. It opens with a four-bar rhythm-section introduction that sets a medium-slow walking tempo, at the end of which Hodges enters with the main theme, a swooping tune in which an octave-wide leap is balanced by off-beat syncopations.

Hodges, Brown, and Harry Carney pass the melodic baton from hand to hand, alternately accompanied by “ooh-wah” brass riffs and choralelike reed harmonies. In the second chorus, the full band enters and restates the theme (one of Ellington’s favorite structural devices) in a warmly scored block-chord ensemble variation, with Bigard soloing on the bridge. Then the first half of the opening chorus returns, transformed this time into a “sumptuously velvety” twelve-bar coda (Gunther Schuller’s phrase) that fades down and out.

Like “Old Man Blues” before it, this dancer-friendly ballad is structured so imaginatively that the casual listener is likely to overlook the resourcefulness with which Ellington has juxtaposed the instrumental colors on his palette. – Terry Teachout

Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions
Reviews

Jeff Krow – Full review at Audiophile Audition
These Vanguard sessions are quite special and historical, as many of these albums have not been fully released for over 70 years, outside of the Japanese market. Both John Hammond, and his contemporary, Norman Granz of the Verve family of labels, helped keep the Swing jazz scene vibrant, as bop was emerging.

The seven CDs in this set, most in the 70 minute range, feature the best of recording artists of that period, whether they be veterans like Coleman Hawkins, Lucky Thompson, Sir Charles Thompson, and Edmond Hall, or new comers (and now legends) like Kenny Burrell. There is a contagious joy here, with generous horn solos, sparkling piano, and drummers that are adept on pushing the beat, but also laying back with tasty brush work, letting the front line take charge. The list of pianists involved in these sessions is beyond impressive, as they include boogie woogie, blues, and swing stalwarts. 

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Michael Steinman-Full review at Jazz Lives

This Mosaic set, the first of two devoted to the Vanguards, is a delight. Compact informative notes by Thomas Cunniffe point out details, not only historical but musical, that listeners might have missed. Session photographs, new to me, are delightful. And even though the original microgroove Vanguard issues sounded beautiful, the sound on the seven CDs, taken from the original master takes, is a marvel.

…the fluid swing to be heard on these discs, the remarkable sound of individualists “telling their stories” both in solo and ensemble, has not been surpassed. If you know a younger aspiring jazz instrumentalist or vocalist, a gift of this set would teach more, by subtle sweet osmosis, than a whole Jazz Studies course at some institution devoted to such pursuits. I do not exaggerate. 

Certificate Of Appreciation
Home For Our Troops

Thank you to all our customers who purchased this set and Mosaic Records donated 10% of all sales to Home for Our Troops.

We wanted to personally reach out and thank you and those that supported the Mosaic Records Independent
Fundraiser for Homes For Our Troops (HFOT). Your support helps our mission and allows us to build and
donate even more specially adapted custom homes, empowering severely injured post-9/11 Veterans and
their families who have already sacrificed so much for our country. – HFOT

Duke Ellington
Unknown Interviews and Music

Playback with Lewis Porter continues to delight with two previously unknown interviews with Duke Ellington from 1940 with the Maestro playing his latest composition “Never No Lament” and his thoughts on composers and his own compositions. Also included is an equally rare television appearance over CBS as a masked guest on a Halloween edition of The Faye Emerson Show” in 1950. – Scott Wenzel

Paul Desmond Centennial
He Was Always “Pure”

Paul Desmond has reached his birthday centennial.  Ethan Iverson summons a reprise of an earlier assessment of Desmond’s contribution to the alto saxophone canon; and he further entices us with an encounter between Desmond and Lee Konitz.  – Nick Moy

Sid Catlett
Recollections by Rex Stewart

Big Sid Catlett is the subject of Steven Cerra’s excerpt from “Jazz Masters Of The 1930s” a book written by cornetist Rex Stewart that quickly became one of the all-time great print recollections of this period in jazz. This is a highly recommended read into Stewart’s first hand reminisces of Big Sid and the world of jazz during this period. – Scott Wenzel

50 Great Jazz Albums From 1974

We have, of late, looked to years like 1959 as bellwether years for jazz recordings. Here, Phil Freeman makes a case for 1974, after fifty years now, as another intriguing year for great jazz releases — when free jazz stood shoulder-to-shoulder with fusion. Freeman naturally cites the Cecil Taylor 1974 Town Hall Concert recordings as a case in point; although consider, too, “The Roscoe Mitchell Solo Saxophone Concerts;” Keith Jarrett’s first studio recording with his quartet with Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian; Stanley Clarke’s eponymous recording; and an underrated favorite of mine, Clifford Jordan’s “Glass Bead Games.” – Nick Moy

Talking with Trummy Young
A Fan’s Memories

Trummy Young, although a member of Louis Armstrong’s All Stars during the 1950s, is still an underappreciated trombonist who was a major cog in the success of the Jimmie Lunceford band and was an inspiration to many modern trombonists like Eddie Bert. The Syncopated Times brings light to Young’s history and individualistic style. – Scott Wenzel

DownBeat Blindfold Test
Billy Cobham

Billy Cobham makes some astute observations about a number of his percussive cohorts in this wide-ranging DownBeat blindfold test.

Michael Cuscuna (1948–2024)
An Evening of Performances & Remembrances

Monday, December 9 at 7:00pm
Saint Peter’s Church
619 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10022
www.saintpeters.org

Featuring: Peter Bernstein, Otis Brown III, Gerald Cannon, Bill Charlap, Billy Harper, Billy Hart, Kevin Hays, Joe Lovano, Greg Osby, Renee Rosnes, Charles Tolliver & more…

Michael Cuscuna was one of the best friends jazz music has had. It’s simply too limiting to call him the leading jazz reissue producer of the past fifty years — which he certainly was – but he was much more.

As a producer of new jazz, R&B and rock recordings; As co-founder of the leading reissue record label Mosaic Records; As a historian, journalist and deejay; As the man who singlehandedly kept the Blue Note Records legacy on life support when no one else was paying attention — Cuscuna played a singular role in the world of jazz by not limiting himself to any one lane. His selfless dedication to Jazz and the Jazz community is known around the world, and he leaves behind his own rich legacy of a life well lived.

Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions
(#280 – 7 CDs)

LOCKED AWAY MORE THAN 70 YEARS —
VANGUARD JAZZ FINALLY GETS A RETROSPECTIVE TRIBUTE

Preorder Sale Price $119; Regularly $129
Expected Release Date December 10th
Preorder Now!

A Night At Birdland
A Historic Jazz Milestone

“We have something special down here at Birdland this evening,” Pee Wee Marquette announces as he introduces the Art Blakey Quintet on Volume 1 of A Night at Birdland. The diminutive, frequently hyperbolic and notorious emcee did not know how special, for the music that Blakey’s band made and the recordings on which it was captured were historic for a variety of reasons. – Bob Blumenthal

Duke Ellington
Man with Four Sides

Duke Ellington not only spent his life composing and arranging timeless hit songs for his big band but another passion was for the stage. Here Lewis Porter shares with us the story and musical examples of one of Duke’s unproduced shows called “Man With Four Sides” which was for the most part written and copyrighted in 1955. – Scott Wenzel

Mike Stern Joins Miles Davis

How did guitarist Mike Stern end up  playing with Miles Davis?  Here’s Stern’s version of what happened. – Nick Moy

Lou Donaldson

Lou Donaldson, a Charlie Parker-influenced alto saxophonist who played major roles in the invention of two major jazz movements and bridged the gap between jazz, soul and what he called “swinging bebop,” died on November 9. He was 98. – Marc Myers

Classic Bobby Hutcherson
Blue Note Sessions 1963 – 1970

Eleven Classic Studio Albums on Seven CDs!

The set is more than a compilation. It’s music history.

Bobby Hutcherson’s very first date as a leader for Blue Note was “The Kicker” in 1963, though it was held back and went unreleased until 1999, possibly because Joe Henderson on saxophone steals a lot of the thunder from the date’s purported leader. From his second session, “Dialogue,” his growing association with new music was becoming clear. By his third date, 1965’s “Components,” Hutcherson’s authority over the music became established.

From then on, he was writing a substantial number of the compositions on each date and the music was not limited by one style or genre, giving him ample opportunities to offer new work, up-tempo pieces, and ballads. An exceptional writer, Hutcherson had a wonderful approach on ballads and an unparalleled ability to use sustaining notes to move and blend in ways that almost completely disguise the mallet’s attack. There is never an doubt when you are hearing Hutcherson, his style is that distinctive.

Delta Rhythm Boys
Two Film Discoveries of “One O’Clock Jump”

Mark Cantor is the world’s greatest jazz film researcher and historian. His latest filmographies of the Soundies from the 1940s are akin to anything Brian Rust or Tom Lord has done toward jazz discography. Here are some of his latest discoveries of “One O’ Clock Jump” and other examples of the Basie theme as presented by Lewis Porter. – Scott Wenzel

Big Joe Turner
Flip Flop And Fly

“Big” Joe Turner began shouting the blues in the mid-1930s and he continued to do so until his death in . A major influence on rhythm and blues and rock and roll during the 1950s, one of his biggest hits was “Flip Flop and Fly” which was later covered by The Blues Brothers. Here’s a live version from 1966 in Europe. – Scott Wenzel

Classic Jazz At The Philharmonic
Jam Sessions 1950-1957

A First-Ever Collection
JATP 1950s Jam Sessions

JATP concerts from the 1940s were documented in 1998 on a 10-CD Verve boxed set. But until now, the 1950s concerts have been passed over for a retrospective. In fact, since the CD era began very little of the material from that span has been available at all.

Mosaic is proud to correct that oversight with our 10-CD release, Classic Jazz at the Philharmonic Jam Sessions (1950-1957), a defining set that documents the energy and invention of these phenomenal musicians and the adoring response from long-time fans.

Django Reinhardt

“Django Reinhardt’s had the ability to riff with abandon without compromising expressiveness and he could count among his admirers Duke Ellington, Benny Carter and Coleman Hawkins.” – Alan Goodman

Tony Williams

One drum legend’s admiration of another: Charlie Watts explains how and why, of all the drummers who played with Miles Davis, Tony Williams most deeply impressed and influenced Watts, and by extension, the propulsive sound of the Rolling Stones.  – Nick Moy

Nat King Cole

In one of early television’s most daring but delightful programs was to let NBC give Nat King Cole his own prime time show even if it was during the short period of November 5, 1956 to December 17, 1957. As guests for the October 15, 1957 show, Nat brought on the Jazz At The Philharmonic troupe along with Norman Granz. Thankfully, there is a brand new clearer print of this remarkable show which we send to you via JazzWax – Scott Wenzel

Don Byas
Review

“Byas dominates the strip of turf between Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker”; before reflecting: “Hard these days to recognize just how highly regarded Byas once was until one actually hears him”. –  The Penguin Guide to Jazz

Maynard Ferguson
Interview with Bob Freedman

In this JazzWax interview of a few years ago, Marc Myers has composer, arranger and reedman Bob Feedman as his subject. Bob tells of his early days with post-war big bands and especially the revered Maynard Ferguson outfit of the 1950s. – Scott Wenzel

The Vision of Scott LaFaro

A new compilation of Scott LaFaro’s music has appeared, encompassing the bassist’s early recordings with Victor Feldman and culminating in some of the classic Bill Evans Village Vanguard recordings.  Richard Williams marks the occasion with observations on LaFaro’s truncated life and career, which nevertheless altered the course of the jazz bass. – Nick Moy

Miff Mole
Pioneer of Melodic Improvisation on the Jazz Trombone

Here’s a name you should be familiar with and, if not, we feel Steven Cerra has made a case that you should seek out recordings from Miff Mole, a pioneer of the jazz trombone and the New York jazz scene of which he was a part of during the 1920s. – Scott Wenzel

In Walked Bud
Bud Powell’s strange visit with Wayne Shorter in Paris

Michelle Mercer’s extraordinary insight into matters regarding Wayne Shorter enlivens her fascinating account of Shorter’s encounter with Bud Powell, when Shorter, Lee Morgan and the Jazz Messengers played in Paris. Mercer’s. – Nick Moy

Jazz Brain / Classical Brain
A Survey

In this survey, creative musicians including Terence Blanchard, Aaron Diehl, Helen Sung, Ethan Iverson and Etienne Charles challenge the notion that the worlds of jazz and classical music do not –and should not — intersect.  – Nick Moy

Jason Moran
Does Justice to James Reese Europe

Jason Moran has long served as an advocate for the music of James Reese Europe, a composer and bandleader whose orchestral music flourished but then disappeared in the early decades of the 20th century.  Richard S. Ginell recounts Europe’s remarkable accomplishments, in coverage of a recent concert where Moran and his Bandwagon interpreted some of Europe’s music. – Nick Moy

Classic V-Disc Small Group Jazz Sessions

“Classic V-Disc Small Group Jazz Sessions” is a goldmine of traditional, swing and bop performances, recorded specifically for the V-Disc program, in a variety of solo piano and small group band settings from 1943-1949 on 11 CDs.

The tracks reveal what musicians were up to when the public-at-large was cut off from new recorded music, as well as giving musicians a chance to work with each other in groupings that would otherwise have been impossible because of their exclusive label contracts. And since V-Disc were released on 12” discs, recording times extend beyond the limits of typical recording sessions. Musicians could stretch out as never before.

Miles in France
The Bootleg Series Vol. 8
Miles Davis Quintet 1963/64

Eager anticipation precedes any new release of Miles Davis recordings;  so too here, ahead of Columbia’s issuance of bootlegs documenting the nascent Miles Second Quintet — with George Coleman and then Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams  — recorded in 1963 at Antibes/Juan-Les-Pins and 1964 at the Paris Jazz Festival.

Ornette, Dewey, Charlie, Blackwell
Berlin 1971

Forty-four captivating minutes of Ornette Coleman, Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and Ed Blackwell, captured in 1971 at the Philharmonie in Berlin.  I’ll leave it to Ethan Iverson’s post  to deliver the play-by-play, but the visceral sonic and visual intensity of this set verges on overwhelming.  Watch this full-screen if you can, preferably with larger audio playback, for maximum searing effect. – Nick Moy

Duke Ellington with Leonard Feather
Unknown Audio Conversation

Lewis Porter’s Playback let’s us listen in to a conversation between producer and writer Leonard Feather and Duke Ellington at Feather’s apartment in 1955. Duke’s answers are intriguing and honest. This is part 2 of this conversation. – Scott Wenzel

The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins

A collection of Sonny Rollins ruminations, culled from boxes of his notebooks, has recently been published, as “The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins.”  Saxophonists should devour this slender volume, which brims with technical insight from the master; but so should any jazz enthusiast seeking more direct insight into Sonny Rollins the individual.   Steve O‘Keefe wrote these reflections on Rollins and his reflections. – Nick Moy

Sing, Sing, Sing
History Of A Classic

The swing anthem “Sing, Sing, Sing” is known by many of today’s audience even if they do not know the names Benny Goodman or Louis Prima. Will Friedwald gives us a great history of this 1937 classic. – Scott Wenzel

JohnColtrane
1960 Evolutionary Jump

When John Coltrane’s masterwork “Giant Steps” marked its sixtieth anniversary in 2021, A.D. Amorosi published this retrospective of this crucial period in Colttane’s artistic development,  with the aid of commentary from Ravi Coltrane.

Dan Morgenstern

Dan Morgenstern has passed away due to heart failure in a New York City hospital on Saturday. He was 94.

I’m sure we each have our moments when we first heard the name Dan Morgenstern.

For me it was 1971 and I was given a birthday gift of the RCA Victor / Vintage Series LP called “Swing, Vol.1”. The notes were by Dan and they gave me a clearer picture of the importance and brilliance of the music, which was new to this 11 year old. Little did I know that I would spend many hours at the Institute of Jazz Studies, some 20 years later, to do research for Mosaic and become a friend of this beautiful man. Dan The Man. He used to see me walk in say, “aaahh, the man from Mosaic” in his inimitable voice.

The first set I worked with him on was our Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions BOXED set (Dan hated it when people called them “box sets”) and it was an honor to work alongside with him as we picked out the music, talked about the music (he wrote the notes) and scoured the shelves at IJS for source material. But by that time Dan was no stranger to what we were up to – he was the FIRST person to champion Mosaic Records. And he continued to make major contributions, writing notes for our Commodore sets, Louis Armstrong Decca Studio 1934-46 (for which he won the Grammy), Classic Boogie Woogie and Blues, Bobby Hackett Capitol Sessions and just a couple of years ago, our Black And White Jazz Sessions.

Dan was a fair, intelligent and passionate lover of jazz who helped us all understand and appreciate the music so much more. We are ever in debt to him for bringing the music to us as a writer, producer, radio personality and – especially – as a warm human being. RIP Dan – Scott Wenzel

Dan Morgenstern
The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions 1935-1946
Liner Note Excerpt

It’s fitting to end this decade-long journey with something that points to the future, but having so intimately reacquainted myself with this music proves that all of it does.

Miles Davis wasn’t kidding when he said that one can’t play anything on the horn that Louis hasn’t played already, adding “and I mean even modern.” Partake of the cornucopia of phrases Louis Armstrong creates here, listen well, and you will hear them echo not only in what jazz trumpeters did and still do, but in all instruments played by genuine jazz musicians, and notes sung and scored by real jazz singers and composers.

Louis Armstrong is the man who wrote the Book of Jazz, and as long as the music connects to him, it will live. As Ruby Braff so sagely put it, “Louis Armstrong is a forever study.” I’ve been at it for close to 70 years and I’m still learning. Thanks, Mosaic, for letting me take this trip with our blessed Satchmo! – Dan Morgenstern

Booker Little

Generations of jazz enthusiasts have come to know that the voice of trumpeter Booker Little was silenced far too early. Enough of his music survived for us to trace and appreciate his innovative trail, in fertile settings next to Eric Dolphy and Max Roach, and as well as in recordings issued under his own name.  Steven Cerra compiled this useful retrospective assessing Booker Little’s work. – Nick Moy

Booker Little & Eric Dolphy
At The Five Spot

An inspired live 1961 recording with Dolphy, trumpeter Booker Little, pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Richard Davis and drummer Ed Blackwell.

Phil’s Magical Time Machine

Phil Schapp would’ve been proud. The man who left a legacy of jazz knowledge, mostly captured on WKCR-FM in New York, had his various interviews and live performances archived by himself and the staff of WKCR and now one can hear a dizzying amount of these digitized gems via Vanderbilt University. There’s a lot of highlights here including the interview with Eddie Durham (who tells us how Basie got his nickname Count) and Benny Carter live at the West End in NY for Benny’s 77th birthday celebration. Michael Steinman tells us more.  – Scott Wenzel

Centennial (King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band)
New Release by Archeophone Records

This is big news and I’m sure there will be many more accolades on the historic re-mastering of a cornerstone of jazz history and development. Archeophone Records re-issue of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band (in addition to additional sides by other artists from this period) on both LP and CD.  – Scott Wenzel

Edward R. Murrow & Louis Armstrong
CBS-TV Broadcast May 31, 1956

If you’ve never seen an episode of “See It Now”, the CBS television interview program from 1951-1958 hosted by the immortal Edward R. Murrow, they are an invaluable and mostly impromptu look into the lives of various celebrities and figures of that time. Here is the famous 1956 segment with Louis Armstrong.  – Scott Wenzel

Thelonious Monk
Three of his Greatest Compositions

“When you jump to the modern era, starting in ’47, the sessions with Thelonious Monk must have been fairly astonishing to hear. Even when I heard them 10 years later it was astonishing. – Michael Cuscuna

Duke Ellington
Man With Four Sides

Duke Ellington not only spent his life composing and arranging timeless hit songs for his big band but another passion was for the stage. Here Lewis Porter shares with us the story and musical examples of one of Duke’s unproduced shows called “Man With Four Sides” which was for the most part written and copyrighted in 1955. – Scott Wenzel

Kenny Dorham’s Centenary In 18 Tracks

Striking how fresh Kenny Dorham’s trumpet sounds after more than a century.  This underrated stylistic progenitor of Miles gets richly deserved fresh treatment in this bounty of 18 tracks from Marc Myers’  JazzWax – Nick Moy

Dinah Washington
Hail the Queen

It’s the birthday centenary of Dinah Washington, whose glorious voice remains instantly identifiable even today. Nate Chinen offers this thorough appraisal of her blues-drenched vocal brilliance.  – Nick Moy

Michael Cuscuna

It was hard to give a present to Michael. You couldn’t really buy things for he placed little value to having them. He was always happy to get a book from someone, something from an author or a disc from a musician or colleague. Life with him was always unassuming. He never cared about clothing or how he appeared . . . . although he did appreciate fine clothing.

Michael loved people with a strong work ethic and admired Humility. He didn’t care about awards and much to my disappointment, never display them. It was the music that was important and with that he was driven to perfection. He cared deeply for the musicians and would offer anyone a place to stay if needed.

In business I think he would avoid conflict. If he couldn’t say something good, he would keep it to himself, and consequently, I’ve never heard a bad thing said about him.

If you wanted to please him, you would either keep quiet or make him laugh. He would say, “the best way to get through life is to say as little as possible.” Quick wit, sarcasm, dry humor and spontaneity were food for his soul and they made him smile.

Being alongside of Michael for 38 years was full of surprises, and always an entry ticket to the dressing room after the show. It was seldom disappointing. It was truly a gift.

Michael meant a lot of good things . . .to a lot of good people.

We will all miss him.
Lisa Cuscuna

The Advent of Jackie McLean
The Blue Note Years

Steven Cerra and his cohorts at Jazz Profiles take an updated look at Jackie McLean, who forged one of the most distinctive saxophone voices in hard bop and its free jazz outskirts.  Cerra here enlists the assistance of Richard Cook in conducting a  refreshed survey of McLean’s Blue Note recordings, which cry out for renewed attention.   – Nick Moy

Unheard Louis Armstrong Recordings

In 1968, Louis Armstrong was given a tape of a live concert he had recently given at the BBC while on tour in London. He knew the music was special and wanted it out to the public. Now we have the chance to hear some of the last vibrant Armstrong in a new LP and CD release by Verve, “Louis In London”. – Scott Wenzel

Miles Davis
Origins of Donna Lee

Part 1 of an essay by John Purcell, courtesy of Playback with Lewis Porter, of the famed Charlie Parker Savoy recording of “Donna Lee” and whether it was Bird or Miles Davis who actually penned the melody which is based on “Indiana” changes. – Scott Wenzel

Classic Don Byas Sessions 1944-1946
Review

Don Byas was a distinctive player in the same league as Coleman Hawkins and other saxophone greats Lester Young and Ben Webster. His thick, biting tone and gift for flawless, weaving improvisation made him a sought-after player for his pronounced sound and ability to take domineering solos…- Marc Meyers, JazzWax (Click photo for full review)

The Complete Freddie Hubbard
Blue Note & Impulse Studio Sessions

Hub-Tones

Freddie Hubbard had served as a Jazz Messenger for more than a year at this point, but his notions of what a working Freddie Hubbard band would sound like were quite clear to judge from this greatly undervalued album. It features a one-time ensemble of independently established associates.

Herbie Hancock and Hubbard blend as effectively as they did on the pianist’s Takin’ Off, Reggie Workman had recently replaced Jymie Merritt with Blakey, and Clifford Jarvis returns from Hubbard’s Open Sesame debut. James Spaulding, a constant companion for the remainder of the decade, is another Indianapolis native who worked alongside Hubbard in the Jazz Contemporaries band.

After an introduction, “Hub-Tones” employs a hectoring line to disguise its blues structure. This is our first chance to hear the distinctive trumpet/alto blend that Hubbard and Spaulding were able to create, a sound that set them apart from other similarly constructed front lines. – Bob Blumenthal

Thelonious Monk Orchestra
At Town Hall

Unlike fellow modern pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk did not pay substantial dues in the big bands.  While Monk held the piano chair briefly in Gillespie’s orchestra, and had heard his “Round Midnight” introduced by Cootie Williams’ band, his music seemed resolutely small group oriented.

At the close of 1958, however, with his quartet disbanded and yet another licensing hassle temporarily keeping him out of New York City clubs, Monk embraced his advisors’ idea of presenting a concert featuring both a reorganized quartet and a larger ensemble. – Bob Blumenthal

In The Brewing Luminous
The Life & Music of Cecil Taylor

Philip Freeman has just published a biography of Cecil Taylor, “In the Brewing Luminous: the Life & Music of Cecil Taylor.”  In the Wire, Freeman shares this intriguing excerpt, in which, somehow, Cecil is persuaded to join a trio to record with two other illustrious contemporaries: Dewey Redman and Elvin Jones. – Nick Moy

The Sun Ra Arkestra’s Maestro
Hits One Hundred

Sun Ra did not travel the galaxies alone. As it turns out, the Arkestra went with him, and even made its own imprint on the interplanetary firmament — thanks in no small part to Marshall Allen, who occupied a highly visible chair in the Arkestral reed section, next to the legendary John Gilmore.  Allen, who now leads the Arkestra, has just turned 100, and this New Yorker profile commemorates the occasion.  – Nick Moy

Duke Ellington
Bli Blip

Recorded and filmed probably in late November 1941, this Soundie of “Bli-Blip” is recreated by Paul White and Marie Bryant who premiered this in the Ellington stage presentation “Jump For Joy”. Jimmy Blanton took ill during the time this was produced and so the bass solo is provided by Junior Raglin while Ray Nance contributes the trumpet solo. – Scott Wenzel

Charles Mingus
Peggy’s Blue Skylight

Marc Myers takes us to an enclave in New York’s hinterlands, during a time when musical and extra-musical experimentation flourished. Timothy Leary hosted some of those proceedings, with some eminent visitors — including Charles Mingus. – Nick Moy

Woody Herman
Apple Honey

This sounds like no other band. They had their own sound, and that’s the first element in a jazz identity. Now we can hear the rhythm section at full tilt. Clearly, Tough is in the driver’s seat. Bauer and Jackson achieve a staccato attack that leaves plenty of room for Tough the drummer to anchor things on the bottom of the beat. Listen for the times when Jackson plays syncopated figures (here on the second shout chorus) and how they create a tension with Tough’s rock-solid foundation. – Loren Schoenberg

Read more. Scroll down here – Woody Herman Apple Honey

Lester Young
In California (1941-42)

The small group that Lester Young led after his leaving Count Basie in 1940 has pretty much fallen under the radar. They made no commercially released records (although the Una Mae Carlisle session on Bluebird has the band as an accompaniment), however, Michael Steinman brings us samples of this band in a rare radio broadcast of the band. – Scott Wenzel

A Chat with Charles Lloyd

This Stereophile interview with Charles Lloyd veers into some surprising terrain, which Lloyd navigates with ease. The conversation eventually turns to the jazz saxophone, where Lloyd’s mastery is by no means surprising. – Nick Moy

New Releases
Make Old Jazz Young Again

By now, most of the great jazz artists from the mid-century crucibles of bebop and its avant-garde successors are gone, and most of the rest, in their eighties and nineties, have retired from performing. Yet there are still troves of unheard treasures to be unearthed—from radio-station vaults, concert-hall storage rooms, musicians’ archives, and collections of bootlegs made by enthusiasts. Some are unreleased and others circulate in unauthorized versions, but a diligent and devoted community of producers working at specialist record labels has made a small but mighty industry of high-quality rediscoveries and reissues, often collaborating closely with musicians and their estates. This spring has brought an unusually rich spate of such releases, which, to my ear, stand out both for their musical excitement and for their place in the history of jazz. There’s also a new release by an octogenarian jazz great who seems to be getting younger by the year. – Richard Brody, Read More At The New Yorker

Life On The Road
Was Glamorous As Well As Perilous

For traveling African American musicians over 50 years ago, it was a tough road what with rough accommodations, sleep deprivation, eating in roadside diners and not to mention the racism when traveling down South. Author Larry Tye of the Los Angeles Times talks about how the musicians of the past paved the way for others today. – Scott Wenzel

Jazz Record Collector’s Bash

Once again, Mosaic Records is proud to be a part of the legendary Jazz Record Collector’s Bash held on Thursday June 20th through Saturday June 22nd at the Hilton Garden Inn, 50 Raritan Center Parkway in Edison, N.J. Mosaic’s Scott Wenzel will be there with Mosaic sets, 78s, LPs, books and CDs. A full program of events including rare films is seen here at the website

Gerald Wilson
Listen Today at 12:00 EST

Please join me today (Sunday) at 9am PDT / 12pm EDT for The Jazz Legacy on KCSM 91.1 in the Bay Area, and also at http://KCSM.org  for Part 1 of VIVA TIRADO: The 1960s Pacific Jazz Recordings of Gerald Wilson & His Orchestra. Hear the brilliant  but under-appreciated composer/arranger/big band leader, in the company of some of L.A.’s finest soloists of the time — Joe Pass, Harold Land, Carmell Jones, Teddy Edwards, Richard “Groove” Holmes, and more.  – Richard Seidel

Duke Ellington
An Unknown Audio Interview

A recent Playback with Lewis Porter brings us an interview with Duke Ellington with Nat Hentoff as the interviewee from 1953 which has recently come to light courtesy of Steven Lasker. – Scott Wenzel

Blue Train
Traneumentary Podcast

“This is Michael Cuscuna and we’re listening to Blue Train, which to me is one of the most beautiful pieces on one of the most beautiful records that Coltrane recorded in the fifties.

It’s his first real mature statement and he wrote all but one of the tunes on this album which was very rare in the fifties and each one is a gem, particularly this title tune Blue Train. And while it’s kind of easy to play the blues, this has a suspended and haunting kind of quality to it.”
 Traneumentary was a podcast series produced by Joseph Vella and devoted to John Coltrane.

Sassy Swings Again
Sarah Vaughan in the 1960s

In his program on Indiana Public Media, Mark Chilla observes what would have been Sarah Vaughan’s 100th birthday, documenting the evolution of Vaughan’s recordings in the 1960s.  The period spans Vaughan’s recordings for Roulette (the subject of an out-of-print Mosaic boxed set, The Complete Roulette Sarah Vaughan Studio Sessions) from swinging with the Count Basie band to more lush explorations of balladry and even a handful of classical tunes.  Chilla’s survey concludes with Vaughan’s subsequent return to Mercury between 1964 and 1967, her final recordings of the sixties. – Nick Moy

Harold Land
The Fox

Marc Myers makes a case for the importance of West Coast saxophonist Harold Land, and in particular, Land’s album “The Fox.”  Even if you need no convincing as to Land’s stature, “The Fox” is enlivening listening. – Nick Moy

Baseball is back and here’s a reminder of how special Jackie Robinson was not only for breaking the color barrier in baseball, but the impact he had in all walks of life…including jazz via a 1949 RCA Victor release by Count Basie and his band with solos by Sweets Edison, Bill Parker on tenor and vocalist Taps Miller. – Scott Wenzel

What’s not to love about Bobby Hackett? The man had taste and it shows in this example of “I’ve Got The World On A String” from a 1950 Columbia release and brought to our attention by Michael Steinman’s Jazz Lives. – Scott Wenzel

Marc Myers sends our way some choice recordings and videos of the amazing Anita O’Day who brought a new vocal and visual style of a female jazz singer. – Scott Wenzel

The Library of Congress has immortalized the immortal:  it has chosen Lee Morgan’s Blue Note classic, “The Sidewinder” as one of 25 albums it will add to its National Recording Registry.

Michael Cuscuna
1948 – 2024

Michael Cuscuna, a titan in the world of jazz, passed away on April 20, 2024, leaving behind a legacy that will resonate for generations.

Michael is survived by his wife Lisa, his children, Max and his wife Jackie, and Lauren, and two grandchildren, Nicolas and Penelope Cuscuna. His passing leaves a void in the hearts of all who knew him. May he rest in peace, and forever be remembered as he will be deeply missed.

Throughout his career, Michael possessed a curiosity for unearthing unissued jazz recordings, delving into the vaults of record labels looking for hidden gems. In 1975 his search led him to the great Blue Note vaults – unlocking a treasure of unissued material by the great jazz legends.

This experience would later be the impetus for co-founding Mosaic Records Inc, a boutique label specializing in complete sets of some of the most influential jazz artists. Mosaic Records, co-founded with Charles Lourie, produced hundreds of editions including works by Thelonious Monk, Sidney Bechet, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Tina Brooks, The Nat King Cole Trio and Miles Davis.

Michael recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Downbeat and here is an excerpt of one of Michael’s last interviews this past January. (full interview here).

Born in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1948, Cuscuna first got into music at the age of 9 or 10. “It was contemporary R&B on the radio at first,” he recalled recently. “But I played drums on a little starter kit and got into drum records like Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich on Verve, then Max Roach and Art Blakey. When I started to hear the music around the drums, that’s when I got completely hooked. I went through Benny Goodman, Dave Brubeck and the MJQ, until I caught up to what was going on around me around 1960.

“By age 14, I was going to Birdland, which had a peanut gallery. That’s when I heard Blakey and the Messengers, the Coltrane Quartet and Miles. They became my passion and still are. It’s the stuff that gets to you between about 12 and 25 that stays with you for life. You never absorb music in quite the same way after that.”

Many years ago, Woody Shaw said of Cuscuna, “No matter what you produce or do in your life, the thing you’ll be remembered for is rescuing all that Blue Note material.”

“Looking back all these years,” Cuscuna says today, “I’m content with that.”

Funeral arrangements are in process and will be held at the Bozak Funeral Home in Stamford, CT.

Please check their site at end of day Monday when information should be available. There will also be a web page on their site where you may post on their tribute wall.

I’ve known Michael for 25+ years since having the privilege of joining Mosaic Records. While many are aware of the legacy of riches he has catalogued for one of the greatest art forms, all of us who work or have worked at Mosaic also know him as a hard worker, generous and dedicated to his family.

Michael possessed an energetic spirit and drive that was infectious. When I look at the list of 200 sets for Mosaic plus all the Blue Note, Impulse and other recordings that Michael was instrumental in bringing to the public, it’s clear his passion for music drove his life-long ambitions. He was proud of his achievements while at the same time being very appreciative and grateful that he was working with many of the greatest jazz musicians and their body of work.

It’s very hard for me to convey my feelings about someone I worked closely with every day, had many lunches with and was treated to innumerable special musical memories. I’ll miss a partner, a lunch-mate, and a special friend.

Fred Pustay
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I can’t think of any better way to describe Michael than as my mentor. His guidance was immeasurable – filled with direction, leadership, knowledge, understanding, and of course, toss in some of that incredibly sarcastic wit and sense of humor. Michael knew, like his partner and close friend Charlie Lourie, how to run the business of a jazz re-issue label when there were few and far between such companies.

He also was a true family man. I saw and heard the love he unconditionally gave to his family. It was not uncommon to hear a heartfelt “I love you” at the end of a conversation to his wife Lisa, or to see and hear the love and dedication to his children, and then, in the past few years, the stories of his grandchildren who gave him immeasurable pleasure.

Michael embraced my passion for jazz record collecting and after about a dozen years of managing the Mosaic warehouse he and Charlie gave me a job of producer, expanding the Mosaic catalog to include more pre-tape era boxed sets. I am ever in debt to the both of them.

And there are so many other Mosaic journeys in the past 36 years that I could impart to you, as I’m sure there are many others who knew him even better than I that could spin countless tales of this unique man. Seek them out. Keep Michael in your heart and on your turntables, CD players or however else you listen to the music. And be grateful and thankful he was here on this planet.

Scott Wenzel

Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Michael Cuscuna, Billy Higgins, Herbie Hancock, Palle Mikkelborg (or Mads Vinding) and Ron Carter. Studio Davout in Paris, 1985 during the making of ‘Round Midnight. (photo courtesy Michael Cuscuna)

“Jazz is still, for me, the greatest music ever – it just ate its way into my soul, and it became a part of every fabric of my body…

I remember once I was doing a record with Dexter Gordon at 30th Street called Gotham City, and Art Blakey was on drums. During the session Art looked at me and said, ‘Man, you remind me of [Blue Note Records co-founder] Alfred Lion.’ That was the greatest line I ever heard, you know?” -Michael Cuscuna, JerryJazzMusician.com

Lester Young

Lewis Porter truly hits the nail on the head in this analysis of Lester Young. Along with samples of Pres’s finest post-1942 recordings (the remarkable “After Theater Jump” solo on Keynote is just one of these), the piece from “Playback With Lewis Porter” cites an interesting example of why it’s a good thing to explore more of a musician’s work in its totality. – Scott Wenzel

Count Basie
Jive At Five

Michael Zirpolo’s “Swing And Beyond” examines the marvelous Count Basie band of the late 1930s and a classic on Decca, “Jive At Five”.

Bobby Sherwood

We don’t hear much of guitarist / trumpeter Bobby Sherwood these days, but he was a top bandleader, arranger and instrumentalist who recorded for Capitol and had a hit with “The Elk’s Parade”. After he left leading his band he was a regular on television as MC or performer on a number of quiz and variety shows. Michael Zirpolo furnishes the information. – Scott Wenzel

The Sophisticated Jazz of Cab Calloway

The Guardian digs deep in their archive for this short piece on the arrival of Cab Calloway in London and the “Hi-De-Ho” man’s responses to what “scatting” was all about.

Elvin Jones
On John Coltrane’s “India”

Among those who occupied the drum throne for John Coltrane, Elvin Jones likely stood without parallel in his instantly identifiable contributions to John Coltrane’s sound.  Ethan Iverson’s analysis of the Coltrane classic India offers a brief yet meaningful glance at how Elvin Jones served as John Coltrane’s central collaborator. – Nick Moy

Bobby Hutcherson
WKCR Interview

Ted Panken revives his 1999 WKCR interview with Bobby Hutcherson, whose career spanned eras of significant musical expansion.  As you’d expect, Hutcherson’s reflections prove thoughtful, interspersed with a couple of Hutcherson’s characteristically entertaining anecdotes. – Nick Moy

’Round Midnight Revisited
A Feast of Music and Acting

Richard Brody, writes about film and jazz for the New Yorker; his realms of interest and expertise intersect in this fresh assessment of Bertrand Tavernier’s 1986 film ‘Round Midnight.  Brody’s observations concerning Dexter Gordon’s masterly portrayal of the Parisian expatriate protagonist are notably perceptive, and he directs a nod to the contributions of the other distinguished musicians in the film. ‘Round Midnight is now available on Criterion DVD  and is now streaming via Apple TV: don’t miss it this time around. – Nick Moy

Click photo above for article and here is a 3 minute clip:

Greg Osby
From the Abyss to Minimalism

Ted Panken’s DownBeat account of the travels of Greg Osby chronicles Osby’s sometimes winding path, even as his musical compass consistently pointed in the direction of the new.  Although this lion may no longer be regarded as young, he can still roar, as Osby’s collaborations testify. – Nick Moy

Classic Jazz At The Philharmonic Jam Sessions 1950-1957
Back In Stock

“Roughly ten hours of music means a whopping amount to hear and scads of musicians to identify. As ever in Mosaic country, the accompanying literature is authoritative, absorbing and illuminating. Granz’s biographer Tad Hershorn examines his subject’s personality while John McDonough supplies a deeply considered historical/critical view. The original tapes were meticulously transferred by Brett Zinn and the sound restoration and mastering by Andreas Meyer and Nancy Conforti catch the authentic atmosphere. You could almost swear you were in the hall.”  – Read full review at LondonJazzNews.com

“Roughly ten hours of music means a whopping amount to hear and scads of musicians to identify. As ever in Mosaic country, the accompanying literature is authoritative, absorbing and illuminating. Granz’s biographer Tad Hershorn examines his subject’s personality while John McDonough supplies a deeply considered historical/critical view. The original tapes were meticulously transferred by Brett Zinn and the sound restoration and mastering by Andreas Meyer and Nancy Conforti catch the authentic atmosphere. You could almost swear you were in the hall.”  – Read full review at LondonJazzNews.com

The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions
Running Low/Last Chance

“The Henderson of the 1960s offered the final glow of 50s jazz and then gave us angular bop and free flowing improv as he teamed up with influential sidemen including a who’s who of pianists. In addition, a musical and personal partnership with trumpeter Dorham blossomed. If you haven’t spent a lot of time with Mr. Henderson yet, now’s the time.”  – Read full review at AllAboutJazz.com

Lennie Tristano Personal Recordings 1946 – 1970
Running Low/Last Chance

“The most adventurous session, by far, is the prophetic 1948 meeting with Konitz, Marsh and Bauer. Many of you may have heard of Tristano’s famous “Intuition” and “Digression”, but these tunes actually pre-date that legendary on-off. Your eyes might bug out with the revelatory pieces like “Dialogue”, “Digression Expanse” and “Story”. Whole set ends on an almost mainstream scale with a 1962 gig at the Half Note with Tristano cooking with Zoot Sims/ts, Konitz/as, Dallas/b and Stabulas/dr on “Swingin’ at Half Note” and a dry ice smoke of “Lennie’s Dream” and “Hudson Street”.

Included is a 16 page booklet with notes and analysis by Lenny Popkin, as well as a collection of very cool vintage photos. Mosaic is owed a debt of gratitude for this one, bringing back to recognition an overlooked and underappreciated visionary.” – Read full review at JazzWeekly.com

Ornette Coleman
The Shape of Jazz To Come

Chris Vognar makes the case that Ornette Coleman’s first album on Atlantic, The Shape of Jazz to Come, is his best.  Enthusiasts can argue, of course; yet an album that opens with Ornette’s unbearably haunting classic Lonely Woman can make a legitimate claim to head the list. – Nick Moy

Bobby Hutcherson
Dialogue

Bobby Hutcherson is one of the established giants of mainstream modern jazz. But in 1965, he was on the cutting edge of experimentation, working with Jackie McLean, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill and Archie Shepp. The personnel on “Dialogue”, his first album as a leader to be released, reads like a who’s who of the creative front in jazz at the time: trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, reedman Sam Rivers, pianist/composer Andrew Hill, bassist Richard Davis and drummer/composer Joe Chambers. Rudy Van Gelder’s vivid recording style captures all nuances of this amazing album.

Max Roach

Richard Williams observes the birthday centennial of Max Roach (born either January 8th or 10th, 1924) with some choice reminiscences, including from Roach himself. Anyone who saw him play can attest that the recollections of Max Roach’s physical and musical stature are spot on. – Nick Moy

J.J. Johnson

This installment of David Brent Johnson’s invaluable Night Lights  traces the life and work of  trombonist J.J. Johnson, whose remarkable virtuosity and apparent improvisational ease broke important ground for his instrument in the terrain of bebop and beyond.  David Johnson also sheds light on J.J Johnson’s later work as composer and arranger, including his forays into the Third Stream. –  Nick Moy

The Savory Collection 1935-1940
Review

Don’t Miss Out!
Read Review at Jazz Lives

When it arrived, I turned immediately to the fifth disc — one of a pair containing thirty-nine live performances by the Count Basie band from May 1938 to February 1940, and I was open-mouthed and astonished three minutes into the first performance (one of four particularly extravagant frolics from the Randall’s Island Carnival of Swing) — music that I thought I would never have the good fortune to hear…

Duke Ellington Welcomes
Don Byas and Archie Shepp

Tom Reney recalls his college days at the University of Massachusetts and having as teachers and friends both Max Roach and Archie Shepp who related how important both Duke Ellington and Don Byas were to the jazz community. – Scott Wenzel

Earl Hines
Unrecorded Band with Parker and Gillespie

We applaud Lewis Porter for his gathering of the detailed research by Leif Bo Petersen of a true legendary band – the Earl Hines Orchestra during the time when both Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker were in the ensemble.  – Scott Wenzel

Tony Williams
A Look Back At A Last Interview

As Miles Davis said about Tony Williams in his 1989 autobiography: “There ain’t but one Tony Williams when it comes to playing the drums. There was nobody like him before or since. The band revolved around Tony…Tony was the fire, the creative spark.”

Lionel Hampton
Belgium, 1958

Here’s almost a full hour of rare Lionel Hampton from 1958 at the prestigious La Monnaie Opera House in Brussels, Belgium. Hamp’s big band still had some name stars and fire power in the ranks like that of Andy McGhee, Bobby Plater, Eddie Williams and Wade Marcus. – Scott Wenzel

Sun Ra’s LP Business

Encountering the inimitable Sun Ra had a nearly inevitable effect of sparking indelible impressions.   Jim Eigo brings up several such recollections, by way of Lewis Porter. – Nick Moy

A Bounty of Documentaries

A raft of intriguing documentaries has come our way, thanks to this dispatch from Ted Panken.  Consider, for example, a glimpse of the chemistry Antonio Carlos Jobim and Elis Regina brought to their classic recording; a treatise on the New Orleans parade tradition; or a chance to watch Anthony Braxton bringing his vocal music to life. All five films promise to be fascinating. – Nick Moy

Eddie Condon & Dave Tough

Staged footage for a March of Time newsreel clip called “Night Club Boom” from Eddie Condon’s in Greenwich Village, February 9, 1946. Not only do we get a chance to see Bill Davison, Brad Gowans, Jack Lesberg, Dave Bowman, Tony Parenti and Condon, but a rare chance to see legendary Dave Tough. – Scott Wenzel

Wayne Shorter
“Wake Up & Dream”

If you haven’t seen “Zero Gravity,” the luminous Wayne Shorter documentary, consider it essential viewing, urgently recommended.  Even if you’ve seen it, read this late interview, in which Shorter dispensed reminiscences of his past and and musings on our present that would likely originate from no one else. – Nick Moy

Bud Powell
Centenery Project

The project aims to transfer the legendary pianist’s remains, from an unmarked plot in Pennsylvania, to Woodlawn cemetery, in Bronx, New York. It’s hoped to have this accomplished in time for his 100th birthday – September 27, 2024.

Among the great entertainers residing at Woodlawn: Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Lionel Hampton, and Clark Terry. From earlier times, there are King Oliver, Bert Williams, and Florence Mills. Among Bud Powell’s contemporaries, Max Roach and Jackie McLean are at Woodlawn. As well, Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor are there. – Peter Pullman

Also checkout info & excerpts from Peter Pullman’s book: Wail The Life of Bud Powell

John Scofield
Explores ‘Uncle John’s Band’

The young John Scofield didn’t see himself as a Grateful Dead follower; he was a jazz guitarist.  In the Relix, Scofield explains how the Dead’s music became more prominent in his musical investigations. – Nick Moy

Count Basie
April 1944 Performance

April 16, 1944 and for a few brief moments we see the Count Basie band live at a concert celebrating Paul Robeson’s 46th birthday and on the anniversary of the Council On African Affairs. Held at the 17th Regiment Armory in Manhattan we get Buddy Tate soloing and great views of the sax section with Earle Warren and Jimmy Powell on alto, Rudy Rutherford on baritone and Lester Young! – Scott Wenzel

Extraordinary Jazz Guitarists

Featuring a history of Jazz guitarists and 6 great clips. Annotated by Scott Yanow, Mike Peters and others.

Clifford Brown

Clifford Brown’s prodigious technique is always totally integrated with the content of his playing. His sound is buttery when it is supposed to be, in his role as nonpareil balladeer; hard and brilliant when he moves into overdrive on the up-tempo poppers. Rhythmically he danced; tonally he sang.

Artie Shaw
“Time Is All You’ve Got”

Will Friedwald announces the return of a spectacular jazz documentary that I taped on VHS back when it first was released in 1985 and which has hardly seen the light of day till now. It’s Brigitte Berman’s masterpiece “Time Is All You You’ve Got” which follows the career of clarinetist, band leader, author and intellect, Artie Shaw. – Scott Wenzel

Count Basie w/Lester Young & Chu Berry
This is the Birth of Something New

“Seemingly at the drop of a hat, an informal jam is captured on wax that not only spoke directly to the world of 1939, but also speaks volumes to us today about the potential for jazz to bridge musical worlds.” – Loren Schoenberg

A Rare Duke Ellington
Audio Interview

Duke Ellington, right after the premier at New York’s Town Hall of “Such Sweet Thunder”, a 12-part suite based on the works of William Shakespeare, is heard in this rare interview by Harry Rasky of the CBC.

Frank Sinatra
Come Fly With Me (1957)

“Come Fly With Me” was composed by Jimmy Van Heusen specifically for Sinatra with Sammy Cahn providing the lyrics. It was the title track for one of the singer’s most swinging albums. Joined for the first time in his career by arranger Billy May, Sinatra clearly enjoyed singing with the top-notch big band and, at the age of 41, he is heard at the peak of his powers.

While always associated with Frank Sinatra (who sang the song regularly during the next three decades), “Come Fly With Me” would also be recorded in later years by the likes of Ruby Braff, Richie Cole, Shirley Horn, Bob Wilber, and James Moody.

Three Great Jazz Guitarists
Carl Kress, Dick McDonough and George Barnes

The guitarists Dick McDonough, Carl Kress and George Barnes, whose recorded output from 1925 through 1977 is thankfully well documented are celebrated in a recent Syncopated Times article by Scott Yanow.

Charlie Parker
Bloomdido (1950)

Talk about all-star bands, it would be difficult to top the quintet that producer Norman Granz put together in 1950.

“Bloomdido,” one of Parker’s catchier original blues, has typically superb statements by the altoist , a muted but blazing Gillespie, the very distinctive pianist, and Rich. If someone asked the question “What is bebop?” a listen to “Bloomdido” would supply some of the answers.

Altoist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, the co-founders of bebop and arguably the greatest ever on their instruments, had been playing together on and off since 1943. While bassist Curly Russell was a natural choice, neither Bird nor Diz had ever recorded with pianist Thelonious Monk before (although Monk had briefly been in Gillespie’s big band). Buddy Rich was thought by some critics as a controversial choice for the drum chair  but his inclusion made this date even more unique and, besides, he played perfectly in this setting.

Andrew Cyrille
DownBeat Feature and Several Interviews

To mark the 74th birthday of master percussionist Andrew Cyrille a decade ago, Ted Panken revived a number of revelatory interviews and a Blindfold test, punctuated by sage observations from Cecil Taylor and Anthony Braxton that endeavor to explain, yet ultimately marvel at , Andrew Cyrille’s “magical“ artistry.  – Nick Moy

Louis Armstrong’s Last Word

If you think you had heard all you needed to know about why Louis Armstrong is so iconic, Ethan Iverson paints a broad picture on the importance of Armstrong in a recent article in The Nation. – Scott Wenzel

Miles Davis
1950 DownBeat Interview

This initial Miles Davis interview in Down Beat from January 27, 1950 reveals Miles’s articulate and wide-ranging appreciation of all forms of music. The attitude permeated his entire career. – Michael Cuscuna

Ellington-Strayhorn
World Premiere of Such Sweet Thunder

A recent Playback With Lewis Porter contains fresh new facts and details on the great Ellington/Strayhorn collaboration between music and the works of William Shakespeare. “Such Sweet Thunder” is the piece and a look at the world premiere of this piece is discussed in great detail. – Scott Wenzel

Jaws & Griff
Tough Tenor Favorites

Marc Myers at JazzWax celebrates “Tough Tenor Favorites” by one of the most celebrated tenor saxophone teams Johnny Griffin and Eddie Lockjaw Davis. Like the equally popular and prolific Sonny Stitt-Gene Ammons team, the group blends the contrasting styles of big-toned swing (Davis, Ammons) with the fleet bebop excursions of Griff and Stitt. Most other tenor sax dueling teams paired more like-minded partners. Dexter Gordon told me that he and Wardell Gray often couldn’t tell each other apart on playbacks! – Michael Cuscuna

Carla Bley
1936-2023

Carla Bley was a remarkable and distinctive artist. At the 1969 Charlie Haden Liberation Orchestra session at Judson Hall, she told me that she was irate at Martin Williams’ written remark that compositionally she was a minimalist. Not long after she began writing impressive extended pieces for the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra and her own large ensemble. One of a kind. She will be missed! – Michael Cuscuna

John Coltrane
“A New Room In The Great Pyramid”

David Brent Johnson zeroes in on the John Coltrane Quartet in 1963, a prodigious and ever-evolving year for the band that included an amazing March session with plenty of great unissued material. Only one piece “Vilia” was issued at the time. The rest remained a mystery until Coltrane’s  mono copies of the session reels were recently discovered. A gem of a discovery.- Michael Cuscuna

Coleman Hawkins
At The Village Vanguard

Lewis Porter does a little reminiscing about not only seeing the great Coleman Hawkins at the Village Vanguard but also his take on ordering and enjoying liquor! – Scott Wenzel

Thelonious Monk
Birthday Broadcast
Tuesday Oct 10th

WKCR announces a special broadcast celebrating the 106th birthday of American pianist Thelonious Monk, broadcast on FM and HD radio and online for 24 hours on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

Paul Desmond
“Wendy”

This beautiful performance of “Wendy” by its composer Paul Desmond, guitarist Ed Bickert, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Jerry Fuller was taped at the Canadian Broadcasting Company. This wonderful quartet is heard in all its glory on Mosaic Records’  Paul Desmond – The Complete 1975 Toronto Recordings

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Don Byas
Underappreciated Monumental Jazz Artist

Pianist Billy Taylor waxes poetic in a JazzWax article on the importance of Don Byas and what he meant to not only tenor saxophonists but to improvisors in general on any instrument.

“Don [Byas] was very special. He did something that was unbelievable in terms of really playing and showing the Europeans that the music was moving forward. What the Europeans heard him play was the beginning of what John Coltrane and others like him eventually did. He paved the way over there. He was way ahead of  Coltrane on those sheets of sound. He was trying to make the tenor saxophone sound like Art Tatum.

He and Coltrane had the same idea for the same reason. They both had heard Art’s seamless runs on the piano. Don was trying to do that on the tenor back then. He was head and shoulders above everyone else. Don was also playing bebop and pre-bop. What I mean by pre-bop is he was playing things that led up to bebop. They were long phrases and new ways of using harmonies so that they sounded like the dominant melody. This stuff hadn’t been done yet until Don started playing them.” – Billy Taylor

Rudy Van Gelder
In A Class All His Own

Richard Capeless has been a devoted student of the recording brilliance of engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Over the past five or six years, Richard has amazed data, diagrams, photographs and interviews to document and explore a remarkable life. Get lost in this world! – Michael Cuscuna

Louis Armstrong
East Germany Concerts

Louis Armstrong was truly a jazz ambassador and is the focus in an exhibit curated by Jason Moran and Paola Malavassi called “I’ve Seen The Wall” which can be seen at Das Minsk Museum in East Berlin. – Scott Wenzel

Wayne Shorter
Documentary

On WBGO’s website, Gary Walker sits down for an extended interview with Dorsay Alavi who directed the documentary on Wayne Shorter titled “Zero Gravity” released on Wayne’s 90th Birthday. Alavi approached her unique subject with an open, delving into his Buddhist faith and passion for Science Fiction as well his genius for music and composition.

DownBeat Blindfold Test
Christian McBride

Christian McBride is warm, hardy person, bassist, band leader and educator. All of that comes through in his enthusiastic and informative comments on this eclectic selection of music. Who else could come up with a graphic comment like, “Killer. I love music that kisses the curb, like it’s about to go off the road but it doesn’t.” – Michael Cuscuna

Sonny Payne
Driving the Basie Band

The hard-driving swing of drummer Sonny Payne is showcased here in this Jazzwax post. Payne was a remarkable drummer and thrived in the bands of Count Basie and Harry James as revealed in these classic videos.  – Scott Wenzel

King Oliver and Louis Armstrong
Dipper Mouth Blues

“Dippermouth Blues” (or “Sugar Foot Stomp”) reigns as one of the earliest jazz compositions that became a much recorded and performed piece of music. Accounts of who actually wrote the piece is still discussed and recent research from Lewis Porter gives us a clearer picture. – Scott Wenzel

Tony Williams’ Lifetime
Rare Filmed Performance

The ever articulate and perceptive Richard Williams has posted the newly discovered footage of the Tony Williams Lifetime live in Bremen during their 1970 European tour. It is the only video of this amazingly inventive and exciting band with Tony, Larry Young, John McLaughlin and Jack Bruce. Lifetime had its own concept and sound, combining cutting edge jazz improvisations with the energy and power of hard rock. When they first formed, Larry Young called me to come down to the Village Gate to hear this new  group (before Jack Bruce joined). I couldn’t believe the intensity and biting solos by this trio. Why they never got the recognition and success that they deserved is a nagging mystery to me. – Michael Cuscuna

Dick Gibson’s Jazz Party

Labor Day weekend in Colorado from 1963 to 1993 was always a blast if you were lucky to have either played or listened at the Dick Gibson Jazz Party. And a party it sure was as documented in this amazing film footage shot during sometime in the early 1970s. Dick Gibson ran his jazz party for some 30 years, starting in 1963, and usually during the Labor Day weekend. Each year, he took musicians he liked to towns in Colorado, along with critics and fans, and for three days different formations of musicians played.

Keith Jarrett
Interview

The extended interview with Keith Jarrett by Robert Doerschuk for Keyboard Magazine dates from 1986. Keith is an affable but very philosophical frame of mind, expounding about music in its purest essence (i.e. sound). Sometimes reading between the lines with his conversations is more revealing than what he literally says. – Michael Cuscuna

Elmo Hope
An Undervalued Artist

This episode of Christian McBride’s Jazz Night In America is dedicated to the music of pianist/composer Elmo Hope, one of the several greats who first emerged in the ‘40s. Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk became geniuses with great output and influence. Elmo is in the group of equally talented pianists and writers who remain woefully undervalued. Randy Weston and Herbie Nichols are among the celebrated artists in that group. – Michael Cuscuna

Richard Davis

This month we lost one of the most powerful and inventive bassists in modern jazz. Richard Davis’s range knew no limitations; he  was an in-demand studio bassist who worked with the likes of Van Morrison and Paul Simon in his long studio career. He was also an essential component in groundbreaking albums like Booker Ervin’s Freedom Book, Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch and Andrew Hill’s Point Of Departure among dozens of masterworks. His love of horses, his parental responsibilities and his love of teaching helped him decide to accept a teaching position at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1977, which took him out of the creative New York club and recording scene. – Michael Cuscuna

Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Rip, Rig And Panic

“Rip, Rig And Panic,” beautifully recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, was Kirk’s finest album of the sixties, possibly of all time. The explosive, energetic and versatile rhythm section of Jaki Byard, Richard Davis and Elvin Jones keep up with the saxophonist’s extraordinary flights that hit New Orleans and Mars and everything in between. – Michael Cuscuna

Benny Goodman
An Incredible Time Capsule

Absolutely amazing footage of Benny Goodman and his Orchestra from 1943 and 1957. The earlier footage has the band at the Hotel New Yorker in NYC with Lee Castle, Bill Harris (before he joined Woody), 18 year old Zoot Sims and Gene Krupa returning to performing live. Some clips are silent and others have drop outs but still an incredible time capsule. – Scott Wenzel

Lester Young
Film Clips

A fascinating little clip of Lester Young being greeted by radio and television host Art Ford during his all too brief program on would become WNET in New York. This is part of Lewis Porter’s “Playback With Lewis Porter” as he provides a number of interesting topics this being one on every film clip of Lester Young. – Scott Wenzel

Booker Ervin
An Underrated Classic

One of the best and most underrated albums of the 1960s modern jazz. Ervin’s impassioned Texas tenor explodes with beauty and invention, fueled by the power and chemistry of Jaki Byard, Richard Davis and Alan Dawson. Brilliant, volatile music. – Michael Cuscuna

Pepper Adams
The Great Baritone Saxophonist

For more than 30 years, Gary Carner has been obsessively researching and compiling materials about the life and music of Pepper Adams and I have the emails to prove it! Ethan Iverson has posted a hefty chuck of Gary’s just published  “Pepper Adams: Saxophone Trailblazer.” It’s a beautifully organized and written piece on Pepper’s formative years which formed his approach and style. It appears that it was worth the wait. – Michael Cuscuna

George Russell at 100

The name George Russell may not be a familiar one but he was an important figure in creating compositions and arrangements using advanced harmonies which became modal jazz. Jazzwax explores some of Russell’s works and a brief look at his life. – Michael Cuscuna

Billie Holiday
Anatomy of a Jazz Masterpiece

Tony Steveacre of theartsdesk.com brings a closer look at one of the most celebrated televised film clips of jazz legends that’s ever been preserved: “The Sound of Jazz” on CBS in 1958.

Ornette Coleman
Something Else!!!!

This 1958 debut album by Ornette Coleman announced a major composer and original saxophonist with an expressive blues-based tone and a whole new approach to improvisation. Introduced here are future standards such as “When Will The Blues Leave”, “The Blessing” and “The Sprinx” and some forgotten gems like “Chippie”. The quintet includes Don Cherry, Walter Norris, Don Payne and Billy Higgins who all play more conventionally than Ornette. Cherry and Higgins would soon be instrumental in understanding and helping shape the sound of Coleman’s music.- Michael Cuscuna

Louis Armstrong House Museum

On my first visit to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, the director at the time, the late Michael Cogswell, told me to park my car across the street. Little did I realize that in 2023 there would be a brand new building where I had parked called the Louis Armstrong Center and it is now open to the public. The center houses a 60,000-piece archive that provides a glimpse into the life and career of the jazz maestro. – Scott Wenzel

Eric Dolphy
An Unknown 1963 Audio Interview about Ornette and more

Lewis Porter has spotlighted an amazing website by Alan Saul dedicated to the music of Eric Dolphy complete with interviews and film clips. In this column, Lewis has posted pieces of a 1963 interview with Dolphy conducted by Claes Dahlgren. Especially interesting is his comments about the music of Ornette Coleman. – Michael Cuscuna

Astrud & Gil

News of Astrud Gilberto’s death at age 83 prompted Richard Williams to unearth a copy of her album Look To The Rainbow, which was distinguished by 11 Gil Evans charts on a mix of great Brazilian and American songs. Hardly a great vocalist in the strict sense, Astrud could purr seductive readings of love songs like no one except perhaps Eartha Kitt. – Michael Cuscuna

Saxophone Colossus
The Life And Music of Sonny Rollins

Aiden Levy’s amazing and thorough biography of Sonny Rollins (700 highly readable pages), “Saxophone Colossus” inspired Vinnie Sperrazza to take a detailed deep dive into the fruits of the prolific relationship between Rollins and Max Roach in the second half of the ‘50s. His research, comments and recommended listening are spot on.  – Michael Cuscuna

Clifford Brown’s Trumpet
And One Summer In Atlantic City

Arthur George has written an excellent, concise story of Clifford Brown’s short-lived career, using his residency with Tadd Dameron in Atlantic City in the summer of 1953 as the core story. It was the same summer he made his initial recordings for Blue Note and later joined Lionel Hampton’s big band which led to a slew of Paris studio dates by Brownie and Gigi Gryce for Vogue. – Michael Cuscuna

Charlie Haden’s
Guide to his Best Work

Charlie Haden briefly comments on 15 of his recordings, spanning his extraordinary array of musical collaborations:  Ornette Coleman, of course, but also Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Hank Jones, Gonzalo Rubalcaba,  Old and New Dreams, and his Liberation Music Orchestra.  Charlie’s remarks, like his music, are at once thoughtful, even pensive, and heartfelt.  -Nick Moy

47th Annual Jazz Record Collectors’ Bash

Thursday-Saturday, June 22-24, 2023
Edison, NJ

More than 25 vendors plan to sell vintage 78s, LPs, 45s, cylinders, CDs, DVDs, books, sheet music, catalogs and other memorabilia. Three exciting, two-hour vintage film and video presentations, hosted by jazz historians Mark Cantor, Will Friedwald and David Weiner, will also take place. Hope to see you there! – Scott Wenzel (click image for more info)

Dan Morgenstern on Record Collecting

As a 78 collector, I love hearing stories of old junk shops, record stores and the eccentric dealers that ran these shops. Dan Morgenstern recalls some heavy hitters in the collecting field that he had met as a young jazz record buyer in NYC. -Scott Wenzel

Harvey Pekar on Collecting Jazz Records

The late Harvey Pekar was a jazz critic, comic book artist and very funny and eccentric person. This is his story of coming to grips with his record-collecting addiction. And I’m sure every word of it is true! -Michael Cuscuna

Blue Note Records: The Collector’s View

London Jazz Collector bravely tries to document that history of Blue Note from 1979. To trace it through a variety of owners and the shift from LP to CD and the many catalog initiatives that we launched since the label’s rebirth under Bruce Lundvall in 1984 is a daunting task. This undertaking seems thorough and remarkably error-free (I think). -Michael Cuscuna

A Stunning New Archival Release
Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy

We’ve been very fortunate in the past 10 years or so. Music by John Coltrane that was thought lost has surfaced and been released by Impulse, Coltrane’s label from late 1961 until his death in July 1967. Additionally, Coltrane music that we never knew existed has surfaced and been carefully restored by Impulse. Nate Chinen discusses the latest find, soon to be released as Evenings At The Village Gate by the Coltrane quartet plus Eric Dolphy from the summer of 1961. It will be released in July, but a preview (“Impressions”) is posted here by NPR! – Michael Cuscuna

Count Basie
Born To Swing

John Jeremy’s “Born To Swing” is a triumphant documentary from 1973 that is a tribute to Count Basie and those shaped the Basie musical landscape. Plenty of rare interviews and music segments are a part of this must see program. – Scott Wenzel

Horace Silver
The Ralph J. Gleason Interview

Jazz Profiles has posted a 1961 interview of Horace Silver by Ralph Gleason. Ralph was a great interviewer because he looked people in the eye and asked well-thought-out questions that he actually wanted the answer to. Horace was a gentle and talkative man. Interviews like this are the best portraits of Horace. His autobiography was too polite and objective to give a sense of Horace and what he was thinking. – Michael Cuscuna

Ira Gitler Talks About Drums
With Tony Williams, Art Blakey, Cozy Cole, & Mel Lewis

Lewis Porter has unearthed and posted 20 minutes of Ira Gitler’s Down Beat symposium with Art Blakey, Cozy Cole, Mel Lewis and Tony Williams in January 1964. Ira probably taped for later transcription. The voices are easy to sort out and the conversation is fascinating. Hopefully, Lewis will post the rest of the tape. – Michael Cuscuna

Benny Goodman
Profile in Jazz

The Syncopated Times and Scott Yanow present in “Profile In Jazz” a look at the King Of Swing – Benny Goodman.

A Conversation with Jason Moran

Ted Gioia has posted a wonderful interview of Jason Moran by Ted Panken. Ted’s an excellent interviewer partly because he listens to his subject and shapes his next question appropriately. And Jason is a consummate, versatile artist, an intellectual and a delightful and articulate man. Great conversation. – Michael Cuscuna

A Conversation with Chick Corea

In 2003, Lich conducted a 30-minute interview (a conversation really) with Chick Corea on “Where Life Meets Music with Lich.” Chick is relaxed, articulate and forthcoming as usual. A great piece, which is posted in two parts. – Michael Cuscuna

Wayne Shorter
The Final Interview

Michael Jackson conducted a telephone interview with Wayne Shorter in early 2022. Although Wayne’s health was in sharp decline, he was lucid and articulate throughout. A true original, Wayne was a brilliant thinker and a singular artist. – Michael Cuscuna

The “Stage Door Canteen”, located under the 44th Street Theater in New York, was a venue that offered food, socialization and entertainment free of charge for anyone in the military during World War II. It was so popular that a movie was made in 1943 depicting a group of servicemen and the women they meet who were volunteers at the Canteen. One of the features of the movie has the young Peggy Lee as a member of the Benny Goodman band with her hit “Why Don’t You Do Right” (19 year old Louie Bellson is on drums). – Scott Wenzel

Max Roach and M’Boom

Vinnie Sperrazza has fashioned a thoroughly researched love letter to Max Roach’s M’Boom, detailing its history (1970-84) and key performances and recordings. As far back as 1958, Max made the  ground breaking “Max Roach With The Boston Percussion Ensemble.” He was constantly trying to expand jazz’s palette and did so with great success. His work with vocal choirs beginning with “It’s Time” in 1962 was impactful. Throughout his career, he was open to and actively supportive of new voices be it Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Booker Little, George Coleman, Eric Dolphy or dozens more.

A great read and a wonderful reason to pull out whatever M’Boom LPs or CDs that you might have. – Michael Cuscuna

When Duke Ellington Came to North Dakota

I couldn’t agree more with Ted Gioia’s assessment of the truly legendary Duke Ellington dance date at Fargo, North Dakota in 1940. The band was arguably the best Duke ever had and thanks to the men who recorded it, Jack Towers and Dick Burris, we are now, 73 years later, to still be able to feel like you were there right on the bandstand. – Scott Wenzel

This video contains two Bud Powell solo performances the 1960 Antibes Jazz Festival: a Monkish “Sweet & Lovely” and an original entitled “Swing Napoli” which one listener with great ears and memory identifies as the A section of “Monopoly” and the bridge of “Marmalade.” Both tunes  are  on his “Time Waits” album if you care to check. – Michael Cuscuna

The Songs of 1923

If songs from the 1920s into the mid-1950s can be coined “the golden age of popular song”, then this list provided by Mark Chilla certainly brings plenty of examples supporting that claim. He zeros in on the bounty of classics from the year 1923. – Scott Wenzel

Of course most people think of Elvis, the Beatles or the Stones on the Ed Sullivan Show, but this iconic CBS Sunday night program welcomed a number of great jazz artists ranging from Louis Armstrong to Rahsaan Roland Kirk. 1960 is the year of this romp with Lionel Hampton and “How High The Moon.”  – Scott Wenzel

Coltrane Projects That Never Happened

The idea of Miles and Trane doing an album together (or two!) in late 1966 always struck me as bizarre given the stage and style that each artist was at during that period. Both were going through major changes but each in his own direction. Had I not seen Irving Townsend’s letter a decade or so ago, I would have assumed this was some fan’s strange fantasy.

But it terms out to be a cynical record-company idea to maximize sales and income for all concerned. The fact that Miles was only getting a $10,000 advance  at the time underlines the sad reality that the albums by Miles’s amazing 1964-68 quintet sold surprisingly poorly. That was certainly factor in changing directions with “Bitches Brew.” – Michael Cuscuna

Lennie Tristano Personal Recordings 1946 – 1970

Recent Reviews

…this set is a bento box of colorful musical offerings in the raw that showcase the blind pianist in different eras and settings, including working out ideas and chord voicings alone. Through the music, we are able to hear him explore, try new approaches and play behind soloing musicians. – read more at Jazz Wax

There seems to be a close mix of straight ahead jazz sessions, along with the open free quite advanced tracks. Lennie’s dazzling piano playing with long phrases, and double and triple time tempos are on full display throughout the entire set. read more at Audiophile Audition

Classic Black & White Jazz Sessions

Recent Reviews

What makes this massive 11 CD set so valuable, and historically significant, is that in barely seven years they recorded most everyone not exclusively tied to a major label. With exceptions for Ellington, Basie, Armstrong and a few others, The Black and White label was motivated in putting the jazz titans of this era together in groupings for approximate (4-6 tracks), the time length of a 78 rpm album.

Here is just a partial list of the names of jazz legends (some appearing solely as sidemen/accompanists): Art Hodes, Sidney Bechet, Mezz Mezzrow, Willie “The Lion” Smith, James P. Johnson, Pee Wee Russell, Oscar Pettiford, Charles Mingus, Lucky Thompson, Meade Lux Lewis, Barney Bigard, Charlie Shavers, Dizzy Gillespie, Erroll Garner, Charlie Ventura, Howard McGhee, and Gerald Wilson. And there are many more…

It’s a jazz history lesson at a bargain price. – Read more at Audiophile Audition

The accompanying 44 page booklet crammed with informative notes and discographical data from Dan Morgenstern, Billy Vera and Scott Wenzel introduces a remarkable roster of talent, eccentrics and near-mythical characters… Also considering that the original source material is around eighty years old, the sound quality is nearly all pristine and clear, owing to fastidious restoration and mastering by Andreas Meyer and Nancy Conforti.Read more at London Jazz News

This is stunning footage captured by Norwegian TV of Joe Henderson at the 1968 Molde Jazz Festival performing Billy Strayhorn’s “Chelsea Bridge” and his own “Isotope” with Kenny Drew, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen and Al ‘Tootie’ Heath. Magnifcent music. – Michael Cuscuna

Jim Hall Trio Featuring Tom Harrell

Jazz Profiles has put a spotlight on a 1988 Denon album by  Jim Hall’s trio with guest artist Tom Harrell. Throughout the history of modern jazz, Jim was the catalyst in most of the important piano-less ensembles of the modern jazz era. From Chico Hamilton and Jimmy Giuffre in the ‘50s to Paul Desmond, Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer in the ‘60s to dozens of challenging ensembles since then, guitarist Hall had always been at the cutting edge of what jazz has had to offer.

John Coltrane’s Handwritten Outline
A Love Supreme

John Coltrane created a variety of masterpieces throughout his career. But the album that transcended the jazz audience and reached a vast public whose temperament was ripe for spirituality amid the ugliness of segregation and an unwinnable war. This Open Culture post includes Trane’s original music manuscript in an enlarged form and an NPR documentary on the album and more. – Michael Cuscuna

Bessie Smith
“The Empress of the Blues”

Not sure of the importance of, or maybe not even who or what made Bessie Smith the most important and influential vocalist of the 1920s and whose legacy continued through the singing of Janis Joplin and others even today? Check out Scott Yanow’s appreciation. – Scott Wenzel

Johnny Dodds
Deep Blue Clarinet

One of the major improvisors during the earliest period of jazz is clarinetist Johnny Dodds. His influence had a major impact with those who followed him either in traditional jazz or swing (Benny Goodman was one) and some fine examples and commentary of his work comes via the Syncopated Times.  – Scott Wenzel

From the 1964 Antibes Jazz Festival on July 27 & 28, Horace Silver introduced his amazing new group with Joe Henderson, Carmell Jones, Teddy Smith and Roger Humphries. They perform Silver classics like “Senor Blues,” “No Smokin’” and “Tokyo Blues” as well as two new originals: “pretty Eyes” and “Que Pasa?”. Three months later would make  its recording debut with “Song For My Father”! – Michael Cuscuna

The Savory Collection 1935-1940
Final Pressing

Our Most Momentous
Release In Years!

For Loren Schoenberg of the Jazz Museum of Harlem, it’s the discovery that capped nearly forty years of searching. For us at Mosaic, it’s the “find” that has us re-examining an era we thought we knew inside out.

Jazz Times Review
Certain collections of music are so rich and deep that it feels like a listener could almost swim in them. This six-disc, 108-track set feels bottomless. It also represents one of the greatest provenance accounts in all of jazz.
Read full Jazz Times Review

Miles Davis
Two Docs Called ‘Round Miles’

Two documentaries about Miles Davis are both called ‘Round Miles. But the similarity ends there. Christopher Wilkinson’s film gathered Ron Carter, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath, Marcus Miller and other friends and sidemen who worked with him at various stages in his long career. Charles Carlini’s film is an extended talk by writer Quincy Troupe, who co-authored Miles: The Autobiography.

Jack Teagarden
Documentary

“It’s Time For Tea” is a priceless documentary on the life of Jack Teagarden made with the guidance of Stephen LaVere and most notably Joe Showler, who was for years the preeminent Teagarden archivist and collector. Made in 1996 and not publicly available on tape or DVD, there are a number of first hand interviews with Teagarden’s family, wives, childhood friends, peer musicians and music scholars. Narrated by the late Jeff Healey who not only was a gifted blues, rock and jazz guitarist but also a 78 RPM record collector extraordinaire. Highly recommended! – Scott Wenzel

Thelonious Monk
Rewind & Play

Alain Gomis has made a film called “Rewind & Play” using the complete and unedited tapes from a 1969 Paris television show, hosted by Henri Renaud. The aired performance, which was released on Mosaic’s Jazz Icon release about 10 years ago, is stunning solo Monk.

Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra

Some choice cuts made available by Marc Myers of the exciting Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra in a number of classic 78s on Musicraft and RCA Victor during the early years of the trumpet master’s big band.

This 48-minute video starts with a 10-minute history of Keith Jarrett’s childhood and musical career by Rick Beato before Beato sits down with Keith for an in-depth interview that includes Keith playing examples at the piano and his reaction listening to existing recordings.

Kevin Whitehead’s engaging and thorough piece on the life and music of Wayne Shorter aired on NPR’s Fresh Air on March 8th. NPR has posted the 8-minute radio piece along with a transcript of Kevin’s essay.

Paul Desmond and Jim Hall

JazzWax reviews a tribute to the celebrated musical marriage of Paul Desmond and Jim Hall by the Conversation Jazz Trio with guitarist Mitch Seidman and guest artist Bruce Abbott on alto saxophone. Two tracks from the album are posted here. Desmond’s recorded works with Hall and later with Ed Bickert have both been celebrated in their own Mosaic boxed set.

This 1960 version of “Anthropology” by Lucky Thompsom, guitarist Jimmy Gourley and Bud Powell’s trio (with Pierre Michelot and Kenny Clarke was one of many performances captured by French Television at the Blue Note club in Paris. There is so little film on the overlooked Lucky Thompson that this clip becomes all the more valuable. Bud is also in great form as is the now forgotten Jimmy Gourley.

Richard Brody has written an extensive obit on Wayne Shorter, who passed away on March 2. Brody has really captured the flavor and character of Wayne’s playing and composing throughout the chapters of his ever-changing musical life. Wayne was a true original in every way. And he and his creative energy will be sorely missed.

The Basie band at Birdland was always a special moment. Jazzwax gives us a taste of the power and swing of the band by presenting this great clip of the band live on NBC with Steve Allen acting as host.

Lewis Porter has unearthed a 1959 interview with Cecil Taylor at The Five Spot where he was working. He starts out giving one-word answers to give the Swedish interviewer a hard time. But Cecil was always a talkative and gregarious person and soon begins to question the questions and give his perspective on society at large and the music scene in particular. An interesting 11 minutes.

Tom Reney wrote this essay on Dexter Gordon’s extraordinary music and on his singular charisma at various points in Dexter’s long career. He was a one-of-a-kind and a joy to have as a friend. Reney conveys a lot of that in his thoughtful, comprehensive piece.

In one of the most inspiring moments we have on film of Sidney Bechet, this 1953 French film clip comes from Jazz Jamboree and has Bechet backed by Claude Luter’s band on “Royal Garden Blues”.

Lewis Porter brings an examination of a concept one doesn’t usually associate with Billie Holiday – as an improvisor. She was not a scat singer but her influences and her take on melody and rhythm certainly give Lady props.

A welcome moment from the Ed Sullivan Show archives with Duke Ellington and a CBS studio band and chorus led by Ray Block, from 1959, performing pieces from the film “Anatomy Of A Murder”.

Marc Myers has collected eight recently discovered clips of Stan Getz in his prime (which was his entire career). There’s a version of “Lush Life” with the amazing quartet of Stan, Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Tony Williams and a couple of gems with Kenny Barron. Superb listening and viewing.

When I started working for Atlantic Records in 1972, I used  to prowl though the vaults in my spare time. There were many treasures sitting on shelves, but when I found Charles Mingus’ 1960 Antibes  concert with Booker Ervin, Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson and Dannie Richmond, I could not believe that this  amazing music had been overlooked. As icing on the cake, Bud Powell sat in  on the last tune! Well, we eventually issued a double album of this amazing group in concert. This French TV video of “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting” is a great example of that amazing day. – Michael Cuscuna

Lewis Porter opens our eyes (and ears) to Louis Armstrong’s genius by revealing a kinship of early Armstrong recorded breaks that reveal a kinship to the quintessential solo introduction found in the original “West End Blues”.

A rare 1944 film clip featuring Jack Teagarden and his Orchestra and a blues he had performed and recorded a number of times under different titles. No matter how often you slice it, it’s still great Teagarden courtesy of jazzlives.

Henry Threadgill is a remarkable  saxophonist and composer who gives new meaning to the word unique. I had the honor to work with him in the ‘70s recording his band AIR. And just a decade ago, we put together a comprehensive box set of music from the ‘70s to the 2000s with AIR, Sextett, Very Very Circus and Make A Move, all his ensembles. Kevin Le Gendre’s wonderful 2022 article/interview with Henry is posted on the Jazzwise website along with an excellent 75-minute video of a 2014 concert with his latest ensemble Zooid. – Michael Cuscuna

Jazzwax presents a rare BBC television special taped in 1965 of Ella Fitzgerald both in small group and big band settings. Ella is on top of her game with fine background and great arrangements.

Miles Davis
An UNKNOWN 1955 Radio Interview

Lewis Porter has been taking a deep dive into the life and career of Miles Davis. As a true scholar, Lewis has bypassed the myth and tabloid stories to learn about the real man. This unearthed September 1955 interview by Claes Dahlgren for Swedish radio is a perfect example. Miles is relaxed, affable and complements the talents of a wide range of musical creators. This is a wonderful glimpse into the real personality of the man.

Fundraiser for Drum Legend Victor Lewis

This is a fundraiser for Victor Lewis, one of the greatest drummers to emerge in the ‘70s. He has been suffering from a neurological issue that has affected the use of his legs, which has made it impossible for him to work or even teach. Spike Willner of Smalls Jazz Club is asking the jazz community to help Victor with funds that will be used to pay his rent, medical costs, food and living costs and anything else that he may need. Recovery may take as long as one year.

The Tony Williams Lifetime
Emergency!

“Here is where we take a giant step into the future,” Lester Bangs wrote of Emergency! in a Rolling Stone review. He went on to characterize Williams, McLaughlin, and Young as “jazz musicians who have seen through the smog of pop artifice and picked up on the very best that rock has to offer, making their music a totally unique entity.”

Every Film Clip of Charlie Parker

There’s not much in the way of actual film footage when it comes to Charlie Parker, however, that isn’t stopping Lewis Porter to give us a detailed account of what does exist in fascinating fashion.

“Caldonia” was probably the most requested number in the Woody Herman book and the band no doubt played it hundreds of times even into the mid-1960s when Woody led one of his most exciting ensembles equaling that of the First Herd from the mid-1940s. Naturally when Woody guested on the Ed Sullivan show in March of 1963 the question of what made Caldonia’s big head so hard was once again pondered.

47 years after the first recording of Jimmy Rowles’ haunting ballad “The Peacocks” by the composer and Stan Getz, Denny Zeitlin, who authored his own gorgeous piece “Quiet Now” in 1964, felt drawn to this composition and went into his own studio to record this amazing 11-minute meditation on it.

Baritone saxophonist Frank Basile has created a website for the incredible bebop pioneer Leo Parker. The site contains a bio, a very detailed discography with a number of labels scanned, an amazing chronology and an inventory of Parker’s original compositions with dates of the first recording. This overdue nod to an unsung giant is beautiful and full of great information and photographs.

Tal Farlow Interview

The esteemed author Stuart Nicholson has posted a wonderful essay chronicling the creative career of Tal Farlow, 1981 photos he took of Tal and Red Norvo and a lengthy and fascinating interview with Farlow on September 23, 1981. A rare treat that amplifies our knowledge of this singular artist.

JATP 1950s Jam Sessions

Jazz At The Philharmonic concerts from the 1940s were documented in 1998 on a 10-CD Verve boxed set. But until now, the 1950s concerts have been passed over for a retrospective. In fact, since the CD era began very little of the material from that span has been available at all.

Mosaic is proud to correct that oversight with our 10-CD release, Classic Jazz at the Philharmonic Jam Sessions (1950-1957), a defining set that documents the energy and invention of these phenomenal musicians and the adoring response from long-time fans.

Here’s a fantastic New Year’s Eve program broadcast (“Swing Around The Clock”) from the Armed Forces Radio Service as we went from 1945 to 1946 in broadcasts from across the nation in a time when the Second World War had ended and the country, and the world, was sick of war. The bands involved in this coast to coast broadcast are truly inspired and although some of the bands represented here repeat their most requested hits they truly swing out. The most popular music in this country are represented here: Harry James, Count Basie, Freddy Martin, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Dorsey, Les Brown, Artie Shaw (with Roy Eldridge), Tommy Dorsey, Louis Prima, Benny Goodman (with Red Norvo) and Duke Ellington. – Scott Wenzel

Anatomy of a Song
Paul Whiteman’s “When”

Albert Haim is known as a fabled “Bixologist” and here in the Syncopated Times he tells about “When” a favorite 78 that surfaced in two takes by Paul Whiteman’s band featuring Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer plus a scat vocal by Harry Barris. Haim delivers his usual insight into this great hot side by Whiteman from 1928.

A Love Supreme
A Deep Dive

This is another Deep Dive by pianist/educator/scholar Lewis Porter into Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” with plenty of fascinating details and background facts about the suite. Lewis states that Trane appeared  to prefer adding another saxophonist to his  group rather than a more conventional front line, adding a trumpet, Actually McCoy Tyner told me that Coltrane did offer a full time position to Booker Little in 1961, but the trumpeter’s health was already in fast decline. – Michael Cuscuna

Roy Eldridge Solo
A Favorite Moment in Recorded Jazz

Lewis Porter brings to the forefront a recording of “I Surrender, Dear” just one of the titles that Milt Gabler produced at the legendary 1940 Chocolate Dandies session on Commodore with Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter and the subject of this post, Roy Eldridge. It’s long been a favorite of musicians and fans alike and the entire session should be listened to in its entirety. – Scott Wenzel

A Conversation with Guitarist Al Casey
Fats Waller, Recording in the 1930s, and Going Electric

Famed pianist and record producer Mike Lipskin reminisces about an unsung hero of the guitar, Al Casey, who gained prominence with Fats Waller and his Rhythm yet continued playing off and on into the early 2000s. Included in this article in the Syncopated Times is an interview Mike did with Casey in 2002.

This is an extraordinary treat. Eleven minutes of a Lucky Thompson special from the Blue Note in Paris for French television with an interview in French, a great Thompson original “Takin’ Care of Business” performed by Lucky, Jimmy Cleveland, Buddy Catlett and Kenny Clarke and two more pieces with four more horns including Sahib Shihab.

Walter Page
What Made His Bass Playing Notable?

It’s a given that bassist Walter Page was a pioneer on his instrument and an integral part of the early Count Basie band until 1948. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find any substantial in-depth analysis on what made Walter Page such a groundbreaking artist, that is until Lewis Porter’s article in substack.com.

Duke Ellington
Jingle Bells

This has been a long time favorite of mine during the Christmas season: Duke Ellington’s “Jingle Bells” from 1962 that appeared on a Columbia LP of jazz Christmas performances. The YouTube video here doesn’t exactly sync up the correct pictures of the soloists but that’s ok…it’s the music that counts on this Billy Strayhorn arrangement. The soloists all have a great ride on the sleigh but for me the highlight is Paul Gonsalves tenor. – Scott Wenzel

Shorty Rogers
Nutcracker

Marc Myers is in a holiday mood with this jazzwax posting of a rarely heard 1960 RCA Victor release featuring Shorty Rogers and an all-star reed quintet with rhythm and a full big band recording Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Shorty’s arrangements are typical of the great West Coast sounds with such all-stars as Richie Kamuca, Art Pepper, Bill Perkins, Frank Rosolino and Mel Lewis.

Ideal Gift For Kids

Well it looks like our old friend, Ricky Riccardi, the co-producer and liner note writer of our two Louis Armstrong RCA Victor and Columbia sets is up to his old tricks again as the Scrooge-like alter ego Grammy Man who has his own ideas on what to buy for this holiday season. Best supporting actress to Ricky’s daughter Lily ! – Scott Wenzel

Stanley Turrentine

Jazzprofiles has reprinted an exhaustive Gene Lees piece on Stanley Turrentine from 1999. It’s a treasure trove of information, observations and personal stories from Stanley, who I used to call the only Texas tenor born in Pittsburgh. – Michael Cuscuna

Tal Farlow

The history of jazz guitar is populated by a number of idiosyncratic, brilliant virtuosi, many of whom haven’t gotten the recognition that their incredible talent deserves. Ranked high among them is Tal Farlow, whose Verve sessions formed a Mosaic box. Marc Myers posts a link to  Lorenzo DeStefano’s 1981 documentary on Tal and 10 well-selected tracks from across his career.

Freddie Hubbard
Limited Edition Box Set Review

Marc Meyers at jazzwax reviews our recent Freddie Hubbard release.

Sonny Greer and Sam Woodyard
Drum for the Duke

Mark Stryker, via Jazz Times, presents two major figures of the Duke Ellington Orchestra – drummers Sonny Greer and Sam Woodyard. Each individually different in their concept of drumming, they brought, at different eras of the Duke’s ensemble, a unique flavor that was so essential to the palette of this storied organization.

Soundies: A Musical History

When video tape became a new form of capturing images for the public back in the 1980s, way before Youtube, I was one of those who bought cartridge after cartridge to record off of television all sorts of entertainment. Among them were some PBS programs that presented Soundies and Snader Telescriptions. And unless it was a sweet or commercial band, the “record button” on my VCR was at the ready. Here is a trailer for “Soundies: A Musical History” to give you an idea of these early music videos. – Scott Wenzel

Fire Music
The Story Of Free Jazz

The is the website for a 2021 film entitled “Fire Music – The Story Of Free jazz.” The trailer looks excellent. Having prowled the streets of Manhattan, living through the amazing ‘60s, I am looking forward to seeing the full film; it was an era of geniuses and charlatans and the music was going in myriad directions. – Michael Cuscuna

Inside Scofield

One of my fondest times during my years at Blue Note (1984-2007) was signing and working with John Scofield who was by then an old friend who’d blossomed into an arresting innovator. Jorg Steinek has made a 90-minute film entitled “Inside Scofield” about the life and music of John Scofield. The website also offers “Voices” which in chapters features the full and unedited interviews of everyone from Phil Lesh to Joe Lovano talking about John. – Michael Cuscuna

Bob Crosby, one of Bing’s younger brothers, had a long tenure of popularity as a singer, radio and television personality, but more importantly as a band leader who incorporated straight ahead traditional jazz within the format of his big band during the Swing Era. This through such marvelous arrangements from Matty Matlock, Bob Haggart, Dean Kincaide, Gil Rodin and others. No other big band, except for maybe the Will Bradley-Ray McKinley Orchestra of this period which incorporated boogie woogie into a basic swing setting, presented a different approach to the typical swing band of the time. – Scott Wenzel

Before & After with Louis Hayes

Louis Hayes’s lengthy tenures with Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley and Oscar Peterson are enough to assure his place in jazz history. At age 85, he is as active as ever as a premier drummer and band leader. This Before & After listening of key recordings in Jazz Times brings out many insights and great anecdotes about Louis’s peers.

Miles Davis
Nefertiti – Live 1969

The Miles Davis Quintet (Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland & Jack DeJohnette was very under-recorded. This unusual, but wonderful, version of  Shorter’s “Nefertiti” from the July 26, 1969 Antibes festival is played with a swing feel and features solos from Corea and Miles. The entire concert was released in “Miles Davis: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2”.

Dexter Gordon
The Blue Note Years

Steven Cerra has posted a great feature on Dexter Gordon’s greatest years 1960-65 when he recorded on gem after another for Blue Note. My 1996 liner notes for Dex’s “Complete Blue Note Sixties Sessions” made for fascinating reading 26 years alter!

Duke Ellington
Historic Jazz Symphony

Duke Ellington’s “Black, Brown and Beige” is a monumental extended work that was a highlight of Duke’s Carnegie Hall debut on January 23, 1943 (Ellington actually premiered the composition at a Rye (NY) High School concert the night before). Originally performed when the Ellington band was at a particular zenith, this masterpiece is examined in depth by David Brent Johnson on a recent Nightlights program.

Billie Holiday

Throughout the years Billie Holiday has been mislabeled as a blues singer. However, she is, for sure, a jazz singer. Holiday was able to, in her own individually unique way, interpret a song with her concept of rhythm and melody. Lewis Porter brings us a fresh view of the genius of Lady Day in this Playback article with relevant documentation and samples of her art.

Clifford Jordan

Steve Krakow has written a great essay on Clifford Jordan and his musical worth over the decade. Like classmates John Gilmore and Johnny Griffin, Clifford came out of the great tenor saxophone tradition in Chicago. Clifford’s sound had an unusual duality; it was both hard and biting and yet warm and well-rounded. His presence was essential in the ensembles of Max Roach and Charles Mingus. From “Blowin’ In From Chicago” with John Gilmore to “Glass Bead Games” and beyond, his own albums were always exceptional. He was always a gentle, understanding gentleman who invariably dressed in three-piece suits looking like a banker.

Don Byas

Franz Hoffman’s excellent collection of rare jazz performances, either on disc or film, brings us a clip of the magnificent and unsung tenor saxophonist Don Byas along with the Lou Levy Trio (Levy at the piano, Rene Goldstein on bass and the brilliant J.C. Heard on drums) at a 1958 concert. The tune is “Indiana” which always was a jaw dropping calling card for Byas especially with bassist Slam Stewart.

Benny Goodman

Read what Michael Steinman of jazzlives so insightfully suggests and then listen to this live 1938 masterpiece with the Benny Goodman Quartet on “Don’t Be That Way”.

Kenny Dorham

Mark Stryker analyses Kenny Dorham’s solo on “It Could Happen To You” from KD’s 1961 album live at San Francisco’s Lighthouse. His analysis  and appreciation underscore all of KD’s traits as an improviser – a dark tone and his deft confluence of a tune’s melody and harmony throughout his solo. Like Miles, Kenny had his moments of “loose lips” during otherwise superb solos, but he was an individual improviser and composer.

Miles Davis

One of Lewis Porter’s ongoing essays on Miles Davis focuses on his social behavior, wondering why he had such a negative image in the press. The fact is Miles was generous, supportive and funny. HOWEVER, if you were an approaching stranger and caved in to his sarcasm, he could be playfully merciless. Lewis unearths plenty  of instances of the real Miles. Lewis’s efforts at redemption are apt and deserving.

Louis Armstrong

Premiering on October 28th, Apple Original Films presents a new documentary “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues”. Here’s the trailer via udiscovermusic.com

Jason Moran

Jazzonthetube.com presents footage of pianist Jason Moran reshaping but still keeping the tradition of James P. Johnson’s monumental composition “Carolina Shout” in a concert from 2020.

Alice Coltrane

Alice Coltrane was one of the most unique and outstanding people I ever met. She was stunningly beautiful and statuesque. She was direct and articulate, especially on matters of cultural politics and spirituality. Musically, her music ranged from straight-ahead be-bop to her own brand of spiritual music founded in the language of Stravinsky, John Coltrane and others. She will never be forgotten and this story of a bumper sticker seems to support that.

Mal Waldron

Mal Waldron was a ubiquitous pianist, composer, arranger, band leader and musical director for Prestige a few years before Duke Pearson assumed the same multi-faceted role at Blue Note. In 1966, he migrated to Europe like many of his peers. He spent the last chapter of his life in Belgium where he was loved and respected. Tom Van Overberghe’s wonderful one-hour documentary for Belgian TV, posted on Marc Myers’s Jazzwax, is a revealing and loving portrait.

WKCR INTERVIEW
November 14th
Classic Black & White Sessions

This coming Monday, November 14th Scott Wenzel of Mosaic Records will be the guest on Matthew Rivera’s “Hot Club On The Air” over WKCR-FM, 89.9 FM and streaming on www.wkcr.org. (click Listen at top right).

Scott will be talking about Mosaic Records’ release of CLASSIC BLACK & WHITE JAZZ SESSIONS. The program begins at noon and continues until 3:00 PM.

The Genius of Sonny Rollins

“The Genius Of Sonny Rollins” is amazing video medley of solos from this master improviser spanning 1959 to 1999. If there was any doubt that Rollins was an inexhaustible musical creator, this almost two hour collections with amazingly musical transitions from solo to solo is all the proof you need.

Documentary: Art Blakey

On the occasion of British documentary film maker Dick Fontaine’s excellent 1987 film on the accomplishments of Art Blakey of the inner workings of his band leading, Marc Myers pays tribute to a wonderful talent with a deep love of jazz. For good measure, Marc also posts Dick’s 1962 footage of Ringo Starr’s first gig with the Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.

Sidney Bechet
Soprano Sax King

The passion and lyric beauty of Sidney Bechet is displayed in this fine tribute hosted by Nancy Wilson in an NPR Jazz Profiles program. Dan Morgenstern, John Chilton, Bruce Raeburn and others are guests.

Dizzy Gillespie with Louis Armstrong
Umbrella Man

From the 1959 Timex All Star Jazz Show over CBS and hosted by Jackie Gleason, “Umbrella Man” with Dizzy Gillespie’s group along with Louis Armstrong.

Cedar Walton

On his Do The Math blog, Ethan Iverson goes down four different roads in appreciations of the ubiquitous, but underrated Cedar Walton, a truly brilliant composer and consummate pianist of great variety. Musically Cedar was always that comfortable but wonderful best friend who always surprised and delighted you.

Original Jelly Roll Blues
Jelly Roll Morton’s Red Hot Peppers – 1926

“Jelly Roll Blues” continues to be a joyous Jelly Roll Morton composition and is one of the finest examples of his genius.

Lew Tabackin
On Becoming And Barolo

Kristen Lee Sargeant has transcribed highlights from a recent conversation with the exceptional and often overlooked tenor saxophonist/flutist Lew Tabackin. His observations on his early years in Philly, on developing his own sound, collaborations with wife Toshiko Akiyoshi and others, ageing as a creative musician and his path to being a wine connoisseur and collector are fascinating. Lew has always been a unique thinker and improviser.

Lennie Tristano Personal Recordings 1946 – 1970
Back In Stock

“As for Lennie Tristano, I’d like to go on record as saying I endorse his work in every particular.” Charlie Parker

The recordings come from a trove of material in Tristano’s personal collection — airchecks, remote wire recordings, live dates preserved by his associates on the bandstand, and tracks laid down at Lennie’s East 32nd Street studio in New York. Not originally intended for commercial release, they provide an intimate look at Tristano’s range and his unmistakable approach to jazz.

The King Cole Trio Starts To Swing

Resonance Records recently issued a must-have set of the bulk of the earliest Nat King Cole recordings and transcriptions leading up to his days as a Capitol recording star. Afterglow from Indiana Public Media brings the set to the forefront.

Miles’s Voice Part 1

Author-historian-educator-pianist Lewis Porter is one of the most unique scholars in his deeply musical approach to the history of jazz and its greatest practitioners. He also has one of the most wonderful New York accents I’ve ever heard. This initial post by Lewis on Miles Davis is fresh and captivating. – Michael Cuscuna

Duke Ellington: The Composer

This marvelous NPR Jazz Profiles program (with host Nancy Wilson) celebrates Duke Ellington the composer. It’s a 53 minute listen and one highlight is a clip of the show centering around “Sophisticated Lady” (30:10 – 33:20). – Scott Wenzel

Freddie Hubbard
Post-bop bop man

Colin Fleming in this TheSmartSet blog builds a convincing case for Freddie Hubbard being possibly the greatest and  most complete trumpeter in jazz. His case is built on the five varied masterpieces he made for Blue Note in 1964 including his dazzling Breaking Point along with seminal sessions  by Art Blakey, Eric Dolphy, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.

Shelly Manne & His Men at The Blackhawk

JazzProfiles has  done an exhaustive job of researching Shelly Manne’s monumental 1959 LPs recorded in a single week at The Blackhawk in San Francisco. Sporting a new edition of his band with Richie Kamuca, Joe Gordon and Victor Feldman and an excellent book  of jazz  tunes and a handful of standards, Manne and his men made a lasting impact as the  liner notes, later CD essays and book analyses of  this gig substantiate.

Pharoah Sanders

Pollstar has posted a fascinating 2019 interview with Pharoah Sanders that focuses on his earliest years in Little Rock, Oakland and finally New York City. Sanders, who died last week in Los Angeles, focuses  on his struggles  to eat, clothe himself and find outlets to play  his tenor sax  and find his  voice.

Now Shipping New Release!
The Complete Freddie Hubbard
Blue Note & Impulse Sessions

“From the moment he played one note you knew that was Freddie Hubbard. He had a sound that was as distinctive as Miles Davis, as Louis Armstrong, as Clifford Brown. I mean, he’s one of those trumpet players.” – Stanley Crouch

Our box includes our exclusive Mosaic booklet featuring a complete discography and an essay and track-by-track analysis from our Blue Note chronicler Bob Blumenthal.

The 12 x 12 booklet is rich with beautifully reproduced images from master photographer Francis Wolff. With over 30 photographs, many from the actual sessions, Wolff’s images capture great musicians making history.

All sessions are sourced from the original analog masters. Thanks to current 24 bit/192 hKz technology and dramatic improvement in analog to digital converters, the sound on this set is far superior to any previous CD issues and is astonishingly close to that of audiophile vinyl.

Buddy Bolden
The first “King” of cornet in New Orleans

There’s not much out there about the music of Buddy Bolden but the Syncopated Times guides you toward a thumbnail sketch and some further reading about this earliest exponent of jazz.

So What!
Astonishing even after countless listens

This stunning version of “So What” comes from an April 2, 1959 CBS program featuring Miles’s quintet with John Coltrane and an ensemble arranged and assembled by Gil Evans. The first recording of “So What” was made exactly one month earlier. Played at its original medium-slow tempo, the piece is haunting. Over the years, the tempo accelerated to avalanche speed. Miles’s playing here is absolute perfection! – Michael Cuscuna

Liner notes studio version: Bob Blumenthal
Bill Evans takes over for So What, which remains the most influential track from this most influential album and one of only two that became a permanent part of the Miles Davis repertoire. It is a 32-bar, AABA structure, built on two Dorian modes rather than a more detailed chord sequence. Once musicians grew accustomed to blowing over this open terrain, So What became the I Got Rhythm of modal jazz.

It is introduced here by piano and bass, playing the only detailed written material employed at the session which has been attributed to both Gil Evans (the more likely source) and Bill Evans. Chambers states the melody, with responses by Evans and the horns. The two-note kicker is another “amen” cadence that gets at the church-music echoes Davis wanted in the music, although the interval creates a far different feeling here than on Freddie Freeloader. Each soloist confronts the challenge of blowing over modes brilliantly; and each horn soloist draws distinct accompanying textures from Evans. The horns riff behind the piano solo, as Evans responds with complex chord voicings on the bridge of his chorus. – liner notes Mosaic Box set LP release

Albert Ayler
Last recorded concerts appear on ‘Revelations’

As the jazz avant garde, as it was known, grew out of the late ‘50s work of iconoclastic artists like Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Scores of new voices emerged in the ‘60s, rooted in one or more schools of the jazz tradition. However, Albert Ayler was the odd man out with a sound and concept all his own.

He sounded like no one else on tenor saxophone; his compositions had roots in crude gospel music and marching music from the late 19th century and his ensembles echoed the group improvisations and counterpoint of the earliest jazz bands from the beginning of the 20th century. “Revelations” collects Ayler’s last concerts at the Fondation Maeght in France. 52 years after his death, Albert Ayler continues to confuse and inspire.

Classic Black & White Sessions (#273)
Reviews

Mosaic’s reissues consistently reveal glittering gems, music unheard and the Black & White box is no exception. Also, considering that the original source material is around eighty years old, the sound quality is nearly all pristine and clear, owing to fastidious restoration and mastering by Andreas Meyer and Nancy Conforti. – London Jazz News – Read more…

Mosaic Records has upped their ante with their release of the Classic Black and White (Label) Jazz Sessions from the early 1940s – Audiophile Audition – Read more…

Ken Burns Jazz Documentary
Swing: Pure Pleasure

From Ken Burns documentary “Jazz” just a taste of the episode “Swing: Pure Pleasure” and the meteoric rise of Benny Goodman and swing.

Charlie Haden Interview

A fascinating look at an extraordinary musician

“I’d actually met Don Cherry and Billy Higgins before Ornette. We got together and started playing at Don Cherry’s house. We would play every day and stop and talk about what we were doing and then we would play the tune over again. It was really something.

Coming to New York in 1959 was really exciting. I’d never been there before, and after checking into the hotel we went down to the Five Spot for a rehearsal…When we started playing every night, the place was packed with people not just from the music world but from the art world, from everywhere. There were famous painters, poets…

One night we were playing, Cherry was taking a solo and all of a sudden I heard the solo change direction and I opened my eyes and it was Miles. He had gotten up on the stand, taken Cherry’s horn and started playing. And there wasn’t a night when I didn’t open my eyes, look out at the audience or the bar and see some great bass player checking me out. Paul Chambers, Percy Heath, Mingus. Those were exciting days. Then we went on the road and scared everybody to death in the towns we played — Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia. The musicians would come to hear us, word had come down the grapevine, people were expecting something new.” – Charlie Haden

Duke Ellington Orchestra
Old Man Blues (1930)

From the Amos & Andy movie “Check And Double Check” (1930) comes this well-known clip of the Ellington band featuring Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges (on soprano), the dynamic Freddy Jenkins and a brief spot for Tricky Sam Nanton.

Herbie Hancock
Interview

Stevie Chick interviewed Herbie Hancock for The  Guardian on the occasion of Herbie playing at the Glastonbury Festival this past summer. The interview is brief, but Herbie is in a very relaxed, unguarded mood and offers insights into his start with Blue Note Records, joining and playing with Miles, his bands Mwandishi and Head Hunters and his breakthrough hit “Rockit.”

Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island”
Featuring Freddie Hubbard

Stevie Chick interviewed Herbie Hancock for The  Guardian on the occasion of Herbie playing at the Glastonbury Festival this past summer. The interview is brief, but Herbie is in a very relaxed, unguarded mood and offers insights into his start with Blue Note Records, joining and playing with Miles, his bands Mwandishi and Head Hunters and his breakthrough hit “Rockit.”

Three In The Afternoon
Basie, Ferguson, Teagarden

So the Count, Big Tea and MF are in a dressing room and this writer from Down Beat comes in… Can you believe it? From the Down Beat archives comes this wonderful 1963 gathering backstage at the Civic Opera House in Chicago and an informal interview with Count Basie, Jack Teagarden and Maynard Ferguson.

Ken Peplowski Fundraiser

Ken Peplowski has been dazzling listeners with his clarinet and tenor saxophone for over 35 years. He has performed and recorded with scores of the world’s greatest musicians; however, he is taking a needed break as he battles cancer. Guitarist Frank Vignola has started a gofundme drive for Ken and if you’d like to contribute click the image.

Charles Mingus @ 100

In the May 2022 issue of Down Beat, Allen Morrison has crafted a wonderful essay on Charles Mingus in his centennial year. Instead of trying to be comprehensive (an impossible task), Morrison weaves musical triumphs, anecdotes about his sometimes outrageous behavior, quotes from sidemen and from younger musicians that he influenced to fashion a wonderful portrait of a unique genius.

Johnny Hodges

“Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” It’s true but at least we can go back to 1962 and hear the velvet sound of Johnny Hodges’ alto backed by Duke and the band.

Rare Hank Mobley

Footage of Hank Mobley in performance is extremely rare. Cory Weeds posted this clip of Hank performing “Summertime” in 1968 at the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen comes from a Danish TV show called JazzBeat. Kenny Drew is on piano, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath on drums.

Scott LaFaro

Steven Cerra has reprinted the excellently researched four-part piece on the late Scott LaFaro. This was originally published in Gene Lee’s Jazzletter in 2005. Scotty was and still is an influential bassist who rewrote the role of the instrument before his death in 1961 from an automobile accident. He was just 25-years-old.

The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia & RCA Victor Studio Sessions 1946-66

7 CDs  will take listeners into the studio with Louis Armstrong in a way never previously imaginable. Check out three sample audio clips along with sample of Grammy winning session notes.

Louis Armstrong
Grammy Award – Best Liner Notes

The 12 x 12 booklet includes an extremely in-depth 30,000 word essay from Armstrong authority Ricky Riccardi and over 40 photos from the collections of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the great majority of which have never been published.

Official & Unofficial Acceptance Videos

The Savory Collection 1935-1940

“Then came the shock of my life! Could it be? Basie, then Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald, Coleman Hawkins, and that was just in the first couple of boxes! ” – Loren Schoenberg

Sonny Rollins

This stunning set from Paris in 1965 features Sonny Rollins in my favorite setting, accompanied only by bass (Gilbert Rovere) and drums (Art Taylor). This instrumentation gives the tenor giant strong support without restricting his free-associating improvisations. He has returned to this setting many times since his 1957 recording “A Night At The Village Vanguard” with Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones.

Duke Ellington’s Symphony in Black
Featuring Billie Holiday

Symphony In Black is the well-known film short from 1935 that brings us not only Duke Ellington and his band with an extended work but the first film appearance of Billie Holiday at age 19.

Sidney Bechet

In one of the most inspiring moments we have on film of Sidney Bechet, this 1953 French film clip comes from Jazz Jamboree and has Bechet backed by Claude Luter’s band on “St. Louis Blues”.

Extraordinary & Innovative Organ Trio

In the July issue of JazzTimes, Mark Stryker saluted one of the greatest and most innovative organ trios: Larry Young, Grant Green and Elvin Jones. After their recording debut in 1964 on  Green’s “Talkin’ About”, they recorded three more albums – one by Larry with Sam Rivers and two by Grant with Hank Mobley and Bobby Hutcherson. This trio existed on recordings for about a year, but never toured. Young and Green gigged around the New York area with a variety of drummers. But their legacy is the amazing albums they recorded for Blue Note.

Ten Tracks by Henry Threadgill

Liam Noble posts and discusses 10 of his favorite Henry Threadgill compositions on London Jazz News. It cover the last 50 years of his work with his various ensembles:  Air, Sextett, Make A Move and Zooid. Witty, fresh and remarkable music.

Art Tatum

Art Tatum’s legacy on film is relegated to a handful of appearances. Here are some top moments including some rare out takes from the March of Time newsreel and a clip from the Spike Jones Show

Jaki Byard

When I first heard Jaki Byard on Booker Ervin’s “Freedom Book” and Sam Rivers’ “Fuchsia Swing Song,” he made jazz thrilling and infinite. Knowing him and occasionally working with him over decades, I cherished the man whose spirit was perfectly captured in his innovative, eclectic and joyous work. Ethan Iverson’s well-researched article with insightful, pianistic observations is a delight and a well-deserved assessment of a brilliant force in music. – Michael Cuscuna

Classic Black & White Sessions

Creating Classic Black & White Jazz Sessions was done with the same vision and labor of love that brought together in boxed set form our re-issues of the independent labels Commodore and HRS. Those collections are long sold-out and forever out of print; they will never see the light of day again in that form. We guarantee the same for this set, so please order today to own this long-hidden treasure of 1940s jazz.

Black Composers In Hollywood
Duke Ellington And John Lewis, 1959

David Brent Johnson explores two exceptional jazz soundtracks to movies that bring an added dimension to the viewing audience. Duke Ellington’s score for the Otto Preminger classic “Anatomy Of A Murder” starring James Stewart and John Lewis’s writing for the Robert Wise film noir classic “Odds Against Tomorrow” with Harry Belafonte.

Charles McPherson
A longtime band mate with Charles Mingus

The San  Diego Union Tribune recently conducted an interesting interview  with long-time resident  alto saxophonist Charles McPherson, who was  a  prominent sideman with Charles Mingus in the ‘60s and early ‘70s. McPherson, who is set to play Mingus’s Centennial in the bassist’s hometown, Nogales, Arizona. A three-CD set recorded by Columbia Records at Ronnie Scott’s in London in 1972,  which features McPherson, was recently released on Resonance Records.

Grachan Moncur III
Trailblazing jazz trombonist

Grachan Moncur III died on June 3, 2022, his 85th birthday. He was a striking trombonist with a dark but celebratory expression, but his greatest  contribution to music was his angular, unorthodox compositions which galvanized the musicians who played them. A veteran of  the Ray Charles band, the Jazztet and the Joe Henderson Sextet, his greatest work was captured on a  number  of Blue Note albums, led by Jackie McLean as well as  Grachan himself.

John Scofield
Homemade Solo Guitar Album

The ever restless John Scofield has explored an unusual context (for him)  on his new album, “It Could Happen To You”. John is probably as known for selecting perfect bands as he is with his phenomenal guitar work. But here, he went to the  attic of his house and recorded a series of solos  and duets with himself, juggling standards with new originals. Nate Chinen interviews him on the project on WBGO’s blog.

Amazing Gifts from Hot Lips Page

Once again we are grateful to Michael Steinman who gives us a JazzLives jam session from 1954 featuring the trumpeter and vocalist Hot Lips Page in one of his last performances. A rarity, for sure, that will add to your listening pleasure from, comes from a YouTube posting and is most welcome.

Ornette and the Skies of London

Richard Williams has posted on his The Blue Moment blog his original 1972 essay on witnessing the recording session of Ornette Coleman’s “Skies Of America” which was recorded that April in London (where massive orchestras were less expensive to record than in the U.S.). His reportage is vivid and his information is invaluable.

Who Was Art Hodes?

Marc Myers shares some wonderful footage of pianist Art Hodes who kicks off Mosaic’s latest offering in Classic Black & White Jazz Sessions.

The Genius of Mingus?
It was all in the Strings.

Bassist and broadcaster Greg Bryant survey of Charles Mingus’s stellar and innovative career focuses  not on the composer or the bandleader, but solely on Mingus as a bassist. He was one of the greatest in technique and execution. His playing was as lyrical as a violinist and as  driving  and  volcanic as a drummer. Viewing his canon from this vantage point is long  overdue.

Duke Ellington
“V.I.P.’s Boogie”

Want to be introduced to various members of the 1951 Duke Ellington band by the Duke himself? “The V.I.P. Boogie” provides the vehicle in one of those Snader Telescription clips that were shown on early television.

Sidney Bechet

“I shall never forget the first time I heard him play at the Howard Theater in Washington around 1921. I had never heard anything like it. This was a new sound and conception to me.” ” – Duke Ellington

New England Public Radio host Tom Reney warmly explores the music and the effect on musicians and artists that jazz pioneer Sidney Bechet had richly given via his soprano saxophone and clarinet.

Andrew Hill
Shades and Strange Serenade

Ethan Iverson puts  his analytical imprint on two Soul Note sessions of the 1980s. “Shades” is one his best album since his golden years  at Blue Note. The superb quartet includes  Clifford Jordan, Rufus Reid and Ben Riley and the music is  pure Hill marinated in the jazz tradition. The aptly titled “Strange  Serenade” is bizarre mix of genres and approaches by Andrew, Freddie Waits and Alan Silva (!). In the ‘70s, Andrew sometimes liked to take mescaline before a recording session. My guess is that this is one of those dates.

Charles Mingus
Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
Live at Antibes 1960

This footage captures Charles Mingus at the 1960 Antibes Festival leading one of his greatest bands with Ted Curson, Eric Dolphy, Booker Ervin and Dannie Richmond. “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting”  is one  of six  gems from this  concert which was ultimately issued in the early ‘70s  on Atlantic Records.

Horace Silver
Doodlin’

Ethan Iverson fashions a n enlightening essay on the late Ron Miles, Horace Silver’s “Doodlin’” and  the nature  of the blues in jazz. As always, a fascinating piece that  gives one much to look at anew.

Count Basie
Basie Boogie

This well known footage is always a joy to watch. A Basie small group with Buddy DeFranco, Wardell Gray, Clark Terry, Jimmy Lewis, Gus Johnson and just listen to Freddie Green! “Basie Boogie” from a 1950 Snader Television Transcription.  – Scott Wenzel

Rodney Dangerfield

“I live  near a  children’s zoo…It’s a nice place but four kids escaped last week.”

A Q&A With Billy Hart

Billy Hart  has to be  one of the most open-eared and  versatile drummers in jazz,  He  has worked with giants from Jimmy Smith to Stan Getz to Herbie Hancock. The albums that he has led from time  to time reveal a fresh compositional approach and sidemen from  all  corners of the jazz world. On the occasion of his being named a 2022 NEA Jazz Master, writer Richard Scheinin conducted this interview with the ever enthusiastic and affable drummer.

Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Vic Dickenson
1958 Cannes

From the rich collection of Franz Hoffman comes this delicious jam session from the Cannes Festival on July 8, 1958. Stunning solos by Hubert Rostaing (clarinet) and Coleman Hawkins along with Roy Eldridge, Vic Dickenson and some driving J.C. Heard. The rare footage is interrupted in parts but the music survives.

Cecil Taylor
The Discovery of an Historic 1973 Concert Recording.

The anticipation in The Town Hall was infectious, with the Cecil Taylor Unit and the audience melding their exhilaration into what would be an astounding performance.

Proudly, I can announce the revival of my label Oblivion Records to present the entire concert recording of Cecil Taylor’s Return Concert of 1973. The previous release of only one half of the performance, “Spring of Two Blue-J’s”, was hailed as one of his best recordings ever (and until now was only available as a European bootleg). The addition of a 90 minute quartet will only sharpen that opinion.

The concert is available now only on your favorite streaming service, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Cecil Taylor estate.

50 years ago, two partners and I started a tiny record label to record world class blues and jazz musicians, and at the same time I’d oversee live jazz broadcasts at my college radio station in New York City. One day a manager asked if I’d record the concert of Cecil Taylor Unit’s triumphant return to New York City after several years teaching at midwestern US colleges. I jumped at the chance to work with one of the three acknowledged leaders of avant-garde jazz.

The second set would be perfect for the two sides of a vinyl LP which Cecil released on his own label; a side long solo backed with a quartet performance with stalwarts Andrew Cyrille, Jimmy Lyons and Sirone. Hailed as one of his best recordings ever, Cecil’s lack of interest in running a company allowed the 2000 copies to fall out of print, eventually only being available as a European bootleg ripped from the vinyl.

For years I hadn’t listened to the first half of the concert –”Autumn/Parade” was one uninterrupted hail of 88 minutes with the entire Unit– but during the pandemic I pulled out the tapes and realized history had been sitting on my shelves for almost half a century. Putting it together with the two part “Spring…” would allow the world to hear the astonishing progress of Cecil’s vision.

You can listen to “The Complete, Legendary, Live Return Concert at The Town Hall NYC November 4, 1973” right now on Spotify, Amazon, YouTube Music, Apple and Tidal.–Fred Seibert

Interview with Keith Jarrett

Pianist Ethan Iverson is also a dedicated jazz historian and an excellent interviewer, especially with subject who share the same instrument. This extensive and revealing 2009 interview with Keith Jarrett covers a lot of territory including Keith’s creative process in approaching the recording of through-composed, classical pieces.

The Legendary Sauter-Finegan Orchestra
A Music Lover’s Dream

The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra has long been a favorite of mine and even had a chance to catch a revival concert of the band at the New School in NYC back in the 1970s. It was truly a remarkable ensemble full of twists and turns that incorporated a myriad of instruments both familiar and unfamiliar to a contemporary big band and what with the talents of two brilliant arrangers in Eddie Sauter and Bill Finegan, the music left to us via RCA Victor can still be cherished. Steven Cerra sheds a well deserved spotlight on this band in JazzProfiles. – Scott Wenzel

Legendary photographer Herb Snitzer
reflects on photographing jazz icons of the 50s and 60s

Throughout a career spanning more than 60 years, photographer Herb Snitzer captured images of some of the most iconic jazz musicians of the 1950s and 60s. Having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, the legendary photographer joins News NOW to look back on his career and share some of his favorite images.

Out Of The Shadows
Percy France

David Brent Johnson has devoted his Night Lights radio program to many great musicians who were more obscure than their talent deserved. One such artist was tenor saxophonist Percy France, who spent many years with Bill Doggett and appeared on only two high profile Blue Note sessions: Jimmy Smith’s “Home Cookin’” and Freddie Roach’s “Down To Earth.”

How Michael Brecker Reinvented
The Concept of Jazz Hero

One day in the spring of 1968, Randy Brecker and I were walking to a soundcheck at the Electric Factory in Philly. Randy said, “wait till you hear my younger brother Mike. He’ll be finishing school and coming to New York next year. He’s a monster…an unbelievable musician.” A year later, Mike was turning heads among the New York musicians’s circles. He went on to have an amazing career as a tenor saxophonist, studio musician, band leader and educator.

A towering presence as an improviser, Mike was open-minded, soft-spoken, unassuming and exceedingly kind. He was joy to be with and to work with. As a soloist for many pop artists and a co-leader of The Brecker Brothers and Steps Ahead, the jazz elite wrote him off as “commercial” and never gave him the due that his peers and an emerging generation of musicians did. He was a remarkable and dedicated artist. This essay by Ted Gioia is a welcome assessment to offset the way Mike had been overlooked. – Michael Cuscuna

Joe La Barbera on Bill Evans

Bill Evans led a number of notable trios since he left Miles Davis to pursue his own career. The last one with Marc Johnson and Joe LaBarbera lasted only 21 months before Bill’s death in September 1980. But it was and is one of Bill’s most celebrated trios and fortunately for us one of the most recorded. Marc Myers interviews LaBarbera who is candid and personal about Bill Evans as a leader on stage and as a friend off stage.

“The Blue Notes” by Whitney Balliett
and the Beginnings of Mosaic Records

Steven Cerra’s Jazz Profiles lets us reminisce a bit with a piece written by the wonderful Whitney Balliett on some of the earliest Mosaic sets (and single LPs) that zeroed in on the pre-bop years of Blue Note.

Paul Gonsalves was a premier sideman
for the Duke Ellington Orchestra from 1950-1974

Paul Gonsalves was certainly a vital force in the resurgence of the great Duke Ellington bands of the 1950s and continued to be one of the many great colors in Ellington’s musical pallet until Gonsalves’ death in 1974. Arthur Luby delivers a fine bio in the Gonsalves website.

Al Cohn and Zoot Sims at The Half Note

Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, solo or together, were two the most formidable tenor saxophonists in jazz. They were also two of the funniest wits in music. JazzProfiles has reprinted a great story about their music and humor by Gene Lees from his JazzLetter. Their memory deserves an astute storyteller like Gene. A great piece about two remarkable people.

Charles Lloyd

In a world of eccentric and creative people, Charles Lloyd, playing at the top of his game at 83, stands out. Born in Memphis, his colorful verbal style is vivid and unmistakably Southern. Garth Cartwright’s interview with Charles for the Guardian last November reveals his eclecticism and unique ways of looking at life and music. A great read on a great character.

Lennie Tristano

Preorders are now shipping!
We are working on the backlog and hope to ship all this week

Most of the players Mr. Tristano admired were supremely ”hot” players – Roy Eldridge, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell. His other hero, Lester Young, was a light-toned but forcibly rhythmic improviser. Like Mr. Young, Mr. Tristano concerned himself with creating improvised lines that were longer, more thematically coherent, and more organically related to the rest of the material in a given performance than the lines created by most of his contemporaries.

His fondness for Bach’s fugues often carried over into contrapuntal group improvisations; sometimes he would improvise dizzying counterpoint alone at the piano, with his left and right hands moving utterly independently. He also reharmonized the standard pop tunes that were the basis of his improvisations, sometimes so radically that even musicians had to listen hard in order to recognize them.

The musicians who are Mr. Tristano’s contemporaries recognize his worth more readily than most of the critics. Charlie Parker frequently jammed with him, and their few recorded collaborations  reveal an intriguing affinity. The chords the pianist played behind Mr. Parker were often so dense they were practically atonal, and they inspired the great saxophonist to some astonishingly inventive flights. A number of modern pianists made use of Mr. Tristano’s ideas, with George Shearing, Oscar Peterson, and Bill Evans simply the most prominent among them.

Nor did the free-form recordings fail to elicit a response. Miles Davis commented publicly on their importance, and several musicians who either participated in similar Tristano experiments or were close to his circle, including the saxophonists John LaPorta and Teo Macero, went on to record some early attempts at what was then called ”atonal jazz” with the bassist Charles Mingus.

Mr. Tristano was hardly an isolated or marginal figure, then. He was an important thinker and doer who provided a crucial link between the modern jazz of the 1940’s and freer forms of the late 50’s and after.  – New York Times excerpt January 24, 1982

Joe Williams: ‘The Emperor of the Blues’

The Daily Kos gives birthday greetings to the late but great Joe Williams whose powerful blues soaked voice was another reason the Basie Band of the 1950s was not only one of the top jazz ensembles ever but also a hit with those whose musical tastes were outside the parameters of jazz.

Benny Goodman profiled by David Brinkley

“NBC Magazine” was NBC’s answer to CBS’s “60 Minutes” and survived for a couple of years under the watch of veteran newscaster David Brinkley who anchored the show. One of Brinkley’s subjects was Benny Goodman as we see in this clip from 1981.

Just Jazz: Gene Ammons

This performance by the Gene Ammons sextet was filmed for the Chicago television program Just Jazz, produced around 1970 by Dan Morgenstern. Getting to hear trumpeter King Kolax and guitarist George Freeman (brother of Von &  Bruz) stretch out is a real treat. I believed in George  Freeman so much that I drove to Chicago in 1968 to produce an album with George Freeman with my own savings!  Dan’s program produced other great episodes by Don Byas and Art Hodes among others. – Michael Cuscuna

Classic Interview: Oscar Peterson

The UK magazine Jazzwise has reprinted a 2005 interview that the erudite, intelligent Alyn Shipton conducted with the witty and forthright Oscar Peterson. A great piece!

White Christmas

Via the Washington Post, Dave Kindy lets us relive the story of a beloved Irving Berlin classic that has become one of the biggest selling all-time in terms of recordings and sheet music sales: White Christmas.

The Boswell Sisters

Tom Reney gives the underappreciated Boswell Sisters and in particular, Connie Boswell, the spotlight in this 2014 article from New England Public Radio.

Vic Dickenson Plays Ellington

An interesting topic comes from Jazz Lives where get to hear the great trad / swing trombonist Vic Dickenson, who was known for his guttural sound, in a ballad setting from a 1975 concert alongside Earl Hines.

The Little-Known Recording of Louis Armstrong Reciting ‘The Night Before Christmas’

It may not be a “little-known” recording but it certainly deserves more attention especially at this time of year. The Smithsonian gives a tribute to Louis Armstrong’s last recording “The Night Before Christmas”.

Relief: A Benefit Album For Jazz Foundation of America

Blue Note Records, Concord Music Group, Mack Avenue Music Group, Nonesuch Records, the Verve Label Group and Warner Music Group have joined together to release Relief — an all-star compilation of previously unreleased music from Jon Batiste, Kenny Garrett, Herbie Hancock, Hiromi, IRMA and LEO (Esperanza Spalding and Leo Genovese), Charles Lloyd, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman and Cécile McLorin Salvant. All net proceeds from the album will benefit the Jazz Foundation of America’s Musicians’ Emergency Fund.

Chronology: In Praise of Peter and Kenny Washington

Mark Stryker turns his attention to the rhythm section duo of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, who have spent over 30 years together lending support to a multitude of musicians — prominently including, for more than a quarter century, Bill Charlap.  Try locating Stryker’s choices for recorded illustrations of their work.

Thelonious Monk: The Man and the Myth

Pianist-journalist Brian Priestley has written an insightful essay on the always fascinating Thelonious Monk.  He focuses much of the time on Monk’s formative years in the ‘30s and early ’40s. A wonderful piece by a man who knows what he is talking about.

Bunny Berigan – Whitney Balliett

The Time-Life Giants of Jazz series of important jazz artists was a welcomed addition to anyone’s LP library back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Bunny Berigan set had notes from the great writer Whitney Balliett and some of his writing is provided here on jazzprofiles.

25 Best Jazz Songs

In its short history of a little more than 110 years, jazz has gone through an amazing amount of change in style, rhythm, instrumentation and rules of improvisation. This list starts with Bix Beiderbecke’ “Singin’ The Blues” and ends upon Weather Report’s “Birdland” travelling through New Orleans, swing, the blues, be-bop, hardbop, cool jazz, free jazz, bossa nova and fusion in the process. There is so much more music that qualifies but this amazing selection illustrates the music’s great lineage.

Hope Lives: A Portrait Of Elmo Hope

The late forties and early fifties belonged to Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. Their talents were so startling that they overshadowed other equally brilliant composer/pianist of the era like Elmo Hope, Randy Weston and Herbie Nichols. This one-hour Night Lights broadcast by David Brent Johnson is an excellent place to start learning Hope’s legacy.

Duke Ellington’s Finest Year

As most jazz lovers are aware, the 1940-42 Duke Ellington band was in a class by itself. Everything seemed to come together for Duke during that period: the ensemble, the soloists, the arranging and a new record contract. Jazzwise’s Stuart Nicholson gives us a brief overview of this pace setting organization.

Nat King Cole’s Greatest Songs

From one of our most popular sets that is now out of print The Complete Capitol Nat King Cole Trio these are some of the greatest of Nat “King” Cole recordings. These gems present exactly what Cole was all about: swing and good taste. Enjoy!

“The Complete Lipskin Recordings of Donald Lambert,” Almost an Hour of Concentrated Delight, and More …

Donald Lambert is a name that I’m quite sure not many are aware of. But if you are an aficionado of Harlem stride piano you know The Lamb. Jazzlives spotlights this incredible talent, truly worthy of sitting at the same piano stool as Waller or Tatum, via some rarely heard live material that was recorded by another equally talented and delightful person Mike Lipskin.

Vijay Iyer and the Imagination and Improvisation of Jazz

Vijay Iyer brings his singular array of experience and influences to these fascinating musings on the underpinnings of the improvisational art form. Nowadays, we can once again check out his work in person. He been touring as part of a trio of titans, with Linda May Han Oh and Tyshawn Sorey, that can fairly claim regard as one of the most compelling trios of its time, and arguably, of any time.

Gil Evans: Experiment with Texture by Charles Fox

Steven Cerra has resurrected on his Jazz Profiles a wonderful, insightful Charles  Fox essay on Gil Evans from 1960. Gil’s  arranging was rich in unusual textures based on his unique  instrumentation and voicings. There’s never been anyone like him  and there will  likely never be.

Pee Wee Podcast

This is a fascinating look and interview with a true character on 52nd Street and in particular Birdland. Pee Wee Marquette greeted you and was an MC at these venues and his story is told by Josh Alan Friedman in blackcracker.fm.

Greatest Blues Songs

Billy Vera has been a successful singer and songwriter for six decades and a record collector and closet historian for most of  that time. His essay about some of the greatest blues songs brings together his understanding of the singing and composing crafts with historical perspective. I must have heard some of these songs 100 times over the 50 years. Still Billy’s observations bring new meaning and a fresh perspective to these well known masterpieces.

Duke Ellington: Berlin 1959

You may not be familiar with this music as it has been bootlegged for years, however, Duke Ellington in Berlin 1959, is out in better sound as Marc Myers shares with us in jazzwax.

Eric Dolphy: Conversations With The Unseen

Eric Dolphy’s professional life in music dates back to the ‘40s where he got his start in Los Angeles with Roy Porter and Charles Mingus among others.

As his playing progressed with Chico Hamilton in the late fifties, his soloing became more and more unorthodox.  His phrasing grew to sound like sharp left turns in a Formula One race. His harmonies became more extended and he developed bird-like sounds to punctuate his solos on alto sax, flute and bass clarinet. It all came together in 1960 when he moved  to  New York to work with Oliver Nelson, Charles Mingus, Booker Little and John Coltrane. Stuart Nicholson’ well-informed  essay on Dolphy revolves around the Alan Douglas-produced sessions in 1963 which have been given a deluxe release on Resonance from Dolphy’s mono copies of the session reels.

Miles Davis At The 1970 Isle Of Wight Music Festival: What Really Happened

Miles Davis playing the Isle Of Wight Festival was a big deal unless you lived in New York where you could see him  frequently at the Fillmore Eat or the Beacon Theater. Jon Newey was at the Isle Of White and gives a close first -hand  account of the band arriving at this amazingly populated festival site by helicopter and playing to an enormous crowd.  Comments by Miles, Chick Corea and Jack DeJohnette bring the experience to life. Columbia recorded the set and we were  finally able to release it in the early 2000s.

Mary Lou Williams: Mother of Us All

Shaun Brady brings us a reminder of how innovative and creative Mary Lou Williams was in this Jazz Times article. Her compositions and performances span the decades and yet do not lose any of their freshness.

Max Roach

From his earliest recordings  with Charlie  Parker to daring duets with Anthony Braxton  and Cecil Taylor, Max  Roach the  drummer  was original and ever evolving. He  swung fiercely but had a  compositional,  melodic approach to drums  solos. His accomplishments as a band  leader and composer are equally as impressive. He was a  strong supporter of new talent be it Herbie  Nichols,  Hasaan or Booker Little. Mosaic’s  Max  Roach page dives into important eras of his long career.

Claudia Rostey: The Life of an 18-year-old Barcelona Jazz Trombonist

For more than a decade, Joan Chamorro’s youthful Sant Andreu Jazz Band has been confounding doomsday pundits predicting the demise of jazz.  From the ensemble’s perch in Barcelona, Chamorro has been grooming young musicians, in their teens or even younger, to carry forward the art form, with captivating results.   Claudia Rostey, age 18, one the latest occupants of the trombone chair, sheds some light on what she and her bandmates aspire to achieve.  – Nick Moy

Lee Morgan

When Lee Morgan re-emerged in November 1963, he returned to Blue Note where he participated in Grachan Moncur’s Evolution before cutting his own album The Sidewinder. After the release of that album, Lee Morgan, Blue Note and jazz itself would never be the same. Read Bob Blumenthal’s essay on Lee Morgan and analysis of key recordings.

Mosaic Records Discographies

We launched this site a few months ago and still figuring out the best way to format all the content that we have assembled over the years. If you are interested in our discographies, we are starting to place them on the artist page. If you click on the Coleman Hawkins image and then scroll down to albums, you’ll see a tab for discography.

Charlie Parker – 1940-1943 – The Apprenticeship Years

Steven Cerra of jazzprofiles examines the book “Charlie Parker His Music and Life” written by saxophonist and Professor at the University of Oregon, Carl Woideck. Of major interest is the pinpointing of Bird’s pre-1944 career which for years only consisted of a handful of sides as a sideman with Jay McShann. This has changed with the discovery of home recordings throughout the years.

Highest Trane: John Coltrane’s World-Building Ascension

Colin Fleming revisits John Coltrane’s “Ascension,” the ferocious epic minor blues by his quartet augmented by four saxophonists, two trumpeters and an second bassist. Questions abound about this powerful piece, recorded 6 months after “A Love Supreme.” Why no trombonists? Why Dewey Johnson instead of the more capable Don Cherry or Woody Shaw? Why the full-length simmering intensity instead of more organized written material? The album puzzled everyone. I called Roland Kirk soon after its release. He asked me if I’d heard it yet (I hadn’t) and he simply said “I think he went too far this time.”

What A Wonderful World

A Magical Recording

Here there is no trumpet playing and no scatting, though Armstrong’s inimitable “Oh yeah” is a definitively fitting conclusion. “What a Wonderful World” hardly changed the musical landscape like “West End Blues,” but, even though it’s been ubiquitous in recent years, there’s no denying that it is a magical recording. Read excerpt from What A Wonderful World by Ricky Riccardi.

Buck Clayton’s Jazz World, Part One

Dave Radlauer in the Syncopated Times offers a 2 part outline of the life of trumpeter Buck Clayton, whose understated but swinging trumpet was a shift from the hot improvising exemplified by Armstrong and Eldridge. Much of this is based on Buck’s memoirs in his 1986 “Buck Clayton’s Jazz World”.

William Shatner Astronaut at 90

Sings Rocket Man

Some 55 years after Captain James T Kirk hit our screens in the original “Star Trek,” Shatner recently launched to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard for a 10-minute suborbital flight. Skip to 48 second mark on the video for prescient lyrics and Captain Kirk’s unique delivery.

Chronology: Quincy Jones in the 1950s

Mark Stryker, author of the excellent “Jazz From Detroit,” focuses on the superb ‘50s arrangements of Quincy Jones, written for a variety of great vocalists and soloists as well as Basie’s band and his own. It befuddled jazz fans that such a gifted arranger would later use ghost-arrangers to recreate his style under his name. His forays into pop music from Leslie Gore to Michael Jackson puzzled others. But Stryker makes the case for Quincy’s genius.

9 of Frank Sinatra’s Greatest Hits

Except for some lean years in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Frank Sinatra was one of the greatest entertainers of all time and was able to find popularity like no one else of his generation. Frank was the master when it came to the singing of a ballad. He understood and gave meaning to the lyrics as he would by being a storyteller.

This was especially true with, what he would call, his “saloon songs” – songs of heartbreak and pain. And although he wasn’t a jazz singer (and by that I mean he didn’t scat or take incredible liberties of a song’s melody) he sure did know how to swing and his favorites included Billie Holiday, Lester Young and for phrasing Tommy Dorsey. To give you an outline of Sinatra’s years, we have songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Billy Vera expounding on the life along with musical examples. Billy covers it all and brings out key elements of this magical performer. – Scott Wenzel

Bix Beiderbecke

I can’t recall exactly when I first heard of Bix Beiderbecke, but I do know when I first heard him play on record. A “scroll” Victor 78 I picked up in my pre-teen years at our church’s Thrift Shop gave me access to hearing Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra performing Tom Satterfield’s arrangement of “You Took Advantage Of Me” with Bix and Frank Trumbauer trading bars in a spectacular solo section before an uncredited Bing Crosby, still an unknown in 1928, delivers a joyous vocal.

In a short span of time, 1924 to 1931, Bix was the catalyst for bringing a new sound to the still very young music called jazz. In an era where jazz was supposed to be “hot”, he paved the way for it to be “cool”. – Scott Wenzel

Away From The Spaceways: John Gilmore

David Brent Johnson devotes this one-hour Night Lights to the brilliant but underrated tenor saxophonist John Gilmore. The reason for his obscurity is that most of his musical life was spent as a sideman with Sun Ra. He left the Ra Arkestra in 1964 & ’65 to freelance. The fact that he found work with Paul Bley, Andrew Hill, Grant Green, McCoy Tyner, Elmo Hope, Pete LaRoca and Art Blakey during that short time gives us an idea of how highly he was regard by his fellow musicians. – Michael Cuscuna

Count Basie on Art Tatum
1980 Interview with Oscar Peterson

An interview with Oscar Peterson acting as host to Count Basie in a 1980 BBC television program “Words & Music”. The subject is Art Tatum and the conversation is a delight – I could listen to both of these giants all day. – Scott Wenzel

Extraordinary Jazz Guitarists

Eddie Lang was the first to bring the guitar to jazz. He gave it a voice as a solo instrument in popular music, and was for two decades the acknowledged master of the instrument influencing a generation of jazz guitarists who followed him. Lang’s highly advance technical, harmonic and rhythmic skills saw him literally write the textbook for the modern jazz guitar method. – Mike Peters, the author of The Django Reinhardt Anthology

Read Mile Peter’s essay on Eddie Lang and additional essays on five other great jazz guitarists.

18 Individual Voices of Jazz Piano

Unlike wind or plucked string instruments, the piano can’t “vocalize”, but real jazz pianists have devised ways to simulate vocal sounds, particularly when playing blues. The key factor in all this is style. Notice how jazz piano styles gradually changed from stride piano, and gradually evolved to where there are jazz pianists who play in a free style that many question whether it is jazz at all. – Dick Katz

Interview with Jackie McLean (by Steve Lehman)

Alto saxophonist Steve Lehman, once a student of Jackie McLean’s sat down for an interview with him in 2000. He wanted to weight the conversation to Jackie’s compositions, influences and creative process. He succeeded in a wonderful interview, now posted on Ethan Iverson’s Do the Math blog.

Art Under Attack
Radio City Music Hall Jam Session
July 3, 1972

Featuring Gene Krupa, Roy Eldridge, Bobby Hackett, Vic Dickenson, Benny Carter, Red Norvo, Bud Freeman, Teddy Wilson, Jim Hall, Larry Ridley

Michael Steinman was lucky enough to be present at the Newport Jazz Festival’s midnight jam session at Radio City Music Hall back on a July 3rd in 1972. Michael had the wherewithal to bring a cassette recorder in the house for this star studded affair. However, there was some controversy in the NY Times a few days later as Don Heckman belittles Gene Krupa…I think unfairly. What do you think? – Scott Wenzel

Lennie Tristano
Upcoming Release

Even in a world shaped by iconoclastic creative geniuses, Lennie Tristano stood out. He applied his prodigious technique to new ways of creating improvised jazz. He often altered the roles of the left and right hands on the piano, built original chord sequences and gave rhythm a flexibility. He even performed completely free jazz in the late ‘40s. He built a deep empathy with his sidemen which was necessary to keep his music fresh and intuitive.

Despite the accolades he received after arriving in New York in 1946, winning the Metronome poll, the support of artists like Charlie Parker and recording opportunities with Keynote and Capitol, Tristano developed a reputation as a great teacher, sharing his rhythmic and harmonic theories with his students.
In some ways, his performances and recording took a back seat to his teaching goals.

Nonetheless, Lennie Tristano led a variety of groups and continued to record and perform live when opportunities presented themselves. This 6-CD set of previously unreleased material from Lennie’s personal tape collection chronicles his growth and accomplishments from 1946 to 1970.

Carol Tristano carefully curated this set of her father’s music and separated great performances by context. The 6 discs cover his early trio with Billy Bauer, his superhuman solo piano work, the sextet with Konitz and Marsh, the ‘50s trio with Peter Ind, duets with Sonny Dallas and live material from the Half Note in 1962. There’s never been a more comprehensive portrait of this genius.

(Not yet available for preorder. Released date mid-November)

George Wein

George Wein who died this week at 95 years old was an extraordinary person, who was often misunderstood. He loved music and wine and lived his life in pursuit of both on the highest level. He was a restless pianist who ended up being a club owner, record producer, concert promoter and festival creator/director. Some complained about not getting on one tour or another and others griped about being held to 50 minutes stage time. But those were disciplines that came with the job.

George’s taste were traditional, but he was a prime promoter in the careers of trailblazers like Miles Davis, Stan Getz, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp and so many more. He loved musicians and he loved the road. He also built an amazing international staff with people like Marie St. Louis,  Simone Ginibre, John Philips and Danny Melmick who dedicated their lives to pulling off great events and treating musicians with love and kindness.

George was also fortunate to share a life with his wife Joyce who had many skills and complimented George and his musical activities seamlessly. Joyce passed away in 2005. His most cherished times were those shared with Joyce over food (she was a gourmet cook) and music and memories over experiences like playing piano for Lester Young for a week at Storyville in the early ‘50s. He was a no-bullshit delight and a generous soul. – Michael Cuscuna

Benny Goodman
DownBeat Interview

What a brilliant insight about the man and musician Benny Goodman back in 1964 when he was only 55. One of the ways to describe Benny Goodman’s persona is that jazz and the clarinet was of paramount importance and foremost in his mind. To back it up, this article, from a 1964 Down Beat written by Marian McPartland, is a most insightful and thoughtful expose of The King of Swing. There are quotes from many of Benny’s sidemen with examples of his quirky personality. – Scott Wenzel

Mosaic Records
Open House

This will be our final open house since we will be closing the office (the palace shown above) and working-from-home like many businesses these days. During the pandemic we found the business could operate efficiently primarily since we contracted out the warehouse functions a number of years ago and the software programs can now all be accessed remotely.

Sale Items:
Out-of-print Mosaic Sets
Partial Mosaic Sets
Over 125 out-of-print Mosaic booklets
Specially priced Francis Wolff Fine Art Prints and 8 x 10 prints.
Out-of-print Jazz CDs, boxed sets, LPs, 78s, DVDs and books.

Dates & Location
Thursday/Friday/Sat. Sept. 23-25 ; 11:00-5:00
425 Fairfield Avenue
Suite 421 (second floor)
Stamford CT 06902

Ahmad Jamal

Ahmad Jamal is first and foremost a pianist with a natural gift for the instrument. His technique, dynamics and control are something to behold, but the mind that manipulates what comes out of the piano is extraordinary. – Michael Cuscuna

Visit our Ahmad Jamal page which includes an interview with Kenny Washington and an excellent 35-minute Parisian performance that comes from the same 1971 tour that produced Ahmad Jamal’s live Montreux concert issued on Impulse.

Big Band Bird: Charlie Parker

Nightlights highlights a tandem not often thought of when discussing the music of Charlie Parker…his work with big band. David Brent Johnson explores the many instances where Bird was a young sideman with Jay McShann’s band and his work on Verve and guest starring with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton. Great show and an appropriate tribute, although not noted as such, to the recently departed Bird afficionado Phil Schaap. – Scott Wenzel

Jazz Store

While a substantial amount of music is unavailable on CD and LP, there are some gems that are either newly discovered material or reissued with improved sound and packaging. And jazz journalism, biographies and photographic archives have improved measurably in the past 60 years and set off a bonanza of well-done books on jazz from every vantage point. We have combed thru Amazon for CDs, LPs and Books that are currently in-print and our recommendations can be found by clicking image above.

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A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle

54 years after his passing, people are still coming up with dramatic audio discoveries from legacy of John Coltrane. This one is a real surprise because we all thought we’d released everything from September 1965 at the Penthouse in Seattle. Now comes another live version of “A Love Supreme” from that gig with Pharoah Sanders, bassist Donald Garrett and alto saxophonist Carlos Ward. An astounding find since Trane had played his suite live only one other time at Antibes in July. – Michael Cuscuna

Listen to NPR interview with Nate Chinen and track sample.

Phil Schaap

Phil Schaap, a fixture on the New York jazz scene for more than 50 years, succumbed to cancer on Tuesday, August 7 after a hard-fought four-year battle with the disease. His daily morning show “Bird Flight” on WKCR was an institution, shaped by his deep love of Charlie Parker’s music and his amazing memory for music and details. Programs could range from a two-hour lecture on minutiae on a specific day in Brid’s life to debuting newly discovered live music by Parker.

Phil was also an educator, historian and reissue producer on such high profile box sets like the Complete Verve recordings of Charlie Parker, the Complete Miles Davis-Gil Evans Studio Sessions and the Dean Benedetti Recordings of Charlie Parker. Above all, he was a great friend who was generous with his knowledge and who could take himself seriously one minute and laugh at himself the next. He will be missed in so many ways. – Michael Cuscuna

Read New Yorker article about Phil Schaap from 2008.

The Artistry Of Elvin Jones

How is it that Elvin can play just quarter notes on the whole drum set with both hands and feet in unison as he might do at times for several choruses and light up the stage and entire audience? Even the casual listener is drawn into his vortex and aura. One only has to look at the expression on his face, the sheer joy and light he spreads with that famous grin of his to realize that this is one very special human being with a power that reaches far beyond the music itself… – Dave Liebman (click image for more)

Carla Bley in the Hall of Fame

Right in time for her 85th birthday, Carla Bley tops the DownBeat 69th International Critics Poll and becomes their choice for the DownBeat Hall of Fame. About time, don’t you think?

Suzanne Lorge in her celebratory piece, Carla Bley: The Voice, charts the composer’s travels through 60 years of jazzdom, from her hanging with the New York avant-garde, composing for everyone from George Russell to Gary Burton, into her own big bands and orchestras, captivation of soul and R&B and back again toward chamber trios and duos. Not to mention her decades of recording, touring and entrepreneurship (with Michael Mantler) in record labels and distribution. And to this day, she doesn’t stop. Whew!

Back in 1970, there was an evening where Carla unknowingly opened my ears, eyes and my world, like she would for countless others over the years. I not so innocently  stumbled past a “Closed Session! Do not enter!” sign at the RCA Studios having no idea what this “Jazz Composer’s Orchestra” was, but as a young rock’n’roller looking for more I was interested in whatever ‘jazz’ was. The giant studio floor was completely filled with musicians –sure, a rhythm section, but also cello, clarinet, tuba, a whole orchestra, wait, is that Don Cherry?!– and I had no idea that this was an early session for what would unfold as the three LP opera (operas were back in vogue after The Who’s Tommy) Escalator over the Hill. It sure didn’t sound like jazz that night, but boy was it intriguing.

A little later I overcame