Jazz literature collection on offer

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

One of my "favourite" reviews from that time ,1960s, was I think in Jazz Journal, of Sonny Rollins "Moving out" on Prestige (Esquire here) which I'd just bought. "The pianist (Elmo Hope) has ten thumbs and the trumpet player (Kenny Dorham) just plays as many notes was he can, as for the leader, he's incoherent". The clincher was it was signed off as (whatever his name was) "a semi professional pianist" sic. Still makes me laugh! Them semi pros eh.

[Serial_Apologist]

One of my "favourite" reviews from that time ,1960s, was I think in Jazz Journal, of Sonny Rollins "Moving out" on Prestige (Esquire here) which I'd just bought. "The pianist (Elmo Hope) has ten thumbs and the trumpet player (Kenny Dorham) just plays as many notes was he can, as for the leader, he's incoherent". The clincher was it was signed off as (whatever his name was) "a semi professional pianist" sic. Still makes me laugh! Them semi pros eh.

Writers of semi-prose! That said he might have been a teenager of the kind I would have agreed with when myself in my teens. After hearing Diz and Bird I used to think the economical-with-notes John Lewis a waste of album buyer's time and money, holding (as I then did) to a sort of capitalistic method of evaluating music by numerical musical count. By the time I came across "Ascension" I had moved on, but only a bit. What was the point of a jazz album with only two tracks on it? - as I seriously thought - one per side!

I've actually seen in quite recent times one usually rightly reputable scribe arguing that the old 3-minutes per side limit on 78s had had the great virtue of making soloists of that time really think about content and not just waffle on!

[BLUESNIK'S REVOX]

I've often seen that said re the 1950s West Coast albums, particularly with larger ensembles, Shorty Rogers etc. The format with each soloist getting a chorus max forced them to deliver. Funnily last night I watched a video of the Paris Reunion band from the mid 80s with Woody Shaw taking chorus after chorus, not that special I admit, and Nat Adderley gazing at him with that "how much **** longer is this **** going on" look!

It's the economy stupid. Sometimes!

[Serial_Apologist]

I've often seen that said re the 1950s West Coast albums, particularly with larger ensembles, Shorty Rogers etc. The format with each soloist getting a chorus max forced them to deliver. Funnily last night I watched a video of the Paris Reunion band from the mid 80s with Woody Shaw taking chorus after chorus, not that special I admit, and Nat Adderley gazing at him with that "how much **** longer is this **** going on" look!

It's the economy stupid. Sometimes!

Stan Tracey once aid in an interview that with the big band he would normally let a soloist carry on as long as "he still had something worthwhile to say" which would usually be a couple of choruses at most, but sometimes he would let them rip "if it was obvious even to the barman and the waitress that something really special was happening".

[Ian Thumwood]

I really agree with notion if 78 rpm records having some kind of perfection due to their 3 min duration. Plenty to choose from incl JRM red hot peppers, Armstrong, Ellington etc all which would be worse be of allowed to ramble. The orime example for mr would be the KC6 recordings where Lester Young's clarinet solos are as close to perfection as possible.

[Ian Thumwood]

I will throw another idea into the mix and that is just how long it takes for jazz to reach classic status or for it's value to diminish. I feel that the likes of Andrew Hill, Herbie Nichols , Paul Bley and Kenny Dorham were on a slow burn and now seem essential. I think a lot of jazz from 1950s has aged too and sounda predictable. I do womder what will be valued in , say, 2050.