Ken Dryden

Jeff Jenks from Norman ,Oklahoma wrote:

How can I find a recording (preferably digital) from the movie "Cleopatra" by Stan Getz? I believe it was titled "Getz does Cleopatra" and came out around 1962 or 1963. I will gladly pay for a copy. And would gladly pay for your time as well, sir. This is for my dad. (but I love Stan Getz too!)

Jeff:

I don't claim to have every Stan Getz recording, but I am unaware of any record under his name of music from Cleopatra. There was an LP by tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves in the 1960s for Impulse!, and it was reissued with another Impulse! date, Tell It The Way It Is. Here's a link to a synopsis of this CD, which is available: http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Aqrabqjmyojaa

Arthur C. Patrick wrote:

Where can I buy McCoy Tyner's Looking Out CD online? I can't find it anywhere. I'm also interested in buying CD's from the Jeff Lorber Fusion and Caldera.

Art:

Looking Out has never been reissued on CD, with good reason. It's one of McCoy Tyner's weakest albums. I paid a dollar for a used copy and that's more than it's worth. Check out this link for a review: http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Aewf2zfi7eh3k

As for Jeff Lorber and Jeff Lorber Fusion, most of his earlier dates for Inner City and Arista are out of print. Arista has a compilation that is widely available called 'The Definitive Collection," while 'State of Grace,' 'Midnight,' and 'Kicking It' all should be widely available from jazz sites on-line. Out of print CDs may be obtainable through half.com, secondspin.com, euclidrecords.com (the latter which may also have LP only titles), and other sites dealing in used CDs.

All four of Caldera's LPs for Capitol are long out of print and very unlikely to be reissued on CD. The band broke up in 1979, so you're going to have to hit euclid, gemm.com and other sites handling used records

Andrea from Italy wrote:

I'm looking for 3 CDs by Tim Berne's Bloodcount, recorded live in Paris for JMT ("Lowlife", "Poisoned Minds", "Memory Select"). I've heard that the record label is now defunct. Do you think it is possible to find them? Are they planned to be re-released? Thanks a lot!

Andrea:

It does seem that JMT is defunct. At least one seller at half.com (which only sells to customers in the USA) and CD Universe claim to have Memory Select in stock. Check out some of the used CD sites: euclidrecords.com, redtrumpet.com, gemm.com.

Scott Dolan from Plant City, FL wrote:

Can you tell me if the Eric Dolphy album 'Naima' is available on compact disc. If so, where can I locate it?

Scott:

"Naima" is one of two Westwind bootlegs of Eric Dolphy ("Unrealized Tapes" is the other) which were recorded for radio broadcast within days of his death in June, 1964. Both albums were available on CD, though I'm not sure if Westwind (a European label) is even still in business. Try used CD sites such as euclidrecords.com, half.com, and secondspin.com, but this one may take a little while to locate.

Maggi from Chapel Hill, NC wrote:

What is the significance of the "27th Man" in the Horace Silver album title, "In Pursuit of the 27th man?

Maggi:

In Horace Silver's liner ntoes to his album 'In Pursuit of the 27th Man,' he states: "In listening to this composition, I can envision a chase scene. Someone running after someone or something. The 27th man is representative of the improved advanced man of the future we are all striving to become. If one has a faint knowledge of numerology, one can derive added meaning from the numbers in this title."

Since I have no knowledge of numerology (which is just as well), that's all I can provide in the way of an answer.

Shakur Rucker from Sebastopol, CA wrote:

I heard some incredible "dixieland" - based stuff on the radio driving recently but wasn't able to get all the information about it down in time when I pulled over. What I definitely know about it was that it was 1920's, live in NYC...and the first name of the bandleader was Jim. I never caught his last name, unfortunately. It was really amazing stuff, more innovative and adventurous melodically than most dance-jazz from the '20s I've heard, and the improv. was so hot. The program, on public radio, was syndicated and there was no way I could call anyone. This group, "The Jim ______ Band" was definitely a NYC band, as the focus of the whole show was '20s NYC jazz. Can you help? Thanks.

Shakur:

What you heard is actually 'Riverwalk, Life from the Landing," which originates from San Antonio, Texas. It is a PRI distributed syndicated program featuring the Jim Cullum Jazz Band. They have a different theme each week, guests have included Dick Hyman, Howard Alden, Doc Cheatham, Clark Terry, Milt Hinton, and many more. They have several CDs out, most of which are compilations of several shows, though their most recent release honors the late giant of stride piano, Ralph Sutton, and it is all from one broadcast. There's also a link to their site through www.pri.org.

Dave Dewiel from Mansfield, OH wrote:

I was watching what I think was the 2001 Newport Jazz Festival hosted by Bill Cosby on PBS the other night and saw a great improvisational jazz singer who reportedly was the downbeat vocalist of the year for the last two years Starting off the show on the morning of the first day (a white man in his 30's with a goatee). I didn't catch his name, but would like to check out some of his music. Would appreciate it if you could tell me his name.

Dave:

The name you're looking for is Kurt Elling.

Larry Woody wrote:

I'd like to locate the following CDs: 1. John Lewis -Delauneys Delight-The Garden of Delight
2. Clark Terry - Taylor Made Jazz
3. Babatunde - Level of Intent
4. Johnny Lytle - Swinging at the Gate

Larry:

John Lewis' "Delauneys Delight" (subtitled "The Garden of Delight") is a 1987 Emarcy CD, which is, unfortunately, long out of print. I just purchased an LP copy for myself, but you ought to try Euclid Records, Redtrumpet.com, and other collector's sites.

Clark Terry is a sideman, not the leader, on Billy Taylor's "Taylor Made Jazz." This long unavailable Argo LP came out as a Fresh Sound CD in 1989. I found a copy through Tower or Jamey Aebersold's Double Time Jazz (I forget who had it) a couple of years ago.

Babatunde's Level of Intent is available from several different sellers through half.com.

Johnny Lytle's Swinging at the Gate never has made it onto CD. This Pacific Jazz LP will probably have to be found in one of the various auction sites.

Ed Essa from Royal Oak, MI wrote:

I'm new to jazz and have been listening to as much as I can. I prefer the sax of Johnny Hodges to any of the bebop I've heard. Who plays sax today that compares to Hodges or even a tenor that compares to Lester Young? I've got enough Stan Getz and I don't particularly like smooth jazz (ie: David Sanborn and Grover Washington Jr.). Am I too old-fashioned for this? :-)

Ed

I don't know that anyone playing today could begin to compare to Johnny Hodges or Lester Young. But you should consider collecting CDs by alto saxophonist Benny Carter (who must be retired since he is in his 90s and it has been several years since his last recording) and you should also consider Paul Desmond, especially his small group recordings as a leader (he died in 1977).

On tenor sax, three names come to mind: Ken Peplowski, Scott Hamilton, and Harry Allen. Though they are not immune to playing some bop, all three men are masters of swing and very effective ballad interpreters.

JGB from Elk Grove, CA wrote:

I am looking for a CD produced around 1975. It was called California Concert. It included jazz players such as Ron Carter, Stanley Turrentine etc... A friend has this on a record album and I was wondering if this was stll available? Or where I could locate on CD. Thanks for your time.

JGB:

This two LP set has been out of print for a long time, but CTI titles have started being reissued on CD again. I'm not sure if this one will be out in the near future.

If you can't wait that long, check euclidrecords.com, as this is a title they might have.

Alison Hay from Los Angeles CA wrote:

I am looking for any kind of information about Oscar Peterson's Easter Suite (or Pageant)1984. Although mentioned in all biographies, it appears that it was recorded once only by the BBC for a show called The South Bank (no help from the BBC) and performed once at the Toronto Music Hall only. I would pay any collector who had a taping of it, or even a music score but it appears on no CD, and even BBC related record or CD issuers have no idea where to get it. I hoped some collector may have taped such a show themselves but have no idea where to contact Peterson enthusiasts. The Peterson websites are no help neither have any jazz sites replied to my queries. I would love to locate this piece for my dear friend who has been searching for it for 18 years to no avail. Any pointers would be gratefully received. Thank you for your time.

Alison:

Being a big Oscar Peterson fan myself, and having an extensive collection of his recordings, I was curious to learn of "Easter Suite" (or Pageant). But I can find no proof on the web of its existence, though it may have been performed for one broadcast exclusively. The BBC has issued one CD by Peterson, Live at the Barbican, but it doesn't contain this piece.

There are collectors who will trade tapes, try the IAJRC (they're on the web, but its $30 or so a year to become a member). I don't advise trying to buy a dub of anything. It violates copyright laws and there is no telling what some folks will send you, if anything!

James Michael Carr from Denver, CO wrote:

I was wondering if you know of the availability of the following recordings on CD 1) Clifford Brown Live At The Bee Hive 2) Any of the recordings done by Francis Paudras of Bud Powell Thanks a lot.

James:

Clifford Brown & Max Roach Live at the Bee Hive was issued for the first time on Columbia in 1979 as a 2 LP set, but it didn't stay in print long. Because the sound is acceptable at best it may not be reissued any time soon.

Several recordings made by Francois Paudras in his apartment or in night clubs have been issued on Black Lion CDs, and most of them have reappeared on its successor label, 1201 Music.

Tony Adams from Boca Raton, FL wrote: Ken, I've been trying to locate the following CDs without any luck. I heard these recordings on WBGO and can't find them anywhere. Please Help!! Betty Carter- "It's not about the Melody" Bobby Watson- "Post Motown Bop" Roy Hargrove- "The Vibe" Jackie McLean- "4,5&6.

Tony:

While the first three titles from the early 1990s are all out of print, two are available now at half.com:

Roy Hargrove: The Vibe

Betty Carter: It's Not about the Melody

Jackie Mclean's 4 5 & 6 is available through half.com but you can get a new copy through the label itself at fantasyjazz.com.

Bobby Watson's Post-Motown Bop, one of my favorite releases by the alto saxophonist, should turn up at one of the following sites: euclidrecords.com, secondspin.com, gemm.com, or try some other used CD sites.

My experiences with euclid have been extraordinary (please mention this column!) and I've been buying and selling through half.com for several months with great satisfaction. Good luck.

P from Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Having a dispute with Ma-in-Law. She remembers a song called "Time Out For Tears". Swears it was Sarah Vaughan. Only thing I can find is a couple of mentions of this title as a Dinah Washington song. Ma says No Way was it Dinah Washington. I'd like to find an audio file of the song to let her listen, but can't locate anything like that for either Dinah or Sarah. Any idea where I could get an audio file for that song? Also, any idea if it was released by Dinah or Sarah? Thanks for your help - in the meantime, I'll keep looking!

Maybe your mother-in-law will take "time out for tears" when she hears this answer, but Dinah Washington recorded the song for Mercury (It appears in the CD boxed set The Complete Dinah Washington on Mercury Vol. 7) and there's a live version on a set issued by Baldwin Street Music (Queen of the Juke Box Live 1948-1955). The first release is out of print, while the second should be readily available from on-line sites like CDNow. I haven't found any audio downloads (and that's not my specialty) and I have seen no proof that Sarah Vaughan recorded it after checking resources including the Vaughan discography in the back of Leslie Gourse's bio of the singer.

Paula wrote:

There is a DVD of Carmen McRae live in Japan. Do you know where I can get the CD? Who do you think is the most underrated female jazz singer of all time? Most underrated male jazz singer? Which CD of their's would you suggest? Thanks so much.

Paula:

This video/DVD hasn't been released on CD, which isn't surprising. Few concerts which appear first on video or DVD make it to CD, though there are occasionally exceptions.

In my opinion, the most underrated male singer is likely Johnny Hartman, whose CD with John Coltrane should be your highest priority. He only got sporadic opportunities to record, and some of the material in later years wasn't worthy of him.

I'm not sure about naming an underrated female singer, though I think Dominique Eade is far more interesting to listen to than almost anyone I can think of on the current jazz scene, with the possible exception of Nnenna Freelon. Eade's second CD "My Resistance is Low," which is on Accurate and out of print, is a great place to start. Daedalus-books.com had it recently for a very reasonable price.

Vance K. Matthews wrote:

I have been searching for 3 of Quincy Jones CDs that were released in Japan: 1. Mellow Madness 2. I Heard That 3. You've Got It Bad Girl

It seems as if these CDs are impossible to find. Can you give me some tips on where I should be looking (or if I should even bother to continue looking).

Vance:

Because Japanese CDs are erratically available in the U.S., even when they're in print, they're hard to locate. My best source for them has been redtrumpet.com.

Heitor from Porto Alegre wrote:

Is the John Coltrane album "OM" out of print? Was it released as CD once upon a time (Besides "The Major Works of John Coltrane".)? IÅœve searched all the web and I couldnÅœt find it, even the cover artwork is unavailable. Why is it so hard to find? Do you have any clue where I could get it? Even just the cover picture would be helpful. Thanks.

Heitor:

OM was reissued separately on CD in 1989 by MCA/Impulse!, but is currently out of print as an individual CD. It may be reissued separately again, but its brevity (29 minutes) and overbearing nature may hinder it as a priority compared to other Coltrane dates for the label. I can't imagine that it would be too hard to find; check euclidrecords.com, half.com, secondspin.com and gemm.com, and I'll bet that you find a copy before you go any further.

BR>

Jill Marie from Roanoke, VA wrote:

Hi there! What can you tell me about records on the Pablo label? Are they generally good quality and/or of a collectible nature? Thanks!

Jill Marie:

Pablo was the last record label founded by Norman Granz, founder of the earlier labels Clef, Norgran, and especially Verve. He had already made a lot of money from selling Verve around 1960, but in the early 1970s he got the itch to get a new label going. Pablo generally concentrated on veteran artists whom he enjoyed, and he often didn't care how many units an artist sold; if he liked him or her a lot, he or she was recorded many times. He was reponsible for promoting guitar Joe Pass' solo recordings, he also recorded Oscar Peterson, Zoot Sims, Milt Jackson, Benny Carter, and Ella Fitzgerald (though many of her later recordings in the 1980s show obviously signs that her abilities were slipping) many times, among others. Perhaps one of the greatest things he did was purchasing the rights to all of Art Tatum's solo and group recordings, which he had originally produced, from Verve to reissue on Pablo. He sold Pablo to Fantasy around 1985. Most of the sessions he produced, aside from a few more commercial projects, are generally pretty good and often essential.

Rosy Matharu from Toronto wrote:

I heard a jazz song on FM 91.1 and didn't know the singer or the song's name but I have an inkling its, "Strong Man" because of the chorus. It seems to me that it was sung by a African American artist. Do you know the track and singer?

Rosy:

There are several different compositions called "Strong Man," but the only one I'm aware of featuring an African-American singer is on Abbey Lincoln's CD That's Him, available from Fantasy in their OJC reissue series. This version of the song was written by Oscar Brown, Jr., but I'm not sure if he has a CD in print that contains it.

BR>

George McClements from Los Angeles

I love the sound of some of the new female jazz singers especially Jane Monhett. My question is: Is there anybody out there writing new songs for these exceptional voices? The old standards are great, but I would love to hear some new compositions coming from this young group of singers.

George:

I'm stepping a little outside my music search forum to venture an opinion or two. A lot of the veteran musicians are unhappy with the lack of new composers for Broadway, where many of out great standards originally made their debut. There are some tentative explorations being made of newer writers, since Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Rodgers & Hart are all long dead. Johnny Mandel, whose been around for decades (composer of "Emily," "Theme from M*A*S*H, aka "Suicide is Painless"), is the most commonly praised living songwriter among the many musicians I've interviewed. Andrew Lloyd Webber is clearly not going to be providing promising material, although their have been some very lame jazz CDs filled with his nauseating and dull songs.

Modern rock songs have been a bit unpromising as well, for the most part. One novel idea that hasn't been fully enough explored is older R&B tunes, such as the excellent new Kevin Mahogany CD Pride & Joy, on Telarc. Many of the hits he covers have been drastically rearranged and often stripped down, giving them a whole new sound. I was won over on the first hearing, although I've never particularly been a fan of most R&B. More artists are recording Stevie Wonder's songs, though they haven't been secrets exactly, as jazz musicians of all colors were covering them even back in the 1970s.

Experimentation will be the test, as musicians work through songs to see which are viable and which just don't work. For every new discovery, there's always a potential misfire, such as Carmen McRae recording Alice Cooper's insipid "Only Women Bleed" and way too many folks waxing the almost universally despised (at least among anyone with a music IQ above room temperature) "Feelings."

John from Independence, MO wrote:

What CDs would you recommend that have bassist Wayne Darling featured?

John:

I've hardly run across Wayne Darling at all, so it's hard to make a recommendation. He recorded a few times with Woody Herman, but the only release I have with him is an obscure date by trumpeter/flugelhornist Steve Gut, Mr. C.T., on the Timeless label.

Jim from Las Vegas, NV wrote:

Have you heard all of Stan Getz's material? Did Oscar Pettiford and Zoot Sims ever record? Do you know if Teddy Wilson ever played with Stan Getz or recorded with each other?

Jim:

I haven't heard everything Stan Getz recorded, as many things were already out print when I started collecting jazz 30 years ago and I haven't begun to acquire them all, though I do have over 50 of his CDs/LPs as a leader.

Oscar Pettiford and Zoot Sims appear together on two numbers in the CD compilation Oscar Pettiford; First Bass (on IAJRC, it may be out of print); they may very well appear together on other releases but I don't have them.

Stan Getz and Teddy Wilson performed together with Benny Goodman on TV in the 1955 (Allen in Movieland, hosted by Steve Allen). Both men appear together on the Decca LP of The Benny Goodman Story as well.