It is frustrating. Not everybody's as fanatical as Losin and others like him It's a labor of love, for sure.
NP: Lee Morgan - Live At The Lighthouse. Picked up a liberty vinyl copy of Lee Morgan's Live At The Lighthouse which I have never seen in shops before, I have been looking for it for a long time. Last night and today were really my first times hearing this material. I am not one to get upset about what if's of artists who have passed decades before I became a fan of them but listening to this I can't help it. I am not use to hearing Lee Morgan like this and I would have loved to have more material of where he and Maupin were taking their version of what Coltrane and Dolphy were doing during their Village Vanguard sessions.
Last one for today: The Complete Roulette Studio Recordings of Count Basie and His Orchestra - 10 CDs, Mosaic; disc 7
Played the sides later released as Dimensions & Extensions. Slightly frustrating that, due to the convention of the time that sides 1&4 and 2&3 were together, playing the two sides with the same lineup i.e. sides 1&2 necessitated a change of disc.
God is it depressing to read some parts of Miles's autobiography. At a certain point, around 1951, they were all addicts, or so it seems. Miles, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Blakey, Lady Day, Trane, Dexter Gordon, Heath, Getz, Jackie McLean, and so many others. Do you think about that when listening albums from that period?
All I can say is that living in America during those times, most of these musicians led tough lives being subject to extreme racism and declining interest in jazz itself. I'm not convinced that anybody wouldn't have turned to drink and drugs to help them cope. The racism and the decline in jobs were the primary reasons several went to live in Europe, where they were less inclined to be treated like crud.
I've been revisiting "The Last Session" release lately and really enjoying it. . . if you haven't heard it it's another window into future possibility.
Just to add to JETman's comments above regarding drug use. On top of that there was also the, not insignificant, cool or "hip" factor. This is not limited to the 1940's and 50's of course (nor limited to Jazz). Miles himself states in his autobiography that "musicians were considered hip in some circles if they shot smack". Added to this many musicians thought they could actually play like Charlie Parker if they took Heroin! Gene Ammons for one example. Miles claims that this wasn't the reason he "got into smack" (late 1940's), although it has been documented elsewhere that he was "overwhelmed" by his contemporaries such as Bird and Dizzy Gillespie. Miles playing in the 40's wasn't that great, especially next to Parker and Gillespie. Also add to this, for Jazz musicians particularly, the pressure to improvise constantly, to always create something new, on the spot, sometimes night after night (when they could work). The drugs/booze was there to help. It was part of the lifestyle, "the thing you did". White musicians weren't immune of course. Think of Stan Getz, Red Rodney, Art Pepper, Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker and on and on.
Jazz In Paris | Laura - Don Byas (EmArcy) Two 10" Blue Star albums originally recorded 1950-1952 and reissued on 1 CD. 24 bit remastering.
More titles from The Complete Columbia Album Collection - Herbie Hancock (Columbia/Legacy) Continuing with CDs 22-27. Four of these albums are new to me. I could do without two, maybe three of them. Two certainly belong in Disco rather than Jazz Beat. Certainly no such issues V. S.O. P. Five Stars, (the funky) Mr. Hands or The Herbie Hancock Trio title. (22) Five Stars - The V. O. S. P. Quintet | (23) Butterfly - Kimiko Kasai & Herbie | (24) Monster | (25) Mr. Hands | (26) Magic Windows | (27) The Herbie Hancock Trio with Ron Carter + Tony Williams
Tried the 3rd disc of the Quincy Jones Mosaic and disc 1 of the Johnny Richards Mosaic Select, but I didn't like what I heard and I'm going to sell them. Now listening to: The Complete Capitol Studio Recordings of Stan Kenton 1943-1947 - 7 CDs, Mosaic. Mixed feelings so far, though I like Anita O'Day and June Christy.
Well, still in Miles' autobiography. Getting out of the heroin phase, this great album. Sonny, Horace and Miles are sooooo good together.
Yes, but the 43-47 set does have a lot of Anita O'Day and June Christy and, as I said, I like most of their vocals.