sounds of Chicago
One-word review: Wow!
DKV Trio (Hamid Drake [MCOTD Hall of Fame], drums; Kent Kessler, bass; Ken Vandermark, reeds), live, Chicago, 12/26/25
First Set
*****
Second Set
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random sights
lagniappe
yesterday, Oak Park, Illinois
my back pages
On a cold, snowy night forty-nine years ago, at a church thirty miles north of Chicago, my wife, Suzanne, and I were married. Tenor saxophonist Von Freeman (1923-2012, MCOTD Hall of Fame) and pianist John Young (1922-2008) provided the music, playing before the ceremony (“Over the Rainbow,” “It Never Entered My Mind,” “More”); during (Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood” [unaccompanied saxophone], as Suzanne walked down the aisle), and after (“My Favorite Things,” “Song for My Father”). All of what they played that night can be heard here (0:14-).
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Illinois
alone
Sun Ra (1914-1993, piano), “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” (trad.), 1977
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Illinois
otherworldly
Ran Blake (1935-, piano), “Little Rootie Tootie” (T. Monk), published 10/17/25
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Lake Superior (Copper Harbor, Michigan)
Happy Birthday!
Charlie Parker (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955, alto saxophone) with Fats Navarro (trumpet), Bud Powell (piano), Art Blakey (drums), et al., recorded live at Birdland (NYC) on May 15-16, 1950*
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lagniappe
radio
Today it’s all Bird all day at WKCR (Columbia University).
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*Complete information regarding personnel and compositions can be found here.
One-word review: Wow!
The Leaders (Lester Bowie, 1941-1999, trumpet, MCOTD Hall of Fame; Chico Freeman, 1949-, tenor saxophone [son of MCOTD Hall of Famer Von Freeman]; Arthur Blythe, 1940-2017, alto saxophone; Kirk Lightsey, 1937-, piano; Cecil McBee, 1935-, bass; Famadou Don Moye, 1946-, drums), live (“Luna,” C. Freeman; “Blues on the Bottom,” C. McBee; “Heaven Dance,” K. Lightsey), Vienna, c. 1989 (published 8/20/25)
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, outside Chicago
alone
Jimmy Rowles (1918-1996, piano), “Poor Butterfly” (J. Golden, R. Hubbell), live, New Orleans, 1982
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lagniappe
reading table
Only: sing.
—John Berryman (1914-1972, MCOTD Hall of Fame), from “An Untitled Dream Song” (New York Review of Books, 8/21/25)
3n
Marcus Gilmore (drums) with David Virelles (piano), Petros Klampanis (bass), “Cape Stride” (M. Gilmore), live, Greece (Athens), 2023
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Illinois
One-word review: Wow!
Peter Evans/Being and Becoming (PE, trumpet; Joel Ross, vibraphone, electronics; Nick Jozwiak, bass, electronics; Michael Shwekwoaga Ode, drums), live, Germany (Berlin), 2024
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
Happy (103rd) Birthday, Charles!
Charles Mingus Sextet (CM, 4/22/1922–1/5/1979, bass, compositions; Eric Dolphy, 1928-1964, alto saxophone; Clifford Jordan, 1931-1993, tenor saxophone; Johnny Coles, 1925-1987, trumpet; Jaki Byard, 1922-1999, piano; Dannie Richmond, 1931-1988, drums), live, Belgium,* Norway,** Sweden,*** 1964
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lagniappe
radio
WKCR-FM (Columbia University): all Mingus, all day.
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* “So Long Eric,” “Peggy’s Blue Skylight,” “Meditations on Integration”
** “So Long Eric,” “Orange Was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk,” “Parkeriana,” “Take The ‘A’ Train”
*** “So Long Eric” (performance and rehearsal), “Meditations on Integration” (performance and rehearsal)
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