Listeners' Choices, Part 5

Welcome to the final installment of messages from Rifftides readers sharing with all of us what you have been listening to.

·I enjoy reading your blog. The following is what have been listening to recently.

Dave Holland Quintet, Prime Directive. I have been listening to this album for the last few weeks. It makes me smile.

Tom Jobim & Elis Regina, Elis and Tom. I got this after I saw your link to the YouTube video of them singing "Waters of March". Thank you for introducing me to this music.

Vanitha Ragunathan
Melbourne, Australia

·Recent music (5-CD changer):
Carmell Jones, Mosaic Select #2
J R Monterose/Tommy Flanagan, A Little Pleasure
Blue Mitchell, Blue's Moods

TD (prefer anonymity)
Hardenburgh, NY (rural Catskills), USA

·Three most recent iPod additions:
Mahavishnu Orchestra, Inner Mounting Flame
Jose Gonzalez, Veneer
Los Lonely Boys, Diamonds EP

Jason Crane
Rochester, New York, USA

·Paul Desmond: Bridge Over Troubled Water. (A&M, now a
Japanese import). With Herbie Hancock playing dreamy
Rhodes piano, Ron Carter, Airto on drums (!) with Don
Sebesky arrangements, "Scarborough Fair" in 5/4!, all
tunes by Paul Simon. In my car: Bill Evans and Bob Brookmeyer (on two
pianos!) The Ivory Hunters, with Percy Heath and
Connie Kay.

Jan Stevens
Passaic County, New Jersey, USA

·Being old-fashioned and fond of fine rhythm sections, I have been
enjoying The Swing Kings, led by pianist Ray Kennedy, with Bucky
Pizzarelli on guitar and Ken Peplowski on clarinet. For a more mellow clarinet, I've enjoyed Easy to Remember, by Ken Peplowski, which has some soothing ballads, a vocal by Bobby Short and a nice version of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," a tune I've always liked.

Tracy Warner
Wenatchee, Washington, USA

·"Rising Sun" from the Brubeck Quartet's Jazz Impressions of Japan.

Owen Cordle
Cary, North Carolina, USA

·I am currently listening to the Ray Charles and Betty Carter duet album and also to Ralph Sharon Plays the Harry Warren Songbook. Enjoy the blog very much.

Alonso Jasso
San Antonio, Texas, USA

·Skerik's Syncopated Taint Septet

Ted Allen
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

·The Bill Holman Band Live What an arranger. What a band.

Dave Ramsey
Wenatchee, Washington, USA

Spent the weekend listening to Bird. Every time I return to the Master, I'm amazed at his music. The Royal Roost broadcasts kept taking my breath away all weekend.

Bird Lives , indeed!

- Jeff Rzepiela

·Here's what I'm wearing out this summer.
Branford Marsalis, A Love Supreme Live
Branford Marsalis, Eternal
John Coltrane,Transition
Buddy DeFranco, Quartets w/Sonny Clark (Mosaic) [Out of print - DR]
Larance Marable,Tenorman
Brad Mehldau, Day is Done
Pee Wee Russell, Swingin' with Pee Wee
Messiaen, Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus (both the Serkin and Aimard recordings)
Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time (Tashi)
Over the Rhine, Ohio
Over the Rhine, Drunkards Prayer
Meshell Ndgeocello, Comfort Woman
Zoot Sims At E.J.'s
Zoot Sims, Two Jims and a Zoot [Out of print. I demand an investigation - DR]

It's been a helluva summer so far. I can't get enough of this stuff.
I've been on the road a lot and I've absolutely worn this stuff out on my
iPod. I resisted the iPod for a long time but it is a beautiful
convenience for travel.

Sam Stephenson
Pittsboro, North Carolina, USA

That flurry ends our survey. You brought to my attention music I didn't know existed; Over The Rhine and the Brad Mehldau-Renee Fleming collaboration, for instance, not to mention Skerk's Syncopated Taint Sextet. I hope that you made discoveries, too. Maybe we'll do this again sometime, but not until the Rifftides staff's fingers, eyes and patience have recovered from entering the code for all of those links.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Good listening to you all.