http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/dodger-thoughts/post/_/id/7338/torre

and good timing on your comment, i actually teach at a music college on wednesday’s. that means, i’ll miss being able to see the yanks game on espn tonight…

i got this album a long time ago. i was a hard bop nut and blue note fan, but i wasn’t the “completest collector” i am today. i mainly got it ‘coz, my man, hank mobley was on it. i wasn’t looking forward to “vocals”, in my jazz, at that time…

this was a pretty important record, for a few reasons. blue note hadn’t released many – if any – albums like this, with the “voices”. also, it was the first of its kind for arranger duke pearson. i’m a BIG pearson fan. these types of “arranged large band” sessions became the norm for duke and blue note a coupla few years later.

“a new perspective,” was a 7-piece combo + voices, recorded in Nov. 1963. it was very well received by critics and fans alike and exactly 1 year later, byrd was back at it, recorded a similar record, a part II, if you will.

“i’m trying to get home,” was also a 7-piece combo, though different players and instrumentation. (herbie hancock on piano, was the only holdover.) instead of “band & voices”, this new album was for “brass with voices.” 8 voices, once again conducted by Coleridge Perkinson, plus the addition of a dozen brass players (notables include Clark Terry and JJ Johnson). half of the 6 tunes, were penned by Duke Pearson. for my money, “I’m Trying To Get Home” (Brass With Voices), is a *much* better record than the more well-known one represented here. if you dig this, please check out Byrd’s next album. it’s hard to find, but well worth it.