This means no bedroom music.

One thing I'be been trying to get my local library to buy is
the dvd of _Calle 54_. This is all the things that the
Buena Vista Social Club isn't. I've only heard the vhs
of this documentary on modern Cuban jazz masters. The dvd
should give a better sound representation for included
works by Chu Chu Valdez in an amazing duo with... name I forgot
plus Tito Puente and Chico O'Farrill. Gato Barbeiri is on there
too, but I mentioned no bedroom music.

In the up tempo combo work department the early work of
Monty Alexander can't be beat. I'm talking about out of print
stuff from his discongraphy going back to 1974.

The premiere artists in the combo field such as Oscar Peterson
fit in here plus Gene Harris and others I've become acquaited with
from listening to the Jazz With Bob Parlocha radio program available
from WGBH and elsewhere.

In the big bands, current work done by John Fedchock and Bob Florence stands out.
I'm partial to what I can only call 'classical big band arrangements'
the sort done by Stan Kenton with Bill Holman and also George Russell. The
Thad Jones Mel Lewis Band has also done some great things with compositions by Bob Brookmeyer who _did_ play bedroom music in small
groups with Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz and others. You can't have everything.

Duke Ellington defies classification. With the volume of work
Ellington did and its variety and complexity, I consider him
like Beethoven whose collected body of work will last for all time.