Fran

I keep waiting - then giving in and saying HELL they'll never bring out the gigantic Columbia/ Okeh/ Vocalion Basie - But just like the greatest thing so far - The Herman Columbias - I KNOW they will hit us eventually with the 12 or 14 ????? CD Basie and by that time I will have spent my $$$$$ on the Richards (which I did - Gladly) the Slack (great) and in the mean time the 50's Goodman's. I'd accept a trim Select of Les Brown Capitols too if they wish to issue one. Yes I am a Big Band guy

The new Clef - Verve Basie - 8 great CD's What an improvement over my old LPs of some of the material.

I have been getting these for years too- I don't save them but I do foward them, with a copy to the sender, to our former company controller. And I tell the sender that Mr X is very adept at moving money around so that it is very difficult to trace. I suggest they contact him imediately. It keeps my old friend constantly pissed off.

YA - and I am going out of town for two weeks next week. I hope it doesn't get lost. The damnedest things happen to my mail and important packages everytime I leave town for a while.

I guess next to Kenny Clarke Stan was the original Bop drummer. On some of the earliest Parker sides,

What's the other half of Kate Winslett like?

The OOP Mosaic of "The complete Buddy Bolden" with alternate takes

But wasn't it spelled Tutti?

Amen - the very best - but I don't agree with the idea that they are expensive. At 16 bucks a copy they are not much more expensive than many others and no more expensive than some. And NO ONE gives you the well researched and authoritative booklet that you get from Mosaic.

Numerous good reasons stated above. In addition one that often sways me, despite already owning many ot the cuts, is the addition of previously unreleased material hidden for years in some dusty vault.

Reading the track listings for the new - out in April - Basie!

We all probably have a recording that awoke us to Hilton Jefferson. Mine, the Harry Lim Keynote recording of "Just like a Butterfly" with Jonah Jones. I still think the tone he achieves is the most startlingly beautiful Alto sound ever.

There were 6 other Metronome All Stars sessions that were recorded for Columbia - Typically, I don't believe Columbia ever reissued these 78RPM sides on LP or CD. These were the All Star Bands of' 40, '42, and '46 The 46 was a small combo Featuring Sinatra on 'Sweet Lorraine" and Nat Cole and June Christy on "Nat Meets June" clearly the concept of a jazz all star outing had sucumbed to the demands of commercial "Jazz".

I couldn't finish Finnish. It's a language for cunning linguists. Yeah, but you could always become an expert BBQ-ist. You know, a master baster. Yes! or an excellent fisherman as a master baiter! I had a friend several years ago - Johnny Bates. The teacher always called him Master Bates.