duaneiac

and then, just because it is that time of year, one of my favorite Jimmy Rushing recordings:

Disc 3 of 4, which includes selections by Eddie Jefferson, Wynton Kelly, Junior Mance, Milt Jackson, Zoot Sims, Yusef Lateef and more.

I finally realized why I love this album so much. I'm a big Peggy Lee fan and this album sounds like it could easily have been recorded by her. Not that Ms. Gardot was in any way attempting to copy or imitate Ms. Lee, but the moods of the songs and the tones set by the music & arrangements could have easily fit with Ms. Lee's style & persona -- the joy and fun of love in "If The Stars Were Mine", the very sensual nature of love in "Lover Undercover", the dramatic tension of love in "Our Love Is Easy". A couple of Ms. Gardot's originals here sound like they could have easily been penned by Ms. Lee, who was a worthy songwriter in her own right. Nothing else I've heard by Ms. Gardot has matched what she achieved here, but this album is a terrific listening experience. (Although I do always stop the CD after "Deep Within The Corners Of My Mind" and have not listened to the final two tracks -- an uninspired cover of "Over The Rainbow" and a remix of "If The Stars Were Mine" -- in years.) I'd recommend giving a listen to The Healing Game, Enlightenment and Days Like This. I think they are three very strong Van Morrison albums. Even the album with Linda Gail Lewis is fun for what it is. Many of his other releases of the past 25 years have had their moments, but often are kind of routine. I was not expecting much from it, but I really did like his Duets album from 3 years ago -- nothing profound, but an enjoyable list

One of his better efforts of the past 25 years. Several strong songs here and many of them only became stronger as Van Morrison polished them in his live performances.

Often? Really? Where is this occurring?

You're welcome. Hope you liked it. Now playing: From an era when jazz was popular enough that this concert (as was also the case on Vol. 1 of these recordings) was presented/recorded at a high school! Could you imagine jazz musicians today of the stature of Gerry Mulligan, Zoot Sims, Chico Hamilton, Bob Brookmeyer being able to play a series of concerts at high school venues?

A compilation of radio airchecks made in cooperation with the Louis Prima Estate. Fun and swinging music.

Dis 1 of 2. This EU PD reissue includes the albums West Coast Jazz (1955), The Steamer ('56), and Award Winner ('57).

Disc 1 of 2. This music had me up and dancing and I'm a "two left feet" kinda guy, so I'm sure it didn't look pretty, but it sure felt good.

Even after all these years, "To A Wild Rose" is a performance so beautiful and so moving that it still brings a tear to my eye and gives me goosebumps. God bless Sonny Rollins now and forever, amen.

Disc 1 of 2. This is a compilation of jump blues tracks from labels owned by Capitol. Performers include the likes of Louis Jordan, Cootie Williams, Nellie Lutcher, Kay Starr, Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Jimmy Liggins, Ella Mae Morse and more.

Indeed it is. I hadn't listened to that album in years and had forgotten how good it is. About 20 years ago I worked in a store which sold CDs. One day I noticed a copy of The Case of . . . sitting in the return bin. While I was pleasantly surprised that some one had bought the CD, I was curious why it was returned. The clerk who had handled that transaction said the customer claimed the disc was defective because the was nothing on the final track. I wish I had been there to explain that that is intentional. That track was originally on Side 4 of the double-album release and it consists of several minutes of silence followed by a little snippet of a phone conversation at the very end. Maybe the record label needs to put a warning label on the CD version stating that this long silent track reflects the original nature of the LP version and is not a defect in the disc.