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Hartmut Geerken / John Tchicai - The Kabul and Teheran Tapes (2 LP; QBICO 87) Evidently this one was released in early 2009, but it is already starting to be a tough find. Does anyone know if the website or label still exists? I think QBICO was run by a fellow named Emanuele Pinotti, if I remember correctly. (I bought a few OOP records from him at auction back in the late '90s, and they were good experiences.) I can't seem to find any information on the web about the label these days.

Well, if the record is worth something, mine is likely worth less, with a faded label, and an overall rough look (plays nicely, though). I picked it up here at a place called Record Finders. They have a ton of 78s that typically range from $4 to $8. I bought several Whiteman/Beiderbecke Victors from them about a year and a half ago. They were dirt cheap, and in good shape. I'm a Bix collector, but unfortunately they did not have any of his Okeh or Gennett sides (I've had to open the wallet far wider for those at auction).

Thank you for mentioning this deal. There must be $11 of consistently enjoyable music on this set. Fantastic.

I actually have two copies (a JCOA/Trio Japanese pressing, and a JCOA/Virgin pressing): I have posted pics of the labels here. I could not get a good pic of the covers of the JCOA/Virgin release, because mine is still in its original shrink wrap (too much glare). The front is virtually the same, but the back is black, instead of the white back of the Japanese release. I think each copy cost me around $25, although they were fairly hard to find, and I bought them about 8 or 9 years ago.

I agree. It doesn't matter if he is playing Monk tunes, blues tunes, or with Lacy, Shepp, or as a leader. The whole history of the music comes through his horn, at any time. That is what I love about Roswell Rudd.

Well said. I recall seeing him rehearsing in the cafeteria at Portland State University in 1999 with a local saxophonist named Rob Scheps, in preparation for a short tour of the west coast. Nobody at the school had a clue who he was or what he was playing. I watched him rake down tunes such as "Keep Your Heart Right," "Green Chimenys," and even an old blues tune by Ernie Andrews called "Slide, Mr. Trombone." It was hands down some of the best music of any kind that I've ever heard played live. Somewhere I have an interview with him that runs about 90m when he was on the local radio that year (KBOO in Portland)--I need to dig that one out. Roswell is a national treasure, IMO. Someday I'm going to find a copy of his Maine on BVHaast. That is a hard one to track down.

I'm a huge fan of Roswell (and Moncour, J.J., Fuller, Mangelsdorff, and just about every other trombonist). Best wishes with the new material. I was spinning this one today, and it reminded me what a treasure Roswell really is (Numatik Swing Band) (JCOA): If I recall correctly, I think he has written a jazz opera too. It would be nice to see some of his larger projects get performed. He has a wonderful feel for every aspect of the music.

I wish I could take the time off of work and afford to go to this. The ensemble gig is cool, but in particular I would love to see the whole "Genome" on Sunday, although I would need to take a lunch and probably some restroom breaks during this endurance gig. 8 hours. If that isn't the master spreading Olympic goodwill, I don't know what is. If anyone attends, we need a full update.

I picked up a stereo copy of this a few years ago (Dauntless 6309; the mono is 4309), and it is "off the hook" fun. My copy has a little more wear than I'd like (it is a VG copy), but it plays nicely. "Doggie in the Window Limbo" cracks me up. This album is a killer.

Nice one--I'm hoping to land a copy one day for myself. Was this a Japanese only release? I'm not familiar with the label. Yes, I feel lucky to have found this. A friend saw it in an Atlanta-area used record store and, knowing how I feel about Lacy, called and told me to get down there right away. I picked up a mint copy of Cecil Taylor Live In Vienna at the same time. There seems to be a present-day punk label called Lunatic Records, but this one was a small label out of Hiroshima. The Lacy LP is Lunatic 002; #001 was a compilation featuring four Japanese pianists. (I haven't heard it.) I'm not aware of anything else they put out. Thank you for the info re: Lunatic. It must have been one of those small print runs--and surely a keeper. I noticed on this page that evidently the master tapes of the gig still exist, with additional material that remains unreleased. Maybe some day it will surface. The LP from from the gig a couple of days earlier (Solo at Space Who) would also be a nice find, although with only 100 ever pressed, the chances of finding/affording it are likely slim.

Nice one--I'm hoping to land a copy one day for myself. Was this a Japanese only release? I'm not familiar with the label.

I pulled this one out today. The lineups give me the chills; they are so great. To quote Roswell, "Today I am going to worship."

Han Bennink Solo (ICP 011): A strong VG+ copy (NM- with the exception of one track). Oh yeah, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, vinyl hounds.

I have Lotus too, and it was one of the first CDs that I bought back in the day (early '90s). It is also one of the few early discs I purchased that are still in the collection. There is an "earthy" quality to that music. I love playing it during rain storms in springtime. Perfect. Back to the topic: I bought the Beatles mono box when it came out, and although the price was steep, I find myself overlooking that fact and simply feeling grateful that the set exists. I'm learning many of the albums for the first time, and it has been fun. It is the reissue of the year, IMO.

Faust by F.W. Murnau (1926 silent film), with a soundtrack performed by the Willem Breuker Kollektief. I know nothing about film, but this movie looks pretty cheesy. The music, however, is excellent, and is beautifully in sync with the visuals. It is also subtitled in English, which is most helpful.

I love this Waldron/Lacy set, a masterpiece imho. I agree. I played it all weekend, and the chemistry between the two is great. The mix between their own pieces and Monk's is lovely. I guess this set is back OOP, but I was able to find a copy from Squidco for $35. It is the best "bang for the buck" that I've had in years--a truly dynamite set.

I'm a regular vinyl buyer. I've never bothered to pick up CD copies of most of the rock & roll stuff I have on LP (Jimi, Clapton, Stones et al.), because the vinyl is cheap and sounds better to my ears. It is often easy to replace, with a few exceptions here and there. Jazz collecting is a lot tougher. These days I like to collect LPs from small labels (FMP, ICP, Incus, BVHaast, etc.). There is a ton of great music that never made it to CD, so sometimes searching out the LPs is the only route to hear the music. And with the decline of CD sales and the rise of MP3 downloads, one wonders about the future of the CD medium. I'd love to see some of the smaller jazz labels reissue their catalogs on vinyl again. In most cases, it would beat what the originals go for at auction. It will likely never happen, but yeah, new HORO or FMP reissues on vinyl (rather than CD) sound great to me. . . . Edit for verb tense (not that it really matters)

Bud Powell Trio on Blue Note: The other side has a solo piece titled "It Could Happen to You." Great stuff, and it only set me back $2.

What are your impressions of the set so far? I have it on my shopping list, but haven't picked one up yet.

Cecil Taylor 2 Ts for a Lovely T Disc 9 "Tayassus Pecari" A great set--some of my favorite work that Cecil has ever done. Next up will be what just arrived in the mail: Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy: Live at Dreher, Paris, 1981 (4 CD Hatology)

Already spun today: Anthony Braxton/Gino Robair - Duets 1987 (Rastascan) Anthony Braxton - Six Duets (1982) w/John Lindberg (CECMA) Lined up to spin for breakfast: Count Basie - On the Road (Pablo, red vinyl) Han Bennink/Willem Breuker - The New Acoustic Swing Duo in Japan 1984 (Jazz & Now) Jazz on vinyl is the best.

Ouch! I'd hate to think of any of these being warped. It is a great spin, and tough to find. I picked mine up from a Japanese place called Bamboo Music. It plays straight as an arrow, so I'm elated with the transaction.

Instant Composers Pool 002 (Mengelberg, Bennink, Tchicai): And ICP Orchestra 022 Live Soncino:

It hurts, but Brandon Morrow was a great prospect too at the time, but probably now a "suspect." I think the M's mishandled him horribly (i.e., starter? reliever? starter? reliever? starter? Majors? Minors?). Although out of college he had a million dollar arm, he never learned how to pitch. Until he can get an off-speed pitch over the plate consistently when he is down in the count, MLB hitters will kill him. His control isn't too good, either. I saw him throw some good innings in AAA this year as a starter, but he was hitting 92-93 tops on the radar, not 95+. (I was sitting behind scouts with radar guns.) I'm afraid that the organization has that kid all screwed up in the head. At this point in his career, he reminds me of Jose Paniagua. Not good. I think if the M's are going to turn it around, they first need a couple of impact bats at the MLB level (Griffey isn't one--ouch), and they need to have a complete overhaul of their scouting and player development philosophy. They need to develop some of their good draft picks into impact players at the MLB level at some point. Felix is awesome, but you need a few others, more than every ten years. I'm curious to see how they will screw up Ackley. Maybe they can turn him into a catcher, after they are finished with trying to convert him into a second baseman.

ORIS makes a nice watch, with ETA movements that can be serviced for a reasonable price by any competent watchmaker. I think the Bob Dylan piece is pretty cool, although not as nice as the ORIS Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie models. ORIS makes durable "runners." Sure, it isn't as finely crafted as a Patek, but the price is WAY lower and the service bill is likewise. It is a fine mechanical. An ORIS will last a lifetime if serviced every 3-5 years. I don't mind Bob giving his name to the watch biz. I don't mind him making a Christmas album. Frankly, I'd love to see the CD and the watch in my stocking come Christmas day.