Justin V

Cliff Smalls - Caravan: With the Black and Blue offer from jazzmusicdepot, I am trying to decide between this date and the Oliver Jackson date with the same group to join the Sammy Benskin I plan on ordering.

I light of all of these sales, do I need to drive across town and do an intervention?

I have everything but the Green and can recommend them all. That Foster album also has some very early George Cables and Buster Williams.

The Complete Master Jazz Piano Series, Disc 2: Definitely a set that gets lost among the shuffle. I just noticed that this disc has versions of 'I Got Rhythm' by Claude Hopkins, Cliff Jackson and Sonny White.

Disc 4, In Memory Of, with Blue Mitchell, Curtis Fuller, Herbie Hancock, Bob Cranshaw, Otis Candy Finch and Mickey Roker.

The Complete Master Jazz Piano Series, Disc 1

Reginald R. Robinson - Sounds in Silhouette: I picked this up a few years ago in DC for a couple bucks. I am curious to hear his recent work. He obviously received attention as a young man with his Delmark albums and as a MacArthur recipient, but he is still active and carrying the ragtime torch 20+ years later.

I didn't even know that Sammy Benskin and Cliff Smalls had albums on Black and Blue. I love Benskin on the Hardee/Quebec Mosaic and Smalls on the Master Jazz Piano Mosaic. Any opinions on the Benskin or Smalls (as a leader or with Oliver Jackson) dates?

I am really enjoying this one. Bostic had to have had a huge sound live.

Well, at least Gray Davis avoided troublesome political issues.

Erwin Schmidt - Dorothy's Valentine

Man, Emmet Cohen sure is recording and working with a ton of legends. He already has albums with Ron Carter and Jimmy Cobb and has toured with Tootie Heath. His album with George Coleman should be fun.

That is a great cover pic. Now playing: Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Diz: I inexplicably keep forgetting to listen to another Rubalcaba album with Haden and DeJohnette that I bought maybe a year ago, which is embarrassing. As a result, when I saw several Rubalcaba albums for $2, I limited myself to just this one with Ron Carter. I should have just picked up the rest, but sometimes I try to rein in my acquisitions for more manageable listening.

On to Disc 3.

I like it as well. Three's a crowd?

Disc 2 again. This is available for $30.49 as an Amazon download, but I'm glad I shelled out the extra $20 for the physical set. Prime Turrentine. I am looking forward to hearing the rest.

That one is on my list. I've liked the 5 albums I've heard from their Blue Note years. Two underrated trumpeters. This one has always been a late-night choice but sounds even better this Saturday morning. Smith sounds so relaxed, with Quentin Warren and Donald Bailey providing subtle, swinging support.

Disc 2: Listening to his for the first time is bittersweet knowing that it was Sonny Clark's last recording.

With Willie Thomas passing away in February, only Harold Mabern and Frank Strozier are still with us.

I've tried ordering a Ron Carter album from them three times. Rose orders resulted in a Tom Jones album, an Oleta Adams album and a lost shipment. I think that everything else I've ordered from them has arrived and they were quick with refunds.

I don't remember this being mentioned elsewhere, but trumpeter Willie Thomas, of MJT+3, passed away on February 16th. I am just hearing him for the first time on Message from Walton Street and looked him up. Incidentally, he taught Tito Carrillo, an excellent Chicago trumpeter who is worth checking out. Thank you for the music, Mr. Thomas, and rest in peace.

I claimed a copy kindly offered by Dan Gould on a Bostic thread. I am enjoying it.

Clare Fischer - Waltz: I've had Thesaurus for years and never gave it much time, but I recently found Fischer's posthumous release, Out of the Blue, which has grown on me. That led me to this album. I wish that they'd instead cut tracks from Thesaurus, which has at least seen complete reissue elsewhere, instead of two from Duality, which hasn't. At any rate, I am glad that I sprung for this extended version.

He even offers lessons via Skype!