Royal Oak

I like it, though he should really be wearing some kind of swimsuit! I still see loads of those albums in charity shops.

Not just jazz; I got booted from a British horseracing forum about 8 years ago. There was a poster, handle Goldman, who used to put up daily picks for the racing. He was a fair enough tipster (picked a lot of obvious winners), but he spoilt the effect by talking about his "inside contacts", tiresome boasting, and (literally) demanding RESPECT for his God-like picking skills. So every day's thread was followed by a list of fawning "you're the best Goldman", "We love you so much Goldman" posts. In the end, I could resist no further and left a facetious comment. Within hours my post was deleted and I received a very unpleasant email from the moderator, banning me and wishing me "good luck, WHEREVER you go on the internet".

I've found them OK for the UK - takes about 2 weeks (no better or worse than Caiman), and I've never had one cancelled yet.

Marshall Brown playing "Angel Eyes" on the Pee Wee Russell "Ask Me Now" album is a good one. J J doing "It Could Happen To You" on "The Eminent" is a killer.

One in Manchester (maybe no longer there) - Sifters. I always thought this a good name; conjures up images of sorting and sifting through racks of vinyl. I believe it was namechecked on an early Oasis song. Don't know if it ever had a jazz section, as the last time I went was well before I started listening to jazz. You must know this one Bill?

Yes, yes, yes. The ballads are amazing. Reminds me of a musician joke my dad told me once. A singer asks the band for "Darn That Dream". The bandleader agrees, but says "Okay, but how about we play it a half-tone sharp and miss out the last bar of the bridge". The singer looks aghast and says "What are you doing to me, I can't do that". The bandleader replies (here it comes) "Why not, you did it last night". Boom boom.

There is a temptation to say "only in America", but here in the UK we had a nine year old girl "abducted" for 20+ days last February. Turns out it was her mother and her partner's uncle who staged it for God-knows what reason, one of which may have been the proceeds of a "Find Shannon" fund.

Stolen Moments - the Booker Ervin maybe? Obviously, the original is no 1.

I agree FWIW (which isn't much!)

Been listening to a lot of late-60s Prestige albums, many of which contain jazz versions of rock/pop songs. Off the top of my head I could think of 3 good ones: Charles McPherson - "My Cherie Amour" Illinois Jacquet - "For Once In My Life" - a sad-sounding rendition to my ears. Sonny Criss did a few, but "Sunny" is terrific. As I remember, Bobby Hebb's original was quite a laid-back groove, but Sonny and Cedar Walton turn it into something altogether more intense.

Anthony Burgess - "1985"

I always liked it for the melody, harmony, and arrangement. I've never been a lyrics person, in fact I'd have to admit I've always been somewhat of an voluntarily apathetic dunce in that regard. Never cared much for poetry, either. At any rate, I would have thought that the dislike that a lot of people have for this song would also have a lot to do with the "bombardment" I referred to earlier. I mean, was there anybody who didn't record that tune back in the day? If you had the radio or the tv on for longer than 10 minutes, I'm pretty sure you would have heard it. And yet I still like it. When I hear it now, it has kind of an (appealing) haunting quality to it. It didn't help that the song featured in an English TV advert for beer in the late 1980s. It was a "return-of-the-prodigal son" scenario. The denouement: A very crowded pub where a lone barmaid is rushing around trying to serve everyone. A trilby hat lands on the bar; a note in the hatband says "The usual. x" (or something like that). At this point the barmaid stops, wets her pants and pours a pint of naff lager for our returning hero.

I was a big fan in my late teens. I had a "20 Golden Greats" album (bought from Woolworths) and played it pretty much constantly for much of 1987. "On A Carousel", "Bus Stop", "I'm Alive" and "Sorry Suzanne" stick out for me. Not listened to them for years now.

Saw the film; never read the book. I've not read the book before. The film is very faithful, but then it was adapted for the screen by the author.

Hurrah! They have arrived, all present and correct. See what you mean about the saw cuts though - ouch!

Barry Hines - "A Kestrel For A Knave". An utterly bleak story made into an utterly bleak film.

I was something of a Fall fan in the late 80s/early 90s. I too sold all my records. Now, if I hear any Fall on the radio, I can't decide whether Mark E Smith was really shit, or the kind of genius/madman NME would have one believe.

I'm in the UK. I was told it may take 30 days!

Now 21 days since order, 13 days since receiving the shipping notice....................I'm hoping you can still buy CD players by the time they get here.

Now finished "Bonfire Of The Vanities". I can't remember enjoying a book as much as I did this. I'm no literature critic (I failed English Lit A level), but this book moved me.

"Grooveyard" from Harold Land's "Harold In The Land Of Jazz". There's a riff towards the end of Carl Perkins's solo which drove me mad for days; couldn't help thinking I'd heard it somewhere. After a while, it occured to me that it sounds a lot like part of "Sighin' and Cryin'" off "Song For My Father". I wonder if Horace meant it that way?

Decoy was a great shop. I used to go to teaching conferences at UMIST in the city - they used to let us out as 3.00 and I'd always sprint to Decoy to make a quick set of purchases. I agree; Decoy was a great shop. Friendly staff on the whole, especially Mike Chadwick and a ponytailed chap who worked upstairs. I always remember him being quite excited when I ordered the Oscar Brown Junior album "Sin and Soul". A good vinyl section also, with a special section for ECMs as I remember.

I tried to buy some a couple of days ago. Some were in stock, but when I clicked on others, I got a message saying they had been added to the "buy later" part of the shopping cart, as they had "sold out". Whether that means they may get new stock weeks down the line I don't know. My first order took 8 days to ship, but it appears to contain all that I ordered.

I have that one on the way from the Oldies sale; also never heard him before in my life

With you on that, Richard! Supposed to be an eighties novel, but I only read it a couple of years ago and thought it was great! Also liked Wolfe's A Man in Full and I Am Charlotte Simmons. I think I may well be checking out more Tom Wolfe after this Bill!