Royal Oak

Had a flick through my shelves

👍 agree

Yes, it is more pink than purple, you're right. It's the only Pearl Jam LP I ever had also. This one is definitely purple:

Purple? Or pink?

It is, isn't it?

First thing I thought of was "Spiegel Im Spiegel" by Arvo Part, although that's actually for piano with violin. Regardless, I love it, though there will probably be some who'd tell me I'm wrong to do so. In fact, I seem to recall an Arvo Part LP on ECM called Tabula Rasa which may be what you're looking for. It's been about 20 years however, so I could be wrong.

I think it certainly does, in the context of the general population. In my experience, I reckon a majority of jazz vinyl buyers are buying the label rather than the artist, unless you're talking the big hitters (Miles and Coltrane, again in my experience). I don't think it's as bad as classical vinyl, where if it isn't EMI, Decca or (to a lesser extent) Deutsche Grammophon or Philips, then forget it.

👍

This collection contained a LOT of live recordings (private pressings or bootlegs, I don't know) which I guess would mainly appeal to superfans - Stan Kenton "stans" if you will. Alas, if such a person exists, they weren't looking on Ebay at the time.

Last year I bought an unseen collection of jazz LPs very cheaply on Ebay, whereupon I found myself suddenly in possession of 78 Stan Kenton LPs. Kenton not being my thing, I tried to sell them to someone, anyone, who would appreciate them. I tried them singly, in small batches and in one whole lot, and very cheaply too. I gradually discovered that if you wanted to find the polar opposite of goods which sell like the proverbial hot cakes, then Stan Kenton LPs might just be that.

You piqued my interest.... Well the Johannesburg record shop is no more, and the street on which it stood looks in a sorry state on Google Maps. The address in Jersey was actually a hotel, also no more. A 1964 tourism guide advert I found online states "This hotel offers you comfort, cleanliness and already renowned cuisine. Dancing. Radiotel in all rooms." Radiotel, sounds very sixties.

I recently acquired Bud Powell's "Time Waits" album. The back has a sticker from "Colosseum Music Saloon" in Johannesburg. It also has the name and address of a previous owner, in Jersey (Channel Islands, not NJ). Not that interesting, though this LP has clearly done a few air miles - from NY to South Africa, to the Channel Islands, now to Greater Manchester.

The British heatwave has passed - too hot not to cool down, as the old song goes.

The latter! For balance, I guess one only remembers the times when things go wrong, subconsciously (or consciously) forgetting the thousands of letters / packages one has sent over a lifetime which arrived on time and without incident.

Royal Mail have twice delivered packages, that I have sent, to the wrong country. The first, bound for China, went to Italy. The second, bound for Japan, was flown to China. Both packages duly arrived at the correct destination eventually. I do wonder whether, if they had been sent untracked, they would simply have been binned or "liberated" in the first destination countries.

With all due respect, my problem is definitely with Charlie Shavers.

Shavers really hurt my ears on that Hal Singer record, I've never really enjoyed that fiery trumpet sound. Re your comments on Afrique, I think that's what I meant when I feel it's more a Nelson record than a Basie record. I like almost anything Nelson did - compositions, arrangements and his own sound on sax, which sounds (to my ears anyway) like he's physically squeezing the notes out. I get that vibe from Sonny Criss sometimes. I also like Hubert Laws on Afrique.

But where do you stand on Charlie Shavers? Now listening to Count Basie - Afrique. This also recently new to me, and I like it very much. Is this not an Oliver Nelson record though?

Hal Singer - Blue Stompin' on Prestige / Swingville Bought this in a lot ages ago, and only played it for the first time today. Hal and Ray Bryant are just fine but Charlie Shavers I can't have - too loud, too shrill, too extra for me.

Haha, I have that Moody with the colour cover, but my Ahmad Jamal at the Pershing Vol 2 is a crappy black and white (and limp) cover.

Oh yes, I like all the Horace Silver Blue Notes, though the 3 United States of Mind albums I rarely listen to. Perhaps subconsciously I was expecting something extra from Jody Grind, given the Cook & Morton recommendation - "zenith of finger-snapping intensity" or thereabouts, as I recall. In my jazz salad days, with limited disposable income, no internet, and CDs being £15, there was a certain amount of agonising over what to buy. I seem to recall having to order the Jody Grind specially, and waiting for a few weeks, with a trip into Manchester to pick it up. It was good, but didn't live up the (perhaps self-inflicted) hype.

I seem to recall that Cook & Morton singled this out (with "Song For My Father") as one of Horace's best, in a catalogue of pretty solidly great LPs, I duly bought it based on that recommendation. I like it well enough, but it's no "Cape Verdean Blues" IMO.

I like the Disco-Antistat too. I've had it over 10 years now, been worth every penny and more. I must have cleaned 1000 LPs with it

I am listening to the Sonny Clark / Kenny Dorham sides of the Jackie McLean "Hipnosis" two-fer. Sonny Clark interpolates a phrase from Carmen into his solo, something I have heard him do on many of his recordings; well, at least enough of them for me to have noticed it before. I'm pretty sure he uses it as the opening phrase of a chorus of blues. I had actually forgotten about this until listening tonight, and there it was, in "Blues In A Jiff" I laughed out loud when I heard it, a bit like the Leonardo DiCaprio meme where he points at the TV. Do any of the historians / musicians know anything about this? Is it significant or just a lick that he liked? It feels like he plays it for fun. Anyway, excuse the ramblings.

I concur