Ted O'Reilly

Jessica Williams is GBLT-active, for a couple of reasons I believe. Jennifer Leitham is the "T" of GLBT. Wonderful musicians, both.

I did a 6-days-a-week jazz radio show for nearly 4 decades, so I was subject to lots of calls from listeners pro- and con- the content. One I especially remember was from a man who berated me for not playing his favourite tenor player, but playing everybody else: Hawkins, Young, Coltrane, Don Byas, Plas Johnson, Dexter, well the list went on and on, but I never played Johnny Beecher. When I told him Johnny Beecher WAS Plas Johnson, he said "Oh." and hung up.

Why in all the world didn' they include the three bonus tracks that Keepnews had added on the occasion of the Milestone twofer LP reissue, when they issued the OJC CD? "It's Chinatown, Jake..."

Well, I've been thinking on this since last night. I got to know Ray well in the mid-sixties when he played Toronto a couple of times a year (in those days one would play a club for a couple of weeks), and even better when he lived in this city for half a decade after marrying a local woman. His house was a five-minute walk from mine, and we often had cocktail hour together. The late John Norris (of Coda Magazine and Sackville Records renown) was a particular champion of his, bringing Ray over and over to the Cafe des Copains and Montreal Bistro in solo and trio settings throught the '80s and '90s. I recorded them all for radio broadcast (one session was released as "North Of The Border" Label M 495741, with Harry Anderson on bass and drummer Winard Harper). One thing that always amazed me about Ray was that he rarely touched the piano if he wasn't playing a gig (read: being paid!). That doesn't mean he didn't take it seriously -- it was just that he knew what he wanted to play, and would be able to pull it out as needed. He didn't seem to ever push beyond his own style, but style was not his target -- style was what Ray used to take aim. He could walk up to a piano and instantly bring forth the most intimate, swinging, bluesy playing matched only by, perhaps, Junior Mance... The church was his foundation (his mother was a preacher), and while I certainly wouldn't have called him 'religious', he would often play a little spiritual (and a favourite of mine): "If I Can Just Make It Into Heaven". I think he probably made it there last night.

Best wishes today to Phil Nimmons, the fine Canadian clarinetist, bandleader, composer and music educator. He's 88 today, and still going strong. If you don't know him or his music, you should, and here's a very basic place to start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Nimmons

Yup, that's the cover on my copy. One wonders why they'd bother changing it... (Is the catalogue number the same: 2011?

Here's some more affirmation for the new one from my good friend and blues expert John Valenteyn of the Toronto Blues Society: "...the sound is the best I've heard on CD. I compared it to several other Sony incarnations and the difference is breathtaking. I once heard a mint condition 78 and if my memory is any good this is almost the same quality. If they used some form of sound enhancement, they've certainly learned how to use it!"

Interesting -- that's a slightly different cover from my original. (If I knew how to put a picture here I would...)

I'm not the biggest delta blues fan in the world, so to this point all I've had of Robert Johnson is two LPs. But the remastering and the pricing of the Centennial edition led me to the purchase of the new set. I've played it through twice now, and I can't compare it anything but the LPs, but the sound and presentation of this release is excellent. My opininion is of no particular value, but I'll join others and recommend it.

I've had this since it was first issued about 10 years ago, and still take it off the shelf about once a month for a serious listen. A 'desert island disc' for me. It's good to hear others will be able to enjoy it too...

I guess he never "led" a band in the traditional sense, but there are a couple of recordings by Gary McFarland that are pretty damn good, and contemporary: How To Succeed In Business... and the live recording Profiles. He was a wonderful writer, a bit of an adult prodigy because of his late start as a musician.

Caught them earlier, as "And let us not forget the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis band, and its later re-generations... "

Gotta put some veteran Canadian talent in here: Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, and Phil Nimmons' big band "Nimmons 'N 9 + 6". And these days, a Boss Brass alumnus, John MacLeod leads his Rex Hotel Orchesta in regular performances, and has just won a Juno Award (the Canadian 'Grammy') for their first release. It's excellent, highly recommended, and available through his website at http://www.johnsjazz.ca/ And let us not forget the Thad Jones - Mel Lewis band, and its later re-generations...

I read in an article someplace - don't ask me where - that there is way to tell the correct speed by some sort of an electrical hum on the records. Cool....check the 60 cycle hum! Hmmm...are you sure it would be a 60 cycle hum? I remember the province of Ontario was still on 25 cycle power until the early 1950s, and that could have been the standard when/where the Johnson stuff was recorded. And even then, the cycling of AC power wasn't always exact, so you can't count on that 100% as the reference.

As I recall, Amazon had eight copies of this when I posted on the 16th. Today they are down to their last one at this price. Yes, but: "We are not able to ship this item to your default shipping address." If it's from a market seller, it does happen that they don't ship to Canada. That's what I assumed... Amazon itself always ships here. But I get faster shipping, and usually lower prices, when I order from Europe.

As I recall, Amazon had eight copies of this when I posted on the 16th. Today they are down to their last one at this price. Yes, but: "We are not able to ship this item to your default shipping address."

That's the first thing that popped into my head, too...

As regards the original Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass crew, although it indicates Guido Basso and Ian MacDougall will attend, I think that's not going to happen. From this end, Don Thompson and Terry Clarke will be there, and other BB vets will include the fine trumpeter John MacLeod (who has his own terrific band now), and french horn player Brad Warnaar, who was in the band in his Toronto days... It looks like a pretty damn good lineup, for all that... (Terry Clarke tells me he'll play drums with the Toshiko Akiyoshi band, too, as he did in his New York days).

I produced a solo piano LP by Stanley Cowell, which has never been on CD (though I burned a CDR for listening)... "Live at Cafe des Copains" (Unisson DDA 1004) Recorded June 26,1985 Side One: 1. Waltz For Debbie 2. Evidence 3. Please Send Me Someone To Love 4. Joy Spring Side Two: 1. Love For Sale 2. My One And Only Love 3. Equipoise (SC original) 4. You Took Advantage Of Me I think Stanley's a hugely-talented, and hugely under-recognized pianist. I'm glad you're seeking him out.

I mean yeah, but, but like u know speling don't matter if you know what I mean. I mean not either does grammer make no differents, I mean it's like how I feel.

There are a couple of semi-obscure local releases, of interest to Sam Noto completists... Sam co-ran a club in Buffalo in 1965 through '67 or so, called The Renaissance. some 1966 recordings from there with Sam in a gtr/bass/dms quartet was issued in 2001 on "SLR Music"; and a 1999 Toronto release on "Supermono Records" under Sam's name -- a quintet, if I recall... Sam was a great lead player, as well as a damn hot bebop player under the co-influence of Dizzy and Clifford. The real thing!

May have seen Noto (me too: not 100% sure, failing memory ) in the lineup for a Dave McMurdo Orchestra performance at Art Gallery of Ontario. If my memory is correct the MC that night might have been board member Ted O'Reilly ! Geez, the way things pop up again... I think (me too: not 100% sure, failing memory ) I was indeed introducing the McMurdo band that night. Sam would likely have been a sub on that occasion. By the way, I produced a Sam Noto LP which nobody here has likely ever heard (it's never been put on CD). "Sam Noto 2-4-5" Unisson DDA 1007, featuring Pat LaBarbera (tenor), Gary Williamson (piano), Steve Wallace or Neil Swainson (bass) and Bob McLaren (drums). Nine tracks played by a quintet, quartet and trumpet/bass duos. Recorded in Toronto in 1986/87. Still sounds damn good to my ears, and I'm looking at the shelved masters as I sit here. Unisson was my small label, and in the mid-to-late-'80s period, one had to make LPs, cassettes and then a bit later CDs in order to please the market, and that was damned expensive for mastering and stock. I doubt we sold a total of a thousand in total. And of course, Joe Romano passed away in late 2008...

I think, "sorta", Mike. If you're referring to the Emanon One release, it had what was described as "Sketches from the 'Faces' Suite" and included Vortograph 3'56"/The Griffin 1'41"/Macrographs 3'47". I don't know how this matches up with what Amazon.de says the new release has: 1. 1st movement: Vortographs 9:57 2. 2nd movement: solarization 7:40 3. 3rd movement: panchromatic 3:41 4. 4th movement: Macrographic 13:38

"Friedrich Gulda - Music For 4 Soloists And Band No.1" features some dynamite Freddie Hubbard, and great Sahib Shihab and JJ Johnson. Gulda's the fourth soloist and composer, arranger and director. I like this one a lot -- put it on CDR years ago.

Yeah, Mike Jones! A terrific, and under-recognized great jazz pianist... You like Dave McKenna? You'll appreciate Mike Jones.