Ted O'Reilly

The admiration for the Sam The Record Man jazz section is/was completely attributable to John Norris, who died last Sunday. (There's a topic elsewhere about him). Norris was the manager and buyer who ran that department 40 years ago, and with his taste and knowledge and international connections MADE that section of the store. For some years, with the heft of the whole Sam's operation behind it, Norris was able to search world-wide and bring things to jazz fans they'd never be able to find elsewhere. He brought in the whole world of jazz... He later (with partner Bill Smith) started his own Jazz And Blues Record Centre, and continued to service fans with the best of jazz recordings.

Bill, you're mixing up the two albums that M/M quartet made: "Bones Blues" was the studio effort (Sackville CD2-4004, from 1977) and "Live at Claudio's" from the Montreal club (Sackville SKCD2-3052, 1991). Don Menza, tenor; Pete Magadini, drums; Wray Downes, piano; Dave Young, bass. You KNOW that John would want me to correct you...

John Norris, founder of CODA, Canada's Jazz Magazine more than 50 years ago; and co-founder with Bill Smith of Sackville Records, died Sunday evening, January 31...heart-related. He had just passed his 76th birthday in early January. His wife Sandy says there'll be no traditional service, but later a memorial service, and I'm sure there'll be Jazz! Though not a musician, he lived The Jazz Life, dedicating himself totally to jazz, and using all his knowledge and resources for the music. Sorry -- I've just noticed that Peter Friedman has already passed on the word... Please refer to his posting from a couple of hours back. Peter and I, and many others are long-time friends of John's...

Samnat, don't know much about vinyl or rock, but the best jazz CD selection in Toronto these days is at L'Atelier Grigorian, midtown. It's a great Classical store, with an excellent jazz department. Harmik Grigorian is the founder/owner, and he's usually there -- say hello! L'Atelier Grigorian www.grigorian.com 70 Yorkville Avenue Toronto (416) 922-6477 There's a big HMV store downtown (Yonge St, just north of Dundas) but there's not much there anymore. If John Valentyn is clerking while you're in the jazz department, he's a real Blues expert.

Pretty good proof that Gerry Wiggins was great, and that Jacquet didn't need him....

I'm sure you know that they are Lennie Breau's parents... There's a French-Canadian family history, but they were from Maine, as I recall, though they moved in and out of Canada over the years. Is Lennie heard on any of these recordings?

Well, what I would call 'good' music is, but "music"? I dunno. There's an all-sports station in Toronto which starts each segment with rock/pop music exerpts that they let roll on and on. Then, the hosts seems to talk more about that piece of music than the sports topic of the day. The entertainment sections of newspapers seem to be 75% music-referenced. Rock/pop music is at the core of most people's experiences, and the common denominator of society it would seem. iPods have taken over public interactions, and I assume they're all pumping out music rather than poetry readings. Buffalo used to be a great jazz radio town. I go back to hearing guys like Joe Rico (for whom Kenton did "Jump For Joe", and Jacquet did "Port Of Rico") and Carroll Hardy.

I agree with you 100%. I had that one copied to a CDR for listening, then got the Mighty Quinn version when it came out. The CD booklet doesn't have the LP's fleur-de-lis pattern under the script, though. I had the great fortune of meeting the gentlemanly Mr. Hall, and he gave me a copy of that LP which I still have), autographed as "To Ted O'Reilly -- Very Best Wishes -- We are enjoying our time in Toronto Ont. -- Edmond Hall". He and his wife were in town as he was playing at a short-lived club.

I would not purchase the Djangologie box for these three tracks. Presume they will be added to the third re-reissue box from Frémeaux! From neveronfriday: I'm not - from a distance - convinced by that Frémeaux series either. That mastering outfit I linked to does not at all sound like one that takes great care in restoring music like that and I highly doubt they were given access to any masters. François Terrazzoni who mastered with great care all the Django Frémeaux sets also mastered many Masters of Jazz releases (Ellington, Basie, Hampton, Charlie Christian, among others). He did a great job on all those! I have a couple of Terrazzoni'd Dreyfus CDs of Eliington material, "Ko-Ko" (FDM 36717) and "Take The A Train" (FDM 36732) which are as good as any transfers I've ever heard. Am playing them right now, just to remind myself of their amazing quality. Lots of audio credits: (sorry for lack of diacritical marks) Transfers and Noise removal: Francois & Anne-Marie Terrazzoni - Studio Parelies Spacialization and Sound treatment - RERFRA Process: Rene Ameline, Assistant: Philippe Arnal Premastering: Rene Ameline and Francis Dreyfus - Assistant: Pedja Mastering: Rene Ameline and Philippe Arnal Of all these people, is there only one we should thank, as it seems they all had a part in what we hear? To my ears the "Noise removal" is exactly the problem with those Dreyfus Ellington CDs. They sound dead as a dodo to me; the loss of higher frequencies info is very obvious. In my opinion Terrazzoni did a much better job in the mid-1990s with some of the Masters of Jazz CDs that Brownie mentioned. Hmmm....they sound all right to me. Just because you can hear the bottom doesn't mean the top isn't there. I don't know the Masters of Jazz CDs. I'll look into them - thanks to you and Brownie for the tip.

That's a rip-off! I find that I can use my CD rewinder on DVDs -- it works beautifully. No need to spend more money...

I would not purchase the Djangologie box for these three tracks. Presume they will be added to the third re-reissue box from Frémeaux! From neveronfriday: I'm not - from a distance - convinced by that Frémeaux series either. That mastering outfit I linked to does not at all sound like one that takes great care in restoring music like that and I highly doubt they were given access to any masters. François Terrazzoni who mastered with great care all the Django Frémeaux sets also mastered many Masters of Jazz releases (Ellington, Basie, Hampton, Charlie Christian, among others). He did a great job on all those! I have a couple of Terrazzoni'd Dreyfus CDs of Eliington material, "Ko-Ko" (FDM 36717) and "Take The A Train" (FDM 36732) which are as good as any transfers I've ever heard. Am playing them right now, just to remind myself of their amazing quality. Lots of audio credits: (sorry for lack of diacritical marks) Transfers and Noise removal: Francois & Anne-Marie Terrazzoni - Studio Parelies Spacialization and Sound treatment - RERFRA Process: Rene Ameline, Assistant: Philippe Arnal Premastering: Rene Ameline and Francis Dreyfus - Assistant: Pedja Mastering: Rene Ameline and Philippe Arnal Of all these people, is there only one we should thank, as it seems they all had a part in what we hear?

A fine talent all around, and especially as a clarinetist -- good enough for Artie Shaw to ask Dick to play/lead his new orchestra in 1981. I had a chance to meet him and interview him then. A real nice guy, who, while admiring Shaw, didn't seem to be intimidated by him or his music. I remember a story about that time (was it through Bill Crow?): in his thick Brockton Massachusetts accent, he phoned a company to print up some covers for the "The Artie Shaw Orchestra led by Dick Johnson" band books. When they arrived they read "The Ottie Shore Orchestra led by Dick Johnson"

But that's immaterial, it seems, as the story says "The label also tastefully broadened its music pallet beyond jazz to include such acclaimed artists as Priscilla Ahn, Anita Baker, Al Green, Amos Lee, Willie Nelson, Kristina Train and the bird and the bee." That's the direction the label is going -- how long can they pump out jazz reissues to people who already have them?

Urtreger remains Monsieur Urtreger. Here is another video (from 1961) of Monsieur Urtreger: Blues for You with Sacha Distel and Jean-Louis Viale! Is that Pierre Michelot on bass??? Brownie, would he not be something like "Monsieur le Chevalier" Urtreger? Sorta like "the Reverend Mr. Smith"?

Agree completely. Wonderful music -- AND it came quickly, without Canadian customs charges.

Since it's Christmas Eve...[/i] Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. And, best wishes for a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make Canada great, and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee. (By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.) This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)

Wow! Really? Early jazz?

Toronto's Dave Young is the master bowed-bass soloist. I get the chance to hear him a lot, and no one has better pitch, better sound or better ideas. Oscar Peterson thought so, too... Dave played with OP for years, following on such as Ray Brown, Sam Jones, and: replacing Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, no less. I know there are lots of folk on Organissimo who don't like OP, but if you want to hear some fine bowed bass, the best way to find Dave Young is on Peterson's recordings and DVDs. Young has just released a new CD, and you can learn about it, and him, at: http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=mo...e&sid=10858 I think that a club date I recorded, Lenny Breau with Dave Young "Live at Bourbon Street" is still available. It was a typical club evening, and the whole thing eventually was released on rocker Randy Bachman's Guitarchives label. Fine work by Young there...

Would the past tense of "blithering" be "blatheriing"? Would you be "batty" if too much of your work was "bitty"? And, the Modern Jazz Society material is fine!

Blithering dishwater I get. (Of course, I just bought the CD and heard it). "...but when John Lewis got bitty"? What's "bitty", Larry?

Do you have the two, two-disc CDs released on Emanon? They were VERY pricey when issued...

Montreal 30 points (Green Riders have a reasonable defence).

Am I the only one who gets a stuttering, jittery feed of all/any of this material from INA?

Bev, doesn't Peter Friedman's post #2 say that he does have it on CD? And his follow-up says it was on Horizon itself, not another label. Perhaps Peter can give some catalog numbers for that issue...

....and "Jim Hall Live!", also at Toronto's Bourbon St., with Don Thompson and Terry Clarke. This one got the actual A&M Horizon label, as A&M SP-705, though there's also a Verve logo on the disc, and another catalog number: 440 065 428-2. Something I like about this duo-pack release is that it includes the original liner notes in almost full LP size, as a 9.5" loose-sheet square inserted in the sleeve.