Ted O'Reilly

I think you mean disposable razors. And you're right -- I remember Bic coming out with them around 1968 or '69.

Gee, I dunno, Dan. I know what you're saying, but it is a manufacturing problem. I think mgraham333 should have gone to the retailer first, but a lot of retailers these days (e.g. electronics) don't bother with any sort of guarantee, but boot you along to the manufacturer, who warrants the product.

Audio systems are just fine, as long as they don't get in the way of the music.

Without getting into a discussion of "gateway drugs", Kiener DID die of an overdose on the Rich band bus. I have an hour or more of Kiener's solo piano playing in Toronto. What a pianist! What a loss...

Well, thank you very much, Jazzolog, but in keeping with my reputation for being accurate, if not downright pedantic, I was never heard on the CBC. Well, as an occasional guest, but not as a host. My jazz career was on CJRT-FM in Toronto (these days called JazzFM91, a claim I'll argue with). I was at that Monterey concert too (Sept. 18, 1981). There was indeed a live broadcast of the concerts, and I have an off-the-air cassette of it, so I can't tell how well-recorded it actually was, given the broadcast quality, but it's a good souvenir. The Hi-Lo's (Don Shelton, Clark Burroughs, Bob Morse and Gene Puerling) with Don Haas (sp?) on piano; Marc Johnson on bass and Connie Kay on drums. Their set: Small Fry My Sugar (Is So Refined) Lady In Red Lulu's Back In Town Tenderly Come Rain Or Come Shine Secret Love Lazy Afternoon Rockin' Chair Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass finally got on stage for "The Breakfast Show" at about 1:30 in the morning, and the band had been travelling and up for about 26 hours: "We came from Toronto today. On a bus!" said Rob. Their set: Confirmation (Sam Noto, tpt; Moe Koffman, alto; Ed Bickert, gtr) Portrait of Jenny (Guido Basso, flug) My Bells (Jimmy Dale, pno) Just Friends (Rob McConnell, vtbn; Eugene Amaro, tnr; Sam Noto, tpt) Then, the Hi-Lo's came out and joined the band for two tracks they had recorded with The Boss Brass for MPS: Georgia Seems Like Old Times Then, the encore/closer, the theme Rob wrote for me (recorded live at the El Mocambo in Toronto) T.O. (Rob McConnell, vtbn; Ed Bickert, gtr) All the way through, the great bass work of Don Thompson, and Terry Clarke on drums -- 16 years to the day when they also ignited Monterey with the John Handy Quintet on Spanish Lady and If Only We Knew. More? www.tedoreilly.com

Yeah, Carl "Ziggy" Elmer, with Krupa and James and.... what else? And where did he get to? Did he die in the '50s?

I haven't seen a vote here for a hybrid: Wet and/or Dry. I travel a fair bit, and when in Switzerland about a dozen years ago had my Braun electric die on me, and it was going to cost more to repair it than buy a new one. But, while switchable to the North American voltage, I would have ended up with a cord that needed an adapter to work at home. The shopkeeper suggested I get get a battery-powered one for the duration, and suggested a Panasonic Wet/Dry. An electric razor (even battery) that you can use wet?? Yes! and while it's not great on the neck, the result: the best shave ever. It cost less than $50, and I'm on my third version now. I stick with the battery type (2 AAs you can buy anywhere) for the travel convenience--no recharger needed. The current one, Panasonic Pro-Curve ES4815s is just fine with me... (Oh: use the best shaving get out there, Aveeno).

I'm maybe misremembering, but wasn't it Starlite, not Spotlite?

FFA, I'm with you, but proudly own their recordings -- I've never understood people who can't hear the incredible musicianship of The Singers Unlimited (never mind The Hi-Lo's). I saw the creation of the album TSU did with Rob McConnell, as the four singers sang the guide tracks to the Boss Brass instrumental side. I would have been happy to release just those efforts, let alone the polished overdubs that created the choir. And Puerling was a master of that sort of studio production, probably equalling what George Martin did. Gene was underappreciated, believe me...

By the way, if you're not aware of Puerling, you can do some catchup at http://www.singers.com/arrangers/genepuerling.html

I've just heard, through Rob McConnell, that Gene Puerling died last Tuesday, just short of his 79th birthday. Puerling created and led the vocal groups The Hi-Lo's and The Singers Unlimited.. He was probably the best vocal arranger ever. I met Gene on several occasions, and he was among the truly nicest people around. I doubt that he had an enemy in the world, but he certainly had a ton of friends and admirers.

Me, contacts and the cheapest eyeglass frames I can find. My lenses are in 16 hours a day, and the glasses are for the walk from bathroom to bedroom, then lights out!

Chris' reference to Valaida Snow ("...a trumpeter and vocalist who had one of the most remarkable careers in jazz...") gives me the opportunity to let you know of a wonderful new book by Toronto jazz writer Mark Miller. "High Hat, Trumpet and Rhythm, The Life and Music of Valaida Snow" [The Mercury Press ISBN 1-55128-127-9] is Miller's eighth book, and like his others scrupulously researched (original research at that, not the cribbing from other writers) and written with clarity. His writing has an integrity that deftly separates fact from hyperbole (she was never in a concentration camp, but was "in custody" of the Danes, not Nazis) yet shows affection for his subject. A concise 186 pages, the book includes a discography, bibliography and index.

Vicks VapoRub...95% petroleum jelly. No wonder the price of oil's going up, at the rate I'm using the Vicks...

Vicks/RIP. Cause and effect?

1)Myer's Rum 2) Vitamin C, no alcohol 3) ZICAM (of which I've never heard before but will look for) I'm leaning towards 1), but the Vicks Vaporub might affect the enticing aroma. My nose is sure I'm up to #100 grit Kleenex today.

Well, I almost got through the winter without a cold, but one's coming on... I wonder, what do you add to your Neo-Citran, gin or vodka?

take 5, reading your original post, I didn't know just what it was you meant when you said "comp". Generally, in jazz, I've found when that word is used it's in the context of playing aCOMPaniment. ("Hey, doesn't Tommy Flanagan comp good!?!") I now think your meaning is COMPilation, as in a disc... Is that right?

And what do you think that story might be, Nate? Something 'content-oriented', perhaps? Jeff's passing is a sad loss for his family, friends and fans. And losing his knowledge is like watching a library burn down.

But, but, but, I STILL don't know where "here" is for danasgoodstuff...

Right you are, Bill. On "Snappy Doo" he played all the parts (save gtr/bss/dms) of a big band, and wrote the arrangements. The rhythm section was Herb Ellis, Ray Brown and Jeff Hamilton. Morrison was even hip enough to play different horns within a section, so there would be tonal differences. Would his main instrument be trumpet, or does it really matter? (For me, Scott Robinson's C-melody work is a favourite. "Melody From The Sky" on Arbors always puts a smile on my face.)

Where is "here"? Are you wanting to buy at a shop, or online, or....?

Toronto's Don Thompson is equally fine on bass, piano, vibes and drums. He used to play trumpet (a la Clifford Brown), and I've been told he picked up trombone in a couple of lessons, but never played it in a band. I don't know if he ever played reeds, but no doubt would master them, too. In addition, he is a fabulous composer and arranger, a great teacher and talented recording engineer. AND more important than any of that, a great guy. Just picked up a Scott Robinson CD today on which he shows his great musical taste by playing the compositions of Thad Jones. On this release, he plays C-Flute, C-Melody sax, F-Mezzo-Soprano Sax, Tenor Sax, Bass Saxophone, Eb-soprano Flute, Contrabass Sarrusophone, Alto Clarinet, Echo Cornet (new to me--looks like it has a second, smaller bell), French Horn, Flugelhorn, Theremin, and (just for fun) thundersheet and bell. The CD's annotator is Rufus Reid, who says "The amazing thing is he convinces you that each one is entirely his main instrument". (A bonus on the album is Richard Wyands on 9 of the 14 tracks).

Wm. F. Buckley? Oh, yeah -- the guy who wrote the liner notes for "Dick Wellstood and his All Star Orchestra Featuring Kenny Davern" (Chiaroscuro CR 129). Danasgoodstuff: do you think many folks on organissimo know who Dief the Chief is?

Clark Terry is still alive. Illinois Jacquet was at the time of the question, although not anymore, alas. Also, is Snooky Young still live? Depending on what you call the Old Testament Band (does it continue through to 1949 and the RCA Victor recordings? I've heard some claim OT didn't really survive WW2) Clark Terry was in the OT band. He joined in the latter half of 1948, and stayed with Basie in the Octet after the big band was folded. Was with him still when the band reformed, then went to Ellington in late '51. (He once told me that Duke offered him the job, but Clark didn't want Basie to think he wanted to jump, so he left Basie for "family reasons", spent a while off the road, then went to Ellington). CT is 87 now. Snooky had his 89th birthday on Feb. 3, and I think is still playing (with Clayton/Hamilton?). He was in-and-out of Basie's band (the first stint from early 1943) for a total of about 8 years service.