Ted O'Reilly

In the first 7 or 8 seconds of "Volcano", the live at Ronnie Scott's session, there's a guy directly under the left channel audience mic shouting out something that I've never been able to completely decipher (it must be the Brit accent). I think it's something like "...well, they don't sound like a bunch of fucking ?mongers? ...HAH HAH HAH...." It's just before the (off mic) emcee brings the band on. Has anyone else ever heard it, and figured out what he's saying? If you have that recording, take a listen and let me know, please... (I try to hide the audience mics when I record live, always fearing that some jerk will screw up a take with just such a remark).

I've just heard from Neil Swainson (he's been on the road with Roberta Gambarini, and the irrepressible Jake Hanna): Hi Ted FYI, just days before the Berlin Wall came down. I played a concert at the Berlin Philharmonie with George Shearing, Mel Torme, and Donny Osborne. Hmmm, I don't recall a recording! Neil Maybe Mel took the cheque from the broadcaster, promising to pass it on to the band...

The heading's gonna hafta be changed. If Mel's there, it ain't a GS session any more....

I remember my first exposure to the European scene at the Nice JF in 1979 -- I was amazed at the number of people with very sophisticated mic. setups and little mixing boards with headsets, all recording the various stages at the Cimiez Gardens. No one stopped them, not even the artists. The attitude seemed to be "oh, well -- that's what they do here". The official sound men were also recording everything from the on-stage setup. On a Nagra IVS at 3.75 ips.... As to Monterey, they must have been doing the same over the years, as there have been quite a few 'documentary'-type releases over the years, such as "40 Legendary Years", a 1997 3-CD release attached somehow to that local jazz fan Clint Eastwood. (Malpaiso/Warner Bros. 9 46703-2). It all starts with a true collector's item: from 1958, Dizzy does a solo trumpet reading of the Star-Spangled Banner!

So, who's on the band? Neil Swainson, bass, and....????

That's really a great one. Their rapport makes for great music! Sackville SKCD2-2041 recorded live at Toronto's now-gone Montreal Bistro (by me, in fact) and very spontaneous. A good choice of tunes, too, 8 of 'em, with each artist getting a solo along the way. The same club is the location for performance duos by Dick Hyman with Ralph Sutton, also on Sackville (SKCD2-2054), and Dick and Ralph did one for Concord that's fine: Concord CCD-4603. The Montreal Bistro was an important club for piano, especially, coming out of the ashes of Toronto's Cafe des Copains, which was originally and continuously for several years, a solo piano room. When the action moved to the Montreal, club owner Lothar Lang had more space, and during the Toronto Jazz Festival often brought in another piano to double the pleasure. I always wanted him to pair up Joanne Brackeen and Jessica Williams...would've been great! (somebody should do it...)

Yes to everything Peter Friedman says above, and if you ever run across it, grab a wonderful duo concert recording by Phil with Gordon Beck, his old "European Rhythm Machine" pal. It's a wonderful, intimate set, with some Woods clarinet. I love his clarinet work! "Live at Wigmore Hall" JMS 18686-2 (2 CDs) Recorded May 5, 1996.

I thought the Burton Quartet of the very late '60s (with Jerry Hahn on guitar replacing Larry Coryell) was a very interesting band. Hahn had a very country/blues sound that brought a bit of funk to Burton, who could be a bit overwhelming, technically. Bill Goodwin brought a nice, loose feel to the time, too, and Steve Swallow was still playing acoustic bass... Nice sound. I have a 1971 live-in-Tokyo album that was only issued in Japan (and Canada!) that has some good stuff, too -- Sam Brown's on guitar, with Tony Levin on bass. I've not listened to it in years: maybe I'll make a CDR of it...

I see Oppo has a DV-981HD model now... Would it be that much better that the earlier ones? (I have a Sharp Aquos HD set, so I should get the best one available I suppose...) Nothing is stated on their website, and I suppose it doesn't matter, but where are these devices manufactured? Does anyone know?

The Wellstood's welcome. The Felix I can do without -- I've always found him to be a mechanical player, sans soul. It's as if he learned to play by following along on a player piano.

What kind of music is that?? Thanks jazz1 Great instrumental interpretations of selections from the "Great American Songbook", all of which happen to have been sung by Frank Sinatra... (If you mean "hard bop" or "dixieland" or "avant garde", I dunno. I'm not much into labels, just music). 01. Once In A While 02. When The Sun Comes Out 03. Angel Eyes 04. Little Girl Blue 05. On A Clear Day 06. September Song 07. Ill Wind 08. Only The Lonely 09. Where Do You Go? 10. I've Got You Under My Skin 11. The Song Is You 12. How Deep Is The Ocean 13. Body And Soul 14. Stella By Starlight 15. Night And Day Recorded by Janne Hansson, Atlantis Studio (in Stockholm, I assume), February 2005. The producer is Rune Ofwerman, himself a fine pianist...

Jazzmoose and Porcy, 18 of 20 too.... (Sorry, I meant the "I win" reference to some others off-forum....)

So far, I win: Spot The Fake Smile Results You got 18 out of 20 correct (It's in the eyes, I say...)

I recall the direct-to-disc Arne Domnerus 2-disc set "Jazz At The Pawnshop" release sounding good on Proprius LP. It was a litlle less impressive on a truncated CD issue (which the Lord discogrophy doesn't note). Does anyone know if that will ever come out again, preferably complete?

I've been meaning to point out the wonderful-sounding duet recording by the late Swedish clarinettist Putte Wickman with Jan Lundgren at the piano, "An Intimate Salute To Frankie" (Gazell GAFCD-1088). Perfect balance between the instruments, with natural, appropriately intimate sound. Don't let the 'tribute' theme to Sinatra throw you off -- it's 15 great standards, beautifully played...

It may be that it's because the Lawrence Welk organization owns the masters. Some of them came out in Europe through FNAC -- their version of the (great-sounding) Jimmy Rushing on a twofer CD, while the US version was on a single disc, dropping some tracks. Unconscionable, I say...

Anycomments on "Stridemonster", Harold? Very good or excellent? Well, I'd say Excellent. But then, I did produce it. Great to know that, Ted! The StrideMonster in action, Bern International Jazz Festival (1986) : Thou Swell That's great to see: I was at that performance, and it was one of the reasons I decided to make a record with them. They had done one in 1983 for Hans Ruland ("I Wish I Were Twins" Swingtime 8204) and I thought it was time for another... I also recorded Dick Hyman with the equally great pianist Ralph Sutton, and that's available on Sackville SKCD2-2054 "Just You, Just Me". Also, look for Hyman and Sutton's Concord release CCD-4603.

Anycomments on "Stridemonster", Harold? Very good or excellent? Well, I'd say Excellent. But then, I did produce it.

As a single example, I've always liked the Vic Dickenson Septet on Vanguard (December 29, 1953). Two 10" LPs became a 12" LP, became a CD and has always sounded wonderful. Monaural, with three horns and four rhythm balancing themselves around a single microphone. The Contemporary catalogue shows many examples of how jazz is supposed to sound.

I've always liked that Braff cover, too, and told Ruby that. He told me it's a composite, that it's a phony. You can imagine the disdain with which he would say it. He said the shot of him was taken for publicity photos for a Broadway show in which he appeared onstage (the name of which I've forgotten, but the experts on Organissimo will no doubt remember). If you look closely, you'll see that the light is indeed differently shadowed on him than the rest of the room, especially on the woman. I think Ruby thought that people would think it was his landlady or something -- that he was living in a boarding house, and that was wrong!

I remember some airchecks from the Orson Welles Mercury Theatre (sorry, "Theater") broadcasts in the spring of 1944, just before Noone died. Had them on LP, but don't know if they ever came out on CD. The album had further tracks with Barney Bigard and one Wade Whaley replacing Noone. Interesting for the historical aspect, and pretty good music. The "Fat Cats" stuff was boring.

NOLa drummer Kohlman spent time in Chicago, and did a lot of east coast work, too, as well as European tours. I've never heard of any Hollywood time. Any drumming in the Pete Kelly's Blues idiom was done by Nick Fatool... Details at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048484/fullcredits#cast. (There was a producer named Kohlmar, I think...)

There's some very good Ben Webster recorded in Switzerland, released on the fine Sackville label from Canada that gets overlooked: "Ben Webster & Teddy Wilson" with Isla Eckinger on bass and Peter Giger on drums, recorded at The National, Bern; May 1/70 (Sackville SKCD2-2056) "Ben and Buck, featuring Ben Webster and Buck Clayton" with Henri Chaix, piano; Alain Du Bois, guitar; Isla Eckinger, bass; Romano Cavicchiolo, drums; from a concert in Baden, June 3/67 (Sackville SKCD2-2037) Label boss John Norris is a bit of a luddite (no website or email), but you can write him at Sackville Recordings, PO Box 1002, Stn. O, Toronto ON Canada M4A 2N4. He does respond to faxes at 416.465.9093.

Tommy was a lovely man, and I'm glad to have known him, recorded his performances and interviewed him many times. (Probably the least known item in his discography is an Art Ellefson record I produced, with Tommy on piano, David Young on bass and Barry Elmes on drums. (Peter Friedman: did you ever get a copy of that LP?)

Once more re: crime fiction and jazz, the usually-reliable Elmore Leonard faltered a bit with "The Hot Kid", set in the early-'30s southwest of Oklahoma and Kansas City, but there are many references to then current jazz in the area. About half-way through the book, Leonard has his title character Carl Webster (a US marshal) share a drink and a conversation at the Reno Club with Jay McShann... (And Donald Westlake's "The Dancing Aztecs" reminds me of one of Mozart's opera sextets -- he keeps so many plot lines going at once, unconfusingly, each memorable). And as to Balliett, I preferred his profiles to his reviews, but all were done with singular style.