crisp

No mention of expat British comedians Stan Laurel, Charlie Chaplin and Bob Hope, though.

Yes, I almost added that one but it isn't for all tastes. There's an interesting idea at its centre: God exists but he is malevolent.

It's minor Amis pere. I've read almost everything and would recommend long before OFE: Take a Girl Like You / The Green Man / The Egyptologists / Ending Up / You Can't Do Both And if you like those: Girl, 20 / The Alteration / Jake's Thing Most of those I like better than Lucky Jim, which many people seem to read without exploring him further. My way in was the collected letters, which is hilarious and gives a good overall impression of this spoilt, strong-minded, funny and interesting man. Oh, and if you drink, this is great fun:

My earliest memory may well be hearing Space Oddity on the radio. So while I never became much of a fan he possibly piqued my interest in music, and thanks for that.

Interesting. Not the ones I want but that's an encouraging sign. Thanks.

Such a shame. If they were ALAC they would be getting my money for some of these.

PS I meant Columbia Jazz Masterpieces.

Columbia Jazz Masterworks -- I still have a few. In fact I was able to discard several after getting these (and earlier) boxes. That said, I believe Jazz Party in the Ellington box is the same as the Masterworks version.

Lossless by any chance?

Still on the vintage mysteries:

I finished Mystery in White. A pleasant read although he didn't supply the motive or all the key characters until near the end, so trying to work out the mystery was a bit of a waste of time. I've been reading this simultaneously: Great opening chapter and brilliantly constructed, although the police inquiry reminds me a bit too much of The Stain on the Snow, which I hated. I've also started this (very good so far; these mystery writers seem to have been a pretty unhappy bunch):

Beethoven: Masterworks (DG box set) £57.93 (51 discs) at Amazon UK. Not sure what to make of this mixed bag.

Vocalion has released the most comprehensive and best-sounding British dance band CDs imo, many of which feature Bowlly. Collecting these is probably the best approach. However the CDs are organised by band leader (Ray Noble, Roy Fox, etc) rather than singer and are not in strict date order. Also many are oop (although the early ones are being reissued). A search on "bowlly" on the Vocation site brings up all the in-print CDs on which he appears. After that you'll need to piece together the oop ones via eBay or Marketplace sellers or wait for the reissues, which are gradually appearing. Even if you don't end up with a complete Bowlly collection this way, you'll certainly have almost all of them. BTW Bowlly is very well remembered in the UK, at least among people who give a damn (if you know what I mean), probably in part owing to Dennis Potter's TV series Pennies from Heaven, which gave his reputation a boost in the mid-Seventies.

That's how -- by law -- you finish a preview of a jazz TV or radio show.

In the UK it seems to be the law that if a newspaper article is about jazz the headline has to be "All That Jazz".

Two more: Winter Wonderland by Harry Connick Jr on When Harry Met Sally. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) by The Chipmunks on The London American Label Year By Year: 1958.

George Shearing was mentioned at the top of this thread for Lullaby of Birdland. What about Conception?

Good one -- thanks.

I've come across quite a few more of these while ripping my collection this year (warning: not just jazz). Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland on Meet Me In St Louis Soundtrack We Need A Little Christmas by Angela Lansbury on Mame Original Broadway Cast Hail To Christmas by The Decca Chorus on Babes in Toyland/The Red Mill Wonderful Christmastime by John Pizzarelli on Midnight McCartney The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) by Mel Torme on My Kind of Music Jingle Bells by Bernard Peiffer on La Vie En Rose (Jazz in Paris) Thank God It's Christmas by Queen on The Works (Deluxe Edition) Shake Hands With Santa Claus by Louis Prima on Breakin' It Up St. Bernie The Sno-Dog by Roger Nicholas Trio on Roger Nicholas and the Small Circle of Friends Winter Wonderland by Laurie Johnson on With a Vengeance! Sleigh Ride on Drum Suite by Slide Hampton And Suddenly It's Christmas by Michael Feinstein on The Burton Lane Songbook Volume One Winter Wonderland by Dennis Farnon on Caution! Men Swinging Sleigh Ride by Werner Muller on Plays Leroy Anderson / Mozart: Favourite Classical Tops Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Dexter Gordon on Gotham City Christmas Roses by Frankie Laine And Jo Stafford on I Believe (Bear Family box set) Christmas Rose and Christmas Vacation by Bobby Vee on The Singles Collection One Little Snowflake and The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) by Mel Torme on That's All Remember Bethlehem (The Intake School Carol) by Jake Thackeray on Jake in a Box Phew!

Greensleeves?

Claudio Abbado: The Complete RCA And Sony Album Collection (39 discs) £33.89 at Amazon UK. 50 Great Recordings (Sony collection) £34.99 at Amazon UK. Willi Boskovsky: Ballroom Classics (11 discs) £17.16 at Amazon UK. Dennis Russell Davies: Complete Haydn Symphonies (37 discs) £21.32 at Amazon UK. Living Stereo (60 discs) £49.99 at Amazon UK.

Well, it's started very well. Shaping up to be more of an old dark house mystery than a marooned train one. I tentatively recommend it.

I've always stored the booklets upside down so the spine is facing the opening of the case. They are easy to remove that way. Having battled to remove it the first time I don't want to do it again. Re the cardboard long-boxes, someone told me once they were so US stores could display them in the same racks designed for LPs. Two rows could be fitted in one rack, side by side. We never had them in the UK so when the US chain Tower Records opened in Piccadilly they used to open the jewel cases and re-house them in tough plastic long boxes to store in their LP racks. You had to use shears to get these cases open; there was no other way.

RCA is owned by Sony now so it could be done. Although I'm not banking on it either, it's possible.