jazztrain

Looks like the CD set is available on eBay.

Many, many years ago when Eugene T. Maleska was the crossword puzzle editor at the NY Times, he had a puzzle with a clue that was something like "jazz singer Art." The answer was Tatum. I sent him a short note pointing out that he might want to identify Tatum as a pianist in the future. He thanked me, said he had been misinformed, and mentioned that he had a recent book that was available. Ella shows up occasionally, no doubt due to the common letters in her name.

How ironic. I picked up a used copy of this sometime in the last few months and listened to it yesterday and today for the first time. Chuck already answered the questions

I would have said that you could come up to Boston to catch him at Sculler's tonight, but they had a fire earlier today and have cancelled the show.

Joe Thomas. Far too many to keep track of. Bill Harris (the trombonist, and the guitarist). There's a new release from someone named Johnny Hodges.

I'm back home and have had a chance to look at the four King Jazz cds. They were issued in 1992. Alessandro Protti is listed as one of the producers, and John R.T. Davies is credited for transfers but with others credited for pre-mastering re-recording and for DAT mastering. The back of each cd states that Mezzrow sold the King Jazz label to Alessandro Protti in 1960. (Anyone know if that's true?) The four cds include all of the Mezzrow-Bechet Quintet and Septet sides but do not include the Mezzrow speaking parts, the Sammy Price solos, the Pleasant Joe vocals with Sammy Price, the Sammy Price/Big Sid Catlett duo, or the mystery harmonica side.

Thanks for posting this Chris! Very helpful.

Thanks Romualdo. Some searching on line turns up some earlier threads about this material, including one from 2006 where Chris mentions that Storyville was remastering the material. It appears that some or all of the material has been out before on cd and LP. I remembering having some of it on LPs from the King Jazz label from Italy. I think Alessandro Protti was the label owner. This was probably the source of a cd issue on what I think was four CDs. Those CDs may not have included the piano solo sides by Sammy Price, but I won't be able to confirm that until I return home in a couple of days. It also looks like the material was out on GHB, as you note, and on a series of five earlier Mezzrow/Bechet and Bechet CDs on Storyville. Therefore, the new issue in Storyville may be largely a repackaging of earlier Storyville CDs (except they now include the mysterious harmonica track and all the alternates (are they on the earlier Storyville CDs?) and notes by Chris. It sounds like the new box is worth getting, but I'd really like to sort this all out before making the plunge!

Chris, Leaving aside the mystery harmonica track, how many tracks are on the box? I'm still unclear if there's anything else new relative to the King Jazz CDs. Ironically, I just finished reading "Really the Blues" while away on vacation.

Chris, Can you shed any light on how this compares to the volumes that were issued on cd many years ago by the Italian King Jazz label?

I had a "whatever happened to" conversation about Ricky Ford with a colleague a few weeks ago. He was based in Massachusetts for many years. I saw him many times, probably back in the late 1970s before he headed overseas to Paris. I think he also has spent aome time teaching in Turkey.

Hep has a series of 6 cds that cover most of the Teddy Wilson small group sides including those on which Billie Holiday appears as vocalist. From memory, I think there are some sides from 1941 or 1942 that they didn't get to. Hep also has a seventh Teddy Wilson cd that covers his big band. All highly recommended.

My understanding is that Mosaic is working on an Earl Hines big band box. Erskine Hawkins would be a good follow up. I was thinking 30s Earl Hines would be a good choice too.

Here's some more information about the Tangerine label. First, a link to some albums: Tangerine album listing Here's a listing of some 45s on Tangerine: Tangerine 45 listing Nice. There were also quite a few 45s on Tangerine that may not have made it onto LPs. For example, Jimmy Lewis cut a string of 45s that were released on Tangerine.

E.J. Korvette! Haven't thought about them in years. I don't remember shopping there for records at that time.

I worked in New York City one summer during that period and would occasionally get a ride home with my dad during which we'd listen to Bob & Ray. Many of my lunch hours were spent pursuing the stacks at Sam Goody and King Karol. did wor carry bob and ray???? they were an nbc(wnbc) entity, as i recall. B & R did the afternoon drive time show at WOR from 1973 to 1976. I didn't know this from listening at the time - I've never lived in NYC. But I've got lots of recordings (legitimately licensed and otherwise) from their WOR days. I love the daily episodes of "Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife." At the end of each episode, Bob would say, "Tune in tomorrow, when you'll hear [one of Ray's characters] say: ____" Ray would come up with something off the wall, and the next day's episode would be based on that.

Heard his fifth symphony performed last weekend at Tanglewood. It's certainly long and, at times, dramatic.

My wife, who is originally from South Africa, had spoken about him to me in the past. We saw the trailer for the film a few weeks ago, and it's now on our "must see" list.

There's some more information about him here: Mayhems I seem to remember that some of his sides with the Blue Chips show up on a CD collection or two on Columbia/Sony in their Blues & Roots series. Perhaps one of the gospel collections. OK. Here it is. Two selections ("Cryin' Holy Unto The Lord" and "Stay On the Right Side of the Road") by the Blue Chips appear on the CD "Preachin' the Gospel: Holy Blues" (Sony). Those two motivated me to pick up a used copy of the Document CD when I saw it several years ago. My recollection is that those two were the best of the bunch. The music on the Document CD, as best as I can recall, was a mix of gospel and later far more secular music that was less interesting.

Flick lives! But WOR doesn't.

Chuck, If you're talking about the material from the early to mid 1930s, I know of the following: Two 2-cd sets on Kings Cross Music (KCM 001/002 and KCM 003/004). Remastering by John R.T Davies. The first set has: - Spike Hughes and his Decca-Dents (3/12/30 and 3/28/30) - Spike Hughes and his Dance Orchestra (4/2/30, 4/16/30, 4/29/30, 5/23/30, 6/27/30) - Philip Buchel with Spike Hughes and his Three Blind Music (7/5/30) - Jimmy Dorsey acc. by Spike Hughes and his Three Blind Mice (7/15/30) - Spike Hughes and his Dance Orchestra (7/16/30, 8/18/30, 9/6/30, 11/5/30) The second set has: - Spike Hughes and his Dance Orchestra (11/19/30, 12/12/30,1/23/31, 4/8/31, 6/18/31) - Joey Shields (with Spike Hughes and his Three Blind Mice (9/25/31, 9/30,31) - Spike Hughes and his Dance Orchestra (10/13/31, 10/21/31, 11/17/31, 11/18/31, 2/3/32, 2/5/32) - The Roof Garden Orchestra (2/10/32) - Buddy's Brigade (same 2/10/32 session) - Spike Hughes and his Dance Orchestra (3/30/32, 4/1/32, 11/20/32) There's also a cd called High Yellow (Largo 5129). It purports to include all his jazz compositions ("in his own classic recordings from London and New York including the music for the Frederick Ashton/Buddy Bradley balled High Yellow). It includes material recorded in London by Spike Hughes and his Orchestra and in New York by Spike Hughes and his Negro Orchestra. Mastering also by John R. T. Davies. About half of the material is on the Kings Cross Music sets, but about half of it is not.

According to a Sports Illustrated article (link pasted below), he said "It felt like a big relief to me." Yikes! Sounds like quite a marriage. Sports Illustrated article

There was an earlier cd reissue (French, I think) of the original album that I've kept since it has the aforementioned Clark Terry "What fools these mortals be" closing.

Highly recommended. The cd has several bonus tracks. The opener, You for Me, is wonderful.