kenny weir

I've heard lots of Monk covers that I'd be hard-pressed to pick as being written by him. Same with a lot of the folks mentioned so far. I'd vote for Ellington, especially the later stuff. Not that the longer suites have been covered much anyway, but the compositions - and in this case I'm embracing the players, the arrangements, everything, as every aspect seems vitally part of the music and interdepedent - are instantly identifiable.

I saw some craking shows there when I lived in London in the mid-late '70s. Actually, more than I can remember, as they were all seen/heard through a haze of hash (man). Little Feat (lousy gig, great album - that's me you can hear clapping on Waiting For Columbus), Spirit and Dickie Betts among them. I always had a good time there.

Yep, I love the Byrds - although it's a matter of specific tracks rather than whole albums. Gene Clark is a whole 'nuther thing. At one time, about 15 years ago, I had just about everything he recorded. And I agree, the Gosdin Bros album is a killer, but so are Roadworthy, the first Dillard & Clark album, the A&M album sometimes called White Light and No Other, which has recently been reissued with extra tracks. And then there's the singles track, Here Tonight, on the third Flying Burritos album. Sadly, what with one thing and another, these days I am down to an exceelent Raven comp called American Dreamer, which nevertheless does have tracks off the above albums.

I've been playing the Swingtets albums this wek and loving it. My impressions may be coloured by knowledge of Quebec's inclusion, but it feels/sounds like the roots of hard bop.

Ya, you right. As another who spent most of the (later) '60s with a radio glued to my Kiwi ears, it wasn't until way later that I was aware of any alleged difference between Cream and Petula Clark and the Supremes and the Sir Douglas Quintet - it all sounded rockin' to me! And my vote for the Dead is very much a hindsight thing - I wasn't aware of them in the '60s and saw them only once - Winterland '77.

From a very limited list, the Byrds. Apart from that .... Great to see the Hollies and the Move mentioned in this sort of context, even if they're more pop than rock. I always dug the Tremeloes, actually. And - bloody hell - what about the Small Faces? Afterglow and Tin Soldier I consider the prototypes for heavy metal because of the drumming. Totally hip. I'd also give a thumbs up for early Bob Seeger.

I played the hell out of this when I first got it, though it's gathering dust now I've picked up much of it. It's a good selection, and programmed really entertainingly. It works as a release in its own right, kinda like the 4CD Riverside box or the Horace Silver Retrospective set. Here's the lineup from AMG: 1. Idaho performed by Gene Ammons - 2:51 2. Feather Brain performed by Muggsy Spanier - 2:52 3. I Cried for You performed by Dinah Washington - 2:27 4. I'll Always Be in Love With You performed by Paul Quinichette - 3:01 5. The Iron Hat [alternate take] performed by Ben Webster - 2:57 6. Don't Blame Me performed by Paul Gonsalves - 3:18 7. Eleanor performed by Art Blakey - 2:54 8. Moroccan Blues performed by Art Mardigan - 3:05 9. 'S Wonderful performed by Helen Merrill - 3:12 10. I've Got to Be a Rug Cutter performed by Erroll Garner - 2:20 11. Demanton performed by Gerry Mulligan - 5:36 12. Flossie Lou [alternate take] performed by Clifford Brown / Max Roach - 4:02 13. Love Letters performed by Max Roach - 8:55 14. Hoppin' John performed by Cannonball Adderley - 4:38 15. My Old Flame performed by Max Roach - 3:36 16. Three Little Words performed by Sarah Vaughan - 3:43 17. I Hadn't Anyone Till You performed by Eddie South - 3:32 18. Weaver of Dreams performed by John Coltrane - 5:35 19. Willow Weep for Me performed by Ann Ronell - 4:30 20. (Back Home Again In) Indiana performed by Buddy Rich - 3:18 21. Take the "A" Train/Exactly Like You performed by Charles Mingus - 3:36 22. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set performed by Quincy Jones - 4:34 23. Improvisation for Unaccompanied Saxophones performed by Al Cohn / Zoot Sims - 2:26 24. I Can't Get Started performed by Coleman Hawkins / Sol Yaged - 4:30 25. Struttin' With Some Barbecue performed by Pete Rugolo - 2:25 26. Sugar (That Sugar Baby of Mine) performed by George Wein - 4:37 27. Scrapple from the Apple performed by Buddy DeFranco / Tommy Gumina - 4:47 28. Mood Indigo performed by Julius Watkins - 3:03 29. The Big Cat performed by Terry Gibbs - 4:28 30. 3-In-1 Without the Oil performed by Kirk, Rahsaan Roland - 2:33 31. Rain Check performed by Art Farmer - 3:40 32. Washboard Blues performed by Art Hodes / Truck Parham - 2:38 33. El Toro Grande performed by Woody Herman - 4:59 34. Squeaky's Blues performed by Oscar Peterson - 3:28 35. Waltz for Ruth performed by Art Blakey - 5:45 36. Blues for Bird performed by Lee Konitz - 5:41 37. Groovin' High performed by Dizzy Gillespie - 6:04 38. Kid Dynamite performed by Paul Bley - 3:13 39. Sometimes I'm Happy performed by Jimmy Smith - 4:47 Looking at this list, I suspect a lot of it remains unissued. The Scrapple From The Apple by Buddy DeFranco / Tommy Gumina is wild and with accordian!

Also well worth grabbing is the four-disc set called Hot Jazz On Blue Note. There is overlap with some of the sets already mentioned, but it's terrific. I think it was released in conjunction with the Smithsonian. I wouldn't imagine it woul be too hard to find.

Haven't heard from you. Try me on weirk@heraldsun.com.au

Dmitry, I have three of these I'd be happy to trade. I've tried and failed to send you a PM/e-mail. I'll try tomorrow. The discs are: Lawrence Brown - SLIDE TROMBONE Yusef Lateef - BEFORE DAWN Ed Thigpen - OUT OF THE STORM

I am not, yet, in a position to recommend a book, as it's only in the past couple of years that I've returned to Indian cooking, and I'm using an OK composite book (it includes recipes from Malayisa, Burma, Sr Lanka, China and so on) by Aussie Charmaine Solomon. Getting a comprehensive Indian/Sri Lankan book is on my "to do" list. Sometimes I find good recipes in newspapers or magazines. What you will want to do, however, is find a good Indian style deli or market. Perhaps in Philadelphia there is a suburb/neighbourhood where the Indian community congregates - you'll find one there for sure. (Where we live in Melbourne, we are lucky to have a couple of these joints nearby). There you will be able to buy all the usual spices, but importantly the more exotic ingredients - such as tamarind, asafoetida and so on. And you will be able to learn that there is a lot more to dahl than just red and green lentils. And if you really get into it, buying basmati rice by the sack is certainly the go. I just found this site - Interesting Indian Cooking Place - that I'll be checking out for myself. Have fun!

I ask for info about Jazz Corner and I get a smug put down of AAJ, which I also frequent. Given that board's title it's inevitable there will be a constant influx of newbies, but there are many other discussions there that have a different perspetive and feel to here and JC. I like and participate in all three, and the Australian equivalent. I wonder why people sometimes feel they have to profess undying loyalty to one board or the other (apart from the issue of time constraints). It's the internet - it's not a competition.

I haven't been able to get on to Jazz Corner's Speakeasy/BB for a couple of hours. Anyone else having problems in that regard?

Lovano - 52nd Street Themes. Belden - Black Dhalia Martino - Live At Yoshi's Joe Chambers - Mirrors Javon Jackson - Pleasant Valley Mark Shim - Turbulent Flow

Geoff, check your private messages!

It was, of course, only a matter of time ... http://www.zipperfish.com/free/games/crochunter.html

Yes, I've always loved that photo. I'm not sure what year it was taken, but even if it was AFTER the arrival of Elvis, it represents some phenomena that were already under way before Sam Phillips worked his mojo - white kids digging black music, and that there was rock 'n' roll before Elvis, before Bill Haley, before any of that stuff. Going back to the '40s and perhaps even before that. Just wasn't called rock 'n' roll, that's all. Note that on the Proper set there's a 1948 cut called We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll. I have the Proper box and am working my through it. It's not the sort of thing I'll play that often - or for any duration - but it's one to treasure. And despite it supposedly being R&B, if you look at the discography it's amazing to see how many hard boppers are in there - Harold Land, Benny Golson, George Duvivier, Jaki Byard, Freddie Redd, Ray Bryant and Blue Mitchell among them.

This newish box on the Proper label is likewise made to order for you: Red about it here: Proper Records

I've just found the pic on our (newspaper) wire files. I'll see if I kind a version on the net I can post. The version I've found just lists the names without saying who is who in the photo, 'tho it's fun trying to work them out.

Thanks for that David. Does that mean Reprise is now selling the its Ellingtons the same Blue Note is selling the Herbie Nichols and Stan Getz boxes? Or do you mean Herbie Hancock? If this is the case it seems odd such a set should be come available about the same time as the Mosaic Duke went OOP. Or am I still missing something?

I've just read a short review, in British mag Mojo (January 04 issue) and penned by Roy Carr, of a five-disc set entitled The Reprise Studio Recordings, attributed to the Reprise label. Anyone heard of this? Amazon has a listing and reviews for said set, but it appears to be the Mosaic. I'm confused!

Yup - makes me proud to be a Kiwi!

Truth is, a lot of the time I'm just as happy listening to Jimmy Forrest as Rollins or Coltrane.

Chris - I'm just embarking on this as we speak. I'm up to page 130 or thereabouts. The way I'm going these days, this hefty, er, tome will take me six months to get through. I'm sure I'll slip in a couple of trashy mysteries/thrillers along the way. I had never heard of this author before, so in the absence of a book equivalent of AMG, I turned to the reviews at amazon.com. They're a riot. I've discovered that what a certain kind of American reader means when they say there is "no plot", what they actually mean is there "NO ACTION". And for characters to be acceptable, they must never be losers or geeks or otherwise unattractive - no matter how well or convincingly or movingly they are depicted.

Muddy Ascot