John L

Quite interesting. I have the original Snooky Pryor Someone to Love Me from 1956 on Vee Jay, and it does not employ this riff. Maybe your man here got it from the Yardbirds?

Yes, the first three are classics. Live in Boston is nice for the atmosphere and the fact that he is playing with the Aces. But it is far from a classic (IMO). Junior is quite drunk and doesn't really keep it together, as was common at his concerts of that period.

Why do you think that they were right about the vocal version being recorded at the Feb. 15, 1954 session>

I don't know of any blues song that has this exact riff.

Just as a matter of interest (to me at least), why has Dogon A.D. never had a proper, official release? I assume that it has to do with complications in obtaining rights from the Hemphill estate. I know that Tim Berne was planning to release it on his label, but gave up.

According to the Lord discography, the two instrumental takes of Thrill is Gone come from an earlier session on October 3, 1953 with Russ Freeman, Carson Smith, and Larry Bunker.

Discographies that I know (Lord, Jazz Discography Project) list Thrill is Gone as coming from the October 27, 1953 session, and not from the 54 session.

RIP. Lolaetta made some tremendous R&B sides in the 70s before she went disco. Check out this collection for something timeless and sublime:

The problem is that jazz has never stood still long enough to define. It just keeps getting broader, and the boundaries with other musics are fuzzy as well.

RIP, Pinetop Perkins, virtually the last of his generation of golden age Chicago bluesmen.

Actually, given the way that period was treated, it is a good thing that only one bad installment about it was made.

I remember that Moe was defiant about his cigars when Berkeley banned smoking in stores. He made sure that one was always lit. I would have loved to be at the reading, but I am now on the other side of the world from my home town (Berkeley).

Count me as a big fan. RIP

People are mentioning Bird here as an alternative influence to Lester. But let's not forget that Lester was also the main influence on Bird.

Blame Honky

Yes, "Your Song" is probably my favorite Elton John composition. I especially like Billy Paul's version of it.

There, I really differ with you. I like Springsteen, but cannot stomach Mellencamp at all. Never could. I just don't get it.

Oh LORD no! That nonsense just moves and moves and never really ends up anywhere. Musically and lyrically. Every time I have to sit through one of those songs, they actually make me mad, not becasue thewy're "bad", but jsut because they're...unnecessarily "clever" without ever justifying the cleverness. It's some kind of combination of a self-indulgent lack of discipline and a vainglorious "LOOK AT ME" vanity thing, to write all those songs that just meander all over the place with lyrics that are just...silly. Between Elton John & Grand Funk, turning off the Top 40 radio between 1970 & 1973 still remains the easiest, most obvious no-brainer of a decision I've ever had to make. Still! Just my opinion, of course, but between Elvis & Elton John, I've got two massive reasons why rock-era popular music should have been killed - killed -before it was born. Thank god there's any number, finite but large, of reasons to feel otherwise! What will be cool when the technology arrives is to take all those Billy Joel/Phil Ramone albums & replace Joel's voice with McCartney's. When that happens, it'll be all good. Until then... It is kind of hard for me to respond to that because, as I said, I am not even close to being an Elton John fan. His music does not move me. On the other hand, his constructs strike me as individual and distinctive, and his artistic goals serious. So I have always chalked him up as one of many talented artists who I just don't connect with. But maybe you are right.

Yes, I also fall into the camp of admiring the craftmanship, but never liking the music. I think of him like a poor man's Elton John. I consider Elton John to be an extremely talented songwriter and artist, more so than Billy Joel, but I have trouble connecting with him on an emotional level as well. I would still take Elton John over Billy Joel any day.

I had a bad run with Amazon as well. I downloaded from Amazon the Braxton quartet set on Leo from London recorded in the mid-1980s. It turns out that one of the long MP3s was highly defective with distortion that overwhelmed the music. I informed Amazon and they answered, "we have reopened the files, try downloading again." I did that, and it was the same exact MP3s. I again informed Amazon, numerous times, but got no subsequent response from them at all and no refund. Furthermore, the MP3s remained on Amazon for sale. This happened several years ago, but for all I know those MP3s are still defective. I now try to avoid Amazon.

Looks and talent - yes - although I have never been able to connect much with her music.

I don't think that there is a simple answer to that question. If you have never been the American South West, you are going to want to see the Grand Canyon. It may not have the same subjective appeal to you as other places in the area, but You need to check it out. I see that as the purpose of a good guide book. Coming to jazz for the first time, you need something that points you in the direction of those cornerstones of the music that help you come to grips with the big picture of what jazz is and how it developed. Once you have done that, then you are off to discover your own niches and places. That said, it is rather dangerous to put too much faith in one particular guide that gives only one interpretation and set of criteria for evaluation, even if it is good, thoughtful and consistent. I consider the Penguin Guide to be in that category (although I only know the first few editions of it). Cook and Morton are thoughtful and consistent, but systematically trash what I consider to be some of the most enjoyable and important jazz.

I think part of the issue here is that, when people first get interested in jazz, the sheer number of artists, styles, recordings, etc. might seem overwhelming at first. Time and money are limited. So a negative review in a guide might cause something or somebody to be put on a back burner for a while.

Jazz is more enjoyable than indie. So I am alright with the substitution. The bottom line here is still the music. Right...?

That was one of my first Ben Webster albums. I still really like the selection on that one, so much that I made an Atmosphere for Lovers and Thieves playlist on itunes.