Hot Ptah

I think that Oscar swings, plays with blues feeling, and recorded albums which range from pleasant to exciting. When I saw him live, he played well. I think that his level of technique may raise expectations that something truly spectacular should occur on an artistic level, to match the level of technique. If he had less technique, he might be fondly thought of as a mainstream player of some talent. His technical ability as a pianist outstrips his creativity, but it doesn't mean that his music is worthless.

I keep my sleeves in a different building than the LPs. The sleeves are kept in a fireproof concrete vault within an underground chamber. The walls of the concrete vault are two feet thick, and can withstand a direct hit by a hydrogen bomb. This building is in an undisclosed location. Then, each LP is stored in another undisclosed location, in a dust free, "clean room" certified chamber, slightly larger than the LP itself. Each chamber, one for each LP, features air blowing so that the LP is suspended in mid-air within the chamber, never touching any surface.

I heard something about turntables in the group. Is that true? There were none on the evening that I saw him. There was nothing like that at all.

Noj--35 clams, is that short for $35,000 or $35,000,000?

Any time I see an album with either Richard Davis or George Duvivier on bass, I buy it. I have not been burned yet.

They throw out more than they keep. Not necessarily dictated by the collection at hand. This is an interesting subject in and of itself. Dick Wright died less than ten years ago. He had been a major force in the jazz scenes in Kansas City and Lawrence, Kansas, for decades, teaching jazz history, hosting radio shows, announcing concerts, leading groups of jazz lovers. His 30,000+ LP collection was donated to the University of Kansas when he died. There was a long feature story in the Lawrence newspaper a few years later. The collection had arrived in poor order, with records in crates and paper bags, not organized. The University sorted out all of the records, alphabetized them, placed the vinyl in protective sleeves, and stored the collection in a humidity controlled room on sets of shelves. A library staff member was put in charge of administering the collection. Years after it was available to the public, not a single person had asked to borrow a record from it. The budget ran out for the administrator/watchdog for the collection. The University planned to store it in the room, unavailable to anyone, indefinitely--at least at the time of the article. That really opened my eyes about the futility of the fantasy I had of being old and near death, donating my collection to a library, and being feted by the library as a great benefactor to all humanity because of my donation. It is far more likely that no one will want it, and my heirs will either set it on the curb for the garbage truck or they will pay someone to sell it on ebay for them.

you jest! No, from what I have read they were all married, or in the case of Bley and Swallow, at least in a stable long term relationship.

Pops Foster and Baby Dodds with anyone.

Red Norvo and Mildred Bailey Ray Brown and Ella Fitzgerald Carla Bley and Paul Bley Carla Bley and Michael Mantler Carla Bley and Steve Swallow

I saw the Wallace Roney quintet at the Blue Room in Kansas City on February 17. It was quite good, and then Bobby Watson (who lives in Kansas City and is the head of the jazz program at the local University) sat in. Bobby played some ferocious solos with the group. He is playing better than he ever has. It was quite a memorable evening of music, with Bobby's contributions. Drummer Eric Allen was on fire throughout the evening. I have not heard a drummer play so well and with so much energy since Roy Haynes a few years ago and Jack DeJohnette in 1981.

It's my birthday too! I wasn't posting here then, though.

I know it can throw you off, but "Mary Lou Williams" was apparently one way Woody referred to Nat Pierce. Not quite sure what the inside joke was there. But my understanding is that it's Nat soloing there, not Mary Lou. Thanks for letting me know! I wondered why she was not mentioned in the credits.

I just got this Mosaic Single and it is a very exciting big band album, one of my favorite Woody Herman albums ever. It is a lot better than I thought it might be. I love the spot where Mary Lou Williams sits in. I saw Woody Herman around 1982 or 1983, and it was quite good, but not as exciting as this album. I also saw Chase live in 1972 and it would have been something to see Bill Chase in Woody Herman's band--but I was too young for that then. He plays on this Mosaic single and it is very interesting to hear him in the big band context.

Walter Horn Walter Alston Walter Johnson

Her Free Spirits piano trio album from the 1970s is essential, in my opinion. I was fortunate to see her perform live. She was a giant.

Wow, I wouldn't worry about it. At the end most of the Police's fans are well over the age of "subliminal/subconscious way". Perhaps. There will be some young people who turn out for the curiosity value though. There always seem to be a lot of younger people at these stadium concerts of gray haired old geezers.

I don't care what a rock drummer thinks about jazz. However, it is troubling that some music lovers who read what he has said, and who might have thought about checking out jazz at some point, may be influenced in some conscious, or subliminal/subconscious way, and never give jazz a chance.

George Cables--Cables Vision

Murray's ice cream in Kansas City, which makes some of the best ice cream in the world in general, makes a Cappuccino Crunch which is amazing, and addictive.

I submitted a question on Mosaic's web site about five years ago as to whether they could put together a Chu Berry box, and a Sun Ra Horo Records box. I received a rather curt reply that Mosaic had no interest in Sun Ra because his recordings are too inconsistent, and that it would be impossible to do a Chu Berry box because it would involve the cooperation of too many labels, some of which tend not to cooperate. I felt rather down after reading that replay, but....could that have been the origin of this set? Does Mosaic really make decisions based on customer emails, or not?

I have a feeling that Mosaic may wish that more people would buy them for $$$ or novelty--just as long as many more people buy them.

If she likes jazz, any. If she doesn't like jazz, none.

Too much information, MG!

If the Police's performance at the Grammys is representative of what this upcoming tour will be like, why would anyone spend so much money for a ticket, except for an excuse to party like it's 1979? Clem has made some good points. In the late 1970s, I don't think that anyone considered the Police a major new heavy band. There was a lot of stuff more interesting at the time.

This was a major part of the plot of the "Porky's" film.