The Magnificent Goldberg

Mussolini Franco Hirohito

Road Runner Roadhog The Michelin Man

Thomas the Rhymer Paul Simon Simon Magus

Gennett still in business in 1939?? Yes, Gennett closed in 1931 or '32 but Starr Pianos, the owner of the label was still in existence. When Eli Oberstein started Varsity, I understand he reissued some Gennett material and used the old pressing facilities. Some other companies did that, too, particularly after the war commenced and shellac was rationed so that new companies couldn't get an allocation; Gennett filled the bill for a company in existence before the war. I'm sure you've read in 'Honkers & Shouters' Henri (or Leon) Rene's story about melting down old 78s and pressing new 78s which had a variety of colours, sometimes psychedelic! MG

No abbreviation; I meant "Lover". I suppose the most famous version is Stan Kenton's, but I think I recall something (in 3/4?) by the late 40s Gillespie Big Band, not to mention bop tunes using the same changes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB-Lm-qOdLg Ah, well, here's the Peggy Lee version. After 51 years, I still know every note she sings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0T6LHok_eE MG

Oh, I do hope it doesn't just include Ella's work with the band. Or does it include the material after Chick died and Ella took over for a while? MG Apparently you haven't read the descripton on the Mosaic site the first post linked to. Here it is again: http://www.mosaicrecords.com/genres.asp?dept=50 (scroll down) Oh, good. I wouldn't get the Prez with Basie box, or the Chu Berry. I want boxes with the crappy stuff in them, not just what authorities think is good. Thanks Hans. MG

I used to think there were two musicians called Mamadou Doumbia. Then I thought there were three. THEN I found another one in a discography. Now, after a bit of research, I know there are three: #1 Is Mamadou Doumbia, alias Percey, who was formerly lead singer with Super Biton, the great Bambara band from Segou, Mali. He has recorded (at least) 2 K7s under his own name, both for CK7: ‘Kelea diougou’ (CK7 047, about 1992) and ‘L’an 2000’ (CK7 443, about 1999). #2 Is Mamadou Doumbia, another Malian, a guitarist, quite a bit younger than Percey (born about 1966). He joined a late edition of Rail Band as a young man, then became part of Salif Keita’s band for a world tour. While in Japan, he became interested in the country and shortly afterwards emigrated there. He formed a band called Mandinke, with all Japanese musicians, and made (at least) two albums for JVC: ‘Independence’ and ‘Yafa’ (JVC 9013, 1996). #3 Is Mamadou Doumbia, another guitarist, who made an LP called ‘Conseil de l’entente’, apparently in the eighties, in California, which was released on the Eboni label in Cote D’Ivoire and which featured a number of jazz musicians, as well as a few West Africans. The American personnel is interesting and I know a few of the musicians are jazzmen; others are mysteries to me; are they jazz musicians or from some other field? Ben Francis – bass guitar Sir Gregg Middleton – bass & arranger Wes Blackman – guitar Quentin Dennard – drums Hiroshi Upshir – keyboards Ernie Fields Jr – saxophone Nolan Smith – trumpet Fred Wesley – trombone. #4 Is Mamadou Doumbia (oh, you guessed!), a singer who made several EPs and LPs in Guinea Conakry for the Safie Deen label in the sixties, which I saw on Graeme Cousel's Safie Deen discography. But his band on those albums was Trio de l'Entente, so I THINK that #3 and #4 are the same guy. MG

My younger Grandson (12), whose name's James Page, has started guitar His karate teacher suggested he listen to Jimi Hendrix, in particular 'All along the watchtower', so he got me to find it on Youtube when he came the other day. His older brother said Chuck Berry, so I found him some Chuck Berry. Then I found him some Bo Diddley live and he was bloody MESMERISED! I REALLY didn't expect that. MG

No - I know Heartsman's name but I've never heard anything he did. Chicago guitarist, wasn't he? MG No, he was a Californian - part of the Oakland scene. He was bluesman Al King's guitarist in the 1960s - that's west coast Al King, not the Stax artist Albert King. And Heartsman made a nice album for Alligator in 1991. But I just thought you might know "Johnny's House Party" if anyone here would - it was on the R & B charts in 1957, and it's just a really fun record. Oh, then I may have him on an Al King 45 - Think twice before you speak, which came out in the US on Flag. Would Heartsman have done the guitar solo, or King? MG

For some really ace Jerome Richardson playing, head for Tiny Grimes - Tiny in Swingville (OJC) He even got a special mention on the front! MG

Someone abbreviating 'Lover come back to me' to 'Lover' reminded me of (I think) Victor Young's song 'Lover' which I haven't heard for at least 5 decades but is another with a great descending melody line, which I still think of frequently. I used to have Peggy Lee's version. MG

No - I know Heartsman's name but I've never heard anything he did. Chicago guitarist, wasn't he? MG

I missed this thread earlier. When the first twofers came out - I THINK it was 1970/71 - it was Prestige material. I believe this was shortly before Fantasy acquired Prestige, Prestige having rejigged its catalogue numbering so that the 7000 series was to be used for reissues, the 10000 series for new releases (and a dollar more) and the 24000 series was the twofer series. A few recent popular items from the 7000 series were reissued on the 10000 series (10021 & 10023-10030). So we have Bobby Weinstock to thank for the idea. And Fantasy extended it to Fantasy and Milestone, on merger. Then everyone else took it up. However, perhaps unsurprisingly, the early Prestige twofers dealt with the 'usual suspects' - Miles Davis, Mose Allison, Trane, Rollins, MJQ, Monk, Yusef Lateef, Dolphy, Bird and Mingus - and there was little in there for me: the first soul jazz twofer was 24013 - Jack McDuff''s 'Rock candy', a compilation of bits and pieces from here and there in his career at Prestige, which I didn't bother with. But gradually some interesting stuff began to trickle out - 'Jug & Dodo' - the first issue of stuff Jug did while he was moonlighting at Chess), 'All day long and All night long', King Curtis' 'Jazz groove' (with sleeve notes by Jerry Wexler, of all people! Well, there's a logic to it, but it WAS a surprise). Jug was pretty nicely treated in the twofer stakes. I have 'Jug sessions' on EmArCy, 'Early visions' on Chess, 'The 78 era', 'The big sound', 'Organ combos' and 'Gentle Jug' on LP. In the CD era, Fantasy continued issuing twofers up to 2004, by which time the Prestige 24000 series had reached 24294. I doubt if any of the major companies issued this many twofers. And that didn't exhaust the resources of the Prestige label - Ace issued at least 11 Prestige twofers that weren't included in the 24000 series on its BGP label (the most recent two by Pucho & the Latin Soul Brothers last year). MG

What?!?!?! I got two? Gor blimey! And do I get half a point for #2 & #3? MG

Oh, that's the original? Well, she had a smile on her face, but I don't think the humour came through, even with whatshisname commenting Thanks. MG

Oh, I do hope it doesn't just include Ella's work with the band. Or does it include the material after Chick died and Ella took over for a while? MG

I mean this one....(only the cover art)! I expect I'd love the music MG

This evening Jack McDuff - At the Jazz Workshop live - Prestige (Stateside UK mono) Inez Andrews - Lord, don't move the mountain - Songbird (ABC) Teddy Edwards - Heart & soul - Contemporary DG stereo Willis Jackson - Nothin' butt - Muse MG

My favourite Pattersons are all without James: The return of Don Patterson These are soulful days Why not Not that the others aren't brilliant, but they're different. MG

Why do these 'No strings' albums have the ET on them? Does the action of the musical take place in Paris? MG

I always enjoy playing these two together Dexter Gordon - A swingin' affair - BN (Pathe Marconi France) Dexter Gordon - Go - BN (Pathe Marconi DMM) now Sonny Stitt - Sonny's Bubba sessions - Who's Who in Jazz (Kingdom Jazz UK) MG

Personally, I always liked Prestige pressings (and Esquire Prestiges) - with one exception, you could party all over them and they'd still play - noisily, scratchily, but they'd play, and the scratchiness and noise was always an essential part of the experience, considering the kind of music I prefer to buy Over here, it used to be said that Deutsche Grammophon/Polydor pressings were the best. Personally, among European labels, I preferred Odeon (French) and Oriole (UK). I THINK Oriole actually manufactured Woolworth's Embassy label. Oh yes, a quick shufti at Wiki confirms that the label was a partnership between Wooly's and Oriole. When US Columbia bought Oriole in 1963, the pressing plant was the main reason, and CBS continued using it. MG

Bubbles John Millais Andrew Pears

I agree with Mike about rhythm teams - though I'm not sure about Patterson and James - both were great(er?) in other contexts. My rhythm teams that were greater than the sum of their parts would be McDuff, Benson & Dukes Spencer, Sparks & Muhammad (aka The Mod Squad) Boogaloo Joe Jones & Bernard Purdie I'm tempted to add Patton, Green and Dixon but, like Patterson and James, they were great(er?) in other contexts. Of course, they were DIFFERENT in other contexts, so one could say that being together brought something out that didn't come with other people. And that applies to Patterson and James. MG

It's almost certainly from these 2 albums, recorded at the same gig: They were on Fantasy and I'm sure that, though they're out of print, you can pick up LP or CD versions of both. MG