The Magnificent Goldberg

Well, it's the thought that counts! Happy Christmas anyway! MG

Damn! I thought this was going to be about organ bands in Atlantic City MG

A great and most apt phrase. Unlike almost every other jazz musician (every other musician?), Braith can't be typecast. MG

Blackwater USA Sandline International Executive Outcomes

I don't usually have one but this year, some fucking dog has shat on our front lawn and it's freezing. The turd has frozen to the lawn and the ground's so hard that, even if I could get it off the grass, I couldn't dig a hole under the hedge to bury it. So, until the weather warms up, we have to put up with the sight of a turd on the lawn. MG

Ah, so I have two possible candidates, from Europe. The less likely one is Orphy Robinson - this doesn't seem to be his thing, but he does seem to be a guy who could branch out and do something odd, so you never know. The more likely one is Danny Doriz. I tried researching this but came up with nothing likely. I was amazed at how many jazz versions of the Flintstones theme there were, however MG

Now that's interesting. Christmas does exist in Moslem Senegal. MG

Goodness! I don't even stay up 'til midnight on New Year's Eve, nowadays. MG

Ol' man Mose Moses Davis The Counts

Debit Card. We have a credit card in case of emergencies. But you can't use a debit card when you're abroad. Nor if you buy from a foreign internet firm. Maybe I'm wrong about that... MG

This new board was a hell of an effort, and you deserve many congratulations and thanks for bringing it off. So Many congratulations, and thanks, Jim. But also, one of the really nice things about this changeover is how keen most of us are to help other members get a grip on the new software. In most threads dealing with one aspect or other of it, there are people showing others how to do this, that or the other. There's always been a lot more than jazz here. Thanks to everyone. MG

I think this is down to you, Jim. You know what the needs are and how they're timed. You know how you feel about coming out every year (or whenever) and saying "cough up". On the other hand, I've no doubt that some people cough more than others and it's right that we do what we feel we can. I'd go along with whatever you feel is right - and I think most of the regulars would, too. MG

Alpha Blondy Blondie Debbie Harry

I saw a report about this on 60 Minutes where the industry's talking head actually had the gall to exclaim that the rates hikes were justified because of the new bill. The bill doesn't even go into effect until Feb 2010 but rates go up immediately. Makes perfect sense. I am looking forward to the day when my wife and I have no credit cards. We're down to one. Goodness! A credit card seems to be essential for almost all transactions now. We never use the credit card to get credit - pay the whole amount every month before interest gets charged. But how can you go on holiday without a credit card? How can you buy stuff on the web? And so on and so on. MG

Inspector Morse Chief Inspector Teal Blakey

We're not wierd, that's normal. MG

Some Groovy stuff (quel surprise) Groove Holmes - X77 - PJ Groove Holmes - New Groove/Night glider twofer - Groove Merchant MG

Jeanne D'Arc Jeanne D'Arc Super Diamono

Two answers, I think a Art Blakey - Jazz message - Impulse (1963) b Sonny Stitt - Live at the Half Note - Philology (1966) MG

BFT70 Sorry to be so late Durium – so much going on in the run-up to Christmas. But here we go. 1 Well, here’s one I don’t know for a start! Sounds like a feature for a bass player. Well, it IS a feature for a bass player. I was going to say Ray Drummond, before he stared bowing. A very funky piece of bowing, I must say. And it AIN’T Paul Chambers! 2 Nice, quiet, attention-grabbing start to this. The pianist sounds pretty familiar. The trumpet player sounds a bit like Freddie Hubbard, but in a quiet mood, that’s somewhat unlike him. What seemed to be wrong with the trumpet solo is that it was a series of nice phrases strung together, rather than a flow of melody. The pianist is rather better, but still he’s stopping to get a new set of ideas each chorus. It’s a pity, I think, because it would have been a great piece for a sustained lyrical improvisation. Someone like Woody Shaw would be all over a song like this, never ceasing to flow. And a number of pianists from all periods of jazz would have done the same. 3 This is a pretty nice piece. I don’t know who these people are, though the guitarist sounds like Django – which doesn’t mean anything; I’ve even seen Julian Bream playing like Django – and the violinist like Stephane – which also doesn’t mean anything. 4 What a funny sounding sax. Accordion accompaniment, or some kind of synthesiser? If you’ve heard this sax player a time or two, you’d probably guess him, but I know I’ve never heard him before. 5 Two bass feature – or bass & cello – on a tune I think I recognise – it’s not “Through the courtesy of love”, though it’s like it. I think it’s a jazz original. This is bothering me so much that I’m not really paying attention to the players. So I’ll forget what tune it is. At least, it’s a cello and bass. And vey nicely played, if mainly interesting to those with a specialist ear. 6 “Rhythm” – tenor & bass duet. Fast. Major Holley styled bass solo with vocal. Don’t think it’s him, though; voice is different and this is – well, it’s a little bit more modern than Major went. And a bit boring as a whole, really. I think I’ve guessed your theme, though. These are all bits of combos – not a full rhythm section among them. 7 “Love for sale”. Is this Rene Thomas? Or somebody Guerlay? (Roger?) Both the guitarist and the pianist, whom I can’t even take a shot at, are doing me a lot of good over here. This is really interesting to listen to. Those guys are really together. So fine. 8 “Flintstones theme”! Yay! A little bit of research and I could nail this one. Can’t be many vibes players – no, it’s a xylophone, isn’t it? – who’ve tried this one out. And it’s nice, too. 9 This seems to be a classical piece. 10 Oh, I’m liking this one all right. Reminds me of Dave Holland a bit, but he wouldn’t, I feel, play any music like this – or would he? 11 This is lovely – but it seems to have a full rhythm section behind it. Not the foggiest idea of who this is but I might start to buy their records. Booful. 12 “Our delight” by a solo pianist. Too much piano. 13 One of those Bird tunes I recognise but usually can’t remember the title of. Can’t say this made much impression on me. 14 Now this one is! I know the tune, again, but can’t place it. This reminds me of that Cuban pianist Bola de Nieve, but, didn’t he always sing? I liked that one a lot. There’s a lot of that music I haven’t heard. 15 I thought this was going to be a vocal. And out races this bit of bop! Well, it’s interesting, but really doesn’t grab me. Well, that was interesting and in some places most invigorating. Thanks Durium. Looking forward to reading all about it. MG

Sonny Boy Williamson Rice Miller Sir Mack Rice OOOOOPPPSSSSS! The Mad Hatter Alice Coltrane The White Rabbit The Red Queen Margaret Thatcher The Green Machine

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This one has two!!!! MG