The Magnificent Goldberg

Where's she got her hand? Thanks Chris MG

Where's she got her hand? Thanks Chris MG

Very nice to see a photo of Gerry Wiggins. Thanks Chris. MG

Orchestre Baobab Star Band No 1 Etoile de Dakar

I’ve spent the afternoon listening to Super Biton de Segou, the great Bambara band from Segou, Mali. Super Biton is one of the great Mande big bands but their music is radically different from the better known music of the great Guinean bands, such as Bembeya Jazz National, Balla & ses Balladins and Keletigui & ses Tambourinis. It’s much hotter and more frantic and the sax and guitar soloists in particular are very much funkier. I started out with The band’s first album issued on the Mali Kunkan label in 1977 and now available on Syllart as “Belle époque” Then went on to Their second album, released at the same time and reissued on LP by Syllart as One track of this, the fourteen minute “Nyangaran foli” is included in “Belle époque”. Then went onto It has been reissued on CD, with three bonus cuts, as This one was recorded in 1986, for Bolibana, during a French tour by the band. There’s another I haven’t heard “Balandzan”, recorded for Tangent in 1983. As far as I know, these are the only albums the band has made. It’s not clear to me whether this album, made in 1970, is Super Biton. The band was certainly still going in the early nineties. However, one of their lead singers, Aboubacar Kissa Cubain de Segou, had left and made a recording for CK7, which I’ve also been playing. This is similar to the Super Biton music, but is a traditional version of their style. You can get “Belle époque” and “Afro jazz de Mali” as legal downloads from mp3,com and emusic respectively. “Belle époque” is available on CD from Amazon.fr real cheap http://www.amazon.fr/Belle-Epoque-Super-Bi...7443&sr=1-2 And at stupid prices from Amazon UK. If I could only have one of these three albums, it would be “Afro Jazz de Mali”, but they’re all bloomin’ marvellous! The K7 of Aboubacar Kissa Cubain de Segou (not cheap) and the CD of “Balandzan” (at a silly price, unfortunately, or I’d have it) can be bought here http://www.natari.com/mali.htm Do have a listen to some of their stuff. MG

OK, I'll buy it. Paul Cook Johnny Rotten Sid Vicious

Christine Keeler Fidel Castro King Solomon (all by the Skatalites)

Uhhhh? MG

Surely between Herbie Mann & Mantovani MG

Thanks Mike. MG

Bloomin' 'eck, Tucker! MG

You're obviously ready for the original, VBII Here's a piece about it by Banning Eyre - much better than I could put together. http://www.afropop.org/explore/album_revie...Ancient+Strings $11.22 at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Mali-Ancient-Strings...6246&sr=1-2 Cheaper in the UK I think, but you'd have to pay more postage. or Amazon France for 9.59 euro http://www.amazon.fr/Mali-Cordes-anciennes...6366&sr=1-1 I was playing both of these a few days ago. Great over breakfast music! Well, great any time music, really. MG

Sousaphone (I used to have a blazer like the banjo player's. Really stood out in the office! ) MG

That's the thing that went around the musician's body, up behind his back and came out above his head (facing forward), isn't it? One of the musicians in a New Orleans revival band I used to see a lot in the late sixties played that. MG

Mentioned in the "what are you listening to" thread. What's a brass bass? How does it differ from a tuba? Or does it differ from a tuba? Or one of those other big brass things? MG

"That was the week that was" was, by miles, my favourite TV programme in those days. From Jim's use of the word "unflinching", I gather that such explicitly offensive material (whether related to America's sore spot or other matters) couldn't have got on TV over there. Satire has always been greatly honoured here (see some of the truly offensive cartoons that appeared in 18th C newspapers) and satirists can probably get away with a lot more here than elsewhere. The contrast between that song and Tom Lehrer's "I wanna go back to Dixie" is quite notable. And, as Bev said, they picked two different, but related targets to work on together. Brilliant! MG

My Little Richard 78s look like that. MG

David Newman Bigger and better - Atlantic David Newman - Keep the dream alive - Prestige (with strings & sweetening - actually a lot better than Keepnews gave it credit - though I do like the CD with the sweetening removed, too). MG

Indeed I have been mining this thread a bit, as well as the HEP label thread. Lots of great ideas. And thanks for yours above as well. Get you into swing organists MG

David Newman - The many facets of David Newman - Atlantic Ray Charles - Yes indeed - Atlantic (WEA France) Herbie Mann - Mississippi gambler - Atlantic MG

Russell Malone Russell Hardy (!) John William Hardy

Well, it's got to be the two tracks I was raving about a few days ago, by Kouyate Sory Kandia - "Sakhodougou" and "N'na" from his album "Kouyate Sory Kandia" - Syliphone (Syllart). The feeling hasn't left me yet. MG

Doesn't sound like a nightmare, Shawn - sounds like the truth. MG

Rocky J Squirrel Cyril Davies Tad Dameron

Graeme Counsel Balla Onivogui Keletigui Traore