The Magnificent Goldberg

Booker T & the MGs Milt Buckner Henry Mancini

Muddy Waters Jimmy Smith Jackie Mittoo

We have a banana tree in the garden, but it's only two foot tall More rain today. Lots. Told you so. MG

A very happy Birthday Randy. MG

Steam Packet Brian Auger Julie Driscoll

It is indeed! I was listening to it a week or so ago. Fabuloso! And just fits onto a single CD. The only complaint I have with the album is the LP packaging, which is dire, as well as being horrid. I suspect I'd welcome a CD, simply to not have to fiddle with the packaging. MG

Plenty of healthy exercise getting up to turn them over MG

Billy Boy Arnold Billy The Kid Jesse James

I don't agree. When I mention a song at work that's being played on the canned whatever, the first reaction is always the same: the person stops, listens for a moment, then says "oh, that song" (or whatever their reaction is). They just don't hear it until I call it to their attention. Frankly, I wish I could do the same. After working at Home Depot, and now Safeway for the last few years, and hearing this music blaring all day, I don't even listen to music away from work anymore. I'd rather have quiet. If I could somehow stop listening to the stuff they play at work, I imagine I'd still enjoy the music I prefer away from work, but that, unfortunately is something I don't have any evidence of... Sounds like you're not in your ideal employment. MG

. It's late and I can't be asked to write an explanation better than Jim's (and I'm probably unable to, anyway). The message is, don't let anyone's (even Jim's) greater expertise or knowledge make up your mind for you. MG

Yes, I think so. The alternative is that it doesn't. As far as we know, no music has lived for more than two thousand years (yet), so the alternative seems to be the rule, even if there turn out to be some exceptions, such as the music of North Africa, which is heading for 1,300 years as a living tradition now. Whoever benefits, benefits. I do happen to know that Mozart isn't benefiting, nor his family But I won't say that no one is benefiting, or should benefit, from the fact that what he did has had an extended shelf life as a marketable commodity. Absolutely. Resist Authority. Fight the power. Make up your own mind. Don't accept that even those who argue authoritatively, sanely and persuasively (such as yourself) are necessarily right. MG

Just do the last. Al Jackson Booker T Jones Steve Cropper

Is there? I think it's great to go into somewhere and hear Stanley, as I do when I'm arrested mid-stride by Grant Green on a TV programme. But that's for my pleasure. Indeed, it DID happen, in the late seventies/early eighties (well in Britain), and indeed again, it wasn't as much fun as I'd have liked it to be. And for the reasons you've given; basically, the past is a foreign country and people react to the past in a present day tense; what else could they do? But there's a pragmatic aspect to this, which I'd expect you to notice. The first effect of the Acid Jazz thing in Britain was that the prices of second hand Soul Jazz LPs went through the roof. I wasn't too pleased; I'd been buying this stuff real cheap. But the second effect was that the stuff began to come out on CDs - more than began; Fantasy issued about 100 twofers of that material that I doubt would have seen the light of day otherwise. I was pleased about that. The third effect was the use of jazz samples in Hip Hop. The fourth effect was that many of the musicians got paid. And by any standard, THAT is a damn good thing. And the fifth effect seems to have been a general broadening of the minds of he "hip" - you've remarked on this yourself in the context of dance music. And that is ANOTHER good thing. The world turns and people find all kinds of stuff useful. MG

Debbie Reynolds Tab Hunter Tab Smith

Doctor Finlay Doctor Kildare Force MDs

Pluto Bluto Popeye

Fat Larry Noble "Thin Man" Watts Tall Paul

Don Patterson - Soul happening - Prestige (Saba) Jimmy Forrest - Night train - Delmark Hank Marr - The greasy spoon - King Johnnie Taylor - This is your night - Malaco MG

I take it you have a shelter somewhere you can cop a fag under? Garage or just in the back door. MG

£35 actually. Shows you what the market's like here. MG

Happy Birthday, Barak. MG

And many, many more! MG

Steerpike Groan Prunesquallor

Torrential rain, interspersed with dry patches. Garden is very damp MG

Confession is good for the soul - well, so they say. Correct, it's none of those. I would expect you to have trouble with the bass clarinet player. But I'm certain you HAVE heard the bass player. Glad you liked those discs, HP. MG