The Magnificent Goldberg

I agree with that. Musicians who are often dismissed as 'generic' can tell the beginner MUCH more about the music and what it was for than geniuses who are VERY much individuals. Not that one shouldn't listen to geniuses, but just remember they aren't the be all and end all of anything. MG

Yes, the local perspective on Cincinnati in the article is pretty valuable and interesting. But that attitude isn't actually terribly unreasonable. King, like almost all of the black music indies, deliberately didn't go for the mainstream US audience; it went for the sectors of US society who weren't being catered for by the majors - poor people, black and white, and recorded the music they found useful and interesting. The only King artist who really made a big splash with the mainstream audience was James Brown. Well, sorry, one monkey don't stop no show. Detroit has done stuff with Motown, which wasn't mentioned in the article, I think. But Berry Gordy avowedly targeted the mainstream audience and was trying, with phenomenal success, to sell black music to white folks. There's no suggestion in anything I've read that King tried that. And could that have been done? Dunno. MG

Sorry Jim, I led myself into you misunderstanding. I suspect American schools teach European history and geography with the same cursory touch that English schools teach American history and geography. So distinctions between different European nations are lost unless one applies oneself. And how many find it interesting enough to do that? MG

One I like a lot, which provides a great deal of context is R J Smith's 'The great black way: LA in the 1940s and the lost African American renaissance'. MG

Yes, but there's no such thing as a really detailed history of those labels. And almost certainly too late to do them now as most of the people are dead. John Broven's 'Record makers and breakers' gives a very good overview of the indie sector of the industry, but focuses rather too much on R&B and R&R. Gospel music, jazz and country music are barely touched. But it's still a very good read. Good point, about US perceptions of UK and German reissue programmes. I wonder to what extent firms like Ace and Bear Brothers are generally perceived in the same light as Andorran pirates? Do many Americans know the difference? (I'm not being rude, but I know the education curricula in the US - like the European ones - is very focused on what's relevant to Americans.) MG

Good. You might let me know who got the composing credits for the RCA Victor sessions, when you get a minute, Bill. Enjoy! MG

tGoodness! Thank you everyone. Busy day yesterday - still have to do the washing and vacuuming And a very relaxing afternoon, just chilling. So I never LOOKED at the computer! I got some jazz t-shirts from wife and daughter. You'll see they're not perfectly my taste - two John Coltranes and one Thelonious. But I don't imagine you can get t- shirts with Gene Ammons, Gator Tail or Baby Face Willette on them So it's the spirit that counts, and they DO look pretty good. MG

Private Keepout Captain's Castle Castle Marshall Chess

Lord, if I tried to type on a mobile phone or one of the advanced ones (I can't even use my wife's very basic mobile) I'd get it wrong more often than write MG

(As Frankie Howerd used to say ' It's wicked to mock the afflicted'.) MG

There's little in the article that isn't done rather better in 'Little labels, big sound' by Rick Kennedy & Randy McNutt, which also includes chapters on the not so little labels Gennett and Paramount as well as Dial, Duke-Peacock, Sun, Riverside, Ace (NOLA Ace, not London), Monument and Delmark. However I DID like the definition of a superstar as having one's own chewing-gum handler MG

Admiral Dele Abiodun Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey General Prince Adekunle

Certainly true. However, I've always thought it more important that he left the supervision of the rehearsals, which he always insisted was a vital element of the Blue Note product, as they enabled bang on playing of the tunes and ensemble passages, to Ike Quebec, then Duke Pearson. To me, that means that it was Quebec and Pearson who really produced those albums, because the rehearsals determined what should be played and how. I don't think he was wrong because a) he got top quality musicians to do that work and b) he saw that it was essential for a musician to be in charge of it. MG

Yeah, Hank Crawford did a good version and Jug's is bloomin' WONDERFUL! MG

Gorgeous George Liberace Steve Race

Prince Charles Prince King Onyina

No, but it's true. I just looked at who I've GOT on B&B: Al Grey Arnett Cobb Bill Doggett Budd Johnson Buddy Tate Candy Johnson Earl Hines Eddie Chamblee Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis Floyd Smith Hal Singer Harold Ashby Harry Edison Illinois Jacquet Lionl Hampton Lonnie Smiff Louis Jordan Milt Buckner Ray Bryant Slam Stewart Sonny Stiff T-Bone Walker Tiny Grimes Wild Bill Davis WILLIS JACKSON!!!!! I have a strong tendency to buy any B&B albums I find in Paris Jazz Corner without doing anything more than working out if I already have all the tracks. No thought needed as to whether I'm going to like them. MG

Geoffrey Drewitt (former art adviser to Newcastle Local Education Authority!) Ray Pounds (on the drums) Jules Angst (professor of psychiatry) (Oh, the technical word for such names is aptronym. Learn something every day.)

Bobby Plater Willis Jackson Tiny Bradshaw

You can get a download of the Chronological Etta Jones 1944-47 from Amazon. Unfortunately, it comes without sleeve notes, as all Amazon downloads do. I'll send you the discographies of those sessions, if you let me know you're going that route. MG

Flame Braithwaite George Braith Rahsaan

Nosey the elephant Nosey Parker Mr Nosey

Actually, that WOULDN'T surprise me much MG

Well, I couldn't believe you'd give it away like that, but I had to ask, didn't I? 'Cos I don't know from nothing MG

Rashid Ali (Indian singer) Rashid Ali al-Gaylani (thrice PM of Iraq) Syed Rashid Ali (Danish cricketer!)