The Magnificent Goldberg

And I came in because there were lots of posts and I expected wit. MG

I don't see the Young/Ervin session as mediocre at all. But I'm not expecting (and wouldn't want) anything earthshattering from Larry at that period - Young was playing dirty, funky, soul jazz at the time. Booker's style plays well into that. OK, it's not as satisfying as Young's work with Jimmy Forrest or Bill Leslie, but I like it a LOT more than most of his work for Blue Note. So, shoot me MG

Connor Cruise O'Brien Michael Holiday Journey

I get that problem, too. Dunno what causes it. It's a fuckin' pain! I HATE machines that don't work the way they should. Sorry I haven't any practical suggestions, but it does help a bit to swear a lot; loudly. MG

Good for you! MG

Walter Bishop ValerieB Val Doonican

A very interesting article Bebop - thanks for posting it. It's particularly relevant to this discussion of legislation affecting Amazon.fr and the indie bookstores in France. http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=38804 MG

Bebop started this thread linking to a very interesting discussion of the history of anti-chain/big box protest. The whole article is germane, but the section on the book trade is particularly so. http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...c=38850&hl= MG

I HATE machines that are like that! MG

It may be just me, but I see that piece, funny as it is, as wholly political. MG

Did I miss it? Are those my feet? Happy Birthday HBJ!!!! MG

Which one did you appreciate most of these? Jose "Chombo" Silva, Cal's tenor player on the Blackhawk albums was a real revelation. Kind of... POW!!!!! MG

I didn't know that about Ben. Is that why he was called "The Brute"? MG

If firms are prevented from competing on price, or inhibited to a maximum of 5%, that is anti-competitive. There can't be two ways about it. The notion that, since the rule applies to all, it isn't anti-competitive only works if the assumption is made that anti-competitive actions have to favour one side or another. That particular interpretation of anti-competitive behaviour is the legacy of protectionism, which did indeed seek to favour one side (a country's own firms) over another (every other country's firms). This is the sort of thing the EC's Competition Directorate was set up to stop, and does a pretty good job at - hence the impossibility of the French government subsidising the indies. But it has, clearly, skewed European law away from a broader and more rational interpretation of what is anti-competitive. But of course, competition on price is not the only form of competition, though it's probably the easiest. There are as many ways to compete as there are people with new bright ideas on how to make money. Ruling out one form of competition does not rule out other forms. Germane to this issue are: attractiveness accessibility quality (in terms of well informed staff) friendliness and so on. Now we can say - and I think it may well be generally agreed - that the French indie bookshops win on all or most of those points. By preventing competition on price, the French government is actually loading the dice against the big retailers, because the only competition that is allowed is what the indies are good at. And that is anti-competitive even on the skewed EC interpretation. Now, on to the Amazon business - you have to know what you're looking for, you can't just browse or chat to knowledgeable people. Same's true of buying jazz CDs, ain't it? And the hints and advice and friendliness I get from here - Organissimo - are far superior to anything that I ever got in an indie record shop. There are ways of getting yourself where you want to be and they do not have to be the ways you're told by those in power that you have to use. In fact, a good rule in life is to ignore what you're told by those in power; one I have always felt the French were better at following than the people of most nations. MG

If it's enough to convict on its own, why haven't they convicted him? Must be some doubt. If I were the CIA and wanted to get someone out of the way in a manner which ensured no public sympathy for the victim, I'd find a way of sending a bunch of child porn to slip onto his disc. I'm damn sure that can be done by Big Brother. MG

Gimballs Forest Gump Onaje Allen Gumbs

Nah, that's Jimmy Wright from L.A., a WHITE drummer who had a scorching R&B band (his Rhythm Makers, the bandleader's name was also spelled Jimmy WRIEGHT on some releases) that tore up the West Coast from '53 to '56. Porkey Harris who received featured billing on some of the tunes was his guitarist. Regular saxists were Art Reed and Russ Young. But Chuck Higgins also recorded with him. Check out his "Let's Go Crazy Crazy Baby" LP on Saxophonograph BM-1301! Thanks Steve. MG

I don't fancy yours, Clunky! Happy Birthday! MG

Nice stuff Andy. Two bits of info. The date of the Elbo Room gig wasn't 27 March 1997, it was 27 March 1999. I found an ad for the gig on the web somewhere, listing the personnel. Must be the same gig. Here's a link to some old thing about it. http://tisue.net/chicagonow/old1999.html And here's an archive of the thing I found http://www.xmission.com/pub/lists/zorn-list/archive/v02.n634 Whit - whoever he is - says it was originally given to him as 1999 but "the correct date would appear to be 1997", though he adduces no evidence for this. And the slow jam on that recording is "I'll be seeing you". MG

Billy Idol Eric Idle John Cleese

Yeah - now Mosaic can get Universal stuff. Good idea for a Bland Duke box or select - don't know how much there is, but a lot I think. And a Junior Parker select. It really is a fuckin' pain when you've got 90% of what's on every fucking compilation there is and there's half a ton of stuff that never makes it. Mosaic has done T-Bone, Amos, Charles Brown. Bland and Parker rate at least as good treatment as Amos. There was some Bland on Modern, too, with Ike Turner's band. And some on Chess. Haven't heard any of that. MG

Woooooo! Is that Jimmy Wright on that R&B/Gospel compilation the same one who recorded WAY OTT screamin' and honkin' tenor sides for Rama a little later in the fifties, Clem? MG

Alberta Hunter Art Farmer Rev David Shepherd

I don't know about the Jackie McLean Jubilee LP, but I'm not sure you followed my reasoning there, Steve. I was arguing that, if Blue Note (and other labels) had got the Biharis to press their LPs, modern jazz buyers simply wouldn't have bought those records in the fifties and sixties, so the labels would have closed. And therefore that those companies had no option but to go down the high quality route. MG

Thought you'd say something like that - that's why I tempted you... (Now where's that Devil smiley?) MG