The Magnificent Goldberg

Thanks Clem. There is something really strange about Amazon UK and Little Willie John. When you go direct into Amazon and search for LWJ, you get "The early King sessions" - but only from sellers and the cheapest is £49.43 (about $100 !!!!!). And there's no copy of the 1958-1960 sessions available. But if you use the link from Ace, you get the early compilation from £7.21 ($14) and the later comp from £4.92 ($9). Oh, by the way, the Ace link you posted didn't work, but I saw what it was and fired it up direct. Now, here's an interesting point, which Jim may be able to answer. Suppose I go through the Organissimo link onto Amazon UK and establish my presence there linked back to O. But, since the records I want to get won't be available that way, I'll have to back out and go in through the Ace link within 6 hours. That's OK, but I bet Ace is also registered as a partner. So, who's going to get the money from my purchases - Organissimo or Ace? MG

I was listening to my Little Willie John CD "Fever" issued by Charly in the UK back in 1990. Little Willie John was great! But this comp really doesn't seem to do him justice. The material from the fifties is classic material - an indispensible record of the development of Soul. But, from about 1959, the backings became rather New York pop. And the material did, too. Yes, there were exceptions, such as "You hurt me", with incredibly poignant singing from John. But I couldn't help thinking about how much more wonderful the best stuff (and probably the mediocre stuff) would have been had Willie done what his sister did and moved to Stax. Those spare backgrounds would have suited his style perfectly (and perhaps meant that Stax wouldn't have bothered to listen to Otis Redding ) But as it is, in the sixties there is all this quite unsatisfactory stuff, enlivened by the occasional unqualified Soul masterpiece. Whereas, the compilation doesn't have enough material from the fifties, which has very effective backings by the likes of Willis Jackson, Hal Singer, the Bill Doggett band and others. I'm not really familiar with Little Willie John's discography, so I don't know how much of that material there is, or what the titles are. So what I'm looking for is a bit of advice on whether there's a compilation available that just focuses on his fifties recordings; preferably including all of them. Anyone know? MG

Three sunny, but cold, days on the trot! Very nice indeed! MG

Yes, it does - even now, just tried it. I don't know if the UK version does, but mine's an original. MG

Colombian pipe buskers on this video at 4:47 (and in bits on the following two) MG

I was with a friend who was a trumpet player (now retd) with the BBC Welsh Symphony Orch when we met another musician, with whom my friend had a slight acquaintance. "So, what are you doing?" my friend asked. "I'm busking," the other guy said (busking is the proper English term for doing street music). "Oh, you'll be getting more paying gigs than me, then," my friend said. We're well endowed with buskers here. Every day, there's a guy in the arcade by the best deli in town, playing guitar and singing, mainly, sixties folk-protest songs. Another guitarist, outside the old library, playing amplified classical guitar. A lady saxophonist has disappeared lately, but I hope she'll return. And there's a trio playing Louis Jordan/skiffle style, who always draw a good crowd - and are very good at what they do. And of course, there are visits from the world famous Colombian pan pipes quartet!!!!! MG

It's probably what made those Casablanca albums smell like they did... That was the artwork And Parliament's costumes MG

Jim'll do you a burn... MG

Waddaya mean "if"? Hey, can we make requests? A ballad would be nice - one not too often done by jazz musicians - say "They all say I'm the biggest fool" or pick your favourite. MG

Jim's right, of course. But listen carefully IF YOUR KID CAN PICK OUT MONK AT 13 YEARS OF AGE, WHAT ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT? It doesn't matter if she doesn't LIKE it. She's had an education! MG

Two new Japanese releases turned up from Hiroshi today Both very cheap! Just about to start listening. MG

Yep! Turn off at wall at night and whenever not in use. NB don't do this to the radio alarm clock MG

Ah yes - thanks. MG

I don't want to be positive, but surely the band being in debt for several years from the last CD indicates that financial success can't be measured purely by the profits arising from sales? The band is a financial success if its total income from all sources suffices for whatever the members want money for to the extent that they're prepared to stay with it. I'm sure they'd say that recording helps get more or better paying gigs. MG

Never thought of that - but never noticed any improvement in the music, either. MG

Thanks. I always turn the whole system off at the wall at night, and whenever I go out. Not sure how to adjust the brightness. MG

The Equator? MG

You might be sticking it to the RIAA, but you're also sticking it to the artists. For the most part, I avoid secondhand recordings these days because I want to make sure the artists get something, especially if it's a less popular artist. Hasn't the RIAA been sticking it to the artists for years? This organization was never set up for the benefit of the industry's creative member, just the record companies--and we all know how they have treated the majority of artists. Perfectly true - but it doesn't mean that, in all cases, the artists get nothing. Mostly, they get little. But a little bit on top of that little can't be unwelcome - and doubtless wouldn't be willingly foregone. MG

True. MG

No it doesn't. It implies that, at the moment, a lot of people of those particular religions have a problem with each other. (Though it is true that, in Israel, there are many similar examples of ordinary people of different religions helping each other. These type of occasions seem not to make the news much, either.) The point is, what is newsworthy. And at present, and in the context of a racial attack, that is newsworthy. Or so it seems to me. MG

Good idea. I've got a laptop, not a standard monitor. My guess is that on those kind of screens, it doesn't matter what is on the screen, from an energy point of view. MG

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I'm inclined to agree with Chris. It was an anti-Jewish attack. While everyone should be concerned, it really is noteworthy that only one person stepped in with assistance - and more noteworthy that that person was a Muslim. Had the motive been robbery, the religion of the guy who came to help would be irrelevant. MG

Nice. What' this about a new Lynn Hope CD? MG

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