The Magnificent Goldberg

I'll be getting it soon. MG

Nice post, Chris. IT MUST BE YOUR BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!!!!! Hapy birthday for tomorrow, Chris! MG

I generally dig mine out once or twice in the year. MG

Agreat one! (& no one here - including me - ever mentions it.) I wished I'd been in time to get that on CD - but I didn't want it on LP. But I've got quite a bit of Amos' Aladdin sides on various LPs and CDs. MG

You mean "Idi Amin" don't you? Aminata Fall Aminata Kamissoko Sayon Kamissoko

YES!!!! MG

Well, I've finished it. 218 pages of text, 110 pages of appendices, mostly discographies. The text is really interesting. The discographies, for a 2006 work, aren't nearly as good as he cracks on they are - some errors; LOADS of omissions. I'll have to write to him. MG

Someone once gave me a CD of Jewish liturgical music from Ethiopia, assuming that I like all African music. It was the most awful music I've ever heard. I gave it to a colleague who said she could put up with anything. I don't think she knows Rod. She never spoke to me again. MG

A general rule of thumb with me is NOT to buy records featuring people dressed like that on the sleeve! (Unless I like them already ) MG

"Mande popular music and cultural policies in West Africa", a PhD thesis by Graeme Counsel. I'm not expecting to learn anything much big, because I've been familiar with the general outline of this since the early nineties - but the detail! That's fascinating. MG Forgot - I'm reading it on the computer - here's the link http://eprints.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/arch.../PhD_thesis.pdf

Bubbles always burst. There are LOTS more than one born every minute. MG

I KNEW I knew the name from somewhere! Thanks Jim. RIP. MG

A pony is twenty-five quid, Allen!!!!! Just sent a tenner. MG

Hubert Laws Ronnie Laws Wayne Henderson

OK, earwig oh again! I like Larry's analysis of "macro" and "micro" surprises. Think that's a useful way of looking at it. Personally, I think too much attention is paid to the macro side, some kind of reflection of a deterministice view of history. Yes, the great innovators are important. We should track their innovations as they form the new, and ever-renewed, conventions; it's an indispensible element of one's education. But really there are very few innovators compared to the vast number of people who are the purveyors of micro surprises, who do what we all do - try to be ourselves within the parameters that society sets; push the envelope a bit; maybe make a few holes in it; but not make a revolution. I do tend to see musicians as people much like myself, and the self-recognition element of listening to music is important. But so too is the foreignness, which has to moderate the self-recognition. In other words, most of the musicians I like come from and were brought up in societies very different from the one in which I was brought up. It takes a good deal of effort to try to understand where that foreign music is coming from and to sort out what is common to me and the musicians and what isn't. And I'm not sure I ever really succeed. But foreignness itself is a big element of macro surprise, even though the music may not actually be terribly macro innovative. For me, hearing Fats Domino's "I'm in love again" at the age of 12 was an overwhelming surprise though, to someone who'd been brought up within the tradition of New Orleans R&B, it wasn't terribly innovative; just a micro surprise, if you like. But, a few years later, hearing The Drifters' "There goes my baby", which was innovative and a key turning point in the development of Soul music - now that was another macro surprise! I didn't know WHAT I was listening to when I got the record home and heard it for the first time. These occasions are terribly important, wonderfully exciting, but in the end, unrepeatable, like falling in love. A few weeks ago, I heard this lady Concha Buika, for the first time. Another amazing experience. I posted here http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=36317 that it was better than sex (at my age). Actually, I was wrong. It's better than sex at any age. Sex is something you can have any day; falling in love is a one-off and much more to be treasured. But you can't live forever falling in love with the same person, or music. MG

Oh shit! I just lost my fucking post! It's this fucking finger mouse thing I'm using. Can someone tell me what keys i must have pressed to go back and lose the post so far please? MG

I have a few odd ones. First, a few political recordings. Bembeya Jazz National - Regard sur le passe. A spoken history of Samory Toure, Almamy of the Mandinke Empire of the late 19th Century, who fought the French colonists for 18 years. Bembeya Jazz National - Chemin du PDG (Parti Democratique de Guinee)/Horoya Band - Tunyalee. This album was one of several recorded in 1970 following an unsuccessful coup attempt led by the Portugese navy. The speeches, over a musical background, celebrate the defeat of what was seen as a recolonisation attempt. Papa & Kandia Kouyate - OUA. Kandia sings and Papa speaks a harangue in praise of the Organisation of African Unity. Alpha Blondy - Jah Houphouet-Boigny nous parle. Over a reggae backing, a speech given to the Rassemblement democratique africain (African democratic assemby) by the President of Cote d'Ivoire. Off the politics, now. Sonny Hopson - a radio broadcast from 1969 on WHAT-AM Philadelphia. Actually, this isn't so far out - Jim Sangrey has a copy, too Lemzo Diamono presente Gallo Thiello! - Taxi arrete. Lemzo Diamono was, at the time (1997?) one of Senegal''s top Mbalax bands. They backed up this recording of one of Senegal's top comedians. It's all in Wolof, but still, you can't help laughing! MG

Sorry to hear your news, Joe. Hope your insurance covers you. At least you're both all right. MG

Neither of these show up on Amazon UK. Are they available? Or just on obscure labels? MG MG: those two are on Quest. Quincy Jones' label. Check here, MG: SSM Ah, did Q produce these? It looks as if "The prophet speaks" has recently been reissued in Britain, but only as a download - and very expensive, in my view. Otherwise, second hand cassettes (!) are being offered at about $56!!!!! "Reverence" can be obtained from some British firm, but that's not cheap. I'm giving up on imports for a bit because Customs seem to have a down on me and even small packages are being stopped. Since the Post Office charges a flat rate of $16 to collect even a couple of dollars customs dues (OUT-FUCKING-RAGEOUS!!!!), the price of imports is becoming as prohibitive as that of UK albums. But thanks for your help. I'll keep these in mind. MG

I will, too. Can we have it by the weekend? MG

Happy Birthday! MG

Jackie Brenston Ike Turner Calvin Newborn

Neither of these show up on Amazon UK. Are they available? Or just on obscure labels? MG

Thanks Peter. Is "Bags opus" a reissue of the material on BN BLP1509? I assume "The harem" isn't available, if it's on Musicmasters. I guess all the Pablo stuff is out on OJC - more OJCs for my list MG MG, No "Bag's Groove" was originally recorded in December 1958 and released on United Artists. The personnel includes Bags, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Tommy Flanagan, Paul Chambers and Connie Kay. Tunes are Ill Wind, Blues For Diahann, Afternoon In paris, I remember Clifford, Thinking Of You, & Whisper Not. I have long considered this an excellent session. That does look interesting - is it called "Bags opus" or "Bags groove"? MG

Yes! If this is a ref to the Monk 2LP BN set "The genius of modern music", I've got that. And the Milt BN LP. MG