The Magnificent Goldberg

Yes indeed. Sonny Lester gets a lot of stick, but some of those albums on GM/LRC are a lot better than they're cracked up to be. I happened to meet Jesse Morrison in Newark in '96 - it was at a gig he led with Gloria Coleman and I forget who the drummer was. He was exeedingly pleased I mentioned "Stump juice". MG

I woke up this morning with a Hawaiian Rock & Roll song called "Putti putti" by Jay Epae on my head. A bit of Willis Jackson soon put me right, though MG

I thought he was a good bit older than that. Ghost, hope you're going to include something from Philly Joe's album "Drum song" or Bill Hardman's "Home". MG

What a great video . Thanks for posting that, Brownie! Peter Great! That fleeting shot of the drummer at the end looked like the reat Ron Jefferson; anyone know? MG

Some time back, Chris Albertson confessed that he had written some sleeve notes using the pseudonym of "Fred Nurdley" when he wasn't greatly taken with the music. I have one of those; "Arriba! con Montego Joe", which features Leonard Goines, Al Gibbons, Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez, Milford Graves & Robert Crowder. He did a good job on it but, reading it knowing that was Chris in "don't like this" mode, you can see and mentally add in the bits that he DIDN'T write. MG

I am NOT going to be tempted. Kate Bush Catherine Tate Vicky Pollard

Wrong again - the Shepp photos are in and outside the Battling Siki boxing club. Here's a shot of the shadow of Louis Sclavis in the Bar Battling Siki. Next, the Sandaga Market, in Dakar. I learned more about Senegalese music here than almost anywhere else. MG

I like Porcy's list. But most, I like the IDEA behind it. My places would be small places that no one has photographed, I suspect. The Battling Siki Bar, in St Louis, Senegal. (Actually, I think I have a photo of Archie Shepp there.) Kolmanskop, Namibia - a ghost town that was based on diamonds - here's a shot A certain corner of the Gyokusen-en garden, Kanazawa, Japan That'll do for the time being. MG

John Fred and his Playboy Band Garnell Cooper & the Kinfolks Rex Garvin & the Mighty Cravers

I have always liked the notes to "Double cross" by Hank Crawford - written by Burt Burdeen. He was given a 10 day deadline to produce the notes but, during that time, the record didn't arrive. So after complaining about this and waffling a bit, he left a blank space for the purchaser to fill in his/her own comments, making a few suggestions about avoiding hyperbole. He finished by saying, "Use good penmanship", which I always thought was a nice touch. MG

Emmanuel Riggins Ronnie Foster Earl Neal Creque

Those were issued along with the other Congo Lament tracks as "Easy Living" unless I'm confusing some things here. That's correct. The CD issue contains all the tracks, with and without Green/Turrentine. And it's very nice indeed. MG

It's pretty much like that in Britain as well. So a radio station like Jazz-FM got big money for ads. But I suspect that it was later discovered (Jazz-FM isn't playing much jazz now) that that age group, and that particular section of it that listens to jazz, is highly resistant to ads. The only ad that's ever influenced me, in an area in which I can't make purchases, as it happens, is the ad for the Renault Clio which used Jimmy Smith's "Organ grinder swing". MG

Sounds like you had a good time MG

Well I for one won't buy a damn thing if Cuscuna shaves off his beard... I didn't know he had a beard. How could anyone with a beard produce Cornell Dupree's "Teasin'"? Or perhaps he wasn't old enough for a beard in 1974... MG

Most of us are good people, you know. It's just that there's too many easy bad choices available to us and not enough incentive not to make them. Yes I know. The only nasty Americans I've ever met were three off duty cops in a bar in Newark. They had a big down on Amiri Baraka and, before I knew this, I'd mentioned his name. They were still carrying guns. I didn't stay long to chat, after that. MG

I thought Gregory did a nice version of that. But I like the song anyway. MG

Ah, that's good - I really WAS on the verge of believing terrible things about Americans, you know. MG

I don't know the details of EMI's problems. A few years ago, it was discovered that some British firms had taken to dipping into their employees' pension funds. If the firm went bust, the pension fund went bust as well. That may be why EMI's problem is an actuarial one. MG

MG

Sounds like they need to find a better deal, if CD Universe can ship a 3 CD set for $2 less and Mosaic are still losing money on their arangements. I bet CDU don't lose on the shipping. MG

I really like a lot of Amiri Baraka's sleeve notes; particularly the somewhat eccentric ones. "Moody's workshop" has a wonderful chunk: MG

My my, wotta BAND! Ava was owned by MGM. Now part of Universal and Verve. THAT looks like it would make a good Mosaic single! MG

Well, like any capitalistic bastard, Cuscuna will charge what the market will bear. MG

Playing Christmas music last night definitely worked! Hardly any snow - sunny but windy day today. I can recommend Christmas Jazz for keeping the snow away! MG