The Magnificent Goldberg

Speaking of shoddy treatment--the track listing includes relatively few Red Allen masterpieces. In fact, a lot of it is second-rate. 1. Bugle Call Rag 2. Oh! Peter 3. Margie 4. Spider Crawl 5. Who's Sorry Now 6. Take It Slow And Easy 7. Bald-Headed Mama 8. I Would Do Anything For You 9. Mean Old Bed Bug Blues 10. Yellow Dog Blues 11. Yes Suh! 12. Who Stole The Lock? 13. Shine On Your Shoes 14. It's Gonna Be You 15. Someone Stole Gabriel's Horn 16. Till The Clock Strikes Three 17. You'll Never Go To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) 18. Miller's Daughter, Marianne 19. Merry-Go-Round Broke Down 20. Have You Ever Been In Heaven? 21. (Is It) Love Or Infatuation? 22. I Owe You 23. Can I Forget You? 24. Canal Street Blues 25. Shim Me Sha Wabble 26. King Porter Stomp 27. K.K. Boogie 28. Sometimes I'm Happy 29. Ol' Man River 30. A Sheridan,, Square" 31. Siesta At The Fiesta 32. Jack The Bellboy 33. Indiana 34. Indiana (Take 2) 35. Jack The Bellboy (Take 2) 36. Theme 37. Ride, Red, Ride 38. Just A Feeling 39. Dark Eyes 40. Dear Old Southland 41. Red Jump 42. Get The Mop 43. Crawl 44. Buzz Me 45. Drink Hearty 46. Get The Mop 47. Count Me Out 48. Check Up 49. It It's Love You Want 50. Let Me Miss You 51. Struttin' With Some Barbecue 52. Squeeze Me 53. Love Is Just Around The Corner 54. Body And Soul 55. Sweet Sue (Just You) 56. Snag It 57. I Ain't Got Nobody 58. St. James Infirmary 59. Ride, Red, Ride 60. Eh, La Bas (Trad) 61. Ain't She Sweet 62. Beale Street Blues 63. Clarinet Marmalade Yes, I noticed that; but that's what makes it so valuable for me. Masterpies are all very well, but you wouldn't want to live with them. Most of my collection is second and third rate. MG

Rick Wakeman Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Titch Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson

"Blow me some Trane" - wasn't that what JB shouted to his saxist on "Super Bad"? I hadn't noticed that. Is it on part 1, 2 or 3? MG

Sunny; quite breezy; not too cold; noisy - garage roof being mended (hope they get it right this time). MG

My wife's got this book. I haven't read it. There's a questionnaire in the book, which my wife has tried on me, and gets entirely the wrong answer. It's all a load of bollocks. We love some dogs because they're different from other dogs (of the same breed). They behave differently because they're different individual dogs. Sure, there are basic similarities, particularly within one breed. But there are no more rules to dog behaviour than to people behaviour, in my view. MG

A cheapo office chair from Ikea. 'Sokay, as Brother Jack would say. MG

I've very much enjoyed Chu's contributions to the Cab Calloway box I've got. I want some Teddy Wilson, as well. This box is a definite maybe. MG

I have "Clubhouse" on CD, too. This and "Getting around" have a lot of Dave Bailey & Rudy Stevenson material that I like. However, I haven't noticed the distortion. Will it hurt if you tell me where to look for it? (Hurt my pocket, that is, if I find I have to spring for an RVG.) MG

Eldee and Red were the powerhouse behind Ramsey and created some of the first Acid Jazz recordings. RIP. MG

Laughed so much, I hurt my throat! MG

Coleman Hawkins with Tiny Grimes & Charlie Shavers - Hawk eyes - UK Xtra stereo (though it doesn't say so). MG

On the bus into Cardiff this morning, I was listening to this and I thought, “about time there was a shout-out for Shirl.” There are a couple of threads on individual albums but nothing relating to her generally. So here we are. I reckon Shirley is one of the important innovators, and a reminder that innovation can be fairly conservative. It was her recordings with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis that popularised the tenor/organ combo. And where would all that greasiness be without tenor/organ combos? Starting in 1956 for King, then Roost/Roulette and on to Prestige in 1958, Shirley and Jaws created that genre, which was fully set with the fabulous and successful “Cookbooks”. Jaws had tried this before; in 1951, he’d recorded for Roost with Bill Doggett, Billy Taylor and Eddie Bonnemere. And he’d worked with Doc Bagby in the mid-fifties. But it wasn’t until he teamed up with Shirley that they were able to put it all together. There are several interesting things about Shirley. One is that her style isn’t based on Jimmy Smith, though she, Jimmy Smith and Johnny “Hammond” Smith were all woodshedding at the same time in Philadelphia and I expect some of this was mutual. Shirley relies more on Wild Bill Davis’ approach, but what sounds to me a lot lighter. I don’t find her an exciting organist, in the way Jimmy and Lonnie Smith are. But she’s very, very solid. In fact, no one played like Shirley. It would be nice to hear from some of the organists on her approach. Also, no one accompanied like Shirley. Listening to her working with Stanley, I’m struck by how comfortable she made him feel; and yet she was pushing and prodding the whole time. (Just like MY wife. No, that’s not what I mean.) You know what I mean. It’s a very full accompaniment you get with Shirley; much fuller than other organists, I feel. Oddly, almost all her recordings were made with bass players. I’ve got quite a lot of Shirley’s albums, though nowhere near her whole discography, which is here http://www.dougpayne.com/shirley1.htm Most of what I’ve got is material she co-led with Jaws or Stanley, though I have got a few without tenor payers. The one I think is most unusual is “Drag ‘em out”, Prestige 7305, with Roy Brooks and Major Holley, which hasn’t been reissued on CD. Shirley does something on that that I’ve never heard any other organist try; a long, slow blues, taking up the whole of one side, with neither guitar nor sax (though Holley does have a typically charming couple of bowed choruses halfway through). Shirley has to carry that pretty well by herself and she really maintains my interest; oh yes, Shirley could really preach the blues. MG

Shirley Scott - Drag 'em out - Prestige blue label - fairly scratchy but listenable. And a lot to listen to! Oh, and it's in glorious mono! MG

This was reissued last year; didn't see it until today. I've been looking for it for four decades! Fabuloso!!!!!! THE #1 GREATEST SOUL ALBUM EVER MADE!!!!!! MG

Heavier than drizzle. Not too cold. MG

I've got the CD "Chambers' music" with that on it. You've inspired me to dig it out to play over breakfast tomorrow (it's nearly bedtime now). MG Yes, listened to it this morning. Those Transition sides are very nice; just like a mid-fifties Prestige jam session without Gene Ammons. And the blues at the end is one I love. Pepper Adams is very beguiling and Trane is at his funkiest. Glad I played it. MG

I got a half dozen titles off jazzmusicdepot. No problems. All were sealed and thus very nice. I've bought some too. No problems. MG Tom is a good guy (I have sold him stuff for years) and he gets the records direct from Schlitten. Have no fear. Best recommendation yet. MG

King Cong King of the road The Furniture King (with a magnificent graffito on Halsey in Newark)

Poison Ivy Ivy Benson and her Burners George Benson

I've got those. But I like every bit as much the 3 volumes of "Essence" - in which his style, remaining the same, is so much more dramatic. And Idris kicks dead ass! MG

I got a half dozen titles off jazzmusicdepot. No problems. All were sealed and thus very nice. I've bought some too. No problems. MG

I've got the CD "Chambers' music" with that on it. You've inspired me to dig it out to play over breakfast tomorrow (it's nearly bedtime now). MG

Very nice, Jim. Is that John Hart the same guy who played with Jack McDuff later? MG

Dante & the Evergreens Hollywood Argyles Frank Zappa

Nah - I'll wait for the box. There's plenty of other AJ material for me to get in the meantime. MG