The Magnificent Goldberg

Now that sounds like a gem! Lou has recorded very little live - one in Japan, on Lob; one in Italy, on Timeless; and one on the QEII, on Chiaroscuro. There's a bit of chat on the QEII set but not nearly as much as on, say, the Nat Adderley (which is hilarious). And that would be a good move for Blue Note, I'd imagine. Not trying to make another "Alligator bogaloo" but just documenting a whole show. There are others for whom that would work, I think. MG

Now isn't that interesting! When I was in West Africa once, I was taken, by a kora player, to the workshop of a bala maker. I was astounded when I ran a mallet up the keyboard that it played a western scale. Or at least, what sounded to me like that - I definitely DON'T have perfect pitch! I assumed they were all like that, but obviously, that ain't so. MG I just recently read in Songlines (thank you very, very much to those who recommended that to me, back in October or so!) that by now some balafon players were starting to use two balafons, one representing the white keys of the piano, one the black keys, so they can play chromatically, too, and do different scales. Oh, very neat! Thanks for that Ubu. MG

Hey! That reminds me! Why don't Mosaic bring out a Hodges/Wild Bill Davis set? Now THAT would be something! MG

Oh yeah, drum machines. The Guinean popular scene is absolutely chock full of drum machines (as well as the traditional percussion instruments). Purists hate it - ask Mike Weil. I love it! MG

EMI has always been a poor multi-national, in my view. I remember back in the '60s the guy running Columbia - I forget his name but he was Vera Zorina's husband - used to say that EMI used to talk about themselves being the biggest record company in the world, simply because they had a pressing plant in India (that was a frequent point made in EMI's trade ads). And they've never gotten away from this global outlook. EMI is still the biggest record company in Mali! Oh WOW! Now, if you like authentic Malian music, then that's fine - but you can't get ANY of that stuff outside Mali! (Or Paris.) And I dare say that Toumani Diabate and Ali Farka Toure outsell between them (perhaps even each) the whole of EMI's domestic Malian sales; certainly in terms of profitability. But they don't record for EMI. MG

I was going to play my Joe Turner box this evening, but a discussion with Tom on the Blues forum made me change my mind and play the Parlan. And then I found this thread! What a coincidence! (But it wasn't really, was it, Tom?) On the last track now. Oh, what a perfect box! I'm not a Parlan fan but this just makes me feel so good! Following up with Stanley Turrentine's "Look out!" with Parlan, Tucker & Harewood. I think that was the first time they'd recorded together. Yes - "Speakin' my piece" was done a few weeks later. MG

Now isn't that interesting! When I was in West Africa once, I was taken, by a kora player, to the workshop of a bala maker. I was astounded when I ran a mallet up the keyboard that it played a western scale. Or at least, what sounded to me like that - I definitely DON'T have perfect pitch! I assumed they were all like that, but obviously, that ain't so. MG

Thanks Jim - another immediate sale! Got one from Amazon UK for $11.66 - Zowie! I don't have to say, "it better be good". I KNOW it will be. MG

This started a good while before Rap came along. What happened to the organists in the mid-seventies? The organ rooms started closing. A number of reasons. One was blaxploitation cinema - the black audience in the seventies was the only element of cinema audiences that was rising at the time. Another was people being able to get out of the ghetto into the suburbs - a less concentrated audience. Bob Porter wrote about the Mayor of Newark having a purge against the organ rooms because of drugs (Lou Donaldson's "The scorpion"). He also talked elsewhere (or maybe just to me) about RVG signing an exclusive contract with Creed Taylor as having an effect. A further reason, which goes to the heart of your argument here, Soulstream, was Disco. Rap couldn't have got going had there been no Disco. Rap was built on technology developed for Disco, venues developed because of Disco and a mindset among the population that accepted that this was a good way of spending money in the evening. And Disco started in Rudy Van Gelder's studio (2001, by Deodato). MG

I read the book a few years ago and enjoyed it. Some good Funk by African artists in the sound track - though, as ever, it's not the RIGHT music for the location. Producers don't seem to realise that African doesn't mean anything in terms of music. Still, there IS good stuff in there. And the producers know that no one watching the film is going to know any better. MG

You bought nothing twice! MG

You're probably right, at that. As far as I remember, apart from a dance band that used to play tea dances at the Metropole Hotel in the late '40s, when I was extremely young, the only big band I've ever seen live was Ray Charles' in (probably) '60 or '61. MG

Horace Parlan discs 1-5 this evening. Perfection! MG

I think this Dave Clark was a Jimmy Lunceford musician who turned promotion man. Apparently he was the first person to persuade a DJ to play a record (a Lunceford record) in 1938. He subsequently worked for Duke/Peacock, Stax, then Malaco into the 1990s. MG

I didn't think the band was mixed at background level; I thought it was too loud and much too brittle. Or is that what you're talking about, Jim? MG

Earlier this evening Sonny Stitt discs 1-3 MG

Oh. OK. MG

Ooo the 'eck is that! MG

Well, my retailer is still doing them. I know Pontypridd is a bit out of the range of the extremely hip, but... MG

Father Ted Old Mother Hubbard Cousin Joe

Margaret Thatcher Bill Plummer Buster Cooper

From what I remember, Barclay used their Prestige collaboration to release ten-inchers only in the '50s! La Voix de Son Maitre which took over the Prestige distribution in the early '60s released twelve-inchers with local made covers and pressings. According to the PR discography, Barclay equivalents of PR LPs were: PRLP 7002=84027 Stan Getz quartet 7003=84016 Milt Jackson quartet 7005=84028 Concorde 7006=84044 Mulligan plays Mulligan 7007=84029 Musings of Miles 7008=84045 Wardell Gray memorial vol 1 (not vol 2) 7022=84061 The brothers 7023=84054 Trombone by three 7024=84055 Sonny Stitt with Powell & Johnson 7027=84058 Thelonious Monk trio 7029=84057 Sonny Rollins with the MJQ 7031=84049 Art Farmer septet 7034=84050 Milt & Miles 7038=84051 Sonny Rollins + 4 7044=84052 Collector’s items 7046=84053 Pairing off 7047=84060 Tenor madness 7053=84082 Monk 7058=84059 Movin’ out 7061=84056 Mobley’s message 7075=84080 Rollins/Monk 7079=84084 Saxophone colossus 7094=84077 Cookin’ 7098=84079 Django (Ray Bryant) 7129=84074 Relaxin’ 7142=84078 Soultrane 7166=84083 Workin’ (Miles) 7188=84086 Lush life (Trane) 7200=84087 Steamin’ NJLP 8213=84085 Alone with the blues From what you say, Brownie, these must be pretty hard to find. MG

Only good, eh? MG

Here in Holland the early titles - I think - were only available as imports (though on a very low scale). I have never seen any European pressings, except for some of the later titles (7400+) on the German Funckler label (nice laminated jackets and solid pressings). Some of the Swingville/Moodsville/Bluesville titles which were sold here had European jackets (Interdisc) but contained original pressings. Barclay issued PR in France, up to about 7200, then I think Voix de son Maitre . Bellaphon, then Saba in Germany. Not nearly so clear about the periods, however. Some Fontanas from MV etc, also. MG

MG J S Bach Bachman-Turner Overdrive