The Magnificent Goldberg

Ali Pang Dr Decker King Solomon (All tunes by the Skatalites)

Complain. Write to Concord, or the European distributor, if you bought a European issue (don't know if there is a European one). Lay it on thick about how extremely disapointed you are and how badly it reflects on the company and devalues what should be a perfect representation of this classic music. Use several pages, if possible. MG

Can it be legal for a firm to collect money on behalf of musicians (therefore implicitly acting as their agent) and then to say that anyone who doesn't sign up by a specific date has had it? MG

Missed it! But happy birthday a day late anyway! MG

Inspired by tranemonk's enjoyment of the Lou Donaldson Mosaic box, I've been playing the albums that make it up! LPs first. Quartet/quintet/sextet - Toshiba Wailing with Lou - Toshiba LD+3 - King Sunny Side up - King Midnight Sun - BN Rainbow Funny how most are Japanese... MG

No offense intended.....but this "my own" money thing between some married couples is something that is quite foreign to me. I don't quite get what it's all about. ....or were you just joking? No joke, though all our income is my pension. I draw out cash every week for our small stuff - meals/drinks out, trips to hairdresser, make up, garden plants etc are what she spends it on; tobacco, books and records for me; and I also spend some on favourite groceries in a few specialist delicatessens. If I want to buy stuff on the web, I have to save it out of this cash and put it into a specific account, which feeds a specific credit card. The point is never to let buying records come before the family needs; that was easier while I was working, of course. MG

I've seen both Swedish and English Sonets. Most references appear geared to the Swedish/Scandinavian Sonet, which was the primary independent label in the region until PolyGram bought it. I suspect that the UK Sonet was either a subdivision or an entirely different operation. Somebody here probably knows more than me and will chime in disparagingly in about ten minutes. Nope - that's right. British Sonet was a branch of the Scandinavian outfit, though they may have had a wider range than the parent company, since they also handled Alligator Records (and Specialty before Fantasy bought that company) in the UK. My copy of this, by the way, is the Spanish release, manufactured by Discophon. I've often wondered if there was a Japanese release preceding the Sonet, but never seen anything to confirm that. Damn good album, though. MG

All that material is really lovely to listen to, delightful to know. MG

So how come you didn't know about Oumou Dioubate? MG

Busta Rhymes Buster Bailey Buster Keaton

Boots Mussulli Boots Brown & his Blockbusters Shorty Rogers

Note spelling Clem, Oumou isn't one of the extremely numerous Diabates; she's the only (as far as I know) Dioubate (who sings). Damn, shoulda thorter that! AND Lekan Animasaun, as well. MG ....asking Clem to "note spelling" is one of the funniest things I've heard in 2007!!! Damning with faint praise, eh? MG

Reg Dixon Ethel Smith Esther Williams

Well, if you took along Oumou Dioubate, she'd be in the pudding club 'fore long. MG

Nope - but it looks interesting. MG

Spike Milligan Peter Sellers Harry Secombe

Horace Silver - Silver's serenade (BN Lib edition) Horace Silver - Blowin' the blues away (BN EMI France) Illinois Jacquet & his tenor sax - Aladdin (PM France edition) Curtis Amy - Mustang - Verve orig MG

Wonderful photos, Mark; particularly #1 & 3. David doesn't look like he was the cause of the bittersweet. Thanks for posting them. MG

Was that David Newman? MG

Who said Lowell was primal? Dan said You're the one who used the word Primal on him, then denied it. (And I don't disagree with what you're saying, though I don't usually try to concentrate on such matters.) No - never been to LA - never been further west than Newark NJ (and environs). MG

MG

Papa John Creach Grand Papa Diabate Pape Serigne Seck

No one said that the people you wanted to take had to be the best in their racket. What do you think - that I think Gator Tail was the best tenor player? Gertcha! I don't think, if I were limited to bluesmen, that I'd take B B, Lowell, Muddy, Guy, Rush OR EVEN T-BONE. I'd take Slim Harpo, for the way I can get on with him all the time, the way he just eases you into it. This is not an aesthetic or historically importance league table. It's people's views of who means most to them personally. (Combined with a little light sexist relief.) MG

Candy Staton Dakota Staton Georgia Gibbs

Still playing JB MG