The Magnificent Goldberg

Not in the Crusaders box, but don't let that stop you buying it! I don't know who it is, but it doesn't sound like the Crus to me. MG

BFT 40 DISC 1 There’s some very nice stuff in this disc; thank you Luca. But I’ve also been a bit frank about the ones I don’t like at all. No offence. 1 What a lovely Latin groove to start off with! Really gets you into a good frame of mind. A nice tune – a tuneful tune. Love the voicings of the horns. Tenor solo that’s really tellin’ it. Very down home piano solo. A little bit of trumpet at the end, keeping the groove and the mood. I REALLY can’t be asked to try to work out who these players are. This is just another album I have to try to find. 2 A walking bass intro, leading to a tenor sax, then another, and maybe a third. I think I know #2, but can’t bring up a name. All of each player’s short statements seem to pick up perfectly from the previous one. It’s as if they’re taking turns playing the same solo. When the brushes and piano come in, it sounds like they’re playing “Body & soul”. And I love that smooth voiced bit! Another good ‘un. 3 Unison theme from guitar and tenor on a good swinger. Nice solos all round. Another good ‘un, but probably not demanding instant purchase! (Phew – these BFTs can get expensive!) 4 Tune sounds like “Donna Lee”. Very brash trombone solo. I like the trombonist’s sound; very twenties/thirties. Odd for such a tune. 5 “The band that doesn’t play together”. Not very dancefloor-friendly, this. 6 Thirties recording, I guess. Don’t know the tune, but it appears to be called “Sugar plum”. Is it a German singer? With possibly a German band. Aha, accordion solo! Must be French:) 7 Nice band arrangement on this reminds me of Henry Mancini, but isn’t. Soprano sax solo; is it Bob Wilbur? Quite pleasant. 8 “Jambalaya on the bayou” played by a violinist live. Much applause for the violinist. Even the applause after the piano solo seems more to be for the violinist stepping back up to the mike. So I guess he’s the leader. 9 Tenor, bass & brushes. What’s that sound in the back? Synth? Not keen on this. I think I know the tune. Synth solo; still not for me. “Speak low” at the end; have they been playing that all the time? Who cares? 10 “Take the A express”, tenor & rhythm. I like the approach. Oh yes! This is a tenor player I should know. I feel embarrassed because, now I’ve played it on the hifi, as well as the walkman, he sounds even more like someone who’s quite prominent in my collection, but I still can’t place him. A good one. 11 “Round midnight” by bass clarinet, first solo, then with bass. Another I don’t like at all. 12 Ah! Recorded on 7 May 1965, first session for the leader back at Prestige. Although the sleeve notes say that only one of the two tenor players is on this track, I’ve always thought that both were playing in the ensemble passages. Anyone else hear that? 13 Guitar and guitar. Something vaguely familiar about the tune. Anxiously awaiting the end. Far too long. 14 Very spiky tune played by alto & clarinet. Quite unpleasant. Don’t like either. No idea what these guys are trying to tell me. 15 Piano, then bass enters, then drums. This one’s slow to get going and slow to close as well. But once they get going, there’s a good groove. In comes a violin. Very inventive, very dramatic, yet always keepin’ it real. This is another I’d buy, were I convinced the band would keep it real on all trax. 16 Alto & rhythm. I know this tune. Sounds like a live performance, though there’s no applause. Very funny sound. This sounds like a good quiz question; who’s the altoist? Sounds like someone not quite as good as Sonny Criss. Which might mean that it IS Criss. 17 “Skipping along the sunny side of the street”. Very strange. It reminds me of a party piece an altoist friend of mine used to do when he occasionally sang with his New Orleans band. He did a version of Morton's "Doctor Jazz" with a fault on the line. Very clever and amusing. MG

Abe Laboriel Ross Bagdasarian Armen Halburian

Oh, and "The Cape Verdun blues" is another real good 'un. MG

I LURVE the typing of the tracklists. Duck Pearson is the best. I think I'm always going to think of him that way. MG

Robbie Basho Robbie Shakespeare Sly Dunbar

Somebody say "booty?" plus some Mosaics? Where?! Sonny Stitt and Joe Pass sets. Picked up on last day of 'sale'. Hopefully now 'au passage'.. -_- I ordered the Stitt then, too. Got an e-mail yesterday saying that my Stitt is coming in... MG

Randy Wood Ernie Young Don Robey

John Major (MP for Huntingdonshire) Margaret Thatcher Tony Blehhhh

Dr Doolittle Do-boy Diamond (great name for a blues singer) Sekou Bembeya Diabate "Diamond Fingers"

Is that this, Chuck? MG So, is that preachin' or singin' or some of both? Some of both. Gates is great! The best selling black artist of 1930! Ellington, Armstrong, Smith - nowhere! (I'm in the process of buying all 9 of his CD complete works compilations on Document. Got 5 so far.) MG

You're right, my bad. These two are the same but the one on the Blakey album is a different tune. Glad to know I'm not quite ready for the old folks home. MG

Amos Brearley Den Watts Annie Walker

Rev Jesse Jackson Rev J M Gates Rev Jasper Williams

Well, Spillers wasn't out of this today! Now listening. Within a few bars I was glad I'd bought this. Thanks to all for the many recommendations! MG

He had already recorded it at his first Blue Note session in 1952 and recorded it again in 1959 ( for the "The Time Is Right" album) and once more in 1984 for a live album on Timeless Records. I think these are different tunes. (Unless I noted the track number wrong!) MG

very deep groove Yeah, all groove, no wax in between. MG

Duh? MG

There CAN'T be someone with a name like Jim Ridl! In Cockney rhyming slang, Jimmy Riddle means piddle. MG

I listened to this the other day - glad to be reminded to do so, since it's a while since I played it. What got me this time - it's often something different - was the short, boppy, "Lou's blues". I wonder why he never recorded it again as a leader. MG

Is that this, Chuck? MG

Otis Spann Otis Redding Otis Elevator

One-der-ful Mar-V-Lus Halo

Arthur English Sir Walter Scott John Ireland

Danny Overbea Danny Moss Danny Kaye