The Magnificent Goldberg

It was Davis who refused to release Wyclef Jean's best album so far - "Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101" - so he had to take it to Koch and release it on the Sak Pase label. The album only made #66 on the R&B charts. What I don't know is; did it do so poorly because it didn't have the undoubted power of BMG behind it? or was it because it was truly out of step with the culture because so little of it was in American and concerned with America? If the latter, then there's some reason to believe that Davis may have been right. Herman Lubinsky, according to people who knew him, had no taste or feeling for music. Yet he created Savoy Records; the market leader for Bebop and honking tenor players in the forties and the most important Gospel label of the past 60 years. I don't think there is a straight answer here. I doubt if Davis is any worse than Lubinsky was. But the outcomes were entirely different. There's no denying that a record company needs someone concerned with the bottom line. As far as I can see, the real difference is because one runs major companies and the other ran his own small business, clearly focused on a market which he understood. Major companies tend to try to do all things but also direct their biggest effort at the biggest niche market - the popular market. Because this is a market of people who don't really care about the music, except in terms of a "soundtrack to their lives", they can get away with murder. I read a book about Motown once. In it there was an interview with a lady who, as a young girl in the school across the road from Motown's studio, had been hired by Gordy as their (part time) quality controller. Gordy gave her a free hand in terms of equipment and, after a while, she asked the audio engineer to make her a record player that would sound as bad as a car radio, so she could tell what the records would sound like when people heard them for that first, crucial, time. THAT's what people use the music for. MG

Glad this was upped; I missed it before. I've just started as a CDU customer, because they seem to be cheapest on the scores of OJCs I need to get soon. So I'll be doing all my orders through you. Thanks. Oh, and I don't care where it is, or what it looks like; I'm from the old school of '80s system analysts; Model T systems. MG

Canned by Tesco in Britain! (I'll drink anything, even tea!) MG

This is spot on. Why is it that we hash this whole topic over every few months? We see the same shit every time. To expect another Marvin Gaye is like waiting for the next Bird. It ain't gonna happen. Culture evolves, as does the musical continuum. Remember Lincoln Logs? Man they don't make toys like they used to... Culture evolves, but that doesn't mean it progresses. I'm not pining for the past, but I'm sure not gonna say that 21st century America, from a cultural standpoint, has progressed from where it was 30 years ago. I'm hoping for a way forward. Cultures don't progress; they change. There's no way anyone can say that any culture is the result of more progress than any other culture. MG

Because things keep changing more and more and we're freaking out that they ain't never gonna be like they used to? Why? I don't think you are. I know I'm not. Why do some people? MG

Plus, these labels are so unfixed. I had a guy write me last night and tell me how much he liked the "smooth jazz" that I was playing and that the guitar was really lovely - I was playing Wes. Wes was THE pioneer of Smooth Jazz; 10 years before it happened. MG

Doesn't that mean there's good smooth jazz? There are some Smooth Jazz albums that fit rather better into the tradition of Soul Jazz than others. Try Urban Knights for that - of course, Ramsey Lewis does make a dfference. In general, Smooth Jazz suffers from exactly the same defects as Smooth Soul - some talented musicians and singers, but not much soul, not much conviction, no real story to tell. They probably wouldn't be ALLOWED by their labels to tell their story anyway. MG

So they'll have Sabir Mateen writing the TV jingles then? MG

While I was out, I decided that KD Jr is really taking a very parochial view of black music. If he were to look into the different popular musics of Africa, he'd find everything he thinks is lacking in America; right up in his face. America has no God-given right to be the cutting edge of black music, simply because it was for eighty years or so. Music reflects culture. If you don't like the music, do something about the culture - change society. MG

There's always been good and bad in pop music, black or white. There's a lot of good black pop music out there now. Erykah Badu to start with. Listening to "World wide underground" for the first time, I got the same feeling as the first time I liistened to Ornette Coleperson's "Free jazz" - hearing a music that was so blindingly creative, yet firmly entrenched in the culture it represented, and with an incredible groove to it. Plenty of other neo-Soul singers around who are every bit as good as the soul singers of the '60s - Mary J Blige; Angie Stone; Alicia Keys (when she's on it); Belita Woods, who sings two great cuts on George Clinton's "How late do UF2BB4UR absent". Wyclef Jean; Public Enemy; The Last Poets; KRS1; Gil Scott-Heron represent a political thread in Rap that can't be disregarded and lumped into an anti-social bag. And there have always been plenty of songs about sex and violence. Try Wynonie "Mr Blues" Harris or Dinah Washington. Like many in the past, many of the modern ones include a strong dose of self parody - Redman's multiple versions of Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Superman lover" are hilarious; as are many of Busta Rhymes' things. I think black popular music is just as good now, and just as bad, and just as BAAAD, as it's ever been. I love it! MG

John Hicks' "Music in the key of Clark" has some wonderful remakes of Clark numbers; particularly "My conception" and "Minor meeting". Lonnie Smith's "Too damn hot" has a very interesting version of "One cylinder". Lou's version, on which Lonie played but didn't solo, wasn't the original, which was by the great Freddie McCoy on his "Peas and rice" LP, but it's a lot more famous than the original. On the same album, Lonnie does a beautiful ballad version of "Silver's serenade" that really opints up how lovely the tune is. Cornell Dupree, on his album "Bop 'n' blues" does my favourite version of "Bags' groove". MG

Yeah, I was talking to Han Bennink in between sets at the Seattle ICP show and he said that he thought that America was changing. He's come here for over 30 years touring, recording etc. and he said that things are getting really tense here now-a-days. He said "everyone's scared of everything and everyone now." I know this isn't in the politics section so I won't go into my opinion on why this climate of fear has crept into our national consciousness, but I’m sure you already know. Johnny, While I agree with you fully about the state of affairs in the U.S., I think this incident happened in England? What the hell? How does a cabbie in England NOT know "London Calling"? One of the greatest albums ever! Now THAT's the absurd part of this story! Add to the irony... I bet the cabbie grew up in Brixton! Cheers, Shane Depends on how old he is. I've never heard any Clash records (as far as I know), and I'm English (well, kind of). MG

Maiden Voyage - Odell Brown & the Organisers - I can't believe no one on this board has mentioned this! Armageddon - The Three Souls - DITTO Black Nile - The Three Souls - DITTO again! Twilight Thunder - The Afro Blues Quintet + 1 Down with Downers - The Afro Blues Quintet + 1 The above two are retitled versions of Canteloupe Island (the two tracks are a continuous performance) Evening of the beast - The Afro Blues Quintet + 1 This is a retitled version of John Patton's "One step ahead" In none of the three cases above are the composers correctly credited. Nonetheless, these are great versions of the tunes, despite the dishonesty of the record company. Finally Grassella Oliphant - The yodel and Soul woman I actually think these are the original versions, though some discographies give dates that are a few weeks after "Got a good thing goin'". I doubt if Patton & Green would have brought these numbers that they'd just recorded for Blue Note to the session. I reckon they recorded them first for Atlantic. But the Blue Note album came out first. MG

I still do. I just buy whatever is cheapest. MG

Is that as good as I think it is? (I wish they'd issue some more Wright on CD.) MG

Ho YUSSS! Jim Hall plays the master of the Telecaster: The Albert Collins songbook MG

No idea the answer to your question, but the ordering info on the Black Jazz website says... Black Jazz Records™ accepts Checks Credit Cards and Money Orders. To assure the highest protection for purchases Black Jazz secures all Credit Card orders via Pay Pal. You can also phone in your order. (510) 452-5299 All Checks & Money Orders payable to: Black Jazz Records® P.O, Box 71204 Oakland, CA 94612-7304 My thought is that if they take credit card orders over the phone, then that implies (at least to me) that they might be able to run your card directly (without having to go through Paypal). But Paypal appears to be their only on-line credit card payment method. When/if I put an order in with them - I'll let you know what I use. My Paypal spending limit is dangerously low (I think barely $60), because I refuse to give them my bank account numbers. So I'm sure I'll be looking for some alternative to Paypal. Thanks - I look forward to your news. This is an important label. MG

He only takes Paypal? MG

I'll order two copies. MG

Yes, it was "Piano Concerto for the left hand" - kind of obvious title really. Nice piece of music, I recall. Haven't heard it since 1970, though, so I could be wrong. MG

Bird plays Stitt MG

Just turned up in the post Rushing off to the dentist now, so no time to listen to these. Something to look forward to later. MG

John Coltrane plays Otis Redding Bill Evans plays The Monkees And a few Christmas records that were never made A Sonny Crissmas Miles wishes all his fans a happy Christmas Art Blakey's Christmas Message (I think that would have been GREEAATTT!) MG

WHO IS ARIC EFFRON AND WHY ISN'T HIS NAME STEVE AUSTIN? (I've been dying to ask that for ages.) MG

The guitarist on the new Gene Ludwig - Joe Lano - of whom I've never heard before, sounds pretty good. I really like his solo on "Gentle Rain". A lot of P Martino in there. From his photo, he looks as if he's been around since the '60s. MG