The Magnificent Goldberg

You're probably right. All I know is that the guy next to me was about 65-75 years old and was introduced by Jimmy Heath as "Fred Jackson, the GREAT tenor saxophone player and one of my dearest friends." I don't know if this guy was THE Fred Jackson--I just assumed so. If it were Fed Jackson's son then Fred Sr. would have to be about 85 years old! They're probably not related and this cat was probably NOT the Fred Jackson from "Face to Face." Oh well . . . Sounds from his apparent age as if he WAS THE Fred Jackson. The guy who did all those sessions, FJ Jr, was quite young-looking when I saw him on TV in the early 70's with Ray Charles' band - too young to be THE Fred Jackson, who was recording with Billy Wright, the Prince of the Blues, in the late '40s. FJ Jr would be in his fifties now, I guess. MG

What's that Jaws album, Shawn? MG

I don't know Fred is all that active these days--he was there to see his good pal Jimmy Heath--they seemed really close. I do know that he was a "first call" session player for much of the 70's and 80's--right there with Plas Johnson, Bill Perkins and some other cats. I think that was Fred Jackson Jr who did all those sessions. He might conceivably have been THE Fred Jackson's son, but it's a pretty common name. MG

I've been playing McCoy Tyner's "Nights of ballads and blues" and Phineas Newborn's "Please send me someone to love" a lot lately. Both wonderful albums for that sort of thing. MG

I had NO IDEA Fred Jackson was still alive! Did you ask him what he's been doing since "The way I feel?" Playing Arnold Sterling this evening, since it's his 68th birthday today. Another who made one LP as a leader and a few sideman dates. Jimmy McGriff - Movin' upside the blues Arnold Sterling - Here's brother Sterling Jimmy McGriff - Countdown Jimmy Ponder - Down here on the ground Jimmy McGriff - Skywalk MG

Jimmy McGriff - I got a woman - Original UK Sue issue Bobby Bryant - Earth dance - Pacific Jazz (Bobby had the most luxurious trumpet sound in jazz - as big a sound as Jacquet's) next Stan Hunter & Sonny Fortune - Trip on the Strip - Prestige MG

There's hope yet then for my old copy of 'The Flam' Looks like Clunky's got it... MG

James Moody - Moody's workshop - Xtra I bought this LP - a budget UK issue - in 1970, then hit the dole, so had to sell it to the Brighton 2nd hand shop. I found a copy in a London 2nd hand shop in 1994. I was astounded to find it was my original copy! Coleperson Hawkins - Soul - OJC Freddie McCoy - Lonely avenue - Prestige MG

Never noticed JHS was on this. Goes to the top three of my list! Thanks for posting pic of sleeve SS1. MG

Mm, forgot - there's also Amiri Baraka's "Blues People". MG

Rosenthal's "Hard bop" is very good - lots of detail you don't usually see in jazz books. Kofsky's is very very very left wing. For a more balanced appreciation of the politics of the last century (well up to the '80s) Nelson George's "The death of Rhythm & Blues" is excellent; much of it applies to jazz. MG

Lonesome Sundown - Lonesome Sundown - Excello Freddie McCoy - Greens & Beans - Prestige MG

Lonnie Smith - Finger lickin' good soul organ Thornel Schwartz - Soul Cookin' Jackie Ivory - Soul Discovery Jackie is 69 today Doesn't look it, does he? MG

The titles were listed on the back cover of the original LP in descending order of length! The CD reissue copies that for the back of the CD and the back of the insert, though, as with the LP, the track list inside shows the correct order. Just one of life's little trials... MG

I've got one of those - has Lexington label on one side and NY USA on the other with DG on at least one side. Just to complicate matters the sleeve is Lexington. I'll have to dig it out later. There must have been a job-lot of them shipped to the UK ! AND we paid through our noses for Blue Notes in those days! It was like buying a Rolls Royce (only better). MG

I haven't heard the Stan Hope - that's one I definitely want but forgot to mention above. I have seen him with Houston Person's band and he's a fine pianist; nothing flashy, but he's satisfying. He has this wonderful little habit, when he brings off a particularly felicitous piece of soloing, of leaning back with a surprised smile all over his face, as if to say, "well, didn't THAT work out nicely?" You got to love a musician who does that. He's been on a good few Houston Person albums on Muse and HighNote and one or two Etta Jones, of course. He's also got two out on Savant himself - "Pastels" (Erroll Garner is a biggish influence on Stan) and "Put on a happy face" - and they're both very good. I've never seen this on sale either new used or cut out. Don't know Reggie Moore. MG

It was probably pressed in 1964. This was a slow seller but stayed in the catalog right until the end--they had to use up all the Lexington labels that had been lying around since '56. You see Lexington labels some of these early 12" releases up to the end and EVEN on early LIBERTY pressings! I have a Jay Jay Johnson Liberty mono with Lexington labels. I guess it's POSSIBLE the record is a first pressing. Does it have a flat edge? That would be the most obvious determining factor . . No flat edge - so that means it's a more recent pressing, eh? I never thought that BN would be using up old labels - that seems fantastically penny-pinching. Thanks for this info Allan MG

Don't matter to me - I was born in Edinburgh (my mother was there on a shopping trip) brought up in Sussex, Yorkshire & London, and have lived in Wales more than half my life. I ain't from anywhere.... MG

This stuff never seeems to have come to fruition,or is it still in train? The Blue Mitchell's are the ones I want. I have a CD of Blue's "Graffiti blues", but it seems to be a compilation. I also want the 3 LPs Charles Williams recorded to be reissued. There is SERIOUS stuff from Don Pullen, Bubba Brooks and Cornell Dupree on those. Surprised no one mentioned Auntie Gloria's album for Mainstream; another one I want. She sings on it as well as plays her usual magnificent organ. Mains 415 isn't by Max Roach/Blue Mitchell - it's a various artists compilation. On Prestige, I want a LOT! A boxed set of Freddie McCoy! Gene Ammons - My way; Free again; Blue Groove. Willis Jackson - Swivelhips; Gator's Groove; Star Bag; Gatorade; Shuckin'; Neapolitan nights. Stan Hunter & Sonny Fortune - Trip on the strip Bobby Timmons - Chicken & Dumplings; Holiday soul Don Patterson - Holiday soul; Mellow soul; Satisfaction; Soul happening Freddie Roach - My people A few Shirley Scott's, including Drag 'em out (there must be more, but I haven't got them on LP) Leon Spencer - Where I'm coming from; Bad walkin' woman MAYNARD PARKER - MIDNIGHT RIDER!!!!!!!!! MAYNARD PARKER - MIDNIGHT RIDER!!!!!!!!! MG

Gene Ludwig - Now's the time Johnny Lytle - Blue vibes Milt Jackson - Milt Jackson My copy of this Milt Jackson (BLP1509) has 43 W 61st Street on the cover and 176 Lexington Ave on the disc. Does this mean that some previous owner got it mixed up? Or that BN had more discs pressed than they had sleeves printed, so that when they moved, the sleeves were ahead of the discs? (The inner sleeve is from 1964.) MG

Eveyone always said this was a classic, so I knew I didn't need to hurry to buy it. I got around to it today, after only forty-two years delay (no 1920s preachers in the shop today). MG

I hadn't noticed that; I file my albums in order of the earliest date of recording, so "The sermon" falls into 1957. Otherwise they'd be neighbours. A very different mood to this one from the day before. MG

Just got it. What a vibe. The man had soul. The Soulful Mr. Timmons. Singlehandedly eliminates society's need for shrinks, couch docs, therapists, SSRIs, and benzos. Yeah! So, when is Concord going to reissue "Chicken & dumplings"? The other trio session on Prestige. MG

Not vinyl but shellac - but there's no thread. Because it's the late Eddie Chamblee's birthday today, I've dug out and played Sonny Thompson - Long Gone pts 1 & 2 - Miracle 126 Lovely playing from Sonny, Arvin Garrett on guitar and Eddie. Sonny Thompson - Late Freight/Sonny's return - Miracle 128 (Eddie isn't on the B side) Because it's quite a hassle converting my deck over to play 78s, I also took the oppotrunity to get out Lloyd Lambert - King Cotton/Heavy Sugar - Specialty 553 DJ sample I think I've only played the B side a couple of times. This time it was a lot better; a very heavy slow bluesy thing with some interesting voicing of the horns. King Cotton has one of my all time favourite tenor solos; I think it's by Lee Allen. Does anyone know this record to confirm it's Allen? I think it's from 1955. MG

Got this on right now - just finishing. I like the Bill Henderson vocals quite a lot. He has a funny diction which might be a regional accent (don't know where he's from and anyway, I ain't a native) or it might be an attempt at a "refined" accent such as Ernie Andrews so wonderfully satirises in "Parker's mood". But for his singing, no problems for me. And I love the photo on the cover - the expression on JOS' face under that umbrella is wunnerful. MG