Allan Songer

James Carter Organ Trio at the Jazz Bakery tonight.

My favorite player was the late, great Teddy Edwards--if there ever was an underappreciated "hometown hero" is was Teddy. Some of my local favorites who don't get much (if any) national attention are Rickey Woodard, Benn Clatworthy, Jon Mayer (piano), and Justo Almario.

Reid had LOTS of cars! He would somtimes drive a '47 MG TC and I know he had a '41 Continental V-12 convertible. Not sure about a Jaguar, but it wouldn't surprise me if he had one! Reid wasn't a big time jazz listener, really. He used to BLAST Opera in his car, I know that for a fact!

Reid Miles was a very good customer of mine--I used to see him 3-4 times a month all through the 80's right up until he died. I have about 20 of his Blue Note covers on my office wall and he used to stick his head in and say "nice artwork you got there." He was usually 3 sheets to the wind by noon and used to come barreling up to the loading dock in his '61 Lincoln ragtop and park the damn thing there blocking one of our three loading bays while he came in and shopped. NO amount of yelling at him would keep him from doing this! He told me that he got paid "a hundred bucks a cover" for the Blue Note work and that he ususally spent anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours on the design. He said that Lion and Wolff had no money and that's all they could pay, but that they were really great guys to work with. Talent is an asset.

I don't know how many of you have heard of Betty's A-Frame, but it's just about the coolest jazz venue in LA. Only a handful of events per year on Sunday afternoons, but worth the effort. The first time I went was for Teddy Edwards about 4 years ago. I'll be there again in Oct. for what looks to be a GREAT Danny Grissett show--LOOK at that band! Anyway, if you haven't been there and you're in SoCal, make the effort!! Jazz at the A-Frame Teddy at the A-Frame

John Heard, Roy McCurdy, Larry Fuller, Rickey Woodard, Charles Owens at Charlie O's

THANKS!!

I've had this 10" LP for many years--I bought it from Steve Bagatelle back in the 80's and I have never seen or even HEARD of another copy. The recordings appear to be from the late 1940's and there are NO liner notes at all. THe jacket is red and it has gold lettering that says "BE - BOP" and "REM Records--33 1/3 RPM" and on the bottom right corner of the jacket there is the number "11." I was discussing Teddy Edwards with someone and offered to make a CDR of this record for them and I dug it out this afternoon to do that, but thought I'd ask if anyone knows ANYTHING about this record or the label. Here is a scan of the label.

Joe Castro was Doris Duke's boyfriend during this period. They were married for a few years in the late 50's/early 60's and when they split up Castro moved on to the Las Vegas scene. As far as I know he's still there.

Kinescope

Two cuts on the Metro Jazz LP E-1011, Sonny Rollina at Music Inn/Teddy Edwards at Falcon's Lair. They do a ROLLIKING "Bille's Bounce" and "A Foggy Day". It's a very lively recording. I'll bet there were at one time a couple of HOURS of this material on tape--I wonder if the masters exist? This is one smokin' band--Teddy Edwards, Joe Castro, Leroy Vinnegar and Billy Higgins.

Ruth Price With Shelly Manne and his men at the Manne Hole" original mono Contemporary

Lee Morgan, Blue Note 1557, original "New York 23" pressing. STILL my favorite "I Remember Clifford" after all these years

I heard him just a while back at the Lenox Lounge in NYC. He was in a wheelchair--looks like he has Parkinson's--cant work the pedals (they're weren't any on his organ), but he laid down a nice groove and the quintet was solid. Reuben Wilson sat in for one full set and he was ON FIRE. Jimmy is indeed "at the end," but it's the end of a long beautiful road and I think it's great he still out there giving what he has left in the tank.

I've been hitting the L.A. clubs regularly for nearly 30 years and I have to tell you there has NEVER been a huge audience for live jazz. I remember a Joe Henderson gig a Catalina's where there were TEN people at the second set! Sure, it was a cold rainy weeknight, but WTF? (Joe blew all ten of us away, by the way). I also remember an Andrew Hill show at the Bakery where there were less than 20 people. But even as far back as the late 70's I remember going to Art Pepper gigs when he was at the "height" of his second coming and the house being half full. The clubs do not sell out here except on the RARE occaision for a Saturday night first set when some big-time famous player comes through AND there's a Friday positive review in the L.A. Times. But there is some GREAT music in this town and the clubs seem to be holding on, just as they always have.

An original with the "New York 23" labels is pretty rare, but still you should be able to track down a super-nice copy for about $100. It is "common" compared to 1565, 1568, etc.

This was the first Lacy/Waldron LP I ever bought--and that includes "Refelctions." I don't know if it's because I've become a sentimental middle-aged fool, but it's still my favorite. "I feel a draft . . ." The last time I heard them live was in the Spring of 2001--maybe April or May in New York. I am embarassed to say I only own one of their 90's duo albums on Soul Note (Communique)and I never seem to pull it out. I need to put the damn thing in my car!

Well, the whole SHOW is a tribute to Master Higgins!!

Taking turns!!!

John just updated me on the Leimert Park concert on August 13--FIVE BASSISTS: Sunday August 13 from 12 till 7. It's FREE!! Charles McPherson Quartet The Contra Quintet (FIVE bassists led by John Heard) Azar Lawrence Taumbu Bobby Matos The World Stage Workshop Should be a really nice afternoon.

I just heard the lineup for the World Stage Jazz Festial the Leimert Park here in Los Angeles on Sunday August 13 from 12 till 7. It's FREE!! Charles McPherson Quartet The Contra Quintet (FIVE bassists led by John Heard) Azar Lawrence Taumbu Bobby Matos The World Stage Workshop Should be a really nice afternoon. The World Stage

Ernie Henry Presenting Ernie Henry orignal mono Riverside

Allan, do you listen through just one channel of your mac system then from the mono arm ? No. It's a modern, current production mono cartridge with a STEREO pin out compatible with my SME STEREO arm. But it is a TRUE mono cartridge in that it moves in ONE PLANE only and has a conical stylus of .25, which is larger than most "modern" stylus profiles, but is PERFECT for 1950's and early 60's mono vinyl. I merely flip the mono switch on my preamp and play through BOTH speakers. I have experimented over the years with single speaker mono and while it has certain advantages, I find that in my room with my system I perfer to listen to the mono through both speakers.

I'll be there tonight. I've heard Plas Johnson live at least 3 dozen times over the years and he's a SOLID jazz player--never really made too many jazz records, but he can really blow.

Here is my rig. The back arm is an Ikeda 12" with an Ortofon SPU-GT. The front arm is an SME 3012 with a mono Ortofon 25CGi. The table is a Thorens TD-124.