Ken Dryden

You're right. It was a very amateurish book, almost swooning to its subject. What was particularly funny was the photo with Lew Tabackin and Denny Zeitlin misidentified as each other.

Interested in the following CDs: Humair ,Daniel – Ear Mix (Sketch) $20 Ibrahim ,Abdullah – Knysna Blue (ENJA) $4 Konitz ,Lee – You and Lee (Verve) $25 Konitz ,Lee/Chet Baker – In Concert (India Navigation) Beaver Harris ! $24 Trade list to follow by tomorrow night, updating it.

I've found on line sources that list some Black Lion LP titles by Jimmy McCracklin, but without songs and musicians. Here are the songs I'm trying to trace from an LP called Rockin' Man (asterisks noting similarities to the list provided by Chuck Nessa) Rockin’ Man* I’ve Got News For You Take a Chance My Love For You The Good Book You Don’t Love Me* It’s All in the Feeling Life’s What You Make It Be No Matters What You Say (that is how it is listed) Blues For the People* Movin’ on Down the Line Farewell Baby

I'm trying to track down the release date, recording date and any personnel info for the Black Lion LP by Jimmy McCracklin: Rockin' Man. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Steve, you may be right. Early in my career I was the victim of poor editing, as the paper never bothered to run changes by me prior to publication. I had a book review turned into pure gibberish due to an awkward cut and paste on their part. I've been very happy with the artists and labels I worked with so far on liner note projects. Hal Galper's Trip the Light Fantastic is due out on Origin later this month. I got the assignment because Hal was pleased with my interview with him for the New York City Jazz Record, plus he ran out of time to write them himself. I think every label owes their artists an opportunity to review proofs of the booklet and tray card prior to manufacturing the finished product.

Evidently this artist wanted to do everything himself for a lower price and he did the mailing and just added the publicist information to the press release. I'll admit that's a bit odd way to work, since some people will assume that the publicist did all the work. Another publicist had the habit of misspelling names of famous artists with whom her clients had played in press bios. After receiving several such mailings, I asked her about that and she replied, "Well, that's the way my clients spelled them." I told her part of her job was to double check their work. If you say that you played with "Lou Tabakin" [sic], no writer will take you seriously. If my name is on something, like when I write liner notes, I check it over with a fine tooth comb. Among the things I've found on various CDs when I got the advance copy and credits have been: wrong musicians, dates, song titles, composers, incorrectly spelled names, plus missing instruments and lyricist credits. I usually have a person or two read my final draft and revised credits before submitting it, just to make sure I didn't add any errors of my own. Unlike on line postings, printed mistakes live forever. Allen, I don't think any less of an artist who writes his or her own press release and does the mailing. But the number of young artists who don't give any thought to marketing and their CD's appearance is considerable. The typical new jazz program grad recruits fellow young artists, plays ten originals and does nothing to stand out from the stack of new releases writers receive. Why not record at least one familiar song, or even an unfamiliar song by a well known composer? How about getting a well known jazz educator to write a blurb? They also could benefit from avoiding microscopic fonts and colors for type that blend into the background of the CD booklet and tray card, but that's another matter.

Recently I received a CD through a long time jazz publicist, yet I found the overall package to be rather amateurish. After reading the press release, I discovered there were several sentences missing words, plus an obvious grammatical error. While I learned that the artist wrote the songs, I wasn't informed as to what instrument or instruments he played. To top it off, his name was misspelled on the CD cover. I emailed the publicist about these issues and he confirmed that he only provided the mailing addresses, he had nothing to do with the press release. When I told him I wouldn't even be playing the CD, he responded, "You've already given it more thought than most writers, everyone else likely discarded it."

PM sent for: -Dave Stryker - “Stardust” - SteepleChase 31362 -Dave Stryker - “Blue To The Bone II” - SteepleChase 31465 -Dave Stryker - “Blue To The Bone III” - SteepleChase 31542 -Paul Motian - “On Broadway Vol. III” - JMT 849157-2

Arrest and Trial (part 1) (3 DVDs) - $16.79 http://www.amazon.com/Arrest-Trial-Chuck-Connors/dp/B000W4KSV0/ref=pd_cp_d_1 Arrest and Trial (part 2) (3 DVDs) - $17.20 http://www.amazon.com/Arrest-Trial-Part-2/dp/B0014FAINO/ref=pd_bxgy_d_text_b Dick Wolfe has said that Arrest and Trial was the inspiration for Law & Order. Don't forget that Branislaw Kaper (composer of "On Green Dolphin Street" and "Invitation," among others) wrote the theme for Arrest and Trial.

That is very sloppy work by JazzTimes, it is essential to verify deaths before publishing an obit, even if it is just online. A number of years ago their was a broadcast magazine that listed Marian McPartland among the year's notable deaths in their annual obituary list. Since I was serviced by Concord records and had heard nothing by email from them and there was an obvious time lag between creating the list, printing and mailing, I immediately dismissed it as an error. I even left Marian a joking message about the goof on her home phone and the next time we talked I discovered that I was the first one to inform her. Needless to say, she's still alive and the magazine ceased publication within a year or two, no mistake!

Phil Woods told me that he has Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola record every set that he performs there.

I can't say I was impressed with Haden's playing on Steal Away. It sounded to me like he didn't know the tunes that well, while Hank obviously did. Haden's playing is rather conservative on this session.

I have been trying in vain to find out some basic bio information on the late vocalist Millie Vernon. I need to write a few words for a brief promo about her for an upcoming reissue of one of her early recordings, yet information online is sketchy and even several jazz journalists who have been at it a lot longer than my 23 years have come up empty. Many thanks if you can point me to a reference source. I know about her 1990s sessions for one of George Buck's labels, but I don't own that CD.

By the end of the month, Dave Digs Disney - Legacy Edition, will be available, but only as a download. There will be a total of 21 tracks, including mono and stereo versions (different performances), alternates and unissued material.

PM sent.

I reviewed the LP awhile back but haven't heard the expanded reissue. I didn't have any problems with the mix or anyone's playing. I would take Amazon customer reviews with a grain of salt.

After doing a little research, I don't believe Toshiko Akiyoshi has ever appeared on Piano Jazz. She was not in the database that McPartland biographer Paul de Barros supplied me (courtesy of ETV) and the program isn't among the listings over the period covered since the database was updated.

I like a lot of singers, but Elisabeth Kontomanou left me rather cold after hearing one CD sent my way. I also pass on singer-songwriters being pushed by labels and publicists as "jazz." Of course, if you shop at Amazon, the jazz classification becomes worthless with the numerous, pop, new age and anything but improvising artists included by them.

Also, didn't some of the CD reissues of the Prestige LPs of Carnegie Hall Concerts delete some material? I seem to recall that, though I never replaced any of my LP sets.

There was also a second recording ban that took up most of 1948. Among the things issued from that era: a Nov. 1948 Carnegie Hall concert on the long defunct VJC label (2 CDs) a series of Raretone LPs originating from broadcasts at Click Restaurant in Philadelphia in Nov. 1948 a Dec. 1948 concert at Cornell University, issued by Musicmasters, reissued by Nimbus

If you don't post on FB very much, they'll likely fail to realize you defriended them. What bugs me more are people that constantly ask me to connect on LinkedIn, which I consider more of a business than social network. If I don't recognize their names and the only connection is through a bulletin board, I'll pass. Of course, organissimo folks are different, since this has a feeling of a smaller community and there's a lot more going on between members here.

Yeah, I've got the Ray Nance AB Fable CD, too. Do you know about these obscure Ray Nance LPs? Ray Nance Huffin' N' Puffin' MPS/BASF 5057 Ray Nance/Cat Anderson & the Ellington Alumni A Flower is a Lovesome Thing Parker 827 I've only seen them once and I snapped them up without hesitation.

I'd like to see a film made of John Kennedy O'Toole's sole novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. Too bad he committed suicide before it finally found a publisher.