Ken Dryden

Go to National Banana dot com and view the parody of the Cialis television commercial, starring Cuba Gooding. They also have Senator Larry Craig in a claymation music video and a terrorist soap opera called Sands of Passion.

Perhaps one of them should record the blues broadcast by Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden, with Waller's opening vocal being, "Oh Mama, Mama, Mama...They got me in the crack!"

Great music in the Evans Verve box, but it is easily one of the most idiotic package designs of all time for a boxed set. Honorable mention to the Bozo who designed the Columbia/Legacy Charlie Christian 4 CD box and the equally dense person who designed the 3 CD Columbia Thelonious Monk compilation that had three rubber spindles (that's it) to hold, uh, drop the discs.

Chris: That is a thought-provoking article, still relevant today. I agree that an artist out to be able to acquire unissued sessions after a certain period of time for production costs. I would add that sessions that lapse from print out to revert to the artists after an agreed time. Just because a label is too lazy, cheap or dense to keep music in print, the artist could surely put it out himself. Perhaps that is a negotiating point that should be considered before agreeing to a contract in the first place. It always burns me when a writer lists CDs by one of those European labels that specialize in stealing music (claiming its copyright is expired in Europe) in a top ten list. Why give extra publicity to these crooks, with all of the legit releases available? I talked to Phil Woods years ago about his quintet's studio meeting with Dizzy Gillespie that appeared on Timeless. His response was, "It was recorded in France for another label. The master was stolen and it ended up in Wim Wigt's hands. I'm suing the son-of-a-bitch." Knowing how difficult and expensive it is to try to sue someone on another continent, I doubt Phil ever earned any money from that release.

Regardless of Jimmy Carl Black's skills as a drummer, Zappa's overdubbing of new bass and drum tracks on his vintage recordings made for an odd sound, to say the least. I think later remasters of his early Verve CDs restored the original bass and drums. I think he said in at least one interview that the original rhythm section was inadequate. I'm surprised no on mentioned Black's vocal in "Lonesome Cowboy Burt" unless I missed a post." Where's my waitress?

My review copy of Jon Larsen: The Jimmy Carl Black Story arrived today, it is a two disc set. I interviewed Jean-Luc Ponty a few years ago. He was excited about touring with Zappa until the focus shifted from hot instrumentals to lots of vocal comedy numbers. That's why he left the band.

Check your email and PM here for a trade inquiry.

I can't imagine wanting to own anything by Bob James, possibly aside from his early avant-garde ESP release, which I still haven't gotten around to hearing.

It case it wasn't apparent, Duke 'N' Bird was just reissued on CD by Test of Time (a 441 subsidiary).

No response to my PM...

PM sent on: Jazz Mentality, the Show Business is my Life Koch International 2 10

Of course, I meant 1750 Arch, but I fumbled typing. I have all but one of those LPs. The Tatum Storyville is worth getting, but be aware that all of these recordings are broadcasts and private recordings, so the audio quality can vary. But I enjoyed it, especially the bonus DVD with the video and film clips, though they were only viewable on my computer.

I've long had the available music but look forward to the expanded Mosaic Select version. Denny was very excited about the project when he told me about it earlier in the year. He's got at least one session in the can that he's trying to find a label to issue, while he also told me that he intends to reissue his old 150 Arch LPs himself eventually.

A belated thanks to everyone who sent greetings. As I always explain to the occasional person who confuses me with the former Montreal Canadian: I'm not the goalie, I'm the hockey puck. May all of you have as much fun as I did on my birthday...

Discs 1-3, so far, of the new Oscar Peterson set.

Obviously, this judge, prosecutor and jury were a lot brighter than the bozos that handled Simpson's murder trial...

I knew it was oop but didn't realize it was so pricey at $22 or more online (Amazon).

I guess no one better play "Darktown Strutter's Ball" as well...sigh...

No, I think that all of the material issued in the 9 CD series is present in the 10 CD box. But it does have those pain-in-the-ass carboard sleeves instead of jewel boxes to hold the CDs. One other oddity, the DVD only plays on my computer, not in my DVD players. I guess this was to avoid having to format it to work in both Europe and the U.S. I am checking my 9 Tatum CDs before selling them, just to be sure.

It's hard to take smooth jazz seriously, especially with all of the insipid cover photos of artists looking like total geeks.

This CD hits me as bland. Ogerman on a "favorite Michael Franks album"? I can't stand his drippy vocals or inane lyrics... I gag every time I've heard "Popsicle Toes" thankfully, it hasn't been on the radio around here in some time.

And they wrapped the session with "Take Out."

Storyville just sent me a 10 CD box of live Art Tatum: Tatum Art. It evidently consists of the series of nine individual CDs issued earlier, plus 21 previously unavailable tracks and a bonus DVD with the stuff from The Fabulous Dorseys, the film clip of "Tiny's Exercise" and his solo of "Yesterdays" from the Spike Jones Show, minus Spike and the City Slickers, of course.

I'm sure Allen knows that Desmond later wrote a piece called Take Ten (also the title of the album on which it appeared). The Bernstein estate is evidently holding up the reissue of the Brubeck/Bernstein collaboration.

Isn't it 'Invaders From Mars,' the B&W film with the spaceship drilling into the land behind the house and everyone keeps falling into the hole and having an operation to implant a device to control them? Anyone ever see the rotten film on Hitler with Richard Basehart in the title role? What a turkey...