Ken Dryden

That show has been issued by Eagle Eye Media on DVD. Good stuff.

I've got Bud Shank's email address so I'll ask him if he has the complete unadulterated session. The Jazzed Media CD lists 1965, but Timmer's Ellingtonia lists it as early 1966.

I can only imagine how bad the soundtrack must be after some clown overdubbed additonal instruments on top of Duke Ellington's score. I'm guessing that "The Big Heist," which features Bud Shank on flute with Ellington's band in Shank's new DVD/CD Against the Tide, is either an outtake that wasn't used or is under a different title in Ellington's discography. Note: I just heard this selection this morning, fortunately, it doesn't have the later overdubs. Paul Gonsalves and Jimmy Hamilton are also featured soloists.

I have great respect for Harold Danko, none for Tesh. Obviously, Tesh didn't put his lessons to good use.

Najee Plays Charlie Parker John Tesh: A Salute to Lennie Tristano

I'm always concerned when sellers at Amazon or Half.com use generic descriptions (Always Brand New, Fast Shipping) on everything they list. It's my experience that these sellers are more likely to be out of stock of items listed compared to individual sellers.

I wonder if anyone ever considered reissuing Piano Starts Here, retaining the sound flaws but correcting the pitch and restoring the Gershwin medley that was edited out by incorporating the missing music from Arnold Laubich's transcription disc? That would make a better apples to apples comparison, since the various versions of Piano Starts Here were dubbed slightly too slow.

I don't think this is a particularly compelling list. There's a lot of mediocre releases and some, like Don Grolnick's Hearts and Numbers, don't even represent his best work. Why would anyone pick a boot like the Blakey Moon CD or the incomplete Art Tatum In Private, when the more complete Storyville CD (The Complete Jazz Chronicle Solos) of the same sessions is readily available? I own somewhere between 14,000-15,000 jazz CDs and I can't say I'm in a rush to acquire the ones I don't already own from this list. At least the author didn't make the mistake of calling this list "essential."

Bob Brookmeyer wrote a warm tribute to Bill Finegan in his blog.

Zenph Studios put on a demonstration at IAJE in January. Unfortunately, the concert just before this session ran over, so I only heard one piece in person played back on the Disklavier, which was "Kerry Dance." I know some purists will reject this release, but given the likely minimal results one would expect from cleaning up the noise and defects in the original LP release, which would probably take out a lot of the high frequencies, I think Zenph did an admirable job. I'm not pitching the earlier Columbia/Legacy CD.

Storyville sent my copy directly to me, my review should be posted at AMG any day...

I'm equally fed up with airline bullshit. At 6 foot 3 inches, anything other than an aisle seat is a miserable experience, yet I'm inevitably behind some clown who likes to recline his seat all the way into my lap. So I make sure to recross my legs constantly, bumping it every time for maximum annoyance. The crappy service, inevitable delays and unclean facilities (I once discovered a restroom with no water and packets of, get this, coffee creamer) add to the misery. Maybe Amtrak will eventually turn a profit with the way airlines are going. I try to avoid Delta and its miserable link ASA (the nation's worst air carrier by far), but the others are only a few steps ahead of them.

Storyville just sent me a corrected booklet and tray card for Vol. 13. It seems some of the songs were incorrectly listed.

Wouldn't you agree that lifting a musician's work to become a part of a new CD without paying him/her (even though he/she wasn't present in the studio) is a ripoff? If someone were present just to add a live recorded solo of a few seconds, I bet that artist would get paid. Sampling without payment is theft.

It will be interesting to read the Dolphy bio when it is finally out. Simosko's is okay but a little thin.

Frank Zappa prohibited unauthorized sampling on his discs prior to his death. It would be interesting how many seconds it would take of sampling for a judge to rule copyright infringement. Frankly, I think if someone is using another artist's work without paying him, it is worthy of a lawsuit. I wonder what will happen if someone samples a few words by a hip-hop artist? I'd bet they'd sue in a heartbeat.

I've always thought sampling another artist's work in recordings was indicative of a lack of musical talent. I hope Joe Farrell's daughter wins this lawsuit, along with other artists and their estates.

Generally I've noticed final bids for oop Mosaic sets run between $30-$50, though it can occasionally run higher if a Japanese collector or other obsessive fan starts bidding. But it is always worth checking recent prices on other sites.

Rext is a blues featuring Gonsalves. It wasn't intended to be a part of New Orleans Suite.

Once you own a few thousand jazz discs, picking your top 100 is a waste of time, even if you don't share your list with anyone.

I quit reading Time a long time ago, especially its very weak arts section.

EDC -- The idea that Chris is jealous because Schapp " usurped a position (in public consciousness) [that Chris] once held" comes from what planet? You need to stop smoking those funny cigarettes. Reminds me of why he's the only board member I currently have on "ignore." Bill, I hope it is Clementine that you have on "ignore." Posting raving, immature insults at a board member while hiding behind a pseudonym is cowardly.

Willie the Lion Smith growled through many of his recordings, while Oscar Peterson did the same, especially on some of the Verve LPs. But Jarrett's vocalizations are more irritating, especially since they are so nasal and tinny. He doesn't seem to be as bad as he used to be.

Chicago Aldermen have a long history of being dim bulbs about economics, like the tax that was aimed solely at big box stores (even though the aldermen and their staffs shopped such stores outside Chicago while denouncing big box stores to the media). Perhaps they don't realize how much income events generate for the city. A rock concert in a baseball stadium is one thing, but this requirement would work against typical club bookings.

Interesting... How so? Always liked his playing with the Crusaders.. Playing with the Crusaders calls for a different type of drumming than with Eugene Maslov or George Shearing. Hooper is an obvious misfit with both pianists.