Ken Dryden

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the artificially high retail prices maintained by labels for their CDs.

After reading such drivel, it would be hard to imagine anyone taking his opinion seriously.

Reminds me of my retail days, where the store advertised items nearly at cost and some cheapskate would ask "Is there a quantity discount?" Whether or not free shipping happens, I think most of us can afford to pay for shipping when the price is $2.98 per CD. But if you got a confirmation showing free shipping, they would be hard pressed to defend charging more if you complained to your credit card issuer.

I leave them in the boxes with the CD. One friend flattens the boxes and pitches them upon receipt. Guess his heirs will be disappointed when they get lower auction proceeds...

List is updated

My father was a bit of a record collector, though primarily classical. He tended to prefer the better soloists, conductors and orchestras, so I didn't find him buying the low grade budget LPs. He was into jazz a little, but never to the degree I was. While I never got him interested in Eric Dolphy, he had the famous Edgard Varese Complete Works Vol. 1, the record that inspired a teenaged Frank Zappa. When someone mentioned John Denver, it reminds me of those idiotic "porn rock" hearings in the Senate. Al Gore started off by telling Frank Zappa he was a big fan of his work, then told John Denver the same thing prior to his testimony (a stretch of credibility or an unusually wide taste in music--nah, I still don't believe that!). Then Dee Snyder of Twister Sister came out to testify and promptly said, "Well, Senator Gore, I suppose you're going to tell me that you're a big fan of mine!"

I'm surprised no one made an offer on the table...

How many members of this thread have gone broke saving money at the Fantasy blowout sale?

Anything listed in that Fantasy sale is almost certainly being dropped.

Somehow I would think that Michel Petrucciani would make a difficult boxed set for Mosaic, as the fusion stuff with Adam Holzman doesn't fit in with the remaining sessions he did for Blue Note. That said, I own most of his Blue Note and Owl CDs, along with all of the Dreyfus Jazz titles. He was a fun interview subject as well.

I only made it there once, to hear Don Thompson lead his big band. But the venue, music, food and host (who insisted upon quiet) were all memorable. I can't imagine it not being there when I return to Toronto.

This is a previously unreleased studio session that was available on LP, but has not been reissued on CD in the U.S. It may have been reissued in Europe or Japan.

I remember reading the blindfold test that Leonard Feather conducted of the Lion. High praise from a giant of the piano.

I've heard Dave Brubeck many times over the past 33 years and those critics who keep complaining about his heavy hands haven't been paying attention to his recent performances and recordings. Yes, he hasn't abandoned his distinctive style (while I can think of a number of active pianists which are often indistinguishable), but he often shows a lyrical side on ballads. At least he hasn't sold out by turning to fads or listening to producers who demanded that he record material in which he had no interest.

Stefon Harris has a new CD due out in August or September (I already have the advance copy). Hope lots of artists have been in touch with Terri Hinte to represent them.

My list has been updated.

A product called Goo Gone also works, as does lighter fluid, in removing that sticky tape residue on jewel boxes.

If Rush goes to trial for carrying Viagra without a prescription, it may give a whole new meaning when the judge announces "Will the defendant please rise..." Seriously, this event seems much ado about nothing.

Saul Zaentz sold Fantasy to the highest bidder, regardless how any jazz fan might feel about it. It is hard to fault a businessman for that. From what I heard within the industry, Carl Jefferson's widow probably didn't get as much as she could have for Concord when she sold it. If anyone wanted to be sure to preserve their recorded treasures, he could always have chosen to set up a foundation to perpetuate the music, like George Buck has done in New Orleans. But their is a huge difference between being a businessman and a sort of jazz philanthropist. Jazz impressario Norman Granz sold both Verve and Pablo (the latter label to Fantasy), so even the wealthy American expatriate living in Switzerland had other things on his mind rather than preserving the vast output of jazz sessions that he produced from the mid-1940s through the mid-1980s.

I can't believe that this thread has detoured from Terri Hinte to a discussion of whether or not there were sufficient African-American artists on the Concord Roster during its heyday. I never knew that there was supposed to be a quota system for jazz labels, let alone band personnel, composers of songs recorded or played on a set, etc. Carl Jefferson hardly ignored African-American artists, though he may not have recorded them as frequently as others. From what I've heard talking to artists who left Concord, Jefferson was somewhat like Norman Granz in that he recorded some artists regardless of potential sales, though he evidently was also so abrasive that he drove away several of his key artists. Other Concord leaders twho haven't been mentioned in this thread include: Art Blakey, Hank Jones, Jeannie & Jimmy Cheatham, Stanley Cowell, Art Farmer, Jon Faddis, Harold Land/Blue Mitchell, Carmen McRae, Ernestine Anderson, Joe Newman/Joe Wilder, Dennis Rowland, Marvin Smitty Smith, Mary Stallings, Maxine Sullivan, Rufus Reid (TanaReid), Billy Taylor, Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Frank Foster and Gerry Wiggins Then there is the Maybeck series with Jaki Byard, Sir Roland Hanna, Kenny Barron, Kenny Drew, Jr., George Cables, James Williams, Barry Harris, John Hicks, Ellis Larkins, Cedar Walton, plus some of the others listed above. Also don't forget that the young saxophonist Jesse Davis made six CDs as a leader for Concord, Ricky Woodard a few as well. I didn't even begin to look over my list of Concord LPs and I'm sure there are others represented there. At its peak, Concord was putting out 5-6 new releases a month, plus a reissue or two, even in the month of December, far more than any "major label" you can name.

She didn't get a "nice severence check." Trust me...

Dave: I'm not an attorney, but I believe that Concord simply eliminated the Fantasy Jazz publicist position, a way that a number of organizations get aroung "firing" someone. The idea that Terri Hinte did anything to merit a dismissal is laughable to those of us who have worked with her for years, or in many cases, decades. Isn't that also a method of getting around a wrongful dimissal lawsuit? I have worked for several employers that have used the elimination of a position as a way to terminate an employee. That way there's no damage to the person's reputation and obviously does not necessarily imply that there was a reason for letting go of the employee. So, in a sense, I believe that Terri may not have been "fired" but a victim of "reduction in force." In either case, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

I think I have the original LP at home, which has the photo cover. The CD cover as issued in the US is pretty bland...

I spoke to Terri not long after the Concord/Fantasy merger was announced. I think she saw the writing on the wall but decided to hold on, as her job wasn't immediately in danger and it is very difficult to give up a good paying job with 30+ years invested. Still, three days notice and the dinky severance pay that they probably gave her is an insult to any valuable employee. I'm well aware that many employees are hired "at will," though in some states and organizations, it is easier to take legal action to achieve a better settlement offer or reinstatement. I imagine that Terri is probably better going out on her own, just imagine the depth of her rolodex file for musicians wishing to reach jazz critics!

Dan, I understand the reasoning used to eliminate Terri Hinte's position, though I think it showed extremely poor judgement. Tossing out Terri's experience, knowledge and goodwill to save some money may not produce the payoff expected.