Ken Dryden

TS Monk swears that his father was never asked to a do an album of Beatles tunes. But I thought it would make a viable April Fools review at AllAboutJazz.com, since it has long been rumored to have been at least proposed. Whether or not people liked it, I have no idea, but as of today, it was the tenth most read CD review of the past 30 days and it was only posted the day before. I was in stiches last year after a number of people contacted me trying to track down copies of Michael Bolton Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook and Yanni: A Tribute to Art Tatum.

Another hidden recording session by Thelonious Monk has been uncovered: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=21185 Just for laughs...of course.

You can download tunes all day and night, but how long can you guarantee that itunes will remain on your ipod, computer hard drive or burned discs? Unless they are abused, manufactured CDs are a permanent, rather than temporary library. I don't see prices dropping except for CDs that just aren't of much interest. When I try to list stuff on half.com and find titles I have to dispose of listed under $4, it just isn't worth the bother to post mine.

One reason that you might have received an outdated sale catalog in England is because of the slowness of overseas mail delivery. I would hardly expect any seller of CDs to set aside foreign addresses and spend additional postage to get them out faster. As far as their pricing, it is undoubtedly based upon the lmited edition nature of their reissues. They probably pay a certain flat fee for the rights to each CD, yet there is a time limit as to how long they can offer them. Setting a price too low sets a bad precedent and makes it hard to raise them (yeah, I know the Mosaic Selects just went up a few dollars), but they have to cover the eventual disappointing title from time to time.

I hope the idiot that designed the Bill Evans Complete Verve Recordings Boxed set was banished from ever designing another one. Not only are the CDs a pain to take out, but I was tired of getting rust on my hands when handling it. I cleaned mine with Bon Ami and never did get around to rustproofing it. The music, not the stupid box, is what is valuable.

I also caught that time-sensitive goof on p. 97, though I didn't include it in my post. It was something the editor definitely should have caught, if he is as familiar with Silver's music as he states. It makes me think that he sat around recording Horace's commentary, then typed it up himself. That would also explain the misspelling of the names of Eddie Locke, Jon Burr, Charlie Lourie and several other folks. I was surprised that Horace took the time to describe his first exposure to fart-lighting, something that would normally associated with bored 12 year old boys. That's one ritual I'm glad that I missed.

I still have all of the LPs so I haven't invested in the CD reissue set. Didn't some of the other CD reissues in this Carnegie Hall series on Prestige have tracks deleted in order to fit them onto one disc?

I've finished reading it. Silver is generally upbeat throughout most of the book, with his wrath directed mainly at bootleggers and Tyrone Washington (whose actions while in Silver's band may help to explain his obscurity on record). There's a thorough discography, including some bootlegs and at least one broadcast which is circulating among collectors. I wish he had devoted a little more space to discussing some of the folks who worked with him. The editing is generally pretty good, though a number of misspelled names weren't caught. Four and a half stars out of five in my book! Look for my review in an upcoming AAJNY issue and in AllAboutJazz.com afterward.

I just got through with the Sidney Bechet Mosaic Select box, with a review due in the April issue of All About Jazz-New York. Next on the playlist: either the Basie, Nelson, Mulligan (Mosaic Select) or Rich box, depending upon my mood.

My copy of the Nelson set arrived the other day. Haven't had time to hear it yet, but it looks interesting. I already had several of the albums within it, including Fantabulous, Sound Pieces, Kennedy Dream, the Spirit of '67 and Full Nelson.

As a veteran of public radio, no format can be taken for granted. There is an increased pressure on many university-licensed public radio stations to increase their own fundraising to cover expenses, as universities want to route more money from public broadcasting to academics. Classical may have a loyal fan base, but if the demographic is aging in a market and membership income is stagnant, a change may be called for by the local management. Nor should jazz, news or any other format be taken for granted in any market, just because it has been in place for years. Again, I'm not about to judge WUOM about whether it should have changed formats in the first place, but if underwriting and membership gifts increased, along with Arbitron audience estimates, it would seem to me that there were some tough but wise decisions made.

I'm not sure what national politics has to do with the investigation of this station. Obviously WUOM was succeeding in their mission, but an audit possibly spotted some problems. I am not in a position to judge this matter, but universities have to be on top of budgets, due to the problems that can be caused if matching grant money has to be returned after an audit, not to mention that members and underwriters want their gifts to be spent wisely.

Harpist Daphne Hellman led a trio with a weekly gig at the Village Gate for years, but evidently did few recordings. Hellman's Angels: Pop Go the Angels! was issued as a Plug LP around 1989 or 1990 and was quickly out of print after the distributor/parent label (PM Records) ceased operations. Here's a link to my AMG review of it with a track list: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:8i62mpsj9ffo I think that Hellman died in the past few years, but I don't have any definite information.

It may even be the Complete Arista Recordings of Kenny G....

I am interested in obtaining most of these CDs, preferrably via trade, but if you have them for sale, let me know: Svend Asmussen: Fiddler Supreme Intim Musik Benny Bailey Big Brass Candid Chet Baker: Chet in Paris, Vol. 1 Emarcy George Barnes: The Complete Standard Transcriptions Soundies Ray Bryant: Plays Basie & Ellington Emarcy Ray Bryant: Blue Moods Emarcy Jim Cullum Jazz Band: Honky Tonk Train-The Boogie Woogie Craze Riverwalk Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra: Play Bill Evans Stunt 204 Buddy DeFranco Quartet: Five Notes of Blues Musidisc Dick Garcia: A Message From Garcia Blue Moon Dizzy Gillespie: Dizzy on the French Riviera Verve Benny Goodman: Live Down Under 1973 Jazz Band Dexter Gordon: Bopland-The Legendary Elks Club Concert Savoy Jon Gordon Quartet: Witness Criss Cross Jon Gordon Quartet: Ask Me Now Criss Cross Urbie Green: Just Friends (2 CDs) EJs Sir Roland Hanna: Everything I Love IPO Clifford Jordan: Royal Ballads Criss Cross Andy LaVerne: Serenade to Silver Steeplechase Lou Levy: Ya Know Verve Joe Locke: Beauty Burning Sirocco Joe Locke: Storytelling Sirocco Joe Locke: State of Soul Sirocco Joe Locke: 4 Walls of Freedom Sirocco Joe Locke: Dear Life Sirocco Joe Locke: Sailing Pony Canyon (Japan) Brian Lynch: At the Main Event Criss Cross Brian Lynch: Back Room Blues Criss Cross Adam Makowicz Trio: Interface Gazell Jim McNeely: Winds of Change Steeplechase Marian McPartland: Marian Remembers Teddi Halcyon 118 James Moody: Homage Savoy 17200 James Moody: The James Moody Story Verve 065509 Lee Morgan & Thad Jones: Minor Strain Roulette Oscar Peterson: Hallelujah Time Moon 50 Bud Powell: Ups and Downs Mainstream Jimmy Raney: But Beautiful Criss Cross Jimmy Raney: Wisteria Criss Cross Charlie Shoemake Groups: Sometime Yesterday Discovery Paul Smith: By the Fireside Savoy Sphere: Bird Songs Verve Sarah Vaughan: No Count Sarah Emarcy James Williams Sextet: Progress Report Sunnyside PM me with available titles and I'll send you my trade list, which includes two different editions of the Tom Lord Discography on CD-Rom... though it will take a number of discs to trade outright for either one of them. Thanks, Ken

As far as I know, I believe that Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin are still members of the Phil Woods Quintet. TPR seems to be Amadie's own label, I've enjoyed each of his recordings and reviewed the last two for All Music Guide: Let's Groove: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:6kqog4actvoz Live at Red Rock Studio: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:9frsa9wgw230 It is amazing to consider what Amadie has to physically endure to complete a recording session; retakes are out of the question.

There was a funny story told by Phil Woods as several members of Dizzy's state department-sponsored big band were enjoying some hashish. Gillespie walked in on them unexpectedly and thundered "What's going on here?" Then he smiled and asked "Was it some good shit?" I think this appeared in one of Woods' Phil in the Gap columns for the Al Cohn Memorial Newsletter.

I actually do have a review copy of Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty on the way to me, though I don't know where my review will appear.

Dave Brubeck was the guest on the only videotaped edition of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. My wife and I attended the taping in Columbia, South Carolina and I reviewed it for All Music Guide after they finally got a copy of the video to me. Supposedly a maximum of 60 were made, though I'm sure numerous folks taped it when it was broadcast around the country (but not on our local PBS station). Here's the link: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&t...10:shjgtq9zpu47 I can tell you that they had to redo "In Your Own Sweet Way" after the intermission, due to some unannounced technical problem. I'm afraid that I reproduced the error in posting by the Piano Jazz site for the last track from the Andrew Hill program. I agree that the song is "Always" by Irving Berlin; I'm not even sure that Stevie Wonder has ever published a tune under the title "I'll Be Loving You Always," though I hardly claim to be an expert about his work.

I have quite a few of Toshiko Akiyoshi's LPs and CDs, including a Japanese CD reissue of Top of the Gate. It's been awhile since I heard it, but I checked out my AMG review, where I mentioned the problems with the sound--here's the link: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&s...degcqt&writer=1 One of the rarest items by Toshiko that I own is United Notions: Toshiko and Her International Sextet. Sadly, most of her CDs seem to be out of print in the U.S., including a pair she did for Concord.

For Sale: Sealed copy of Jimmy Cleveland's Introducing Jimmy Cleveland, an out of print limited edition Verve Elite reissue. Make me an offer...

I don't think that Aaron Weinstein's CD is all that bad, though I don't think that he's a groundbreaker by any means. Give him time and some seasoning and see what happens. Few 20 year old musicians are ready to make any major impact on jazz. I'd rather hear any Arbors release than CDs by those who dumb down their music with sampling, turntablists and forgettable poetry.

Shane: I wasn't overly concerned about defending Michael Cuscuna, whose work needs no defense. One can't hold grudges in this business. I am frustrated with not getting more liner note assignments but there is a lot of competition out there, plus many artists have their favorite writers. But I keep on asking. Starting a reissue label is tempting but a bit out of my financial grasp. At least I would know who to send review copies to with my long list of contacts! Cheers!

I can't imagine anyone resorting to such juvenile namecalling about Mosaic's Michael Cuscuna. I'm sure that the leases of material from various companies' vaults don't come cheaply, not to mention that he has a risk factor of having to sell many of these sets within a fixed time frame per the lease agreements. The prices the label charges for their discs are more than reasonable, given that they return a lot of rare material to print, have thorough liner notes written for the projects, as well as reproducing session or period photos in each boxed set. Once the label had the ability to issue CD versions of their sets, they had to strike a balance between estimated sales of CDs and LPs. The production costs of LP sets have increased, which has limited the number of titles available in that format from Mosaic. European bootleg labels that don't pay royalties to anyone involved in making of the original recordings can obviously get by with selling an inferior product for a lower price per disc. While some record label heads deserve to be in a hall of infamy, especially cheapskate Herman Lubinsky (who founded Savoy) who was notorious for not paying musicians, not to mention a few others, Michael Cuscuna is one of the good guys in my book.

According to Dr. Herb Wong, Ken Gorelick could play pretty damned well in high school, before he reduced his sound to a pop sound. Whether or not Gerald Albright, Najee or the late George Howard were ever capable jazz musicians is a moot point. The recordings that I've been subjected to have consistently been of no interest, playing the same bland riffs over and over, with equally empty solos.