Ken Dryden

I believe that all of the Koch Jazz CD reissues are long out of print. It was a fun series while it lasted.

I remember hearing Tommy Banks on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz. She was great about seeking out pianists from Canada and England for her show, many of whom weren't all that well known to US jazz fans. I've got the show somewhere in the stacks of cassettes that I dubbed during that era. Is is me, or does it seem like Pepper Adams is squeaking his reed a bit more than usual?

That might have been news to those on the board who don’t follow college football.

There’s an anecdote about the late humorist/author/humorist Lewis Grizzard back during his days at the University of Georgia. While a student, he worked for the sports department at one of the daily papers in Athens. His editor had hit the bottle a little during the day, so he submitted a story about the upcoming football game. Robert “Happy” Dicks (who is now a retired neurosurgeon) was a star running back for Georgia, but he was injured and unable to play that week against South Carolina. Sure enough, the editor overlooked the title and the paper published the piece, “Dawgs Play Cocks With Dicks Out.”

I own the 1999 Koch Jazz CD reissue, which is long out of print. I'll have to play it when I have some time.

I did a phone interview awhile back with Charles McPherson and he was furious about the photo Tetsuo Hara chose for his CD. No wonder he never again recorded for the label. I’d love to hear Charles McPherson in any venue.

I did a phone interview with Michel Petrucciani around 1996, he was funny and expressive. I'm sorry that I never had the opportunity to see him in person.

Yeah, I own that set.

It is always sad when a future Hall of Fame member returns for one more season, only to realize that his skills have faded so much that he either retires or is released a month or two into the new season.

A great career!

I remember reading in the Art Tatum discography about a similar record of interview answers where a disc jockey could insert the scripted questions in his own voice.

At least by doing it an interview this way there was no danger of risking getting a Maori spear inserted where the sun doesn't shine. If you haven't read Mercer Eillington & Stanley Dance's bio of Duke Ellington, check it out. That scene is a scream...

I never knew what caused the change in the spelling of Stephane Grappelly's name, I always assumed that it was some record label executive. The interesting thing about Stephane Grappelli's name is that he continued to sign "Stephane Grappelly." I learned this in a chance conversation with Marian McPartland, when I happened to ask her if she had considered having him on Piano Jazz. She replied, "Funny you should mention it, we're taping this week." I brought up the old piano trio LP I had by him from the 1950s and she asked me if I'd FedEx it to her to show him (at her expense). I agreed to do it and asked her to request that he sign it, which he did, the day the show was taped in October 1989.

It reminds me of a gag from a B.C. comic strip: What’s the fastest way to get to Topeka? Bat .186.

Reading microscopic liner notes on mini-LP sleeves in large boxed sets is justification for retaining the earlier individual CD reissues.

I had my first doctor appointment yesterday where no mask was required. Unfortunately the one today did.

While I don’t collect Grover Washington’s smooth jazz recordings. the man could play. It’s not like playing smooth jazz ruined his chops for playing great straight ahead jazz when he chose to do so, unlike certain white saxophonists… I replaced a lot of Ron Wynn’s one sentence reviews during my 14 years as a contributor.

They took 2 of 3 from the Braves…

I was thinking of the Brubeck a la Mode cover but the Near Myth with Bill Smith album title. Brain freeze. Sadly, Witches' Brew is unlikely to see the light of day.

Bill Smith appears on a fair number of Brubeck albums, including one for Fantasy, another for Columbia, and a slew after Jerry Bergonzi departed. There is also an unissued album in the Columbia vaults entitled “Witches’ Brew.”

A highlight from last night's Braves-Rangers game, with something that you don't see every day... https://www.mlb.com/gameday/braves-vs-rangers/2022/04/29/661911#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=videos,game=661911

The conglomerate that combined the jazz holdings of Columbia/Legacy & RCA was active for a time, but I guess they just weren't selling enough units. I'd like to see all of the Dave Brubeck with Gerry Mulligan recordings in a box set.

I've got to get around to hearing the CD, which is buried under stuff on my desk. I picked up the German LP when it was first released.

David Grisman is a challenge to file by genre.

When there isn’t a definite leader in a one time all star ensemble, I usually file them in with the various artist anthologies, but there are exceptions that I make for no particular reason.