king ubu

No major changes here ... other than me not listening to much jazz at all these days. I never pre-ordered any Mosaic, I was lagging behind ever since I found out about them, and it's still like that (I need among others the Mingus, the Hawkins, the Lunceford, the Hines, the Jamal, might get the MJQ, too ... and there are a few others). I love the Selects, too, and am sorry to see them go. Still need a few of them, too (the Booby, for one). As for the big ones, I endorse them doing more older jazz ... and - just thinking out loud: might that be a reason for changed perception? Since all the "cult" Blue Note material has come and gone and they're onto different things now, they don't have that magical BN aura around them any more much ...

The Booklet is the only thing that looks okay - at least they used thicker than 80g paper ... the jewel case (one of the old jumbo ones with double trays in the front and back flaps) is one of the flimsy ones, too (I never got that: why are we not able to get good quality jewel cases? all those empty cases being sold are usually trash! and this is one of them, too ...) The feeble printing on the CDs gave it away already, but the other side has a slightly green-ish touch. Looks like a well made but home made thing to me, I'm sorry to say. So, for me it's clear, I might eventually get Wonder #8 and I might get Proper #2 for that half/shared album -- but other than that I'll stick to the cheapo stuff I've already got (Flamingo, Avid, Jasmine, Proper #1, and one by Acrobat, too). There I'm at least pretty sure they're all factory-made CDs.

The Tempo box ... I've got my friend's copy here - it's clearly CDR!

Got my package, ordered last Friday - amazingly fast! These all look very nice. Will take me a while to squeeze them in between my classical listening schedule, but I'm looking forward a lot (and thank you guys for the recommendations, I'd have skipped the Belogenis for sure, if I hadn't seen it mentioned here). Also, Luke was kind enough to add both freebies to my order, which amounted to quite a bit less than 100$, even including shipping. Now that's great service!

I've got the old Universal twofer w/Terry's weird "Out on a Limb" (more nutty Willie Jones there). How good is the other stuff on the Fresh Sound? Good enough to still get it?

Been playing some out of the Staier Edition 10 CD set - and with the Haydn again, I must reinforce that statement: These are very good recordings to my ears! Wonderful sound, too. There's a third volume (Sonatas and Variations) not included in the 10 CD set, alas, but for those inclined, all three are around in a 3 CD set, too.

Very interesting, Larry, thanks for sharing your thoughts! I've long loved the Monterose/Gordon combination (picked up the West Coast Classics disc back in the 90s from Trueblue without having ever heard either of them before, needed the Koch/Atlantic after that, too!). The Giuffre connection makes sense to me ... can't say anything about Donahue though. Are there any recommended discs where he can be heard? I'm familiar with his name but can't really place him. I see there are several Hep releases ...

Becky Friend Bobbi Humphrey Booby Hutcherson

DOH! I totally forgot a more recent recording I really like: Frank Peter Zimmermann/Alexander Lonquich - there was a box on EMI, goes for insane prices, too, but a friend made me a copy a few months ago. Very good playing, no-bullshit approach as always with Zimmermann.

Of all things, there's a Quadromania set with the Pauk/Frankl recordings - never heard of these two. Seems all of Frankl's music is out on either Membran (and sub-labels/series) or ASV ... but there's a lot, including some interesting looking Bartók! Here's the Beeb disc: Actually, I don't think I *need* anything beyond Szigeti here - but I'm always on the lookout, so ... I will definitely pursue a few of the recordings mentioned here (Goldberg/Lupu should be on its way by tomorrow, and that tangent piano thingie I want to hear, too!)

Thanks a lot, Mike! Those claviersonaten on tangent piano sound interesting. I'll check out the samples tomorrow, it's getting too late now, and I'm being lullabied by Kathleen Baker ...

Complete editions of those are going at those silly fantasy prices on amazon, it seems ... I love Grumiaux/Haskil, would you know how Grumiaux/Klien compares?

Thanks Larry, but I don't subscribe to any such streaming services. However I see the Mozart box on London/Decca is around for a very good price on amazon.de - I'll order it. Not sure if Hartnack's book on violinists is out in english, but I've found it very useful (although old and sometimes very far away in style and language) and his mere page and a bit on Goldberg (summed up in a later chapter together with Odnoposoff and Gitlis) do make me want to check out Goldberg (though he only does mention Mozart's a major concerto and the Brahms sonatas as far as repertoire goes).

Had to look up what a tangent piano is ... interesting, I guess, and rather different (less smooth) in sound than a fortepiano? Do you know either of the two releases I pictured? @Larry: not familiar with Goldberg at all yet ... got Lupu's Decca solo recorings here, but haven't yet started exploring them (need to dig into Schnabel's Schubert first, and that needs both time and the right moment).

I'm deeply in love with Szgeti and Grumiaux' recordings of Mozart's violin sonatas (Szigeti on Vangaurd Classics, with Horszowski mostly, some with Szell, Grumiaux of course with Clara Haskil, alas noth complete). Then I also think Kagan/Richter are mighty good, but there I've only got four plus a fragmentary one (in the Richter ICON box) - is there more around? But now ... I spent time with the Lumières box again yesterday, also playing the disc with two sonatas played by Chiara Banchini and Temenuschka Vesselinova (rec. 1993). Their discs (three releases, five CDs) are OOP, around on iTunes for ridiculous prices ... not sure I want to hunt these, but I am interested in these pieces, actually in love with a few of them, and it is a bit weird that there are comparatively few recordings around --- and no, I don't need Perlman or Mutter here, possibly Szeryng/Haebler one day, as I like Szeryng's Mozart concertos quite some, but really, Szigeti and Grumiaux are so good, if I buy other recordings, they rather ought to be different and HIP, I guess. So far, what I have is this disc: I've not played it often yet, stumbled over it by accident ... but my impression so far is pretty darn good! They play K 454, K 379/373a and K 296, as well as the variations on "Au bord d'une fontaine" K 360/374b. Just now I was in a store which had the usual suspects there, but also this one, which I bought and plan to play today or tomorrow: This set, rec. 1989 (disc two) and 1990 (disc one) contains on the first CD K 301-305 and on the second K 454, 481 and 526. First impression while perusing the player in the shop was pretty good, too. Anyone has any opinions, favourites, other (including but not necessarily HIP) recordings to recommend?

Deforrest Most Jimmy Forrest Marie Laforêt

Gregory Peck Dick Gregory Moby Dick

Jeffrey Archer Eero Saarinen and Hannskarl Bandel (who built the Gateway Arch) Karl Hans Berger

Ludwig Kirchner Thomas Mann Manneken Pis

The Brubeck is much cheaper on amazon.it (81€ at this time): http://www.amazon.it/Complete-Columbia-Studio-Albums-Collection/dp/B0077PPQGO/ But these boxes aren't even listed on all amazon sites yet ... @crisp: Do you think these are indeed reissues? I'd rather assume that after selling them exclusively via popmarket, they're now being sold with wider distribution ...

Ah naw, bugger off! I thought I was the only one!

Wednesday, shortly after ('round about) midnight.

Happy Birthday!

Thanks guys!

Alas no! I started, but don't have time for such endeavours right now, I'm afraid. Thanks for the wishes, Vic!