A Lark Ascending

'Boring!' is the last word I'd use about 'Live in Paris', 'Live in Japan' or the exquisite 'Infant Eyes'. Some of his discs can be very reflective and lyrical. I do reflective and lyrical big time! I only have a couple of discs by him, but I very much enjoy: Gorgeous version of 'Over the Rainbow' there.

Dave Liebman with one of the UK's best young(ish) guitarists, Phil Robson plus Aiden o'Donnell (bass) and Jeff Williams (drums). Wonderful mix of standards - 'In Your Own Sweet Way', 'Speak Low' - and originals from Robson. Liebman started a great version of 'India' by playing a MacDonald's straw - a party piece?

I love Italian jazz - though, as with talk of 'European' jazz, the term disguises an enormous diversity. As well as names already mentioned, there's great music from people like Gianluigi Trovesi, Pino Minafra, Enrico Pieranunzi, Stefano Bollani and a host of others - I must have a shelf of the stuff. Last year's Appleby Festival had an Italian sub-theme with the splendid Lydian Sound Orchestra and one of my favourite singers, Maria Pia de Vito (who I see is playing the Blue Note in NYC tomorrow night). My advice is to explore via labels like Splasc(h), Label Bleu, Soul Note or Black Saint. Some of this music is getting better known because of the ECM recordings - but I don't think ECM catch the warmth and humour of the music. I'm a great admirer of ECM but when I hear what they do with some of these Italians I start to understand why others have long had a problem with the label. What works for me in other areas of the music leaves me a bit chilled with the Italian music. Stefano Bollani is simply one of the funniest, spirited, most unpretentious musicians I've seen - but his ECM solo disc, though interesting, seemed so solemn to my ears! A great source for Italian jazz is www.jazzos.com. E-music carries a lot for easy sampling.

Thanks so much for this, king ubu. Really, really useful!

£5 at "Bulldog Barbers". Worth taking a cheap flight, if only for the edgy ambiance.

That must have been when I had a 'No 2 on top, No 1 at the sides' for charity! I get it done like that about once every six months now! Found this scary place called 'Bulldog Barbers' - the barbers are like bouncers - last time I was there they were giving advice to another customer about getting a stolen DJ kit back - 'Slip Tiger 50 quid and he'll go and get it back for you!' No way are they going near me with a cut throat!

I put it down to playing games with us around the time of the party conferences about a possible election. Has a government ever gone from smug invincibility to total headless-chickendom so swiftly!

Yes, that's what I mean. I've seen him a few times playing in other people's bands and he's been electrifying. If there's one live gig I'd love to hear was recorded it would be one I saw in a dingy working men's club in Sheffield about ten years back. Louis Moholo's 'Spirit's Rejoice' with...wait for it...Jason Yarde, Paul Rogers, Keith Tippett, Evan Parker and Paul Rutherford. Yarde held his own in that exalted company. As I said before, I think he's heavily involved in production - I've seen his name on some of the Dune label CDs.

Great, great band! They were absolutely thrilling at the UKs Cheltenham Festival a few years back.

Cheltenham (early May; international artists with a good UK showing, mix of big box office names and the highly respected, old favourites and the up and coming) and Bath (late May - eclectic with a continental European focus [though the Mingus Big Band headlined last year on one night, Andrew Hill played a few years before]) are regulars for me too. Sadly Appleby - a largely British mainstream affair (though with great Italians last year) + Evan Parker's Freezone (you know the records!) - isn't happening in 2008. Vital funding got withdrawn last year leaving a bit of a crisis. The one I keep meaning to go to is Sienna - late July/early August. It's tied in with a big summer school and has an Italian jazz focus.

Tempting at it is, I think I'll hang fire on the Private Collection - too much to absorb at present and I like to pace things. My main fear is that I'll get half the series and the rest will vanish. This happened with RCA Fats Waller series a few years ago. I'm hoping that some time in the next ten years or so the behemoth record companies will realise that it might just be worthwhile to transfer their jewels into downloads - either themselves or via licensing - and things might escape that way. I'm not counting on it, though! Some of the smaller classical companies are much quicker about this. [As predicted the DHL card was waiting for me this evening...have booked to fly to Helsinki this weekend to pick it up from their depot].

Hi hepcat1950 and WorldB3! Can I just say that I enjoyed my time at AAJ very much and have a lot of time for many people there - posters and amongst those who run the board. I hope they can get things sorted out - there are few places to discuss jazz and related musics as it is. The positive side of this sad episode is returning here and enjoying chatting to people I've not talked with in a while. I've taken my shoes off and put my slippers on.

It is rather strange that more has not been done about the Columbia era. I glanced in a marvellous coffee table book I bought in 1978 called 'The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Jazz' by Brian Case and Stan Britt (my Baedeker to jazz in the 70s along with Joachim Berendt's book...great colour photos of sleeves that made them so desirable) and they mention a 6 LP CBS France series covering this era and a couple of discs (doesn't say if they are singles, doubles or what) on a Swedish label called Tax.

Yep, the Moholo gig was part of the 'Jazz Britannia' weekend I think. It was a fine gig, if a liitle ragged. Included both Soweto Kinch (nice to hear him in this sort of setting) and Jason Yarde, a player I'm astounded has not recorded. He seems tied up with production and other things. Did a great extended piece at Cheltenham a while back.

Great book - he really gets Britain! He even visited Worksop!!!! Worksop is the English equivalent of Nowheresville, New Mexico.

Cheese Rolling! This what 'Being British' is all about! [notice - no pads, visors, body armour!] or

I've always enjoyed her writing and photographs.

Do you know something we don't? Please tell me...I don't want to mark these books if I'm never going to give them back!

Played the first disc of the Fargo pair on 'The Duke Box' earlier on - it really does give you a different take on the music. There's a great "Ko Ko" and "Harlem Air-Shaft" there. Just playing this, one you'll want soon, Papsrus: Recorded just after Billy Strayhorn's death, it aches with emotion. Some of my favourite Johnny Hodges. There's a version of 'Lotus Blossom' that was taped after the main recordings that will break your heart. Along with 'Far East Suite', my favourite late Ellington.

I've never seen anything quite like it, have you? Hello... another refugee? MG Yes, it's me, Sandi Hi Sandi, Nice to see you.

A Cornish Pasty...with lots of vinegar and a cup of tea. Don't get why there are grapes in the picture!

My understanding of the US electoral system is derived totally from 'The West Wing'!!!!!!!! (and you could do worse than get a copy of the old 'Yes, Prime Minister' series to understand the British!). I'm looking forward to the forthcoming election of President Bartlett. Such a nice man!

Lon, Thanks for the info. I have the Mosaic winging its way to me as I type. In fact I can predict my week based on it. DHL will try to deliver it, I will be out, they will leave me a card. I will ring them to try to collect - no-one will answer the phone. I will drive to their nearest depot - Sheffield, Rotherham, Madrid - and, with any luck, take delivery. I have a feeling it'll be a case of piecing the other Columbia stuff together from the sources you mention. Was there an LP survey at one stage of the Columbias? I seem to recall something along the line of the Bessie Smith and Billie Hoiliday twofers but I could be going nuts. Papsrus, Ellington Uptown is great. I'm not so keen on the Mahalia Jackson B,B & B - purely because I'm so infatuated with the early 40s recordings. But I know it has lots of fans.

He did a gig at the Barbican a year or two back but unfortunately I missed it. Seeing Louis' name reminds me of another great drummer-in-exile who was part of the UK scene for many years - Clifford Jarvis. I recall him being very influential on the London scene in the 70s and 80s in particular. Incredible that he chose to settle with us - sad that he didn't get much recognition here. I think that might be the one I was at - part of the Jazz Britannia weekend. I don't recall Clifford Jarvis at all.

Bev my man if you like the sound and the announcements on these, and you haven't already tried them, you should check out the Duke Ellington Treasury Series on Storyville. Fantastic in sound and material. Fascinating announcements/"commercial" spots at times. Thanks, Lon. I've got those discs and the Private Collection ones from later on the edge of my radar. Too much else of Ellington to absorb for the moment - but I know I'll be wanting fresh Ellington to hear in the years to come, so those recordings will fit the bill beautifully. Knowing your expertise in this area, what's your recommendation for the best way to collect the mid-late 30s period between the RCA recordings? I have a couple of Classics discs - I notice a few of the others are MIA and fetching silly prices.