Christiern

Pictured above are some of my incomplete discographies—I'm sure many of us have them around. Actually, the only complete one I have is Jepsen. I refuse to buy Lord's error-riddled rip-offs. A few years back, when it seemed that discographers were doomed to give up their task in early- or mid- alphabet, I thought someone should just start at Z and work back. Seemed like an obvious, if not wholly satisfactory, solution.

See, there was something I wasn't getting. Thanks, Jim.

Another totally irrelevant attempt at sidetracking a thread—or am I missing something, Jim?

I also thought he was long gone. His discographies are amazing pieces of work, and even more amazing is the fact that they were made in pre-computer times. I heard that his wife did ll the typing—if so, she should have had equal billing! What would some of us have done without Rust's work?

Check this out!

Dimitry: "He was in his mid-forties when they bought the place, his first home, and his last." His last, yes, but not his first. That would be the row house pn East 41st Street in Chicago, which he and Lil bought when they were married. Phoebe Jacobs, a PR woman who was very close to Lucille Armstrong and often tries to diminish Lil's role in Louis' life made up that story about the house being his first. When Louis died, Phoebe and Lucille headed off for Europe to cash in on it. The lady who used to be the Armstrongs' housekeeper told me that her greatest moment in that house came when a cab pulled up in front and Lil stepped out—she was there for the funeral. The houskeeper went upstairs to Lucille's room and announced, with certain glee, "Mrs. Armstrong is downstairs." Lucille was not very well liked. Here is a picture I took of Lil in 1962, she is standing on the steps to the house she and Louis bought—the window on the right was their living room, a small upstairs room is where King Oliver sometimes overnighted (I stayed there for 2 weeks). This is where they rehearsed for the Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions and Lil was still living there when she passed away, shortly after Louis' death. The trumpet she is holding was one of Louis' old ones. I wonder where it is now.

They were.

Interesting, because that CBS Sunday Morning show is the one thing I thought Billy did badly.

A bird in hand..... etc.

That should, of course, be 16 years, not 20. Why can't I edit my post anymore?

In 1961, when I told Lil Armstrong that I wanted to produce an album featuring her with a band, she said, "Who's going to listen to that old stuff." I asked her what she listened to, "Thelonious Monk and Billy Taylor," she replied without having to think about it. I was only 15 and had yet to "discover" jazz when Billy visited Copenhagen, as a member of Don Redman's orchestra, but we met almost twenty years later, when we both worked at WNEW in New York. I told him that he was a Lil Armstrong favorite, and he loved to hear that. One of the things Lil and Billy had in common was that Jelly Roll Morton had passed both their paths—I hope someone has a tape of Billy recalling his encounter. In 1962, Ornette sent Billy two tickets to his remarkable Town Hall concert, but Billy was not into Ornette's music, so I gave them to me. If nothing else, I will always be thankful for having had that experience. Death is always sad, but Billy led a full life and he leaves us with many enduring accomplishments. It is the family and close friends we should grieve for.

I like it, too, but I wonder why FOREVER is struck through. I read yesterday that all future U.S. stamps will be of the "forever" variety. It makes sense since they are constantly changing the price. Perhaps "WHATEVER" would be more appropriate.

When CDs started coming in for real, I sold 18,000 of my vinyls to my friend,Karl Emil Knudsen (Storyville Records). He passed, so they are in storage somewhere in Denmark. I kept about500, which I still have. My CD collection went up to 9000. but theft reduced that number by about 5000. I don't count them anymore, but I probably have about 5000. I also have about 700 45s, mostly pop.

I think I was making about the same amount of money, maybe less, as an apprentice in Fona's art department. This is the time of year when I most miss Denmark—to me, there's nothing as festligt and hyggeligt as a traditional Danish Christmas Eve. GLÆDELIG JUL og GODT NYTÅR!

It reminds me of my visit to Christine Jørgensen (the in/famous sex-change pioneer), at her home in Massapequa (Long Island), many years ago. I was there with Richard Lamparski, who was to interview her. As we sat in the living room, her cocker spaniel rushed in, tail wagging like mad, to check out the visitors. "OOOh," said Christine, in a tone people use when addressing a baby. "Now, now, it's alright darling." Then she turned to me and said, as if to explain something, "she misses her Aunt Bette." "Oh," said. "Yes, she simply ado-o-ores Bette Davis."

"But such curiosity, if that's the right term for it, boils down in this entry IMO to Friedwald saying, 'Hey -- when my phone rang, it wasn't unusual for Susannah McCorkle to be on the line'." I think so.

Dimitry

"I guess it's "When the phone rang ... it wasn't Susannah herself..." He sounds like a vampire, a soul-sucker. " Italics are mine. That could be in there to underline his close friendship with Susannah. Was there a point made by bringing up her suicide?

I thought of Rolf when I started it. i hope he is alright and will return after New Year's Eve

Creepy, indeed. I probably knew Susannah better than Will did, but it never occurred to me to play her recordings just because she had passed away. I guess that is common practice, though, for we often see that as a reaction by members of this board. Phil Schaap, goes whole hog and plays the departed's records for days.

Hi Vic, good to hear from someone who remembers my old days! I don't know if you have ever visited my blog, but there are things there that should bring back some memories. Here, for example. Nice to be called Gunnar again!

Yes, the grass is always greener.... In London, I once asked some people to suggest a restaurant where I might take them dinner. They came up with a French restaurant that was very "trendy" at the time. The food was, indeed, wonderful (often a surprise in the UK), but all the wine was from Almaden!!!! Well, it was imported, but a French restaurant? I am still shocked.

When the first JATP disc hit Denmark, the music was immediately designated as an orgy. In Bengt Haandstad's little record shop, the sounds of JATP flowed as freely and consistently as the Tuborg beer he guzzled all day. Les Paul and Nat Cole playing tag, Billie surrounded by great players, Illinois Jacquet getting down, real low. Then, too, we were not used to hearing much past 3 minutes, so that was also great. How could one not love these recordings? I did then and I still do.

The subject of beer often pops up on the Bg O, so when I came across this article in the travel section of Berlingske Tidende, a Danish newspaper I used to write for—I decided to share it. According to the article, there is a Danish saying that American beer is like making love in a Canoe: too close to water. The accompanying photo (above) is, of course, a dead giveaway, but I don't think many of you will disagree with the poll. Here's the percentage of votes: 1. USA 36.2 2. Italy 6.9 2. China 6.9 3. France 3.5 4. Mexico 3.1 5. UK 2.8 6. Australia 2.4 6. India 2.4 Few of you will be able to read it, but here is a link to the original article.