John Tapscott

Just received mine in the mail today, along with the Dexter, direct from Champlain, NY.

A hard swinging version of John Coltrane's "Red Planet" from . Outstanding tenor solo by Chris Potter. In fact, the whole CD is very good with an excellent rhythm section of Gary Mazzaroppi (bass ) and Glenn Davis (drums). Honorable mention- "Gloria" from a private CDR of the Clarke-Boland Big Band, May 16, 1968, Stuttgart, featuring a wonderful tenor solo by Tony Coe.

Social reasons absolutely played a big role in my musical tastes. ANTI-social. I suppose it was somthing of a revolt against my peers - or, more kindly, a desire to establish myself as an individual, not a "sheep" - that I gravitated away from the "pop" music of my times and classmates. I suppose one might add this to a long list of things I did to define myself as "unique" (my leisure travel destinations, my early career choices, the high school I chose to attend instead of the one I was expected to attend, my political leanings...) On the end, it circled back, and I was at least superficially accepted as a token everything-we're-not in various groups. The guy that listens to that strange music. Oh yes, most of that I can relate to. 40+ years as a teenager I started listening to jazz partly because all my peers were listening to rock (which I didn't really like anyway), and I wanted to be a "snob" in a way, an "expert" in something that no one else my age knew much about. Actually I did like jazz, esp. big band jazz at the time (which I still enjoy), and I found it takes a certain dedication to keep listening to jazz when hardly any one else you know really gets it. What I didn't know at the time was how danged addictive the music would eventually become to me. A couple of things helped broaden my jazz horizons. One was the existence of some good jazz programs on Toronto FM radio stations including Board member Ted O'Reilly's "The Jazz Scene". The other was meeting one or two friends at college who were really into jazz. (I met them while browsing in the jazz section at record stores, naturally!) But there weren't too many of us. Oh, people would go to concerts and clubs, but not that many really listened to jazz seriously and collected good jazz records (not even the music students, as I recall). One day the guy in the college residence room next to me came into my room while I was playing Cannonball Adderley's "Somethin' Else." I will never forget it - he said, "You listen to some weird sh**!", as Miles took a solo. Actually made me feel pretty good!

thanks. close, or perhaps mary lou williams? Of course, Roland Hanna didn't play saxophone, but his stylistic versatility was in the same ballpark IMO. Likewise Dick Hyman.

Actually two, and they may come from last week: - Scrapple From the Apple on Jim Hall Live (Horizon/Verve)- it's not just Hall's great playing but the interaction of the whole group that really grabs me. Collective improvisation (without being 'free') at the very highest level. No wonder Hall loved this group. (And yet another incentive to think about getting the Hall set on artistshare, in spite of the $$$) - Blues for Philly Joe from Sonny Rollins' Newks's Time (Blue Note) - always loved this performance; one of my favorite jazz tracks of all time.

I hope you've been making up for lost time. The border-crossing into the US has become such a hassle I think twice (or thrice!) before even popping over to Buffalo these days. More pleasing to fly to Zurich or Stockholm or Madrid... What kind of hassles are you having, Ted? It's been a few years since I've been stateside, but I'm driving to Princeton U. for a continuing education course the first week of May. My passport is in order so I can't imagine there should be a big problem. Looking forward to cheap gas(!)- at least cheaper than ours, and and visiting the Princeton Record Exchange.

That's a good point. In theory it shouldn't cost Jim Hall a whole lot more to remaster and duplicate and do liner notes and package older material than it costs Uptown, for example. You get 2 CD's in the new Mobley set for less than the price of one CD in the Hall set. Looking at the website description, it seems like they are relying on the "limited edition" nature of the set to justify the price. It is strange that the new CD is less costly than the 37 year old remastered material (good as this latter is, no doubt). I still think the new set is too expensive. If that proves to be the case and sales are slow, then Jim Hall will have made a strategic business blunder.

Jim: Just to make a slight correction to your post. The "Live at Birdland" is 18.95 (no problem). The 3 CD Live set is $75. (I would be interested at the Mosaic Select price of $44, but this is too much). When I read the first post I was assuming that it was all 4 CD's for $75, but when I checked the website, the pricing structure is as I've outlined.

David: This is probably the first time I've seen someone on this Board complain about the amount of recorded music in the world! We here have likely added to the problem - too many CD purchases, overflowing shelves, too much time spent on jazz bulletin boards, demanding the release of new CD's - like - "get those new Uptown CD's out NOW!" etc. etc. I think new music has to be recorded. I have no problem with that. Creativity is an artist's life-blood. In fact, I myself have made some small donations to artists in order to help their projects along. And in retrospect the price for the new Jim Hall single CD was really OK. It's the price point of the 3 CD Live set that I am questioning. Jim S's points are well-taken.

Well, I certainly like the "Jim Hall - Live!" session, but $ 75 for three more CD's is serious coin, a little rich for me, I'm afraid. I'm not sure I'm totally sold on the Artist Share model. Most everything they do seems a bit pricey.

Ends Saturday, April 7.

Happy Birthday, Claude! All the best.

I should have that one, but I don't. Not sure how I missed it.

I like Bennie Green, so if it was, that's OK with me. I'm sure the liner notes will reveal all. Hank's name on the cover no doubt sells more. Looking forward to hearing Walter Davis Jr., too.

I just got the pre-release of volume one of the booklet. Further volumes at bi-monthly intervals. What's that? The Obamacare law? Just joking with our American friends.

Sounds pretty good. Thanks for posting. Any guesses as to how many pages the Uptown booklet will be, and the big issue - will you be able to get it back in the jewel case once you've removed it!? Just pre-ordered a copy along with the Dexter. Actually I ordered through the Uptown website by ordering 2 catalogue items (a 2CD set and a 1 CD set), and specifying that they send me the new ones instead. I just got a note from Robert S. saying that they will be posted on the website tonight. I always like to order directly from the label when I can. Really looking forward to hearing both (and setting an evening aside for reading). http://www.uptownrecords.net/home/

Theoretically. But the probability is very high that the Ottawa Senators will make the playoffs, too. It would be good if the Winnipeg Jets slipped in too, but not likely. Just looked at the standings. Ottawa has clinched a spot; Winnipeg definitely out.

Which one showed?

Uptown's website is strange. You'd think that would be the place where the new releases would be listed first, even made available for early sale. I remember that it was a month after release of the Richards, Christian and Gryce dates that Uptown finally posted them on the website. Looks like it will be the same with the Mobley and Gordon. http://www.uptownrecords.net/home/

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Toronto 1983. People had gathered at the venue (it was a ticketed event), waited outside, then the announcement came that there would be no concert. Border hassles, perhaps. Disappointing really, and I never did get to see Blakey live.

Holy cow! You are right on, Peter! I just received this CD the other day and it is one of the hottest recordings I have heard in a long while. Nick is just great, and the whole band plays up to his level. Thanks for the recommendation.

In the summer of 2000 I attended a Lovano concert. For 2 hours (with a brief intermission) Joe held forth on tenor only with just the backing of drums and bass (Dennis Irwin and Willie Jones III). It was one of the greatest jazz concerts I have ever attended. Lovano was on fire; incredibly creative and powerful. And he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. It was all one could hope for from a jazz concert. I also met Joe afterwards and had him autograph a CD insert. He was very friendly and gracious. Having said that, I must also say that most of his recordings are but a shadow of what I heard that night, though there are several I enjoy. It's a mystery, but Joe's playing does not come across nearly as well on records, at least compared to what I heard that night.