John Tapscott

Woody Herman - Brand New, The Raven Speaks, Giant Steps (especially Giant Steps - it's an excellent all-round big band recording), The Thundering Herd Maynard Ferguson - MF Horn 1, 2 & 3 (4 & 5 are more straight-ahead) Stan Kenton - Plays Chicago Buddy Rich - Roar of '74, Big Band Machine This stuff was my entry point into jazz (I was trying to play trombone, so found this music pretty appealing when I was 16-20 years old). My tastes are much broader today and yes, more refined, but this still sounds pretty good (especially the Woody discs) when I'm in the mood for it.

There's lots of real big band jazz on that set, which you've probabaly discovered by now. Right now: Horace Parlan disc 3 - a great set.

That unfortunately means that Road Time won't be included. But even with just studio sessions it will be a great set.

That is great news! I have all the albums, but will get this Select for sure. The Live at Newport ('77) is a smokin' disc! But I'm pretty sure it was a Japanese only LP, never issued domestically. As I mentally tally up the playing times of the first five albums, I would be surprised if they had room for a sixth. But here's hoping.

In general I like Louis Bellson, but if you ever see him live or sometimes even on disc, his solos are WAY too long (longer than Buddy's for sure). I once heard Billy Drummond live playing in a group with his wife Renee Rosnes, and I thought he was too loud (the eternal curse of drummers). But on disc he sounds great. He has a fiery and uplifting sense of swing that I really like.

I have a terrific Danny Moss Cd - The Danny Moss Quartet - "Weaver of Dreams" on Nagel-Hayer - just pulled it off the shelf for a listen. A wonderful tenor player. RIP Danny.

$5.77 per Imperial gallon (equivalent to $4.61 for a U.S. gallon) here in Canada. It's ridiculous, though Canada benefits in some ways from high oil prices. On the other hand, it kills our tourism industry - what American is their right mind is going to drive up here this summer? But as far as Krugman's article goes, I don't think he places enough emphasis on #1 - the speculators. I am more and more convinced they are driving this thing (and food prices, too). I am looking forward to the days these bastards (sorry!) get burned! It happened in the 80's and it will happen again.

Thad Jones UA/Blue Note/Roulette Sessions

The only on-line sample I could find was at worldsrecords.com http://www.worldsrecords.com/catalog/mar08-6.html and keep scrolling down. Even this short sample gives an indication that the sound quality is superb. The whole package looks very interesting. I actually saw this one in a local CD store the other day at an inflated price. So I'll buy it on-line at a better price.

I agree with John on this, but I would say that the second Uptown LP "Look, Stop and Listen" is much better. I still have it it my collection, though I sold "To Tadd With Love." The mention of Johnny Coles gives me a chance to mention one of my favorite Uptown recordings - Johnny Coles & Frank Wess - "Two At the Top", recorded around this same time period.

Happy Birthday Chuck! JT

These guys (and some gals, too) make Buddy Rich look like a choir boy!

The one recurring "jazz" dream I've had is (no kidding) playing in the Count Basie Band. I'm not sure how often it's happened, but several times. One time I was playing 'bone in the section (and actually making the parts) with Al Grey sitting beside me. Just last night I dreamt I was playing trumpet with the band on the '77 Montreux video, sitting in lead trumpeter's Lyn Biviano's chair. However, I was just faking the parts (but the band sounded good anyway). Overall, these are good dreams.

The 17:12 minute version of "Mambo Koyama" by Art Pepper from The Last Concert May 30, 1982. Very intense playing from Art and the band. Roger Kellaway plays exciting piano on this track. There's no obvious indication that Art was near the end of the line. Or maybe he knew he was and that's why his playing was so focused. In any case, Art plays extremely well throughout this CD.

Just received this news from the Friends of Big Band Jazz list (of which Bob was a member), passed on by trombonist Mike Suter, a personal friend of Bob's. Bob Florence passed away at 1:04 PM PST today, May 15, 2008, after a lengthy hospital stay. (He had been fighting pnuemonia for some time and all his recent engagements had been cancelled.) Bob Florence was one of my favorite composers/arrangers and led a big band which was often nothing short of sensational. Somehow, the title of his latest CD "Eternal Licks and Grooves" now seems very appropriate.

Chris, 1. Being a jazz "completist" is no sin. 2. Many, perhaps most, jazz fans are obsessed with trivia. 3. All history, including jazz history, is subjective. 4. Phil has paid his dues. 5. David Remnick is a fine writer. Sure it's no sin to be a jazz completist, but not all of his audience (or potential audience) are jazz completists or want to be. One needs to know where to draw the line. Schapp clearly doesn't. It's great that Schapp has paid his dues, but why expect an audience to pay dues as well? I think Chris is right; it sounds as if Schapp makes it more about himself and how knowledgeable he is, rather than about jazz and how wonderful it is. That's a sin. Ted O' Reilly, a member of Organissimo, and a 37 year Toronto jazz DJ, used to get the balance just right in his days at CJRT-FM. In any case, Schapp screwed up the reissue of Ellington's "Such Sweet Thunder", and that makes him forever a screw-up in my book.

Junior Mance - "For Dancers Only" from his latest Sackville Cd "Groovin' With Junior" - a swinging, romping, bluesy performance which just keeps building and building for 11 + miunutes. Don Thompson and Archie Alleyne are excellent in support.

Every Braff Arbors CD I've heard and own is fine. "Watch What Happens" is especially nice. Perhaps a bit hard to track down now - but "A Sailboat in the Moonlight" with Scott Hamilton on Concord is excellent (I think it's under Hamilton's leadership). Also "The Canadian Sessions"- a 2 CD set on Sackville has duo performances with Gene DiNovi plus a superb quartet session with Ed Bickert, Don Thompson and Terry Clarke. Really, really good.

$3.98 was the norm, IIRC. Maybe $4.98 for stereo. Or maybe at one (earlier) point, a dollar less both ways. I bought my first LP in 1968, and that's what prices were then. Considering price inflation since 1968 (not to mention since the '50's) the average CD price today (say $15) seems like a bargain, especially when you often get twice as much music per disc.

Buck Clayton - Complete CBS Jam Sessions

Stan Kenton - '43 - '47 Capitol Sessions - I'm really enjoing the advanced (often very advanced!) writing of Pete Rugolo

Absolutely to all of the above. Jimmy's Mosaic set is a real favorite of mine. My 13 year old daugther was in the cast of her school's production of "The Music Man" which my wife and I attended last night. As I listened to the music, I couldn't help but think of Jimmy's hip but respectful arrangements of those tunes which are on the Mosaic set. I also love his work with Brookmeyer and Hall, and of course "Four Brothers" for Herman which certainly broke some ground back in the day.

I really enjoy Don's Solo Piano Record on Sackville. A small portion of it is very challenging and quite difficult listening from this listener's perspective, but most of the music is very melodic, rhythmically strong, and often quite beautiful. At least on this recording Don seems to know when to pull the "out" sections in again. Very satisfying for the most part. edited for spelling

That photo of the Downtown Music Gallery brought back memories of the old Jazz and Blues Record Center on Yonge St. in Toronto, run by John Norris and Bill Smith in the 70's. That's almost exactly what it looked like from the outside. I used to work a 10 minute walk from the store and bought many records there. It was a funky little place - real small and cramped, a bit dingy, with a mysterious back room, but lots of records, new and used (loads of imports) on rickety home-made racks (you were afraid to run into one for fear it would collaspe). There was a stereo system constantly playing, but had only one speaker. I remember a sign by the turntable saying something like, "Please be careful. We can only afford one needle per year." They would open records and play them at your request (and that usually resulted in a sale), and you could hang around for an hour or two and pick up all kinds of jazz knowledge from John and Bill and the customers. Every sale was recorded in a ringed notebook and they had one of those old-fashioned lever-type cash registers. Later the store moved further downtown to Toronto's so-called entertainment district and was upgraded somewhat, but it was never quite the same. Those were the days, though. I miss them.

Not the US, but Canada (still North America, however). The Woodville CD's are available from: John Norris Sackville Recordings Box 1002, Station O Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4A 2N4 No email; John takes all orders by fax (416) 465-9093 and provides excellent service.