John Tapscott

Shorty Rogers - West Coast Trumpet Ace, Bandleader, Composer - Volume 1 (5 CDs) 1946-1954 (JSP)

Are you still rating the Pendulum set more highly than 012? I listened to the samples from both sets on the website and found the music from the earlier set more interesting. The Pendulum music sounded good but three CD's of it might be a bit more than I need.

The '53 recording of "Now's the Time". Bird's solo on that track is sublime, quite free yet totally logical, with shape, an ebb and flow, then Bird climaxes the solo near the end with the full statement of a phrase he had been hinting at right from the beginning. I have played the solo a hunded times and it never fails to amaze me or tell me a story. It's probably my single favorite solo in all recorded jazz.

Peter, I thought I might have a few more, but I believe I have 34 or 35 from your list. However, I do have CD's by most of the artists you mentioned. For example, I have several Rob Schneiderman CD's, but not the particular one you listed; same with Peter Leitch and Kenny Barron and a number of the other artists. I am glad you mentioned Dado Moroni's "Out of the Night" and Danny D'Imperio's "The Outlaw" - two special favorites of mine. Maybe I'll try to come up with 100 of my own, perhaps just off the top of my head.

I hope so too. I have just been digging Slide on the recently released "Whit Williams Now's The Time Big Band" featuring Jimmy Heath and Slide Hampton (Mama) recorded in 2004. It includes 2 Slide comps and one Slide arrangement (and goodies by Heath, as well). Slide has several solos on the CD and is in excellent form. In fact, the whole CD is a gas; one of my favorites so far in 2008. Get well, Slide!

Certainly not true. Read the original article. The mother herself has suffered harm. I think she should sue the School Board big time. And the TA should be fired. What the TA does on his or her own time is his/her own business, but a person who allow a psychic's word to be the basis of, or to influence their professional judgement, well, that person has no place in the classroom IMO. Even if the administration felt they had to do something, don't you think a more subtle approach should have been used, rather than the six guns blazing approach, like do a little bit of quiet behind-the scene investigation, and make sure there are reasonable grounds for the allegation, over and above the wild-eyed speculation of some friggin' pyschic. A friggin' pyschic, for heaven's sake. Hey I'm a psychic, too. The price of gas is going up tomorrow!

A statement by a PSYCHIC does not by statute constitute an "allegation". Bank on that. I don't know the law, but that's what I was thinking, too. Psychics are nothing but frauds. Why does anybody put any store by these clowns at all? I could make 1,000 predictions too, and one of them might some day turn out to be true. We never hear about their 999/1000 blown calls. Well, I guess we have heard about this one.

I just received this one myself and I heartily agree. It is excellent and one of my favorite Mosaic singles.

Onzy Matthews Select

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.