Late

Not entirely true. I don't about Caiman itself, but Caiman-Tower does have an 800 number (1-800-ASK-TOWER) where you can talk to a real person. I just called them on Friday to request a refund for a "special order" that I was billed for but that never shipped. The guy explained that when Tower was shifted over to Caiman, all existing/pending orders were closed — meaning billed, whether they'd shipped or not. I'd agree that that's a little dubious, but I'd followed my order (one of two titles had shipped), and he said it was no problem to refund the billed title. I gave him my order number, and then received an e-mail confirmation a few minutes later. When I get my credit card statement, I can post here if/when I receive a credit. I'm not wanting to "defend" Caiman here, I just think that Caiman-Tower, per se, might be a little different than "regular" Caiman — who I've never purchased from (via Amazon) because of such low ratings. It's understandable that people would have their doubts, but so far I haven't had a "bad" experience with Caiman-Tower. Last week I received six EMI classical titles (in one shipment) for under $23 shipped. Not too shabby.

Anyone else read that — about the paper in the bell of the horn for "Shadow Waltz"?

Sonny digs deep on this one. The way he sculpts a line — he can bring fairly mundane standards alive, as if much was at stake. I guess that's one of the reasons he's so great.

I always thought this album had never been reissued on compact disc. On a whim, I did some searching and found that, lo and behold, it was reissued on compact disc — in 1990. What? Then I discover it's been sitting on iTunes for a while. What? Listening to it right now for the first time, and really enjoying it. Not only is it the recording debut of Charlie Haden, but also Dave Pike. I have to admit that I've never been a big Pike fan, but, man, he's really swinging on this session. And beautifully recorded? Yup. Some great unison heads (composed by Carla Borg nee Bley), and Lennie McBrowne is tight on this one. Whew. It's great to discover hidden gems like this one. If you're a Bley fan, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

Porcy — are you talking vinyl or CD? (I'm assuming CD.) Which Japanese pressing do you have? I have the VICJ pressing, and it's acceptable but not great. I wish this session were reissued in total. Every reissue has always left off the duo track (Pettiford-Roach) that was recorded before Rollins showed up to the studio. Have also read that, a la Stan Getz, Rollins put something (staff sheets?) in the bell of his horn to record the track "Shadow Waltz." Can't remember where I read that now.

One of the great Rollins records, though the recording seems not to be as great, at least on compact disc. I had a friend in high school, however, who had an original mono copy of this LP, and it sounded pretty good (if I can remember that far back). What edition sounds best to you?

Well, that was a smart move. I don't know about others here, but I'm personally offended by the use of "Smithville." I wish Alfred Lion & Co. would have had the decency/foresight to think of these things ... (Also glad to have the TOCJ.)

Hank Mobley's impossible-to-find Curtain Call is available in the list. Was it listed when this sale originally started? (I don't remember it being there.) At any rate, some superb Kenny Dorham on that one. I have this session on the Mosaic. Can anyone with the TOCJ comment on sonic differences (if any)? This session on the Mosaic sounds pretty darn good.

Dexter Gordon's Homecoming is worth picking up for both Shaw's and Gordon's contributions. I wish Columbia would have gotten around to re-reissuing it with original cover art and better remastering, but at least it's still out there.

I wonder what will become of Mighty Quinn now that EMI's been purhcased. The last I heard (about a year ago), Mighty Quinn was working on a Sal Salvador project, in conjunction with Salvador's daughter — live and at-home tapes. Was that project shelved, or did it actually come out?

I wonder if the reason there are only five Connoisseurs this time is because the sixth title was supposed to be Louis Smith's Smithville, with the previously unissued extra tracks, but some kind of issue arose. Just speculatin'.

Just wanted to give a heads-up for those interested: Free Form is available again. This time not through Redial, but through some UK label called Gott Discs. I assume they're legit, but don't know. At any rate, this is a terrific album, along with his other session from around this time: Abstract. The Bards have it here.

Didn't know that about the High Notes. Good news. Bemsha Swing can be had (I think) as a Japanese import these days. It might even be cheaper than used U.S. copies. However, once I actually check, the Japanese import will probably be out-of-print too. The Eric Dolphy dates that Shaw is on are pretty good too. I used to imagine a session after Out to Lunch which would be something like: Dolphy, Woody Shaw, Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, Alan Dawson.

Damn — it's actually my favorite Hill session! Something brooding about it that's attractive to me.

Here's how I'd prioritize a Shaw-binge: 1. Blackstone Legacy — a killer debut 2. Stepping Stones — a "must have" in my opinion 3. Swiss Radio Days (Lausanne, 1977) 4. Song of Songs — looks like you ordered it already 5. The three High Note Volumes — you'll eventually want them all The hard one to find, but worth searching for, is: • The Moontrane (Muse) In fact, I'd scoop up just about anything on Muse when you see it — Love Dance, Imagination, etc. You're in for a huge treat!

Listened to the Turrentine today. A little sleepy at times, but I like it overall. One thing, though — if someone had put it on without me reading the notes, and then said: "This was remastered by a Toshiba engineer," I would have believed them (if I didn't already know it was a Connoisseur). On my system, I don't hear the "signature" trebliness that's usually associated with McMaster. Nicely done here.

Also of note: Do not order "Special Order" items from the new Tower. You'll be billed, whether you're going to receive them or not. The old Tower site never billed you for a Special Order item unless it actually shipped. With the new Tower, you'll get billed, and then have to call for a refund if the item never ships. Just a FYI ...

Tom (Rooster) — if you're still reading this thread, you'll want to check out Dave Ballou. He's a "progressive" trumpet player with a contract with Steeplechase. He's made quite a few sides for them. Good chops, nice sound, and interesting ideas. Tenor fans will definitely want to check out Ari Ambrose. Our own Ken Dryden reviewed some of Ambrose's work for AMG. The kid can play. Think Archie Shepp from the New Thing at Newport record, and then add considerably more technique. At least that's how I hear (some of) Ambrose. His solos are also not dry or academic; he's got something to say.

That sucks that you got used CDs, but I'm glad they seem to be in good shape. It's weird. I ordered six titles on 5/31 (some of these had "duplicates" at higher prices on the site; I ordered the cheaper ones), and I just received the package today. All discs were shrink-wrapped. Maybe it has something to do with the fulfillment center? Still, if a disc is used, it should be advertised as such. I'll be interested to hear what kind of response you get when you tell Tower about this.

One thing I've noticed: jazz compilations always have the worst covers. Though I guess 32Jazz's Jazz for After You've Finished Brushing Your Teeth had an OK cover. That Playmate had nice teeth.

I've been a fan of Giuffre's for what seems a long time (ten years), but it's really not that long at all! It does seem strange that Seven Pieces isn't even on iTunes, but maybe there's still hope. Of course, I'd prefer an individual CD reissue too, but am unfortunately skeptical what with jazz reissue programs these days. I think our best bet is a Mosaic: The Complete Verve Jimmy Giuffre Sessions. How big a set would this be, and what would it contain? I'd prefer a "leader only" set, but Giuffre co-led and played on some other Verve sessions ... Didn't the Andorans just release a "new" Giuffre 3 package? A live set with Jim Hall?

I would imagine that the new Japanese Konitz/Half Note reissue is identical in content to the original U.S. version. There might be a new remastering with this set, but that's just a guess. The music is terrific, and the sound (on the U.S. edition) is really quite good for a live recording. If you haven't yet heard this set, and like the Tristano school in general, you'll want to get the package at some point, though 3900¥ is fairly pricey. Maybe getting the U.S. edition used is the way to go?

Yeah, the Atavistic stuff is the dang. I also like when that group hooked up (electrically) in 1968 for Debut. Karsten Vogel is, in my opinion, a shamefully overlooked saxophonist in this genre. If there could be a hybrid between Hal McKusick and Charles Tyler ... that might be Vogel.

If you don't have it on your list (or have it already), add: Booker Ervin: Booker and Brass This was a standard Pacific Jazz/EMI issue, and it's a very good session in great sound. There are a lot of Booker fans here, but this session seems to get overlooked. At any rate, I'm a fan. OOP, I think. Yep. Forgot to add that to my post. I find it swingin', but I can see how it might not be to others' taste. The larger ensemble adds a little more excitement in my opinion.