JohnJ

What a timely topic as I just bought used the 4CD box set 'The Thrill of it All' (beautiful box, highly recommended). Wonderful music throughout and all the studio albums are excellent in their own way. However I had to vote for the debut album as I still recall the excitement of hearing that music for the first time. It was so radically different to anything else out there, "Virginia Plain" was like nothing I had ever heard before. Definitely style with substance and my favorite 70's rock group, I have very fond memories of seeing them at the Rainbow in London in 1973. By the way David, I believe that an official double CD of the reunion tour will be released on June 3rd. There are also bootlegs out there.

Not my favorite, but I have always regarded Horace Silver as the quintessential Blue Note pianist, or perhaps more accurately the quintessential hard bop pianist.

Please forgive another sacrilegious post, but for me the two disc best of 'Early and Latter Days' is enough for me these days. Loved them when I was 14 though.

I think CD's will be around for a very long time, given how much money most people already have invested in this format. I don't really see anything replacing them in the near future. I see no reason why the rarer CD's should not increase in value and become collectors items, just look at the case of OOP Mosaic sets. Also, looking at eBay, it seems to me that the vast majority of vinyl today sells for very low prices, often significantly cheaper than the CD equivalent.

Neon, based on the fact that you love Frank, Nat and Louis, I would recommend giving the following singers a listen: Billy Eckstine Johnny Hartman Bill Henderson I think you will like them.

I think they complement each other and I regularly refer to both, the book in the case of Penguin and online with AMG.

Neon, firstly I would like to say that I really like Norah and am very happy with her success. Regarding Cleo Laine, she may well be the most famous living jazz singer in the UK (go figure), but like the others here, I have to say she leaves me cold and you should in no way judge other jazz vocalists by your experience of listening to her. I agree with Jim and would say that you owe it to yourself to give Sinatra a spin. I have friends who really like jazz and others that don't, but they all enjoy listening to Francis Albert.

Dianne Reeves also sings it very well on 'I Remember'.

Connoisseur Series 500, I fully understand. I recall that you lived in Thailand and your scepticism is obviously quite justified. It is however an American male friend who lives in Songkhla that I will be meeting. I will admit though, we always have a lot of fun there (hard not to).

I live in Tokyo, and while my wife is in Osaka with her family, I will visit a friend in Pattaya, Thailand for a few days in August. We will both probably vist my family in England in October.

Tokyo has great used stores which also sell new outlet CD's and, apart from HMV sale time, I tend to buy almost exclusively from these. In the last 2 or 3 weeks jazz purchases include the following with prices converted to US$. Louis Armstrong Mosaic 6 CD's ($60 used) Paul Desmond Complete RCA 5 CD's ($35 used) Branford Marsalis - Footsteps of our Fathers ($8 used) Eric Dolphy - Far Cry ($4 new) Wynton Kelly - Kelly Blue ($3.50 used) Chick Corea - Return to Forever ECM ($3.50 used) The last two have a few surface scratches but play fine and I am pretty happy with all of the above.

Somebody bought the 4CD Shorty Rogers Mosaic for $400 from this seller using the 'But It Now' function. $100 per CD plus shipping seems a little on the high side to me.

Pretty much agree with all of the above. This board is definitely the closest thing around to the old BNBB. I too post at AAJ but don't really enjoy the vibe for some reason. This place seems friendlier and more welcoming.

'The Thought Gang' by Tibor Fischer is a hilarious black comedy, just take a look at the reviews at Amazon. Everyone I know who has read this loved it. Laugh and learn philosophy at the same time.

Not underrated, but 'The Big Sleep' remains for me one of the most entertaining movies ever made in any genre. Also, it goes without saying, Bogie was the definitive Philip Marlowe. He captured Marlowe's combination of integrity, bravery and world weary cynicism in a way that no other actor has ever come close to. No wonder Chandler himself was so impressed.

Good to see all the votes for 'True Blue', but, excellent as it is, 'Back to the Tracks' is even better, IMHO. This is tough, but my top five at the moment are: Tina Brooks 'Back to the Tracks' Bobby Hutcherson ' Patterns' Jack Wilson 'Something Personal' Hank Mobley 'Slice of the Top' Pete La Roca 'Basra' I suspect 'Etcetera' would be there if I could find a copy.

From what I have heard, my favourite Byrd as a leader is 'Free Form'. As king ubu mentioned however, that has a lot to do with the presence of Shorter and Hancock.

I have the Connoisseurs of 'The All Seeing Eye' and 'Green Street' and I know that these were both reissued as RVG's. I think as a general rule, the older the Conn the more difficult it is to find. Of course there are exceptions.

Good article by Mike Zwerin in today's IHT: http://www.iht.com/articles/94821.html

Jazzbo, P.D. and RDK, thanks for the helpful comments. I own nothing that is on this set and scandalously little Louis anyway, so I will pick it up. The price, used, is the equivalent of just under $60 which I think is quite reasonable for an OOP Mosaic.

I have the opportunity to pick up the 6CD Mosaic 'The Complete Decca Studio Recordings of Louis Armstrong and the All Stars'. I know it is OOP and the price is very attractive so I am sure that I will indeed buy it, but I would appreciate it if anybody who owns this set give their opinion on the music itself. There is only a brief (positive) description on AMG and I cannot find a track listing anywhere, so any views would be most welcome. Thanks in advance.

Speaking of Stanley Turrentine, does anybody know whether 'Dearly Beloved' is considered hard to find on CD?

Lakers fans are amusing in their myopia. I still remember MJ running rings around Magic in the Bulls first championship season. MJ, quite rightly, was voted the ESPN athlete of the century and and vast majority of unbiased basketball fans would say Michael Jordan is the "greatest ever". Not even any doubt.

I confess, I also voted for 'Speak Like A Child'.

Wonderful as they all are, 'Speak No Evil' gets my vote. Definitely one of my all time top ten Blue Note's.