gmonahan

Good news! It would be great to have the Goodman and Ellington boxes in the same year, but I guess I shouldn't be PIGGY! Greg M.

The Complete Louis Armstrong and the Dukes of Dixieland on EJC, disc one (of three). I just got it, and it's something of a revelation--great stereo sound, and Satch is in fabulous form! Greg M.

Excellent arranger, composer, band leader, and a fine pianist too. He used to check in at rec.music.bluenote now and then when I frequented that ng. He may check this one too. I like "With All the Bells and Whistles," "Earth," and "Funupsmanship," all on MAMA. Greg M.

Wow... That should set the cause of getting past White Guilt back several millennia. Or more. Just as I always envisioned it -- a narcissistic/masochistic heterosexual singing to a lesbian. You mean EVERYBODY doesn't envision it that way?! Damn! There's another of my illusions shot to hell! Though, come to think of it, it may be a *little* unfair to refer to Mel as a lesbian. Greg M. Torme suits the role of Porgy in at least one way: he's lame. Is it my imagination, or was there just a touch of sarcasm in the way Steve Allen said "But you've never heard it sung this way" ? That's possible. Allen was very bright and a fine jazz connoisseur, but it's also possible he was just trying to be complimentary. Despite my wise-ass remark (I couldn't resist!), I've always liked Mel's singing. I just think he was *really* "miscast" as Porgy!! As for Frances Faye. Whoa. Twilight Zone time! Greg M.

For an antidote, try this.

Wow... That should set the cause of getting past White Guilt back several millennia. Or more. Just as I always envisioned it -- a narcissistic/masochistic heterosexual singing to a lesbian. You mean EVERYBODY doesn't envision it that way?! Damn! There's another of my illusions shot to hell! Though, come to think of it, it may be a *little* unfair to refer to Mel as a lesbian. Greg M.

Really?! They always sounded pretty good to these old ears, but then it occurs to me I've never heard any other version, so I'll take your word for it. I'm sure not going to diss Mosaic! Part of my reason for not getting the Mosaics was just economic. I'd bought a bunch of the Blue Moons and didn't want to duplicate. Maybe I should have! Greg M.

Chris, Your generous suggestion far surpassed the meager skills of this particular Luddite, so I just deleted mine. Yours is much prettier--FAR more readable! I'd be interested in responses to JSngry's query. Seems kind of harsh that one failed record project would have put a label out of business, but I guess Bethlehem was never exactly a big-time operation! Greg M.

I'd go with Lee Morgan's "Expoobident." It's one of my favorite Vee-Jays. I already had the excellent Blue Moon Vee-Jays when the Mosaics came out, so (rarely for me) didn't go with the Mosaics. I think the sound on the Blue Moons is excellent, and there are lots of alternate takes, plus, as others have mentioned, some of the cool original album covers. Greg M.

Thanks for the responses! I still wish I could find a personnel though--it's the goofball collector in me. I'd seen the Amazon listing, but somehow missed seeing Fagerquist listed. Makes sense that the trumpet would be his. I always liked his work. I may decide to get the full 2-cd set, but doesn't that have a narration by Al "Jazzbo" Collins?! I'm not sure I'm up for that!! Greg M.

I recently got hold of a used copy of the single cd (as opposed to the double) "A jazz version of highlights from the opera Porgy and Bess" on Bethlehem. It's a wacky record, and from what little I can find out, some (much?) of it was compiled from other Bethlehem cds. Does anybody have a partial or complete personnel with recording dates for this record? There's some bright trumpet solo work that *sounds* to me a bit like Conte Candoli, but I'm not sure, and there are at least two different trombonists, one of whom is obviously Rosolino. Any help appreciated! Greg M.

Can any JHS subscribers tell me how many of the old Mainstreams they contracted to reissue are still available? I'm thinking particularly of the Sarah Vaughan early 70s Mainstreams. I've been on a Sarah Vaughan kick lately, and, while I have the Tokyo Concert and the Michel Legrand/Vaughan cd (both found in JHS editions), I'm wondering if any of her others were issued and are available. Thanks in advance! Greg M.

That *would* be nice! I'm looking forward to reports on the Young/Basie set from those lucky enough to have preordered it!

I'm with Chuck on this one. How's about something new and different?

Tell me about the Liebman material--what style? Mosaic terms it "hard bop" on its site, but I don't exactly think of Liebman as a bopper.

I like the Mosaic EMI/Atlantic box and wish they'd follow up with an RCA box, but somebody somewhere on here once reported that this had been one of Mosaic's poorer selling sets, so I'm wondering if we'd ever see one.

That was a good session, issued on Verve V6-8836 in its shortlived "Previously Unreleased Recordings" series. A live date recorded at the Half Note in 1962. I'd be *very* surprised if we ever saw it reissued by Verve. I suppose the Spaniards could do it. They'd probably call it "The Absolutely COMPLETE Verve Live 1962 Recordings of the Clark Terry Bob Brookmeyer Quintet with Eddie Costa, Joe Benjamin, and Osie Johnson at the Half Note on that particular day in that particular year"! And I'd probably buy it.

Oh yeah! I'm groovin' to disc one right now. It is WAY cool! This promises to be far and away my favorite select!!

Seems to me like Mosaic was going to release a complete Keynote box, but got caught up legal issues, right? Too bad they didn't!

The Lord discography doesn't list any appearances, though that's hardly definitive. She toured in Europe during that period, recording both of her famous Berlin concerts. She recorded a couple of albums in New York (the Christmas album and "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!"), but seems to have spent most of her time on the west coast.

I've been trying to compile a fairly complete list of the 600s in this series, which first appeared 'round about 1991. Below is what I've come up with, but there are a couple of gaps. Can anyone out there help to fill them in, especially for catalog numbers 624, 632, and 634? Comments on the series? GRP GRD-601 Billie Holiday, Complete Decca Recordings GRP GRD-602 Louis Armstrong, Rhythm Saved the World GRP GRD-603 Bing Crosby, Bing Crosby and Some Jazz Friends GRP GRD-604 James P. Johnson, Snowy Morning Blues GRP GRD-605 Roy Eldridge, After You’ve Gone GRP GRD-606 Woody Herman, Blues on Parade GRP GRD-607 Art Tatum, Classic Early Solos 1934-37 GRP GRD-608 Jimmy Lunceford, Stomp It Off GRP GRD-609 Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden, BG and Bit T in NYC GRP GRD-610 Carmen McRae, Here to Stay GRP GRD-3-611 Count Basie, Complete Decca Recordings GRP GRD-612 Charlie Barnet, Drop Me Off in Harlem GRP GRD-4-613 Louis Armstrong, The California Concerts GRP GRD-614 Jay McShann, Blues from Kansas City GRP GRD-615 Bob Crosby, South Rampart Street Parade GRP GRD-616 King Oliver, Sugar Foot Stomp GRP GRD-617 Mel Torme, In Hollywood GRP GRD-2-618 Ella Fitzgerald, The Early Years, Part I with Chick Webb GRP-GRD-2-619 Ella Fitzgerald, 75th Birthday Celebration GRP GRD-620 Louis Armstrong, Vol. 2: Heart Full of Rhythm GRP GRD-621 Joe Turner, Every Day in the Week GRP GRD-622 Andy Kirk, Mary’s Idea GRP GRD-2-623 Ella Fitzgerald, Early Years, Part II: 1939-41 GRP GRD-624 ?? GRP GRD-625 Lionel Hampton, Midnight Sun (1947-47) GRP GRD-626 Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Contrasts GRP GRD-627 Coleman Hawkins, Body and Soul Revisited GRP GRD-2-628 Ella Fitzgerald, The War Years GRP GRD-2-629 Anthology of Big Band Swing 1930-1955 GRP GRD-630 Art Tatum, I Got Rhythm, Vol. 3: 1935-1944 GRP GRD-631 Carmen McRae, Sings Great American Songwriters GRP GRD-632 ?? GRP GRD-633 Jimmie Noone, Apex Blues GRP GRD-634 ?? GRP GRD-635 Chick Webb, Spinnin’ the Webb GRP GRD-636 Ella Fitzgerald, Pure Ella GRP GRD-637 Eddie Condon, Dixieland All Stars GRP GRD-2-638 Louis Armstrong, Highlights from His Decca Years GRP GRD-639 A Piano Anthology From Jelly Roll Morton to Bill Evans GRP-GRD-3-640 Duke Ellington, The Early Ellington: The Complete Brunswick/Vocalion Recordings GRP GRD-641 Black Legends of Jazz GRP-GRD-642 The Legendary Big Band Singers GRP GRD-643 Fletcher Henderson, Tidal Wave GRP GRD-644 Mildred Bailey, Rockin Chair Lady 1931-50 GRP GRD-645 Jimmie Lunceford, For Dancers Only GRP GRD-646 52nd Street Swing: New York in the 30s GRP GRD-2-647 Carmen McRae, I’ll Be Seeing You: A Tribute to Carmen McRae GRP GRD-4-648 Ella Fitzgerald, The Legendary Decca Recordings GRP GRD-649 Louis Armstrong, Vol. 3: Pocketful of Dreams GRP GRD-650 ?? GRP GRD-651 Hal McCusick, Now’s the Time GRP GRD-2-652 Lionel Hampton, Hamp: The Legendary Decca Recordings GRP GRD-653 Billie Holiday, Greatest Hits GRP GRD-4-654 Ella Fitzgerald, The Early Years, Parts I and II GRP GRD-655 Count Basie, The Best of Early Basie GRP GRD-656 Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful World GRP GRD-657 ?? GRP GRD-2-658 Pete Fountain, Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? GRP GRD-659 Ella Fitzgerald, The Best of Ella Fitzgerald GRP GRD-660 Duke Ellington, The Best of Duke Ellington GRP GRD-661 Louis Armstrong, Satchmo at Symphony Hall GRP GRD-662 Nat King Cole, Hit That Jive, Jack GRP GRD-663 Ella Fitzgerald, Ella and Friends GRP GRD-664 ?? GRP GRD-665 Pete Fountain, The Best of Pete Fountain

Seems like madness! Ahh, a thousand here, a thousand there...just pocket change!

Thanks for the addition; I've updated the list! I remember seeing almost all the 1993-94 releases in stores, but for some reason I saw very few of the 1995-96 releases, and the Winding/Johnson was one title I didn't even know existed until this thread, as was the Nat Pierce Baker mentioned. Incidentally the catalogue number of the Winding/Johnson is not close to any of the other releases. One wonders if there is more? I wondered about that too when I tried to fit it in with the catalogue numbers you'd listed. I've been amassing a list of all the GRP/Decca Jazz reissues and have a couple of gaps. The ways of catalog numbers can sometimes be mysterious!

Sidney Bechet Select, disc 3

Excellent list! But I didn't see this one: 74321 29880-2 Kai Winding and J. J. Johnson - An Afternoon at Birdland. It was released in the Jazz Classics series in 1995. The original album came out on Victor's "X" label as LXA-1040. I'd never heard of it before I found it in a used cd store in Paris a few years ago. Cool album.