gmonahan

I too was surprised, but I'll probably get this set. Like some others I don't have most of these records. It is a little odd for Mosaic to be issuing music that's available elsewhere, but this is a cohesive set, and it will probably sell well. The MJQ always sold a lot of records. Might that be one reason for this one? To put a little cash in the drawer? gregmo

Well, if both the Bears and the Steelers get in, it'll be a bit tough for me--those are my two teams! I started pulling for them in '69, the year they both went 1-13. I figured those were two teams that needed some help. Since then, they've both done pretty well. Still, I'll probably pull for the Steelers. I really like Troy Polamalu. Brilliant player, and great fun to watch. gregmo

I hope so. My Steelers can beat the Jets. The Patriots would be tougher! gregmo

I think you might be right there. I'm glad I visited it a few years ago. It's an amazing country. gregmo

No shame here. I think I can say that I am truly shameless! (well, when it comes to amassing jazz records, anyway!) gregmo

Algeria is a different case. Civil war has been the issue there, between "modern" Islamists and the old, now established anti-French revolutionaries who've controlled the government for years. Selfishly, I hope things stay quiet in Morocco. My daughter just went there for a semester of study-abroad! gregmo

I'll confess to a liking for his work with Mel Torme in the late 70s (I think--or was it the 80s?!), but he could come on pretty strong during that period. Early stuff is great, but the recent Songbook albums are pretty good too. Like others, I don't listen to the Mosaic that much. Maybe I should get it out and give it a spin. gregmo

I imagine things will calm down. Young Tunisians finally got a little tired of 50+% unemployment and a dictator for life. I don't much blame them. Still a lovely country, and I imagine the retirees are doing ok. gregmo

Thanks for posting this. I've been listening to Tatum for years (I *think* I have just about everything he ever recorded, anything that's been released anyway), and I've come to understand that songs for Tatum were just structures for his genius to deconstruct and reconstruct however he saw fit. He also deconstructed and reconstructed rhythms, as this piece makes clear, but he always had the rhythm he started with there in his mind while he was building others. Listen to any of his numerous versions of "Tiger Rag." You'll hear him recompose the piece several times in the space of a couple of minutes. Tatum was a true titan. I do agree with one liner-note writer I read once (I'm sorry to say I don't remember on which album I read it) who said that Tatum is best taken in relatively short doses where one can really concentrate one's attention to focused listening. Like a fine liqueur, he's a very, very rich drink. gregmo

This one definitely sounds like great fun. Good to see the great bassist still active and working! gregmo

Ditto for me, Ubu. Have to wait until I get back over to the other side of the pond! (I'm on yours, right now!) gregmo

I remember using keypunch machines, then sending the deck in to a massive IBM 360-60 (which had about as much computing power as my watch), then getting back a thin bit of "output" because, of course, I'd made one typo on one card. My first personal computer was a Commodore 64. It could hold 12 PAGES of text at ONE time. Thought I'd died and gone to computer heaven. gregmo

Wow--talk about truly unsung heroes. Bless Brian Rust. R.I.P. gregmo

I found them at the Jazz Corner in Paris a few years back and snapped them up. They are pretty rare. Columbia also put out the material on a series of 2-LP "World of Duke Ellington" sets a number of years ago, so they've been done a few times. I too would like to see the Okeh material from '25-31 done right, but with the 2-cd (incomplete) set still available, I don't imagine there's much chance of it. gregmo

A little over 4600 cds (of which around 4000 are jazz), 1300+ LPs, several hundred 78s, 100 or so cassettes. By some standards here, though, I'm just a piker. Does that mean I should get MORE?! gregmo

I am SO up for that Lunceford set. The LT too. As for the Rivers, I'm not quite as buzzed for that one as some of my avant-garde friends here on the Board! gregmo

Listening and watching this, I'm reminded again--as if I need reminding--of what an incredibly brilliant trombonist Carl Fontana was. I'm with MartyJazz on "SOB." I think it's one of Edwards's best films. RIP. gregmo

I'm late on this one, but hope it was a happy one, Jim!

I've put a few together over the years: Ellington, Basie, Gillespie, Herman, Kenton. I also have Freddie Green and Buddy DeFranco. Got 'em on programs, mostly, though Woody Herman signed a 78 of "Blue Flame." He got kind of a kick out of that. gregmo

I always listened to the Quartet for Desmond. Liked Chuck's story though! gregmo

Toy Story stuff--action figures and books. Playmobil sets--very fun, lots of bits to play with. The lower the tech considering the I-Pad, the better! gregmo

gregmo

Has anyone heard anything lately from Mosaic about this collection? gregmo

Nice video of the band (with Krupa apparently playing those same drums) embedded with the newspaper story. Thanks for posting that. Reminds me that a Mosaic set of Goodman's Big Band material for Victor would be nice to have. gregmo