Big Beat Steve

Yes, "consumer laziness" is the word. "Out of print - oh my goodnes, it's gone forever and vanished off the face of this earth!!" Strange, I can't remember any single period during all my collector's life where I did NOT have to search around for a whole lot of REISSUES (not originals) that per se always had a relatively brief (store) shelf life, only to see other reissues being constantly available in 2 or 3 guises at the same time. Reissues appearing and disappearing really fast has always been part of the game as you cannot keep track of (and buy) everything of interest that crops up somewhere all over the planet (least of all Japan which often really has been out of reach in every respect). But even with formally OOP stuff matters are much easier in today's WWW shopping world if you are prepared to search and pay the shipping cost. But yet, if it should really be so that all too many collectors really are that lazy and ill-advised and if "OOP" frightens them that much to their bones today then I can almost understand that reissue labels recycle their catalogs in ever shorter intervals if they have to assume so many of those "collectors" out there are totally unaware of what HAS BEEN available before and unwilling to SEARCH for what MIGHT still be available if they'd really look. And of course it is an easy way out for the companies to just recycle their product. It is up to the collectors to vote by just not buying what would leave them with that many duplicates. But then I guess there just aren't enough of "us" (who already have the stuff) to make ourselves heard (and the "others" who do NOT YET have all that are happy to be served this time around), so ...? That said - yes, I still do wish Fresh Sound and the other labels with similar policies (connected to FS or not) would make different choices in the pairing of their "2 LPs on one CD" packages. I remember when I definitely wanted that "House of Blue Lights" LP by Eddie Costa I eventually had to settle for a reissue on Lonehill or Definitive (can't recall) which came as a package of a "complete Trio" reissue or so, and - you guessed it - they packaged with the Costa-Burke Trio on Jubilee (I think) which I already had on Fresh Sound (of course ...). Their "complete" packaging makes sense if they go by specific lineups so are they to blame? I'd have loved an original or a facsimile reissue but the first is out of range and the second seems to have cropped up on a Japan reissue somewhere but at inflationary rates, so .... A vicious cycle, I guess ...

That last point bugs me too because I am in the same situation. I have a LOT of Fresh Sound vinyl as well as music from that era released or reissued elsewhere but FAR, FAR, FAR from a comprehensive collection. I often find Fresh Sound has interesting twofer CDs but upon closer inspection I find that I already have one of the 2 LPS they combine into one reissue. This has often prevented me from taking the pluge too. HOWEVER - I would not necessarily blame this on Fresh Sound. IMHO it is not a matter if such exceedingly rare stuff being combined with common stuff. I cannot see the one I have necessarily really is that common per se. It rather is a case of previous reissues always reissuing the same material whereas other material constantly gets overlooked. Can't blame the (independent) reissuers for that. Not always, anyway ... It is for the same reason that I have refrained from buying a LOT of those "Classics" series CDs. Anybody with a fairly decent collection of that music is BOUIND to have about half or two thirds of whatever is found on ANY (well, almost any) CD from that series in their collection in some other form. What we are witnessing here IMO is the same situation that was common back when CDs came on. Collectors were supposed to dump their entire previous collections and start from scratch or else they'd have to live with TONS of overlaps and duplicates in their collections. This problem is definitely not specific to Fresh Sound, it is a common one in jazz reissues. Because unfortunately the situation is quite unlike the situation that often existed in the blues field, for example, where there have been many labels that have consciously strived to be complementary to each other, e.g. what was on Document was not taken up again on Wolf or Old Tramp or elsewhere (and vice versa) but they were collector-friendly enough to avoid re-re-reissuing stuff and to SPECIFICALLY fill the gaps left by other reissue labels and state this on the covers, up to the point of recommending COMPLEMENTARY further listening in their liner notes. But who knows ... maybe it also is the fault of the attitude of the buyer public, in a way ..? Too many people maybe clamoring that stuff that went OOP is inaccessible to them (as if what's OOP doesn't exist anymore at all) instead of making an effort to search and track it down? An attitude of wanting to be served off the shelf? Reissue labels working the Public Domain years feeling (maybe on account of the feedback they get) that if they don't reissue the "obvious" stuff (obvious being what everybody seems to be aware of and what therefore seems to be considered "essential") their reissues will reek of being leftovers and breadcrumbs and a case of "scraping the barrel"?

I for one have no reason at all to doubt the sincerity of the people that Brownie sees fit to deal with either. Although I realize that - like somebody else said earlier in this thread - this is not really supposed to be another "nobody-makes-any-moneys-as-long-as-the-Spanish-reissue-this-stuff" thread , let me just summarize this: 1) For the time being and as it is now, the European Public Domain cutoff date is 50 years, and this means we are in early 1960 now, up to which date all complaints are rather pointless now, like it or not. This 50-year limit may change, but it has not yet. And that's that. And that applies to Lonehill and their cohorts too. (Copying of previous/recent reissues that did all the producing/mastering are a different story but that's another issue and the Spanish/Andorrans DEFINITELY are not the only culprits there) 2) Ever since their vinyl reissue days (when most of those recordings still were a long way from the 50-year P.D. cutoff limit) Fresh Sound have reissued material that explicitly bears the mention "released by agreement with ...", notably RCA and WEA material, for example. And I do think they'd really get themselves into VERY hot water if they put THOSE statements on blatant bootleg reissues. Not with those biggies. Nobody would likely give a friggin' d... about the Stepheny indie label , but THEM BIGGIES ... ? 3) I find Fresh Sound's policy of filling niches that nobody else seems to care for reissue-wise highly commendable. Who needs the umpteenth regurgitation of those BN RVG's for (at best) fractional sound improvement (or a remastering sweepstakes among those who consider themselves bigwigs in that field) if there's so much worthwhile music waiting to be made available again for the very first time? 4) As I've mentioned before , as long as so many others (who complain about those Spanish reissue labels, above all Fresh Sound) have no qualms about loudly advocating certain budget box sets from other European countries (and I am not talking about JSP) I cannot take their complaints all that seriously. But getting back to the topic on hand, Fresh Sound DO run the BLUE MOON blues reissue label too. Any ill feelings out there for recommendations of these too? :blush2: I cannot see any substantial production difference between them and the "Classics" label, especially the "Classic Blues & Rhythm" series. Except that for my money Blue Moon has an edge for their liner notes. OK, I cannot light a candle for Jordi Pujol (like Brownie would do) but I guess this is a good moment to dust off my Spanish vocabulary again and get seriously started on his monumental 550-page opus "Jazz en Barcelona 1929-1965" while the matching CD box set will provide the background to it (Brownie, thanks again for being my guide to the Gibert emporium where I was able to pick up those CD way back ...! ). P.S. BTW, is it 100% guaranteed that all the Japanese facsimile reissuers always paid their licensing fees through the decades?

Probably not their choice. Jordi Pujol is the Spanish Godfather! Bought a batch from Fresh Sound/Blue Moon not long ago. Shipping rates from Spain aren't too attractive if you buy only a few but if you take 9 or 10 (or more) in one go it becomes quite affordable (working out at about 2 euros apiece within the EU (although, with you being in Switzerland, it's going to be some 2.50 EUR apiece, unfortunately). And their service is really fast. My order was shipped within 24 hours and arrived here about 2 days later. That said, Jordi Pujol has done a lot for the collecting fraternity throughout Europe (far more than those multinational music conglomerate bigwigs who sit on their stuff and refuse to release it in a decent manner themselves, not to mention the way OJC is being run into the ground by Concord etc. etc.).

Well, the (French) PRESIDENT label would be one, I think ... (if you are willing to count that in )

Just found this full-page feature on Björn Netz in the September, 1961 issue of the long-defunct Swedish jazz mag ESTRAD (a copy I recently was able to add to my collection): The caption reads: Björn Netz is one of the most promising forces in young Swedish jazz and has even won international acclaim. Sorry, translating the entire article would really be a bit too much (and the finer points of it would probably strain the limits of my knowledge of that language) but interestingly the title of the article is: PSYCHOLOGIST ON TENOR Signs of things to come, I wonder?

Agreed 100%, Kenny, though I guess I'll never understand how somebody can let go of something he really likes just because it is on good ol' vinyl and not on thoe little silver platters. I for one do keep and cherish my Bob Newman LP on Bear Family I bought way back when. (But then again I am a vinyl nut anyway ) "Country shouter" really is the word! The "Hound" label was fairly common for quite a while through the 90s at the usual suspects' (sellers) record stalls present at the corresponding "subculture" (e.g. rockabilly) concerts. I do guess it is of European origin (Dutch, in fact); was unaware of this Bob Newman compilation but I have the Wade Ray and Billy Jack Wills compilations from that label. If you look closer on that CD you will find a record number code headed off by "TRG". And in more recent times a "TRG" label (certainly of the same origin) has been resurrecting similar pre-rockabilly hillbilly/"Western Bop" stuff too. Even U.S. sellers (through one well-known auction site, for instance) handle it.

Hee hee ... BIG grin here ... :D Yes I know what you are talking about. I have the Bear Family Pee Wee King LP too but in fact I like the "Ballroom King" LP (on the U.K. Detour label) even better. And then I have two or three more LPs (released in the late 80s) programmed along the same lines and that just about does it for me as far as Pee Wee is concerned. Have checked a couple of other more recent releases but found that the most fascinating sounding titles were already there. So no need to go any further into the non-essentials. That is - there may of course be a hidden trove of uninhibited, all-out transcriptions by them (much like Bob Wills' Tiffany Transcruiptions, who knows?) but it would only be labels such as Krazy Kat that I would trust to bring them to us in a well-presented manner. As for the "sameness" of early jazz Mosaic boxes, I guess others would be more qualified to judge that so you will have to ask the question elsewhere. At any rate, I do agree with those who claim that a lot of pre-war blues should really be consumed in small doses (just like they were consumed back then on 78s) because otherwise the feeling of sameness would prevail before long. If you can stand more then this is a matter of personal preference (I can stand more late 40s/early 50s Honkin' Sax R&B than many others, but I'd agree they normally ought to be taken in smaller doses too). However, I do feel there is a fundamental difference between having box sets of, say, 20s or 30s jazz bands on the one hand and late 40s and 50s country artists on the other. In many cases those country songs were all vocals with relatively sparse instrumental backing (a FAR, FAR cry from those early post-war Western Swing bands that blasted away full steam, even at moderate tempos). 20s jazz OTOH was largely instrumental with a really full instrumental sound (despite all fidelity shortcomings) and not only solos but also lots of interplay of the instruments that will give you some meat to cut your teeth into. Much less so with the nasal country vocal twang with (relatively) subdued backing where the instruments were just that - BACKING - well in the BACKground of the vocalist. Limited instrumental means that reach the end of any possible diversity earlier than in the case of full bands that thrive on instrumental action. A bit like in the case of 20s/30s blues with maybe one guitar or one piano for the entire backing. Fascinating vocals, for sure, but 30 of them in a row? So if you want to compare the non-essential character of those 50s country completist boxes with earlier music (and looking beyond early country blues), then - YES, I would not need a 4 or 6 or 8-CD set with the "complete works" of any of those 20s or early 30s crooners with semi-jazz or dance band backing either.

You are right, Kenny, I ought to have referred to the Bear Family single CDs a bit more. But as I haven't had a chance to listen to several of those you mention I cannot really comment on them (yet). What I said about their box sets was just spurred by the fact that all in all it is many of these box sets that really put them on the map, reissue-wise. And their production, including their books, really is flawless. No doubt about it. Unfortunately, if you go the "completist" route you can overdo it with this kind of music. And I won't doubt that the Gonna Shake This Shack series deserves the plug you give it. BTW, referring to a non-Bear Family CD you mention, did you have a chance to compare the early Webb Pierce CD on Acrobat that you mention (a release that is totally unknown to me) with the one on Krazy Kat? http://www.interstate-music.co.uk/krazykat/kkcd16.htm Somehow I have a feeling there is bound to be a lot of duplication going on here (and I am pretty sure KK was there first, seeing that their LP version of that music has been out for almost 20 years now).

According to this description it seems to be doubtful he actually recorded with them at that time. http://www.venerablemusic.com/catalog/TitleDetails.asp?TitleID=10709

Oh yeah ... Bear Family ... Sure, their status is fully deserved, and yet ... I've bought a lot of their releases in their vinyl days, I just LOVE their "deutsches jazz festival 1954/55" box set and have also picked up quite a few of their single and double CD reissues on R&B artists in somewhat mroe recent years and in fact just recently shelled out for the Nashville R&B box set ("A Shot in The Dark") despite the fact that I have quite a bit of it on earlier Krazy Kat LPs .... and yet ... ... sorry to say this but in more ways than one they're a bit of a mixed bag too IMHO, PARTICULARLY in the Country field. KennyWeir, I agree that no doubt their box sets are just perfect for real diehards and completists, but beyond that target audience? Nothing wrong with those 50s/early 60s "name" country artists, by and large, but in such huge doses as on these box sets? IMO they just are overdoing it, even to those who are much more than casual listeners, and at THEIR price level that can get painful. Isn't it really so that all too often these country artists constantly coupled a more lively number with one of those terrible tear jerkers on the flip sides of their 78s (and then 45s)? (Gotta please them all, something for everybody, especially with that mum'n'dad'n'everybody smalltown USA country audience of yore, I guess ... ) Those country tear jerkers really haven't stood the test of time all that well, so who needs all that B-side dross (except completits, of course)? And once these artists hit (literally) on a hit formula their subsequent singles sometimes really acquired a bit of a sameness. Believe me, I do have a soft spot for early post-war (and even late pre-war) country music and have often been out searching for new discoveries (including on Bear Family as a friend of mine is heavily into this music and these B.F. releases so I've had a chance to check out quite a bit ) but these "complete works" often really are just too much. To me it becomes painfully evident that these 45s were supposed to be listened to ONE 45rpm at a time, not in huge 30-track CD strings of tunes in one go. A bit like what has been said about 20s and 30s blues 78s when reissued today, in fact. All in all, some slightly more selective programming often would have done the overall outcome a world of good as a lot of those B-side tear jerkers or otherwise repetitive ditties just are relatively forgettable today. Sometimes completism really gets in the way of appreciating the music IMHO. Actually the CLIFF BRUNER box that you mention is a case in point. Of course, being a Western Swing fan, I just had to have it when it came out, but just like you I find quite a bit of it is just ho-hum. But did you check out the liner notes closely? The author was pretty clesr about it - in those days the A&R men had too much of a say and Cliff Bruner's band was one of those that just were MADE to record pretty ordinary MOR stuff as the label owners wanted to milk a formula. A 2-CD (or POSSIBLY 3-CD) set would have made a KILLER compilation, but the rest? Not essential ... And here I am talking about one of my all-time favorite country subgenres so you can imagine I am even much less impressed about the complete works of those 50s Nashville mainstream bigwigs. So all in all it is labels such as KRAZY KAT and COUNTRY ROUTES that serve my tastes far better. (But thanks for the Texas Troubadours instrumentals and Leon McAuliffe CD plugs - I may just have unfairly overlooked these, judging by your description) And, Kenny, if you are into country music from that era in such a big way, let me get in a plug for this one too: http://bacm.users.btopenworld.com/cd-cat.html Not all of their programme is gold that glitters (except for diehards again) but there are enough gems there to warrant inspection.

They're essential sides. Most of them are available on the Classics Mezz Mezzrow 1936-1939 CD. Also on a Hugues Panassié Sessions CD from the Hot Club de France that I see around off and on. Will try to pick it up for you! That would be most kind! I've never seen any Mezzrow Classics around here! The Mezzrow Classics are going for $85 on Amazon! I do have the 4 cuts with Bechet on an RCA cd but Brownie if you can find a reasonably priced cd of the Panassie Sessions for me too I'd appreciate it. Does this mean that I can sell my (60s/early 70s) "RCA Vintage Series" LP of the Mezzrow-Bechet-Ladnier Panassié sessions for top money now?? It went into my duplicates bin because I'd preferred to keep the RCA Black & Blue series LP with the same material (and 1 or 2 alternates) instead. So - King Ubu, seeing that we are not that far apart, if you want that RCA Vintage Series LP, drop me a PM.

That would be this one ... And Ed Hall indeed does not seem to be present on the 3 Gustav Brom tracks on the above LP.

Don't have the LP and its liner notes on hand right now to check but the photograph(s) illustrating the paragraph on Gustav Brom in the liner note booklet DEFINITELY show the Brom band performing with Edmond Hall as the featured soloist. Would they unnecessarily create false expectations by showing a featured star who does not actually perform?

DON'T just say "King Records" - this might too easily be confused with THAT real KING label from Cincinnati! The "King Jazz" records from the 40s were something different altogether. As for the musical merits of MEZZ on these - ho hum ... I've long had some of the LP series of those King Jazz recordings released on the Storyville label. In my book these are one of those cases where the put-downs of Mezz, stating he essentially only noodled and doodled scales up and down on his clarinet, were not THAT far off the mark . And stating in the "LP" liner notes something like "I am a giant and Sidney Bechet is going to help me to prove it" ... aw, c'mon. Bechet actually is the one who pulls it all together, and Mezz is just an also-ran. Anyway ... let's face it, Mezz was and IS overrated, and vastly so, yet it's amazing to see how Hugues Panassie's pet dog Mezz Mezzrow seems to gain more and more accolades again the longer the earwitnesses of the era are dead. ;)

Brownie, these names actually aren't that unknown. Gustav BROM was extremely well-known all over Europe. And Karel Krautgartner and Ludek Hulan as well as Jan Konopasek (among the sidemen) had made themselves a good name too. And Karel Vlach had been a major name since the 40s. Anyway, @ sdx ... ... it is true that there is not track list as such on the back cover that gives a clear indication of which band is featured on which track. This may seem odd but has to be seen in the light of the age of the record as this was not all that unknown on European vinyl of the 50s, particularly in Austria and Germany, though usually on budget-type labels and not on such elaborate presentations as this fold-out cover LP with pasted-in booklet. Actually the answer to your question is in front of you if you have the album: Those who are familiar with the GERMAN language of the liner notes (and assuming they go to the trouble of reading them, which after all is what liner notes are there for, and these are pretty instructive) will find their answers there (others will have to deduce from the track titles in italics which bands they belong to) as the individual bands and their musical samples are taken care of one after another. Therefore: Tanzorchester des Tschechoslowakischen Rundfunks (Karel Krautgartner) = Concertino für Alt-Saxophon und Jazz-Orchester Jazz-Studio 5 = Der Herr mit dem Zylinder / Blues auf der Haltestelle Ferdinand Havlik = Semaphor Metronom Combo = Der zweite Versuch Prager Dixieland Band = Fullhand Karel Vlach = Vindobona / Der alte Blues Gustav Brom = In Memoriam Oscar Pettiford / Dudelsackmotiv / Segelboot So there y'are ...

Am not sure if the track info on amazon.fr is correct and complete for that Zoot Sims CD from this series, but according to their site this CD only includes the 7 tracks (rec. 16/03/56) from the Ducretet-Thomson LP that was also reissued on this LP in the 80s: The 4 tracks from that "other" session done under the supervision of Ducretet-Thomson (Charlie Was In Rouen/Crazs Rhythm/Charlie Went To Cherbourg/I've Found A New Baby)that was released on Club Francais de Disque J95 (and also on other "Club" labels such as DSC (German) C65) are not listed.

Agree with Jeffcrom. Music such as this (or almost any other, from ANY period) has to be seen in the context of its times too, and the Bobcats (or even the full orchestra) did not fare that badly at all jazz-wise. Lack of depth is largely a matter of personal opinion. In those days jazz (luckily) was primarily intended to entertain. And who says what would be considered "depth" in jazz of more recent decades by some in fact wouldn't just (and not unduly so) be considered "effects for effects sake" or "calculated screwyness" by others? Emperor's clothes, you know ... Back to THIS music, maybe it would be worth looking a bit beyond the commercial releases of bands such as Bob Crosby's? In the 70s/80s there was an LP series of previously unreleased transcriptions on a label called First Time Records (FTR) (later repressed with the same covers on a label called Onward To Yesterday (OTY)). The Bob Crosby platter ain't bad at all (like most of the entire series). And the HINDSIGHT volume on this band can be ear openers too. Some of the tunes on these LPs swing in rather an intense manner. Don't know if and where these have been CD'd in more recent times but those who search will certainly find.

@Jeffcrom and MG: If you want to get the lowdown on Brother Woodman, read "Central Avenue Sounds" (collated by Clora Bryant et al.). Among its oral histories of early post-war Westcoast jazz, it has a HUGE chapter containing his reminiscences (and those of the other two musicianly Woodmans too). No mention of any involvement with Edgar Hayes, though.

No trouble, really. It's just a summary of a private project they are planning, focusing on "Our Sons" and looking for (testimonials by?) men, jazz musicians and sons of jazz musicians. And the main text dated 2009 calls for interested (and qualified) persons to make themselves known. But yes, there is a note saying they do not wish to be bothered by commercial producers anymore as they do have their own producer and otherwise are self-sufficient. Thats the gist of it; sorry, translating it all would be a bit much and pointless for casual onlookers anyway.

tried to buy a copy a few months ago but it had already become rather pricey.... http://www.amazon.com/Death-Bebop-Wife-Grange-Rutan/dp/1881993426/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263389302&sr=8-2 Indeed! Ouch ... 669 bucks .. this is SICK! And even at well beyond 100$ this is where I would really say that (in-)"accessibility" of culture comes into play.

Among the jazz books published in 2009 that I have explored closer (though I am not quite finished with reading them yet), it is these two I like best: - Traveling Blues - The Life and Music of Tommy Ladnier (Bo Lindström, Dan Vernhettes). I can only second what Brownie said on this book. And as long as other (larger, U.S.) publishers get away with comparatively shoddy printing quality, this one really is top-notch for its money in this reproduction quality department alone, not to mention its painstakingly researched text) - Le siècle du jazz - Art, cinéma, musique et photographie de Picasso à Baquiat (published by Flammarion as a catalog to the jazz exhibition shown in Paris and Barcelona in 2009 - Thanks, EKE BBB, for making me aware of this through your blog!) No doubt the Fats Navarro biography Infatuation (by Petersen & Rehak) would also figure among my favorite 2009 jazz books but I have not had a closer look at it yet since I bought it earlier in 2009 so I cannot really comment. Among other, earlier-published jazz (or jazz-related) books I've read in 2009 and liked particularly are: - Bouncin' with Bartok - the Incomplete Works of Richard Twardzik (Jack Chambers) - How Britain Got The Blues - The Transmission and Reception of American Blues Style in the United Kingdom (Roberta Freund Schwartz) I won't go into what I liked less here and at any rate, there's still so much to read among the recent music book purchases on my bookshelf, including quite a few excellent (50s) rock'n'roll and "roots music" books.. Thanks for alerting me to this book, Brownie! It will figure high on my shopping list for my next trip to France!

Why not double the pressing run of all the MOSAIC's and lower the price, they'll obviously sell as well. (And thus make culture much more accessible as well ) Ya see, if this is what your reasoning is, then you will have anwf'l lot of fields of action ahead of you. (Besides, the only mention of selling out a printing run of 500 I can see in the earlier post relates to the bio of Edmond Hall, so something entirely different altogether ... )

What point is there printing a LOT more if this means you will very likely end up with lots and lots of unsold stock that - at best - in the end finds its way into the cut-price books sales bins and therefore leaves you with a sure-fire loss if you eventually have to sell them at clearout prices well below cost? The market for such books IS limited (especially when figuring in that there probably are smart alecks around even in THIS hobby who figure they will hold off until the books just crop up there - i.e. in those cut-price bins. If I were a publisher I'd have second thoughts about such a policy too). Anyway I look at it - after having had a very close look at this book I can't find that price of 40 or 45 euros (or whatever it was exactly minus shipping) to be all that expensive - not giving the contents, the presentation, the printing quality, in short, everything. On a side note, it has to be taken into account that overall book prices have always tended to be somewhat higher in France than elsewhere in Western Europe anyway (on the other hand, this means publishers there will be willing to take chances in special-interest subject matters that hardly any publisher in my country, for example, would touch with a 10-foot pole, least of all in such a lavish presentation). I would not have been too surprised seeing this book in a French bookstore for the equivalent, i.e. some 280 or 300 Francs, in the late 90s. So buying power-wise, prices have actually come down a little., And whatever there is to be paid on top of the actual book price is just something that no publisher can be held accountable for. Blame it on the post office terms ... and like I said, U.S. publishers and booksellers have been known to be far more unscrupulous in THEIR terms when it comes to shipping overseas. Besides, I really don't get it about that "access" thing. Sure access to (cultural) information is important and I'd really appreciate seeing a lot of items being far more affordable too. Yet seeing how each and almost everybody seems to be drooling about this, that and yet another MOSAIC and shelling out big bucks for THAT and going to GREATEST efforts in trying to "upgrade" (for often minimal or debatable sound improvement) in this or that reissue money cannot really be a priority issue even with many of those who at other times state how they have been living on a budget. A question of one's priorities, I guess. But that's life ... And not something to put off old-time jazz fans who might be in the market for this Tommy Ladnier bio. Others will much rather invest in the umpteenth Trane book but you can't have 'em all, least of all at pulp paperback prices. BTW, how come nobody seems to be complaining about the price of Japanese platters (AND books) that find their way out of Asia? those who insist on cutting down on the general price level, will find a well-crowded field of action there. And just for a US-Europe comparison - not all that long ago I got myself a copy of the "Charlie Parker & Jazz Club Memorabilia" book published by the Jazz at Lincoln Center library (thanks again, Baker, for your assistance!) and this set me back a whopping 75 bucks PLUS shipping! Calculate that for yourselves and see how that figures in comparison with the Euro amount of the above Tommy Ladnier book. While I do enjoy the book and marvel at the number of collectabilia shown there in full color, one thing has to be said quite clearly: With a book like this printing quality is the A to Z of the entire book, and there this one is a letdown in quite a few instances. Blotchy colors that make the originally sharp-contoured lettering look blurred, lack of contrast, insufficient resolution that makes it difficult to appreciate the finer details of the objects at that printing size (the plight of DIGITAL preprinting stages, I wonder??) etc. etc. In short, quite a few of the illustrations really suffer from ... well, I'd almost call it substandard printing. Or - another pet peeve of mine - take the abominably lousy B/W photo printing quality in Bob Inman's "Swing Era Scrapbook" published by Scarecrow Press (not cheap either, easily on a level with that Tommy Ladnier book)! In short, U.S. publishers have not showered themselves with unlimited merits in the printing quality alone in these two cases yet have not refrained from making people shell out heavily too. That much just to put things into perspective ... (as I do not figure these are isolated cases at the top end of what U.S. music books sell for). Whereas the Tommy Ladnier book - quite apart from the written contents that make the diligence of research obvious - really shows how things ought to be done when it comes to the reproduction quality of B/W, sepia and full-color illustrations in a book. So I would be more than willing to pay a bit more if they really got their act together in that department (and compared to the two above-cited books I did not even have to pay extra ... so I really am quite satisfied. In short, of course it would be nice to bring down the costs of a lot of productions but in the end it is a matter of one's personal priorities and nobody will ever be able to afford everything, and once you've reached a certain level things just are going to cost if done properly. And when compared to the two cases mentioned above (no doubt both cross-subsidized by well-established institutions, i.e. Lincoln and Rutgers, respectively), this apparently privately published book does not fare bad at all. In fact, it fares exceedingly well IMHO. Just my 2c

You are 100% correct, Dan, especially with the bit about whining about the oh so high shipping cost. Shippping the other way often really is a ripoff and U.S. sellers evidently have little qualms about taking advantage of overseas buyers (I could name a case of a (special-iterest) book recently released where the editor unashamedly takes $25 for shpping one book to Europe and $50 for shipping two although combining both in one parcel should (and by all accounts does) net significant savings). Don't know what kind of intra-US selling he intends to subsidize that way. So ... the door swings both ways anytime. I have had my book given to me as a Xmas present so have only worked myself through an initial part of the book. But looking at your cross-references, footnotes, all the genealogy thing (which you automatically find yourself immersed in as you go along, even if you probably never were into that before) clearly shows this as an extremely thoroughly researched labor of love that leaves no stone unturned. As has been said on another (jazz-related) occasion, I doff my hat in sincere appreciation!