Clunky

The Lucky Thompson Quintet- Ducretet-Thomson 10 inch Feb 12 , 1956 with Emmett Berry, Henri Renaud etc

hmm... I don't even have a full database of all my CDs and LPs let alone a handle on when each was last played !!!

any change of environment can provoke acute confusion in the elderly especially if there is already some cognitive decline. Familiar faces and constant reassurance often allow such episodes to resolve themselves. Given how you are approaching things they should settle and allow you father to return to his normal self. Very stress for all. Good luck and best wishes. Adrian

Janusz Muniak – Question Mark (Polish Jazz Vol.54, 1978) Muza , more jazz from Poland to start the day

if you get into vinyl then a wet vacuum RCM is a good investment. The price of these seem to have increased steeply in recent years (exchange rates?) . I got a Clear Audio Smart Matrix in 2007 at around £350- which I thought was expensive at the time. I think they are now over £700 which is of course a very serious investment. The up side is that it prevents your stylus looking like it's ploughed a field, so in theory you should get more life from it in addition to fewer crackles. Without one I'd be tempted to use a microfibre brush like this in addition to a non offensive cleaner or ionised water. One brush to apply cleaner the other to remove/dry the record. It's what I did prior to having a RCM and it worked reasonably well on dirty records which I'd otherwise be cautious playing.

Buddy De Franco Quartet - Jazz Tones - (Columbia Clef Series-UK) - two test pressing 10 inch single sided LPs !! Sounding really good ! Kenny Drew, Art Blakey and Milt Hinton complete the line up

it's a nice looking set but I'll stick the Mosaic CD set which is enough for me. Hadn't played the Mosaic set for some time. Spinning Disc 1 I'm really struck by how good it still sounds.

not your average Pepper Adams session, pretty energetic with Altschul moving things round nicely. Pianist Siegfried Kessler is excellent I've been trying to find an affordable copy of this LP for years and years. They rarely show up, especially on this side of the pond. I didn't realise this was uncommon, got mine for £8 - it arrived yesterday

not your average Pepper Adams session, pretty energetic with Altschul moving things round nicely. Pianist Siegfried Kessler is excellent

Harold Vick- Straight Up (RCA Victor) stereo DG- pretty different from Steppin Out. As the title suggests it's a more mainstream date but it's not too smooth despite there being two Bossa tracks. Vick probably ought to be better known. Here he sounds as if Dexter's playing influenced him a fair bit.

How are the Nichols CDs, I know some of the music from 78s , often exciting but frequently way to sweet and trivial sounding. I'd be interested in the overall balance of these CDs. I'm guessing it's a real mix of the good , the bad and the ugly.Opinions?

thanks !!

I've been here since day one ( I think) . all though I don't post as frequently as some I visit many times each day. This place is often enlightening , quietly humorous and the only place I visit with regularity. I guess I'm a low key frequent user.

a few years ago my local 78 store had the Commodore boxes. Each LP was £3 !!! I kicked myself for missing out but got Basie Roulette Live,(LP) Woody Herman Columbia (CD) & Sidney Bechet (LP) at those prices per disc !!!

I remember Humph playing a track from that on his radio (when it first came out !) and being very impressed with one of the Navarro solos and the huge sound made by this band. Wasn't there also some pretty crazy announcing from Ernie 'Bubbles' Whitman on that one? Bubbles is there for sure but doesn't spoil the party. Sound quality is also pretty good - better than you might expect. A minor gem IMO for the view it gives of the early days of a number of beboppers. Bubbles manages to combine an irritating manner with deeply sexist and patronising words. A complete ass but at least Sarah Vaughan appears to answer back.

Lee Wiley and Bunny Berigan The Complete Session of April 10, 1940 Blu-disc

another LP is this great series Harlan Leonard and his Rockets 16 rare 1940 recordings ( RCA Victor LPV 531) , some fine early Tadd Dameron arrangements. 4 of the tracks are previously unissued. One of these A-LA-Bridges is a beautiful ballad any the only one to be issued in the UK on 78 ( with an Ellington tune on the reverse). Leonard swings but Tadd was yet to do his best work. Leonards tenor sax solo on A-LA Bridges is excellent in Websterish manner.

Billy Eckstine Together( Spotlite 100)- great LA broadcast from early 1945, some great solos by Fats Navarro, Gene Ammons and the forgotten John Jackson (alto sax) .

Count Basie Cafe Society Uptown Vol 2 1941 (Jazz Unlimited)- decent sounding broadcasts ( I think) no Prez but tenor solos from Don Byas in good form and typically excellent vocals from Jimmy Rushing. Dates from Sept 1941 to Oct 1941 I've had this for years but rarely listened as I thought the sound was so poor. I've changed my system quite a bit since then. Spinning this today it really sounds pretty good. Nice addition to my Basie holdings.

Clarence Williams Jazz Kings 1929 to 1931 VJM- good transfers- fun stuff if not often profound ( image is of prev. volume in series)

Yes indeed! Noonah is for me the most extraordinary solo - on any instrument. You cannot ignore it, I guess some probably hate it but for me its strong emotions and human qualities won me over. Only snag for a CDR for the car would be it's length.

First Marquee Moon Television - prompted by an interesting article in Uncut next Surrealistic Pillow Jefferson Airplane- UK stereo version- which IIRC is quite different in track listing cf. the Amercan issue

Prompted by JLH's thread, spun this again. It really is a fine album, every bit as ambitious as any Gil Evans score. I think this will make for a fantastic reissue by JLH. The sound of my copy PJ-77 is really good and I can well imagine a fine remastering in stereo will be even better. Coker sounds great on tenor and I agree there's a Warne like thing in his playing

Another thumbs up for more Marsh, any more Revelaton material would be greatly welcomed.

very interesting read, thanks