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I recall that right after the "cult" article ran, I went there to see Philip Walker (a West Coast blues guitarist), and there were only three people in the audience in the club, counting me. The place was definitely run by amateurs spending someone else's money. The only play that I saw, Celestial Navigation, was atrocious. The music (Ornette and Prime Time, except Jamaladeen Tacuma was not there) was fantastic. It looks like there were New York performances. http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?pagewanted=print&res=9906E0DF1138F937A15751C1A962948260 I wish he wouldn't. If Eartha Kitt and William S. Burroughs did an album together, I'd buy it. But I'd probably rather hear Eartha singing Lonely Woman. Two separate LPs.

The photo on the cover of Opening the Caravan of Dreams is a photo of the dome on the roof. James Blood Ulmer on his LP cover is also standing on the roof of the club. The record label didn't last very long, only a couple of years or so. I believe that In All Languages was the last recording issued. The first issue was the Ornette, Opening the Caravan... At some point they issued Prime Design Time Design (an Ornette string quartet), the James Blood Ulmer album (that was his second appearance there--he played first with the Odyssey trio, then returned with that trio plus a bassist (this was the recording)). There were two live and one studio Ronald Shannon Jackson releases; a third live recording later came out on the Knitting Factory label. I recall there being notices of additional Ornette live recordings to be issued (Prime Time and also the symphony performance), but they never materialized. I recall there were a couple of other releases I don't have, Eartha Kitt and a spoken word William Burroughs LP. Only three of the releases came out on CD on the label, In All Languages, and two of the Shannon Jackson's (When Colours Play and Texas). As for the people who ran the club, all I can say is thanks! They never bothered me at all and in fact were rarely present in the club.

The Caravan of Dreams opened in September of 1983 with an appearance by Ornette Coleman and Prime Time. In addition, at about the same time, Ornette performed his Skies of America Symphony in Fort Worth with the Fort Worth Symphony. The Caravan was in Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth. It was a beautiful club, with great sound, built with financial backing by one of members of the Fort Worth Bass family (Ed Bass). On the second floor of the building, there was a small theater, and on the roof, a geodesic dome and bar. Shirley Clarke was there filming the performance of Ornette and Prime Time on the opening weekend. Also, the recording, Opening the Caravan of Dreams was made that weekend and released a couple of years later when the club started its own record label. The club was designed to record live performances. Their sound man denied, however, when I asked him, that they recorded everything played there. I was skeptical of his denial, though. For a couple of years during the mid-1980s, the club did radio broadcasts on the local public radio station. I believe they did record Ornette on subsequent appearances, but no other live recordings of Ornette were ever released. Also, I recall being present for live recordings of David Newman with a very young Roy Hargrove, and for the Charles Moffett Family Jazz Band, also never released. Filming activity was not the norm; it's not true that most performances there were filmed. I recall that an impromptu set of Ornette Coleman with the Charles Moffett Family Jazz Band was filmed, but that was unusual. By the end of 1983, I had already seen there (in addition to Ornette), Jack Dejohnette's Special Edition, the Mingus Dynasty, Phil Woods, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, McCoy Tyner, David Newman (with Elis Marsalis), and James Blood Ulmer. 1984 was amazing, reviewing my notes, I saw there, Jimmy Rogers, Quest, Arthur Blythe, Cedar Walton, Paquito D'Rivera, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Freddie Hubbard, Fenton Robinson, Toshiko Akiyoshi (in a trio), James Blood Ulmer, Ornette Coleman and Prime Time (return appearances) Dewey Redman, Woody Shaw, Oliver Lake, Horace Silver, John Blake, Jack Dejohnette's Special Edition (with David Murray), McCoy Tyner, David Murray Octet (with Juliius Hemphill), Vienna Art Orchestra, Abbey Lincoln, Willie Dixon, Mose Allison, Ornette Coleman and Prime Time (performing music for a play in the theater), Paquito D'Rivera and David Newman. The club continued to book top flight jazz and occasional blues at a high rate through 1987; jazz bookings started to slow down in about 1988 (but they still had Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor and Ronald Shannon Jackson and others that year). Jazz continued at a modest pace there through 1992 (Sonny Rollins!). After that, the club remained open and jazz became rare. The last I recall is Cassandra Wilson in 1996. The club closed in 2001.

Brief article discussing the reissue of Ornette: Made in America. Unfortunately, not on DVD. With promotional video. http://www.dfw.com/2012/08/02/660495/ornette-coleman-documentary-restored.html

Ahmad Jamal, Extensions (Argo/Cadet) Everybody Digs Bill Evans (Riverside Viktor)

September 6--Marcus Miller, Granada Theater October 5--Pat Metheny Unity Band, House of Blues February 8, 2013--Houston Person, Univerisity of Texas at Dallas

I have the very next catalog number, 7325, Cookin' Together, Red Holloway with The Jack McDuff Quartet in a gold label pressing.

The Complete Jazz at the Philharmonic on verve, 1944-1949 (disc 7)

Except for Epitaph (one version), I have 2-5 different versions of all the material in the Mingus box set. I think I'm going to pass, absent an absurd bargain price.

Sweet Emma Barrett, The Bell Gal and Her Dixieland Boys, on Riverside, is signed "Sweet Emma" and dated (by a different hand) "June 29, 1963, New Orleans, French Quarter" The Columbia album Music For Brass, a copy belonging to "Don Wittig," is signed on the front cover by conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos, Gunther Schuller, John Lewis, Joseph Wilder, Miles Davis, and J.J. Johnson (all appear on the album).

Ahmad Jamal at the Blackhawk (Argo stereo). An actual near mint copy; sounds great.

Ray Charles and Milt Jackson, Soul Brothers (Atlantic)

Shelley Manne, My Fair Lady (Contemporary Stereo)

Duke Ellington, Festival Session (Columbia, six eyes mono)

Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Max Roach--Three Giants (Prestige, blue label mono)

Apparently anyone can make a nomination for a 2014 award. http://apps.nea.gov/Nominations/Default.aspx?pageID=2

Charlie Byrd, Byrdland (Columbia, two eyes) Mose Allison Sings (Prestige gold label) Sidney Bechet/Bob Wilbur, New Oreleans Style (Commodore ten inch)

I saw Arturo Sandoval once about ten years ago at Jazz Alley in Seattle; it was decent. I might go again.

At the Kessler Theater: September 21: Bela Fleck and the Marcus Roberts Trio. October 18: Arturo Sandoval

An interesting short article on RSJ: http://www.dfw.com/2012/07/03/646793/ronald-shannon-jazz-fort-worth.html "I basically retired," Jackson says. "My left arm went numb and ... they wanted to operate on it because all the nerves had scar tissue on 'em from playing the drums." Jackson consulted with a neurologist, declined surgery and spent several years undergoing physical therapy to regain strength. Last year, Jackson had a heart attack while en route to the Moers Jazz Festival in Germany, underwent an angioplasty and, incredibly, checked himself out of the hospital to play his set with guitarist Vernon Reid and bassist Melvin Gibbs. (Jackson returned to the hospital after the performance.)

Wish I'd been in the area to catch this. All the reports I've heard have been very strong. Dallas Observer review here: http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/dc9/2012/07/ronald_shannon_jackson_-_the_k.php

Prior thread on this label:

The Mingus/Brubeck piece, Non-Sectarian Blues is on a Dave Brubeck 2CD anthology, Jazz Anthology. Used copies for 64 cents. http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Collection-Dave-Brubeck/dp/B000002A2W/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1341889066&sr=1-1&keywords=Dave+Brubeck+jazz+collection

This may not be quite on your point, but I don't recall the last time a male musician posed in the equivalent of the kind of garb Krall is wearing. Please no one post the naked Herbie Mann cover.

I have a Rega Apollo CD player. It has a very pleasing sound. I'm very happy with it.