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Luiz Bonfa--The Golden Brazilian Guitar (Fontana) Jimmy Giuffre--Music for People, Birds, ... (Choice)

I definitely recommend the set. Pete Johnson, Meade Lux Lewis, and Albert Ammons (appearing in varied combinations), are all wonderful. Jimmy Yancy didn't appeal as much as these three, but he's not bad. There's also a smattering of other fine pianists--Joe Sullivan, Teddy Wilson, Freddie Slack, Mary Lou Williams. A Benny Carter session, a Red Allen session. It's an interesting set.

Charles Mingus--The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (Impulse, black and red label)

I have three on the label---the Jimmy Giuffre, Music for Birds..., Al Haig--Strings Attached, and Lee Konitz, Tenorlee. The Giuffre is an excellent record. I need to refresh my memory on the other two.

This was a pretty good day for finding LPs with clean vinyl. Mingus--The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (impulse, glossy cover, black and red label) Rollins--East Broadway Rundown (Impulse, glossy, black and orange label) Ahmad Jamal--Tranquility (Impulse black label) Ahmad Jamal--Outertimeinnerspace (Impulse black and red label) Brother Jack McDuff and David Newman -- Double Barrelled Soul (Atlantic, blue and green label) Charlie Byrd--Byrdland (Columbia, two eyes) Wes Montgomery--Bumpin' (Verve) The Spirit of Charlie Parker--Frank Wess, Bobby Jaspar, Seldon Powell (Worldwide). This appears to be a Savoy affiliated label. Luiz Bonfa--La Guitare D'Or Du Bresil (Fontana)

Sidney Bechet--Volume 1 (Blue Note, New Your USA)

Vince Guaraldi--Alma-Ville (Warner)

The Historic Organs of Valois, Switzerland (Telefunken)

I assume you are referring to the material released on The Complete Birth of the Bebop, on the Stash label.

George Benson--Beyond the Blue Horizon (CTI)

Great performance and spectacular recording. In other words it's like having the cellist in the room with you. It's around 100 $ for three LP, luxury box and booklet, not cheap, but originals are 'obnoxious'. In the last years original Decca, Mercury, RCA, EMI, even DG, reached audiophile and collector crazyness on the web or record shop. So if I have to pay the same price for an used original with all 'tick' and 'pop'... These days for classical music I usually depredate for free the old box sets in the cave and garage of friends and relatives: the covers are dead, but the records, once cleaned, are usually mint. Think about it, thirty years ago everybody in the upper middle class SHOULD own all those Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, was almost part of furniture, usually nobody listen to them, they spent evenings watching at tv, or drink martinis with pop music as background, but they SHOULD have a hi-fi gear with a bunch of Brahms or Tchaikovsky or Vivaldi, just to show they were cultivated people. Obviously some of them even played classic records. Maybe I am a bit snob and cynical. Around here it is relatively easy to find good classical LPs in perfect or near perfect shape, usually for $4 or $5 a piece. I am very picky--I only buy ones with perfect vinyl or close to it. It seems classical records were more often bought then listened to. I'm happy with that state of affairs. I do like those Mercury Living Presence LPs, quite a bit, and wish I could find that one.

I haven't heard any of these but recommend the duet with Portuguese guitarist Carlos Paredes.

Clifford Brown and Max Roach--A Study in Brown (Japanese Nippon reissue)

I think Storyville is more interesting... but then it's been among the two or three first Parker discs I've known (thanks to our high school's library). I don't like the band parts of the Washington that much, but I remember the final few tracks being quite good. That Washington disc was part of a batch of releases with Bill Evans In Paris Vol. 1/2, Getz/Dailey "Poetry" and I think two by Petrucciani (100 Hearts, Live at the Vanguard). Of those, the OOP Getz/Dailey is the most recommended, one, another beautiful one by Getz, though at a much later point in time than the great Roost sessions. The Parker Washington disc is essential for the added small group tracks, not the big band tracks. The small group tracks are incredible, Bird is in awesome form.

I saw one night of the Inner Circle showcase at the Jazz Standard back in October--a set by the Sara Serpa group and another by Osby's Nine Levels--both were very good. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by Sara Serpa's group. Her voice is very beautiful and ethereal, and she seemed to have skill at composition for the group as well. I'm looking forwarded to receiving her CD, which I've ordered (bought the Osby there that night).

I saw him at Small's in October, with a trio of Italian musicians (Marco di Gennero trio)--he was playing very well.

I also have a couple of his prints--they are of very high quality--excellent.

Yes, they are good choices, Handy is a very fine player, in my opinion, and the Columbia recordings in the Mosaic set are some of his best recordings. The reunion of the Monterey concert band is not as exciting as the original concert, but it is still worthwhile. The Monterey concert is one of my favorite live jazz recordings, and one that retains interest after many listenings.

Charlie Parker At Cafe Society Downtown and Birdland (Embers)--I thought I had just about all the released live Bird to be had, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had not heard the Cafe Society material (the first CD of this collection) and had heard only one of the broadcasts from the Birdland CD. And its pretty much all first rate material, in acceptable sound. Plus Kenny Dorham at the Cafe Society, and even some Bird with Bud Powell and Mingus I hadn't heard at Birdland. Cecil Taylor--Looking Ahead (OJC) Lila Downs--Shake Away Otis Redding--Live in London and Paris.

Paul Desmond--Pure Desmond (CTI) Milt Jackson--Goodbye (CTI)

This is what the email I received said: SALE AT PALMETTO-RECORDS.COM EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER!! All CDs on sale for $8.99 to $10.99 with FREE shipping any where in the world!

I don't know, but you did inspire me to buy an inexpensive used copy of the CD, which I didn't have. Thanks.

All CDs in the Palmetto catalogue are on sale for $10.99 or $8.99, with free worldwide shipping. There are some excellent releases on this label, including recent recordings by Bobby Watson, Bobby Previte, Lonnie Smith, and Frank Kimbrough. http://www.palmetto-records.net/

CDRs are easily distinguishable from regular CDs because the back of the CDR has a bluish tint.

I'm no expert on the Pacific Jazz label, but looking at the names of the artists on this anthology, I would guess that much of this material has been reissued on CD, at some point. So I would think you could pursue reassembling the anthology yourself by finding as many of the source albums on CD as possible, though amazon.com and ebay. It might take some time and effort (a Pacific Jazz discography would probably be a big help), but wouldn't this be more enjoyable anyway, as you will learn about more music by the artists on the anthology that you apparently enjoy?