Dan Gould

It's truly amazing how things can be found still after so many years of pursuing Percy France's story. There had been a rather mysterious recording that appeared on the Aviary website of Phil Schaap Jazz Collection digitized recordings: "Jeff Burtch 40th Birthday Party" with no date other than "1986?". Nevertheless I welcomed it as it was a recorded encounter between Earle Warren and Percy France, with a rhythm section of Jim Roberts, piano, Peck Morrison, bass and Ronnie Cole drums. I did some internet sleuthing and began to suspect that an artist named Jeff Burtch was the birthday honoree but his connection to the musicians and the West End was a mystery. According to the internet, Burtch was a sculptor and painter who died in 2021 and turned 40 in, yes, 1986. I found a website with an email to contact his wife and she gave me details of Burtch's West End story: he was a bartender at the West End and later ran the jazz room, between about 1973 and 1986. That was the year he turned 40 and was able to pursue his artwork full time. In addition to the celebration at the West End that was found in Schaap's collection, the same group came to the Burtch home in Rockland County, NY and performed on July 19, 1986. Keira Burtch shared these photos with me. And the group plus Phil Schaap and the birthday celebrant:

I think that asking that any negative comments about vinyl or vinyl reissues be kept to a dedicated thread is antithetical to the spirit of a discussion forum. I also had no idea that some members would be so sensitive of anything that harshes their vinyl mellow as to propose such a thing or would drift away from the forum because of such comments. I guess give and take isn't welcome in this sub-forum. Since people will probably keep speaking their minds might I suggest a judicious use of the Ignore button? Vinyl enthusiasts could mark those who aren't so enthusiastic to "Ignore" and then, in other forums, click "View Post" on topics that aren't likely to offend. I for one will keep mostly ignoring the vinyl forum.

Neither. I would have given partial credit on your initial comment if it was. Like the title of one of your earlier sleuthing, you are SMOKIN'! Had it gone deeper into the month my hint was going to be "multi-instrumentalist with a connection to Allen Lowe".

Nope.

and chosen because I did not anticipate Ponomarev in the group.

You are engaged in the sleuthing. And there aren't many Marsh recordings in the Archive so you could figure that out pretty quick.

Not sure why it would be an "outtake" but DING DING.

Well that suggests its quite popular for pre-orders and Amazon didn't get enough. Good for @ListeningToPrestige

Negative. I don't think its likely to come to this track thru the organist.

Disappointed that Amazon delivery is delayed. Hopefully its brief but publication date was Friday and got notification that shipping was delayed.

From the author of The Perfect Storm, a decidedly different topic but handled in much the same way (a compelling tale told with the inclusion of a lot of information you didn't know you'd enjoy learning): The basic situation was that at the age of 58 he had an anyeurism near his pancreas and came very close to dying. His dead father, a highly rational scientist, appeared to him in the hospital while they were working on keeping him alive ... kinda threw him for a loop as he had no religious adherence himself either. Having turned 60 recently and despite having achieved a general level of "healthiness" in the past year and a half, my own mortality has penetrated my thoughts to a greater degree than ever before, so this was an interesting book to read. Recommended - and definitely not the "this is what heaven is like" kind of story.

Sad news to hear.

Well done. Track 10 is quite obscure IMO, and a lot like the Gene Harris recordings on JAM records, as they both are about 50/50 between the worst of the artists 70s-era dreck alongside tracks that recall their best (or close to) straightahead recordings. I nearly chose "Jive Samba" instead of "Butterfat" but then we wouldn't have taken this detour into the Very Average White Band so its Saul Goode.

Excellent, thank you!

Someone got it.

Sounds like Vibe Coding could really help out Cyberdyne Systems in their long-term goals.

+1

Glad you enjoyed the selections Randy and Happy New Year!

New Percy to share this New Years Day, all from the same August 29 1982 show linked above. All after Papa Jo left the stand, first Percy plays "I Can't Get Started" - he joked that first they didn't have a pianist, then they lost their drummer, before Al Dreares came out of the audience to play the rest of the set, so the group "Can't Get Started". And then the show got extra special. I knew early on that Percy played with Big Joe Turner at Tramps but no recordings turned up in the Leonard Gaskin Papers, so having Big Joe sing two songs with Percy made this show a true keeper.

Let's get this party started, if anyone is so inclined New Year's Eve. 10 tunes / 66 minutes or so. Same programming approach as a year ago, in this case five pairs of different performances of the same tune. All but one are standards and I expect will at least be ID'd. One track is an absolute gimme but that means its probably 50/50 ID'd/missed. No Percy France, no Gene Harris. Actually there isn't even a faux Gene Harris track to throw you off. https://thomkeith.net/2026-organissimo-blindfold-tests/

Because my BFT is all predicated on tunes people should know, I'd like to point out that I named track 2 correctly and first, but without any acknowledgement.