ghost of miles

Seems like this piece runs about once a year now... sadly, I guess, because there's some validity to it. Jazz sales were up last year, but solely because of Norah Jones--take her out of the equation, and they declined again. One bright spot is that concert/live performance attendance seems to be holding steady:

If I'm correct, the most significant overlap between the Mosaic and the Sunbeam occurs on Volume 2 of the Sunbeam--is that right? I have 3 and 4 and love 'em (in addition to the Mosaic). Hoping to get 1 & 2 eventually, but I'm a Bix-o-phile, so... I won't mind the overlap. The Mosaic also includes a lot of Frankie Trumbauer and Jack Teagarden, a plus for me, but something else to consider if your primary focus is Bix.

... regarding full box-sets (well, and Selects, too)? Any word beyond what's showing on Alan's Jazzmatazz site? I'm hoping the Woody Herman Columbia is still on schedule...

Fantastic news! Just a couple of weeks ago I was digging the expanded re-issue of STOP MAKING SENSE. I've held off on buying the studio CDs, and glad now that I did... REMAIN IN LIGHT and FEAR OF MUSIC head the priority list, followed closely by MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD.

Spent most of Sunday reading and got through two novels--the above-mentioned FOLDED LEAF and my first Martin Amis, NIGHT TRAIN. Devastating--any other recommendations regarding Amis? I'm currently eyeing LONDON FIELDS and THE INFORMATION.

Good one, ain't it? I just picked it up a few months ago. C Jam All Stars, DIMINUENDO, CRESCENDO AND BLUES Count Basie, GOLDEN YEARS (disc 1) Various artists, INDIANA RAGTIME Ben Webster/Joe Zawinul, SOULMATES Sonny Stitt, SONNY STITT/BUD POWELL/J.J. JOHNSON

Fantastic news, guys, and well-deserved!

I'm running the board this afternoon during All Things Considered, and right now they're doing a feature on Cyndi Lauper. I've frequently heard features during ATC on the artists that I listed above--do they get played much on other public radio stations around the country? Our station's format is classical/news/jazz, and our strong School of Music program here guaranteees that it will stay so. Which is fine, it's a format that I like--but as I said, I'd love to hear more variety!

Hello to Traverse City! My family used to vacation up around Sleeping Bear Dunes quite a bit; I have many great childhood summer memories of Michigan, particularly the L.P. (The U.P. too, although we once drove practically all the way across it one night looking for a motel with a vacancy--does your signal reach that far?) Eric, it sounds as if you're already doing what I'd suggest. I love jazz passionately, and I'm grateful that the public radio station where I work has a committment to jazz (not quite to the extent that yours does, however). I wish that our station, and public radio in general, did more to reach out to the 25-44 NPR demographic. I'd like to hear more Nick Drake, Gillian Welch, Elliott Smith, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello, etc. on public radio, as well as "adult alternative" (a dreadful term, I'll be the first to admit) music such as Yo La Tengo. NPR uses a lot of this stuff in the segments that get tapped for "All Songs Considered," and I think there's an audience out there for it--"smart pop," as it were. It's interesting that you do jazz in the daytime and alt. rock at night. My own listening habits are the reverse of that. (Well, sometimes I listen to jazz in the daytime too... because I've got the religion bad. B) ) What proportion of your jazz programming is modern and what proportion is classic? How much emphasis do you put on vocal jazz? My "hunch" is that people prefer vocal to instrumental... don't know if public-radio audience stats would back me up there or not. Great topic! I wish RonF were still around to chime in.

Dmitry, thanks, man, you just made my day. I'm about to begin work on a five-part series about the history of Indiana jazz--David Baker will certainly be a big part of it, esp. when it comes to talking about Indiana Avenue (J.J., Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard, etc.). We're hoping to broadcast it statewide through the public-radio network of stations, so I hope your friend gets a chance to hear it. (Probably won't air till fall 2005.) Thanks again.

Neil Diamond, baby! My parents took us to see him in concert about 4 times when I was a kid in the 70s, and he put on a great show. The other day I was rockin' out to GREATEST HITS V. 1.

Trying to sneak in a quick novel--William Maxwell, THE FOLDED LEAF.

And that the artist is not Benny Carter but actually Benny HILL:

Ghostie, That's dirty pool calling up all your lefty friends to pile on me in the politics thread just so we can break a new attendance record. Aw, I e-mailed only 50 of 'em or so... well, and I did send out an APB to the MoveOn mailing list...

Man, that is so sad. I had just recently picked up the 2-CD set of the sessions he did with Nat King Cole... and just a few days ago I was recommending the albums he did with Anita O'Day to somebody here on the board. You will be much missed, Billy.

I just noticed that myself... What's the deal? Must be the spirited discussion in the political forum today. B)

Found this one used last night. I'd never heard of it, but I bought it anyway, because it looked quite interesting and covers an era that I love: The author focuses not only on the fight to integrate baseball, but also on the impact of Commissioner Happy Chandler, who followed Kennesaw Landis in that position.

BASEBALL'S PIVOTAL ERA, 1945-1951, by William Marshall. I just picked it up used last night--it focuses not only on Jackie Robinson and integration, but also on commissioner Happy Chandler.

Hey, maybe baseball will return as well... Bring back da Bums! Netspurchase

Thanks again for listening and for the input, fellow Organissimos. I was "assembling" the program as I broadcast it, playing the CDs and a CD-R of David Baker's quotes, so it's not really archivable--but I did tape both days, and would be happy to send a dubbed cassette to anybody who's interested (including you, White Lightning--I did get your e-mail!).

Up for Part 2 in about 15 minutes. Today would have been J.J.'s 80th birthday.

Slated for a Mars-only release. The import price is going to be--you guessed it--astronomical.

I believe it's called "Night Ranger Lives!" www.motoring.com

That was a f#@*in' great board! I sure miss it too--these days I just hang out here.

Modern Jazz Quartet, COMP. PRESTIGE AND PABLO Ray Brown, JAZZ CELLO Lem Winchester, WINCHESTER SPECIAL Dizzy Gillespie, PERCEPTIONS J.J. Johnson, QUINTERGY and VIVIAN