JohnS

I wouldn't be surprised to see these come out on Fresh Sounds RCA series.

Getting on for 1800, but box sets count as one so it's nearer two thousand.

And if you go back thirty years you got three deliveries if you lived in London.

Art Farmer Quartet; Art

I can't really help either but my cd copy of "Blues and Roots" is incomparably better sounding than any vinyl issue of this I've heard.

Essential for all those alternates if nothing else.

Apparently it will be released. It gets a mention in the Jazztet thread if I remember correctly.

Some good news here. The Portsmouth (Hampshire UK) Jazz Society is up and running concerts again after being mostly moribund for ten years. We've got three concerts booked this year, Stan Tracey Quartet, Howard Alden and Dave Cliff Quartet and Scott Hamilton's Quartet. Portsmouth isn't known for being big on jazz but we have a small arts grant which should cover any losses. If all goes well and we break even then there will be more next year. If there are any board members in the south of England who want to come along pm for details. I've spent a long time listening to jazz and I'm very happy to be able to help put something back into the music. Wish us luck chaps.

I passed on the big band but got Caribbean Suite and Straight Up last weekend. I've only had a chance to listen to the Caribbean Suite but it's left me slightly underwhelmed. It's a disc of two halves, half of the tracks are decent, if rather short, blowing vehicles with solo space for Miitchell, Hutcherson, Dailey but in places some of the solos seems hampered by the latin rhythms. Vick solos well and I like his singing tone. The remainder of the disc concentrates on the arrangements and have little or no significant solo space. There's a touch exotica here and there too-matches the cover art!. By no means an essential purchase but I'm pleased I heard it. I suspect it may not be a long term keeper. I'll post something on Straight Up in day or so.

The set is on the amazon.uk web site this morning with a release date of early October.

A great Bley album. All of his Steeplechase recordings are worthy of recommendation. No one has quite the same touch or gets the same sound from the piano.

Me too. I think you'll enjoy "Shadows and Reflections". Without checking to hard Baikida's on two Black Saint discs by Oliver Lake - "The Prophet" and "Clevont Fitzherbert". I've not dusted these lps off for a while so it's difficult to give a recommendation.

Weren't we promised a complete Antibes set a while ago?

I took a chance and ordered these. I'll post my thoughts when I've given them a spin.

Brownie, as usual, sums things up accurately in my opinion. I tried two Pilc cds, his deconstruction of standards is unusual and makes for interesting listening but in the end it is mostly technique and not a lot else.

Yeah, I had this on too. I see there's one in my spam box today purporting to be from Paypal. I used to forward them to ebay but it happens so frequently I no longer bother.

David, I keep meaning to have a trip to Brighton, I've not ben there for ages. Looks like there are enough record shops there to keep me going for a day. Thanks for the info. It's worth remembering that the Chico Hamilton "Ellington Suite" test pressing was found there.

It's almost my local record shop.

He could do worse than visiting The Woods at 6 The Arcade, Bognor Regis, W Sussex. Always a nice selection of new and secondhand cds (no lps though). Not at all bad for a provincial shop, certainly far better than the megastores. There's probably a direct train from Horsham (my birthplace incidentally). And it's by the sea, so would make a pleasant day out.

Happy birthday Bill, hope to see you posting again soon.

Don't know about the hipster jive but Gonzalez' band is always worth listening to. I'm not a great lover of latin jazz but this band I like. These guys slip so easily and gracefully between jazz and latin grooves.

Then there's Blue Note's entry in the field, The New Heritage Keyboard Quintet with Roland Hanna and Mickey Tucker. Another; The Gerry Mulligan Songbook with Bill Charlap and Ted Rosenthal.

A friend of mine emailed Paul Bley's website about some tune titling and this is the reply he got. "Thank you for your interest in the music of mine and George Russell. Ever since I recorded Jazz In The Space Age with Russell and Bill Evans I can admit that George taught Bill everything I know. Bill taught George everything he new. I taught Bill Everything that George knows. pb"

Hooray, just got this today. Griff is relaxed and soulful here. Good mix of of standards and originals. Nice album, well worth the wait. Pity it's so short.

A more interesting bunch this time round.