Spontooneous

Well, it sounded better when I was four years old and the car radio had tubes.

George Gruntz Henry Hyde I...I give up.

Has there ever been a more tragically unfitting album cover than this one? It's so wrong in so many ways.

Yes, there were several Rites on 78 sets. There's a composer-conducted version with a lousy French orchestra from about 1929; a version conducted by Pierre Monteux (who gave the premiere) with a slightly less lousy French orchestra, also made about 1929; Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra (as heard in "Fantasia") from the 1930s; and a 1940s remake with the composer conducting the New York Philharmonic. That remake is really, REALLY good. Those are the 78 recordings that come to mind. There are probably others.

A blue label Vocalion is probably a reissue from about 1938-1940. Not a lot of value. An original would be on the Okeh label.

The composer's 1960 recording, raggedy as it is, was the most important record in my musical development, period. I've never liked any of the Boulez recordings. They sound strangely smooshy and soft-core to me. I like Dorati, who's constantly interesting, even when I don't like his tempi. There's an Abbado on DG that isn't bad, coupled on some issues with a great Petrushka. The Markevitch, if you can find it, is never dull.

In his honor, enjoy some toast on a stick.

In the late '70s and early '80s, there were cutout copies of "Giant Box" EVERYWHERE. Shouldn't be too hard to turn up another one, cheaply.

I bet it pawns itself.

Makes one wonder. The late Trigger (who looked quite a bit like Syd), my companion for 18 years, ate an awful lot of one of the foods on that list. She died of cancer about four months back.

The Complete Lee Konitz Plays "All The Things You Are," an 85-CD set.

Did he sign the papers with a repeater pencil?

You're asking the wrong folks. It ain't OCD if it makes the sound better, I say. You didn't check your turntable speed with an A-440 tuning fork? I've reached the point in my life where this seems like a viable idea. Obviously I need professional help.

Looks like I'm gonna be having lunch with one of the guys from Jerry's Reconstruction band in a couple of weeks. Anybody have questions they want me to pass on?

Tom, this is one of my favorite threads on this board or any other. Thank you!

Yeah, but I want to see more shots of that tie Frank is wearing in the bassoon shot.

So when do we get a Wozzeck thread?

Saw this on another Web page. Had to pass it on.

That problem goes away if you put a nickel on the cartridge, y'know.

Yes, the Hep has pretty much all the best of the later material. (What, you didn't download "Moten Swing," "Toby" and "Prince of Wails"?) The most interesting Motens are the earliest (the very ragtimey early Okeh recordings) and the latest (the "Moten Swing" session). The middle is kinda tedious. The "Moten Swing" session is just about the Rosetta Stone of swing.

Yepper. I have a big fondness for the Strayhorn set too.

I had the privilege of hanging with Ronnell Bright a little. I'll never forget his demonstration of how Sarah fed chords to him, instead of the other way around.

Don't wanna let ya leave town. But... The job sounds like it's got your name written all over it. Congratulations, Prof! (P.S. Vinyl Fever was darned fine, and I regret I haven't visited for ten years.)

A second (or third, fourth or fifth) to Mr. Kelly's and Swingin' Easy. No Count Sarah (with the Basie band, Ronnell Bright taking over the piano) is a strong one that gets overlooked. I've always been disappointed in the EmArcy date with Brownie. Many of the songs themselves aren't favorites, and neither is Paul Quinichette. A second to Peter's recommendation on Pablo. Also the Pablo "How Long Has This Been Going On?" I get frustrated with some of the Roulette sides. Some are mannered and some are just goofy. The two-disc Columbia collection from circa 1950 has a few gems amid the dross. Check your Dizzy collection for the May 28, 1945 "Lover Man." It gets overlooked between all the other monuments from that session, but it's a monument itself. Also try to hunt up the "Mean to Me" she recorded with Dizzy and Bird for Continental, I think, in 1945.

Can't provide a complete list, but here's a starter. Following are the ones I still have. Back in the day, when they were the only game in town, these were FUN! OK, they still are. Coltrane, Soultrane, VDJ-1502 Dolphy, At the Five Spot, Vol. 2, VDJ-1525 Roy Haynes, We Three, VDJ-1542 Sonny Rollins Plus Four, VDJ-1524 Mal Waldron, Mal-1, VDJ-1513 Mal Waldron, Mal/4, VDJ-1545 George Wallington, Jazz for the Carriage Trade, VDJ-1505 There ya go, a window on my taste in the late ‘80s.