Fer Urbina

Musicwise you're not missing anything if you have the latest Savoy reissue: Complete Red Norvo on Savoy For all 30 radio transcriptions by the Norvo-Farlow-Mingus trio, not the same as the Savoy recordings, check "Red Norvo: Volume 2" (Vintage Jazz Classics VJC-1008-2) Farlow was a great and very humble guitarist. The Farlow-Costa-Burke trio must have been quite a thing to watch live. A pity that he retired so early (1958). For more on Farlow see Dave Gould's site F

Oops, sorry to be late for this, MG, but I seem to remember that the sound in the Lunceford set was really bad. F

Hi Tom Could you check whether OSCAR PETTIFORD - DISCOVERIES is in there? Also, which are the Kenny Clarke and Joe Wilder titles? Danke! F

On the subject of records for children, if anyone knows of "kiddie records" (Down Beat's words) recorded by Kimball (presumably the instrument and now furniture makers) c. 1958 I'd be grateful for any scrap of info. Thanks F

The Spanish disk has "TOCJ-1620" printed on it. The original issue was legit and produced by Time-Life in Spain. The series came out every other week and was to be sold exclusively as part of a package that included a book in installments (can't remember which book it was). I say "original issue" because these were published in 1998, and quite some years later they have popped up in the UK and even in the US (I think) so chances are that someone managed to print more CDs than needed. F

Always wondered what would have happened with it if we hadn't had the Hawk's classic one. Was the Eldridge-Berry the first one with one chorus (or was it just the bridge?) played uptempo? F

IIRC the Concert Jazz Band (early 60s) recorded that "So What" as "Apple Core" (?) http://www.mosaicrecords.com/prodinfo.asp?number=221-MD-CD http://www.mosaicrecords.com/discography.a...umber=221-MD-CD F

Ditto. This set, like the "Birks Works" discussed elsewhere comes from what is IMHO a sort of golden age of reissues at what used to be PolyGram, in the mid-90s and under Richard Seidel. They did some excellent reissues, and more importantly, they *stuffed* CDs, like the 2 LPs in 1 CD (Gloomy Sunday/How to succeed...), 3 LPs in 2 CDs (like a couple of Ben Webster sets) or even 4 LPs in 2 CDs (the Lee Konitz/Jimmy Giuffre set). F

Can't check right now and probably won't help much, but IIRC Mercury and at least one other label also used 35 mm starting c. 1960. I have the impression that this happened as part of the Hi-Fi and stereo craze, when labels like Audio Fidelity, Time and Command came about ("ping pong music"). Anyway, this is from the Space Age Pop site: F Edited to add that Raymond Scott was involved with Everest (at least in its early days). Wouldn't surprise me if it was him who introduced the 35-mm film for Everest recordings.

Proper may have made their mistakes (and please bear in mind that the recordings they release are PD in the EU), but I cannot think of a better overview of the Hawk's early forties career. The December 1943 session is just incredible. And long tunes too (c. 5 minutes for The Man I Love, IIRC) F

Hi John, Sorry I was not clear enough. I was referring precisely to the perception that gigs and work opportunities were scarce for bop-oriented musicians, not to the level of the music. Nicholson challenges that perception giving names and, IIRC, quoting well-known musicians. I'm pretty tied-up at the moment, but will try to look for an actual quote. But it'd be still be great if any of the members involved in jazz in the late 70s/early 80s could comment. F

I read in Stuart Nicholson's "Is Jazz Dead?" that the bebop scene at the time when Marsalis came into the scene was not as bad as it has been suggested. Any comments? F

I would call it many things instead of "magic", but anyway, you made quite a point. How many people would have noticed if Marsalis had stopped playing regularly 15 years ago and had devoted himself to all the other things he does? F

Can't check now, but in case it helps, IIRC the "Freelance" Sonny Rollins box has the Way Out West tracks in different sequence. F

This may be a good one for you This is a 2-CD reissue (by Sony UK, methinks) with the same tracks as the two old "Columbia Jazz Masterpieces" CDs (Singin' The Blues and At the Jazz Band Ball). Does anyone know which one has the better sound quality? F

I like him very much in Louis Armstrong's Symphony Hall live album (rec. 1947) singing (Stars Fell On Alabama) and playing (Lover). Have not listened to it for ages, but the record he did originally for the Urania label in the mid-50s may be worth checking out. F

Sonny Stitt should be up there... 11 LPs in 1962, and that's according to allmusic.com, not the best of sources, but it shouldn't be too off-mark. F

Or a city in Indiana. Or a popular egg dish. Or a BBC weatherman F

On a (perhaps) similar point, I just realised that on September 11 it'll be the 50th anniversary of Art Tatum's last recording session (the one with Ben Webster anyway), which means that his whole recorded output will be PD in the EU. I know some people don't wait till the 50 years, but could this be another reason to get rid of the old Fantasy boxes asap? F

Apart from the Bobby Jaspar thing, he calls Sacha Distel's guitar style "pure commercialism". IIRC Distel played very much in a Jimmy Raney/Tal Farlow vein, which I wouldn't call "commercial". The jacket shows the author holding an old Selmer guitar and the short bio says he writes for Vintage Magazine, so that may explain it. Other than that, I haven't read the whole thing, but I was surprised by the detailed account of the fire in Django's caravan. F

My last order from him was posted in Japan on July 28 and just got it in London today (August 1). For anyone who hasn't dealt with him (yet) he's attentive, efficient and prices are very reasonable. Hiroshi is a jewel! F

According to IMDB this would be from 1941. Can't check right now, but I think Evans was already with Claude Thornhill by then. F

I haven't really paid attention, so I should check next time I got to HMV in London, but I think I've seen something about being able to buy the Universal Mosaics in installments, or at least not having to pay the full price upfront. Anyone knows? F

cone sea air toe day ah ron chwez (ch as in 'loch' lomond and the accent on this syllable) Almost perfect. "deh" instead of "day", vowel should sound as in "set". "ran" instead of "ron", vowel should sound as in "map" (although with an American pronunciation you're probably right). In most of Spain we have a different sound for "ce" and "ci", as in "thorn", and the last syllable in "Aranjuez" should sound like "Beth", but most of the Spanish speaking world don't use that sound, anyway. F

Vacation?!? If only!!! I'm in London, anyway, so I'll stop reading this thread... F