sidewinder

Time to dig out Tristano/Konitz/Marsh to get back up to speed !

One of Ken Poston’s West Coast events in the late 90s had a full recreation with the original scores plus a full 9-piece. Can’t recall who did the trumpet lead, possibly Conte Candoli.

Welcome news, hope Mosaic continue to put out such unexpected and important releases.

Also on the King LP Mentioned before I’m sure but my copy has Al’s autograph on the front. Not signed for me, alas. I did see him back in the late 90s on a few occasions and his playing was most enjoyable.

Ronnie Matthews

Not only ‘did’ - but ‘is doing’.

Yes, hope he has a great birthday ! Indeed we are.....

After a wonderful sunny afternoon visiting the stones on Salisbury Plain, the vinyl today has selected itself. UK Columbia, mono.

Mighty Quinn CD version with bonus Solid State track

Another spin for this one - it is a real find. Recorded by pianist John Critchinson when has was part running the Bath ‘Jazz at the Icebox’ club and with the tape then left in a box for 40 odd years. The playing and atmosphere are great and recording more than adequate, even though there are a couple of dropouts. The usual brilliant booklet notes by Simon Spillett.

Hmm. I have NY mono and stereo copies. Where does it end.. Nearly forgot the Conn CD and LP as well.

Thought so. I have a copy of his bio somewhere on the bookshelves. An entertaining read.

‘Whispering’, yes, of course. Wasn’t it one of the Reading stations that he moved to afterwards? OGWT also used to feature the occasional bit of jazz rock. Remember seeing Return To Forever on one occasion.

Yosser Hughes Gazza Barry Cryer

How is it? - not that I need/can justify yet another copy on vinyl or CD. Great photo !

‘Toad The Wet Sprocket’. ’Whistling’ Bob Harris - mainstay of that show after Richard Williams and up to the advent of punk. Funnily enough, that sketch was shown on TV here last night. I’d always assumed it came from Python.

Well, he was probably heavily concentrating on his teaching work at Hartford and to be honest, McLean’s sharp tone isn’t easy listening. It was only in the late 80s when his releases started to get a bit more prominence. McLean was always a bit of an ‘underground’ player.

Very sad news, sorry that he has left us. I was lucky enough to see him perform with Hank Jones, they made a very compatible pairing.

He was certainly touring here with a hard bop quartet in the late 70s, early 80s. He appeared at the Shaw Theatre as part of the old Camden Jazz Fest.

An unlikely jazz venue..

I’ve an original print of that photo framed on my wall (actually, the print was taken within moments of this one but the composition is the same). Signed by Ray Avery. Ray got the date wrong though - he put 1961.

UK Argo was part of the UK Decca empire. It was founded by a wonderful chap named Harley Usill who set it up mainly to cover spoken word recordings, train recordings (!) and some folk music. Jazz came into the fold thanks to the link with Michael Garrick, who did much of his best work for the label, in a very sympathetic environment. The whole thing folded in the late 70s when Polygram (I think) bought them out and I understand that the clear out of subsidiaries such as Argo was done ruthlessly and poor Harley was treated very badly. A sorry affair. The last Garrick Argo LP, ‘Troppo’, is one of his very best but sold in low numbers.