sidewinder

'Star Bright' is very highly recommended but on CD format the Mosaic Select is definitely the way to go. Check out also Dizzy's fine work on Andrew Hill's 'Passing Ships' and also the great 1960s date with Dexter Gordon 'A Day In Copenhagen' (issued by MPS/SABA).

This is indeed very sad news and one more link with the old Blue Note is lost. Gil was always one of my favourites and just yesterday I was spinning 'Mindscapes' in the car, enjoying it thoroughly and marvelling at Gil's imagination and versatility. A great loss - RIP. 'Tome VI' will be on the turntable this weekend..

Thanks for the comments, guys. Appreciated !

Just looking at the notes in my Verve Elite booklet Leeway and it says 'Schifrin recalls going to an elegant cafe in Ipanema many years ago and finding all of the walls paperd with Schifrin/Sade album jackets....' Probably find they are papered over with the Spice Girls now.. Great little 'cult' item nevertheless. I like the 60s feel (sort of 'sub-Loussier') and the fantastic lineup of session musicians in the band - Jimmy Maxwell, Ernie Royal and Snooky Young just for the trumpets. Pretty well the cream of the crop at the time. As for latest listening - just got Donald Byrd 'Mustang' NY USA mono on deck, 'Dixie Lee'

wesbed - a question I hate to ask but for someone who is currently 24/7 doing a tightrope on the fence is it worth pressing the button on this one? I like the Krupa material which has arrangements by Mulligan but have never heard the James. Or should I just save my money and put it aside for the Jazztet Concert Band? .. B-)

I picked up the 'Strange Strings' and 'Atlantis' LPs on reissued Saturn for about £10-£12 and was reasonably happy with the sound. 'Strange Strings' is one very weird album..

Have had the Pablo vinyl of this since it came out. Have always enjoyed it - great groove and very well recorded. Has not been played in recent years though so I'll make amands and give it a spin. Incidentally, wasn't there another Dizzy 'Pablo Live' double from this vintage? Can't recall the title but I remember seeing one in red vinyl !

'Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions' in the LP format is one that doesn't come up too often.

Eric Kloss 'Consciousness!' on original Prestige Bergenfield. Quintet with Chick Corea, Pat Martino and Jack DeJohnette. Great condition and not a bad find at £12.

Just got Lee Morgan 'Sonic Boom' on deck but this one is the King GXK pressing and it sounds significantly better than the US 'LT' release.

The Verve Elite of this one has been known to fetch big bucks on ebay but it's variable. I've got the feeling that there's a new CD issue either just coming out or in the pipeline (Japanese?) According to the sleeve note of the Elite there's at least one place where there's no shortage of the LP gatefolds. Some club in Brazil apparently (visited by Schifrin and much to his shock) had all its walls 'papered' with original sleeves ! Nice little concept album IMO - a pleasant listen that I tend to group along with Ed Thigpen's 'Out of the Storm'.

Just located the Kuhn 'Trance' on vinyl with Jack D - sort of 'of its time' (1975) in term of electric piano sound but a good one none-theless. All of these Kuhns really should be re-released on CD.

Ah, those were the days. Too bad that I was oblivious to Sun Ra and his DIY vinyl back then.

Total insanity if you ask me !

Seems to have sold for just under $400, which is incredible for a cover in just VG condition with half of the back missing. Goldmine has this listed at $50 in NM condition.

What's going on in the Rex Hotel these days? There used to be a great B-3 organ group who played regularly there on Saturdays, can't quite recall the name of the player ('John T' something, I think).

Mmm - this is one of my absolute favourite Hutcherson front sleeves. Just love it - if I had a spare, I would frame it for display in the front room. I've always thought it complemented the sophisticated sounds of the album too. All a case of personal preferences, I guess. I have absolutely no qualms though with the Rod Stewart 'selection'. Just gotta have that one..

Up for listening action today in the 'pending' pile are LP sets for Jackie McLean, Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman and Bud Powell. The 'Kenton Presents' CD set (CDs 3 and 4) will follow, if I have time !

Have a great one !

Mono originals of Silver's 'Cape Verdean Blues' and Dex's 'Gettin' Around'. Sublime !

McCoy Tyner 'Inception' (Impulse)

This series is not bad but gets the award for being way over-rated, IMHO. 'Father Ted' and 'Blackadder' are much funnier and have stood the test of time. By far the funniest thing about 'The Office' is that it is set in that soul-less jazz-free outer London concrete jungle land called Slough and that the sister branch of the firm is in the equally awful Swindon !

I'm still in terminal shock over the Johnny 'Guitar' Watson revelation. I'd have sworn that was either McCann or the Mastersounds. Ah well ! The Lookofsky is also a big suprise. I was aware of his work with Quincy Jones on 70s albums such as 'Smackwater Jack' but not this earlier stuff. Of course once you mention the name, the penny starts to drop in recognition of the style..

'Sonic Boom' on deck this morning. This one is hugely under-rated and the partnership with David 'Fathead' Newman comes off superbly. The repeat performance on Lonnie Smith's 'Think !' is no slouch, either..

I've been salivating over this one for a year or two now but have also been sidetracked catching up with the 'Last Chance' stuff. It's definitely on the medium-term horizon, along with the Donaldson and Turrentine sets (not forgetting the Jazztet and Tal 'Concert Bands'.. )