sidewinder

PM on its way !

The commemorations have certainly dominated the media over here today - almost putting the news of Ronald Reagan's death into the background. I'll be checking out the TV highlights a bit later on. Interesting observation though from my back garden at about 6pm - military sounding prop aircraft heading Northish, possibly back from the coast. Difficult to tell but looked to me like a Lockheed Hudson - not everyday you see one of those. Possibly participating over in Normandy?

In order to avoid such incidents I swear by solid wood cubes, floor mounted on plinths and no stacking. I won't take any chances with that Maynard Mosaic LP set

Have just been listening to 'Outback' over the past week - CD reissue of a rare LP on Turtle. This one has the huge bonus of Harry Beckett in the lineup. Good stuff.

Freddie Roach 'Down to Earth', BN mono. Now there's a good candidate for a CD Conn..

BFT disk 12 has arrived (which I think must have been in that May 31 last batch). Thanks, Daniel. Some really excellent music on this disk...

No sign of 'Impressed II' or its siblings yet. Any idea of when they are due out? It'll be nice to get the chance to hear "Greek Variations" without having to take out an IMF loan for the priviledge..

Huge for Hiroshi. His service is up there with Mosaic, shipping to UK always seems to arrive within a week (amazing) and the packaging is accident-proof. Great guy, first rate !

Vee-Jay Kelly/Chambers disk 6. This one swings like the proverbial clappers !

I have a Danish Debut LP titled 'Live at the Cafe Montmartre'. It has a great photo of Cecil on the cover. Here's the cover of the first US Fantasy issue which has the same photo:

Excellent interview. Who would have ever guessed that Mingus did a tune named after sleepy Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Leicestershire !

RIP and my condolences. I am still shocked at hearing of this very sad loss of a great artist who still had much more to give. At least I can console myself at having seen Mr Lacy live on one occasion - a superb club gig in Long Beach. My over-riding impression is of a guy, well into his 60s, still pushing at the edges and with the purpose, drive and shear inquisitiveness/enthusiasm of a much younger man. I'm really saddened at the thought of not being able to check Mr Lacy out live again.

That was an excellent concert by 'Celtic Feet' at Bath. The fiddle player and accordionist in combination were hot ! Louis Sclavis and 'Napoli's Walls' was my personal favourite - although it got a pretty mixed reaction from the punters. Did you see the performance in the Guildhall by 'Stimmhorn'? Music will never be the same again after seeing that amazing show. First time for the Alpenhorn in jazz. Also first time I've ever seen an accordionist repair his kit with screwdriver mid-show looking totally cool about it and making it into theatre. Amazing !

Sounds pretty good. Don't these usually go for at least $100? I've got one of the Baker/Mulligan 10" disks. It has the quartet on one side plus the band with Lee Konitz on the other. One of the very ealy PJ releases, if I remember rightly.

Against all odds, it still seems to be hanging in there on 'Last Chance'. What stamina !

A cup of tea !

I remember seeing these guys on their Canadian tour back in either 1995 or 1996. Pretty way out stuff. Gianluigi Trovessi was in the lineup (he's mellowed of late) and possibly also Enrico Rava - can't be sure as I saw his 'Carmen' band around the same time and I may have them confused. Trovessi has just completed a gig here in the UK at the Bath Festival and, as usual, he was in excellent form and provided a really superb show.

Spam? LUXURY. You were reet lucky/We 'ad it tough ! Some of us have to make do with a single lettuce leaf and piece of cold toast for the next month.... At least the Atlantic New Orleans set is suitably funereal backing music for when the next bank statement somes rolling in.

This one must be (with the exception of the Stuff Smith set I guess ) the fastest Mosaic OOP disappearing act in history. I'm sure glad I picked up on Rooster Ties' post (grateful thanks to him for that).

Why do I get this image of Bush and lapdog Blair searching high and low through the desert for a mint copy of Thad & Mel !

1. Delivering all those black boxes gives my postie some well-needed exercise. 2. The decor on my lounge far wall speaks 'black box with a hint of silver lettering'. 3. The US trade defecit needs all of the help it can get. 4. Just one look at the OOP list and thinking of what you should have got for $60 or so focuses the mind immediately and puts the finger on the button...

Make that 11 - I've just pulled the Stamford Trigger and also narrowly avoided ordering a Randy Weston Select too (leave that one till later). I guess my New Orleans Jazz instruction/indoctrination starts here....

That 'Mainstem' is a gem - I think my 'Bergenfield' was about $7, a bargain. Nice find !

Actually, I like Jackie McLean a lot more than Coltrane. Of ANY period. But maybe that has something to do with my not thinking of Coltrane as a demi-God. (Or even a hemi-semi-demi-god.) I may well be in a minority on this, but in that case, I humbly submit that the majority is wrong. Funilly enough - and much as I truly love Coltrane's music - I would probably agree. There's something about McLean's playing that goes straight for the jugular.. Count me in as a massive fan by the way of 'One Step Beyond', 'Evolution', 'Hipnosis' and 'Destination Out'. One of my favourite 'cluster' of 60s Blue Notes. Desert Island material for me.

Mosaic's customer service is truly first rate. I had a defect to the box of the Morgan/Shorter Veejay which arrived last week. A replacement was dispatched upon day of notification. Big