sidewinder

By some psychic bizarre coincidence I just happen to be listening to 'Scotch & Sofa', a very cool compilation but out by Blue Note France. Track 5 is indeed Pearson's 'The Phantom'. I believe that the compilation was put together by French DJ Booster and the full line up is: 1. Three Sounds 'Out of this World' 2. Lonnie Smith 'Dancin' in an Easy Groove' 3. Earl Klugh 'Heard it on the Grapevine' 4. Lou Donaldson 'One Cylinder' 5. D. Pearson 'The Phantom' 6. Donald Byrd 'Estavanico' 7. Lee Morgan 'Neophilia' 8. Donald Byrd 'Xibaba' 9. Eddie Henderson 'Nostalgia' 10. Bobby Hutcherson 'Bouquet' Mike F - It's on EMI France 7243 5 24415 2 5, Blue Note Mix CD Vol II. Cool beyond words...

For some reason, 'Basra' has always eluded me. I once passed on a 180g Conn vinyl reissue in the LP racks at £10 and have lived to regret it ever since. Funnily enough, the TOCJs of 'Rajah'and 'Procrastinator' weren't too difficult to find (admittedly a few years ago now). 'Sonic Boom' of course is not too difficult to find on the Liberty 'Rainbow' LP release.

For me 'Compulsion' is the ringer, although really you can play the Mosaic end to end and there's hardly a falloff in quality between the sessions. Every item on the list is up there in the superlative bracket - just too bad I haven't yet been able to fully hear 'One For One'.

Well, I was fortunate enough too to get a few signed. Unfortunately I left behind my DMM 'Speak Like a Child' but did get 'Maiden Voyage' signed on the sail ! 'The Prisoner' just about squeeks in with my vote, much as I like 'Speak', 'Maiden Voyage' and 'Empyrean'. Like 'Speak Like A Child' this has very telling Gil Evans influence with the unique alto flute/bass trombone/flugel combination, with warm sonority. Only Duke Pearson seems to have exploited this area of orchestration as constructively as Gil and Herbie.

'Contrasts' gets my vote - but again it is difficult to favour any of the BN albums in this list. The're all great ! 'Contrasts' by a whisker though thanks to particularly funky and imaginative organ playing by Larry...

damn ....... messed up with the voting jiggerypokery

About as difficult as asking for my favourite type of beer but by a gnats whisker it has to be..... Schizophrenia !

As well as 'Theme For Monterey' and 'State Street Suite' on MAMA, Gerald's Discovery label recordings from the 1980s are very well worth tracking down. I can thoroughly recommend the titles 'Lomelin', 'Jenna' and 'Jessica'. Its not often you see them on CD (although ebay sometimes throws them up) and occasionally they appear as treasure trove in the LP racks. Each of these has stellar casts including messrs Land, Edwards, Nimitz from the Pac Jazz sessions.