sidewinder

The price on Amazon dropped a couple of pounds just after it came out ( ) but even at £20 it is a really good deal. A very substantial and excellent quality book and I have seen PhDs which weren't researched as well as this one. Bargain !

Dead-Sea Scrolls stuff, fantastic news if that is the case. Hopefully we will get to now hear the full '100% Proof' sessions with extra tracks and alternative takes as detailed in Simon's book. I have the Japanese Fontana issues for some of them and the two Ronnie Scotts live sessions do sound pretty good, if it is the case that they were actually dubbed from vinyl. The 'Redial' versions weren't bad either. For the others, if they had asked me nicely I could have done them a nice LP transfer (e.g. a good stereo '100% Proof' and 'Return Visit'). It will be great to get to hear some of these 'unearthed' Tempos from the master tapes as well, although the Sawano vinyls were excellent I thought.

The mono Liberty LP of 'Sweet Honey Bee' is still the one to get, it would appear..

Have a great one !!

Picked it up quite inexpensively in Tokyo. By Japanese standards it is probably a bit inferior as there is evidence of a bit of minor damp on the cover and a bit of surface noise but it looks and sounds fine to me. Less than 20 bucks !

I've ordered too from DV so it will be interesting to do some comparison checks. At the very least, this will be a 'play copy'.

Having now read the book, I am filled with the urge to re-read all of Simon's various and equally brilliant CD liner notes ! Quite a few of the things towards the end of the book very accurately capture the situation as I remember it a year or so after Tubby's death (which is when my following of the music started to kick in). The one record I remember seeing in the shops was that '100% Proof' reissue from Philips with the garish cover photo and never saw any of the Fontanas, which were by then long deleted. The tragedy was still too current and mentions of Tubby, even on the radio, were very occasional - it was almost as if no-one wanted to talk about it (same with Harriott). Remember hearing 'Trenton Place' on Jazz Record Requests and wondering why the heck that superb music wasn't readily available or more praised. It was only when Mole put it out again on vinyl around 1981/82 that it became a bit more accessible.

Kenny Dorham 'Jazz Contemporary' (Time DG mono)

Thanks for that. As you say Roger, it is pretty affordable.

Wasn't aware that that tape had survived. According to the book, that one was filmed at Queen Mary College on the Mile End Road and Tubby never actually got to see it. Looking at YouTube, both the 1965 Jazz 625 programme and a big band 'Jazz Scene' show from Ronnies taped in 1969 seem to be available for viewing. The picture quality for the 1969 show is not the greatest. I would love to go into those BBC archives and sort out what is what in their jazz archive once and for all ! Apparently a Tubby documentary narrated by Martin Freeman is in the works for showing this Summer. Maybe BBC4 will broadcast it ?

Hope not - in which case I won't bother.

Once started, this book is near-impossible to put down. The last few chapters detailing Tubby's final few years are particularly gripping and harrowing. Book of the year !

There's some interesting comments on the VG+ Forums stating that all of the tapes for the Lansdowne series were held by Lansdowne records engineer (and formerly studio owner) Adrian Kerridge and that master copies were held by Universal, who were provided with them by Denis Preston back in the 1970s. Hence the great sounding issue on CD of Mike Taylor 'Pendulum' put out by Sunbeam, subsequently withdrawn (Universal not involved and apparently very unhelpful - quelle surpris). So, it looks as if the 'Hum Dono' master does exist - but what is the provenance of the Vocalion CD and this 180g vinyl reissue? I plan on buying a copy and doing some comparisons..

Nice LP

My copy of McLaughlin's 'Extrapolation' on Marmalade has an LWT stamp on it. I think my Ronnie Scott 'Serious Gold' has their stamp as well.

Those recent DNA survey results showing very little evidence of Viking DNA in our genepool, even in the North and Midlands, is supportive of that. Indicates that they came in small groups and settled as farmers in those small 'bys' and 'kirks' etc., leaving the Saxons to get on with things pretty well undisturbed. All very English !

Reading one of the latest UK mags today, it mentions that Dutton Vocalion will be putting out a 180g vinyl version shortly (gasp)..

Passport control on the A5 !

Yorkshire dialect - garth, snicket, beck, gate (i.e. lane), fettle etc. Always was another country !

Sounds cool to me !

German ECM 2LP

Damn - up to £94 now !!

Yes it was, but Simon deserves all the credit as it was an absolutely mammoth task. A really invaluable insight into British modern jazz of that period, too infrequently covered IMO. Yeah, from what I have read so far there is a huge amount of work and great attention to detail that has gone into this book. It is also extremely well written and very readable (unlike some I can think of). Can't recommend this book strongly enough !

Never realised that Tubby lived next door to Olympic hurdler David Hemery at one point. Nice that you got a mention in the credits Roger. Also board member Tooter/Rodney.

My copy arrived in the mail today and have also just opened it. Looks like a very fine piece of work !