sidewinder

Oh damn, what can one say? Just really glad that I got to hear him play at those formative points in his career (Shaw Quintet, Wingspan) and for that fine music and great evenings spent - thank you, Mulgrew. A real class act as pianist, composer and band-leader and a great guy by all accounts. He will be missed - RIP.

Still got a box full of that stuff (both recorded and blank) in the attic !

Jeez !

Rahsaan Roland Kirk 'The Vibration Continues' (UK Atlantic brown/orange 2LPs). A nice compilation from Joel Dorn, well worth picking up

Just picked up a copy of this box today. MPS and Preiser material, by the looks of it - including the session featuring JJ Johnson and Freddie Hubbard. It will be fun to wade through it.

Mulgrew is a really excellent musician. The first time I got to see him was with Woody Shaw. Then with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers I think. On the third occasion that I can recall, he had his own lineup - touring his 'Hand In Hand' CD.

That first track on the Jazz 625 by Acker's band - 'Nagasaki' - was pretty hard hitting and grooving for an Acker group (might have helped that they ditched the banjo for that track). Excellent stuff ! Pretty sure that that I've come across that Cy Laurie bouncer featured on the 'Smoky Dives' - Bill Palmer - holding court at one of the Mole Jazz locations (the last one on Great Marlborough St). He was quite a character ! Glad to have recorded the 'Trad Britannia' and will give it a viewing over the weekend.

Very Happy Birthday ! :party:

natural gas powered??? Don't tell the Montreal Protocol police. My Zerostat pistol from 1978 is still going strong !

Lalo Schifrin 'The Dissection and .... etc' (Verve, stereo). Today's £5 bargain, original pressing. Snap, crackle, pop on first play but a few spins on the VPI and it is sounding excellent. The sound trounces the Verve Elite CD !

Really liked his work with Oliver Nelson ! RIP.

The 'Smoky Dives' was a hoot. Always good to watch that programme. The Acker/George Lewis 'Jazz 625' was nice too - I wonder how many more like that the Beeb are still managing to keep from us.

Here's a link to a useful article on the orchestra: http://vzone.virgin.net/davidh.taylor/ronnie2.htm I suspect that Jimmy Deuchar, Ken Wray and Tony Crombie (plus others - Harry South?) will have contributed to the band's book.

Damn, this is very sad news. Our thoughts are with him for a full recovery.

The 'Structurally Sound' LP is one of those I picked up in the second hand bins in Mole. It was £7 I think !

Sad news - just missed out on a book signing by him on one occasion in Long Beach, years ago. RIP.

Billy Ray Cyrus Miley Cyrus Cyrus Vance

Sorry about that !

Happy Birthday Chuck N. ! :party:

Bill - that's a myth ! It was recorded by Tony Hall at Decca studio used by Tempo (CTS Wembley, I suspect...) $250 for 'Shades of Blue' (or either of the Mike Taylors) would be a bargain. 'Shades' goes for upwards of $1k now.

Both of them are really great. Hard to choose between them to be honest - 'Pendulum' has that fine, quirky reed work by Dave Tomlin whereas 'Trio' has an incredible atmospheric feel of great concentration on tracks like 'Abena'. It was not for nothing that they opened the 2005 'Jazz Britannia' concert at The Barbican with that very number - played solo by Matthew Bourne - and played pretty well verbatim. It stunned the house (well - it stunned me, for sure). As for parallels - I think Jan Johansson in Sweden was covering similar ground - possibly with more of a 'folk' angle. The Nordic connection is an interesting one ! 'Atmospherically knotty' - spot on, Clifford ! The one album major Lansdowne I don't have and am looking for is Amancio D'Silva 'Integration' (although I have it on CD - if you see a nice copy let me know). Have all of the Rendell/Carrs and 'Hum Dono' on LP, although the vinyl on my 'Shades of Blue' is far from mint. It's a beautiful album though and fortunately the sleeve is immaculate. I just need a mint LP with a gash sleeve now..

Mike Taylor 'Trio' (UK Columbia, stereo)

'The Fabulous Fats Navarro Vol 1' (BN Lexington, DG mono)

Jules Oliver Jamie Oliver Jamie Cullum