sidewinder

It would have to be 'Monk's Mood'. Wonderfull tune.

Veteran UK blues shouter and surreal art expert George Melly has sadly passed away today after a brave fight against cancer - he was still performing only very recently. George Melly A vital presence on the UK scene whose influence and profile transcended jazz - and a unique and well loved character - he will be truly missed.

Wayne Shorter 'Super Nova' (BN Liberty Blue/White stereo)

Splendid news !

Not much I can add after all the good advice and sorry to hear it but I suspect that once this has settled it might be a blessing in disguise. At the end of the day it's always good to be where one's services are appreciated and sadly, many (if not most) employers now treat their people as slabs of meat to throw work at. Sadly also, emploeys tend to change their spots over time so what is great today may turn into a total liability tomorrow, therefore forcing most of us into flexibility. Hope it works out well and very best of luck.

University years, without a doubt. Before the 'business' bullshit interrupted.

Aha. So maybe thats why the guy came in from Spain to view it. On the other hand, it might make a nice vinyl listening room, perhaps? (if you bring along a portable genarator and UPS).

You know that things are getting just a bit daft when this sort of thing is going on.. Cave For Sale

Looks like I'm in for Braxton and Cecil on Sunday night.

An understatement ! The wettest, shitiest Summer weather that I can ever remember over here. 'Summer' ended in April this year.

Jim Hall 'Live' (A&M Horizon)

Happy Birthday 1 year on !

Kenny Dorham 'Matador' (Japanese King/UA)

Yep, the sound on the 'Not Heard' LPs was never the greatest, even on original pressings. Wasn't the master tape destroyed by Capitol way back?

'Linger Lane' is a good one. A bit more commercial in sound, perhaps, but the recording is nicely captured on location at Idlewilde.

The Mosaic LPs were the ones to go for. Sound quite a bit sharper than the CDs, great box though the CD set is. Don't much like the packaging with the CDs either !

'The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band' (Japanese Verve)

'Nuff said. If their vinyl is as good as their cars (which I swear by) then I'm there ! Their Blue Notes can be very good too - based on the German Liberty pressings I have from the late 1960s.

Agreed.

Hopefully this won't develop into a rerun of what happened with the 'Rainbow Series' vinyl - with the last few batches being a battle against the clock to get them out. Stealth operation by Mr Cuscuna.

Think I'm going to put that one on as well! I'd forgotten how good this one was. Shaw is absolutely on fire - even by his exacting standards. Definitive version here of 'Wilpans'.

That must have been the Stiff Records tour that he did with Ian Dury, Graham Parker, Nick Lowe and some others (not sure if it was '75 or '76). The Beeb broadcast film of that tour on a great 2-part Stiff Records documentary quite recently (along with a whole heap of vintage Stiff Records performances from Dury, Madness, Kursaal Flyers etc) . Elvis pretty well came into Stiff's office from the street, pretty well unknown but he was a major hit on the tour. He also did appearances later on at Ronnie Scotts of course, along with Chet Baker.

That's interesting. Of all of Hutch's 70s Blue Notes that I have, that's the one I find least appealing (can't really comment on 'Natural Illusions' - the one that I don't have). Will dig the vinyl out and re-appraise it, I think.

Roy Brooks 'The Free Slave' (Muse). With Woody Shaw and George Coleman, live at the Left Bank Jazz Society, Baltimore.

Fresh English rasperries and cream tonight for desert. As it has been for just about every day for the last 3 weeks.