Bill Nelson

Ahh, the thought of digital-sourced tracks from Universal's storage mountain, EQ'd and compressed into various artist configurations and JATP box sets... ... fills me with inertia.

Then there's k.d. lang singing in '93 with Branford M. and Tain Watts:

As I said to the TSA screener when examining my carry-on, "Who needs a home when you have a colostomy bag?"

That's also the one for me. There's a certain dynamism present on this digital recording of March 16, 1984. By comparison, on 'Power of Three' (also recorded in 3-D), Petrucciani is restrained and less spontaneous.

Let me say, "Si, si!" about the RCA Bluebird CD of 'Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra: The Post-War Era' (1993, BG2-66156). Twenty-two tracks from 1946-50 were personally selected by Bill Finegan and Loren Schoenberg, with eight tracks either previously unissued or available only on compact disc. I got my copy just a month ago and played it steadily for several days. It's very adventurous, full-bodied swing, minus the looming thunder of Kenton and post-1950 cerebral touches of Eddie Sauter.

You could always spot Creed Taylor's influence without even hearing the record -- it was the look and feel of the jacket. Impulse, Verve, and CTI albums were sturdy gatefolds, with unique graphic designs and lettering, artist photos taken by top professionals, and all wrapped in a deluxe laminated sheen. Taylor insisted the Impulses have their very recognizable 50/50 orange and black spines. Fortunately, Bob Thiele maintained the spine color and type fonts after Taylor left to run Verve.

Atlanta, GA on Aug. 17, 1991 at Variety Playhouse: the Frank Morgan quartet featuring George Cables. Morgan was too sweet for words and his playing was cool and together. His eyes twinkled as he blew kisses of gratitude as the audience of about 150 applauded his final number. Note: the Variety is a converted movie house in Atlanta's hipster district called Little Five Points. During the hot summer months of the 1990's the Variety would book jazz artists such as James Moody w/ Mike Longo, Phil Woods w/ Tommy Flanagan, and the regular groups led by Joshua Redman, Joe Lovano, and McCoy Tyner. Often two or three co-promoters and backers per show were needed to help cover each band's guarantee and many shows didn't make it. The Atlanta market is not supportive of real jazz and many promoters who tried it alone lost their shirts.

If Palmer is somehow convicted by U.S. felony charges for trafficking in endangered species -- and does jail time -- he'll experience what it's like to be mounted and stuffed.

Van Alexander arranged four of Kay Starr's best LPs in 1959-60, just after she left RCA and returned to the Capitol fold. 'Movin'', 'Loser's Weepers', 'Movin' On Broadway', and 'Jazz Singer' are fully mature, professionally-realized recordings of Starr at her pinnacle. They're free of her earlier Capitol novelties and RCA's efforts at big-selling pop singles. When critic Will Friedwald selected the Alexander-arranged LPs 'Movin', Movin' On Broadway', and 'Jazz Singer' with Gerald Wiggins' small jazz combo backing on 'I Cry By Night' (Capitol, 1962), he praises them "...so terrific as to give the impression that Starr knew her option wouldn't be renewed and wanted to end her stay at the top with four of the most colossal jazz vocal sets ever recorded." (Friedwald in 'Jazz Singing', pgs. 217-18, Da Capo, 1996).

At 2:45 EST - TCM will show Ingmar Bergman's 'The Magician' (1958) with Max Von Sydow and Ingrid Thulin as touring magician and his assistant. It's set in 19th century small-town rural Sweden where the local officials are suspicious of the 'powers' of the magician. For a Bergman film of this era, it's refreshingly not focused on death and dying but -- dare I say -- comedic. And it starts in 30 minutes !!

If it's my estate sale, why would I care? There was a similar estate sale in Atlanta of a former promo rep for Mercury, mid-1960's era. The very minty LPs were a dollar each -- all in white, poly-lined plastic sleeves. "So where's the jackets?", I asked the widow. "Oh, I threw them out -- they took up too much space."

In 2010 a large (3,000-plus) CD collection of mostly jazz formerly owned by a Univ. of Georgia professor was brought to a local antique shop. The manager had little idea of what to do and priced them at $3 each or five for $10. I bought at least 50, along with Japanese box sets of Roland Kirk and Helen Merrill, plus a Mosaic of 'Mingus on Candid' CD box. (The Kirk and Mingus were $40 each.) Two weeks later, I returned and noticed about half of the collection was gone, so I asked the proprietor about the buyer. "Someone from France saw my post on Craig's List and bought 'em. He's got buyers in Eastern Europe and the Ukraine.". Looking to the East, Japan and South Korea continue to be huge markets for physical music product. As a percentage of music purchased, physical media is about 85% in Japan.

It defies every aspect of corporate responsibility that Sony Music has continued to bankroll Marsalis' productions since 1982.

Since I just mentioned it, please sample how the super-bad Henderson Quintet with Lenny White was burning-up the Lighthouse in late 1970:

The LP you're thinking of is 'In Pursuit of Blackness' (three tracks running 28:05, rec. May 12, 1971, issued on Milestone 9034). Don't know why Orrin Keepnews splintered this album by adding a track on each side from JH's previous Milestone live date, 'If You're Not Part of the Solution, You're Part of the Problem' (MSP-9028). Almost as wacked as Dick Bock, but instead of slicing-up tapes Keepnews gives the customer 15:04 mins. of Joe's prior group with Woody Shaw, Tony Waters, and Ron McClure, prior to Yellin and Fuller.

When it comes to his concerts, an award for Honorary Asshole would seem to be more appropriate.

Punk writers often lard their copy with vacuous, empty accolades: "legendary", "award-winning", and "Grammy-nominated".

One proceeds with a 'rubbing process' while making a wish?

Bob Drasnin was largely involved in the arranging on Martin Denny's 1964 album 'Latin Village' (along with Bob Florence). Drasnin's talents make this Denny album a very tasty combination of exotica, jazz, and Latin rhythms -- one of Denny's best.

from Down Beat, May 20, 1976 -- Blue Mitchell on touring with John Mayall: "I've never seen them (Basie and Ellington) get the kind of receptions we used to get. When we were abroad in Australia or New Zealand, there would be receptions at the airports, and press conferences in rooms filled with cameras and floodlights. I must say John (Mayall) wasn't a selfish man, because when they started asking him too many questions he'd say, "Talk to some of my men; you've got Blue Mitchell here and Clifford Solomon, they're well-known musicians." on first meeting Mayall: "I'd never heard of John Mayall but he knew all about me. Anyway, he called and wanted me on a session he was doing with a blues singer (and) about a week later he called and asked if I'd like to go on the road with him. I must say his terms were very generous." The first concert was in San Diego: "I'd never seen so many people at one time. It was a different audience altogether, it was a young audience, we couldn't do anything wrong. There must have been 7,000 people out there and HE was the headliner." (from Down Beat, 5/20/76, pgs. 20, 44.)

"Cause when the drummer has to drop a 'big one' in the middle of a tune, the sheets allow them to stay clean without missing a beat." (C'mon, where's all the drummer jokers? This topic title was the perfect set-up!)

It's admirable when a retiree finds a meaningful hobby which fosters personal growth and self-renewal. And then there's this.

While I've got several London Phase 4's in my 'easy listening' stack, all of the vinyl records are "Made in England". (Even my dollar copy of 'Ted Heath & His Music'.) Not to 'gaslight' you but I can't recall having passed on 'any which might've said "Made in USA". I'll concede London/Decca had their fat Phase-4 gatefold jackets fabricated from 'Merican pulp n' cardboard. But while we're on the subject, let me list my fave gatefold Phase-4 albums: Edmundo Ros - 'The New Rhythms of the South' (the continent) (44054) Edmundo Ros - 'Arriba' (44080) Frank Chacksfield - 'The Great TV Themes' (44077) and my top favorite: Werner Muller - 'The Latin Splendor of' (44139) Of the slew of Bernard Herrmann London Phase-4's, the grand champion is 'The Fantasy Film World of BH' (SP-44207) released in 1974 in a single jacket. The National Philharmonic Orchestra's full version of 'Journey To the Center of the Earth' will rattle your molars, if not loosen your fillings.

Yes, the consistently high level performances defy the industrial sludge/crud depicted on the cover. I'm sure it was Not Quite Runner-up for 1970 Album Cover of the Year. Ten years later, when purchasing my sealed cut-out at Atlanta's Wuxtry, even the punkster clerk raised his eyebrows. That was when they had remainder lots of sealed original ESP-Disk LPs hanging around the jazz bins for $5 each.