jazzbo

I think it is correct that many didn't "get" him at the time. And I think that bitterness over his success played a part, that's just my guess from some of what I have read and seen. I wish he had lived another few decades at least! He was moving into waters that would have really made interesting music if he could have gotten it released (I'm not sure he could have done that with either Jeffries or Douglas though.)

I hope that day comes, the complete Basie on Columbia. . . I'll spring for that one too. In the meantime, I like this one bcause the sound is so SWEET and it is bringing Pres back to my foreground!

"I think I may be the best guitarist sitting in this chair"~! Yes, humility was exhibited often in his manner and character. The good news Brad is that the versions of his material released by the family now are in fantastic sound compared to earlier digital versions; I think you'll have fun hearing and exploring them. (Also there are some mail order only items that are worth investigating --especially "Morning Symphony Ideas"--from the family at the link below) http://www.daggerrecords.com/

Brad, glad you caught the Hendrix bit; I have it taped and will watch it this weekend. Hendrix was a marvel, and in the last few years I have been collecting all the unreleased material that I can from him, and there is a startling amount of it, and it is astonishingly good. The Cavett show interviews (and performances) in their entirety is available and worth seeing. He was indeed a softspoken man with DEEP things to say; the liner notes to some releases (especially the "Stages" Reprise box set) and several books (especially "Cherokee Mist") outline the fact that he had a real insight (in my opinion) into the political, religious and cultural forces of his age and a fascinating viewpoint. And he made music as no one else has! His cd in the "Blues" cd series in cahoots with this series of films is really something else!

To me there's no contest: the most recent Columbia release. I dislike cleaned up easy on the ears music from discs, I think that two cd set was da bomb.

Peter, here's the skinny on the Basie Pablo box: http://www.fantasyjazz.com/html/basie.html It's a good overview. For some (and I pretty much fall into that camp) it can serve as about all you really need to have for the Pablo era.

I really really have learned to love "Belly of the Sun" and in fact it's become my favorite, so I'm cool if this turns out that well. No idea what to expect really, and because I'm SO inundated with great matrial to listen to that I probably won't get around to this for a spell. . . .

cduniverse will probably have the best prices. I like www.worldsrecords.com though, as they get them earlier somehow (import them directly?) sometimes, and they're a great outfit that I like to support, though they're full priced there. Here is what Worlds has for the 1952 Gillespie Classics: In 1937, Dizzy Gillespie visited Paris as a member of Teddy Hill's band. He returned to France 11 years later, leading his own spectacular big band which created a huge sensation in Europe. Four years later, in early 1952, Gillespie was again in the French capital - this time as a soloist. Since he had no longer a regular band of his own, Blue Star and Vogue recorded the visiting star with a bewildering variety of local artists and expatriate Americans including Don Byas, Art Simmons and Arnold Ross. Includes Cocktails For Two / Cognac Blues / Moon Nocturne / Sabla y blu / Blue And Sentimental / Just One More Chance / Fragile / Hurry Home / Afro Paris / Say Eh! / I Cover The Waterfront / The Man I Love / Night And Day and others. I'm not sure what tunes to look for but the Vogue material that was leased may be here.

What I really want to hear are the Fats Sadi sides! Where are THOSE?

There are Blue Note sides on the first Moody Classics, but you're right Brad, these are likely the Modernists and not the with strings sides; I'm too far away from my collection right now to be certain!

The Garners have come out on Chronogical Classics in the corresponding years cds. The Moody and Gillespie sides also should have come out on Classics. I would have to check. . . can't remember precisely.

I've emailed quite a few requests. Some I've gotten replies to, some I haven't. If I got a reply it was within a week. . . . One set I requested was the Teagarden Roulette sides. I got a reply that this was a nice idea, but not enough material, it would have to be paired with another Roulette artists (in reply I suggested Wingy Manone) and that the possibilities weren't great. Then several years later out came the Roulette Teagarden set with a disc and a half of newer discovered live stuff! So my initial disappointment was for nothing! I hope you get a reply, but if you don't it doesn't mean that your suggestion wasn't given thought.

Well, I think this was a publicity photo, but I do feel that he was genuinely happy briefly during this period, enjoying a period of domesticity that he didn't often get to enjoy.

The easiest, and a very good sounding, option is to buy a Audio cd recorder, which is about as easy to use (and operates in a similar manner) as a cassette tape recorder. Several friends of mine have Harmon Kardon units that they love and that make EXCELLENT transfers; I prefer the sound of some of these lp to cdr trnasfers to the cd releases of the same titles. I have a Philips machine that does a very good job in all aspects except finalizing the cdr; I have perennial problems with that function. It makes very good sounding transfers, the Harmon Kardon just seems to have a little better sound.

Yes, that is the way it is in the circuit, I've seen a few shows like that here in town, and I know there are many more to see throughout Texas. skeith, I don't think your intelligence should feel insulted. That film was not geared towards us specifically. I don't think we can ever expect to see a flock of documentaries with full historical etc. comment . . .we'll get this mixed bag.

This box is an overview; your set is going to have material not on this box, and material that is. Sound IS much better. The live material has sessions with Young, and sessions without Young, and are all primo selections, not "filler."

My wife loves my beard, I've had it in place for ten years now, after about a six year cleanshaven period and then about ten years of a beard before that or more. Shaving my cratered acne-scarred cheeks ain't fun, so I've been content with the beard. Shaving my throat is a necessity and Sensor or Excel is used for that, and Aveeno shaving cream (y'all should try this, fantastic stuff.)

Okay, you didn't like that stuff. I wasn't crazy about a lot of it either (including Raitt's performances) but I did like some and it was interesting to see in some of it how the music was being adapted to the newer styles. Doesn't mean I like the newer styles that much. Maybe it's because I'm in Texas where the blues began but I don't find local talent of any hue to really be that bad at singing the blues. . . . I guess I'm lucky.

I was thinking Gretsch too, but the headstock threw me too! Really cool guitar, really nice sounding too.

I hope it's not untowards to say. . . the instrumental tracks on that cd are KILLIN'!

Man, what is that guitbox that J. B. is playing? It's a very nice sounding and distinctive axe! And he does some rhythm chording that almost sounds like a harmonica! Excellent guitar. . . and player.

I've got Jack Johnson box in the house as well. Now Jack Johnson is actually probably my LEAST favorite of Miles' electric albums. Just too much like rock and roll for me to really go apeshit; I mean there's a Derek and the Dominoes jam that sounds almost like Right Off to me in shape and even in the riff used. I like it fine, but I always was more of a Miles at Fillmore/Live Miles/On the Corner/Get Up With it GUY! I instead have been dying to hear the expanded and unreleased material that was on Directions and Big Fun that are in this set. And they don't disappoint. Like RT I haven't heard much yet, but man the sound is excellent AND these are LOUD cds! The booklet is perty darned good and I'm going to be enjoying these sessions this week!

Well, we'll just have to continue to disagree. I have many many hours in listening to Louis. There are times when Louis puts on a deeper growl as an effect, totally different from the timbre of his speaking or crooning voice. Also I almost think that Wolf's whole shtick is largely based on the effect of the growl he puts on. And Taj uses it as a device, clearly, undisguisedly. It may sound tacky and unnatural to you in white singers--and I don't necessarily disagree for many of them--but the reason that they do ths is because it is part of the language of the genre, part of being bluesy. This music is an American thing, and it's not black or white or black and white. I see the connection to much African music, BUT that music is African music, not the American blues, and I think last night's film showed some ways the music has morphed in the last century and into this one, and maybe some ways it will go further.

I'm sorry, I disagree. I believe that Taj in particular, and most likely Wolf and Louis both used the growl as a texture, as an effect. Or at least AMPLIFIED their already natural tendency. This is the same thing you are accusing white singers of doing as being wrong. And so you didn't like Lucinda's interpretation. Doesn't mean that others might like it, or that it may not bring a Lucinda fan (I know quite a few) to curiosity about the song and the writer. Cream's version of "I'm So Glad" was probably also not like Skip's original mood and intent. . .but it actually helped Skip out. I guess I just don't feel that all these singers and interpretations were somehow inappropriate.

This is one of the best of the MBB cds if you ask me. I'd recommend it.