Fun with databases!

[scottb]

OK, I'm not a computer nerd. I am a Blue Note nerd!

I have been reentering my Blue Notes into a database (Microsoft Works) Lost what I had previously when my last computer crashed.

You can find out some interesting things by manipulating the data. Also when you're entering the data.

When I'm finished I could make it availabe to anyone else that is interested.

Some interesting things so far:

Indestructible RVG states track #7 was recorded on 4-15-64. There's only 6 tracks!

Of the 5 Jackie McLean titles I've entered so far, he used 5 different pianist, five different bassist, and 4 different drummers (Billy Higgins repeats once) What's up with that? Was he hard to work with or did he just like to mix it up?

I've really just begun so I expect I'll find a lot of interesting fact before it's all in.

Edited December 19, 2004 by scottb

[Michael Fitzgerald]

I've already entered just about every Blue Note session from 1950 to 1970 into a database that is set up perfectly to handle discography information (named BRIAN after discographer Brian Rust). I've also entered a lot more than that - I currently have about 4500 sessions, almost all post-war jazz. I've used the best sources available - the issues themselves, the Jepsen, Bruyninckx, Raben, and Lord discographies, for Blue Note the Cuscuna/Ruppli second edition book, etc. I've checked titles with BMI, ASCAP, GEMA, the US Library of Congress.

I hate to see other people needlessly reinventing the wheel, going through the same data entry, then repeating mistakes that have been already been corrected elsewhere. Here's a partial list of stuff that is already entered and could be made available free to other BRIAN users:

http://www.JazzDiscography.com/Temp/boxedsets.htm

Please - if you're interested enough to enter stuff into any database, surely you're interested enough to do it right - which *cannot* ever be done with Microsoft Works, I'm afraid. The BRIAN application is free - tech support by its developer is great (and also free) and since there are a number of others already using the program, sharing information through the programs data exchange feature is ready to go. More info at my website.

Mike

[scottb]

Yeah, I think you've got a few more entries than me!

I really just did it to catalogue my collection and once I got started I didn't know when to quit (like maybe just title and artist) so next thing I know I've got quite a bit of info to play with. I might try to see if I can use Brian to fill in my data rather than typing all this.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

I hear you! My situation was that I didn't find the perfect database to handle everything for years and years, so I held off on doing the "comprehensive" work and kept track of my collection (and also just what is out there in existence) with a very bare-bones system (started in dBase, currently in Microsoft Access) that has over 20,000 entries, but only artist, title, release year, label, catalog number, format, and a couple of notes fields. But since I started using BRIAN in 1997, it's been able to handle just about everything I can imagine, so it's now just a matter of doing the data entry - and convincing others to use the program so that the data entry work can be spread around.

Should you decide to use BRIAN, do keep in touch and let the other users know what you're planning to enter so we can all benefit from each other's efforts.

Mike

[scottb]

Happy Birthday THE SIDEWINDER!!

recorded this date in 1963