Observations 03-2009

(01) Rising Curtain: “The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back”

Yesterday I added my “recent” purchases to my CD shelf system. A load of classical albums including Paul Lewis’ Beethoven piano sonata cycle (brilliant), a couple of Ahmad Jamal double and single CDs (early stuff and equally brilliant), the Oscar Peterson Clef/Mercury Box (I had most single issues but … well, it was Mosaic), a few soundtracks I picked up for next to nothing (“Les Choristes” and “Gladiator“, only the former of which I really like), the Andreas Vollenweider live double-CD (yeah, shoot me), a number of Ruby Braff (shabby compilations but hey, the only place the stuff is available) CDs reissued by these Spanish scam artists, some J.J. Cale and John Mayall discs I had picked up to more or less complete my respective artist collections, a bunch of Teddy Wilson CDs (mostly Storyville reissues) and probably another ten or twenty CDs (some of which were Deep Purple releases before people started remastering stuff, some ECM classical and jazz releases, etc.). Continue Reading →

Observations 02-2009

For the first time in 2009, I had a look at the statistics for this (rather lifeless) site and, alas, I have more readers than ever before. My Google page rank even increased (go figure). I guess it’s the “curse” of any site that was once updated more or less regularly to get all comfy and cushy on Google and to reel in more and more unsuspecting readers, meaning readers who never hit the front page or more recent posts to find out that the site is basically left to drift in the high and low tides that are the ever-changing world of the Internet.

Well, time to add something here, just because I feel like it again.

Maybe, if the feeling stays, I will add this type of “Observations” post in a more timely fashion. Continue Reading →

Royal Mail Issues Beatles Stamps

For all of you that can’t collect enough music and memorabilia, I’m sure it is good news that Royal Mail will today issue 6 Beatles stamps. Continue Reading →

Anita O’Day (1919-2006)

I usually write endless lines of text, but today I don’t feel like it.

Anita Belle Colton O’Day, one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, died today.

She was right up there with Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

A true legend.
And still, too many people don’t even know her name.

What a sad, sad day and what a terrible loss.

I’ll need lots of time to write up how much enjoyment I got out of her music and how important she was to me when it comes to discovering jazz. I’ll try to be finished by Christmas.

May she rest in peace.

6th Place in Website Shootout

I have just been told that livingwithmusic.com has taken 6th place in the pMachine Website Shootout (“personal” category). Thank you very much to the judges, especially those who helped put it there.

To be quite frank, I was a bit surprised, simply because the competition was very strong and I had only entered it on second thought. I thought the pMachine Website Shootout might turn out to be a sure stop for people either using or planning on using EE and I wanted to show them that also with minimal effort one could put out a nice EE site. Continue Reading →

Herman Leonard’s Jazz Memories

There are those moments in life in which a consumer like myself just wishes he hadn’t blown his money on other goodies. One just stumbles across something which has been around for a while, hidden deep within the dark recesses of the Internet, in places one just didn’t think of looking before, only for it to jump out and slam into you like an 18-wheeler speeding down the highway. Boom.

Here’s how it happened: I was actually surfing around looking for something to slap up onto my living room wall and thought of Herman Leonard, the world-famous photographer who is primarilay known for his wonderful jazz portraits. I had been looking for his work before, mostly in poster shops and art galleries around the globe, but somehow (double-duh) I never thought of checking if the man had a website. Well, he does, and that’s where I found IT. All 495 dollars worth of IT. Continue Reading →

16,000 Tunes and Counting

If this isn’t the most daunting task ever, I don’t know what is. In 2009, Motown will celebrate its Golden Anniversary and by that time, all 12 projected volumes of “The Complete Motown Singles” are supposed to be available for those unable to track down the more than 800 seven-inch records or more than 16,000 recordings those 800 platters add up to. These stunning limited boxed sets (5000 non-numbered copies) will also certainly save you some space, and the remastering adds the final sonic touch to what is one of the most impressive back catalogs of the recording industry. It could be ALL yours if you have the cash. Continue Reading →

Buddy Rich Sessions

In November of 2005, Mosaic Records will release released ” The Complete Argo, Emarcy and Verve Small Group Buddy Rich Sessions” (MD7-232). This boxed set will contain 7 CDs at a list price of $119. Continue Reading →