Forums

I definitely think of Leon Thomas, but also this iconic album

Sorry to hear this as well. I had pleasant email exchanges over the years with him while placing direct orders, and always expressed my gratitude for the excellence and the breadth of his reissue work. Hep’s eight-volume series of Claude Thornhill’s 1941-53 recordings, for example, is and will likely remain for some time the best documentation we have of the band that helped birth the cool, etc. And glad that he kept at it long enough to get that Wilder compilation out.  Forever thankful for how Alastair enriched my enjoyment of the midcentury swing era with his well-annotated, good-sounding curations. Though I didn’t know him at all beyond the lighthearted asides he often employed in his email replies, I always felt that his releases came from a place of great love for the music. 

Thanks, never heard that before, and I like it much better than I would have expected.  Will have to keep my eye out for that disc, even with the really bad cover photo and art.

March 14, 2025: Oz Noy, Guitar Sanctuary, McKinney                              Jackie Venson, Antone's, Austin March 15, 2025: Yasmin Williams, Reverend Robert B. Jones, Sr. Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band,, Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival March 18, 2025: Anoushka Shankar, Eisemann Center, Richardson March 19, 2025: Anoushka Shankar, Wortham Center, Houston March 27, 2025: Charles Lloyd, Bela Fleck/Edmar Castaneda/Antonio Sanchez Trio, Ambrose Akinmusire, Barry Altschul's Axiom 5, Tigran Hamasyan, Sunny War, Big Ears Festival, Knoxville March 28, 2025: Ahmed, Tyshawn Sorey, Wadada Leo Smith, Bill Frisell, Alabaster DePlume, Ambrose Akinmusire, Barry Altschul 3Dom Factor, Jeff Parker, Immanuel Wilkins, Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti and Frank Rosaly, Mike Reed's Separatist Party, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Big Ears Festival, Knoxville                             Jason Moran's Duke Ellington Project, Cullen Theater, Houston March 29, 2025: Joe Lovano Paramount Quartet, Wadada Leo Smith + Vijay Iyer, Sun Ra Arkestra, Vernon Reid, Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Calvin Weston, Ahmed, Kris Davis Trio, Ganavya, Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Big Ears Festival, Knoxville March 30, 2025: Anoushka Shankar, Wadada Leo Smith, Vijay Iyer Fieldwork, Amaro Freitas, Kahil El Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Steve Lehman Trio + Mark Turner, Big Ears Festival, Knoxville April 2, 2025: Jonathan Fisher Trio, Texas Tenors (Shelley Carrol, Quamon Fowler, Jason Davis), Sammons Center, Dallas April 4-6, 2025: Chris Thomas King, Cedric Burnside, Kenny Neal, Baton Rouge Blues Festival April 6, 2025: Vid Ramana Balachandran & Vid Patri Satish, Unity Church of Dallas April 8, 2025: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Antone's, Austin April 10, 2025: Jacke Venson, Main Street Arts Festival, Fort Worth April 11, 2025: Brad Mehldau Trio with Christian McBride, Cullen Theater, Houston April 12, 2025: Hiromi's SonicWonder, University of Texas at Dallas April 14, 2025: Jeff Hamilton Trio, Parker Jazz Club, Austin   April 15, 2025: Jeff Hamilton Trio, JazzTX, San Antonio                                Grand Flute Duo, Vid Hemanth & German, Guruvayur Temple, Carolllton April 23-27, 2025: Dobet Gnahore, Etran de L'Air, Zar Electrik, Festival Internationale de Louisiane, Lafayette April 24, 2025: Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Shemekia Copeland, Dee Dee Bridgewater with Bill Charlap, Leroy Jones, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 25, 2025: Branford Marsalis, Carver Center, San Antonio                           Etran de L'Air, Austin Psych Festival                          Youssou N'Dour, Stanley Clarke, Lila Downs, Kenny Neal, Marimba Nandanyapa, Blodie's Jazz Jam, Mahmoud Chouki, Doreen, Detroit Brooks with Dee Dee Bridgewater, New Orleans Groovemasters (Herlin Riley, Shannon Powell, Jason Marsalis), Secret Six Jazz Band, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 26, 2025: Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, Orquesta Akokan, Austin Blues Festival                           Chris Thomas King, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Kyle Rousell, Zar Electrik, Marimba Nandanyapa, Tom McDermott and Aurora Nealand, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 27, 2025: John Primer, Jackie Venson, Austin Blues Festival                          Branford Marsalis, Bill Frisell, Eric Gales, Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Tribute with Nicholas Payton and Dr. Michael White, Etran De L'Air, People Museum, Charlie Gabriel, Tuba Skinny, Leon Anderson, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 30, 2025: The Boss Baritones: Gary Smulyan and Frank Basile, Parker Jazz Club, Austin May 1, 2025: Ebo Taylor, Radio/East, Austin                       Ronnie Baker Brooks, Cedric Burnside, George Wein Tribute with Randy Brecker, Mr. Sipp, Thandisma Mazwai, Helen Gillet, Pasotano, Gladney, Peter Harris and Firm Roots, Louis Ford, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 2-3, 2025: Dobet Gnahore, African Vibrations Music Festival, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas May 2, 2025: Joshua Redman, Benin International Musical, Alfredo Rodriguez Trio, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses, Trumpet Mafia, Pasotano, Steve Lands, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 3, 2025: Leyla McCalla, Benin International Musical, Jason Marsalis, Joy Clark, Las Hermanas Garcia, Nicholas Payton and Triune, Yusa Cuban Soul, Victor Campbell, Jamil Sharif, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 4, 2025: Kamasi Washington, Terence Blanchard, Las Hermanas Garcia, D.K. Harrell, Jessie McBride Big Band, Stephanie and Rachel Jordan, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival May 10, 2025: Pt. Rakesh Chaurasia, Unity Church of the Hills, Austin May 28, 2025: Samara Joy, Majestic Theater, Dallas May 29, 2025: Samara Joy, Moody Theater, Austin May 30, 2025: Natalia Lafourcade, Windspear, Dallas June 2, 2025: Samara Joy, Jones Hall, Houston June 3, 2025: Chuck Redd, JazzTX, San Antonio June 6, 2025: Jackie Venson, Jo Long Theater, San Antonio June 7, 2025: Pt. Basant Kabra (sarod) and Pt. Nityanand Haldipur (flute), Unity Church of the Hills, Austin October 5, 2025: Niladri Kumar (Sitar), Unity Church of the Hills, Austin