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So would anyone be up for an in depth article about how Honky Tonk came to be? Next year is the 70th anniversary and it was the first #1 single by an identifiably "Jazz" group (according to Schaap, the only one to match was Louis with "Hello Dolly"). There's also the fact that Percy France insisted that the song started while he was still in the band. So the history is somewhat muddled - and I have acquired a good bit of info in the last week or so (Schaap interview of Doggett and NAMM interview of Shepherd).

String Quartets No.3 & No.4

Now Doggett's recollections sound like some conclusive evidence, I'd say. But of course it's not as picturesque as a "chance recording" (the last one tossed off) becoming a million seller. As for Mike's statement about "no guarantee that the order of the matrix numbers represents recordings order" (no doubt that's true, though I'd guess there ARE cases where the matrix number order does represent the recording order, but how do we know?): Doesn't this upset and invalidate the much-loved practice of many collectors (often mentioned here too) to burn their own CDs with the contents of the orignal LPs reorganized in "session recording order"? Because that "session recording order" would then follow the order of numerically ascending matrix numbers (unless proof to the contrary indicating a different recording order exists). But as we have seen there is no guarantee that this order is "correct"?

David Bowie “The Next Day” from the “I Can’t Give Everything Away” box set. Somehow listening to Bowie makes me feel like a teenager again, even though this one was originally bought right before I moved from Texas to Ohio, and also brings back the stress and emotional shift of that transition. Bowie was an amazing artist. 869×1024 98.7 KB

George Garzone and Dave Ballou played last night in Providence with RI Music Hall of Famers Marty Ballou and Marty Richards. Great show attended by maybe 35 people.

Pulled out another Dick Cary to listen to. Great for this early morning stillness. 500×500 71.3 KB Dick Cary’s Tuesday Night Friends “Got Swing?” Arbors Jazz cd

NxNW was indeed shot in VistaVision. The original VV negative was scanned at 13k and that scan was then used to create a new 65mm negative, which the 70mm print that was screened at TIFF was then printed from. Looks like it will be screened in Beverly Hills next month and in NYC in February: “North by Northwest”: The 70mm Presentations

The Heath Brothers doing an ad for Yahoo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CfrMSexrR0

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+1. especially the early version with all those guys who ended up migrating to The Soft Machine.

Boston’s The Either/Orchestra is back in time to celebrate its 40th Anniversary and we’re celebrating with two concerts at Big Ears 2026. The ten-piece E/O will be joined by legendary Ethiopian vocalist Teshome Mitiku and younger gen vocalist Munit Mesfin for a dive into their Ethiopian songbook, including selections from their new release éthiopiques 32: Nalbandian the Ethiopian as well as 2005’s éthiopiques 20: Live in Addis.

New biography just released. Have Horn, Will Travel: The Life and Music of Herman "Junior" Cook by Courtney M. Nero https://www.amazon.com/Have-Horn-Will-Travel-Musician/dp/157441982X

If he were, a little late to ask. Well this is an issue of musician recollections anyway ... Shep Shepherd said the tune was tossed off at the end of the session because they needed one more. Doggett is equally certain that the session was for this soon-to-be million seller because he had let slip at a gig in Cleveland that this was his new single, and the local record store had 150 pre-orders, called King, asked for Honky Tonk and was told that it didn't exist. Until then, Syd Nathan was pushing back on the idea of a two-sided juke box single because it would mean two slots out of 50 instead of one - a tough sell to jukebox operators. 150 preorders convinced him that Doggett had a tune with potential and greenlighted the recording.

There is no guarantee hat the order of the matrix numbers represents recordings order. Many matrix numbers were attributed after the fact, Columbia often numbered the tracks in the order on the LP sides, even when recorded on separate days. Verve and others re-used matrix numbers when tunes were re-done on a later session. There are many opportunities where errors can occur. The Blue Note numbering system is pretty foolproof as take numbers were assigned in recording order. Musicians' recollections is another matter.