Chuck Nessa

I left the BNBB like lots of others and went here asap and to Michael Ricci's site. The All About Jazz site seemed perfect - up and running, threads to join, etc. I understand we overwhelmed them, and MR tried to keep up with us, but a couple of negative posts and ulitmately the thread started by an idiot named Pharoahrock ticked me off to the extent I left. I'm in a funk about loosing the "home" on the BN site, but don't need this shit. I will be here as long as the group lives. I hope it prospers. Thanks Mr. Organ.

You are probably not going to like this, but you may want to buy both. The "Complete" set should be the first choice since you get the live material as well (music over sonics). Then, if you are captivated by the Capitol sides, you will need the RVG for the best sound.

Underdog is something to read when you've exhausted everything else - including Jane Austin. Both Priestley and Santoro give short shrift to the California years. Priestley at least tried. Santoro bailed. Everyone needs the info in the liners to the Uptown Mingus package. Bob Sunenblick, aided by yours truly, uncovered more information about the "formative" years than both of them put together. In many ways Mingus didn't advance his music beyond his late '40s tracks. Truly amazing stuff.

In the early '80s he lived on one of the Georgia Sea Islands, then moved to Savannah. I was in touch with him then by phone and letter. He was not playing, but claimed to be composing "under the direction of the creator". He disappeared from GA and turned up in Seattle. It has been a downhill slide since then, but he is warm and fed. Mr. Thompson has some emotional problems and should be left in peace.

I won't post, just to post. I need a topic or thread to respond to, and you will see they are growing.

I put together a Jimmy Smith Jam Session for the Chicago Jazz Festival in the early '80s. Setting it up, I had to deal with Jimmy's wife/manager Lola, and all she wanted was George Benson, Grady Tate and Stanley T to cash in on a recent lp, but I wanted something different. I discovered Benson and Stanley would be unavailable because of a fest in Japan, but she wanted me to call them and ask them to cancel for Jimmy. On about my third phone arguement with her, I heard a voice in the background say "Give me that phone, woman!". Jimmy said "What you want to do?" and I replied "LD, Junior Cook, Bill Hardman, Ray Crawford and Art Blakey". He said "Damn, I see what you're doin'". Then he said to go ahead and he'd be there. It turned out Blakey was on the same tour to Japan as the others and could not make it. As a concession to Lola, we let Jimmy bring his drummer. Afterwards and the next day Jimmy walked around the festival grounds with his chest puffed out, asking everyone he saw if they heard his set.

The French recordings mentioned include (in addition to the EMIs mentioned) two discs on Vogue and 2 more in the inexpensive Jazz in Paris series. These are all wonderful discs.

I remember him in Maynard's band in the early '60s and from the Lonnie Smith BN dates. Georeg Benson, Smith and Cuber made a number of sides in those days, and the Delmark record by Bobby Broom is a recreation of sorts. He also was part of a bari date on BeeHive with Brignola and Cecil Payne.

Never heard of him. What label is it on?