crisp

Big Beat Steve's description is correct as far as it goes and James Last is probably the most nakedly commercial of all the "easy listening" bandleaders, but as with all this music, part of the pleasure is in the artifice/absence of ego, part in the constant variation on a formula and part in discovering the occasional buried gem. This might be a single track on an otherwise routine album, or even just a solo or orchestration touch on an otherwise routine track. That won't satisfy those who want deep personal expression all the time, but if you like to take regular breaks from personality-led music, the contrast can be very enjoyable. I'm into "easy" as well as classical and jazz and recently got a Vocalion reissue of two Last albums, Voodoo Party and Well-Kept Secret. Its highly recommended: skilfully arranged and played instrumental funk with the slight weirdness that comes from anything that starts from the point of not caring whether the listener is impressed or not. Caveat emptor and all that, but don't necessarily dismiss out of hand. Full disclosure: I like Mantovani too.

TedR: Well put.

(Apologies for cutting the summary part of your post.) The reason the plot summary doesn't match up with my account of its point is that it doesn't match up with the film. Gil is shown on the plane just sitting there, expressing no obvious emotion, let alone guilt; it's clear now that he coldly played a part for Cecelia so he could solve his career problem and move on. Cecelia's reaction to the Astaire film is, IIRC, not as enraptured as it was previously; she's in tears, not "losing herself in the film" at all: she's learnt a painful lesson. It's downbeat, sure, but not finger-wagging IMO.

Not sure if escapism is something to be "celebrated"...a little goes a long way as far as improving one's actual condition, if that is in fact from what one is trying to escape. I don't know much, but I do know that. Have you seen the film? It's more or less making that point; that escapist entertainment is a wonderful thing, but ultimately you have to accept reality. The romantic Hollywood movies of the Thirties are pastiched and satirised but very affectionately; they certainly aren't "criticised" as Dave Kehr suggests.

Talk about miss the point. Purple Rose doesn't "criticise" Hollywood escapism, it celebrates it. The sadness in the film comes from having to return to real life once the pleasure of the film is over. And why would a film-maker who venerates the artifice of old movies pursue realism in his own work?

Sounds like a cue for all the film critics to again state that he is "back on form", then, when he makes another film that isn't quite perfect, to complain that "he hasn't made a decent film in years".

If you happen to be in London, HMV Oxford Street has five copies of the Complete Columbia Miles and Gil Evans longbox version for just £10. In the jazz department on the racks to the left of the till.

[Jimmy Durante]Everybody's gettin' into the act![/Jimmy Durante] Jazz Train : Verve Collector's Edition Details here. 1. Antonio Carlos Jobim - The Composer of "Desafinado", Plays 2. The Ben Webster Quintet - Soulville 3. Bill Evans - Conversations with Myself 4. Bill Evans - At the Montreux Jazz Festival 5. Bud Powell - The Genius of Bud Powell 6. Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny - Beyond the Missouri Sky 7. Charlie Haden Quartet West - In Angel City 8. Charlie Parker - With Strings: The Master Takes 9. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie- Bird and Diz 10. Count Basie and His Orchestra - April in Paris 11. Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges - Side by Side 12. Ella Fitzgerald - The Complete Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife 13. Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - Boss Tenors in Orbit!!! 14. Gene Krupa-Buddy Rich - Buddy and Rich 15. Gerry Mulligan - Night Lights 16. Herb Ellis - Nothing But the Blues 17. Herbie Hancock - The New Standard 18. Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery - Jimmy & Wes The Dynamic Duo 19. Joe Henderson - Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn 20. John McLaughlin - The Promise 21. John Scofield - A Go Go 22. Johnny Hodges - With Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra 23. The Lester Young-Teddy Wilson Quartet - Pres and Teddy 24. Lester Young: with the Oscar Peterson Trio 25. The Lionel Hampton Quintet 26. Mel Torme: The Marty Paich Orchestra - Swings Schubert Alley 27. Michael Brecker - Nearness of You: The Ballad Book 28. The Oscar Peterson Trio - We Get Requests 29. Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd - Jazz Samba 30. Wes Montgomery - Willow Weep for Me

That and the fact that Mosaic would have used all the metal parts they could find would be the reason why I would have preferred a Mosaic. The annotation would have been top-notch too. I have bought John R.T. Davies-mastered sets in the past on the understanding that these were about as good as PD sets can get and like Chuck have had mixed feelings. Most other PD releases are so bad I choose to avoid them all rather than be disappointed.

Thanks for this. Got my copy yesterday. One thing worth noting is that there are only French-language liner notes. Also the case is one of those where the discs are pushed down on to little levers, with tiny catches to hold them in place. So expect half the discs to be rattling loose when you receive it. Otherwise, it's a nice package.

So was I. I assume these are a load of crummy needle-drops? A Mosaic would have been fantastic. Now it will never happen.

Thanks Hot Ptah -- you couldn't have put it clearer. I'm thinking it's a "no" on this one.

Over in the box bargains thread, matteson has posted details of a forthcoming blues box in this series. Listing here. Now, in spite of having a lot of jazz CDs, I don't have any blues, and I think perhaps I ought to. There are a lot of strong names here, but to me most of them are just names, nothing more. Can any of the blues experts on the forum recommend this selection? 1) Bessie Smith: The Bessie Smith Story 2) Big Bill Broonzy: Big Bill Blues 3) Little Richard: Little Richard And Buck Ram 4) Mahalia Jackson: Live At Newport 1958 5) Chuck Willis: Wails The Blues 6) Elvis Presley: Elvis Presley For LP Fans Only 7) Jimmy Witherspoon: In Person 8) Robert Johnson: King Of The Delta Blues Singers 9) Sonny Boy Williamson And Memphis Slim 10) Aretha Franklin: Unforgettable – A Tribute To Dinah Washington 11) Son House: Father Of Folk Blues 12) Johnny “Guitar” Watson & Larry Williams: Two For The Price Of One 13) Champion Jack Dupree: Anthologie Du Blues Vol. 1 14) Otis Span: The Biggest Things Since Colossus 15) Johnny Winter: Johnny Winter 16) Percy Mayfield: Sings Percy Mayfield 17) The Johnny Otis Show: Live At Monterey! 18) Willie Dixon: I Am The Blues 19) Hubert Sumlin & His Friends: Kings Of Chicago Blues 20) Taj Mahal: The Real Thing 21) Muddy Waters: Hard Again 22) Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble: Texas Flood 23) Keb’ Mo’: Just Like You 24) Etta James: Life, Love & The Blues 25) Buddy Guy: Blues Singer

I see. Thanks.

I didn't know that. Which projects are they?

I hear what you're saying -- in an ideal world and all that -- but it's clear that, in the perfect storm of a global recession, illegal downloading and myriad rival demands on the attention and pockets of the young, the majors have no budget for digitising OOP recordings and are trying to survive in the cheapest way possible. That means repackaging already digitised releases in an eye-catching way. During discussion like this, I sometimes imagine older jazz fans in the eighties looking at all the CDs and thinking: "Blue Trane again? It's been reissued umpteen times on vinyl already!" But there are always people coming up for whom this music is new (lucky them). Downloads of unreleased material would be great (as long as they are lossless) but that would surely also require digitising from scratch, wouldn't it? Which brings us back to the beginning. In these circumstances, thank goodness for companies such as Collector's Choice, Vocalion and Mosaic. Long may they survive!

Maybe. Alternatively, these might appeal to those who have no jazz but want to get into it. Attractive packaging, a low price and the suggestion that these are major recordings might be enough to tempt them. From another perspective, when I had very little classical in my collection, Sony's Original Jacket Collection boxed sets served exactly that purpose for me. I don't put them "on display": they are kept in a drawer and in any case I have very few home visitors. But they offered a good range of famous recordings at a low price and I enjoy owning them and looking at the sleeves whenever I play them. I think these boxed sets are pretty nice. Like most people here I have nearly all the recordings and probably won't be buying, but it's good to see certain catalogue items being kept alive. If I were starting out as a jazz fan now I'd love them.

And another one! Released on the same day. This time from Concord/Universal: Original Jazz Classics (30 Albums). Details here. 1 Art Blakey - Caravan (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 2 Art Pepper - Meets The Rhythm Section (All Music Guide: 5 Stars) 3 Benny Carter - Jazz Giant (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 4 Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby (All Music Guide: 5 Stars) 5 Bill Evans - Portrait In Jazz (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 6 Bobby Timmons - This Here Is Bobby Timmons (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 7 Cannonball Adderley Quintet - In San Francisco (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 8 Abbey Lincoln - Abbey Is Blue (Amg 4 Stars) 9 Sonny Stitt / Bud Powell / J.J. Johnson - Sonny Stitt / Bud Powell / J.J. Johnson 10 Chet Baker - Chet 11 Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Flies High (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 12 Eric Dolphy - At The Five Spot, Vol.1 (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 13 John Coltrane - Soultrane (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 14 John Coltrane - Lush Life (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 15 Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane - Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 16 Kenny Dorham - Quite Kenny (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 17 Kenny Drew Trio - Pal Joey (All Music Guide: 5 Stars?) 18 King Pleasure With Annie Ross - King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings (Amg: 4 Stars) 19 Miles Davis Quintet - Cookin' (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 20 Miles Davis Quintet - Steamin' (All Music Guide: 5 Stars) 21 The Modern Jazz Quartet - Django (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 22 Nat Adderley - Work Song (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 23 Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne & Ray Brown - The Poll Winners (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 24 Ray Bryant - Ray Bryant Trio (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 25 Red Garland Trio - Groovy (All Music Guide: 4 Stars) 26 Shelly Manne & His Friends - My Fair Lady (All Music Guide: 5 Stars) 27 Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus (All Music Guide: 5 Stars) 28 Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners (All Music Guide: 5 Stars) 29 Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery (Amg: 4 Stars) 30 Wynton Kelly - Kelly Blue (All Music Guide: 4 Stars)

Looks like EMI is offering its own answer to Sony BMG's boxed set discussed in this thread. Available from April 26 at Amazon. Details of contents here. CD 1 - The Bud Powell Trio CD 2 - Miles Davis / Birth Of The Cool CD 3 - Lennie Tristano & Warne Marsh / Intution CD 4 - Stan Getz / At Storyville Vol 1 & 2 CD 5 - Gerry Mulligan Quartet CD 6 - Laurindo Almeida Quartet CD 7 - June Christy / Somethin' Cool CD 8 - Chet Baker / Sings CD 9 - Clifford Brown / Jazz Immortal CD 10 - Chico Hamilton Quintet Featuring Buddy Collette CD 11 - Sonny Stitt / Plays Arrangements From The Pen Of Quincy Jones CD 12 - Benny Goodman / The Benny Goodman Story CD 13 - Serge Chaloff / Blue Serge CD 14 - Sonny Criss / Go Man! CD 15 - Nat King Cole / After Midnight CD 16 - Art Pepper / Modern Art CD 17 - Count Basie / Atomic Basie CD 18 - Art Farmer / Modern Art CD 19 - Ray Bryant / Plays CD 20 - Maynard Ferguson / A Message From Birdland CD 21 - Julie London / Around Midnight CD 22 - Nina Simone / At The Village Gate CD 23 - Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington / Together For The First Time CD 24 - Sarah Vaughan / After Hours CD 25 - Peggy Lee / Mink Jazz CD 26 - Bill Evans & Jim Hall / Undercurrent CD 27 - Duke Ellington / Money Jungle CD 28 - Joe Pass / For Django CD 29 - Cannonball Adderley / Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! CD 30 - Chick Corea / Now He Sings, Now He Sobs Ominously, that site describes it as a "2010 Korean 30 CD Set", but the cover and Amazon suggests it's official EMI: "Limited Edition 30 disc box set with albums from the Capitol Records, Pacific Jazz, Roulette and other Jazz labels. All packaged in Mini-LP sleeves. EMI. 2011."

Six-disc boxed set, The Complete Hollies 1963-1968, coming in May. Currently only £12.99 at Amazon UK.

It's all part of their cunning plan...

Just out of sheer curiosity: What kind of "corny" is this supposed to be if it becomes corny when EMOTIONS are being poured forth? Wouldn't this rather be "schmaltzy"? Tiny Hill was corny, Lawrence Welk was corny (O.K., no pianists, but you know what I mean), but were they so primarily because they dispensed overdoses of emotions? I don't really think so. I'm struggling to think of any decent musicians who don't "pour forth emotions", but then maybe all of the music I like is "corny" (I know some of it is meant to be). Was Mahler corny?

Many thanks for the Cole from me as well. Gradually I am getting these Hip-o sets at decent prices...

Hip-o will be releasing another set of unreleased live Ella recordings, S Wonderful: Ella in Japan, next month: `S Wonderful: Ella In Japan, a new release from the acclaimed Verve Select imprint at Hip-oSelect.com, is a brand-new 2-CD set of previously unheard Ella: on tour in Japan with the Roy Eldridge Quartet in January 1964, she and the band were hailed as American jazz heroes, feted in every city, then recorded over two brilliant nights in Tokyo. She ran through Song Book favorites, a smattering of other classics and Ella's own blues, first at Tokyo's equivalent of Carnegie Hall (Disc 1), then in an invitation-only, late-night gig at a luxury hotel's ballroom, with Japanese entertainers in attendance (Disc 2). Eldridge's Quartet got their own set as well, joined in a jam session with local musicians. (Ella fans take additional note: this album features the first recordings of Ella with her longtime pianist Tommy Flanagan.) Where was `S Wonderful: Ella In Japan all these years? Her producer/manager Norman Granz had made stereo mixes, created album sides, devised separate LPs for the American and Japanese markets, sent detailed memos to his staff and then, owing to the abundance of Ella in Verve's vault, cancelled the releases. Published discographies also had incorrect recording dates, adding to the mystery. After nearly 50 years, not only were the tapes rediscovered: writer Marc Myers made his own discoveries with Japanese journalists and surviving musicians, and in the liner notes he tells the full story of these extraordinary recordings for the first time. Myers' essay in the set's 24-page booklet is augmented with rare photos from the tour as well as tour program reprints, and more. All 26 tracks from both planned LPs are now available for the first time ever on `S Wonderful: Ella In Japan a 2-CD collection equal to Ella In Hollywood and, to some, better than that award-winning set, as it's Ella a few years later, a little more confident, swinging with supernatural ease.

These are the only Aretha discs I own, so I can't say whether they are inferior to her later work. I certainly prefer them to most of her hits.