Teasing the Korean

Zigzag, Oiver Nelson (MGM yellow label promo)

"I have all the tools that other mastering engineers have, but my little trick is knowing when not to use them, because I will gladly not use them to keep the faithful sound of the original tape." I don't understand the concept of keeping "faithful to the sound of the original tape" with regards to the more important concept of being faithful to the spirit of the performance captured on the tape. I for one do not trust 100% of the engineers and producers who have ever lived 100% of the time. If a producer/engineer revisits an old recording and can bring something out that was lacking in the original, why not?

Thanks for the update; I'd wondered about the status. At least they're adding more rather than taking stuff off!

Kenyon Hopkins, East Side West Side, Columbia (mono)

At least the robot doesn't have a ponytail and wear a goofy hat.

I have a fair amount of late 70s/early 80 punk/new wave from my ill-spent youth. I stopped listening to this stuff entirely around 1984 or so. Beginning a couple of years ago, I started pulling out some titles and doing random needle drops, just to see how the stuff would hit me all these years later. I thought that the Police records had aged worse than most of the others. I hung on to nearly all of these records with the exception of the Police records. These ended up in a thrift store, because none of the second hand vinyl shops wanted them (and they were in pristine condition).

Avoid "The Junior Mance Touch" on Polydor. While some would be put off by the song selection and presence of strings, the real drawback on this one is the unbelievably out-of-tune bass playing. How no one caught this at the session is beyond me.

He was in the psychedelic incarnation of The Animals (San Francisco Nights, Monterey, etc.).

The production on those Police albums - especially the mic placement on the drums and solid state guitar sounds - is HORRIBLE.

Agree completely with what you're saying; but at the same time I don't feel this should prevent people from making comparisons between jazz and so-called "classical" artists if the comparisons are merited. Having said that, I would never have thought of comparing Strayhorn to Mahler or Stravinsky.

How much does it cost these days to rent Elvis Costello for a tribute?

A knockoff of the Saarinen pedestal chair. No arms, perfect for computer use. Aesthetically, it looks like the Eames fiberglass chair, but with a pedestal base.

Pat Williams "How Sweet It Is" OST, (RCA stereo)

Martial Solal and the European All Stars (French Telefunken mono). It's a good one, Brownie!

Eddie Harris, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Vee Jay stereo

Thanks for reminding me of this. I only played it once or twice but remember liking it.

Isn't he Arthur Schwartz's son? (of Schwartz/Dietz fame?)

Yes, it's his profile at the piano, black background.

Just picked up "Martial Solal and the European All Stars" on what appears to be a French Telefunken LP (purple label, mono. Recorded in Berlin May 21, 1961. Anyone know anything about this? I haven't spun it yet.

They're both great, and the Mandel album is even better than the combo. There is/was a CD twofer (Rykodisc maybe?) that combined both LPs on a single CD.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/08/specter....l.ap/index.html

Not to mention the album he did with Michel Legrand.

It was on past my beddy-bye time in our PBS market, and I don't remember how to program my antiquated VCR anymore. It's always been very interesting to me that a number of brilliant composer/arranger/orchestrators have had these collaborative relationships, and that in many cases there is some mystery as to who contributed what to the finished product.

What do you think of this? I generally prefer the Beatles in mono right up through Hey Jude and Revolution, but I'm disappointed by the White Album in mono. It seems like the stereo release took priority on this one. Don't mean to rain on your parade, but I'm just curious.

PEPPER SPRAY?!? How embarrassing for an astronaut. Why didn't she use a phaser?