JohnS

Love this one. Jackie and Byrd make a fine team, Great solos all round plus some decent compositions.

So infuriating. With a lot of patience they usually turn up.

Played yesterday pm. Good stuff.

This morning

Sticking with Conjure for now. The usual mix of word, vocals, latin, blues and free jazz, but it all hangs together David Murray and Billy Bang provide the jazz interest. Playing this reminded me that I saw Hanrahan with a similar lineup to this at the Barbican in London in 2003. Anyone else here make that performance?

Even the usually cooling sea breeze here is hot.

Thanks for the prompt Emil. Lots of very nice things going on here. Excellent contributions from Olu Dara and David Murray.

Definitely one to dig out.

As someone who was around during Monk's Columbia period I recall his recordings were often regarded as being too samey, especially after the variety of what came before. I'll admit I felt the same, concerts included. Now I get an enormous amount of pleasure from listening to Monk and Rouse. A great partnership. Time changes everything. Rouse's outings as leader are terrific too.

Somehow I just can't get with Roy Haynes' on this one.

Yesterday

John Coltrane; Both Directions at Once, The Lost Album. Finding disc 2 much more satisfying.

In the UK I'm pretty sure that Royal Mail in the UK charge a handling fee if shipped via USPS. I've known the odd parcel to slip through uncharged. Couriers always charge the customs/VAT but I don't recall paying a handling fee. They seem to have a pretty smooth system for charging and collecting. That said I've not bought anything latelly from the US which would warrant a charge but I agree it's a real imposition and the £18 (?) has not changed in years as far as I know

A massive hole indeed!

Sonny Clark Buddy DeFranco; Complete Quartets. Jimmy Cleveland; Complete Recordings.

Sorry I'm late to the party. Belated Birthday Greetings..

Good in parts. Cherry is the highlight for me.

. And a first listen today's arrival.

I'm getting a lot of pleasure from Monk these days.