Joel Pitcoff has an important update about the previously discussed Erroll Garner Trio recording of Caravan:

Erroll Garner recorded "Caravan" in 1953, for Columbia. I know the record (CL 535) well for several reasons. It was the very first 12" LP in my collection. Of all my Garner recordings, this one is my absolute favorite. I literally wore out several copies.

There are just six tracks, the others being "There Is No Greater Love", "Avalon", "Lullaby of Birdland", "Memories of You" and "Will You Still Be Mine". Except for "Avalon" (4:11), the cuts range from 5:17 to 7:00 minutes in length. The decision to record "double length numbers" for long-play and extended-play release was a historic departure for a studio session. Prior practice had been to treat LPs as compilations of (typically 10-12) single tracks, each about three minutes long.

According to producer George Avakian's liner notes from the original LP, a total of 13 tunes, averaging over six minutes in length, were recorded at that same session ... with no retakes! If the other seven ever were released, they apparently weren't combined into one package.

Now that I've told you more than you probably wanted to know, would you perhaps like the answer to your original question? There indeed is a CD release, an import pressing (CBS 465631 2), part of The Jazzotheque CBS Jazz Piano Collection series, produced by Henri Renaud. That CD combines two entire original LPs. The other is the excellent, unaccompanied "Soliloquy" (CL 1060) from 1958. The latter LP also contained six extended tracks, ranging from 4:27 to 7:37 in length. Alas, the only liner notes included with the CD are a five sentence homage from Renaud, but you they are provided in both French and English.

One more piece of trivia: the CBS package says that CL 535 was entitled "At the Piano", as does at least one respected discography. I can attest, however, that no such title appears on the original LP jacket. The front cover merely says "ERROLL GARNER" in large white and yellow capital letters against a black background, then lists the six song titles below in smaller font. Similarly, the back cover reads "ERROLL GARNER" in large caps and again lists the tunes underneath in smaller font. The spine merely says "ERROLL GARNER".

My only suspicion is that the source of that error is the small print sub-title on the red label of the vinyl disc itself, which reads verbatim as follows:

ERROLL GARNER ERROLL GARNER at the Piano Wyatt Ruther, Bass: "Fats" Heard, Drums

But please note that the type on the first line is bold and two or three times the size used on lines two and three.

By the way, no idea how widely distributed the CD is, but I've seen a copy recently at the Harmony House store in Berkley, MI.

Joel:

Thanks for the very thorough update!

James Nichols of San Antonio, TX wrote:

I've been looking for the Herbie Nichols sessions on Bethlehem called (at least at one point) Love, Gloom, Cash, Love. Any ideas? I've also been looking for Horace Parlan on Blue Note.

James:

The Herbie Nichols Bethlehem CD was issued by Evidence Music, but they are closing out their inventory may not still have it in stock. There should be a web link through the All About Jazz Record Label page. It may still be available through Cadence (www.cadencebuilding.com). Bethlehem titles are now being reissued by Avenue Jazz, so I imagine that Nichols' CD will show up in their catalog before too long.

Two or three of Horace Parlan's Blue Note CDs were reissued but all of them are out of print currently. Mosaic Records issued all Parlan's Blue Note recordings in a 5 CD package (#MD5-197) last year. It is still available and also worth acquiring.

Paul Brading of London, England wrote:

Could you tell me anything about a song called 'I Like London in the Rain' by Blossom Dearie? Which album is it from and has it been reissued? Was this a cover or the original version, and who wrote it? It captures my town better than any song I've ever heard. Availablilty of her back catalogue seems limited. Is there a primary source for information for this fabulous artist? Cheers!

Paul:

Singer and pianist Blossom Dearie is some what of a cult favorite, though she has stayed busy over the years. She formed her own label, Daffodil, some time back, but most of her earlier recordings are out of print, other than a few which appeared on a Verve compilation. I've never heard of the song you mentioned and you might try searching its composers on both the ASCAP and BMI web sites.

Jack Kline of San Diego wrote:

I'm trying to recollect a Jazz Organist from the early to mid 1960s. He was dynamite but I don't remember his name. The most memorable album or track from one of his albums was "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?" Would you know who he is? Thanks.

Jack:

That would be the still very active Jimmy Smith. That LP, with a big band led by the late Oliver Nelson, is long out of print.

Dale Ahearn of San Francisco wrote:

I would like to locate a copy of a CD I've read about, "Miscellaneous Davis 1955-1957" on Jazz Unlimited JUCD 2050, released in 1994, I believe. Any suggestions? And a second item I'd like to find, also on CD, "Charlie Parker and the Stars of Modern Jazz, Carnegie Hall, Xmas '49". I've seen this mentioned with various permutations of that title. This was originally on the JASS label I believe. Can you help me locate a copy of this as well?

Dale:

Jazz Unlimited was a Danish label that was distributed by Allegro (www.allegro-music.com) as recently as 1999 or 2000; I haven't found a source for the Davis CD. Bernie Brightman's Jass label (along with his Stash and Vintage Jazz Classics labels) folded a few years back, so a lot of these CDs are hard to locate. I have a copy of that Christmas concert CD, but I'm not sure where to send you to find a used copy. Someone has had a classified listing in All About Jazz requesting one for some time, possibly you...

Kim O. of Fresno, CA wrote:

Several years ago, a musician died (trumpet or sax). It was then discovered that this fairly famous jazz musician was actually a woman. For the love of jazz...please put me out of my misery...who was this person?!

Kim:

The only one I remember that fits the bill (oops, sorry) was singer Billy Tipton, if I remember correctly.

Joel Piticoff wrote:

I recently purchased Larry Coryell's "welcome my darling" CD on the Arco label, which is distributed in the U.S. by Qualiton Imports. It's a live recording of a 1986 club date with a quartet including Stanley Cowell, Buster Williams and Billy Hart. Track 4 on the CD is not "Stella by Starlight", as listed, but another ballad I don't recognize. Can you please help identify the tune? Also, do you have any info about the venue, described as Ally's Alled, New York? Finally, my copy of the disc fades out in mid-chorus of the track in question. Is mine a defective copy or is the entire pressing like that? Thanks very much.

Joel:

I don't have the CD you bought so I can't identify it. The combination of an incorrectly labeled track, an incomplete track, and a label I've never heard of distributed by Qualiton (who is known to supply a lot of poor quality European bootlegs) make me believe that this is a bootleg. I've never heard of the club; I imagine that it is probably long defunct, though maybe this column's New York readers might have more information.

Mark Sidman of Washington, DC wrote:

I've been able to track down nice (no hiss) copies of about two-thirds of the lps issued on the Mode label. The remaining third are proving tough to find on vinyl. Are you aware of any dealers who might have some of the rarer titles? I'd also appreciate the names of any dealers who handle Bethlehem in any volume. Thanks.

Mark: Phew, that's a tough order. I used to buy a lot of great vintage LPs from T. R. Gabler (P.O. Box 353, San Clemente, CA 92674), but it's been ten years since I've contacted him. His grading was impeccable, prices were reasonable, and he always had interesting inventory. I haven't noticed that many Mode & Bethlehem LPs offered in the sites I've checked out.

David Collin of Brisbane, Australia wrote:

Are Wayne Shorter's Blue Note recordings available in a boxed set? I recently purchased Herbie Hancock's excellent Blue Note box, but was wondering whether the label had reissued Wayne Shorter's in that form, before I purchase the individual CDs. Or is a boxed set in the pipeline?

David:

Some of Wayne Shorter's early Blue Note CDs have been reissued, discontinued, and then reissued in the RVG (Rudy Van Gelder) editions; but there's no indication from Blue Note publicity that a boxed set is due any time in the next six months.

Rob Richards of Wombourne, UK wrote:

I cannot forget a track called "Spontaneous Combustion" and want to buy the CD that contains it. Can you help, please?

Rob:

There are two jazz compositions by that title. The better known one was written by the late saxophonist Cannonball Adderley; he recorded it on the following releases: Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco (OJC/Fantasy) Discoveries (Savoy) Summer of '55 (Savoy) It also appears on the Hank Jones Trio CD (Savoy) and Nat Adderley's Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Evidence). The lesser known song was written by pianist Paul Bley and appears on the CD Introducing Paul Bley (OJC/Fantasy) as well as the huge boxed set The Complete Debut Recordings of Charles Mingus. My bet is that you're looking for one of the versions of Cannonball's tune.

Mathan wrote:

Can you please help me locate the following CDs:

1. Ed Bickert: At Toronto's Bourbon Street Concord Jazz LP #216
2. Ahmad Jamal: Live At The Montreal Jazz Festival 1985
3. Ahmad Jamal: Chicago Revisited-Live At Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase
4. Annie Ross: Gasser
5. Red Mitchell: Hear Ye

Nathan:

1. The Ed Bickert LP has never been reissued on CD.
2. Ahmad Jamal's Live at Montreux 1985 was a 2 LP set and I'm unclear whether it ever was simultaneously issued as a CD.
3. Jamal's Chicago Revisited-Live at the Jazz Showcase is a current Telarc CD. Our sponsor, Jazzsteps.com, should have it, as well as any major music web site.
4. Annie Ross: A Gasser! (with Zoot Sims, Pacific Jazz 7 46854 2) was reissued but has been out of print for awhile. The Japanese may have reissued it, but expect to pay a fortune ($30); try www.redtrumpet.com. Out of print Blue Note and Pacific Jazz CDs are among the toughest to locate.
5. Red Mitchell-Harold Land Quintet's Hear Ye! Hear Ye! was available as an Atlantic CD reissue for a long time, recently Koch acquired the rights to it. Jazzsteps and other music web sites should have it.

Mikkel of Copenhagen, Denmark wrote:

Hi Ken:

This is not a real tough one for you I guess, but anyway... On Coltranes 'Olé' one of the tracks (Aisha) is written by Tyner. Did Coltrane ever record another tune by Tyner (in this constellation or another)?

Mikkel:

This is the only tune I am aware of which John Coltrane recorded which was composed by McCoy Tyner, unless there's something still unreleased in the Impulse vaults (very unlikely) or if a bootleg exists of another work.

Editor's Note: "The Believer" was a Tyner composition recorded by John Coltrane.