David Schachter Truro, MA wrote:

In October, Joel Roberts reviewed the new release of the CD of Billy Strayhorn's, The Peaceful Side of Billy Strayhorn. I cannot find it anywhere. Chris Slawecki led me to you. Thanks for any help.

David:

The Peaceful Side was last reissued by Blue Note on CD in 1996 and is out of print. I am unaware of any subsequent reissue. I didn't find the CD review by Joel Roberts in AAJ's October 2001 archive, though it was run some time in the past as it is contained elsewhere in the archives. You're going to have to settle for searching sites that deal with used and/or cutout CDs. Best bets are www.euclidrecords.com, www.secondspin.com, and similar sites.

Greg Rolfson Of Freeport, Maine wrote:

I remember a group that was killed, I believe, in a plane crash in the 1970s. They were a pop-jazz group and had some screaming trumpets. I recall something like plane, sky? I just can't remember their name but I liked what they did. I think they only put out one album. Any ideas?

Greg:

That was the band Chase, led by trumpeter Bill Chase, who was an alum of Woody Herman's Orchestra. Actually, they put out at least three records (Chase, Ennea, and Pure Music). They disbanded for a time then reunited and Chase and three fellow band members died in a plane crash On Aug. 9, 1974 near Jackson Minnesota.

Nelson Branco of Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal wrote:

I am looking since a long time from the music playing in the TV Commercial from Chrysler Neon (that one that was filmed in New York City) - I think the name of the song is "Sonny," but I don't know anything else. If you have more information on this, please reply me. Thanks in advance.

Nelson:

I'm not sure whether I've seen this commercial though I bet it may be the famous pop song "Sunny," which has been recorded hundreds of times by musicians in all fields. It will be hard to take even a wild guess as to the artist is without a tape to review.

Ken:

About a year ago, I saw on GPTV a film called "The Picture" or "The Photograph". It was about the taking of a photograph of all the jazz greats that were in Harlem on that day in the late 40's. Almost everyone you could name in jazz at that time was in the picture. The film consisted of home movies taken at the time of how the shoot was brought together and interviews with some of the performers who are alive today and remember that day. I would like very much to get a copy of that show. Does this ring any bells with you? Thanks for your time.

Ned:

It's called "A Great Day in Harlem" and it is available on DVD and VHS from several sources. There's also some home movie footage shot by the late Milt Hinton (one of the musicians in the photo) and his wife, along with interviews with a handful of musicians pictured who are still living. Only a few of them are still with us.

Yuval Mate of Yoknam, Israel wrote:

I once had a great Lp by Jo Jones and Milt Hinton called: Percussion And Bass (issued by Everest Records). Lately I've heard it was re-issued on CD, and was intensively looking for it. I even found it listed at $26 in Amazon but there it was stated "Unavailable". What is the meaning of this? How can it be unavailable for $26 ? Can you help me find a place to buy this CD ? I'm also looking for the CD of the original fifties "Straight Life" by Art Pepper.

Yuval:

Percussion and Bass was last available as a Fresh Sound CD #204, but I can't vouch that it is still in print, as Fresh Sound regularly deletes titles.

There's a CD called Straight Life available in Fantasy's OJC series recorded in 1979, near the end of his life. The European CD reissue Straight Life (of his 1950s material) is similar in most respects to the Savoy Jazz CD Surf Ride, but the one you'll be interested in is a later Savoy Jazz reissue called The Discovery Sessions, with all 12 tracks you're seeking plus ten more.

Marion of Blackburn, England:

Can you tell me where I can buy a copy of '"Just the Two of Us... just the single.

Marion:

Unfortunately, most of the web sites I have visited don't bother listing singles, probably because few of them will trade for singles or purchase them. The few shops that I've seen with jazz singles usually don't have web sites and sell them for $1, but it is like looking for a needle in a haystack unless it's something very current. At the radio station I work for singles are discarded to salvage the jewel boxes to replace broken containers on full CDs; my policy for the rare occasions I get singles is identical, as I have no use for them.

Maybe things are different in some markets but I would almost bet the time and money you would spend searching for the single will not be worth the effort.

Jonathan Strahan Perth of Western Australia wrote:

Has the music recorded on June 25 1961 by Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro, and Paul Motian ever been released on cd in its entirety in the order in which it was performed? I've often wanted the full Vanguard performance, but have been unable to find it.

Jonathan:

The closest thing to the complete recordings of the Bill Evans Trio featuring all surviving takes in the order that they were recorded at the Village Vanguard on 6/25/61 is contained within the 12 CD Evans boxed set The Complete Riverside Recordings. Orrin Keepnews, one of Riverside's owners, who produced the original session and wrote the liner notes for subsequent reissues of this wonderful music, explains that two tracks are missing. The opener of the first set "Gloria's Step" was ruined by a temporary power outage. An unissued take of "My Man's Gone Now" was lost sometime following the bankruptcy of Riverside Records as the tapes changed hands several times. The boxed set also includes a humorous 24 second coda by Evans when he's informed that there's tape still remaining, it's sort of chase music as played for silent films.

Phyllis of Philadelphia, PA wrote:

Looking for female singer, Keely Smith CDs for Christmas gift. Are any available anywhere?

Phyllis:

You're in luck as there are no fewer than ten CDs by Keely Smith currently available from CD Now, including her most recent, which appeared on Concord this year, Keely Sings Sinatra. They also have at least three compilations of her work.

Dan Klein of Ocean City wrote:

Ken, could you please provide me with the correct spelling of Billy Eckstein's last name. I've looked almost everywhere. Even my Jazz friend musician's aren't sure. Thanks.

Dan:

This won't be entirely a definitive answer, but here it is. He was born William Clarence Eckstein but went by Billy Eckstine. I can't safe for sure if the change in spelling was his idea or possibly an agent's or record label's.

There's a reason I'm not stating a precise claim as to who decided upon the change. Violinist Stephane Grappelly's last name had its spelling changed to Grappelli some time in the early 1960s, but it wasn't his idea according to Marian McPartland, even though that's the way the story went. I was in touch with her a few days prior to his Piano Jazz taping session (on Oct. 5, 1989), and I informed her about his piano trio date from the 1950s, which she was unaware of. She asked to borrow it, and I asked if she would get him to autograph it. She did, and it came back with the original spelling of Grappelly, and my next conversation with her confirmed the change was not his idea!

Carlos Schvartzman of Asuncion, Paraguay wrote:

I have unsuccessfully tried for the last 2 years to get the following CD: The Dissection and Reconstruction of Music from the Past As Performed by the Marquis De Sade Emsemble -- Composed, arranged and conducted by Lalo Schifrin. I have the vinyl, but would like the CD. Can you help me? Thanks a lot.

Carlos:

Because this was a limited edition CD from 1997 that likely had a press run of between 5000 and 6500, as do most of the titles in the Verve Elite Edition series, it probably sold out very quickly after its issue. Your best bet is the jazz auctions on the web as it seems rather unlikely to turn up in the run of the mill used CD sites, and you can probably forget trying to find a new copy at the regular price. My searches so far haven't turned up an available copy.

Jim wrote:

I've been looking for several releases for quite some time: Tommy Flanagan: Overseas Sam Rivers: Fuschia Swing Song Johnny Griffin Quartet: Way Out

Jim:

Tommy Flanagan's Overseas was reissued by Fantasy in 1999 (OJC 1033); Johnny Griffin's Way Out in 1994 (OJC 1855--a limited edition!). Sam River's Fuschia Swing Song came out awhile back on Blue Note and then had a limited second pressing, but it is out of print once again. It also is included in the 3 CD Mosaic boxed set of Sam Rivers, something that is still available, though it is a limited edition as well.

Anthony Adams West Palm Beach, FL wrote:

Would you please let me know if the following titles are still available to purchase anywhere: Quincy Jones "Gula Matari"- A&M Records- Count Basie Orchestra-One More Time: Music from the Pen of Quincy Jones"- Roulette - 1960. Thank you very Much!!!!

Anthony:

Both were available on CD circa 1989 to 1991, but they've lapsed from print. The Basie CD was also a part of the Mosaic set of Roulette Studio Recordings of Basie, but I believe it is also out of print. You'll have to try to find a used copy on line.

D. Marsh of Philadelphia, PA wrote:

I've been searching for Idris Muhammad's "Power of Soul", hoping one day it will be out on CD. I've searched various sites but they only offer the (used) LP's (like I still have a turntable). So Ken, will this be my lucky day by telling me that it is available on CD? Also, can you give me the names of the other selections (I know one is Loran's Dance) and also the website for Idris Muhammad or CTI record label. Thanks, much!!!

D. Marsh:

You're in luck! Columbia plans to reissue his "Power of Soul" in its CTI reissue series next spring.

Joseph of Boston, MA wrote:

I want increase my collection with live recordings. Can you suggest ten ?

Joseph:

It's always tough to narrow a list to ten, but here are some recommendations: Benny Goodman At Carnegie Hall 1938 Complete (Columbia) Duke Ellington: The Great Paris Concert (Atlantic) Bill Evans: Sunday at the Village Vanguard (OJC/Fantasy) Ella Fitzgerald: The Complete Ella in Berlin (Verve) Art Farmer Quintet: Live at Sweet Basil (Evidence) Stan Getz: Serenity (Emarcy) Ron Carter & Jim Hall: Telepathy (Concord) Phil Woods: Bouquet (Concord) Art Tatum: Piano Starts Here (Columbia/Legacy) Dick Hyman: Music of 1937 (Concord)

Please note that this is a list composed on a whim and that it might vary according to my mood. I guarantee that at least five of the above releases would pop up each time I thought about it.

James Pickett of Surry, ME wrote:

Where can I find a recording of Sylvia Marlowe, a harpsichordist, playing "Honky Tonk Train Blues"? Gunther Schuller, in his "The Swing Era" suggested that Ms. Marlowe's recording was heard by Artie Shaw and he decided to use harpsichord in his Gramercy Five, recording such goodies as "Summit Ridge Drive"

James:

She evidently recorded a 78 sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s of Meade Lux Lewis' boogie woogie anthem, but other than an LP called Music for Harpsichord released in 1959, I've found no listing of any records by her. If you're looking for a 78 record, it will likely be very hard to find as so few dealers handle them. There's a chance it was reissued in the LP era but I haven't found a song list for that one LP. Give Euclid Records a try (www.euclidrecords.com).

Lewis did some recording for Blue Note on the harpsichord, but not "Honky Tonk Train Blues;" besides, the last time his harpsichord stuff was available was in the long out of print Mosaic box with Albert Ammons, which you're likely to find only on auction lists, since only 5000 copies were made.

Michael of San Francisco, CA wrote:

A few years ago, I was in a jazz bar in Tokyo, and they were playing a CD that struck me--I could tell that Tyner was on piano and Elvin Jones was playing drums, and the only horn was a soprano sax, so I assumed it was Coltrane. I looked at the credits, though, and the horn player was Steve Lacy. I seem to remember that it was on Impulse and I THINK it was a McCoy Tyner-led session, but I've looked for it on allmusic.com and I can't see that Lacy and Tyner ever recorded together. Any ideas?

Michael:

Although such a meeting would seem logical I haven't found any proof of it. McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones have recorded together on a number of sessions since working for John Coltrane, but I haven't found any evidence of Tyner recording with Steve Lacy. Perhaps if such a CD exists it was done for a Japanese label under Elvin Jones' name; as you may have surmised it is very difficult to keep up with overseas releases (particularly Japanese) since they are available rather erratically in the U.S. Maybe a sharp-eyed reader from overseas will come up with something.

Chrys Gibson of Seattle, WA wrote:

Who wrote "St. Thomas"? When was it written and is it in the public domain? Thanks tons.

Chrys:

Although "St. Thomas" is supposedly a folk tune of sorts in the West Indies, but Sonny Rollins copywrited the famous piece under that name sometime prior to 1956. It has been recorded over 100 times and is definitely not in the public domain.

Dan of La Verne, CA wrote:

It would make my year to find out that Sarah Vaughan recorded a Christmas album or even a Christmas song...Can you tell me if she did?

Dan:

I haven't found any listing of a Christmas LP by Sarah Vaughan, though you would've thought she had recorded at least one Christmas song for an anthology. Maybe someone else will know of one.

Sammy Moahlodi of Pretoria, South Africa wrote:

Tom Ellis 's Easterly Winds album on the Inner City label. Is it available on CD or do you know of any plans to re-issue it on CD. The album features Jack DeJohnnette, Eddie Gomez and Grady Tate and it is very obscure that it is not even listed on www.allmusic.com. The first time I heard about him was two days ago on Bob Parlocha 's show on www.wdna.org.

Sammy:

Pianist/singer Tom Lellis (not Ellis) released an LP called "And In This Corner" on Inner City in 1979, but I've found no trace of a record by the title "Easterly Winds," except for a Jack Wilson release for Blue Note. In any case, Inner City ceased operations around 1980 or so, and other than the titles they licensed from Steeplechase, few (if any titles) from their catalog have appeared elsewhere on CD. I would say that the prospects for the reissue of any out of print Tom Lellis album would be extremely remote.

David Hinkle of Oklahoma City, OK wrote:

Could you please help me locate a copy of the 5 CD set Mosaic put out compiling "The Complete Solid State Recordings of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra May 4, 1966 - May 25, 1970"?

David:

You don't necessarily have to start humming Lalo Schifrin's best known piece ("Mission: Impossible"), but expect to pay through the nose. This out of print limited edition set (only 5000 made) generally only appears on auction lists unless someone is unusually naive. Check eBay and similar auction sites, but I bet you are looking at a minimum price of $150 plus shipping --if you can locate one at all.

When it comes to Mosaic sets, it must be stressed that they are well worth the investment and should ideally be purchased from the label. No other label approaches what they do when they put together a comprehensive collection.