That's All, Folks!

After almost four years of researching and answering reader questions about hard to find CDs and LPs, along with discography inquiries, I've decided to end Ask Ken. Perhaps I was the victim of my own success; initially, I was replying to as many as 15 to 20 questions within one monthly column. But the questions grew enormously in volume and became much more time-consuming to answer, while other writing demands grew as well. So I hope everyone enjoyed the column and forgive me if I didn't get to your question, but you are not alone!

In the works is a project I'm very excited about. In addition to collecting jazz recordings for over 30 years, I have also been recording and trading non-commercial jazz broadcasts for my collection during much of that time. I have hundreds of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz shows, along with Jazzset and former NPR shows like Jazz Alive!, American Jazz Radio Festival, Billy Taylor's Jazz at Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and a few programs from other networks, including Four Queens Jazz Night From Las Vegas, Jazz at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and jazz excerpts from A Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage. I am currently weaving together the excerpts I have from the 1978 White House Jazz Festival, though I'm still looking for songs I didn't record. I plan to review selected shows, describing the music, personnel and anything else special about it.

I don't have a name for the column yet, but hope to debut it before the end of the year. Of course, traders with similar interests should get in touch with me.

Thanks for the great feedback about Ask Ken, and I hope you enjoy my new AAJ venture, coming soon...


If you have a question about hard-to-find CDs or LPs, post your question here .