I was born 30 years too late. The calendar says I’m 55. My head says I’m 80. That would be a bad place if it weren’t so damn musical. I like old jazz. I like Joplin. I like Monk. I like Brubeck. I adore Fats. (Sometimes I like Marcus Roberts, but usually when he sounds like he’s playing old jazz. Check out Alone with Three Giants.) Fast is good. Bebop is good. Hard bop is good. Charlie Parker is great. Dizzy is God. But too many notes too fast – dull. If Diz is great, then why does Art Tatum leave me cold? Personality, maybe.
Melody is important. Gershwin and Ellington are the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of melody. Corea and Hancock never sounded better than when they recorded Liza together on solo pianos. Fusion is good, sometimes. Return to Forever is sublime. Bitches Brew is noise. Free jazz is just junk. Sorry. Drum solos – I don’t get it. Ditto bass solos. Most of all, music is personal. Listen with fresh ears and always seek out something new. On very good days, you’ll find a new Ellington or Miles. That’s what this blog is all about.
Collecting Blue Note CDs 
Enjoying your blog. We’re the same age and have very similar tastes. Now, inspired by your latest piece, I’m away to listen to some Lou Donaldson that I’ve not checked out or ages. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Ricky. One nice thing about this blog is it’s forcing me to go back and listen to old albums (and new ones!) fresh. I’m finding things I forgot I liked, and finding new things that I never knew I’d liked.
Great site. Can I link it to my blog?
http://bopandbeyond.wordpress.com
Let me know where to send them and I’ll be happy to make you a copy of the liner notes from Dizzy’s Diamonds. Found your blog in the spring of 2014 and have been following ever since. I also collect Blue Note on CD.
Hi Tony — It’s good to meet another Blue Note fan. Thanks for following the blog, and for the offer of the liner notes. I’m really looking forward to finding out who’s playing what! I’ll send an email to your gmail address, rather than post my home address here. Meanwhile, I’m curious to know what you’ve been listening to lately. I’m just as likely to be listening to new jazz on XM or Spotify as I am old jazz on CD — or classic rock or blues. Depends on my mood.
Marc
Hi there, just came across your blog – well researched and written. I’m also collecting Blue Note CDs (and jazz in general). My first was My Man in Paris about 25 years ago and it was only when I was in a local record store about five years ago that I discovered the vast back catalogue. The shop said that EMi (the current copyright holders) were deleting almost the entire back catalogue so I snapped up as many of them as I could at the bargain price of £3 British pounds (that’s $4.50). Since then I’ve managed to track down close to around 250 or so and now into the rarity territory mostly. I was in Japan last year and managed to pick up quite a few and in Japan they have released a lot of rare discs as part of the 60th anniversary on SHM-CD format(check out Amazon.co.uk for some rare Lou Donaldson discs for example). I use camel camel to price watch my Amazon wish list and pick up a few bargains that way. I also use Discogs and just picked up Grant Green Standards for £10 – its around double that on Amazon. Also second hand music stores – picked up the first Three Sounds CD at the weekend for a few pounds. I’ve avoided the multi set boxes on the Real Gone Jazz label that are that are available in the UK (we have odd copyright laws here in the `UK about reproducing music thats older than 50 years since first published without any royalty or licensing costs). I have bought a couple of Mosaic sets though as they are licensed and the packaging is quite superb. I don’t really bother about most titles after the mid 60s as they are often too commercial.
Hi Jim — Thanks for the kind words. Wow, 250 CDs in 5 years! That’s a ton. And far more than you can actually listen to, I’m sure. I know, there’s just something about actually owning the CDs or records that’s appealing. And yes, I agree about the titles after the mid-60s. Not so good. But I do love the label’s comeback, even if I’m not a fan of everything they’ve put out. I guess I just like the idea of Blue Note surviving, and of Don Was at the helm.
I confess, I’ve bought a few of those ridiculous box sets with the equivalent of 8 albums on 4 CDs. Again, it’s just gluttony — more than you can hear or appreciate. And it’s not the same as actually owning the Blue Note CDs. But, well… all that wonderful music.
Cheers,
Marc