Ahhh, my favorite LP oddity. The Mercury/Wing/Emarcy shellac ghosting effect. It seems that something in the printing process that this family of labels used for their 50's sleeves lent itself to clouding up underneath the shellac. You occasionally see it on other releases, but most often it's the Mercury and related LP's that have the best "ghosting."  Truly stunning!

No, we're not talking Fausto Papetti here (uh, he's the "Sax Symbol" to those of us in the know).  This gallery is nothin' but skyclad lads from way back- when hanging around in the nude with your bandmate brethren was a way of life...Maybe all those bar bands that clog up the east side of Sunset should start up with this theme for their album covers, being that the four faces mingling (ala Love) thing is kinda way past its prime. I can see it now, nude bearded guys with poorly chosen fedoras hanging around a fire on a hillside. Behold the future retro...

                                                          







                                                           
                                                              
                                                                      

Detroit native Curtis Fuller graces us with his presence this week at the Jazz theatre known as the Jazz Bakery. Nestled in the upscale Helms Bakery district of Culver City,  the Jazz Bakery is a non profit performance space run by the lovely jazz singer Ruth Price. I popped in this past Friday to check out the legendary Lee Konitz, who of course still kills it (at 80!) without breaking a sweat.

Mr. Fuller has led on quite a few albums, originals often fetch $500+.  Just try tracking down a copy of his debut on Transition or an orig. Bone & Bari on Blue Note and you could be doubling or tripling that.  And yes...he's that good.  Curtis also sided for Miles Davis and John Coltrane, for a stretch in the early 60's he was the sixth man in the Jazz Messengers and he played on the Wayne Shorter masterpiece Schizophrenia.  Of course he's kept busy since those glory days, check out the cut below recorded in 2005 followed by an amazing vintage cut "Children of the Night"...