You will see a link to my 'amends' page, within are potted reviews of a variety of new big bands on CD including some selected collegiate jazz ensembles (big bands) from the USA in fact anything that should appeal to big band fans.
DON ELLIS:A FINAL ANALYSIS is an article giving my appraisal of the man and his career. You may not agree with all of it - so be it! I don't think there are too many errors in fact, if there are I don't think they interfere with the flow of the piece.
There are also extended dissertations on Bob Florence, Bill Holman . Tom Kubis. Jeff Hamilton.. Rob McConnell. Well reviewed, worth a read!!! These features are reproduced, with permission, from original articles by me in JAZZ JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL. They have been updated and will be amended as and when new , relevant information is available.
MAINLY BIG BANDS one of the most popular sources for BIG BAND informationl.
What this means is that I will endeavour to make known to you those special 'hard to find' and frequently ignored BIG BANDS on compact disc . Amazing how lazy and ill-informed some companies can be!
A little bit about myself and my business. Around 20 years ago I started selling some of the fine recordings made by the best American collegiate big bands through a company I called CJUSA.
This enterprise created so much interest that the scope of the catalogue was extended to introduce excellent, hitherto relatively unknown big bands to a wider public. One label that provided a large proportion of my output was the SEABREEZE label, then owned by the late John Brechler of Redlands, California. The new owner of the label has continued and extended the policy of producing excellent new bands.
Without doubt the magnificent recordings of BOB FLORENCE - ROB MCCONNELL - TOSHIKO AKIYOSHI - MATT CATINGUB - BLUE WISP were relatively unknown particularly in Europe,until CJUSA introduced them.
Due to my success in tracking down odd items, outside my normal remit, I became too busy. Having retired once after a long career in public service before I started this, I wanted to 'smell the roses' and still keep my hand in.
Click here to visit the rest of the site, including many links.
Last amended (re-constructed) July 2007
Your contact: John Killoch: JRK (AT) MAINLYBIGBANDS.COM
Use usual e-mail format please
65,Hundred Acre Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. B74 2LB, U.K.
No personal callers please
I can include your big band CD, send me a copy if you wish.
THERE ARE SOME 'REVIEWERS' WHO WILL ONLY REVIEW CDS THEY HAVE NOT HAD TO PAY FOR!!!! ALTRUISM STOPS THERE. I WILL MAKE SURE YOU KNOW ABOUT EVERY WORTHY ALBUM I CAN OBTAIN HOWEVER I OBTAIN IT.; MY MISSION IS TO PROMOTE THE BIG BANDS NOT INCREASE MY COLLECTION. PROMOTIONAL COPIES THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE WILL BE SENT TO CERTAIN RADIO STATIONS AND MAGAZINES IN THE U.K.
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO COLLECT BIG BAND RECORDINGS. THERE ARE SO MANY, THEY ARE OFTEN OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY. I HAVE MADE IT MY BUSINESS TO SEEK OUT MANY OF THESE CDS AS IS POSSIBLE. MANY BAND LEADERS, LABELS ETC., ARE CO-OPERATING.
DUE TO A SYSTEM FAILURE AND SERIOUS ERRORS MADE BY MY ISP WHEN TRANSFERRING MY ACCOUNT TO MY OTHER TELEPHONE NUMBER, FILES HAVE BEEN LOST AND A BACK UP FOLDER WAS A CASUALTY.
THIS IS A NEWS FACILITY! I KNOW LONGER SUPPLY CDS/DVDS -JUST SHEET MUSIC
BOB FLORENCE PASSED AWAY ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 15TH MAY 2008 AFTER A LONG ILLNESS
FOR SHEET MUSIC PURCHASES USE VISA/MASTERCARD OR PAYPAL (ADD 5% TO TOTAL) .NON UK CHEQUES NOT ACCEPTABLE
CONTACT ME VIA BELOW ADDRESS PLEASE FOR CATALOGUES AS I STILL RETAIL MUSIC
Send e-mail to: jrk (at) mainlybigbands.com
Please copy the above in recognised e-mail address form. I am bogged down with spam and need to try and deter them: use domainname@myaddress.com