Laus Platonici Philosophi: Marsilio Ficino And His Influence

Given the disappointing sales of the previous two All-Starr Band live albums, Ringo's star wasn't bright enough to get this release out on a major label or even a conventional label. As a stopgap, it was available only in Blockbuster Music stores for a brief time – at the rock-bottom bargain price of 5.99 dollars – and further volumes were not forthcoming. A shame, actually, for this was the best of the three All-Starr albums up to that point, representing what was probably Ringo's finest all-around group of the 1990s. Recorded in Tokyo's Nippon Budokan Hall, this round robin of golden oldies sounds like a straight transfer of the concert, following the order of the first part of the show with the rest presumably saved for the unissued volume two.

Meet Clifford "Boots" Douglas, a solid drummer who led a fine big band in and around San Antonio, Texas during the mid-'30s. Thanks to the efforts of the men behind Victor's budget Bluebird label, Boots managed to make no less than 42 recordings, exactly half of which are presented here, on 1935-1937. Most of the players are shrouded in obscurity. A.J. Johnson was an able pianist, Walter McHenry packed punches with his upright bass, and Baker Millian handled a tenor sax with warmth and finesse. The leader's straightforward shuffle-drumming punctuated with concisely employed cymbal strikes is delightfully consistent, and at times exciting, for example during the stomp simply known as "Riffs"…

Here's a taste of what the jazz scene was like in San Antonio, Texas during the mid-'30s. Clifford "Boots" Douglas (born in Temple, Texas September 7, 1908) led his 12- piece band from behind the drums, playing for dancers and leaving behind a trail of tasty Bluebird 78 rpm recordings. This is the second of two volumes containing all of this band's known works. The instrumentalists are barely remembered nowadays, even such powerful participants as trumpeter L.D. Harris, an extraordinary tenor man named Baker Millian, and an alto player with the unenviable nickname "Wee Wee." Boots became increasingly peculiar in his choice of altered and abbreviated song titles…

Universe in Blue, a collection of undated live club performances by Sun Ra & His Blue Universe Arkestra, was issued in small-run pressings with two different LP covers on Sun Ra's Saturn label in 1972. Until now it has never been officially reissued on LP or CD.