In celebration of John Coltrane’s Centennial birthday, this edition of Jazz Collection Live focuses on Trane’s ballad playing, featuring performances from Prestige, such as I See Your Face Before Me, Violets for Your Furs and more; Blue Note, I’m Old Fashioned; Atlantic, such as Naima and Every Time we Say Goodbye; and Impulse, including Alabama, After the Rain, Lush Life, I Wish I Knew, In a Sentimental Mood, and several more. Featured artists include John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, Elvin Jones, Arthur Taylor, Wynton Kelly, Roy Haynes, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Kenny Drew, Red Garland, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Johnny Hartman, Tootie Heath, Steve Davis, Duke Ellington, Aaron Bell. The sub-title for the Podcast is “Coltrane Plays Pretty.”

This week’s theme: Happy Third Anniversary to the Jazz Collector Live radio show and podcast, featuring the best of something. Featured artists include John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, Miles Davis, Hank Mobley, Wynton Kelly, Jimmy Cobb, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderley, Percy Heath, Connie Kay, Stan Getz, Duke Jordan, Jimmy Raney, Zoot Sims, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Rosemary Clooney, Warren Vache, Scott Hamilton, Cal Collins, Charlie Parker, Joao Gilberto, Maxine Sullivan, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Roland Kirk, Charles Mingus, John Handy, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, Harold Land, Richie Powell, Charlie Parker, LaVern Baker, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton and more.

This week’s theme is pretty much what it says: Tracks from 10 random Blue Note records, Artists include Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Arthur Taylor, Philly Joe Jones, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Louis Smith, Dizzy Reece, Jackie McLean, Pete LaRoca, Cliff Jordan, Jon Gilmore, Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Sonny Clark, Dexter Gordon.

Going in the opposite direction, I received an email with the subject line: NJ RECORD BASH SIGNOFF. This was a long-time event, nearly 50 years, according to the email. It was usually held in June at a motel or hotel in New Jersey. This is another one I used to attend regularly, back in the 1980s and 1990s. I remember one time getting there early and setting up a table and the guy next to me was setting up and he had a pile of original Prestige Swingville records in mint condition and I bought the entire pile for about $5 each. I still have those records. Sorry to see the Bash go, but the financial model must be a challenge these days, what with eBay and social media and people no longer getting together to socialize as they used to.

I’m on the mailing list for the labels doing reissues, such as Craft and Blue Note, but unfortunately I’m not on their promo lists for review copies. In any case, the email in box had a promo for new issues from the Original Jazz Classics series from Craft, including Introducing Lee Morgan, The Young Lions from VeeJay, and This Here is Bobby Timmons from Riverside. Blue Note is taking orders for a three-LP Tone Poet set of The Complete ‘Round About Midnight at the Café Bohemia from Kenny Dorham. This would comprise the original Blue Note 1524, plus the two Japanese LPs issued in the 1980s.

This week’s theme: All the Things You Are in multiple settings. Featured artists include Art Tatum, Ben Webster, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Eddie Gomez, Tal Farlow, Dan Axelrod, Eddie Costa, Booker Ervin, Tommy Flanagan, Richard Davis, Alan Dawson, Phineas Newborn Jr., Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Art Blakey, Ella Fitzgerald, Horace Silver, Rosemary Clooney, Scott Hamilton, Warren Vache, Carmen McRae, Kenny Dorham, Doug Watkins, Dexter Gordon, Barry Harris, Buster Williams, Tootie Heath.

This week’s theme: Kenny Drew as a sideman and a leader. Featured artists include Kenny Drew, Hank Mobley, Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Niels Henning Orsted Pederson, Dexter Gordon, Percy Heath, Tootie Heath, and more.

This week’s theme: A potpourri of jazz songs that have crossed over into the mainstream in some way. For example, Mercy, Mercy Mercy, The Sidewinder, or The Girl From Ipanema. Featured artists include John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Steve Davis, Vince Guaraldi, Monte Budwig, Colin Bailey, Herbie Mann, John Handy, Wes Montgomery, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Billy Taylor, Ben Tucker, Grady Tate, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Benny Bailey, Leroy Vinnegar, Donald Dean, Stan Getz, Jaoa Gilberto, Astrid Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Joe Morello, Eugene Wright, Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, Bob Cranshaw, Barry Harris, Billy Higgins, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, Victor Gaskin, Roy McCurdy.

This week’s theme: Tina Brooks as sideman and leader n Blue Note. Featured artists include Tina Brooks, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Sam Jones, Clifford Jarvis, Freddie Redd, Jackie McLean, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes, Blue Mitchell, Kenny Drew, Arthur Taylor, Johnny Coles, Wilbur Ware, Philly Joe Jones, Lee Morgan, Sonny Clark, Doug Watkins, Art Blakey.

This week’s theme: Part two of our exploration of jazz tracks that have the name of a woman in the title. Featured artists include Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Ray Charles, Paul Desmond, Jim Hall, Art Blakey, Eddie Jefferson, Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Benny Golson, Billy Taylor, Stan Getz, Al Haig, Jimmy Raney, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Sam Jones, Louis Hayes, Barry Harris, Jimmy Rushing, Coleman Hawkins, Jackie McLean, Freddie Redd, Tina Brooks, Nat King Cole, Sweets Edison, and more.

This week’s theme: Part one of a two-part celebration of my father’s 100th birthday. Also a reminder to read Song For My Father from the Jazz Collector archives. Featured artists include Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Tal Farlow, Buddy DeFranco, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Red Garland, Bobby Timmons, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery, Wynton Kelly, Modern Jazz Quartet, Jimmy Smith, Richie Cole, Kenny Burrell, and many, many more.