JAM: February/March 2003 Issue: Views and Reviews

Tom Lord's
THE JAZZ DISCOGRAPHY CD-ROM 3.3
Reviewed by Floyd Levin

In 1938, when the French jazz crusader Charles Delaunay published the first "Hot Discography," he led the way for research that continues to this day. The first edition of his "Hot Discography" had about 400 pages and cost $5.

Delaunay, who invented the genre and the word "discography," revealed data about jazz recordings never before explored (i.e. dates, personnel, master numbers and label numbers).

Tom Lord, among a steady stream of dedicated discographical experts who have succeeded Delaunay, has completed the 26th volume (A to Z) of "The Jazz Discography" that has gradually been appearing in print form. Each volume includes about 600 pages and the total set sells for over $1500.

Amazingly, Lord's "Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3" includes all of the 15,500 pages of material in the 26 volumes, plus additional features that boggle the mind -- and at about 1/6 the cost of the printed edition.

You will be impressed with the enormous amount of vital information contained in the user-friendly 4 1/2 inch disc. Jazz fans, now, with a click of a mouse, can explore "The Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3" and view the music's recorded history dating back to 1896. You can examine every minute detail of 400,000 individual recordings, and view the data on 136,263 recording sessions conducted by 24,351 bandleaders. These sessions featured 1.5 million musicians, all listed alphabetically and cross-indexed in every possible manner.

Would you like to know on what recordings Bunny Berigan can be heard as a sideman or as a leader? Or, what bands recorded any of the 400,000 tunes listed? Are you interested in learning on which Duke Ellington recordings Clark Terry appeared? Or, on what sessions Muggsy Spanier and Sidney Bechet played together?

You can compare CD reissues of LPs to determine if additional tracks have been added, and check the accuracy of data printed on LP and CD covers.
The almost endless options of search are easily selected from the navigation buttons permanently displayed at the top of your screen. Click, and the desired information appears in an instant. And you can print out the results for future reference.

The Jazz Discography website -- http://www.lordisco.com -- fully explains the many features and search options, and offers sample screens from the CD-ROM.

Since this is the only general jazz discography ever assembled on an electronic database, additional discoveries, corrections, and new releases can easily be inserted. Subsequent versions will be published annually, and purchasers of the current edition will have an opportunity to buy updated releases at a 50% discount.

Compiler and publisher Tom Lord, a dedicated jazz fan and record collector for many years, saw the need for a more comprehensive approach to discographical scrutiny. His printed volumes set the scene for this expanded CD-ROM version -- an essential tool for every jazz fan and record collector.

Back in 1938, Charles Delaunay could not have envisioned the technological advances that would so greatly expand his original concept. Thanks to Tom Lord, after 14 years in compilation, information about practically the entire legacy of jazz recordings is now available at your fingertips.

(Note: The purchase price of "The Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3" is $277 when ordered online at http://www.lordisco.com, and $297 when ordered by mail, email, fax or phone from Lord Music Reference Inc., 1540 Taylor Way, West Vancouver, BC, Canada V7S 1N4. Phone: 604-926-9953, fax: 604-926-9822, email: lord@lordisco.org. Special prices for reference libraries and multiple users are available on request.






	Search our site:		Tom Lord's THE JAZZ DISCOGRAPHY CD-ROM 3.3 Reviewed by Floyd Levin In 1938, when the French jazz crusader Charles Delaunay published the first "Hot Discography," he led the way for research that continues to this day. The first edition of his "Hot Discography" had about 400 pages and cost $5. Delaunay, who invented the genre and the word "discography," revealed data about jazz recordings never before explored (i.e. dates, personnel, master numbers and label numbers). Tom Lord, among a steady stream of dedicated discographical experts who have succeeded Delaunay, has completed the 26th volume (A to Z) of "The Jazz Discography" that has gradually been appearing in print form. Each volume includes about 600 pages and the total set sells for over $1500. Amazingly, Lord's "Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3" includes all of the 15,500 pages of material in the 26 volumes, plus additional features that boggle the mind -- and at about 1/6 the cost of the printed edition. You will be impressed with the enormous amount of vital information contained in the user-friendly 4 1/2 inch disc. Jazz fans, now, with a click of a mouse, can explore "The Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3" and view the music's recorded history dating back to 1896. You can examine every minute detail of 400,000 individual recordings, and view the data on 136,263 recording sessions conducted by 24,351 bandleaders. These sessions featured 1.5 million musicians, all listed alphabetically and cross-indexed in every possible manner. Would you like to know on what recordings Bunny Berigan can be heard as a sideman or as a leader? Or, what bands recorded any of the 400,000 tunes listed? Are you interested in learning on which Duke Ellington recordings Clark Terry appeared? Or, on what sessions Muggsy Spanier and Sidney Bechet played together? You can compare CD reissues of LPs to determine if additional tracks have been added, and check the accuracy of data printed on LP and CD covers. The almost endless options of search are easily selected from the navigation buttons permanently displayed at the top of your screen. Click, and the desired information appears in an instant. And you can print out the results for future reference. The Jazz Discography website -- http://www.lordisco.com -- fully explains the many features and search options, and offers sample screens from the CD-ROM. Since this is the only general jazz discography ever assembled on an electronic database, additional discoveries, corrections, and new releases can easily be inserted. Subsequent versions will be published annually, and purchasers of the current edition will have an opportunity to buy updated releases at a 50% discount. Compiler and publisher Tom Lord, a dedicated jazz fan and record collector for many years, saw the need for a more comprehensive approach to discographical scrutiny. His printed volumes set the scene for this expanded CD-ROM version -- an essential tool for every jazz fan and record collector. Back in 1938, Charles Delaunay could not have envisioned the technological advances that would so greatly expand his original concept. Thanks to Tom Lord, after 14 years in compilation, information about practically the entire legacy of jazz recordings is now available at your fingertips. (Note: The purchase price of "The Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3" is $277 when ordered online at http://www.lordisco.com, and $297 when ordered by mail, email, fax or phone from Lord Music Reference Inc., 1540 Taylor Way, West Vancouver, BC, Canada V7S 1N4. Phone: 604-926-9953, fax: 604-926-9822, email: lord@lordisco.org. Special prices for reference libraries and multiple users are available on request. RETURN TO FEBRUARY/MARCH 2003 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2003. All rights reserved.