I bought a big band swing anthology recently: 2 CDs, 40 songs by Duke, Basie, the Dorseys, Glenn Miller, Lunceford, Fletcher Henderson, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Erskine Hawkins, Charlie Barnet, Muggsy Spanier, Don Redman, Earl Hines, Lucky Millinder, Tiny Bradshaw, Bob Crosby, Chick Webb, Andy Kirk, Luis Russell, etc. It has a beautiful booklet and beautiful graphics. It's put out by Decca Jazz.

I have an anthology of early rock and roll in 3 CDs featuring the Ravens, Sticks McGhee, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Delmore Bros., Peppermmint Harris, Jimmy Forrest, early James Brown, early Little Richard, Johnny Ace, Hank Snow, Paul Hucklebuck Williams, Big Joe Turner, Arthur Crudup, Wild Bill Moore, the Orioles, Little Walter, etc. Again, a beautiful booklet that details how these early minority labels came to be.

I have anthologies of western swing, early jazz, even early Brazilian music recorded on cylinders. My question is, if the recording industry doesn't put this stuff out--who will? So if the recording industry dies, a lot will die with it than just stupid, lousy music and bad acts that only dumb teen girls could find palatable.

While I do shop online for CDs, it's not acceptable that this should be the only way. In a CD store I frequent, a guy asked me where the Grover Washington was. He thought I worked there. But I took him over to the Grover Washington bin anyway. We were talking as he thumbed through the CDs when I saw this Dave Young boxed set. Young is a bassist. It was called "The Piano-Bass Duets." It was 4 CDs of Young playing with all sorts of great pianist including Ellis Marsalis, father of Wynton and Branton. The bass sound is so up close that you feel like you're inside the damn thing. Nice booklet too.

I found it by chance. If I hadn't helped this fellow find his Grover Washington, I would have missed it. The problem shopping strictly online is that you generally have to know what you're looking for. The problem is, I often don't. I browse and buy what looks interesting. Again, without a recording industry, where would I get stuff like this?

The idea that as long as there are local performers and Breton fiddle to listen to does not cut it for me. It's not acceptable. I need more than that to keep me happy. The recording industry must not be allowed to die although I doubt any of us can do much to prevent it.