Yes it's me and Ahmet Ertegun

Ahmet Ertegun is dead. He was 83 years old.


I wanted to say/write something about his importance in the music I love, but That Little Round-Headed Boy did it first and better here. Well worth reading.


And the photo here at If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger..., which I'd never seen before, really got to me -- here are two of the men responsible for it all. If they had John Hammond in there they'd practically have the perfect trifecta.


I recently acquired the Atlantic R&B Greatest Hits 1952-1974 albums, which are essential, and which will get a workout this weekend.


Unmentioned in any obits I've seen as yet is Charles Mingus' work at Atlantic (albums mostly produced by Ahmet's brother Nesuhi, I believe), which matters more to me than the Coltrane that keeps coming up.


Thanks for all those sides, Ahmet.