O10 - I own Desert Lady, actually I'm pretty sure I own every Big Band/Orchestra release by Toshiko Akiyoshi. I think the way the story goes is that the band used to be based in NYC and recorded for RCA. They (husband & wife; Akiyoshi & Tabakin) decided to move to California, where they started to record for the JAM label and they used West Coast musicians (and Lew took up residence for a long time with Johnny Carson's/Doc Severinson's Tonight Show Orchestra). Even though the west coast records are excellent, I strongly prefer the RCA/NYC recordings, they were younger and it seems to me that the fire and the brilliance was stronger somehow.
Tabakin is such an amazing player, I seriously can't think of a single time I've heard him play and not come away impressed!
Tabakin is such an amazing player, I seriously can't think of a single time I've heard him play and not come away impressed!