DavidB.Wilkerson

Reading Terry Teachout's Ellington biography, and have reached the point at which this era is being discussed -- so I just felt like hearing some favorites. Listening to Disc 5.

Picked up the Dizzy set; it arrived yesterday. Listening to it now. Really digging the cuts from "The Greatest Trumpet Of Them All," with Gigi Gryce, Benny Golson, et. al.

Saw Benny Golson and the DePaul University Jazz Ensemble at The Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Great, particularly on "Along Came Betty," "Whisper Not" and "Blues March." I don't normally ask for autographs, but Benny was so accessible and friendly between sets that I couldn't resist. I asked him if he remembers much about The Jazztet's engagement at The Birdhouse in 1961, since the album they recorded there is a favorite. He said he seemed to recall that it was on the North Side; that the place didn't serve liquor, as it was a coffeehouse; and he remembered the arrangement the group did of "Round Midnight," which is on the LP. That's one of my favorite versions.

"Frank's Tune," Ahmad Jamal, "Poinciana Revisited." "Star Trek," The Three Sounds with The Oliver Nelson Orchestra, "Coldwater Flat." A Gene Harris composition rather than the Alexander Courage TV theme.

Well, the L890 seems to burn CDs reasonably well, but on this unit the Lightscribe function doesn't work. After being walked through various solutions, I keep getting the same error message saying that the drive has lost communication with my laptop. And actually, the CDs I've burned don't sound quite as good as the ones I burned on my Iomega. I'm no audiophile, but something seems slightly less vibrant. I suppose this could be some difference in the Lightscribe CD-Rs, but when combined with the labeling problem, it raises a red flag. Given Amazon's excellent return policy, I'm not going to play games with this thing. I'm going to get a refund, and buy an LG.

Thanks so much for the replies. My Iomega Super DVD Writer actually still burns just fine, but has a problem with a tray that gets stuck frequently. CD burning is a big deal for me, so I just wanted to get a new drive, and perhaps use the Iomega as a backup. When I researched new drives, it was hard to find one that reviewers singled out for its ability to burn audio CDs, so I settled on the Plextor PX-880, which seemed to be highly rated as a DVD burner. Then I saw that it had been replaced by the PX-L890, and I went with that. Thanks again. Dave

Hello, all. Just ordered a Plextor PX-L890 external burner to replace my Iomega. I read some good things about it, and about Plextor drives in general, but I'm just wondering what users of this forum think of Plextor's performance in burning audio CDs, especially in the last few years since Lite-On started making their drives. Has your experience with them been positive? Does anyone have the PX-L890 in particular?

Thanks for all of the recommendations. One of many cool things about a forum like this is that you get even more than the answers to your questions. I'm adding each of your suggestions to my wish list. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who came to hard bop first, and then had to go backward! Dave

Hi. I'm new to the forum, at least to participating in it, and I'm trying to fill a couple of glaring holes in a medium-sized CD collection (around 720-750 discs). Because I discovered hard bop before I got into bebop, I actually have very little of Charlie Parker. To date, I only have "Bird & Diz" and "The Washington Concerts." So question #1: What's the best way to collect the live airshots from the Royal Roost, and the early Dial recordings? I considered the four-disc "Complete Live Performances On Savoy," but some of the Amazon commenters complain that too much is missing from that compilation. I've also thought about getting all or some of the four volumes in the Complete Royal Roost Live Recordings on Savoy, but wonder if that will end up being more Parker than I'll really listen to on a regular basis. I don't mind the presence of Symphony Sid, or the commercials, because I think those add to the ambience. Also, any suggestions on the best compilation of the Dials is much appreciated. Question #2: I don't have any Dexter Gordon before 1961. What ares the best examples of his mid-late '40s output? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide. Dave Chicago, IL