[Greatest NFL running back]

I voted for Jim Brown. I think not only was he the greatest running back, but you can argue he was the best total football player ever.

[Baldness: A Thing Of the Past?]

Im glad to see there is hope! I just hope I live long enough...

[Now that S.W.A.T. Has finally made it to DVD]

I"ll add my vote for DVDs of The Rockford Files...

[Who's up to listen to Dr. Lonnie Smith]

Did anyone go to this? I'd be interested in a review by one of our esteemed group.

Also, check out Lonnie Smith's new CD where he covers Beck tunes. I saw it in the store on Friday and I've been listening to it all weekend. I think it's called "Boogaloo to Beck."

[Pardon my ignorance but...]

Like everyone on this site, I am an avid jazz listener, and have quite an extensive collection of LPs and CDs. I have decent system, and love the sound from my old lps. When I first heard about SACD, I was very curious. A buddy of mine who has the greatest audiophile setup I've ever seen/heard bought a player and we did a bunch of A/B comparisons with SACDs/CDs and LPs (I guess technically that would be an A/B/C comparison, right? ). We came to the general conclusion that the SACDs sounded better than the CDs, but did not eclipse the sound from an LP in nice condition. Since I have so many LPs and CDs already, it really did not seem worth it to buy into yet another format, particularly since I didn't hear any improvement over the format the record companies would call the most obsolete and which I have the most of: LPs! ("Progress" isn't always better!)

Also, I am not into surround sound for listening to music. I like either stereo or mono coming out of two speakers. While I'm sure a bunch of people would be interested in many of the SACD issues' multi-channel abilities, I will admit that this is a benefit that is lost on me.

In addition, it bothers me that SACDs have copy protection that prevents their being burned digitally. To me, that seems like the record companies' prime motivation for pushing this new format.

So my bottom line is that the quality may be better, but it isn't enough of an improvement for me to buy a new machine and then have to deal with three different formats for the music I love. Hopefully, if the companies really want to push SACD, they will do it in the dual-layer format (like the recent Rolling Stones releases, which unlike their early CD counteparts finally compare with the old mono LPs I have). That way, we can make a music purchase ONCE and get both formats so we won't have to buy it all again when they stop making CD players (although i don't think CD players are going anywhere soon because the vast majority of music listeners don't care all that much about sound quality).

Don't know if this is helpful to anyone or not, but I thought I'd add my two cents.

[Lou Donaldson -- Village Vanguard]

Soul Stream,

On the last tune, the band did lay out and let Lou go alone. He was simply fantastic. What a great show.

[Lou Donaldson -- Village Vanguard]

I went to the Lou Donaldson 11:00 set on Saturday night at the Village Vanguard, and I thought I'd share my thoughts on it.

Soul Stream, you were dead on about the band and about it being some of the most entertaining music I've heard in a while. The band was really together and they supported Donaldson flawlessly. Each had well-played and extensive solos. My girldfriend and I particularly liked Lonnie Smith on the organ. I imagine the extensive soloing was partly designed to let them showcase their talents and partly designed to give Lou some breaks (exactly how old is he?). Donaldson tended to lead off the songs and then let the group jam for an extended period before joining in again. No surpise there.

Highlights for me included "Gravy Train" and "Midnight Creeper," and a finale that I do not know the name of. On the finale, Lou really let loose on an extended improvisation that brought the house down (well, actually up, as in out of their seats). If anyone had any doubts as to his still being able to cut it, they should have been erased after that. We also got two highly entertaining vocals and a ton of great stage banter. Lou did "Whiskey Drinkin' Woman" and "It Was A Dream," and the crowd ate up both of them.

All in all, a great jazz show.

[Favorite Blue Note cover]

Good list, with lots of cool covers. I'd nominate Lou Donaldson's "Gravy Train" for inclusion on any future list. I also love the cool shot of Sonny Rollins on "Vol. Two" with the Blue photo and a bunch of the Big John Patton covers. B)

[Entry-level turntables]

To add my two cents, if you don't want to shell out quite as much as the MMF-7, you may want to go for the MMF-5. It retails with a different Goldring cartridge for less than $500. I have it and am quite pleased. The guy who writes "Analog Corner" for Stereophile magazine called it a gateway drug to the world of analog. Since I've bought it, I find that I will go weeks without putting a cd into my cd player. The old mono Blue Notes sound fantastic through it.

[Lou Donaldson -- Village Vanguard]

I don't know who's with him, it only says "Lou Donaldson Quartet"

Also, I'm another refugee from the Blue Note webpage, and as I browse through the various posts, it's good to see some familiar names.

[Lou Donaldson -- Village Vanguard]

Just curious if anybody has or plans to see Lou Donaldson at the Village Vanguard this week. I'm going on Saturday night, and would love a preview if anyone is willing to provide one. He's one of my favorites, and I've never seen him live.