Norm

I picked up one of their studio albums (Hey, Eugene) which I thought was meh, however, tonight I'm watching a DVD which features them live in concert and they look to be very entertaining live (and much more interesting than the studio album would suggest).

I just received the Moanin' AP hybrid/SACD yesterday. And, boy, is it fantastic. Clear as a bell without any harshness at all. I also ordered the XRCD of Soul Station, but this has not been officially released and won't be mailed for a few more days. Once I listened to Moanin' I looked over the other AP hybrid/SACD titles available and in the works. With this kind of sound, I'm going to have to pick up Blue Train, Midnight Blue, Idle Moments, Somethin Else, Green Street and possibly Lee-way. Mind you I don't even own a SACD player, so I'm just listening to the redbook layer, but the difference is astounding and the music is just all the more inviting.

Did anybody attend or hear anything about this? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/arts/music/11jazzfest.html?hp

Thanks for the link, David. I only recognized your voice because I had listened (just days before) to the Guaraldi show via download, so it was kind of a surreal (totally unexpected) moment to hear you coming across the radio, especially because I was 2500 miles away from home and out on Xmas day and listening to the radio for only a short period on Christmas afternoon on my way to an old friend's Christmas gathering in Surrey county. The stars were lined up, I guess. Anyway, I kept the car radio on during the entire ferry ride. And yes, now that I think about it, it was indeed WHRV. Thanks again for providing the link...I'm going to listen to it again now.

Ghost...I meant to write about the following matter a while back but was lacking a high-speed internet connection over the holidays while visiting family in Virginia. Anyway, I was very happy to tune into local NPR station broadcasting out of (either Richmond or Norfolk) Virginia on Christmas Day while boarding a ferry that crosses the James River and to stumble upon not the Vince Guaraldi show but actually a different Christmas show of yours called "Afterglow," I believe. There were a few choice selections from Vince Guaraldi but if I'm not mistaken you began by disecting the history of the song "White Christmas" as it appeared in film, and then played among other holiday favorites the song from "The Grinch who Stole Christmas" which I hadn't heard in several years but enjoyed in a whole different way (from the time when I was a kid). I don't suppose this show was archived anywhere? If so, I would be interested in listening to it again, even though its after the new year. Thoroughly enjoyed it, Norm

I just pulled the trigger on the Soul Station XRCD and the Moanin hybrid SACD, as I don't have any Japanese issues of either of these. I bought them (pre-ordered in the case of SS) from CD Pacific, so the total came to 44 even, with shipping included. I usually spend anywhere between 5 and 9 for new CDs, but I consider these two to be masterpieces so I think it will be worth it (the only versions I've heard are the 1999 U.S. RVGs). Looking forward to getting them. I thought I saw somewhere that Workout will eventually be released in either of these formats (can't recall which one) at some point in 2010. If these two sound as good as the above comments indicate, then I will probably go for that one as well.

TTK, thanks for the recommendation. I have never listened to June Christy and am not familiar with her sound, but I saw this album mentioned in a thread related to Christmas music from a few years ago. How would you describe her sound/genre? And I'm quite curious about the theme of the album as you described it in one of the posts above -- does she reconcile these two things with more of a melancholy, hopeful or some other feeling/sound?

Jon, you might be interested in particular two of the Deluxe 2-CD sets: Burnin and Catch A Fire, the two earliest Tuff Gongs (Island), as the former has a live set from 1973 with GREAT sound quality and the latter contains original/stripped down versions (before the dubs) of the songs that appeared on the album Catch a Fire that was released in 1972. But yes, like you I'm interested in pushing back even farther in time and I think the Soul Rebels and African Herbsman re-issues might satisfy my soul, especially during this spate of "wintry" and rainy weather we're having in SoCal.

Going through a major (re)phase of Bob Marley these days, and I found this thread particularly insightful. Over the last couple of weeks I've picked up the the Deluxe editions of Burnin', Exodus, and Catch a Fire (on the way) as well as remastered versions of Babylon By Bus and Live (at Lyceum, London 1975), and the DVD Live at the Rainbow. Several years ago I picked up the four-CD set, Songs of Freedom. Based on my love for the first CD in this chronological sampling of Marley's work, I think I'd like to explore more of his earlier (pre-Island) stuff. It looks like the remastered/reissued editions of Soul Rebels (2002) and African Herbsman (2002) might fit the bill. From a few posts above, I might also try the Talkin Blues live radio performance CD. Anyone else getting warm to Marley in the thick of winter?

My first viewing of that filmis what turned me on to Lennon and, in turn, the Beatles. I had heard the Beatles before I saw Imagine, but I had never truly listened to what Lennon and company were saying until after I saw that one. Incredible man.

Well, Red Garland is his own best advertiser. I'm still digesting the material from Side Steps (what a rich treasure trove), as virtually all of it is new to me and Red's contributions just shine. In particular on Disc 4, his playing on All Mornin' Long, Billy's Bounce and Lazy Mae really drew my attention to the piano (not that Mr. Coltrane's playing isn't excellent). Well, its clear that my Red Garland Piano, Groovy, Revisited and Soul Junction CDs is an utterly insufficient body of Red's work in my collection. Therefore I just placed an order at Concord Music for the following titles: Rediscovered Masters, v.2 Mr P.C. Blues Red's Good Groove A Garland of Red I also threw in Blue Mitchell's Blue Moods to reach the $40 limit for free shipping.

Pardon my ignorance, but does Red have an album with Christmas tunes or are you just saying you like to listen to his stuff this time of year?

Don't forget to spin your copy (everyone should own one by law) of Kenny Burrell's Have Yourself a Soulful Little Christmas these days. I've been playing it about once a day since Thanksgiving and never get sick of it. But, quite honestly, I can listen to this one in May and love it just the same.

You haven't heard Neko Case then. I too like Neko Case. Cat Power is another favorite contemporary female vocalist (singer/songwriter) of mine. The latter's album, The Greatest, is rock solid from beginning to end.

Not to the best of my knowledge, but then again I don't attend too many shows so maybe it still happens at some. I'm very envious of you for seeing Pink Floyd on this tour -- if I could go back in time and choose any tour to see Pink Floyd it would be this one (though I was only 4 years old at the time). I started listening to them when I was in college (1993 or so), and the following year they happened to come out with a new album (The Division Bell) after the second long hiatus that followed the release of The Final Cut, so I leaped at the opportunity to see them in May 1994 on The Division Bell tour in Raleigh, NC. I still look back on it as the finest concert I've ever attended. In addition to the musicianship (they did the entire DSOTM album, I loved seeing the two huge pigs with laser-beam eyes rocking back and forth during "One of These Days." I heard that they started doing the pig thing with the Animal tour. Do you remember seeing them at the MSG show? Tangent: There was some up-thread discussion about Animals in which some expressed that this marked the beginning of the downfall of Pink Floyd, with Roger becoming somewhat dictatorial. While I won't dispute the shift in Roger's role and the effect it may have had on band cohesion, I just wanted to state that I still consider Animals to be one of their most brilliant works. In no way, shape, or form do I think it represented a decline of the application of their talents. In fact, I find it to be one of their strongest efforts. As far as I'm concerned, it has nothing to do with teenage angst (some have lumped it in with the Wall in this regard)...but offers a broad social critique of some of the most basic contradictions in contemporary society....organized religion, capitalism, politics. It is a 'concept album' in the truest sense of the term, I believe. Now, I would certainly concede that it might not be as listenable / pleasing as some of their other albums...I don't reach for it as often as say DSOTM, WYWH or Meddle, but I still consider it to be an album with a substance and grit to it that stands the test of time. The issues addressed in this album seem just as relevant (and thought provoking) today as they did in 1977. Just my .02. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'll search for this title and see if I can locate a copy.