mgraham333

Ridiculous...

Black Fire is tied with (maybe slightly ahead of) Passing Ships on my list of favorite Andrew Hill albums. A nice blend of the bop and the avant-garde. Henderson really shines in settings like this. This is another one that I can't wait to listen to at home and hear the details. I know I missed the majority of what Hill was laying down. The intricate textures that he can bring to a date really amaze me sometimes. It's interesting that this is Hill's debut on Blue Note. Even with my limited exposure to Hill's work it really seems as though he covered a lot of ground, working in different styles - reminiscent of Donald Byrd's many paths.

OK, Jimmy Smith just had his turn and did pretty well. My interests don't lean heavily toward the organ stuff, but this is a fairly solid piece of work - pretty mellow. It fit nicely in the background. I look forward to giving this one more attention tonight at home. Now it's on to Black Fire. I'm really looking forward to this one. I have to say that Andrew Hill has really grown on me in recent months. After hearing Passing Ships and going back and picking up Grass Roots I had an easier time with Point of Departure, which I listened to this morning in anticipation of the arrival of the latest Andrew Hill RVG.

Just starting to make my way through this batch. I've got Dex's Doin' Allright going right now. I'm liking it a lot. First time I've heard it. (that goes for everything in this batch exept for Cookers). This is near the top of my Dexter list. At the top right now is Gettin Around. There is just something about that one.

Here is one good for 20% off from July 16 - 18

As soon as I get my order from CDUniverse (probably Wednesday) I will be able to do a comparison.

Never heard of it....

Available for pre-order at CDUniverse: Blakey, Art : Free For All Gordon, Dexter : One Flight Up Henderson, Joe : In N' Out Hubbard, Freddie : Blue Spirits McLean, Jackie : Destination Out Tyner, Mccoy : Tender Moments

Something in the last paragraph could be promising Another 'Police Academy' in works New film would be eighth in series Thursday, July 8, 2004 Posted: 9:50 AM EDT (1350 GMT) LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- "Police Academy" is back. After a decade's absence from the big screen, the cop comedy franchise is gearing up for an eighth installment. "I felt it was time to start again," said series creator Paul Maslansky. "I saw that 'Starsky & Hutch' and a number of other revivals were doing really well. 'Police Academy' has such a great history. I thought, 'Why not?' " According to Maslansky, who will serve as an executive producer, the talent from the first seven features has expressed a keen interest in the revival, with Maslansky looking to combine both new and the "original talent" for the next "Police Academy." "We became very much like a family," he said. "It's is very unusual to have seven films with virtually all the same major cast." The project is being developed by Warner Bros. Pictures and its Australian joint-venture partner Village Roadshow. The project is out to writers, with the exact direction of the newest installment yet to be determined. The most recent sequel in the franchise was "Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow" in 1994. The first "Police Academy" hit screens in 1984, bringing in a domestic box office take of $81.2 million. Then it was a film a year through 1989, with "Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment" released in 1985, "Police Academy 3: Back in Training" in 1986, "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol" in 1987, "Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach" in 1988 and "Police Academy 6: City Under Siege" in 1989. Altogether, the franchise brought in more than $230 million at the domestic box office. Maslansky also serviced the small screen with "Police Academy: The Animated Series" in 1993 and "Police Academy: The Series" in 1997. Maslansky is working on several other projects, including another institution-based project, "Stunt School." There's also a New Orleans-set jazz feature about the life of Buddy Bolden, the first king of jazz. source: CNN

I know it's just a matter of time before CG of the human form becomes indistinguishable from live actors, but we're not there yet. In the first Spider Man movie, there were several times when the action switched from practical to CG and it was so noticable that it looked like I was watching a video game rather than a movie. Don't get me wrong, I'm not picking on any one movie in particular. There are tons of examples - Blade II was terrible in this regard. One scene from the Two Towers where Legolas flips around the front his of horse....sheeeeesh... I think a lot of it has to do with the characters doing things that are simply, physically impossible - not just the feats of strength and dexterity - but rather, the human body doesn't bend this or that way. Anyway....the rant above was all a preface to my opinion that Spider Man 2 advances the CG human form to a degree where it is less noticable when the switch occurs from live action. You can still tell, but nothing was so jarring that I was looking around for the joystick Good movie over all - as good as or better than the first.

I've been listening to what's new to me first - Henderson, McLean and Hubbard and they sound fine on the office system - although I haven't been able to give them undivided attention. I'll be able to A/B both the Dexter and the Blakey once I get home. Other than the packaging and disc color quibbles I think this is a pretty good batch.

When the copy protection hits the US (after the Jul 13 batch is my guess) we can blame it on the people who bought Velvet Revolver's "Contraband" For the first time, the No. 1 album in the United States is loaded with anticopying protections, marking a clear step into the mainstream for the controversial technology. more read the last paragraph

Just popped over to CDUniverse and the site appears to be undergoing a facelift. Looks pretty good - maybe more functional. I'm still poking around.

hmmmm.... let the bitching begin! What's with all the changes? Take a look at the back cover of the recent batch. The huge FBI warning in the lower right-hand corner? (saw something similar on the latest LPRs) And the EMI logo is RED now.... What about the disc itself... where's the WHITE? Each of the discs in the new batch appear to be this way. They also included a promo for the t-shirts.

Schools decry too Whitney-heavy CD settlement Friday, June 25, 2004 Posted: 11:51 AM EDT (1551 GMT) SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- As Washington school and library officials wade through thousands of CDs sent by the recording industry to settle a price-fixing lawsuit, one district can't help but wonder: Can a library have too much Whitney Houston? The Puget Sound Educational Service District, serving 35 school districts, received 1,300 copies of Houston's soaring rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner," a disc that includes only one other song, "America the Beautiful." Other discs have raunchy rap unsuitable for school libraries, and some librarians said it looked like the music companies were dumping stale inventory. "Really, you can never have too many Whitney Houston CDs," joked district spokeswoman Karen Farley. Forty-three states are part of the settlement and Washington is the first state to receive the CDs -- more than 115,000 for libraries, colleges and schools. Millions more will land on library loading docks around the country in coming weeks. In the lawsuit, music distributors and recording companies were accused of penalizing retailers by withholding advertising reimbursement if the retailers cut prices. The industry agreed to pay $67 million to consumers, and mailed out as $13.86 checks a few months ago. The CD giveaway to schools, colleges and libraries will cost an estimated $76 million. The Spokane-based educational service district is about halfway through its 5,900 CDs, which seem to lean heavily to classical music, including multiple copies of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro." "It seems like a very diverse selection," said spokesman Steve Witter. "I suppose if you want them to appreciate the '60s -- we have everything from Mel Torme to the Jefferson Airplane." No mo' tenors The CDs were selected by experts and educators for their lasting significance, and attorneys general for the states involved signed off on the list, said Gary Larson, a spokesman for Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire. "We did not just give carte blanche to the recording industry to provide any CDs they had left over in their warehouse," Larson said. To qualify, CDs had to have been on industry charts for 26 weeks or to have peaked in the top half of the charts. Librarian Lara Weigand from the Tacoma Public Library is dubious that even half of the 1,325 CDs sent to her 10-library system meet that criteria: She said she doesn't need 57 copies of "Three Mo Tenors," based on a 2001 PBS special about African-American tenors. "It was well-received, but if you were making core lists of everything a library should have, the CDs shipped would generally not be on them," Weigand said. Gregoire's office is advising recipients to swap their duplicates with other recipients -- an e-mail list is being set up to help out -- and sell the discs they don't want. The office also is checking on the complaints to see if the settlement was violated, and has notified the claims administrator in hopes of averting similar problems in other states, Larson said. "We were trying to do some good for schools and libraries across the state," he said. "We may not have been quite as successful as we'd hoped but we have ample evidence that many ... are happy with what they've received."

I enjoyed the Herwig as well. It's fun take on some great material.

I've heard of a hangin' judge.... why not a hung judge...

Billy Crystal brings one-man show to Broadway Comedian to play wide range of characters in '700 Sundays' Billy Crystal will make his Broadway debut in November with the autobiographical "700 Sundays." The Associated Press Updated: 12:48 a.m. ET June 24, 2004NEW YORK - Billy Crystal, after conquering “Saturday Night Live,” is taking on the rest of the week. The comic veteran makes his Broadway debut this November with an autobiographical one-man show, “700 Sundays.” “I’ve never been as excited about anything since I starting working in this play,” Crystal told The Associated Press. “It’s been such a great energy at this point in my life, to be able to bring the show to New York.” The Crystal-penned piece marks his first extended return to live performing in 16 years, the comedian said. Crystal portrays numerous characters drawn from his childhood, his teen years and adulthood. “As a comedian, I wanted to take the ‘good evening, ladies and gentlemen’ out of the show,” the eight-time Academy Award host said in a telephone interview. “It’s not a concert, but there are elements of that. It’s deeply personal and liberating at the same time.” The title relates to Crystal’s father, Jack, a jazz concert producer who died when the comic was just 15. “He always worked two or three jobs, so Sunday was the only day to be together with dad,” Crystal said. “And I calculated that I only had 700 Sundays with him.” On one of those Sundays, the elder Crystal took Billy to his first Broadway show — “Mr. Wonderful,” starring Sammy Davis Jr. and Chita Rivera. Crystal, whose act later included a dead-on Davis impression, said that 1956 show still resonates decades later. “I remember just feeling the excitement,” Crystal said. “I never lost that.” His father’s musical connections immersed Crystal in the jazz world; he learned clarinet from jazz great Pee Wee Russell, and met Billie Holiday at age 5. Those moments, along with his lifelong obsession with the New York Yankees, are fodder for the show. Crystal’s parts are supplemented by vintage home movies, old family photos and even a clip of Mickey Mantle at the plate. “It feels like a visit with my family,” said Crystal, 57, who first performed the work in progress earlier this year at the La Jolla Playhouse in California. The show begins previews on Nov. 12, with opening night set for Dec. 5 — dates that shouldn’t interfere with Crystal’s World Series viewing. His first grandchild already attended her first Yankees’ game, visiting Dodgers Stadium with Crystal on Father’s Day. It was a great day that only improved: Crystal snagged a foul ball. “The perfect Father’s Day,” he said. Source: MSNBC

Well I just got around to reading this thread and about the mandatory donations... Seriously though, I just want to thank Organissimo for making this place available and FUN and for everyone who posts their comments, thoughts and insights. I was glad to pitch in and hope it helps keep this place going strong.

A New Kind of Blue at CDBaby LIMITED EDITION, SIGNED & NUMBERED. The 45th Anniversary updating of Miles Davis' jazz classic Kind of Blue featuring Randy Brecker, David Finck, Victor Lewis, Chuck Loeb, Mike Ricchiuti and Andy Snitzer. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the release of "Kind of Blue" and Gary Guthrie has plied his "what if" curiosity by producing one of the more intriguing jazz records of 2004 - "A New Kind of Blue," a fresh version of Miles Davis' classic. Featuring recent Grammy winner Randy Brecker channeling the spirit of Davis, Guthrie's studio group - dubbed "g.org" (pronounced "g - dot - org") - stretches the "New Blue" well past the 45-minute limits of the vinyl LP heyday, brings its production values into the digital realm, plus captures several of the missing ingredients critics have been scratching their head about for years. "A New Kind of Blue" was recorded at New York's Sony Studios on April 8, 2004 and features Randy Brecker on trumpet, David Finck on bass, Victor Lewis on drums, Chuck Loeb on guitar, Mike Ricchiuti on piano and Andy Snitzer on alto saxophone. Guthrie's instructions to the band were simple: give the set an authentic, passionate reading with some intense color; solo within the scales; let things stretch out a bit; and give the listener a chance to experience the sonic differences of that 1959 moment if it were to happen today. "It became evident very early on that if I consciously made room for serendipity, there would be more of a chance to take advantage of it. Just like Miles' approach, the first ideas were usually the best ideas." Part of Guthrie's approach was to go before Kind of Blue and see what Miles' inspiration was for creative material. One of the elements that showed up was the role of guitar in Fifties jazz and how Miles was picking up on Ahmad Jamal's experiments including the instrument in his combo. Davis even asked Philly Joe Jones to replicate guitar licks as drum hits to give passages some exclamation marks. Guthrie thought, "Can you imagine what a guitarist would've brought to the original 'Blue'?" And, with that, he brought in one of contemporary jazz's format aces, Chuck Loeb. "With Chuck, I not only got a fellow Baby Boomer who cut his teeth on 'Blue' but one who learned his Wes-like licks as a student of Jim Hall and Pat Metheny." Loeb, in turn, became the session leader and lined up the other players to form Guthrie's newest version of his g.org. The collective experiences of the lineup range from Stan Getz to Portishead to the Rolling Stones to winning three Jazz Grammys. The CD features the original sequence of 'Blue' tracks, plus Evans' "Peace Piece" - the Evans' tune used as a basis for "Flamenco Sketches" - reverently included as the prelude to "Sketches" in a close-your-eyes moment from Mike Ricchiuti. Three other elements that make this project interesting are: * Loeb quoting the original arrangement for Chet Baker's "Alone Together" that Evans used for the structure of "Blue in Green" * An extended, jam-like version (22 minutes) of "All Blues" * Mastering by Mark Wilder, the man who has worked with the original "Kind of Blue" more than any man on the planet through his remastering role at Sony The initial release of the CD is a limited, signed and numbered edition (1,800 copies) that contains an alternate version of "All Blues" that will not be available on future releases.

While I die..... Assuming a single song and the dying starts when the song starts and ends when the song ends, what I would choose would depend upon the manner of death. If I'm going out while making love to a super model I think I would choose something like Jimmy Smith's The Sermon which clocks in at 20:10. If I die by being burned alive I think something like The Theme (Track 8 from Disc 3 of Mile Davis' In Person At The Blackhawk: Complete which clocks in at 9 seconds would be my choice.

I am officially announcing a new contest. It's like the Ansari X-prize, but for the recording industry. I am offering $10 million dollars for proof of intelligence in the recording industry. Like the X-prize there is a set of criteria which must be met in order to claim the prize. 1) Abandon all copy-protection schemes that interfere with either the quality of the recorded music or the consumer's "fair use" rights. 2) Stop engaging in price fixing and begin pricing albums competitively. MSRP on any single disc not to exceed $13.99 3) Participate in an independent and collaborative multi-industry panel (including consumer-advocacy groups) that offers guidance on technology issues, such as recording/mastering standards as well as format issues (red book, SACD, DAD-A).

Music labels spin hopes on pocket CD Monday, June 21, 2004 Posted: 10:38 AM EDT (1438 GMT) LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Some of the world's largest record companies are testing a new music format in Europe known as the pocket CD to spin new life into faltering music singles. At three inches in diameter -- or roughly half the size of a conventional compact disc -- the pocket CD carries a selection of music tracks and mobile phone ring tones from a host of artists ranging from 50 Cent to Black Eyed Peas. The technology made its debut in Germany last summer with Universal Music, Sony Music and later EMI and BMG, all selling a limited number of the CDs to test the public's appetite. Now, Universal Music, for one, is introducing the format in the United Kingdom next month. A spokesman said it will ship 1,000 units of the pocket CD for 16 of its artists including 50 Cent and The Rasmus. Pricing has yet to be determined, he added. With ringtone sales on the rise and CD single sales plummeting, record executives are hopeful the new format will reverse the fortunes of an industry beset by rampant piracy and slumping sales. The discs can be played on a PC where the ringtones can be downloaded and then transferred to a mobile phone. The pocket CD is viewed as a way to recapture the market for tech-savvy teenagers and twentysomethings -- the same group that has abandoned record shops in favour of downloading songs off the Internet. The CD single is one of the biggest casualties of the downloading revolution. "We believe there is still demand for a physical single format, and hope that folding in a ringtone will make pocket CDs an attractive - and, hopefully, collectible - purchase," a Universal Music UK spokesman said. "That said, it is a very early days, and this is purely a test to see how the market responds," he added. A BMG spokesman in Germany said that while sales went well, retailers had difficulties stocking the odd-shaped disc forcing the label to stop the program last month. For Universal, the move comes amid plans to phase out the sale of copy-protected compact discs in Germany, a market battered by online piracy and CD-burning. A Universal spokesman said the decision was made to address ongoing concerns that copy-protected CDs do not play in some hi-fi devices. The company could return to some form of copy-protected discs after further fine-tuning of the technology, he added. Source: CNN

Dexter Gordon - Doin' Allright Andrew Hill - Black Fire Freddie Hubbard - Night of the Cookers Lee Morgan - Sixth Sense Horace Silver - Serenade to a Soul Sister Jimmy Smith - Home Cookin At CDUniverse $8.39 for singles $17.49 for double

MSNBC.com and FoxNews.com both are running breaking news headlines at the top of the page.