J.A.W.

All the solo piano pieces on the DG set are also included in the Decca 33CD-set. The remaining pieces on the DG set are piano concertos: • Mozart Concerto No.20 with Stanisław Wislocki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Prokofiev Concerto No.5 with Witold Rowicki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Rachmaninov Concerto No.2 with Stanisław Wislocki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Schumann Concerto with Witold Rowicki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Tchaikovsky Concerto No.1 with Herbert von Karajan/Vienna Symphonic Orchestra (no, not the Vienna Philharmonic) • Beethoven Concerto No.3 with Kurt Sanderling/Vienna Symphonic Orchestra • Beethoven Rondo for Piano and Orchestra with Kurt Sanderling/Vienna Symphonic Orchestra Thanks! I wasn't aware the solo material was duplicated between the DG and the Decca box ... so the Decca box is actually a Universal box ... All Decca boxes are Universal boxes nowadays. But yes, it's a collection of Richter's solo recordings that were previously issued on DG and Philips, if that is what you meant.

You probably mean Stephen Calt: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Id-Rather-Be-Devil-James/dp/1556527462/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392401240&sr=1-1&keywords=stephen+calt+I%27d+Rather+Be+the+Devil Yes. I read Calt's Skip James biography and learned some things about Mr. James. Unfortunately, I learned a lot more about Stephen Calt, who has a poor writing style and an obnoxious personality (at least as it comes through on the pages of this book). Anyone who's read Calt's liner notes for Yazoo LPs will know that the man can't write worth a lick and that he's obsessed with guitar playing in the blues at the expense of all else, including vocals and lyrics. My advice would be to listen to Skip James' recordings and "skip" Calt's book. Couldn't agree more. Calt's liner notes for Yazoo albums are among the worst I've read. By the way, he died in 2010.

You are probably referring to the 5CD JSP set Legends of Country Blues. John R.T. Davies had nothing to do with it. Thanks. Do you have any other information of the sources used for this set? No, I don't. When this set came out in 2003 John R.T. Davies hadn't been involved with JSP for years. He died in 2004.

You probably mean Stephen Calt: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Id-Rather-Be-Devil-James/dp/1556527462/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392401240&sr=1-1&keywords=stephen+calt+I%27d+Rather+Be+the+Devil

You are probably referring to the 5CD JSP set Legends of Country Blues. John R.T. Davies had nothing to do with it.

Here's a link for Skip's Piano Blues: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skips-Piano-Blues-Skip-James/dp/B000024M94/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1392257827&sr=1-1&keywords=skip's+piano+blues Another important post-war Skip James CD is She Lyin', also on Genes: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000003TL0/ref=dm_ws_ps_cdp?ie=UTF8&qid=1392257676&s=music&sr=1-1-catcorr

The best Skip James disc with pre-war material is the Yazoo CD Hard Time Killin' Floor; with the complete 1930 sessions. The CD has 22 tracks, including 4 by Son House. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hard-Time-Killin-Floor-James/dp/B0009F2EGE/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1392248327&sr=1-1&keywords=skip+james+hard+time

If they don't refund your unfilled orders, you can file claims with PayPal within 45 days of the payment dates.

The Bobby Hutcherson, Johnny Mercer, Denny Zeitlin and John Handy Selects are running low: http://www.mosaicrecords.com/lastchance.asp

My KEFs will be delivered tomorrow. I'm told they have a break-in period of 100 hours, which means I'll have to play a lot of music before I can say anything about the sound. The price for a pair here is €990 or about $1,345.

All the solo piano pieces on the DG set are also included in the Decca 33CD-set. The remaining pieces on the DG set are piano concertos: • Mozart Concerto No.20 with Stanisław Wislocki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Prokofiev Concerto No.5 with Witold Rowicki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Rachmaninov Concerto No.2 with Stanisław Wislocki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Schumann Concerto with Witold Rowicki/Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra • Tchaikovsky Concerto No.1 with Herbert von Karajan/Vienna Symphonic Orchestra (no, not the Vienna Philharmonic) • Beethoven Concerto No.3 with Kurt Sanderling/Vienna Symphonic Orchestra • Beethoven Rondo for Piano and Orchestra with Kurt Sanderling/Vienna Symphonic Orchestra

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26135627#" http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/shirley-temple-iconic-child-star-and-depression-era-box-office-draw-dies-in-california-at-85/2014/02/11/6a81a74e-930a-11e3-b3f7-f5107432ca45_story.html?wpisrc=al_national

When my Quad 988 electrostatic speakers exploded (wasn't even listening to anything) I sold them and ordered a pair of bookshelf KEF LS50 monitors. The limited-edition LS50 Jubilee Edition sold out last year, but KEF recently decided to make some more, a non-Jubilee series this time. They're ugly, but they got rave reviews and seem to be as good as high-end speakers. http://www.kefdirect.com/ls50.html

I wonder why some people are reacting so negatively when someone points out that to their ears the sound isn't that good. Some people don't hear it, others don't care, fine, and some do care. Why the negativity and snarky remarks - not here so much, but I've seen them on other threads. It's always the same on this board. I think it's time for me to take a break.

What I mean is that the SACD format has different standards than the redbook CD and that's why comparing the same music on SACD and CD is like comparing apples and oranges in my view.

I do not compare the formats. I am comparing the outcome of the playback as it comes from my speakers to my ears through my brain. Meaning I do not care if it is CD, SACD, DSD etc. I am only interested which of the 2 discs gives better audio results. Only this. But these are formalistic issues. Do you really think that by comparing these 2 discs, the purpose of the comparison is not addressed? If an audio file was compared to a painting, then it would be apples and oranges of course. In our case we just compare audio files aiming to conclude, let's say, which disc somebody "should" purchase. Comparing the same music on two different formats is like comparing an expensive car and a cheap one. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but what I'm trying to say is that the standards of the formats are different, which makes any comparison meaningless in my view. If you're OK with that, fine, but I set no value on comparisons like that. The fact that you like the one better than the other is a matter of personal taste and I am certainly not commenting on that. By the way, CD and SACD are formats; DSD is a technology used in the recording process, not a format. [spelling edited]

So, just before going to work, I played the whole Platinum SHM-CD through - the intent was to compare short sections, but I could not stop it. Amazing sound. Now I am playing the APO SACD (SACD layer): the new Platinum SHM-CD is definetely darker than the APO. The APO is brighter and louder in my system. I dare to day that the Platinum wins; much more comfortable and analogue. I ll repeat the test soon though. Alex I got really tired by the APO/SACD sound during the Part III around the chaos in the 5th minute of this track; thin/limited sound - a total mess etc. I immediately put the Platimun SHM-CD and it was an unconditional YES: thick sax, powerful bass, nice cymbals etc. I think there is no question here. I think comparing an SACD-layer with a redbook CD is comparing apples and oranges. Perhaps if the intent is to show which medium is "best". If the question is what is the best commercially available physical digital product of this particular recording, and since this latest japanese remastering as inlcuded in the Platinum SHM-CD has not (yet) been released as SACD, then this comparison is appropriate I think. You're comparing different formats (SACD versus CD) and that's comparing apples and oranges.

So, just before going to work, I played the whole Platinum SHM-CD through - the intent was to compare short sections, but I could not stop it. Amazing sound. Now I am playing the APO SACD (SACD layer): the new Platinum SHM-CD is definetely darker than the APO. The APO is brighter and louder in my system. I dare to day that the Platinum wins; much more comfortable and analogue. I ll repeat the test soon though. Alex I got really tired by the APO/SACD sound during the Part III around the chaos in the 5th minute of this track; thin/limited sound - a total mess etc. I immediately put the Platimun SHM-CD and it was an unconditional YES: thick sax, powerful bass, nice cymbals etc. I think there is no question here. I think comparing an SACD-layer with a redbook CD is comparing apples and oranges.

ImportCDs is OK as long as you don't make mistakes when ordering anything. I made a mistake when I ordered a disc last month and immediately asked their customer service to cancel the order - there's no "cancel" button on their site. They didn't respond, not even after five cancellation attempts, and the item that I ordered by mistake shipped within a day... Their customer service is a disaster.

I haven't. I'd have to imagine it sounding better than the 24-bit TOCJ edition. I have a number of gaps in my TOCJ collection (Hank Mobley BN 1568 and My Point of View come to mind, as well as Into Somethin'), but I haven't been actively seeking them out. The TOCJ of Soundin' Off, on a related note, I think sounds gorgeous. It's one of my favorite Reece titles. The BN Works Star Bright is the one that to my ears sounded best of all the versions I've had. At one time I got the Dizzy Reece Mosaic Select to replace my BN Works and McMaster copies of the various albums, but after comparing the lot I sold the Select instead. The only Reece BN Works I sold was Soundin' Off; I replaced it with the Analogue Productions hybrid SACD.

Gotcha. I started doing that, initially, with the 24-bit TOCJ series. They're all sold off now, except one: Dizzy Reece's Star Bright. It still sounds fairly horrible, but it's the best edition I've owned. (I've never heard the Mosaic Select edition; the JRVG was excruciating.) I wonder what this SHM-CD series could do with that Reece title. Some hip Mobley on that date. If you're inclined, do post your response — positive or negative — to that Shorter disc when time permits. Will do. Have you heard the BN Works version of Star Bright (TOCJ-4023)? It's the one I have.

The Shorter only, or other SHM-CDs? I'm interested in hearing your response! (Even if you don't care for that particular SHM-CD, you will have the bonus tracks, so that can't not be some type of plus.) Yep, the Shorter only. I used to buy new Blue Note series in bulk, often only to find that I didn't like their sound after repeated listening. That cost me a small fortune, so I thought I'd try just the one this time

I'm not the one who is stirring up anything. You are the one who is throwing around unfounded accusations here. Not knowing the rules and regulations of importing certain items from outside the EU - which is apparently the case here - is not an excuse. There's nothing unfounded it what I have posted, in any event, your threats are academic: I will just claim Diplomatic Immunity and carry on. Toodle-pip! Read my posts again, I am not threatening anyone. If you feel that I did, that's your problem. Anyway, I'll ignore your posts from now on.

I'm not the one who is stirring up anything. You are the one who is throwing around unfounded accusations here. Not knowing the rules and regulations of importing certain items from outside the EU - which is apparently the case here - is not an excuse.

Correct, that's the law in the EU, though the percentage varies from country to country, depending on their VAT rate. Your assumption is not correct. Tax and sometimes duty are imposed in accordance with EU law, not arbitrarily, and customs can't and won't ignore any claims and appeals. It is not assumption, it is fact based on my experience: the import duties are not uniform across courier based on similar value of goods. Therefore, the taxes and duties, although should be imposed within EU law are being circumnavigated. This I might add, is not only my position, others are complaining too. You may be right, the customs can't and won't ignore any claims or appeals, but there seemed to be a lack of a formal claim process explained to me, without a clear process of appeal, then I am not going to risk losing my money, in addition to time, effort and worry. Indeed, the fact that more than double the declared value was attempted to be charged tells me the game is rigged and they think they can get away with it. Whether that's the customs, or someone in the courier company, I don't know, either way, I just want fair import duties and I don't want to have to fight for this, so I decided not to play their game. Your allegations are very serious, in my view you're in fact accusing people of theft and corruption when you say that "the taxes and duties, although should be imposed within EU law are being circumnavigated" and that "the game is rigged and they think they can get away with it", without providing any proof. Did it occur to you that the items you were importing ("the Ivy League oxford cloth button down shirts designed by Graham Marsh from Kamakura shirts") might be subject to different tax/duty regulations than, say, CDs and did you check that before ordering the items? And did you ask why the total amount you had to pay was so high? They may have adjusted the declared value based on the info they have about the imported items - they're allowed to do that when they think the declared value is too low; in that case you'd have to prove that you actually paid the amount that was originally declared. Or maybe the carrier made a mistake when calculating the amount you had to pay, it could be as simple as that. These things happen. For your sake I hope the people you're accusing aren't reading this, otherwise they might take you to court.