Big Al

Wow! I did that at Pink Floyd in '88, but didn't pass out. I wish I had, though, given how boring the concert was (in retrospect). Of course, I didn't get laid that night either. But it was a bunch of us guys in full "DUUUUUUUUUUDE" mode. None of us'd gotten laid if we were the last dudes on earth.

I saw John Waite in summer of '85. I was 15, working at Six Flags Over Texas, and he played a concert there. Fortunately, I was with two rather attactive female co-workers. UNfortunately, neither one of them wanted to have sex with me (a precursor to the rest of my high-school life). So, yes, that concert sucked.

I did, and I wholeheartedly agree!!! I can't believe I waited forever to pick this one up. This album just flows so seamlessly from one track to the next, sounding very much (and simultaneously) as a Monk album as well as an Ellington album. Thanks for tipping me to this, guys!

With the recent Concord sale, it seems a lot of us picked up these two titles. These titles were chosen because they feature the same lineup on both albums and were recorded at roughly the same time. I chose these albums because I've lately become a huge fan of Jimmy Heath's arranging skills. These two stand out because both albums are in a sextet format, but the three-horn lineup contains the unusual choice of a french horn, and the sound of that horn, coupled with Heath's magical arranging, makes the ensemble sound a lot bigger than it is. In fact, letting the french horn take the lead during the opening head of "Gemini" is a master stroke, IMO. The voicings of all three horns are gorgeous throughout both albums. Freddie Hubbard is as outstanding an accompanist as he is a soloist, never getting in the way, but sounding forceful and confident all the same. And then there's Heath's playing which also falls in the same vein; he's the leader, but he cedes the spotlight to his other bandmates so well that this could easily have been credited to a band instead of just one person. Hopefully, the discussion of these two albums (and Heath in general) will last a month. So get to it, y'all!

Ah, I'm not worried. The Cows are so unfocused right now, one more distraction isn't going to make much of a difference.

PM sent

There was a quote in the paper this weekend where one of the Dolphins from the '72 team said, to the effect, "Yeah, if the Pats win, we'll let them share the glory with us." [emphasis mine] Yet another reason I hope the Pats go all the way. Anyone else want to take the bet that the Cows lose in the first round again? Anyone who says yesterday's game was meaningless is deluding themselves. You can still start your backups and come to PLAY. NOBODY wearing a blue star on their helmet showed up to play yesterday. Wouldn't be so bad, but this is a disturbing trend; not just for this season, but for many previous seasons where the Cows begin the annual December swoon. This year is no different, and I see no reason to believe that the Cows will go any further than the first round. ESPECIALLY if they have to face the Skins again. Gad, it's like re-living the Mavs playoffs this year.

Listening as I type!

Wow! What a game! 16-0! How cool is that? Well, really, it's only as cool as the next game, the next game, and so on. At this point, anything less than a Super Bowl trophy will mark this season as a failure. You're right, Conn: the pressure on the Pats now is tremendous. But like Jim said, DAMN they are good indeed! If any team can take it all the way, it should be the Patriots!

This thread made me wonder if OP was the Wynton Marsalis of his time: 1) Technically gifted, with a debatable talent as to the placement of those gifts 2) Made a whole BUNCH of albums 3) Very popular (within a jazz context anyway) 4) Had quite a few unpopular opinions (Monk, f'rinstance) 5) Had quite a few detractors Just a thought.

DRAT! Bad enough I fell asleep during the Pats-Giants game (yeah, I was really that tired), but I've already missed 75% of the show! Oh well, back to the archives I guess and finish listening to the live broadcast. It's on "Cubano Chant." OH boy! Now the Blakey big-band tunes are coming up! Woo hoo!!!

Alright, I am NOT missing this one!!!! Correct me if I'm wrong, but for those of us who want to listen live on the web, the starting time for each US time zone is: 11:05 pm eastern time 10:05 pm central time 9:05 pm mountain time 8:05 pm western (pacific) time Like I said, I am NOT missing this one! I want to make sure I'm by the computer at the right time!

There are so many artists I came to enjoy because of OP's sideman work (which I actually prefer over his own records). The thing that impresses me the most is how able he was to work himself into any situation: swingers, ballads, stomps, shoutin' blues, ANYTHING. He never seemed overpowering to me. The other thing that impressed me, probably more than anything, was his stamina. I need look no further than on the Complete Norman Granz Jams. Tunes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes long, and he's comping beautifully; sometimes floating, other times charging. (Ray Brown gets my nod in this category as well) Time was if I saw OP's name on an album, I'd pick it up, no questions asked. That doesn't happen much anymore (in fact, for a while there, just the opposite was happening: if I saw OP's name, I'd put it back), but like I said before: there is a lot of jazz out there, a lot of artists I might never have known about had OP not been on that record. Said record would then open the door to the other artists who appeared on that record. And even though I would usually find other pianists whose work I enjoyed more than OP, I found OP the perfect springboard to other avenues of jazz. And for that I say, once again, thank you Oscar Peterson, and RIP. You've certainly earned it.

Is it back? It hasn't been crossed off the list.

The DVD of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1958, from the Jazz Icons series. Nothing puts a smile on my face like being able to WATCH an Art Blakey drum solo!

The three posts prior to my last post (talking about the Hampton, Parlan, and Turrentine boxes) remind me that I need to get those..... SOON!!!

Curtis Fuller, disc 1. Thank you, gregpuck!!!

What catesta said, word for word. Thank you, Oscar.

Unless Favre starts finding his rhythm, the Cows road to the Super Bowl will likely stay in Dallas. Funny thing: my dad is a die-hard Bears fan, but he also despises the Cowboys. For the first time in his life, he's actually rooting for his favorite team's hated rival!

Wow! Glad I ordered those when I did!

When I turned off the game, it was 17-7. Was Witten a non-factor for the rest of the game? I knew it would be difficult not having Owens out there, but I always thought the Cows secondary was strong enough to withstand a loss like that. While I think it's funny that there were people wearing Jessica Simpson masks, it's something I could never do, no matter how much I hated a team. My face looks dumb enough as it is without putting the face of stupidity on it.

...or Gene Simmons. When I first saw the album, I thought Gene had taken the makeup off. Y'ever notice you never see Neil Diamond and Gene Simmons in the same place? Sorta like how you never see Paul Stanley and Cher in the same place?

Seriously, my life was backwards. My mom forbade me & my sister from believing in Santa Claus. Even to the point where she told my gramma that SHE wasn't allowed to do Santa stuff with us. I didn't realize how much I missed until I met my wife and her daughter (who is now OUR daughter ), and I saw how much fun it was. I don't know when my daughter stopped believing, probably early teens. I think my son doesn't believe anymore (eventually he figured out Santa's handwriting was mysteriously similar to my handwriting, no matter how hard I tried to make it legible), but we still do the "letter for Santa" and leaving milk and cookies every Christmas Eve, just for fun. Since I've had kids, I now believe in Santa Claus. Not as a real human being who flies around every Christmas, but as a symbol of the good cheer and happiness that should be evident at this time of year. And I'll stop now before this turns into a real downer of a rant.

There's no Santa?