Big Al

Both. It started out as a business trip with just me going alone. I asked if I could bring my wife along, and the boss said I could. So there's the fun!

China Business District. The heart of downtown, underground shopping, all that stuff.

Dom Um Ramao HOTMOSPHERE. Kinda cheesy, but pretty cool nonetheless. Earlier: Donato A BAD DONATO. Boy, did THAT one live up to its title. Worse than the Byrds reunion album I also bought for a quarter.

I know.... they said they would wok my dog for me.....

All's I know is I was groovin' heavily to the last nine minutes of track 6. WHOA!!!

Look bitch (SMACK), if it ain't in a 12( SMACK) inch by (SMACK) 12 inch gate( SMACK)fold(SMACK) cover(SMACK), ain't no (SMACK) motherfucking (SMACK) way it's gonna (SMACK) replicate (SMACK) the "Original" (SMACK) look (SMACK) and (SMACK) feel (SMACK) of those albums (SMACK)(SMACK)(SMACK)(SMACK)(SMACK)(SMACK)(SMACK)(SMACK) Damn (SMACK) straight!

I like your description of the concept better than mine!

What's a cover? In my mind, it's someone doing another version of someone else's song; and by "someone else's song," I mean whoever made THE definitive version. F'rinstance, there are tons of Chuck Berry "covers," because nobody does Chuck Berry like Chuck Berry. His version of "Maybellene" is THE definitive version. But you take a song like Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way," and opinions can diverge widely about who made the definitive version. Was it Dave himself? Or was it Miles? Or was it Bill Evans on How My Heart Sings? In each of those instances, it's a brand new statement. In the former example, it's an artist paying tribute to or trying to ride the coattails of the artist who set the standard. Does that make sense? I think I may have painted myself into a coroner.

Ha! And I'm just the opposite! I love those first three tracks!

My wife and I are travelling to China at the beginning of November, and we'll be staying in the CBD. Can some of you world-travellers tell me what to expect? Where to go? Any music stores there?

Having watched the Dallas Mavericks collapse in two straight seasons, I can honestly say I know how it feels to be a Mets fan this morning.

Track 1: Lost interest very quickly. Not a fan of vocalese at all. Track 2: Oh, now this is nice! The guitar reminds me of Peter Leitch. I like how the bass is playing the vamp over and over. Track 3: My kinda groove, baby!!! Sounds like one of those jam bands that were recently popular, but nothing springs to mind. Sounds like someone wanted to their own tribute to Eddie Harris’ THE IN SOUND. Works for me! Ooh, I like that rhythm guitar under the tenor sax solo. Sweet! Track 4: This sounds like me picking up someone else’s guitar and noodling around on it for awhile. No, I take it back: it sounds like someone attempting to repair his guitar and forgetting to unplug the amp and turn the durn thing off! NEXT!!! Track 5: Alright, back to a nice groove again. Gets a little too far out for me, but otherwise not bad. I like it that it’s a pianoless group. The drummer shows an obvious debt to Elvin here. Is that Haden on bass? Sounds like they’re paying tribute to an Ornette group. Track 6: This sounds like me picking up Sangrey’s saxophone and noodling around on it for awhile. No, I take it back: it sounds like someone attempting to repair his Varitone saxophone in a roomful of Scottish Hari Krishnas and forgetting to unplug the amp and turn the durn thing off! NEXT!!! Y’know, I was about to skip to the next track and then I noticed that this thing goes on for fifteen minutes. So I thought, “Surely this noise can’t go on for fifteen minutes” to which I replied “Why don’t you find out? And stop calling me Shirley.” Well, I’m glad I did. About the 6:30 minute, that wicked groove kicks in and is dragging me along for a viciously stomping ride! ‘course, there’s still seven minutes to go. Let’s find out what’s gonna happen! Nope, that great groove stayed all the way through! Track 7: Standard bop group, I guess. Kinda went by unnoticed. Track 8: This must be an outtake from the upcoming Mosaic box, “The Complete Eddie Anderson Recordings of Jack Benny’s Violin Solos.” Ouch! Track 9: I’m going to guess this is something from Grachan Moncur’s latest, only because I think he has a new album out, and this sounds like his kind of tune. I mean, really, this reminds me of some of the more introspective moments on Evolution, when one instrument would play the vamp while another instrument soloed. Track 10: Pretty cool. Nothing that I could even describe, but certainly not bad. Track 11: Goodnight sweetheart, well it’s time to go...... hic!!!! Very enjoyable, Nate! Can't wait to see the other guesses.

Jackie's Bag. Pretty sure it doesn't have Mogie on it, but it's my favorite of Jackie McLean's albums of that time.

Byrds one-off disastrous reunion album (wow, it really is pretty bad) The Ventures Play Telstar and the Lonely Bull (mono) Don Sebesky GIANT BOX (complete with booklet) Dom um Ramao HOTMOSPHERE (Pablo) A BAD DONATO (Blue Thumb) Lalo Schifrin PIANO, STRINGS, AND BOSSA NOVA (MGM) Not a bad haul for a whole buck-fifty!

The Arlington Public Library's bi-annual book sale provided these vinyl goodies: Claus Ogerman Orchestra GATE OF DREAMS Kenny Barron SUNSET TO DAWN (Muse) Kenny Burrell RECAPITULATION (part of the Chess Jazz Masters Series) Thad Jones/Mel Lewis (part of the Blue Note Reissue Series) Dexter Gordon (part of the Blue Note Reissue Series) Cal Tjader (part of the Verve Return Engagement Series) Horace Silver SILVER 'N BRASS INTRODUCING DUKE PEARSON'S BIG BAND (BLP 4276. That's right: MONO PROMO COPY, BABY!!!!!) McCoy Tyner FLY WITH THE WIND (Milestone) McCoy Tyner TRIDENT (Milestone) Total cost: FIVE FREAKIN' DOLLARS!!!! I actually had to put some records back cuz five bucks was all I had. They also had a copy of Don Sebesky's GIANT BOX, for which I paid $6 on eBay, but could've gotten for $0.50 yesterday. Heck, I may just go back and get it and eBay it, see if I get my money back! Today's half-price day, so I may be back in this thread later......

Claus Ogerman Orchestra GATE OF DREAMS

Absolutely!!!

Hooray for the Cubs!!! Man, this is sweet! Congrats to your Sox, Dan! Been a long time comin'. Now if we could just have that Cubs/Red Sox WS!

1000000% in agreement here! I think that's what makes this date so disappointing: it sounds like Art Blakey is trying to be Art Taylor, as opposed to being the driving force that he normally is. Not a slam against A.T., who can forceful as well, because I love his style of drumming. But only HE can be A.T., whereas only Blakey can be Blakey.

I'm glad you started this thread - led to some interesting differences of opinion. Plus it got me to listen to Leeway again! Well, part of it was worrying if we'd said everything there could be said about jazz around here. This thread proves I have nothing to worry about.

Well, as is usually the case whenever I start a thread like this, little things start jumping out at me. Like the fact that I've been whistling the head of "These Are Soulful Days" over and over ever since I started this thread. I've been listening to it a lot over the last few days; it's slowly growing on me. Slowly.

Big Al is a monumental disappointment to me! Me too!

??????????

FWIW, the sound on the RVG is light-years better than the Conn, IMO. Same here.

I had a CDR of the Conn for the longest time, but it never grew on me. I didn't finally get the RVG until yesterday, thinking that it would sound better (I hadn't heard the album in a few years). Nope, still boring. I can sure echo a lot of what Niko said, but none of the tunes have grown on me, though.