Big Al

BTW, is there a complete list of the Fantasy, Milestone, and Prestige 2-LP sets somewhere? The jazzdisco site has the list of Prestiges, but that's it.

Agree for the most part; I just wish Concord would indicate on their website why they're doing this, what tapes are being used, etc. Are they only going to release the 2-fers that will fit nicely on a single CD? What gives? That's the problem with all of this speculation is that is all it is: speculation! But you may be onto something: maybe Concord really is trying to retrace Fantasy's first steps. Oy!

Y'know, on the one hand, that's pretty cool that they're releasing those old 2-fers on one CD. I'm guessing the sound will be the usual 20-bit mastering & all that. OTOH, some of those titles are either: a) redundant (the Coltrane 2-fer, which is already out in the Concord/Prestige RVG series as Soultrane and Traneing In, not to mention the Trane Fearless Leader box, the OJC, etc etc etc; the Griffin is also readily available in more complete form on the OJC's Thelonious in Action and Misterioso) or b) lacking (the necessity of the bonus tracks from the Burrell All Day/Night Long sessions, which are easily available on the OJCs, cannot be overstated enough. It also looks as though a track or two has been left off of the Parker 2-fer (according to the jazzdisco.org site), but that may be due to duplication of titles. I'm not sure, having never heard the album. The Miles leaves off "My Old Flame" from the Dig session that was originally on the 2-LP set). That said, I still think this is a cool thing Concord is doing. I mean, it sure beats another issue of "Trane for Lovers" or some such crap. For those of us who value quantity for the price paid, you really can't beat these deals.

Gotta admit, I'm happy that there's nothing in the list of Keepnews issues that hasn't already been re-released umpteen million times. For that alone, this is a good set of reissues (although none really interest me personally).

"Portrait of Louis Armstrong"? Were you thinking of Cootie Williams? First time I've heard it... just picked it up at that Corner Record Shop in GR. Thanks for sharing your addiction... Drattit!!! Do you know how close I came to buying that when I saw it that night? Ah well, at least I know it's in good hands! Anyway, I was wrong: it's the fourth track, "Thanks for the Beautiful Land on the Delta," that makes me wanna get up and join the procession! Next year, I'm setting aside a whole DAY to rummage around in there!

It has been far too long since I've listened to that one (being as I don't have it, for one thing). I can't remember the name of it, but that third track of side one, with that repeated trombone line while Gonsalves solos...... OW!!!! Anyway, I've been listening to Bill Evans & George Russell's LIVING TIME. MAN, is that one tough piece! Good, but exhausting!

Have a lot of the pictures been removed from this thread? Mine's gone from the first page (from a couple years back).

I could've easily written this myself, verbatim. I'm definitely an addict, no question about that.

I may just actually get this. I had heard "No More Cloudy Days" awhile back, and really dug that song. It had a nice wimp-country "New Kid in Town" flavor to it that I've always enjoyed the few times they've done it. Then I heard another song from the new album the other night that I really enjoyed. So, we'll see. I mean, I'm hardly a big fan of the Eagles, but I can't beat that price to see what the other tracks are like.

I thought the thread had something to do with their names. Like, if they get married, she can be known as Giselle Brady-Bundchen.

IMO, this is the way to hear this great music. I'm at work so I can't check my "Impressions" set, but aren't there a couple of tracks that didn't fit onto the VME? Amazon shows two versions of "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" (one a "reconstructed" version) and also two takes of "Four on Six" (one billed "live version"). What's the deal again? Is one of the "Four on Six" takes not from that live date, actually? If so, why is it programmed halfway through the live session on disc 2? On the original LP, the version of "Four on Six" wasn't actually recorded at the Half Note. It, along with "Unit 7" and "What's New" were actually recorded at the RVG studios. The version of "Four on Six" from Willow WAS recorded at the Half Note. The actual live version was left off the VME likely due to space constraints; I can only imagine the outcry/debate that would've happened had Verve replaced the LP version with the actual live version of "Four on Six." As for "Surrey," I've never understood why the extra one even exists. I believe the version that appeared on Willow (and subsequently the VME) is the "reconstructed" version. The original version has some guy talking over the guitar solo or something like that.

I need to dig that out again. That was one of my favorite releases last year; probably my favorite Donald Fagen work, as I like it better than anything he did with the Dan. (Didn't say it was better; I just like it more!) The Lp blows the cd out of the water! No contest... I did a kick-ass needledrop... Well then, I may just have to seek out that vinyl!

IMO, this is the way to hear this great music.

A takeoff on the "W" stickers with various slogans like "Four More Years," "Still the President," etc. I was hoping they existed, wasn't sure they did until I actually saw one on a car:

For the same reason dogs lick their own balls: because we can, and it gives us pleasure?

Wow! Congratulations to the kid! That's incredible! :tup Makes my Rangers victory against the 1st-place Angels a lot less significant, but no less enjoyable!

So, how is that view from the other end of the mirror? Sucks to be on the receiving end, doesn't it? Fact is, clem is just like you, only more vocally so. You're just upset because he doesn't validate you; he barely acknowledges you, and that's what irritates you the most. Big deal. He's been doing that to me for years, and I couldn't care less. I enjoy our verbal abuses, but in the end they don't mean squat to me, and more often that not it's just as easy to push his buttons as it is for him to push mine. Or yours. In other words, deal with it or ignore him.

YAY!

Having a lousy baseball team in a town where football is a major religion second only to Southern Baptists has its benefits: last night, we bought the cheapest seats in the Ballpark (total tab for all three of us: $15), located in the upper deck down the right field line. Where we actually sat was the bleachers; total tab for THOSE tickets, had we bought them, would've been $36. Fact is, we could've sat behind home plate if we wanted to, since there were maybe 8,000 people there to watch two dead-last teams playing in a race to be the most unimportant game of the night. The bleachers are also cool because they're right by the kids area, so my son could watch the game for a bit, then go back to the kids area & run around. The kid cleaned up last night: the kids area has various games & contests, and he came back with two wiffle-ball bats (to be used as Jedi training sabers), three wiffle-balls, a Rangers yearbook (oh look: Gagne's still on the cover, as is Teixeira ), and a Michael Young poster. Not a bad haul. On top of that, it was $1 soda/$3 beer night, so we consumed plenty of soda to keep us bouncing off the walls until next baseball season. In addition to Junior, my dad joined us, so it was three generations of "Big Als" at the ballpark. Dad & I reminisced about when he took me to Ranger games at the old Ranger stadium, and I genuinely felt like a little kid again. All of the above is why THIS, as far as I'm concerned, is why baseball is the greatest game ever.

Yesterday at Half Price Books, I saw a couple of Carla Bley albums (Night-Glo, Sextet, and Musique Mechanique) and Pat Metheny's REJOICING on ECM LP. Any opinions on the sound quality of these?

Still is.

I'm gonna post here every day until I gets me a copy of BFT 50!!!

Don't they discuss blues over at JC?

Could someone please please PLEASE forward a copy of this BFT to me??? I know it's gonna be a good one, since Marcos put it together!!!

Heck, for about $50 less, I recently enjoyed fine dining with 2/3 of Organissimo (Joe & Randy), plus Chuck and Skid. (The tab would've been even less if I hadn't had so much beer!)