Big Al

Downloaded and listened yesterday while driving around, probably not a good idea since I wasn't in a very good mood and there was some challenging music. So, the following comments probably reflect more on my crankiness than the actual music itself. 1. Whatta swingin' way to start a disc! If I didn't already own this Mosaic, I'd be begging you for the answer and then begging someone to sell this to me! Track 1 from Bone & Bari! 2. "Time After Time" after time after time after time..... this is the solo that doesn't end, it just goes on and on my friends..... 3. This starts off waaaaaayy too slow, makes a whole lotta racket before settling into a groove but retaining the same level of racket..... I could only tolerate this for a few minutes before I hit NEXT. (Listening to it on the computer, I see this goes on for fifteen minutes!!! Talk about an endurance test! Thanks, but no.) 4. Another one that takes forever to get going. Songs like this sound like they are in constant "introduction" mode. Get to the song already!!! Another one that goes on for almost fifteen minutes! I understand there are people who dig this, but I'm definitely not one of them. Sorry. Those last two were so maddening, they made me realize that this is what jazz-haters refer to as noise when they express displeasure with jazz. I can't say I disagree with them, but then I point them right back to track 1 of this BFT. Or I could just point them to.... 5. ....this nice slice of what started off sounding like some late 60's soul-jazz big band, then Rabbit comes in with his unmistakeable sound, then the orchestra makes some very Dukish statements. I'm gonna guess it's either a Hodges big-band date for Verve or an Ellington Fantasy date. Either way, I LIKE, and I'm gonna seek it out when this is all done! 6. "Ole," baby!!! I came very close to switching off the flute intro, and boy I'm glad I didn't! Have no idea who this is, it's obviously not Trane, it's not McCoy on the piano (in fact, I prefer this pianist's understated playing of the vamp without showing off), definitely not Elvin on the drums. Who could it be? No clue, but eager to find out! 7. {{{{sigh}}}} I tried. The soprano was nice, but the piano player sounds like he's trying to channel Andrew Hill, Cecil Taylor, and McCoy Tyner all at the same time. Oh well, at least this doesn't go on for 15 minutes. 8. This started out okay, but then the tenor started sounding like it was having a coronary. Nope, not sitting through this for twelve minutes. Like I said before, I understand people dig this, but it's just noise to me. Now, if I was watching this live, that'd be a different story. I can dig that. But listening to it at work or in the car? Sorry, can't do it, don't wanna do it. 9. Uhhhh.... yeah..... 10. Ahhhh! VERY much some Tony Williams there! But what? Starts out sounding like his 80's Blue Note group, but that is DEFINITELY Freddie Hubbard on the trumpet! And that has to be Ron Carter on the bass! Herbie on the piano, only thing left is to see if that's Wayne on the tenor.... and it is. So this has to be some VSOP recording, I guess. Did they ever make a studio album? I like this enough, but Wayne's solo is not my favorite. I don't mind when he goes out there, but for some reason in this case, it just sounds out of place, or maybe he's just out there too long. I don't know. Freddie's solo, OTOH, is ferocious, fiery, melodic, in your face with all kindsa grace! 11. Oh God, this was the most maddening track! I wanted to like this, I really did. I love that piano figure, the cymbal washes, but the tenor is just so NOT THERE! Wayne again? It sounds like him, but instead of sounding melancholy, he sounds comatose! That, and the frustration thinking I know the name of this song, but it's not coming to me! I keep thinking "Poinciana," but it's not. It'll come to me, probably after the answers have been revealed. 12. Sounds like a mid-70's McCoy Tyner Milestone date. Not really jumping out at me right now, but the beauty of McCoy's Milestone dates is that, while they take a couple of listenings to get used to, they are extremely rewarding. I wouldn't be surprised if this falls in that category. 13. Some solo piano somethingorother that didn't really hold my attention. Alright, that's one man's grouchy take on it. Let others who enjoyed this more than I did (and there should be plenty of them) make better and better-educated guesses than this old bop-head stick-in-the-mud.

In a perfect world, Youk would come to the Rangers after declaring free agency at the end of the year.... A perfect world for a Rangers fan, mind you.

Links downloaded. Thanks MG!

Damn.... a month too late for me! Wish I could be there!

Bouncing back and forth between the recently received Buddy Rich and Jack Teagarden sets.

It never fails: I skip a BFT and end up missing out on a doozy! KEEP THAT GROOVE GOIN' is one of my favorite albums and yes, the songs on there are NOT long enough! Especially "Go Red Go." Can I get a download of this disc? If not, maybe one of the US participants can hook me up.

I can't believe I missed out on this BFT. After looking at the answers, I about cried. Is it too late to get a download of disc one? If so, could one of the US participants mail a copy of disc one to me? Thanks in advance!

CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! TWICE IN ONE DAY! HOLY COW!!!! Somewhere, I gotta believe that Harry & Skip are throwing down some brewskis (Budweisers, probably, since Harry was a "Bud Man and a Cub Fan") & arguing with each other during this series.

Up again cuz a new poster bought a disc, so maybe there are others who'd like to partake!

All of these arrived in excellent shape about a week or so ago, nicely packaged, and the vinyl is SUPERB!!! They all sound terrific. Thanks again, Pete. Are any of these others still available?

Funny, his playing on "Star Bright" never caught my attention. I think I first noticed him on Comin' On as well. The sessions with the Three Sounds are also par excellence. ok ok, I don't get what's so hilarious about me mixing up two albums - or is that some kind of language joke that I don't get or what? Chuck just made the comment that he didn't notice Stanley's playing on SB because he's not on that album; Hank Mobley is. It was Chuck's comment that was funny, not your confusion. At least, that's how I read it.

You got THAT right, especially when they were backed by the Horace Parlan "Us Three" Trio.

And another couple of CTI faves:

I loves me some Veggie Tunes! Here's a CTI fave:

The Rangers have not won a game at Fenway since last season. I smell another sweep around the corner. The announcer said something like the Rangers are 12-37 against the Red Sox in the last few years (I forget how many; I'm sure Dan will know).

Big EYES, not big I's!

You know, I think its completely ridiculous that you think no one knows about this. I knew about it by the time the streak reached about 20 innings, and read with great pleasure Joe Posnanski's column about this guy. We may talk AL East but we're not ignorant of baseball news from around the country. :rolleyes: I didn't know about it. Not all of us are baseball fanatics, Dan. You're constantly on this guy's back, and I don't understand why. It's not like he's Goodspeak or anything....

I'm still bugged about that game. I would rather have had a 19-0 blowout than this collapse. Which was it: an awesome display of power by two teams with killer bats; or was it a pathetic display of pitching, one team whose pitching is better than what it showed last night, the other team the same shit I've come to expect from them over the years? Even the players are bugged about this one. I don't know what Coach Candygram is saying this morning (nor do I give a rat's ass), but the players are of the mindset, "How the hell do you bounce back from THIS one?" What good could possibly have come from this game that the eighth-inning collapse didn't erase (and these collapses are happening with so much frequency now, it's a wonder one of the batters hasn't gone apeshit on the bullpen by now). I don't know, either.

I guess so.... ....or maybe he passed out after Youk's smash!

Do I know my team or what? Thankfully, I was at home when I wrote that!

Y'know, losing sucks as it is, but when you have the game handed to you and your offense claws and scratches its way to overcome the biggest lead ever seen.... a blowout would've just stung; this fucking HURTS! We didn't HAVE to lose this game. We had the lead, we had a groove, Madrigal was shutting them down, and then Ron W-asshat-ton makes yet another stupid-ass move... I'm just speechless. Hats off to the Rangers for once again overcoming their usual pitching woes and their incompetent manager who doesn't know how to WIN when it's given to him. Tonight's game is what the Rangers are all about: pretty good, but never good enough. Gutsy enough to mount a comeback, but lacking the killer instinct to finish the job. That was this game, that is this season.

I think I can answer this: BECAUSE FRANCONA KNOWS THAT WASHINGTON, CLEARLY THE BIGGER IDIOT OF THE TWO, WILL PULL HIS RED-HOT PITCHER MADRIGAL WHO HASN'T GIVEN UP A FUCKING RUN TONIGHT, UNLIKE ALL THE OTHER RANGERS LOSER PITCHERS, IN FAVOR OF HIS USUAL LOSERS JAMEY WRIGHT AND FRANKIE FRANCISCO WHO WILL GIVE THE GAME RIGHT BACK TO THE SOX, JUST LIKE RIGHT NOW AS YOUK JUST CLEARED THE MONSTER TO TAKE THE LEAD BACK TONIGHT!!!!! That's why. And this is why the Rangers will never make the playoffs with Washington as the manager: he simply does not know how to nail the coffin shut. My hat's off to Youk tonight, the man is simply unstoppable.

Oh yeah, and the beach volleyball has been exciting as well!

I've actually been enjoying these Olympics a lot more than I thought I would. It just doesn't get much cooler than synchronized diving. I'd give every one of those divers a 10.0 just because I couldn't do that!!! And I don't care about the hype: Michael Phelps is unreal! I'm enjoying his quest for gold!

Oh yeah, and thank God CJ Wilson is on the DL right now!