CJ Shearn

They are. I was on a couple of Jazz Bums livestreams last year and it was clear my knowledge is so above theirs, musically and historically that I'd get blank looks discussing things like Jimmy Smith's organ settings as I indicated Jimmy is one of my areas of expertise. That's a reason I'm starting a new YouTube channel so I can talk about jazz in my engaging, passionate way occasionally that many have come to know here. Granted I've been listening to jazz for pretty much my entire life some of those guys have only listened to jazz for 2 years. Fremer is a wanker, and what I've noticed about Micallef is his videos frequently have incorrect information, his most recent vid he on the Verve Subscription series he said Universal owns CTI... I commented saying UMG owns the A&M/CTI stuff and Grover Washington Jr's KUDU recordings.

That is a positive at least.

Yeah, he was shitting on me for liking SACD and XRCD... typical. Bet he hasn't heard those last Blue Note XRCD's anyway. He knows a lot but I can't stand him with a passion. His views that all jazz is about suffering is a bit much, or that hard bop is angry, and that cats on hard bop sessions came into the dates discussing news, politics... no, a lot of times they just came to play. He has a post Wynton type of ideology I don't dig. I doubt he listens to jazz made today. His Jimmy Smith series was great but I was getting into it with him over his blanket dismissal of most of JOS' Verve period. Also a huge component of Jimmy Smith was his drawbar settings over the years, which are easy to hear and spot once you know what they are, which he neglected to get into. I always detail Jimmy's 3 major periods of changing his organ sound. His dismissal of audiophiles is wild too. He doesn't write about music, that's the thing... he writes about equipment. He once described Philly Joe Jones' drums on Cool Struttin as woody. I think he meant the sound of the stick on the drum head or referring to Philly Joe's stick shots.

I'm actually starting my own YouTube channel next month, they'll be music interviews there but I'll mostly be doing interviews with people about life. I think Fremer took offense because he knew I was calling his audience too... for example the sycophants over the Blue Note Review Lee Morgan box set, which I'm sure many of us would agree is not really necessary and not for us. The guy is so thin skinned a 78 year old cannot take criticism? It's like the only thing he's good at is talking about vinyl and derives his entire self worth on that. Micallef's interviews aren't great IMO, he's done one of the worst Lenny White interviews I ever seen, I did an incredible interview with Lenny years back. I've been on Jazz Bums' channel a few times but it's evident my knowledge is leagues above theirs musically, and it was a bit awkward. Most of us here are leagues above any of those channels knowledge wise.

Late to the party but I preordered as well. My dad who is very ill and will probably pass at any time now (and we've had a tough road) loved Chet and this will remind me of him.

Been a while since I've posted, but on Facebook I'm friends with Ken Micallef, the Stereophile, sometimes Downbeat writer who also is into vinyl. He had made a post about the Verve subscription series, their attempt to follow Blue Note, Analogue Productions, etc. I made what I thought was a well reasoned response about the series kind of not being for seasoned veterans, and more for like the Gen Z hipsters who occassionally get tired of records and sell their collections, for the audiophiles not really into jazz. I saw Michael Fremer responded to my response. I never laughed so hard in my life, knowing who he is, this isn't unexpected: "Shizuka Shearn you are a total snob! Imagining who's the buyer of these titles?and yout "Gen Z hipster" crap? and even hallucinating the titles they'd buy and how long they would keep them? Seriously? And then "the audiophiles clueless about jazz" thing? You are clueless. And then you prattle on about your special SACDs and XRCDs??? hahaha." My response: (I'll leave out the choice language I used but told him to fuck off essentially) ""Michael Fremer Projection is a hell of a drug isn't it. I'm honored. You just made my night. I got dinged by Michael Fremer! You know the exact kind of audiophiles I'm talking about the ones who get into jazz but only the basic stuff, some go deeper but not all. You are one of the biggest snobs I've seen with your anti digital tirades. I don't do LP out of practicality because of my disability. LP sounds amazing on the right system. Wow. F*** off you self important (choice language I used)" It was really hilarious and made my night last night. I got lambasted by Michael Fremer. FWIW I know a lot more about vinyl than most people realize, having grown up with it. I've heard/played Liberty era/UA/close to original RVG deep groove Blue Note and Prestige pressings when I DJ'ed at WHRW FM in Binghamton in my teens, had a lot of original RVG CTI pressings growing up too.

This interview was really moving, the gentle life reflection, and his playing with one hand who was incredible.

I think the Mizell Brothers work is what it is... this album is just a refreshing change of pace. I can't see myself getting too many of their sessions either but I sort of try to listen for what they are. This album is a fun listen.

Not only that but Donald Byrd represented something that a lot of other jazz musicians didn't necessarily, he was more than a musician, a renaissance man who took the opportunities to expand himself using what was available to him. Cornel West, Dr. Claud Anderson and countless others I probably am not aware of are examples of this. And given that I am half Black myself it's only appropriate to capitalize. Maybe i hung around the Lenny White orbit a bit too long (I no longer do- still love the guy's music) but there was a definite pro Black bias, in his Zoom group... there are experiences he's had as a player and as a person I can't imagine

I sent you a PM.

I'll check out the other errors you may have mentioned

https://bit.ly/3WTMyyL

I would be interested to hear this for sure, but wow that description from Barry Ulanov, in today's lense would not fly. Shirley could play, period. It's the time it was written but wow it's pretty cringe that description

I sampled a few tracks streaming. And actually, my friend got it for me for Christmas and I cheated, opened and played it and it's quite good. Surprisingly so. "Kwame" is my favorite cut. Have any of these Byrd originals presented here circulated before? Now the question is if they will reissue the Hutcherson, Foster and other associated titles physically so new audiences can check them out? Might have to write up on this one

No clue