Ed S

Just like old times In a word - fun

I work in a multi hospital health system in New York State. We have a hiring freeze in place - except for nurses. There is a HUGE demand for nurses right now - at least 'round these parts. When hospitals are short nurses, they either pay over-time or work with temp agencies that specialize in nurses. They pay huge dollars either way. So it behooves hospitals to continue to hire nurses so that they can pay them the regular rate and avoid the overtime pay and/or agency costs. There's also a lot of creativitiy being used to get nurse to work. extended shifts, work weekends exclusively and get full time benefits for about 30 hours work. Also, to entice nurses to sign on as per diems or part time - they offer an hourly rate equivalent to the hourly rate + the cost of benefits - meaning that instead of $30 an hour you might get paid $40.

Billy Cobham was the first jazz concert I ever saw - back in 1975 His band included George Duke on keys, Alphonso Johnson on bass and John Scofield on guitar. Cobham fell off my radar screen - But I've been a big fan of John Scofield ever since.

Thanks Lon. My older son is a kid of few words. But the smile on his face told me all I needed to hear. He really enjoyed it and I'm very happy to be able to expose both my sons to various types of music. So far, both my boys like Derek Trucks and Robert Cray. My older guys is a big U2 guy and now the Dead I was a late starter in the fatherhood thing - and I'm glad to be able to help them along in exposing them to music and other activities. I have them every other week and I wouldn't have it any other way Thanks Peter. Glad to hear that things are working out for you too. It's nice to be in a good place!

C'mon Ed - gives us some details! I'm so envious. No Dead-related band has ever played in the southern hemisphere. What were the highlights, lowlights, funny incidents, people you talked to etc etc. I've actually started listening to the Dead only recently - after my divorce and after having met someone new - new perspectives, new interests, new music, fresh musical outlook - I'd have to say that's one of the many wonderful things that has occurred in the wake of what I at first thought would be the end of me. But that's an aside insofar as the Dead are concerned. It's only relevant in that I bring no Gerry Garcia bias into the equation. First - I love Bob Weir's vocals. The inflections and the feel were perfect. I find his lower tone more appealing than Garcia's. But it's not really a with or without Garcia thing as far I can sense. It's about the Dead and the vibe and the feel and groove - and Weir's vocal fit perfectly. Warren Haynes was a great fit on guitar. He was respectful of the Garcia legacy but certainly his own player. His vocal parts were a nice contrast to Weir - but no attempt to be Garcia-like I don't know all the names of all the songs they played. And it doesn't really matter. The groove they laid down took me to places that no other rock concert I've been to has. And I was with my 14 year old son and drinking Diet Coke, for the record. They opened with a Chuck Berry tune Promised Land and played it pretty straight. They played a few other songs that would probably be familiar to most Dead fans, but suffice to say for me - it was close the eyes and groove time. I recognized Smokestack Lighting and It's all Over Now in the mix and I knew by the end of the first set that this might be the best rock concert I've ever seen. The second set absolutely blew me away. They opened up with an instrumental jam that built into Playin in the Band - the one song I told my son that I'd love to hear them play - and perhaps my favorite Dead song. The groove was exquisite. They improvised around that and worked it for around 15-20 minutes. All the while, they kept referring to the rhythm and theme, but just when I thought they'd break again into the chorus of Playin in the Band, they were into to the best performance of Me and Bobby Mcgee I've ever heard. As they finished that song off, they teased you again with more of the sound and feel of Playin in the Band but the next thing you know, they were playing a song called Loose Lucy (I think). More extended solos weaving around that song all the while giving me the feeling that at any moment they were going to finish off with another chorus of Playin in the Band. At that point, I got the feeling that their second set was designed to be a series of improvs and songs all pulled together under the common theme of the Playin in the Band. They then went into a song called Ramble on Rose - which had a great sing-along component. Made me feel that I've missed so much over the years - but also made me feel so happy that I was finally there to see them. They did an extended drum solo and an instrumental guitar/keyboard improv.ey continued with Maggie's Farm and another of my favorites (Thanks to Lon) - Eyes of the World. That song carried on for what seemed like 2 minutes but was probably 20 - 25. At that point, time was irrelevant. Next thing you know - all of the work around the groove and feel of Playin in the Band led to a a reprise of that song's chorus. The crowd went nuts and I got goose bumps and I had an ear to ear smile. Like a great jazz improv, they had played over 2 hours weaving rhythms and songs and grooves around that Playin in the Band and finally had returmed to it to conclude what might be the best set of rock music I've ever experienced. For an encore, they chose Truckin - predictable because of the reference to the city of Buffalo (where I live) in the words. I just can't say enough about the experience. I have to say that I was surprised at the age of the crowd. There were lots of 50-60 year olds but a hell of a lot more 20-30 -40 year olds. That suprised me. I do have to say that I think my son was amongst the youngest there. He got some exposure to marijuana (as in seeing people smoke it) and some concert behavior that he's not seen before (I've taken him to see Derek Trucks a few times as well as U2). The Dead certainly draw a different crowd. Hope he enjoyed it as much as I did - see above. I've found that it's never to late to get into their music. I'm soooo glad I went.

Very!

....... to a Dead concert. Until last night. Fantastic - an experience like no other

The Argument Clinic Insult the Previous Poster The Tribute Band Corner Complaints Go Here..... "Just Sayin'.........."

I too am unfamiliar with her work. What grabbed my attention was that I ski Tremblant every winter with my boys - was just there 3 weeks ago. Not that that means anything, other than to see a place that I know for such beauty and fun be part of such a tragic story. Sort of sobering in the sense as I know that accidents happen while skiing, but from the reports I've seen, this one appeared to be a minor fall. My guess is that there was an undiagnosed condition that contributed to this tragedy. As far as moving her to NYC is concerned, I was listening to the Howard Stern show yesterday (I know, I know - please this is not the thread to rip Stern - to anyone who cares to). He was pretty shook up about it as he knows both Neeson and Richardson personally and mentioned that he was speaking with Richardson just last week. Anyway, he says - and I'm guessing that there is some credibility based on his personal relationship - that she was basically brain dead by the time she hit Montreal and that the decision was made to move her to New York so that friends and family could say their final good-byes and come to grips with the tragedy. I think I can understand that motive - especially with children involved, although I certainly don't claim to have any great understanding of the psychology involved with end of life decisions and the impact on those left to grieve the tragic loss. I also have no claims to understand how the decision making capabilities of those most directly involved with the sudden/tragic loss of a spouse might be impacted. Seems to me that he (Neeson) did what he felt was right for all concerned.

I was always a fan of the smaller Mosaic sets. Stuff like the Jimmy Smith, Curtis Fuller, Chet Baker and other 3 or 4 disc sets. Something you could put on and get through in an afternoon/evening of listening. Back in the late 90s and early 2000s, - in the days of the old BNBB - it seemed, though that Mosaic could not compete with similarly sized sets put out by other record companies. The Mosaic treatment was/is pretty formulaic - big over sized box, huge booklet and $16 per disc (at the time). Similar small boxes were sellng at the time for a lot less. At the time, Mosaic seemed to be abandoning the smaller sets that I enjoyed so much and just issuing the giant 5,6,7 CD sets as there was a lot less competition in that arena. So I wrote them - repeatedly. I remember numerous email exchanges about doing smaller sets - with the same integrity of Mosaic, but in a format that could compete with the smaller commercially available stuff that was out there. We emailed at length about Pacific Jazz, Roost and Roulette material that could be put out. I know others on the old BNBB that sent similar emails to Mosaic, so I'm in no way suggesting that I contributed anything other than adding my voice to their's but the dialogue that ensued ofer a 12-18 month period culminated with the advent of the Mosaic Select series. I was so happy that Mosaic listened to our requests and thought outside of their box and started releasing smaller sets again. One set that I specifically remember requesting was the Dexter Gordon Nights at the Keystone - which was OOP from Blue Note and a great way to get Dex in the Mosaic fold. Was very happy to see it come out.

I remember seeing Niewood back in the 70s. He opened for McCoy Tyner at a show at the old Clark Gym at the University of Buffalo. Excellent show as I remember it. I have that Gerry Niewood album somewhere..... I'll have to give it a spin.

Great avatar!

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. Tickets went on sale this morning and I picked up a pair. I know this version of the Dead won't quite be the same, but think I'm looking for some familiarity with their music and probably just as important the feel - which I'm guessing won't be too different. I do really dig Warren Haynes (who'll be handling the lead guitar) - both with the Allman Bros and Gov't Mule - so I'm looking forward to hearing him as well.

Over the past few years I've strayed from my jazz leanings to (what I think of as) a broader scope of music. For years, I've said to myself that I'd like to explore the music of the Grateful Dead, but have never really done so. But a recent development has prompted an acceleration of my Dead learning curve. As some of you may know - "The Dead" are touring this year and they are coming to my home town. I've decided that I'd like to go and the only other interested party in my home is my 14 year old son. So, I've sort of been propelled from thinking about checking out the Dead into actually doing it. I know the music of the Dead and availability thereof is pretty complex. I really don't want to seek out boots or do downloads. What I'd like to know is that for two interested, but newbie Dead fans, are there any CD's that are absolutely must haves before I go to see the show with my son. Any help appreciated

Pharoah Sanders at Iridium this past weekend. Great show.

I was in NYC and took in the Thursday show. Very nice.

...... sound of crickets........

Just got the email Interesting Best Vinyl Shop Mosaic Records Launches New Website - TheBestVinylShop.com The Best Vinyl Shop What Is TheBestVinylShop? With the TheBestVinylShop.com we've set out to make a trustworthy, user-friendly site that focuses on great music that has been carefully reissued in the LP format for the maximum analog impact. This new site will focus on all things vinyl featuring in Jazz, Classic Rock, R & B and Blues. We will carry much of the product available from various manufacturers such as Classic Records, Speakers Corner, Pure Pleasure and Sundazed. We've always offered LPs through True Blue Music and customers were grateful to have access to vinyl that the big websites and retail just weren't bothering to carry. We even used our contacts at labels to explore long-forgotten inventory in dark corners of warehouses. In this manner, we were able to make available long out-of-print Japanese pressings of rare albums by Elmo Hope, J.R. Monterose and even Marty Paich on red vinyl! A friend at Fantasy found an ample stash of 10" LPs originally pressed in the early '90s as a custom order for Japan. And we're still on the hunt for treasures all the time. We Need Your Opinions and Expertise We've initiated an LP Lover's Community Blog which will enable you to post and to read other's thoughts on various topics about a lost art, "Listening and Experiencing Music". This is the first baby step in creating a community and we'll see what evolves. We hope you post and post often. For this site to be informative and useful we are also asking for your help in posting reviews. When you visit the site, post a review. It's very easy and you'll be providing a great service to passionate music lovers throughout the world. Launch Promotion - 1 Week Only! We've selected ten exceptional LPs that we want to give away that normally retail for $10.98. Just order a minimum of $60 worth of LPs (exclusive of shipping) and pick an LP for Free. There is a limit of one per customer (not per order) for the week. Promotion ends Tuesday, November 18th. Here's how it works: Load up your cart with a minimum of $60 of Vinyl and on the last page of the checkout process just type the LP you wish in the "Shipping Instructions" box from this list. This list can also be accessed on the left under "Search by Category" listing. Order $60 of Vinyl & Pick A Free New LP! Bobby Bradford - And The Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Vol. One John Coltrane - Soultrane Miles Davis - New Miles Quintet Mile Davis - Quintet/Sextet (w/Milt Jackson) Duke Ellington - Great Times Bill Evans - Live At The Village Vanguard Earl Hines - Monday Date Bobby Hutcherson - Solo & Quartet Sun Ra - Sound of Joy Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues MOSAIC RECORDS HQ VINYL SERIES As many of you know Mosaic's birth began in 1984 with LP box sets. With the advent of the CD a few years later, box sets were produced in both LP and CD format. Mosaic's exit from LP sets in 2000 was not just a product of the shrinking vinyl market, but also the fact that an LP counterpart to a large Mosaic CD set can become very unwieldy and expensive. In 2005, the discovery of an amazing 1957 Carnegie Hall concert by the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane turned my world upside down. In the process of securing these performances for Blue Note, I asked Larry Appelbaum of the Library Of Congress who discovered the material to personally courier the tapes to New York where we could transfer them in 24-bit. When I held and heard those tapes, I knew something else needed to be done. While everyone adjourned for lunch, I stayed at the studio, Master Cutting Room, and asked Kevin Hodge to fire up the lathe. In two hours we had cut the LP lacquers that would put Mosaic Records back into the LP business. In the three intervening years, vinyl has become a media story with large chains selling reasonably-priced turntables to 20-somethings and major labels judiciously releasing old and new titles. And of course, the audiophile labels are still plugging away with "I-told-you-so" Cheshire cat smiles on their faces. While preparing the Ahmad Jamal CD box set due next spring, it occurred to us that an 8-CD set doesn't have to give birth to a back-busting box of twelve 180-gram LPs; it can also give birth to a double-album reissue of both LPs of Ahmad Jamal at The Pershing, the groundbreaking albums that generated such influential hits as "Poinciana." Freed from thinking that Mosaic LPs have to mirror out large CD sets, we've engaged in a treasure hunt coming up with new title ideas like reissuing those two magnificent Lucky Thompson-Oscar Pettiford albums on ABC-Paramount or Duke Ellington's 1963 masterpiece "Afro Bossa." How about the complete Thelonious Monk "Live At The It Club" on LP for the first time, beautifully remixed from the original three-track masters? We've only just begun. We have a number of exciting projects on the Mosaic list so stay tuned for the inaugural release in 2009! - Michael Cuscuna SIGN UP FOR VINYL NEWS This e-mail has been sent to all Mosaic friends around the world. In the future we will only send vinyl related e-mails to those who have purchased vinyl from us or have signed up at our new site. If you wish to recieve upcoming news about new releases and last chance items please sign up at The Best Vinyl Shop THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Mosaic Records could not even attempt to do some of the projects we do without your support; from a Bix Beiderbecke 7 CD set to an Anthony Braxton 8 CD set to the launch of this new Vinyl site. As many of you know who have been loyal members of the Mosaic family for the past 25 years, the only thing that rivals our passion for music is our adamant commitment that the customer be treated with the utmost respect and appreciation as members of our family. Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy our new vinyl initiatives and welcome your feedback and suggestions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Please note do not reply to this email. You may e-mail us at info@mosaicrecords.com ) Sincerely, All of us at Mosaic Records

I have not listened for a while to Beyond Jazz, but I remember the Planet Jazz station on Sirius having a real nice variety of modern jazz - stuff like Metheny, Scofield, Abercrombie, Marc Johnson, Eric Alexander, Moran, Osby, Rosenwinkel, Meldhau, Charles Lloyd, Dave Holland, vocalists like Patricia Barber and Cassandra Wilson. Also lots of fusion guys like Miles Davis, WR, RTF et al. Sorry to say, but I dig that shit. Also sorry to hear that Beyond Jazz has gone the way of Wynton and his minions.

Just for my own information I searched Planet Jazz on the Sirius site and found out that they do indeed have a program called Planet Jazz that is offered on their smooth jazz station. Still miss the station, though. Tough to tell from the little blurb on the site, but looks to me like the old PJ station kicks the current smooth jazz Planet Jazz program's butt.

The Planet Jazz program is still heard on Sirius. When the realignment is finished, you will more than likely see there is still something like Beyond Jazz, only under a different name and broadcast from both satellites. The Planet Jazz that's being referred to here used to be located on Sirius channel 70. It was not just a program but the name of the channel. Last year, when Sirius brought the Grateful Dead Station (I think) live they reshuffled their lineup - removing Planet Jazz and putting Sirius Disorder on Channel 70. I just checked their website and my radio and Channel 70 currently sits empty and Sirius Disorder has been moved to Channel 33. I really dug PJ and also enjoy Beyond Jazz on XM (I get it on my Direct TV and since I have it up in the bedroom, I refer to it as SexM ) When they yanked PJ, I wrote to Sirius to complain and as I mentioned above was told that I could enjoy plenty of modern jazz on the Jazz Cafe and Spa 73 channels. So much for the knowledge of "jazz programmers" I was hoping that when the two entities merged, I'd once again have access to a modern jazz station (Beyond Jazz) but I'm not so sure at this point. By the way - I'm certain I heard an Organissimo tune on Beyond Jazz on Sex M.....er XM last year - from the "This is the Place" CD.

Haven't read any of the above comments, so I apologize if there's repetition. The thing that drew me to Mosaic in the first place was my love of Blue Note recordings and the fact that they had stuff that was not then available. But as I began to explore the Mosaic catalog, I began to realize that their collections represented the best of not only Blue Note, but also all other genres that they put out. So it was with some trepidation and then total enjoyment and jubilation that I "discovered" artists like Tal Farlow, JohnnySmith, Charlie Ventura, Chet Baker, Lenny Tristano, Herbie Nichols, any of the Big Band sets and so many others. I came to realize that Mosaic would not put out a set unless the recordings and/or the artist represented the best of whatever style they were presenting. It is with that same spirit that I anxiously await the release of the Braxton set. I've not heard a note by this guy but I will be ordering it soon after it's released - because it's a Mosaic and Mosaic doesn't put out crap. Because if it's a Mosaic then it HAS to be relevant. Whether I like it remains to be seen. Still don't dig the Giuffre set, but am looking forward to thie Braxton - if only to expand my horizons. Anyone got a Cecil Taylor set for sale?

Sorry to read the news Alexander. There's lots of good advice above. From my own experience - if you know that you've tried everything to keep your marriage together, than there's nothing else you can do except move forward. Once the feelings are gone, they're gone, IMO, and you can't force them to come back The key is to find out if they are gone - or buried under a pile of life's crap - as I think Jim so eloquently put it. Since it takes 2 to tango and you've said above that you still love your wife, you have to come to grips with the fact that she's lost that feeling. Shit happens and people grow apart. My advice is for one of you to split ASAP. Staying together can lead to confusion, and perhaps resentment. One of you should move out. By all means try to keep things as friendly as possible. And at the same time keep things moving toward finalization of the divorce. Mine did not work out that way unfortunately. The goal of being the "best divorce ever" - not my words - degraded to total acrimony over about 3 years of jerking me around. No matter what the intent - during the course of a divorce proceeding - or as in my case a divorce epic - things change in the circumstances of each person's life. The longer those changes are allowed to influence the good intent at the time of separation - the worse, IMO. Like pulling off a bandaid, the quicker the better. There's a lot more info I could share but would prefer not to do so publicly. PM me with any specifics and I can share my experiences. Best of luck

Having been through it, Lon, I know it's a process - and a very unpredictable and often convoluted one at that. The human mind and emotions are a wonderful thing - and just as often a confusing and befuddling thing. You'll know when you're ready and who the right person is. I went out with a bunch of women after my break-up. Probably around 20. I'm not ashamed to admit I was a match.com participant. Sometimes it was one date, sometimes several - but in retrospect - and thankfully - none that were more than a night out for dinner or entertainment. At first, it was just to prove to myself that I could do it - that is meet another woman and have a good time with her, open my emotions and let down my guard to some degree. Eventually it got more serious as I felt I was ready but at the same time I was meeting women who seemed to be in the "shopping around" phase. The problem was/is, there's a whole bunch of people who were/are in the same boat I was and nothing seemed to be clicking - maybe because they were just testing the water as well or more likely because the chemistry wasn't there. I got frustrated and decided to take some time off and just be with myself and my boys (when I have them) and just chill and do some crap around the house. It was on Halloween in 2005 and I was out in some bar in one of the Buffalo area's "hot spots", trying to meet someone and at the same time feeling depressed and wondering what the fuck I was doing with my life when I decided to take that aforementioned break. I had gone out that night to meet someone from match.com who had totally misrepresented herself and after that disaster was over -ended up going to another bar with the hope of meeting someone - and left feeling like it was time to relax and re-strategize. It was literally the same night that I had decided to go into hibernation when I got home to a voicemail from the guy who cuts my hair who told me about a woman who he thought would be great for me - and vice versa. Turns out that the woman was his sister. So I felt like - hey, what's one more??? And besides - he cuts my hair and hey..... and we've talked a lot about women..... and I know him.... and it's his sister..... I met her about a week later and it was instant chemistry. Our 2nd date was a Robert Cray concert and coincidentally, we went to see Robert Cray the night before we married. I guess the moral of the story is - you never know how or why or when. It is so cliche - but the right person will come along and when that happens, you will know.