Ed S

Been through both, Mark. If you ever want to exchange PMs or talk live, let me know.

Thanks so much to all of you for the good wishes, thoughts and congratulations. The wedding celebration was really nice and I've had a very busy week. I'm in the process of moving my new wife into my house. Mid-week, I got my two boys for a few days. Everyone getting used to everyone else should prove interesting.

Well I don't post as much as I used to - but I've been a regular lurker. Some of you guys might remember me from the old BNBB and early days of this board. Some might even remember the thread I started when my then wife told me she wanted out..... oy vay It's probably been 4-5 years since then filled with more bullshit than I ever thought I'd have to put up with given the circumstances, but along the way I met someone who's really special. We've been together for a little over 2 years now and this Sunday (8/17) - we're getting married. It's a very happy ending to a part of my life that I'd like to forget and am so happy to be getting on with the next phase of my life.

Not the Dexters!!!!

I have to agree to a certain extent about the outdoor scene. Lots of loud talkers, lots of people who don't care about the music, lots of a-holes. I'll bet that 50% of the people there just come for a night out at the festival - and could not care less about the music. Because of recent ankle surgery, my fiance was in a wheelchair. You would not believe the number of people who would walk in front of her, turn around to see if they were blocking anyone's view and upon seeing that they were - did not seem to care in the least. One of the biggest annoyances came during the performance of the group Sacbe - a straight ahead jazz trio from Mexico. It seemed like every ethnic Mexican in Montreal came to the show - and believe me - I'm all for and understand the ethnic pride thing. Flags were waving, the whole scene - kind of like during the World Cup. But apparently they had no idea that this was a JAZZ trio and were more than a little disappointed - and not afraid to say so. At one point, the piano guy/spokesperson had to say - listen - if you've come to hear mariachi - you've come to the wrong place! Anyway, despite all that, I still had a great time and Sacbe were pretty darn good. Same can be said for much of the other stuff I heard. I've learned over the years that free outdoor concerts are as much a social scene as a musical one and have built up a tolerance for the a-holes. A beer on the head though..... I'm not sure about that one.

Just got back from the festival yesterday. Had an excellent time. I just hung out at the free shows and heard some excellent music as well as some that was a lot different than what I usually listen to - some of which I enjoyed, some of which I did not. The nice thing is that there's typically at least 2 other stages going at the same time and there's usually something good at one of them. Highlights for me were at my usual stops - the small "Club Jazz" outdoor stage where I heard some pretty good stuff - some local guy named Arden Arapyan, a US NY City based group - The Chris Tarry Group (outstanding) - and a Mexican trio named Sacbe - who were also very good. On the Blues stage I particularly enjoyed Nick Moss and the Fliptops and the final concert I saw this year - a kick ass performance by Sonny Landreth Heard a lot of other great stuff at various other stages - Marc Atkinson Trio and a very Truffazzian group call the Ekotones - among them. All in all, very enjoyable.

I remember going to Montreal and enjoying.... ......which I've never seen in the states. These days, you'd better like the official offering of the official beer sponsor. The past few years its been Heineken.

This evening - I'm packing. Tomorrow morning, I'll be headed east and north to my 16th Montreal Jazz Festival. Looking forward to hearing some blues, some groove and some jazz played by guys I've never heard of and probably never will again. It's great fun and it's free! (I don't go to the ticketed shows). The beer though, is a somewhat on the expensive side..... c'est la vie.

Hi Larry I've not been around the board for some time, but I've been around since the Blue Note Board days when I used to post as - "Ed Swinnich." There's been lots of theories and advice offered and experinces shared above - most of which sound either right on target or like something I've experienced myself. I experienced the loss of a wife (divorce) recently and suffered from depression and some very dark days. I personally have not listened to any of my cherished Blue Note CDs or Mosaics in probably over two years. But I've found new and different music and entertainment to help me get of of my rut. It was the change of pace and interest in something new that really helped bring me out of my musical funk at least. Ironically, for me it was the Blues that helped me turn the corner. I guess there is no one correct answer or approach, but I hope that the support you are seeing from the community here is helping a at least a little. If nothing else, I hope it can help in that you are not alone and that what you are experiencing is not unusual - and that as time passes, many have found that time and distance as well as memories you shared and the love you felt for your wife can help you in dealing with your loss

Thanks for posting the picture - I've never even bothered to find out what one of those things looks like. Don't know about the Basie recordings - that's probably because whenever I see the word celeste I usually run as fast and far as I can in the opposite direction. Gotta go!!!!!!!

Jim So sorry to read about your loss. My condolences to you and your family. Kevin and Jim S really hit the nail on the head regarding the gift you've received from your father and how proud he'd be to know that you are carrying on the business. The closest thing I have experienced to the passing of a parent is the passing of my grandfather - who lived with us as I was growing up. It was so tough emotionally when he died, but I can tell you that it's been almost 20 years now - and there is not a week that goes by or a family gathering during which a fond memory/story/laugh does not surface. The love and respect we felt for that guy lives on until today. As Jim mentioned - love is a gift - and he gave us a gift that works until this day in being part of the glue that keeps our family together. I know how tough it will be, but I hope that the memories and love that you have for your father will carry you through the rough times and eventually enrich your life for yearrs to come.

hmmmm.....

Relationships, Ever make a big mistake? Short answer? Yes

I've been travelling up to the Montreal Jazz Festival yearly (except for 2) since 1991. I love the city, hearing some French, hanging out in the touristy spots. Sacrilege I'm sure, but I just go for the free stuff. I love the variety of music and yes I know it's not all jazz. But there *is* plenty of jazz to be found - and lots of blues too - which I also enjoy. I generally seek out the jazz and blues and seek out other interesting stuff. I've never been disappointed. I remember hearing Greenwich twice for free in the early to mid 90s. Turned me into a big fan. I've listened to loads of unknown jazz guys from North America and Europe who played their asses off. Some of the names I remember, most I've forgotten - but I've always heard great music. I guess overall the lineup for the ticketed events is weak this year, but it doesn't bother me in the least. I am tempted to go see Steely Dan and/or Al Green this year though. There is a certain same old same oldness to it I suppose. I can do without Streetnix for the rest of my life. But it's as much about hanging out in a great city as it is going to the festival for me these days. Nothing beats sitting out in the afternoon listening to whoevery drinking a beer and soaking your feet in that huge fountain or hanging out at the blues stage and smelling the marijuana in the cool evening breeze.

I emailed Mosaic 4 or 5 years ago and suggested a Roost, Roulette, or PJ "rescue mission" sort of set - much akin to the huge Capitol set. A label based set that would be comprised of stuff that is not able to be fit into an artist associated set. There was some website I found a few years ago that had listings of everything recorded on Roost and Roulette and I thought - these would be great sets just like the Capitol! I saw that Dave and Lon have sort of mentioned something similar. So I sent the email and got a very lukewarm response. Maybe times have changed?

Congratulations Jim! Best wishes to you and your family

It's been a while between releases though.

What ever happened to these guys?

I've had Sirius for a couple of years now. Overall, I'm happy with the product. I still listen to local radio, but Sirius is probably 60-70% of my radio listening. I do listen to Stern, Scott Ferrall, some of the talk radio stuff and their music channels of all types. Sirius really pissed me off this past summer when they dropped one of their jazz offerings. They used to have Real Jazz, some smooth jazz offering called Jazz Cafe (I think) and another channel called Planet Jazz. On PJ, you could hear more modern jazz artists like Scofield, Metheny, MMW, Brazilian stuff, fusion, modern mainstream artists. Last summer, they did some shuffling around and dumped Planet Jazz. When I wrote to complain, they told me I could still hear plenty of great modern jazz on their smooth station and their new age station. As far as I've read, Sirius has guaranteed that customers will not lose any of their current programming as a result of the merger. BUT - XM radios can't receive Sirius signals and vice versa. So to get all of what Sirius and XM offer, one will have to wait for new radios that can receive both - and I've read that could be a year or so away. I also read, though - that there might be some simulcasting or crossover broadcasting of select stations - but they have not said who/what will be simulcast. Also, there will be several a la carte package offerings at a reduced rate. Again, the lineups have not been announced

Hey - sounds familiar. My parents took our family to Expo 67. I was 10 as well. It was a blast - very cool. I still remember the Soviet Union Pavilion among others

I live near Buffalo - about 1.5 hrs drive from Toronto and have visited it many times over the years. Very nice cosmopolitan city. But I'd recommend Montreal in a heartbeat. I travel there every year (since 1991) for the Jazz Festival and have never been disappointed. There's tons to see and do and overall, I'd have to say that the city just has a great atmosphere. Nice art museums and galleries, Old Montreal is very very nice (though not quite in the same league as Quebec City - where I also went last year). Mount Royal Park, the Oratory, a wonderful botanical garden, the Biodome, a real nice science centre and Imax theatre, a vibrant down town, great areas like St Denis, Crescent St and around McGill University, some nice Irish pubs, boat tours around the island. There's lots of clubs and entertainment venues, nice restaurants in Old Montreal and elsewhere, great architecture. Last year, I went to Montreal for a hockey game as well while enroute to Tremblant for some skiing. Tremblant is about a hour's drive north if you'll have a car and worth a day trip, imo. Some beautiful scenery up in the Laurentians.

What a long, strange trip it's been. All in all, life's pretty good - hopefully with better days ahead. Thanks

Happy Birthday Organissimo! Truly one of the best on line communities around. Thanks to "B3er" for continuing the legacy of the Blue Note Bulletin board and IMPROVING upon it. As both an active particpant and a lurker, I'm amazed at and grateful for the wealth of jazz knowledge, general information, and experiences that have enriched my life - both musically and otherwise.

FFA Very happy to hear the great news. Moving on in one's life can indeed be a refreshing and rewarding experience. Congratulations and best wishes with you new start.

I'm a Sirius subscriber and will admit to decided to get Sirius when Stern moved from terrestrial. I also have XM service through my Direct TV service. Musically, I don't find much difference.. I have to say that I do a lot of listening to Sirius Blues, some of the older rock stations like Classic Vinyl, Vinyl Rewind, Jam On, the Vault, alternative 90s. The jazz stuff is okay, as it is on XM. I like having sat rad as an option in the car- especially on long trips. But I find I still listen to local talk, news and sports talk to and from work plus my share of CDs. It's nice to have another option though. Both XM and Sirius have been having a tough go of it financially recently. Both stocks have dropped dramatically over the past 2 years and though the stock price of XM is higher, it has actually dropped about 60% in the past 24 months as opposed to Sirius which has lost 40% of its value. In either case, the stock performance has not been good at all. From a subscriber standpoint, Sirius has been gaining steadily on XM, but the growth rate has declined for each company. The merged company should have continued subscriber growth with lower overal costs. From what I've read, it appears that Sirius is buying XM, though it is being sold as a merger of equals. I'm hopeful that they'll take the best of both services and offer an expanded lineup. I'd like to to more than one Blues station and more jazz offerings. In jazz, it seems they have a smooth station, new age type station, a more contemporary offering and a mainstream jazz type station. Sirius just added a Sinatra station that had previously been on XM. There's definitely room for more, just don't know if the audience is there to support more offerings. Whatever happens, I won't be losing any sleep over it.