Dmitry

We picked on up at REI for our daughter who was going off to college. We’ve also used it when camping. Does the job, and is built well.

I had to look that up. Speaking of water, when we were in Bologna, when we would order an espresso, it would be served along with a tiny glass, filled to about 1/3 with mineral water. What is that about? Thanks for the tips on the Bialetti! I’ve got the six cup version. Heating slowly appears to be the most important step; too high a temperature may burn the product. I had to look up the definition of Moka. Interesting.

That’s what I’ve been using for at least fifteen years. I think it’s made in Japan.

Are you considering dumping your Miles Davis material?

Buongiorno, tutti! I just returned from two weeks in Toscana, and probably will never look at the American coffee aesthetic with respect again...well, maybe iced coffee, but that's all. Wherever we've been bussed with our tour group, in the most provincial medieval town or village the smallest "hole in the wall" trattoria had a "bells and whistles steam locomotive" coffee/espresso machine. And coffee is cheap there, like 1 Euro - 1.50 for a proper caffe macchiato. We are being hosed here in America by the likes of Dunkin Donuts, not just pricewise, but quality, or the complete lack of it. Now that I'm home and addicted to caffeine, I was thinking of getting an espresso machine. I brew in the Bialetti moka pot and use a milk frother, a combo which is like the equivalent of a manual transmission car vs. the automatic for a chrome-clad machine some of you have. What am I missing, other than the convenience? How much upkeep does a very good machine require?

Just read The Music of Chance. The film was better than the novel it was based on. Usually this isn't the case, in my experience.

There is a jazz connection...he wrote and directed (a pretty crappy, as I remember it) jazz-themed film, Lulu on the Bridge, with Harvey Keitel, Willem Dafoe and Mira Sorvino, plus a bunch of cameos by the Likes of Lou Reed. Blue Note released the soundtrack. My first interaction with his work was from his script for a truly brilliant film, The Music of Chance. I also read one of his books, about a really fat man and his son, the title escapes me now. Looks like he lived an interesting life.

I wonder how much these negatives (and the rights) went for. This archive of Wolff's lifework is nothing short of a national treasure.

Did he just knock his tooth out with the mallet?

I was still hoping that for that outrageous kind of money, Jimmy would throw in a charcuterie board and a bottle of organic sauvignon blanc (properly chilled, of course), but... WHAT'S INCLUDED IN MY TICKET PURCHASE? Unless otherwise noted, at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club your ticket price only includes admission to the event. Dinner and drinks are not included but are available for purchase at your ticketed seats.

Ahh, but that $140 is for a dinner and a show!

Wanted to see Charles Lloyd Trio at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH, then I saw that tickets are $150 + "fees" (whoever invented these "fees" is certainly an American). https://jimmysoncongress.com/event/charles-lloyd-sky-trio-w-brian-blade-larry-larry-grenadier/ https://www.ticketmaster.com/charles-lloyd-sky-trio-featuring-brian-portsmouth-new-hampshire-06-02-2024/event/01005F64FBA1928F?_gl=1*12kbf1p*_ga*MTE2MjYxODQwNy4xNzE0NDI0NjI0*_ga_2Y88BWCYNL*MTcxNDQyNDYyNC4xLjEuMTcxNDQyNTIyNC4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.86074520.122370848.1714424624-1162618407.1714424624 Truth be told, and not to harp on Jimmy's, they "keep it real": aside from the regular $150+"fees" tickets , there are $15+"fees" tickets, but you get to see Charles Lloyd on video monitor, and sit behind two or three walls and pretty much just be in the same building as him and the band. I have never had to pay $150+"fees" for a jazz show, and have only seen ticket prices like that at the JALC (not even close in hipness as Jimmy's in Portsmouth, NH, I know). Looking at the menu for you and a companion, you are out $650-$700 for show and dinner. And when you walk out of the club, you are still in Portsmouth, NH, not in Cannes or Monte Carlo or San Remo. Portsmouth, NH....

Took out the Ruckus for the first time yesterday. Battery died over the winter (forgot to connect the trickle charger), but the foot crank started her right up. This has been a particularly nasty New England Spring. We aren't known for romantic Spring seasons anyway, but this one is the worst in my memory: cold and rainy.

I mostly buy art books. I also check out many books from our excellent public library system.

If we read the description: The is the rare original RVG-stamped deep groove “P”-pressing of John Coltrane “Blue Train” on the NY 23 label (Side 1) and West 63rd label (Side 2) of Blue Note BLP 1577. The playing surface is in new condition, with a beautiful luster; perhaps played once. The laminated West 63rd St. cover is exceptional condition – clean throughout; the back slick shows norman age toning and a 3/8” x 1” stain at the lower right corner. Personnel include Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. $3000.00 Bidding started at $3000. He was confident it would go a lot higher.Also dig the Norman age toning reference. I bet William the Conqueror would appreciate the Coltrane connection.

Just closed, a magnificent exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum, Rembrandt: Etchings from the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. I went three times. I will probably not see a collection like this again.

Sonny Rollins Quartet - TENOR MADNESS, Prestige PR 7047. 1964 pressing, blue Trident labels. RVG etched in dead wax. Matrix / Runout (Side A runout): RVG PRLP-7047-A 2 AB Matrix / Runout (Side B runout): RVG PRLP-7047-B ⇧ LP looks and plays VG+, with no skips and no clicks. The typical less than amazing 1960s Prestige vinyl, background rustling noise only audible between tracks. Vinyl is shiny, with light surface scratches and discoloration not affecting play. Sleeve has edge wear, minor stains, is intact and is VG+. Ultrasonically cleaned not using caustic chemicals and vacuumed on Loricraft, placed in a Japanese antistatic sleeve and a clear mylar outer. A very nice listening copy mastered by Rudy Van Gelder. $95 post paid in the USA.

https://observer.com/2023/12/the-zone-of-interest-movie-review-one-of-the-years-best-films/

That's interesting to me. Almost thirty years back, when I was in professional school at NYU, a hands-on National Board exam needed to be passed in order to progress to graduation. The organization administering these exams strove for impartiality, and the people overseeing these exams were hired from outside. Many of them were retired professionals in the same field I was learning. I spoke to one of them at some length. He, obviously seeing that I was an immigrant, made a suggestion to change my name to an "American" one. He said that his father changed their family name to...Carter from their original Italian name. The Italian Carter was from Ohio and of swarthy, Mediterranean appearance. Speaking with gravitas, he assured me that the only way to succeed was to blend in. I can absolutely see that an Italian kid in a waspy area in the 1940s would have a tough time. Just like it would be otherwise... I remember a scene in the Untouchables, where Sean Connery's character grilled Andy Garcia's, as to who he was. Garcia said his family name was Stone. Connery called him a wop and that he wasn't fooling anyone with that name.

He was remarkably memorable in the short role of Bobby Bacala Sr. in the Sopranos. His portrayal of a person dying from lung cancer is enough to make anyone quit smoking.

I didn't know he was Italian. What a pseudonym for a boy from Corona. Burt Young sounds like a Jewish radio broadcaster. I wish they'd asked him why he chose a name like that.

Just returned from a trip Istanbul-Riga-İstanbul-home. An enormous variety of mopeds/motorrollers/scooters in Istanbul. Many are Chinese and, I'm assuming, local products, a lot of sundry Hondas. I spotted this Chinese Ruckus knockoff. Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul is a fascinating city, the most vibrant and diverse place I've ever visited...the markets, street cafes, a million of well-fed cats and tens of thousands of street dogs resting wherever they see fit, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, Bosphorus at night, the twirling dervishes accompanied by traditional instrument virtuosos, TopKapi and its incomparable armoury, the most beautiful women in surreal, Cleopatra-like makeup...what a place!

Bingo! You nailed it!

I bought an expensive ($300) modular helmet by HJC. I was going to get the one with Bluetooth, but my friend who rides big motorcycles advised against it. He has one like that and prefers not to switch on the Bluetooth and just listens to the road. I also bought a light mesh jacket with elbows, shoulders and back armor plates. I have to admit that just riding around the neighborhood after work, even if it's just a couple of miles is a wonderful feeling that I can't compare with any other. It's not just relaxing...I need to think of other ways to describe it.