wesbed

"Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out."

To my ears, this set gets better the further you dig into it. The first disk starts with, what is to me, a New Orleans style jazz sound. As you progress, from disk to disk, the set becomes more Ellingtonian. It's interesting and enjoyable, while listening to the HRS box, to follow the music through its paces. To begin with the New Orleans oriented sound, and observe the growth of the music as the influence of Ellington becomes more and more apparent.

I'm not a 'brand' person. I don't care what brand is on a product if I like the product. For example, I'll drink Old Milwaukee beer because I like it. I don't care what thoughts/feelings the brand name conjures up. When it comes to stereo equipment, however, I have always thought/hoped that an audiophile brand would mean something, versus a non-audophile brand. I've been investigating headphones recently. I can't test the equipment before purchase because the equipment is not sold in stores in my area. I have wanted, so badly, to learn that Grado and/or Sennheiser would be the way to go. I wanted to learn that an audophile company would be known for the 'best' headphone. I've learned that Sennheiser tends to be considered the standard for the best. From many, many of the reviews I've read, however, Sony (a non-audophile company, in my opinion), makes the headphones that people are liking. This agrees, 100%, with DrJ's posts in this thread. another 'positive' Sony review

The server may have been down. I don't know. I didn't want to upload the pictures to the Organissimo board because they are 'larger' files. I didn't want to cause posters to this board, who are using a dialup connection, to have to wait for the download every time they might few this thread (nor will the board allow a file of size larger than 100k). However, you can click on the links I provided if you choose to. In this way, the picture viewing is optional. Wait, you want to see pictures of 'me?' The picture links are working for me as I'm typing these words.

.:.impossible: Thanks for the very nice words. You said as much as I'd be able to say. I've spent many an hour, too, enjoying, wondering, and seeing, in my mind's eye, Elvin Jones playing hell out of a drum set. Drums up in your face, and at the same time, in just the right place. Elvin is not my 'absolute' favorite drummer. He is tied for #1 along with Max Roach and Art Blakey. I've always felt a 'comfort' that Elvin Jones, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, and Rudy Van Gelder are still a part of this world. They represent a living link, from the current day to the old day. Not that I will ever have the opportunity to speak to either of the men, I know they are still living, thinking, and were 'there' when the music went down. Also, thanks for posting the fantastic picture. Your picture is becoming more meaningful and ironic as the days pass. I might have to join 7/4 in purchasing the Elvin Jones Mosaic.

Often, the internet is good at spreading rumors. Sometimes, the rumors are discovered to be true. Sometimes they are not. Here is a rumor I found regarding the health of Elvin Jones. As this link says, there is no fact, yet, to backup this claim. Read it for what it is. >rumor link<

With the health of Elvin Jones being mentioned recently, I've been reading about the Elvin Jones Mosaic. I found a few posts in this thread. The discography looks interesting. Not much piano. Lots of horns, bass and drums. Some tunes recorded during the fusion period of the the early 70s (1973). Any new opinions on this set? Things to like? Things to not like? >Elvin Jones Mosaic<

After doing some research in the Google Groups, my best guess at the date is 11/12/89, Miles with Harry Reasoner. This is my opinion from the evidence at hand. Not a factual date. Other opinions?

Mosaic said these sets would be added next month. It appears 'next month' is May.

Oh, c'mon, Mosaic! I haven't yet purchased the J.J. Johnson, the Stanley Turrentine, the Gerry Mulligan, or the Capitol Jazz boxes. Nor the Dizzy Reece or Dave Liebman Selects. Give me a break.

catesta: Is Phoenix expected to break 100 degrees today?

I read almost nothing but positive about the Capitol Jazz box. At the same time, the Capitol Jazz box, due to so many disks, is not a frugal investment. Also, this box is no longer a new Mosaic release. I don't want to miss the Capitol Jazz box. I'll be purchasing when it's moved to Running Low. I wonder how well this set has sold for Mosaic? I wonder how many copies are still available? I wonder if the license could be soon to expire?

If 'Night of the Cookers' is being released as an RVG, I wonder what reasoning was behind it being chosen as an RVG? I'm not doubting any of the negative 'Cookers' posts in this thread. I've read many opinions that 'Cookers' is not a great set of music. Does Blue Note expect 'Cookers' to sell well? Is it an in-demand release? I wonder why Blue Note would choose this title to RVG versus any other Blue Note title? Why not spend the same money and Van Gelder's time to remaster something that is considered, by many, to be a 'good' release?

I found some Venuti/Lang sound clips here.

Alexander: Your words here, are very wise, in my opinion. I've had the same thoughts & experiences with various jobs I've held since starting and graduating from college. I used to think it was the money. It is to a point. But, you've hit on something very important and very subtle. I do believe it is about power. I have a friend who used to manage a produce department in a grocery store. He had the best sales numbers in the district. Like you, he kinda played by his own rules, although not breaking the rules. He believed, since he had the best sales numbers, he would be appreciated. He and his district manager got into a war of words till my friend, finally, quit the grocery business and went to work for the railroad (making even more money). In the end, the grocery (retail) job came down to a play for power, who had it, who didn't, and who's ego got rubbed the wrong way. It didn't matter that my friend was turning a good profit for the company. I've witnessed the same pattern in the couple of retail jobs I've held. It's always the same, "You' didn't do what 'I' said so now you'll be labeled as a troublemaker, no matter how good you are at managing your business. 'I' have the power and 'you' don't." This type of situation helps neither the employee nor the customer. As I've written earlier in this thread, with no employees and no customers, there is no company.

I've never heard Night of the Cookers. But, if it can be compared to a jam session, I'll be buying and liking it for that reason, on it's own. A jam session, to me, is not always lot of 'excellent' playing. More like, just a 'lot' of playing. Some good and some not so good. But, you get to experience the groove of the moment, which is quite enjoyable for me.

I've been reading a book, recently, regarding the history of jazz. The book discussed what Venuti and Lang added to the development of jazz (along with Bix, Tram and Teagarden). The book was very positive about the style of play offered by Venuti and Lang. >Venuti/Lang Mosaic< As is sometimes the case, there are no sample sound files on the Mosaic site for the Joe Venuti/Eddie Lang set. Is this set reminiscent of the Django Mosaic? Is the sound quality comparable to the Bix/Tram Mosaic?

JSngry: Thanks for making me start to 'get' Art Pepper. Now, I gotta buy more Art Pepper CDs. Thanks. Yeah, thanks a lot.

I've been in a Fantasy Jazz and jazz guitar mood in recent days. I just purchased and listened, once through, to the K2 release of 'Virtuoso' by Joe Pass. Being a solo guitar offering, 'Virtuoso' is not the normal bebop fare. Yes, the music is pleasant but I'm not yet at a point where I can say I 'get' it. I haven't heard anything that makes me want to squeel and listen to the music again. This is meant as nothing against Mr. Pass, and only shows my ignorance at this point. If I'd heard Bill Evans' 'Alone' on a once-through, I'd have thought the same thing... the music is pleasant but so what? On becoming more familiar with the music of Bill Evans... well, you don't mess with Mr. Evans. I'll be listening to Virtuoso for a second and third time. Joe Pass sounds, at times, almost more classical than jazz. What should I be listening for? What makes Joe Pass so great? What makes him unique? What did he do to set him apart from the rest of the jazz guitar elite?

From experience with other large corporations/retailers (including the company I work for, which is not a retailer), whether it be a Best Buy or a paint store, there are no longer knowledgeable workers. Being too familiar with the company I work for, which makes a mass-marketed product, the employees are considered, by the management, to be the least important group of people. The customers place slightly ahead of the employees in order of importance. Yet, without employees and customers, there is no company. For the employees, there is very little training, people come and go at all levels, and nobody trusts anybody. When the employees are taught to not care, the customer's get treated very poorly. I believe the attitude comes from the top down. The attitudes of the employees reflect the attitude of the management. All that seems important, at times, is the 'bottom line' and the ego of the CEO. When I go to Border's, Best Buy, and the like... I don't like the poor assistance nor the ridiculous security systems. However, I'm not surprised by either. If you can find a good Mom & Pop store, where Mom & Pop work there and must depend on the business for their survival, you'll, generally, find good service from caring people. At the same time, however, Mom & Pop may not be able to offer the price structure of a Best Buy, Home Depot, or Target.

I'd thought of something like this too. Great idea, AfricaBrass. I mean, after I've paid the store for its service, I'm not planning to return to the store, beeped or not, to offer my time to the store for free. Even if the time is only a few minutes. I mean, try getting a discount at a Border's store for, say, only a few cents. My guess, the store won't do it. However, if the store was to offer me a discount for returning, and making multiple attempts at getting through the security system, when I'm found innocent..? Hey, money talks to me the same as it does to the retail store. If the store wants to examine MY mechandise, the store can pay me for my service to it. Tit for tat. I'd welcome a 40% discount. I'd accept the discount even for a future purchase. I'd have my buttocks right back in the store, proving my innocence, and earning my 40% discount. In comparison, when the store's response is, "Ok, but... Sir?" Okay, but, I'm walking out the door with MY merchandise.

Hey. Why did the president's name get added to this discussion?

I'm glad I was able to bring up a subject that got Dan Gould to agree with maren and Alexander. See the positive energy I possess? I only wish I'd had the same effect on the Border's personnel. Anyway, all good opinions in this thread. I appreciate every one of them (yeah, believe it). My intention, while at the Border's store, was not to be accused nor to accuse of anything. I've dropped a LOT of money at Border's and will continue to do so. I still believe, however, that when I'm shopping in a retail store. I'm paying the store for a service. I'll not be bullied, nor accused, nor paraded, nor herded (like a sheep) back into the store with MY merchandise. I've witnessed the Border's rig-a-ma-roll on occasion. "Ok, sir. Now, please, give me the merchandise. Ok, now walk back through the scanner. Ok, sir, now, walk through the scanner again. Ok, now, let me go and re-scan your merchandise. Ok, sir, now, thank you for shopping at Border's." I saw a customer, one time, who kept beeping because he'd purchased a baseball cap from another store in the mall. Back and forth and back and forth with the poor Border's clerk, till the customer removed his baseball cap and discovered an active transmitter. The odd thing, I heard the customer saying, was that the cap didn't beep on the way in to the Border's store. If the retail store desires that I walk through a scanner, while passing the merchandise around the scanner, BEFORE I make my purchase... okay. At this point, the merchandise is not yet mine. This is sort of what they do at Blockbuster Video. AFTER I've traded my money, however, and the merchandise becomes MINE, it's really not the business of the store's staff as to what I do with my privately-held goods. Whether they can see the goods or not, whether they can touch the goods or not, or whether I'll return to the store or not. I do understand that retail stores lose much revenue due to shrinkage. I know, too, that the amount of shrinkage is priced right back into the product. Unfortunately, I also know that all of us who buy in retail stores (which is most everybody) must pay the higher price to compensate for those who don't pay. I'm stating my opinions here. I'm ignorant as to what the law says. In the end, if we are to live in a civilization, we must, in general, obey the law. Yes, it does seem reasonable, and not much more difficult, to return to the store and let the store's staff do what is required by the store's policy. On the other hand, I'll admit to having a problem with authority in certain situations. I'm an honest person who attempts to live within the law and attempts to treat others with a degree of respect. Given the same situation again, I'll behave in the exact same manner, and continue walking out the door. Errr... unless I discover a 'law' that says otherwise. JSngry, I know what you mean. I don't shop at Sam's Club or Costco. I'm not about to pay to have ACCESS to a retail store, only to be inspected on my way out of the store. As a customer, I'll take my money elsewhere. I can walk into a Target, Home Depot, Sears, and my local grocer for free. By the way, the Hank Mobley (The Flip) and the Charlie Rouse (Bossa Nova Bacchanal) are MUCH better than what I expected.

Errr... I'm thinking maybe it's this thread? >link<

I understand what you mean. It shouldn't be a big deal, and I should have just stopped and let them have their way. On the other hand, why should I? Why should anybody? Especially a PAYING customer. I worked for my money, I spent my time, I went to the store, and I paid my money. It's not my responsibility to make sure the store employees do their job correctly. Nor is it my responsibility to make certain the security equipment is working properly. I have money, the store maintains wares I desire. We make a trade, we agree on the trade, I'm done and on my way. The more customers who act like sheep while in retail stores, the more customers can expect to be treated like sheep the next time around. That said, I still do treat retail employees with respect. We need people working in the stores. The retail employees, by default, receive much more negative energy than they deserve. Yes, the more important thing, what did I get? I tried to purchase the higher-priced titles. Titles I don't already have, that I'd normally purchase from an internet vendor in an attempt to get the better price. My goal was to purchase all titles in the higher price range, to maximize my savings. I purchased the following: Charlie Rouse - Bossa Nova Bacchanal Duke Ellington - Money Jungle Hank Mobley - The Flip Wes Montgomery - Full House (the K2) I've been in a Wes Montgomery mood lately. And, loving the hell out of the very top-quality remastering of the Fantasy K2s. I'm certain I'll repeat this same pattern more than once before the month of May comes to a close. Yes, back to Border's again. B)