Rooster_Ties

No jazz CD3's here (unless you count the Sting "Englishman in New York" CD3 single, with him backed by the Gil Evans Orchestra doing the Hendrix tune "Up From The Skies" as a b-side ). Sounds like CD3's normally will only hold 21 or possibly 24 minutes of music (in the most normal formats), or possibly up to 34 minutes in one extreme (non-standard) format that isn't widely available (and probably wouldn't work with standard players, is my guess). More here... Mini CD - Formats and Mini CD single - Technical Specifications.

At least the Wikipedia article has a source now (I don't believe it did before). Here's the link, though it's really third-hand at best... Melvin Sparks Dies at 64

It's even autographed... CLICK

Some of THE clearest photographs of the nuclear site I've yet seen, from any source, well worth a click.

Yes, the NDR Big Band, which is fairly large (at least on the recordings I've seen and heard). At least bigger than a 10-tet, I would think.

Ah yes, Mother Wit and Lynnsome. Didn't recognize the titles, and I should have scanned an alpha-sorted list of his tunes in case they were misspelled versions. I didn't realize Tolliver had a leader-dates entry HERE, and the 1979 date is even listed (as a radio-broadcast, with the correct spellings too), just scroll down for it. There's also a Rejoicin' on the 2006 big-band studio date that Mosaic issued, listed as a Tolliver original. That answers all my questions about the '79 date, it would seem.

From a jazz blog you can search for, here's the line-up (according to a post dated 31-Aug-2009), and track-listing of the previously unissued Tolliver material. Off the top of my head, I believe most of these are Tolliver compositions, the only two I'm not sure of are "Linsome" and "Rejoicing". Can't find anything at all on-line about any tune named "Linsome". I wonder if "Rejoicing" is possibly the Ornette tune? (I'm guessing probably not.) NDR Big Band feat. Charles Tolliver Hamburg (Germany), Funkhaus des NDR February 1979 Charles Tolliver - trumpet, arranger NDR Big Band, incl: Benny Bailey - trumpet, flugelhorn Herb Geller - alto sax, flute Wolfgang Schlüter - vibes Wolfgang Dauner - piano Lukas Lindholm - bass Alvin Queen - drums 1. Impact (8:10) 2. Grand Max (6:15) 3. Linsome (7:13) 4. Rejoicing (7:44) 5. Ruthie's Heart (8:44) 6. Mother Wind (7:12) 7. Plight (5:30) TT: 50:51

A very interesting article on the Japanese response to this crisis, contrasting their response to that of other countries during times of semi-similar crisis. Why The Japanese Aren't Looting One take-away quote from the middle of the article...

Caveats, this is from Wikipedia, but I imagine it's being policed very(?) carefully (and seems to be sourced in great detail). Timeline of the Fukushima nuclear accidents It seems to be updated frequently, and is fairly straightforward account of the events as they continue to unfold. (Again, it's Wikipedia, so only time will tell how accurate it is.)

From the article...

A glass half empty, may also be half full.

Nothing about this on his website that I can see (I can't get to the root page for some reason, my antivirus software thinks it's suspect - ?), but his 'contact page' there includes a couple phone numbers and e-mail addresses, as well a link to his myspace account. (I'm a little hesitant to call myself.) http://melvinsparks.com/contact.htm Edit: I see one of the contact numbers has been X'ed out "til' futher notice". Thought about starting a thread over at the Steve Hoffman board about this, but I imagine there are move people here with better contacts.

Hard to dispute. Just goes to show not everything slips past the department of redundancy department.

If I lost all my Sam CD's, I'd definitely replace the Florida "Aurora" big band disc -- and probably not the RCA's (much as I love Sam). That we're suddenly getting THREE more discs of that kind of material, is a huge and wonderful surprise!!

Perhaps give the recent Florida Big Band disc a try first?? I found the RCA 'all-star' group discs (from '99) more than just a bit impenetrable at first (for a few years, actually), but have grown to like them (though I wouldn't go so far as to say 'love'). The Florida big band date, on the other hand, knocked me on my ass from the git go. The key difference, for me, was the rhythm section. Sam's got an electric bass player (saw him with Sam in Topeka a few years ago), who also plays with his local big band. I was skeptical at first (electric in that kind of context?), but he/they soon won me over. He and the drummer were very tight. To be perfectly honest, I'm probably a little more excited about this Rivers Select, than I might have been with his 70's small-group recordings. Anybody else got Aurora, can you help me testify?!!

That Sam Rivers Florida big band disc they mention (which they misspelled, it's "Aurora") is just about THE most outrageous thing I've ever heard. Think of Schoenberg as performed by a big band, with James Brown's rhythm section (or at least bass-player). The Sam Rivers RCA big band material is good, but the Florida big band is off the charts!! AND, am I understanding right that the new Tolliver Select is also going to include both of the earlier Strata East big band dates?? ("Music Inc. & Big Band" and the Strata East "Impact"?? -- note, there's also a live quartet release called "Impact" on enja, which is totally different.) If so, this is VERY good news. The CD issues of those two Strata East dates have had atrocious sound. I'll be getting both of these for sure!!!

The importance of community as a whole is generally far greater than the importance of the individual (or even one's family unit). I'm certainly no expert on Japanese culture, but this comes through in nearly every report I'm hearing. For instance, vending machines with water and beverages NOT being broken in to, despite people having gone 4 days with little food or water -- because culturally, such things are simply not done in Japan. Humanity probably could learn a great deal from their reaction during this time of crisis.

FWIW, early on I feared being an annoyance to people with all my BN inquiries, and bought the 2001 Cuscuna/Ruppli BN discography, for what I vaguely remember being about $135 or so (sometime around 2003 I think). Reminds me, what's the story on Michel Ruppli? (the co-discographer of The Blue Note Label. I'd always wondered what his connection was to BN, though looking at Amazon, it appears he's done quite a number of these label-based discographies.

True story. I was scanning the spines of CD cases in a used classical section once, and saw an el-cheapo release of... ...the classical composer named "Schuberth". (Ranks right up there with seeing a 'Yo-Yo Ma' CD filed in the rap section once. )

The IAEA introduced a system for rating nuclear events in 1990, called INES (International Nuclear Event Scale). Chernobyl was rated "7" which is the highest level. The last official statement from Japanese authorities regarding the INES rating seems to be from three days ago when it was rated "4", but the French nuclear safety authorities (among others) have upgraded the rating to "6". Here's a summary on the IAEA website: http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html Thank you for that information. I had heard a BBC radio report of what was apparently that IAEA scale, and was trying to parrot what I vaguely remembered. Crap, a "6" (out of 7). When it was at a "4", my mind was a little more at ease, but every day things seem to be getting more and more serious. And now a fire at a 4th(!) reactor -- a scenario that surely wasn't on ANYBODY'S radar. Though not Chernobyl (and it appears it can't possibly get that bad, since that involved an explosion of an operating reactor without a containment structure), this is still a frighteningly serious situation.

Wouldn't have expected that one.

Thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers.

Damn it, now the 2nd reactor (the one that appeared to be the most stable) is now perhaps in the worst shape of all three that are failing. Another Reactor Now Crippled The Times also quotes a senior nuclear industry executive as saying that "full-scale panic" has set in among Japanese power industry managers. "They're in total disarray, they don't know what to do," the source told the Times. Sorry to be linking to TPM about this (a tertiary source at best), but their's is the quickest summery I could find -- and is well sourced. I'm quoting the blog post in full (it's so short, but all of it is relevant), but you'll have to go to the TPM page to get the NYT link.

I've had tubes in my ears twice (both times as a teen). Unless you're having a long term (over the course of two or more winter seasons), and reoccurring problem -- I cannot imagine a doctor recommending you get tubes. And frankly, if they did, I'd go get a second opinion, unless you've tried some other options without success. To start with, take an OTC sinus decongestant, be careful to blow your nose gently, do NOT 'sniff up' the stuff your nose is clogged with, and wait it out. If you have a more significant sinus infection that lasts more than 6-8 days, you should definitely go to the doctor and get a prescription to fight it, probably with something probably like Amoxicillin or Augmentin.

Try yawning, both opening your mouth super-wide -- but also try yawning while keeping your top and bottom teeth at most about half an inch apart (so keep your mouth 'mostly closed' while you yawn). I've found my ears will 'pop' a lot more easily by yawning while trying not to open my mouth very much. Above all, do NOT use a paperclip.