Rooster_Ties

I've gotta get some work done today, but I just noticed one other thing... They've got the sound-sample buttons on the page with every version of particular song that the AMG knows about. Type in "Giant Steps", click the "song" radio-button (instead of the default "artist"), and you get 243 separate entries for "Giant Steps". Probably 100 or more of them aren't versions recorded by Coltrane, and maybe half of those (maybe more???) have sound-samples ---> and the audio-sample button is right there in the page with the listing of the 243 versions. Man, even with the AMG's warts and all (incorrect data, incomplete data, etc...), this is still some mighty powerful stuff. B)

Steeplechase titles appear to all have audio-samples. What other relatively-obscure labels can we find??? EDIT: I just found a DIW title with samples.

Make that the "Charley" Strata East releases. None of the earlier German-only Strata titles have audio (Billy Harper's Capra Black came to mind). BUT, they did have samples for this - which I would have never expected... The label is "EPM Musique" and/or "Marge" --- and I would have never guessed they'd have had audio-samples for this one.

Man, this is THE quickest way I've ever seen to actually HEAR sampes of albums with your favorite sidemen on it. I just listened to samples of three albums with Charles Tolliver on them (but where he wasn't the leader), that I've never heard before. I was NEVER gonna take the time to search through on-line music-store after music-store for some of those titles, looking for audio-samples. It appears that most of the "Strata East" discs that have been released on CD all have audio-samples on the AMG.

I've ALWAYS wondered what Bobby Timmon's album "The Soul Man!" sounded like (since it's got Wayne Shorter on it, from about 1966, and the original version of Shorter's "Tom Thumb"). Now I know. B) Man, I gotta get me a copy of this one sometime!!!!

To my surprise, they even have audio-samples for a FRESH-SOUND title like Jack Wilson's Ramblin'. (Nothing from Wilson's "Eastern Winds" - which is really what I was looking for by going to the Jack Wilson bio.) Man, this will be a LOT easier than trying to hunt down audio-samples from dozens of sites like Amazon, Tower, BN, or even things like the Fresh Sounds site (does their site even have samples??) This will make purchasing on eBay MUCH simpler, if you can quickly find audio-samples of what you're wanting to bid on (for OOP CD's)

NOTE: This post is pretty much "stream of thought" -- warts and all. I was trying to get this info down quickly, before it disappeared. Scroll down for the links into the AMG where you can hear audio-samples. ==================================== Take a look quick, cuz I'm seeing some "behind the scenes" testing info on each page too, so my guess is they've maybe accidentally released the beta-testing version of this to their production servers??? Or, maybe they just forgot to take out the display of the testing variables on the version that's live in production. Here's an example of what I'm talking about (as far as the 'testing-variables-thing' goes)... ...is displayed at the top of each page for a specific review or specific artist bio. They also have "song highlights" listed way up top in the artist bios, with the sound-sample buttons. Here are the "song highlights" (all with audio samples) for Charles Tolliver... SHIT, quick as that, and it's gone again!!!! - before I can even post this thread. It's like it was there for only two minutes. Like I just said, I think this was a goof-up on their part, turning on a feature that they're going to release publicly in the future, but not now. For the record, they had sound samples for several out-of-print CD's too. I tested it by looking up Curtis Amy's OOP Pacific Jazz title. Wait, it's either back on again... -- or the URL's are different (with different variable settings being sent back) when viewing the pages with the sound samples. Here are the links that are in my browser cash. Don't know if they'll work for anybody else, but it's worth a try... Link: Charles Tolliver (general bio) Link: Music, Inc. Big Band Link: Live at Slugs, Vol. 1 Link: Live in Tokyo Link: Impact OK, OK, I see that once your "in" to their page with the "audio sample" options turned on, you can browse around their whole site, and get more "audio sample" pages, even though they seem to have this turned off if you go in "the front door". Click on any of the links above, and use that as your entry into the AMG, and you can look up other artists, and see their pages and reviews with the "audio sample" feature turned ON. I just tried looking up Lee Morgan from one of the Tolliver pages, and I got a whole bunch of audio samples for Lee. They come up on the "review" pages too, including an OOP title like "City Lights". But I tried going to the AMG in another browser, fresh and new -- and no audio. Have fun people!!! Go see what you can find audio-samples of CD's that are OOP, that you've always been curious about hearing. I'm off to do this myself. (FYI, it probably only works for domestically released OOP titles -- nothin' for any of the TOCJ-only titles I looked up, like Tyrone Washington's lone BN disc.) For those who give a hoot about this stuff, I see the letters "samples=1" in the URL's of those Tolliver links above. I think that's the key to turning on the audio. I see another phrase "&sql=Bu9g9kemtjq7m" - which is why we're seeing the variables displayed.

Can't wait for couw to post in this thread.

Good question. Afraid I know the answer -- too obscure.

Depending on the tune, Sun Ra.

Some of the ad-copy from their site. (Figure that maybe Free For All might get a kick out of this one.) B)

Aye, there's the rub.

Which two didn't you get, and why???

Brad needs to stretch some is all I'm saying. Shit, maybe I should have just said that in the first place, and left it at that.

Goddamn, that's one hell of a quote. Jim should write a book. I'd pre-order it he second he said he'd even just think about writing it. What's your address, Jim?? - I'll go ahead and send you a check now. All kidding aside (not that I was kidding!) -- this board (and the old BNBB) was and is blessed with many incredibly insightful people -- who I am constantly reminded of how thankful I am to have crossed paths with, even if only in cyberspace (yack!! - I hate that term 'cyberspace'). Many of you are some of coolest people I've ever known. I know there's more like you out there, in the "real" world. But shit, finding you is a real pain in the ass. Boards like this provide a real public service, in bringing together like-minded people, to hash and thrash over topics that probably half of us would never get to discuss in our "real" world conversations (or at least certainly not at great length). Thanks Jim. When I'm posting at my best, it's usually you that I'm trying to emulate. So, when are you gonna write that book??

I thought you were gonna say "anything but Miles Davis".

I don't want to turn this into a Jason Moran is better than Brad Mehldau thread -- cuz they're really VERY different kinds of players, and impossible to compare, side by side. But this quote from Jason's website kinda gets to what I'm talking about... Andrew Hill made different kinds of albums in his years for Blue Note in the 60's. Some slightly more commercial, or at least more "approachable", and some were as 'heady' as they come. Some were very structured ("Black Fire" and Judgment!" come to mind), and some were less structured ("Point of Departure" and "Compulsion" come to mind). Some were downright 'normal' almost ("Grass Roots"), and some were groovy and kinda 'out there' at the same time ("Passing Ships"). And then there's the one with voices ("Lift Every Voice"), and his ever-so-brief "Strata East" period (that one side of the one album from "One For One" - the one with Charles Tolliver, Pat Patrick, and Bennie Maupin) -- which just drips "Strata East" to me. Hill made lot's of different kinds of albums for BN in the 60's. It appears that Jason is trying this approach too, having a different focus for each album (or 'thesis' as he calls it, in the quote above). And mind-bogglingly amazing as nearly all of Brad Mehldau's albums are (and I like them all), they nearly all have the same basic concept behind them. Sure, there's a solo piano album (which I LOVE), and there's one disc that alternates between trio tunes, and solo tunes. And there's "Largo" - which is the one time he's done something different. But other than that, what, there's like 7 or 8 discs of trio recordings that are all pretty darn similar. The man needs to have some concept albums. He needs to take it to another level. He's got 90% of what I look for in artists -- in terms of artistic integrity, compositional skills, arranging skills, chops, you name it. He just needs that extra 10% -- to really tie it all up, and put himself up a notch in my book. He's almost there. Come on, Brad. I wouldn't bitch about you so much, if I didn't think you could do it!!! Also, Brad's obviously a fan of Radiohead, since he's covered at least three of their tunes (Exit Music, Paranoid Android, and I know I've seen another one listed on some bootlegs). Brad could learn a thing or two from them. Sure, most of Radiohead's albums after "OK Computer" weren't as conventionally great. BUT, I gotta respect the hell out of them for taking chances, and for NOT trying to do sequel after sequel to "OK Computer". Their latest "Hail To The Theif" seems to take the best of what they learned making "OK Computer", along with their more experimental "Kid A" and "Kid B" ("Kid B" is better known as "Amnesiac"), and synthesizing the two concepts. Bravo!!!

I was thrilled to see Brad going in a different direction with "Largo". I don't think "Largo" is a perfect record, but most of it is pretty damn good. My problem with Brad (up until "Largo") was that I didn't feel like he was growing as an artist. I know, I'm probably being hyper-critical here (and I certainly don't have any right to be!!! – that's for damn sure). It's just that Brad has SUCH an AMAZING amount of talent, especially technically. I mean, I would seriously have to list him as being one of the 5 greatest jazz pianists who are under the age of 50. The man can do what he does better than anyone alive today. But what bugs me is that despite all that talent, there's a certainly sameness to most of his releases. They're all uniformly excellent (top-drawer), but they're mostly all interchangeable too. Plus, he arrived on the scene (or at least on the "big label" scene), fully-formed. He was pretty much as good on his first major label release, as he has been on nearly all of his releases since then. (Not exactly, but close.) I only mentioned the "soul" thing in my first post in this thread, because the very first post that started this whole thread mentioned it, specifically in reference to Brad. But any way you slice it, Brad lacks soul. That's OK. He does a different thing -- a more "classical" thing, and that's valid -- and I can respect that. He's got chops from here to Mars, and he speaks with an honest and real musical voice, and he's definitely his own man -- which counts for a whole hell of a lot in this day and age. I respect him a ton, musically. But the man doesn't play with a ton of what we call "soul" -- and that's just the way it goes. Shifting gears for a second... Over the years since Jason Moran came on the scene, I have always felt that Moran was an artist that was struggling to grow and develop. I've always felt like not everything Moran has committed to disc was equally amazing, but I can hear the struggle he has to create fresh, new, and deeply "interesting" music -- even if all of it doesn't work on every level. He's trying new things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't -- but man, he sure as hell tries really hard to say something NEW. But I don't hear that same passion for pushing to create something really "creative" from Brad. Maybe it's cuz he arrived on the scene fully-developed, and I haven't been able to hear the struggle to push things further and further from him. ("Largo" being the exception, of course.) I guess I should close by saying that I own every single Brad Mehldau CD he's yet released (expect this latest one of all standards), but as the years have gone on -- I've been less and less inclined to pick up every Mehldau disc on the same day they came out. I know that he's gonna be GREAT, but I also know that he's gonna be pretty much what I expect from him, and the chances are that I won't hear anything really 'new' from him. I love what I hear from him, and he's an amazing artist - but his artistic drive is a little less than I'd really prefer it to be, given the depth of his technical talents. (Hope that explains things better. This post is primarily in response to Trumpet Guy's post above, just so he doesn't think that I'm doggin' his bro's boss just for the fun of it. Frankly, it's only because I think Mehldau's so god-damn talented, that I have this tiny wish that he'd "push" things more, and more often. I really hope he takes more "Largo"-like chances in the future. They may not all work, but I'd rather have that, than 30 more similar-sounding trio albums, 40 years from now.)

Why fix what ain't broke???? What the hell!!! SOURCE 'Morning Edition' replacing Edwards NPR host to become senior correspondent Tuesday, March 23, 2004 Posted: 12:26 PM EST (1726 GMT) NEW YORK (AP) -- Bob Edwards, host of National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" since its inception in 1979, has been forced out of that job. At the end of April, the 56-year-old Edwards will become senior correspondent of NPR News, with his reports being heard on various network broadcasts. NPR's Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne will serve as interim co-hosts starting in May until a permanent successor to Edwards is named. Spokeswoman Laura Gross said NPR's programming and news management made the change because they're trying to refresh all of the network's broadcasts. "It's part of a natural evolution," she said. "A new host will bring new ideas and perspectives to the show. Bob's voice will still be heard; he'll still be a tremendous influence on the show. We just felt it was time for a change." Edwards said he was "proud to have served with my 'Morning Edition' colleagues, who perform a daily miracle at ridiculous hours when resources are not abundant." NPR estimated Edwards has conducted 20,000 interviews during his years on the show. The network also announced that two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner William K. Marimow, former editor of The (Baltimore) Sun, will join NPR in a newly created position of managing editor for NPR News.

I really like 4/6ths of the tunes on "Reach Out", but most of the other discs listed in this poll are probably more important. For me, the reason to have and like "Reach Out" is Woody being on the date. If it weren't for him, I'd be a little less sweet on it.

Tyrone Washington

Hey, glad to see you got your caps-lock key fixed!!! (All in good fun, Aric, all in good fun. )

Thanks everybody, for the words of encouragement and advice. I'm totally rewriting my resume today; since this is unlike anything I've ever applied for. Gotta spin everything a different way. Thanks again!!