Rooster_Ties

Actually, although I was only half kidding when I said Ike Willis, if I got serious about the question... I'd probably say my personal favorite would be Curtis Mayfield.

Ike Willis B) ( hehe )

Go to the drugstore and buy a bag of those cheap foam earplugs, and stash 'em in your bench - so you always have some handy. You might also consider getting fit for some custom earplugs, which will dampen the sound equally across the entire frequency range. Most foam earplugs don't block the low bass enough, and some hearing damage can still occur. Although, the foam jobbies are 100 times better than nothing at all. Here's a link to one brand: Musician's Earplugs (There may be other brands, maybe.) My Mom is an audiologist (or rather 'was', she's retired now), and insisted I get some of these for going to rock concerts and such. I also used them on-stage sometimes when I sing in the chorus of big "bombastic" choral works, with full orchestra. They consist of a custom-fit ear plug (made from molds of your own ear canals), and there are two kinds of filters you can pop in and out, one that cuts the overall sound levels by 15db, and the other cuts everything by 25db. I'm not 100% sure if the link I provided was to the brand I have (there may be multiple brands - maybe?), but they sure look the same, since the 'black' filters are the 15db ones, and the 'light-colored' filters are the 25db ones. (The look the same as mine, is what I'm trying to say.) They aren't cheap - I think they run around $100, maybe $150 (not sure, I got mine probably 8 years ago), but they are really worth it. I think you can be fit for them by any quality audiologist in your own area. If you have any other questions, I'll be glad to dig for some more info about them, or ask my Mom.

I used to own the 2CD U.S. release, but traded in back after I had it for about a year. Didn't do much for me. Now I wish I had it again, but then if I got it again, I'm sure I'd find it sorely lacking, and want to trade it again. Chuck's explaination makes sense to me.

Stay the fuck away from eBay, that's my advice to you - my friend. Trades are good - eBay is bad. Don't even 'window-shop' on eBay. Just don't even go there...

As of now (June 1st), I've purchased less than $100 worth of music since late November of 2002 (so that's 6 months). Before that, I was probably spending between $100 and $250 per month (every month!) on Music, for the prior 5 years. There's about three Mosaics I'm dying to get now (Byrd/Adams, Turrentine, and I forget the third one), along with most all of the Mosaic Selects. But I'll hafta wait until I get a job again (I lost my job in January). We're surviving fine on my wife's income, but I'd be in so much shit if I was spending money we couldn't affort to spend on music. So, all in all, I'd say less than $100 in the past 6 months is quite a turn-around for me.

Neither have I. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've never even heard of Wade Legge either, come to think of it. What's the scoop??

Just e-mailed you about the Louis Smith conn - thanks!!! -- Rooster T.

Oh, man - my favorite date was this hot blond school-teacher I met through the 'personals' ads about 8 years ago, and... Oh, wait!! - that's not the kind of date you're asking about, is it...

There's a very small church right next door to our house (literally 20 feet north of us, separated only by the width of a driveway and a 6-foot strip of grass). The congregation of the church is quite an interesting racial mix -- I'm guessing about 50% white, 35% black, and 15% Hispanic. They have an interesting ministerial staff, the racial mix of which I think is intentional. The head-minister is Black, and assistant minister (who is also the youth minister) is white, and the church secretary is Hispanic. Most weeks we see the church congregants as they file into the backdoor of the church, as they use our driveway to get from the church parking lot to the church itself. (There's an easement on the driveway - my wife and I own it, but the church has pedestrian rights in perpetuity. Our house used to be the parsonage to the church, which explains the odd relationship we have with them.) ANYWAY, enough background. I only mention all this because this is one of the most racially mixed groups / organizations / churches / "whatevers" I've ever seen in this town. And I'm always pleased by the friendliness of the church goers, if we're in our back yard on Sunday morning (which is when we often do some of our yard work). No real point to this post, I guess. Just more observations on the topic.

I've never seen Lifeboat, and wonder what it's like??? Anybody here seen it??

My choice was as easy as... 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751 05820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067 98214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812 84811174502841027019385211055596446229489549303819 64428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909 14564856692346034861045432664821339360726024914127 37245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643 67892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609 43305727036575959195309218611738193261179310511854 80744623799627495673518857527248912279381830119491

You know, come to think of it - I'm not sure I've ever seen Rope. I know about it, and about it's "all one shot" thing. Gotta rent this one soon!!!

I had to go with Vertigo too. Jimmy Stewart's Hitchcock films are all great, but Vertigo is such a different kind of role for Stewart, what with him not being quite the 'all-good' guy he normally was. That tipped it over to Vertigo, as far as voting goes. I spent one summer back in college (late 80's) reading an excellent biography of Hitchcock, and as I read about each film he made - I went out and rented each film. Wonderful way to really dig into a director's entire output (or nearly so), all in the space of a couple months.

IMHO, ditch it - and get a newer Honda. My car is a 1992 Honda Accord Wagon (130,000 miles), and my wifes car is a 1993 Accord 2-door Coupe (135,000 miles). I'm pretty sure we're gonna have to bite the bullet and trade one in within the next 3-4 years, but the other one I hope to get another 5-7 years out of. Neither one has ever had a major malfunction, ever!!! We've changed the timing belts in both of them, which is critically important. (If the belt breaks, the engine is shot - 100%!!) Honda is totally the way to go. We may seriously get 20 years out of one of these cars. Maybe we could get that much out of both of them, but at some point you gotta get a new(er) car, so that you can drive on really long trips without as much worry about the vehicle breaking down. Ditch it, and get a recent (2-5 year old) Honda. That's what I'd do. ( My wife bought hers new, but I got mine when it was already 6 years old - and still haven't had any problems. )

Hey Jim!! - speaking of trades... How about an obscenely obscure Tyrone Washington LP (that usually goes for over $50 on eBay, sometimes ever over $100!!), for a "Live At The Meathouse" CD?? Now there's an idea!!! (hint, hint, hint... ) (I've been on a self-imposed "music-buying-freeze" since December, and I'm jonesin' fer some new tunes!!)

Had to look this one up - as it was a cover I had never seen before. Here 't is...

This is one of only about four or five Andrew Hill CD's that I am still missing. The line-up looks great, particularly the inclusion of Clifford Jordan. (Is Jordan on every track, or are some tracks 'trio-only' tracks??) Don't know why I don't have this one, other than I just haven't crossed paths with it at the right time yet. But I will certainly make it a priority at some point. Thanks for the review!! (If anybody has an extra "Shades" CD, lemme know - I've got a bunch of trading fodder to offer. Or if someone knows were one can be found cheap, lemme know that too. Thanks!!!)

Don't mean to pile on, but I rather liked that feature on the BNBB as well. When I don't have a more significant signature, I often make mine "Kansas City (MO), USA", to approximate the old feature, but it doesn't help that much if everyone else isn't doing it too. It ain't no big deal if you can't do it b3-er, but if you can - I'd be a happy guy!!

When I first got "So Near, So Far", I couldn't get it out of my CD player for a month. Normally I'm luke-warm on Scofield too. I think I like what he plays, but that tone isn't really my thing. But somehow I was totally taken by the collective musicianship on "So Near, So Far", and I was totally smitten with Joe's playing. (It was first "post-1973" Joe Henderson recording I'd ever heard, along with McCoy's "New York Reunion".) Years later, I'm no longer as fanatical about "So Near...", but I still really like it quite a lot. Joe's playing, in particual, is great - but I also love Holland and Foster too, and three "10's on a 10 scale" plus one "6 on a 10 scale" still makes for a solid "9", at least in my book.

I love Joe's Milestone box, nearly as much as his Blue Note work. At least for me, when it comes to Joe, it's all good!!!! But seriously, can anybody point out an album where they think Joe seriously misfired??? I haven't found one yet, and I think I'm up to having heard (and owning) nearly 80% of the man's entire recorded output, sideman dates included. (Maybe closer to 85%.) You might not like the context (for instance the Milestone years), I'll grant you that - but if you listen specifically to Joe - I don't think he ever fell below a 7 or 8 on a 10 scale. Not too many other jazz musicians I can think of with track records like that, with careers that span nearly 40 years.

Yes, thanks. I can't wait to hear it too!!!

My wife really likes Dave Matthews, Soundgarden, Audioslave, and (to a lesser extent) Metallica. And so, I've learned to find things to like in all of them, though it's painful to sit through the sax solos on the live Dave Matthews albums. (I've heard bad trombone players with better intonation. ) But Matthews is a good songwriter and singer, and he's grown on me more than I would have predicted. I think I've heard him live about 4 times, and they've all been pretty good concerts, considering I'm not exactly a DMB fanatic. Soundgarden is OK, and I'm liking the new Audioslave pretty well - although to me it sounds more like another Soundgarden album, without enough Rage Against The Machine, and I was hoping for more from them, but maybe next time... (I don't have any "Rage..." yet, but keep meaning to get some. The few singles I've heard I've liked.) I think the only Metallica we have is the double-live disc with the San Fransisco Symphony Orchestra. I like the overall 'sound' of Metallica just fine, but musically - they just don't do that much for me. I tire of the lack of 'harmonic' movement in the music, both from tune to tune, and also within tunes. (It's like they only play in one color, black.)

Tim Berne

I'm quoting this out of the "Modern Rock" thread I started, but my question is probably more appropriately discussed here... Has anybody heard this, and how is it???? I heard Page and the Crowes on Conan a few years ago, and thought "damn, that's kinda tasty", but I never followed up with this 2CD set. What's the deal?? Good, bad, or otherwise??? Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes: Live at the Greek