Dave James

A fellow Oregonian to boot. I feel shame. I have the same hard time pungling up (an original Oregon expression) any sympathy for someone who allows themselves to fall victim to such an obvious scam. What makes it even worse is she couldn't stop even when it became clear to everyone around her that she was being taken. This is the kind of person who would have dropped thousands on video poker if she's gotten involved in that instead of this Nigerian con. How would you feel if you were her husband? I tell you how I'd feel...like an ex-husband. Up over and out.

I just looked over the "discography" associated with this set. Man, there are a boatload of alternate takes, as many as four on some songs. And, it looks like they're all one right after another instead of placed at the end of a given disc (my preference). By itself, this should not dissuade anyone from purchasing this historically relevant box, but be aware that you're going to hear some of the same tunes over and over again. Some people think that's the only way to go. Some don't. Up over and out.

All of us are familiar with the expression. "What's good for General Motors is good for the country." I would suggest at this juncture, it's more like "What's good for General Motors is not good for the country." The spin associated with this Big 3 bailout is overwhelming. We even had a full page ad in yesterday's Oregonian lamenting the fallout from a GM bankruptcy. Look, whenever there's an ecomomic contraction, bad things are going to happen to people. I don't like that any more than the next guy, but, unfortunately, that's the cost associated with getting things back on track. Besides, if GM does declare, it doesn't mean they are going away, it means they can emerge as a leaner, more efficient and more cost effective company. Yes, many will lose jobs, but what's more important; rebuilding the nation's economy or trying to make sure no one gets hurt? I'm sure I would be whistling another tune entirely if I was in the UAW, but it's high time we take a broader view. If we don't, I'm not sure what's going to happen. Up over and out.

This is the most informative article I've seen about the Big 3 bailout. It's from Friday's WSJ. Here's the link. Read this if you're at all interested in what's going on with GM. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122688631448632421.html Up over and out.

"Chewy's most important thread ever"?. Allow me to retort. Not as long as the documentation of your phone call with Lou Donaldson lives in the hearts and minds of Organissimo posters everywhere. You're going to have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat that one to the bar. Up over and out.

What a terrific day. I go outside to cut the lawn and my dog chews up my Shure e530 headphones. FUCK!!! Up over and out.

The Oregonian article included some clips of Mitchell and Hendrix, some of which are quite rare. One is an audio tape of Hendrix and Eric Clapton rapping after doing a few lines. There's also a fairly lengthly interview with Mitchell himself. He was, for sure, an incredible drummer. I always tend to think of Keith Moon or Ginger Baker in a 60's rock context, but Mitchell may have been the best of the bunch. Really creative ideas. Here's a link to the story and the videos. http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2...r_mitch_mi.html As you'll see in the article, Mitchell was only up to doing one number in the show last Friday night and that several people reported seeing him being helped into the car that took him back to The Benson Hotel. From everything I've read, this is natural causes and nothing more. Kind of a shame we tend to think otherwise when it comes to rock musicians. I guess he just wore out. Farewell. Up over and out.

Weren't you the one bugging Cuscuna about a Norah Jones Mosaic box? Whoa. That had to leave a mark. Up over and out.

Please handle this with care. http://www.fartingpreacher.org/index.php?a...wgal&cat=25 Up over and out.

The theme of the recently resuscitated Portland (Oregon) Jazz Festival is Blue Note at 70. It will be held in February at various venues. If you get lucky and you're hanging around the right spot, you might be surprised to see some of the artists drop by for some after hours jamming. Here's the lineup. McCoy Tyner + Joe Lovano Quartet Cassandra Wilson Gonzalo Rubalcaba Terence Blanchard’s Requiem for Katrina Dianne Reeves w/Oregon Symphony John Scofield Patricia Barber Don Byron’s Ivey-Divey Jason Moran Bobby Hutcherson Pat Martino Lou Donaldson Jacky Terrasson Lionel Loueke Jane Bunnett & The Spirits of Havana Aaron Parks Judi Silvano Up over and out.

What a cruel twist of fate. This kid had all the tools and in the tenths of a second it takes a batted ball to travel 60 feet 6 inches, it's all over. Just a shame. And, when you stop to consider what befell Score you can't help but think about Tony Conigliaro too. Same shit different day. What a waste. Up over and out.

Have a good one, my man. Your politics may be suspect, but you're a still a stand-up guy. Up over and out.

Paps - The most difficult day of my life was a year ago on December 18th when we had to put down our Mastiff, Cookie. For me, there is no emotional pain I've experienced that comes close to losing a dog. I came across something the other day that provides some perspective on dogs and their short lives. Seems like as good a time as any to share it: Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, 'People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?' The Six-year-old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.' Up over and out.

I just ordered the Quincy Jones box. They said they are temporarily out of stock, but will ship as soon as more arrive. They must've struck some kind of direct deal with Mosaic like Collector's Choice does from time to time. If that's the case, maybe they will get more. I'm guessing there's about a 50/50 chance it'll ever happen, but at $65.00 with free S&H, I guess I'm willing to roll the dice. You don't get charged until the order ships, so it's not like you're out anything. I'll re-post if and when it's warranted. Up over and out.

Not just jazz stock. At the downtown Border's in Portland, there's almost nothing left of any genre. It looks to me like they're getting out of the CD business entirely and that this sale is a way of moving their remaining stock out the door in a hurry. So be it. I did pick up the Weather Report CD/DVD combo called Forecast Tomorrow for under $30.00 with the coupon which seems like a pretty good deal. That will very likely be the last CD I ever buy from them. Up over and out.

Vic, What Chris said. I mentioned you the other day in another thread. Specifically, a recommendation of one of your favorites, Bent Jaedig. It would be difficult to forget the guidance you provided when I first dipped my toe into the waters of the Scandanavian jazz scene. Some of the most fun I've had in jazz was hearing artists like Jan Johansson, Nils Lundgren, Arne Domnerus or Putte Wickman for the first time. Here's hoping we'll hear from you more often. You're a good guy and you've been around the jazz block enough times to add to the conversation. Up over and out.

Put me squarely in the Revolver column. The apex of "moptoppery". Up over and out.

There's a reason George Martin is sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle. Up over and out.

I agree; I think those people are disgusting and should stay out of the fields. Someone has been living in Cove, Oregon way too long. Up over and out.

If I'm not mistaken, Alan occasionally posts here. Up over and out.

Uh oh...Allen's finally gone around the bend. Up over and out.

Gheorghe, A lot of us on this board like to engage in some less than reverential responses to certain posters. Chewy, or as we like to refer to him in our more lucid moments, Aric, is one of those guys. He's a hoot and one of the more entertaining posters we have here, and, he's a huge Hank fan. If you do a search using Hank Mobley as your criteria, I think you'll find some very interesting and informative posts. Guaranteed. Up over and out.

Chuck, When did you move to Japan? How is it you don't know what part of the country you're in? When you figure it out, find Hiroshi Tanno and say "hi" to him for all of us. Up over and out.

There has been some prior discussion of Swedish pianist Jan Johansson right here on the Big O. He was a startlingly good player with a fresh and original approach to the instrument. His untimely death in a car accident at the age of 33, was a genuine loss to the music. Those who have been around these parts for awhile will remember Vic Christensen. He's the guy who turned me on to Johansson a number of years ago. But, I digress. For those who have not had the pleasure of hearing him, or for those who have, might I recommend a release that's available on eMusic called simply, Blues. This one easily earns the coveted DJ seal of approval. Up over and out.

I have always held G8 in high regard. With regard to Karl Drewo, there's a CD of his that makes an occasional appearance on Dusty Groove that's worth picking up. It's called Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie, although I've always wondered why they didn't call it Clap Hands, Here Comes Karly. Up over and out.