Dave James

Just look at what sellers are asking for the two recently deceased Vee Jay Mosaics and I think what you're seeing is concern on Mosaic's part that sets are being ordered for the kind appreciation that has nothing to do with the music. I don't have a problem with this. If it really is all about the music and if we truly believe that the Mosaic operation is as altruistic as any in this business, then I think you have to buy into their argument that they are trying to make any "last chance" box available to as many customers as possible. Call me naive, geez, call me irresponsible, but that's the way I see it. Up over and out.

I don't think a set necessarily has to sell out for it to become unavailable. As I understand it, and I could be way off base, is that when Mosaic licenses a recording, the license lasts until a predetermined number of sets are sold or for a particular length of time. Up over and out.

Yankees? Who are the Yankees? I'm just wating for The Boss to pop his top and replace Torre with Larry Bowa. Up over and Harold.

I second JPF's nomination of "Chet Baker in Tokyo." Some of the best late period Baker on record. He is right on top of his game all the way through this one, even taking a run at Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue". How contemporary can you get? Some consistently excellent accompaniment courtesy of Harold Danko, Hein Van Der Gein and John Engels. Several more from the '80's that work for me are 1983's "Chet Baker Live in Sweden" w/ the Ake Johansson Trio (Dragon Records), "Blues for a Reason" from 1984 (Criss Cross) co-led by Warne Marsh and "As Time Goes By" (Timeless Records) a 1986 recording. Up over and out.

Thanks, Jim. Up over and out.

Looks like some messages that were posted yesterday around the time we entered the forbidden zone may have gotten lost in another zone...the ozone. I don't suppose there's any way to recover them at this point, Up over and out.

Guy, That's a spot on statement. I'm not sure what kind of thinking goes in to the establishment of price points, but when the same material is available from multiple other sources for significantly less money, you have to wonder what's driving our friends at True Blue. I wouldn't be cynical enough to believe that they're trying to trade on the basis of brand loyalty to Mosaic...or would I? Up over and out.

Alan's website still says that the Freddie Slack and Johnny Richards Selects will be released sometime this month. Mum's the word on the Mosaic website. That's a little strange, as I would expect there to be some sort of pre-release announcement if they are coming out in a matter of weeks. Is anyone aware of the actual street date? I'm kind of looking forward to both of these. Up over and out.

Anyone else find the following sentence at all ironic? "I'm grateful for the humanizing touch of electronics." Not that I disagree, but I found it to be an interesting contextual assessment. Up over and out.

I bought the Jones/Lewis when it first came out, but it's not one I return to with great regularity. Not that there isn't some truly outstanding music within it's confines, but it would be wrong to say it's without clinkers. In this respect, somewhat reminiscent of the Gerald Wilson box. This set, along with the Larry Young, Andrew Hill and Maynard Ferguson, is one of the four Mosaics that seem to have escalated most wildly in value since they went dark. Highly coveted to the point of borderline absurdity. Nothing, at least IMO, is worth $60 - $70 per disc, this set included. Absence does, indeed, make the heart grow fonder...not to mention what it does to the wallet. Up over and out.

I get about two of these a month at work. My twin brother got enough of them that he finally wound up writing one guy back, telling him that he'd already taken advantage of about six similar offers and that, as a result, he how had over $50 million in his bank account. He asked that the sender remove him from his mailing list, saying that he already had plenty of money but that he was sure there were others out there who weren't so fortunate. The guy actually wrote him back and was bent out of shape by the flippant tone of my brother's message. Give me a break. Up over and out.

MJ, I agree that the Johnson pickup was a poor decision. To get him, I think the Yanks gave up on a young guy with a live arm who just might have been salvageable and pretty much cleaned out their farm system. Then they complicate this move by extending the contract another two years at, what, $19 million per? Right now, Johnson has an OK record and and OK ERA, but he's giving up hits like they grow on trees. I don't play fantasy baseball, but a lot of leagues have a category called WHIP, an acronym for walks and hits per innings pitched. I've gotta think Johnson'ts WHIP is off the charts. I just hope when the weather heats up, he does to. I think the Yanks needed Johnson, but they needed him last year. I was not aware that Pavano has Kenny Rogers Syndrome. If he can't pitch effectively at the Stadium, this is going to turn out to be another questionable acquisition. My understanding is that cooler heads are starting to get The Boss' attention. For instance, if the Astros called and said they'd be glad to send Roger back for a deal that includes Chien-Ming Wang, I doubt it would get done. All things considered, though, I think if I was Brian Cashman, I'd keep my bags packed. Up over and out.

I thought the original was serviceable, but when you watch it now, it really wreaks of the '70's, a decade that has little to recommend itself. I watched some of it again the other night, and it does have its little moments. I always get a kick out of the Bernadette Peters character. And Eddie Arnold is suitably over the top. With regard to the remake, put me in the no fly zone when it comes to Adam Sandler. I have no intention of seeing this. It's not going to be better than the original, that's a gimme, so what would be the point? If there is a point, it's that the core Sandler audience has little if any clue that there was even an original to compare this to. In spite of how hard Hollywood is trying to market this guy as the total package, he's any empty suit. Up over and out.

Tony, The last catalog from Collector's Choice featured two Cold Blood reissues, their self-titled debut and, I think, Sisyphus. Lydia Pense's take on "I'm a Good Woman" from that very first album remains to this day one of my all-time favorites. Jim, Was this the same Buckinghams that did "Kind of a Drag" or am I mixing them up with sombody else? Up over and out.

I think I've said all I have to say about Keith Jarrett. A monumental talent completely wasted by a momumental ego. Up over and out.

They should have quit after their second album. Boy, but that first one when they were still the Chicago Transit Authority...man, that one just burned. I think I wore out the grooves from repeat playings of "I'm a Man." My main bands in the same CTA time frame were Cold Blood, Pacific Gas & Electric and The Sons of Champlin. Season that same pot with some Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks, top it off with a little Lee Michaels and you should be good to go. Up over and out.

Oddly enough, both were Robin Williams movies. Popeye cuz it was simply unwatchable and the remake of The Absent Minded Professor. I loved the original with Fred McMurray, so I thought, how bad can this be if it stars Robin Williams. The answer is very bad. Just goes to show you, they don't make 'em quite like they used to. Even with all the jazzed up special effects available in the '90's it couldn't hold a candle to the first one. Up over and out.

My sense is that he's a first class guy. I've liked him right from the get go, from big hair to no hair at all. He always gave it 110%. You can't ask for anything more. Up over and out.

I haven't watched any tennis for so long, especially on the men's side, that I'm pretty much out of the loop. It's been long enough that I can't remember if clay was ever Agassi's surface of choice. If you've ever played on clay, you already know it's a totally different game. Still, at 35, and with all the young, boring guns serving it up at 120+, he can't play forever. Too bad he went out so early, though, especially if he won't be drinking from that well again. I'm sure the French crowd would have loved to see him make a serious run. Up over and out.

Wow! Now I really regret not getting the VeeJay's. Both the Morgan/Shorter and the Chambers/Kelly are currently up for auction on E-Bay. The former is clocking in at at $102.38, but the latter is up to $202.50! My Lordy me. I wish I'd bought 2 or 3 of each set just for investment purposes. Up over and out.

Now I'm completely confused. BTW, not a new sensation for me. The website looks like it's pushing the Spielberg version, but it's clearly not what you see. Oh well. I guess it's like Gilda Radner used to say on SNL. "Never mind." Up over and out.

Boy I hope not. This is one summer movie I've really been looking forward to. Tom Cruise usually works OK for me, but I think Dakota Fanning is a remarkably gifted and polished child actor. No, come to think of it, remove the reference to "child". With Spielberg helming this, it's got to be good....doesn't it? Up over and out.

This must be some sort of generational thing. Will Ferrell is dreadfully unfunny. He's boorish, stupid, loud, obnoxious repetitive and completely bereft of any sense of nuance or subtlety. His stock in trade is mugging, shouting and truly bad physical comedy. Not to mention that his favorite thing seems to be running around either naked or nearly naked like he's got some kind of hot bod. I think his is one massively out of control ego It's not that I've avoided Ferrell. I'm certainly more than familiar with his work on SNL and in feature films. With the possible exception of the Blue Oyster Cult skit on SNL, he has simply never done anything that I've found to be even remotely amusing. If someone could point me in the direction of what they find engaging about this troll or steer me to any scene from any movie he's been in that is truly funny, fire away. I'm all ears. Up over and out.

I kind of regret passing on the Kelly/Chambers, Morgan/Shorter VeeJays. I knew they were going OOP, but I just never pulled the trigger. Ultimately, I think I was put off by the discussion about alternate takes. I've never been a fan of alternates. There's a reason they're called that. Up over and out.

Nicholson sings "La Vie En Rose" at the end of the movie "Something's Gotta Give". Maybe that's what's being auctioned off. His vocalizing is stiff and strained, but not entirely unpleasant. Not sure I'd want a whole album of him, but in a very small dose at the tail end of a pretty good movie, it worked just fine. Up over and out.