Jim Alfredson

I haven't heard any CIMP recordings, but I have to agree with clem concerning "audiophile" labels in general. If you want to hear a live performance, go see a live performance. To eschew tools like compression and EQ, among others, in the name of some sort of purity (as if it is natural and pure to capture sound digitally to begin with) is like a painter deciding to never use yellow. It is also antithetical to the entire concept of audio engineering itself. The mantra of audio engineers is to make a recording sound good on the widest variety of systems possible, not force the listener to invest in a prohibitively expensive stereo system just so the recording sounds good. In fact, if an engineer can't make a recording sound good on 99% of sound systems out there, than he or she isn't doing their job, imo. Microphones do not "hear" like our ears. Speakers do not function like instruments. Tools like EQ and compression were invented to remedy these problems in as much as they can be remedied. Again, if you want to hear something that sounds "live", then go see a live performance. Of course, then you have to contend with what constitutes a live performance. Is it truly live if the instruments have to be mic'd and amplified through a PA system? I got an audiophile label kick a few years ago before I realized that they mostly sounded like the stuff I used to record before I knew what I was doing.

Bill Bonds is the archetype for The Simpsons Kent Brockman, btw.

Thank you again to everyone who has chimed in. I really appreciate the support. I have felt my dad's presence quite strongly this week. I am extremely sad, but I am trying to remember the great relationship he and I shared. I picked up some of his tools today. I have two jobs that were already on the books that I need to finish for him. I then need to write a letter to his clients and let them know I am continuing the business. I just hope I can do it as well as he did.

This is one of the albums that made me want to play organ, the other being a double-LP Best Of collection of Jimmy Smith. Not to nitpick, but I think McGriff had Kools sitting on top of the organ, not Newports. You can tell the entire thing is improvised and the funniest part to me is how unprepared and downright scared the all the guitarists sound. The poor guys are struggling to keep up and McGriff and Holmes just keep going after each other. Sloppy but very entertaining and soulfu.

Thank you to everyone for your posts. I really appreciate them. I will be taking a few days away from the computer to be with my family, to work on my house, and to internalize and digest this event the best I can. Here's a picture of my dad that embodies him in so many ways.

And here is my tribute to him that I read today at the service.

Here is the obituary that my second-youngest sister wrote: James Theodore "Jim" Alfredson Jr. Okemos, MI Jim died unexpectedly at his home on May 9, 2008 at the age of 67. Born December 6, 1940, he graduated from Perry High School. He served in the U.S. Army before entering a career as a professional guitarist/musician and songwriter. As a young man, he traveled the country extensively playing music, but it was back home in Michigan that he met and married Verna Lou Cogswell. Together they raised seven children and during that time Jim composed the songs of Gabriel's Horn. Being a father, his schedule as a musician no longer suited him. Jim began an apprenticeship learning how to tune and repair pianos. He quickly learned the trade and created his own business, Calliope Piano Service, which served the greater Lansing area for nearly 30 years. In 1997 Jim's wife of nearly three decades, Verna, died of cancer and he was grief-stricken for several years. It was during this time that Jim composed his dissertation, Under the Sun, which he considers his most important work. Fortunately, God is great and Jim met another angel on Earth. His second wife, Venecia, loved and cherished him and revived his spirit. Remarried April 24, 2005, Jim spent his remaining years doing what he loved: being a father to his children and Papa to his grandchildren, playing guitar, reading theology and philosophy, writing his journals, managing his website and blog (www.thepilgrimtraveler.com), cooking, tending to his plants, listening to birds, and watching the sky. His father, James Theodore Alfredson Sr. and his first wife Verna preceded Jim in death. He is survived by his mother, Doris Himebaugh of Mt. Pleasant; his wife, Venecia Burner-Alfredson of Okemos; his eight children: Jennifer Alfredson of Holt, Shelly (Matt) Jones of Owosso, Sarah (Steve) Case of White Lake, James (Alison) Alfredson III of Lansing, Justin Michael Alfredson of Lansing, Julianna (Shawn) Shaltry of East Lansing, Jessica (Eric) Alfredson of Lansing, Natalie Walsh of Lansing; and six grandchildren: Alexander, Kevin, Zora, Sophia, Lucy, and Stella. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91. Jim was a spiritual teacher who believed that simple faith is the foundation of inner peace and security, of the love needed to continue. His words, beliefs and teachings will forever stay with us in his absence. Jim will be deeply missed, and never forgotten, by all who knew and loved him.

I'm still in shock. I really don't know what to say. His heart has been acting up lately. He was in the yard this afternoon raking leaves and sticks and that's where his wife, my step-mother, found him after she got home from work. I was supposed to go over there today and he was going to show me how to replace the plastic keys on a piano. He was teaching me his piano business and I have so much to learn. I was really enjoying our time together. Just this Wednesday we went on a service call together and had lunch afterwards and talked about the new organissimo recording. I postponed our get-together today because I had rented a dumpster and was cleaning out the garage and house. I should've went over. He was only 67. My mom passed in 1997 at the age of 47. I guess they are together now, again... maybe. He inspired and supported me and my musicianship at all times. He bought me synthesizers and Hammond organs even when we barely had any money. He always told me he wanted a Cadillac when I became "rich and famous". He leaves behind seven children, one step-daughter, three son-in-laws, one daughter-in-law, six grandchildren, and his wife. I miss him so much already.

Also, just yesterday I went along on a tuning with my dad, since I'm learning the piano tech business. It was a small grand piano and I have not tuned a grand yet, so my dad thought it would be a good experience. Plus the client is a big fan of organissimo and Root Doctor and a photographer. The room the piano was in had a huge painting of Eric Dolphy that one of the guy's sons had painted (very well, I might add). We started talking about music and he and I had very similar tastes. I guess his photographs have graced the cover of an album by Roscoe Mitchell and one by Gary Burton, too. I'm hoping we can work together on the new organissimo CD. He does really interesting stuff. Here's his website, although the samples barely touch on the range of images he showed me. http://colandosuncommonvision.com/

I don't have any close neighbors that I know of, although there used to be this elder gentleman that did various yardwork around the neighborhood for people. He could be seen often walking down the alley past my house, usually dragging an old lawn mower. One time I was outside and he was walking down the alley and introduced himself. Then he asked what the band was that rehearsed in my basement. I told him about organissimo and he said he loved the music and would sometimes just stand in the alley and listen to us play! I haven't seen him in at least a year. I hope he just moved away and is still on the planet somewhere.

They think he might be ready by Saturday, but it's not for sure yet. I think Stuckey did a good job in his absence. If Detroit hadn't gotten down by 18 in the first quarter, they could've won this game without Billups. I'm not worried about the Magic, even if Billups can't play for the rest of the series. But they need him for the ECF and the Finals.

Hadn't heard of this before; looks really interesting.

http://cgi.ebay.com/J445-Organissimo-jazz-...Q2em118Q2el1247

His last CD, "About Time" is a great record with some really nice playing. B3, guitar, drums, and percussion. I read on his website a few years ago that he was going to do another record in the same general vein, but I don't know if the new one follows that or not.

$3.89 in Lansing today. It was $3.49 yesterday. 40 cents in one day. Hey, why not!?

It turned into a tight game. Howard got his normal 20+ points and 10+ rebounds. But the Magic still lost.

No, but the burden of proof is not on me.

And thus, why we'll always have churches and fancy cord manufacturers that take people's money.

FWIW, a true blind test could be useful for both; if there isn't any difference of statistical significance, there wouldn't be anything that needed to be explained. Correct, though jazz1 reported his personal blind test, and the scientifists cutted his throat. That was hardly a true blind test. Too many variables. Again, it would be really easy to do this the right way, since as Kevin explained, our audio memory is extremely short. If you're tesing the power cord on a CD player, the test would be set up like this: -- Get two identical CD players. -- Hook them up to your preamp/amp with the same cable at the same length. Hopefully your preamp/amp has separate inputs that are switchable (CD, Aux1, Aux2, etc.) Use two of the same or check the specs to make sure each of the inputs has the same specs (impedence, frequency response, etc. They should be, but you never know. Just don't use the turntable preamp input! ) -- Start with the stock power cords. -- Take two identical CDs and load them in the players. -- Press play on both at the same time. -- Listen and switch back and forth between the two, make sure they sound the same (they should if the manufacturer is worth anything). -- Put the expensive power cable on one and restart the identical CDs. Switch between the two. Is there a difference? Better yet, try the test on one person at a time, not telling the person that you're switching between an expensive cord and a regular cord. Just ask the if they hear any difference.

As long as you guys don't start putting little rocks on your CD players and marking the edges of the CDs with magic pens...

Exactly. The science up to Galileo Galilei said the sun was turning around the earth and, just to be more modern, told us that feeding vegetarian animals like cows with meat derived food was safe and we have 'mad cow disease'. Scientifically there is no difference between a Stradivari and a Yamaha. Scientifically there is no difference between a good steak and a McDonald hamburger. You're really stretching. This cable obsession reminds me of religion. Despite mounds of evidence to the contrary, there are still people in this world that believe the earth is only 6,000 years old. What can you do?

Good sound is subjective as well. And that's my overall point. The science behind these cords is bunk. If you want to believe that they sound better, hey go ahead. I personally can think of 1000 things to spend $300 on that are more worthwhile than some standard gauge copper wrapped in a fancy jacket. As for life being too short for such questions, the original question in the first post of this thread asks if these cords made a difference. The answer scientifically is no. The answer to someone who just spent $300 on them is probably "yes". We believe what we want to believe.

Well then, we have a solution to save yourself money. Just tell yourself it doesn't make a difference and voila, you don't have to spend $300 per component "upgrading" the power cords. Problem solved!