skeith

My favorite is called "Ekaya" - I wish it were out on Cd!

DRJ I guess everyone's equipment and ears are of course different. I am liking this FSS Conn a bit more than on first listen. I don't hear the air in the sax that you mention, but more and more I am liking the Conn. I still think Tony is down in the mix more than I would like and that the treble is a bit rolled off. Nevertheless, I might agree that it sounds better. By the way, my copy goes haywire in the last minute of track 10, seems a manufacturing defect so I will be returning mine for what I hope is a copy that works. I suggest everyone check theirs.

To those who say the new Conn of Fuchsia Swing Song sounds better than the Mosaic version, I have a few comments. I just got the Conn and immediately compared it to the Mosaic. The first track I played - Beatrice, obviously. I noticed that the tape hiss is gone on the Conn, but also it seems to me that Tony Williams is down in the mix (I hate that) and that maybe the treble was a bit rolled off-leaving less "air" in the mix. But in other ways, maybe it sounds better. I am still not sure what I think at this point.

Just got it and on first listen, I like it. It features Joe Lovano and Gonzalo Rubalcaba as other soloists. AfricaBrass might be interested in one of the tunes. Anyone else have it?

Just got this one and I like it better than Grass Roots or Lift Every Voice, but not as much as those first five Blue Notes, it is just not as adventurous in the writing and the soloists aren't quite up to that level. But hey, overall, I am enjoying it!

Jeez Lon, The only reason to come to NYC is to visit the Armstrong house? You are making us New Yorkers feel bad about our hometown. what about a visit to Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx where you could drop a flower on the graves of Duke, Miles, Hawk, Bags and others? You could visit Bird's apartment. And yes, there are even some living, breathing musicians in NYC that are worth seeing!!!!!!!!!! And you can always check out your organissimo buddies.

One reason to actually buy the Times as opposed to just reading Dan's links are all the great color photographs that accompany the article.

Some of Gato's finest playing and compositions are on Under Fire, which is to me actually better than Bolivia (which is the lead album under this cd), which is also good. This is before Gato went commercial with Herb Alpert on A&M, and if that's all the Gato you have ever heard, this will be a revelation. the sound is quite good (24 bit) and superior to the european jewel box version.

I have finally listened to all four discs and have to give it on balance (except for the Cedar noise reduction which I don't like), thumbs up!!! In spite of the Cedar, overall the sound is better than previous issues. The liner notes are superb. Ok, it is not a completist box, but as Lon said, if you get past that, you can deal. I also enjoyed the live cd very much.

Armstrong fans will enjoy this one. Several great articles.

Well, as a matter of fact there is a "lost" Hill from 1965 and that's the session that has Joe Henderson and I think Freddie Hubbard. (Maybe it is on the Mosaic box, I am not sure). I think that session beats "Lift Every Voice" and "Grass Roots". And to repeat what others have said, the fact that "Andrew!!!" has never been not out as a single is criminal (maybe because it was on the Mosaic box?). I haven't heard Ships yet, but as soon as I get it...

This is a difficult choice, but I do want to say that the Pat Martino "Live at Yoshi's" (with Joey DeFrancesco on organ) cd is one of the most satisfying new cds I have purchased in a long time.

I picked up this box and have only listened to Disc 1. My initial impression on the sound quality is that while better than a lot of previous issues, it is somewhat disappointing. I note that they used Cedar noise reduction on this box and it renders some tunes somewhat muted on the high end. For example, the best sounding version of Lester Leaps In I have ever heard is on the Ken Burns Cd called Lester Young, it has plenty of surface noise, but lots of fidelity. The new Basie Box gets rid of the noise on that track, but I feel a bit of the fidelity too. However, the sound quality on some of the other tracks appears to be superior to the Chronological Classics versions of the same tunes.

I believe what you guys are saying about the circuit. But it is sad and somewhat ironic is that the audience for authentic blues is becoming all white. That's a shame. To quote one of my favorite black political philosophers "in this great future, you can't forget your past".

Now I understand what you mean by taking chances and I agree, none of the solos get "hot" so to speak. But I very much associate this with the ECM sound, it is a laid back, more of a quiet fire kind of record.

I did not care for Bobby Rush. The guy clearly has talent, but most of the music featured in the program had little to do with the blues, seemed closer to James Brown. Also, I was very turned off by that "watch the butt" sequence. I thought it was demeaning, showy, and frankly nauseating. Sorry, but he ain't fit to even carry B.B.'s guitar case.

I don't have a problem with current performers doing the blues and transforming the songs. My issue with the program that featured James and Lenoir is what is Wenders's point in showing me these contemporary performances? Is he saying "see this music is still relevant because Beck is doing this song"? If so, Wenders insults my intelligence - I don't need Beck to show me it is relevant. If I want to see the blues performed by guys like the Stones or Clapton or whomever (and I like much of it), I can easily to find it, BUT in a program that has relatively little time to devote to a genre that has so many important artists, I think is a monumental waste of time to show these contemporary guys.

I am interested in this set but have some questions for those of you that have it. I have the Chronological Classics stuff for Basie for 1939 and 1939 Part 2, plus 1940, which I assume the new box duplicates a lot of. The sound I presume is substantially improved? THe live material on teh box, is Lester Young on that stuff too? Are these performances considered to be among the better live stuff or is it just box filler?

Just got this one and have listened to it twice. I agree with much of what Mikeweil has said, Garbarek is great, McLauglin and Corea are not on a number of tracks so it often feels like a trio record except for the tunes with the horn section. I should say that I love Infinite Search, but was not expecting this to be like that record. Bottom line so far is that the new one has some nice moments, but I don't love it, at least not yet. It may grow on me. One other disagreement with mikeweil is that I do think they take some chances here in that not many of the tunes have a discernible head (in the sense of a main melody). There is no avant-garde playing but the compositions seem to me to be very free from melodic cliches.

I watched the entire first episode last night and I was somewhat disappointed. Scorsese gives us a very few of the blues masters and Corey Harris and then we are off to Africa. I have no problem with exploring the African roots of this music but it seemed a little excessive and too premature without having given us much about what American blues is all about.

I can't be of much help, because I can't explain why, but I really like this one-the compositions in particular are nice. Of the later recordings I like this and Shades. Dusk doesn't do much for me.

When I went to look at these again, I noticed that State of the Tenor does not have a version of this tune, and that I was thinking of An Evening with Joe Henderson, the CD which Trumpet Guy mentions. My apologies - that's a nice version, but I still prefer Tetragon's version by a tad.

I agree with Trumpet guy, I think that Coltrane version with Harden is stunningly beautiful - and is probably my favorite. I have it on "the Stardust Session" cd. Coltrane's version is slow, lush, romantic. Like TG, i next think of Joe Henderson, who played the tune often and well- he likes to play it faster and more hard edged. But my fave Henderson version is not TG's, but rather the one that is on "Tetragon" which I think beats it and also the version on "State of the Tenor" that is a killer. I believe also there is a very nice Miles Davis version

I keep forgetting to say that I saw two very memorable Sonny Rollins performances at the Bottom Line and that they had the worst pizza I have ever eaten in my life.

JLarsen, I got the picture on the rent increase, but I was reacting to the owner's stated reason (9/11) for part of the downturn in business- I sense you think he is not being honest. I am aware of NYU's voracious appetite for land of late, and by the way, the Poe house is already gone. But having lived here for 15 years, I have never seen more going out of business signs in lower Manhattan than I have in the last 2 years and I am talking about areas fairly distant from NYU. Maybe losing 50,000 customers has something to do with it. In addition, the media has reported that tourism is down both from the US and overseas and my sense is that a fair amount of clubgoers maybe tourists. I have also heard that enrollment of foreign students has dropped way off. Anyway, I hope you are right - but things don't look great to me yet, still.