John B

I'm guessing most people here have never heard of Vernard Johnson, which is a shame. Imagine if a more melodic Albert Ayler had recorded gospel, but still had a a huge r&b influence. Johnson plays some fiery alto, full of grease, fire, brimstone and energy. He testifies. I'm not a huge fan of gospel music but this album is fantastic! There are a lot of cheap used copies floating around out there so, if you have any interest in what I described above, do yourself a favor and grab a copy. This is the real deal and, if you are religious or an atheist, this disc will make you believe.

I don't know why everybody has to throw a fit everytime someone "new" posts cds for sale in the "Offering and Looking for" forum. If someone spams every forum on the board then sure, delete the messages. If b3-er wants to institute a requirement that you must have 100 posts before you can sell a cd then he can do so. If b3-er wants to decide that you can't post cds for sale until the board "regulars" decide you are ok, then he can do so. Until he decides to do that people should chill out and not harass every person that starts out on the board by selling cds. I've bought cds from Glenn and I know a few other people who have done so, all with excellent service and friendly emails back. He is a good guy and doesn't deserve this crap.

not going to happen, as Water records just reissued this and the other Eddie Gale BN. You should grab those, I really think you'd enjoy them.

the sound clips on the Erst site don't do a whole lot for me, as most of these pieces really benefit from being heard in their entirety, as they slowly develop and "expand." I really love the Rowe / Beins disc. Judging by the smiley you used, I'm going to guess it's not your cup of tea. For someone who was interested in dipping their toe into the water, so to speak, with Erst, it is not a bad place to start at all. The disc is relatively short, Rowe and Beins are both in fine form and, relatively speaking, the music is extremely accesible. The quotes from other songs that Rowe drops into the mix via his radio are very well done, and quite amusing. I disagree with DMG that there is anything spooky or frightening about this disc. The quartet disc is a lot more abstract and I would hesitate to recommend it to someone like you describe.

I asked the same question not too long ago and the answers I got are all excellent: Pathe Sessions (Les Stances de Sophie / People in Sorrow) Fanfare for the Warriors Bap-Tizum Reese and the Smooth Ones start with those. Here is the thread I started, which has quite a few recommendations.

Chuck, have you ever heard the studio album Go Home, that was recorded in 1970? That is another nice, very obscure, AEC date.

Talk to your accountant about having BMG, cduniverse, dustygroove, etc... listed as "dependents" come tax time. It will do wonders for your tax return and, the way some of us buy online, isn't too far from the truth.

Thank you for posting this. I checked and I currently have this offer, so I went back and grabbed the Mingus concert, a Nina Simone set, a Jan Garbarek Ustad Khan disc and some of the new RVGs I've never heard.

ok, I'm sold. with the BMG $5.99 sale this is turning into a no-brainer.

Here is the review from AMG: "The saxophone is not an instrument usually associated with Pakistani music. And Pakistanis are not especially famous for collaborating with Norwegians. But that is what listeners have on this incredible recording. The music is predominantly Pakistani in sound, tonality, and structure; voice, sarangi, and tabla improvise along with Garbarek's saxophone on every track. For aficionados of Indian or Pakistani music, this is a great recording; Garbarek's lines are right in step with the traditional styles of improvisation. Listeners unacquainted with these traditions will find this recording a mesmerizingly exotic disc. Those familiar with Garbarek's work will be very surprised. This is a completely unique recording for him; one can only hope that he makes further explorations in this vein."

Has anyone here heard this disc and have a recommendation either pro or con? AMG gives this one a fairly postive review but, before pulling the trigger and grabbing a copy, I was hoping to get more feedback. I'm a fan of Pakistani music and of Garbarek's earlier work that I have heard, and am curious how well the two mesh here. Thanks in advance!

The Boston Globe has an article today on a Seattle soda company that manufactures a Turkey and Gravy flavored soda along with other Thanksgiving flavored selections. The pictures of the two taste-testers are priceless.

Get the Braxton, the McPhee and the ICP discs. All three are fantastic. I agree with gokhan that you should skip the Mengelberg's. They did nothing for me. The Shipp / Morris is ok, but very far from essential, imo. I would also buy the Eskelin, myself, as I really enjoy that disc. I'd guess this one depends on your enthusiasm for his recent work. I find all of it to be fantastic, and wouldn't want to be without any of it.

I agree with Steve 100% on this one. I hear lots of Ellington in the tunes. Very nice writing, great playing and lots of fun, without ever seeming "wacky" or "zany" like a lot of Dutch improv. One of my top picks for the year!

I'm pretty sure you can still buy it directly from Chuck. cnessa at earthlink dot net.

I just received the two new Erstwhile discs today: Keith Rowe / Burkhard Beins - ErstLive 001 Rowe / Nakamura / Lehn / Schmickler - ErstLive 002 and both are fantastic. Very highly recommended. The Rowe / Beins disc brought a smile to my face a few times. Rowe has quite a sense of humor, and it really shines through his wash of sound on this release.

both of you already bought the Jandek on Corwood dvd, so this won't be of any use to you, but deepdiscountdvd has it for $13.16, no shipping cost, and they are running a 20% off sale right now. Total cost - $10.53, shipping included.

Their Soy Latte is even better.

I've recently been listening to Quartet (London) 1985 and it is fantastic! I think the music is slightly better than the Coventry set, but I wouldn't want to be without either.

I'll have to track down copies of these. Thank you for including these on the test!

Miles Davis show from 1975, not the best quality. This site rotates shows, so this one will disappear eventually.

I heard Rudresh Mahanthappa's new disc Mother Tongue for the first time yesterday. It is as good as, if not better than, Black Water. This is a fantastic album, and will easily be one of my top 10 discs for 2004. Very highly recommended.

I just heard Rudresh's new album Mother Tongue (Pi) for the first time yesterday. It is a fantastic album! If you enjoyed Black Water I highly recommend picking up the new one asap.

The best advice I can give to you is to be a pain in the ass. As someone else posted, make the doctor communicate with you. They don't always appreciate that, but it is always in the patient's best interest to be as well informed as possible. Also, the suggestion to call you insurance company is a sound one. Beyond understanding what your benefits are they have nurse case managers on staff who can help negotiate the multiple specialists you might have to visit. They might also be able to help you choose another doctor should the one you are seeing be not helpful / communicative. Not knowing your specific HMO or Alison's specific condition there isn't a lot more I can think of at this time. I work for a health insurance company so, if you ever want my opinion on how to best utilize the resources you might have available to you let me know. I'll send you a PM with my phone #.