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Getting back to the drug thing.....you can't say that drugs do nothing but pose limitations on jazz musicians. Just look at Bird. Would he have changed the world if it wasn't for his smack habit? And weren't Coltrane's latter day excursions heavily influenced by the LSD he was taking with Alice? Who knows. And personally, I've seen quite a few big name jazz musicians (although mostly younger ones) who I'm almost 100% positive were on coke. Never hurt the performance that much, either. I'm not saying that Dexter's life wasn't impeded in any way by drugs.....we all know his story. But I just can't comprehend listening to Dex and thinking to myself "wow, I can only imagine how much better he'd be if he weren't on drugs right now". If you think he's not a good player, fine. But I still can't understand how one can "hear the drugs" in his music. I ask again, what did he sound like sober?

The effect of drug use.....I mean, how can you tell? How did he sound without drugs?

Fred Anderson/Henry Grimes/Hamid Drake at the Velvet Lounge (forgot the date) I felt after watching that set (and still feel) that I didn't ever need to see another jazz show again. That show exceeded everything that I could ever hope to expect from live music.

Dex has been one of my favorite tenors since I've been into jazz. He's had many fine releases on Steeplechase & Columbia, though I'm unfamiliar with his Prestige stuff. But for me, his Blue Notes are the cream of the crop.....some of the finest recorded jazz I've ever heard. So wonderful that they've been all getting RVG-ed lately.

Several of my favorite new releases have already been mentioned. I'll add: Wayne Shorter - "Beyond the Sound Barrier" David Binney - "Bastion of Sanity" Fred Anderson - "Blue Winter" Jason Moran - "Same Mother" Henry Grimes - "Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival" Joe Lovano - "Joyous Encounter" Marc Johnson - "Shades of Jade" And as cliche as it may be to say by now, I must say that the big 3 discoveries of the year (Monk/Trane, Bird/Diz, Trane @ Half Note) truely made this one of the most memorable years in recent history for jazz recordings.

There was something on TV last night about that.

Have a good one!

This is the worst thread.

http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=21972

Yeah I love this one too.

This box set is the shit.

Common's "Be" is my favorite new non-jazz album that I've heard this year.

His playing on Body and Soul is really beautiful.

Menudo. Not the band, the Mexican dish.

Cool....I should be there too. Looking forward to meeting another board member!

Fred Anderson will be appearing at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago each Monday in January in order to raise $ for the new Velvet Lounge. A welcome gesture by Joe Segal, which will hopefully bring together different crowds of music lovers as well as support a good cause.

I have the Elvin Jones and the Tain Watts, and enjoy them both. Along the lines of what CJ Shearn said, the Tain album makes one really salivate for an official Kenny Garrett live recording.

I liked the movie very much. It is flawed in some ways, but the high points are what truly stand out in the end.

After reading this thread I will checking out some John Lindberg stuff as soon as I can!

My first listening didn't do much for me, but subsequent visits have greatly paid off. I really like the disc alot, and the follow up 'Year of the Elephant" is on my short list.

Box office receipts for opening weekend was $11.7 million. Not bad for such a challenging film. Its one that requires attention, but its well worth it.

I saw Syriana on Friday night, and I must say that this is the most thought provoking American film that I've seen in a movie theater in years. The film, through an intentionally complicated plot, shows how big oil executives, American government employees, Middle Eastern royal families, and many others go to extreme lengths to ensure American domination of the oil industry, and most importantly, it shows the negative consequences of these behaviors, such as Islamic extremism, political assassinations, and basically the loss of morals. It was an absolutely stunning film that I think people on this board will appreciate. The themes are so powerful and well-executed, that its easy to overlook the technical aspects of the film itself. The cinematography and editing are excellent, and the performances are all solid, especially George Clooney's, who is an actor that I've never particularly liked before this year ("Good Night and Good Luck" is also one of the year's best). The movie's intricate plot details can be confusing at times (which adds to the effect of the film....see it and you'll know what I mean), but overall the message is clear. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. Anyone seen it yet? Thoughts?

I'd love to buy myself that John Cassavetes set on Criterion, but I doubt that will happen.

quote] Different strokes for different strokes, but I have a fundamental disagreement with the "already somewhere other than where his band is" claim. Maybe once Trane started adding more drummers and horns to his band, Elvin and particularly McCoy started losing touch with the music. But on the quartet recordings from 1965, these guys are 100% engaged in the music that Trane was creating. You can hear it all the way up through Sun Ship and First Meditations -- they're exactly where the music demands. I mean, listen to "One Up One Down" -- this might even be a more milestone performance for Elvin than for Trane! Guy

What was the lineup for the show?