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Hi everyone, Can anyone tell me about the following box sets from Proper: Sidney Bechet - The Sidney Bechet Story Louis Armstrong - Satchmo in the Forties Coleman Hawkins - The BeBop Years Fats Navarro - The Fats Navarro Story Lester Young - The Lester Young Story I know the price is great for all the Proper sets, but I was wondering more about the quality of tune selection, sound quality, and just overall if the sets are worth picking up. Thanks!

Thank you all for your suggestions. Looks like I'm gonna have to get them all! Life is so hard sometimes.

I am not imagining this. I just saw a commercial on the cable channel E! that was promoting the use of plastics (The Plastics Council of America, or something like that), and in the background, they were playing "Hat and Beard" from Eric Dolphy's Out to Lunch!!!! I never thought I'd hear Eric Dolphy music in a corporate commercial.

After reading about it on AAJ, I checked the new True Blue catalog, and its true..."Minor Move" is on the "supplies are limited/OOP" list. Pick this one up while you still can...its hot! Sorry if this has been discussed already. Speaking of Tina Brooks, I've been contemplating getting "Back to the Tracks" and "The Waiting Game". Can anyone share their opinions on either or both of these? Are they as good as "Minor Move"? Thanks!

For some of the newer titles here are my favorites: Conrad Herwig - Unseen Universe Wycliffe Gordon - United Soul Experience Ralph Petersen - Subliminal Seduction Ryan Kisor - Power Source Alex Sipiagin - Hindsight I HIGHLY recommend all of these.

Thanks Brad!

I haven't heard about this set until now, and I'm very excited. Can anyone give me any info on what is supposed to be on this set??

I'll second William Parker's "Scrapbook", the Brotzmann/Parker/Drake, Greg Osby, and Dave Holland. Outstanding releases. I would like to add Kenny Garrett's "Standard of Language", and for reissues, the Carmell Jones Mosaic Select, Miles Davis at the Blackhawk, and Woody Shaw's "Little Red's Fantasy".

I picked up Wycliffe Gordon's "Dig It" and Ralph Petersen's "Tests of Time". The Wycliffe album is quite good. He's one of the most exciting tromboists out there IMO and this album is no exception. However, his last one was "United Soul Experience", and that's a tough one to follow. While not as good, "Dig It" is still quite a solid effort. "Tests of Time" didn't quite make a great initial impression, but after a few listens, I have come to the conclusion that its Ralph's best album on Criss Cross. It stays in the spirit of "Art of War" and "Subliminal Seduction", but this one feels more mature, like the band is finally finding the sound that they've been heading towards. Ralph's quintet is one of the most exciting in jazz right now. I haven't gotten Adam Roger's "Allegory", but I heard it being played at a record store near my house, and I think that one might be the best of the bunch. I can't wait to get it.

Its a real nice disc! Ron is in typical excellent form, and Joey DeFrancesco TEARS it up. The guitar playing by David Gilmore was a nice treat, as I had never heard him play before, and he plays quite well on this album. There is a trumpeter whose name escapes me who I had also never heard before, and he does really well on the few songs he appears on. My only complaint is that Christian McBride and Greg Hutchinson, two of my favorite rhythm players, are confined to a supportive role for the most part, and aren't really given much space to show off their superior skills on their respective instruments. Oh well....I guess they don't have anything to prove anyways. The material is by Stanley & Tommy Turrentine, Charles Earland and Grover Washington Jr. I think Ron does a great job with the material, both in selection and arrangement. It gives him a wide palette to show off his incredible improvising abilities and monster chops. I recommend this album pretty much everyone.

I saw the Greg Osby Four here in Chicago a couple months ago. The only thing is that...one of the Four didn't show due to the blackout! So a local drummer sat in. It was a nice show, but as you know if you listen to alot of Greg Osby, his compositions/arrangements can be complex and sometimes tricky. The drummer was having a bit of a hard time. Granted what a daunting task it must be to sit in with Greg Osby having never played with him before, I really admired that guy on drums, and he did quite decent considering. But you could tell the band was holding back due to their regular drummer's absence. So in all, look forward to a great show given all four of them show up! Maybe Osby will sit in with JaMo the night before. That would be sweet to see.

He's one of the best up and coming drummers out there.

Sorry...I didn't see the other post on this topic. Maybe this thread can focus just on the surround mix.

Has anyone gotten this DVD yet? I watched it last night, and it seems that they got the video transfers and extras right, but I just don't hear the 5.1 surround mix. I have a decent home theater system, so I know its not my stereo. I read a review on amazon and some guy was saying the same thing...most of the gunfights and explosions come from the center channel. You almost can't hear any evidence of the 5.1 mix. Anyone run across a similar problem? Post your opinions here.

Ralph Petersen - Tests of Time Dave Holland Quintet - Extended Play: Live at Birdland Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come Blue Mitchell Mosaic John Coltrane & Don Cherry - The Avant Garde Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - Little Worlds

Wow...after reading people's thoughts in this thread, I feel ingorant for only having "Meets the Rhythm Section" in my collection. Can anyone give me some more essential Pepper recs? Any other good box sets aside from the ones already listed?

Thanks for that recommendation Joe G. Here's another one I like as well: Making Music Don't listen to what AMG says...they know not of what they speak. Yeah, they are playing at the Chicago Theater again, site of the amazing show two years ago! Shakti doesn't promote its tours very well....I guess I've just been lucky to find out about them when they do take place. Tickets should still be availiable if you want to go.

He plays avant-garde style jazz, but he's the best at it IMO. I would recommend his album "Dao" to start. Fantastic, emotional playing by him and his incredible quartet.

Joe G - my sentiments exactly on "The Wish". One of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. If I ever get married, that one will be in the wedding! I'm seeing Remember Shakti next Wednesday here in Chicago. The lineup from the album "The Believer" will be in the house. I saw them a couple years ago and it was a mesmerizing show. Anyways, back to the topic, I'm greatly looking forward to "Universal Syncopations". Should be a great one.

Listen to some David S Ware. It doesn't get much more emotional than that.

Every single Wayne Shorter Blue Note title from the sixties is absolutely essential in my opinion.

It was Frank Zappa. The actual quote is "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture."

Thanks for the review Jad. I'm looking forward to seeing him next month here in Chicago.

Alegria is very nice, you should get it Sundog. It was a bit of an awkward listen at first, but it revealed itself to me gradualy and now I really enjoy it quite a bit.

Also, don't forget Oliver Nelson's classic "The Blues and the Abstract Truth", which contains some of Dolphy's best playing on record.