Late

At the risk of opening up a new can of worms, could Malcolm Addey remaster Andrew Hill's Change? His work on Passing Ships and the Mosaic Select was excellent. Lonehill hasn't done the Gil Fullers yet ... Blue Note could still beat them to it!

Hmmm ... it would be great if Mosaic could get their hands on that stuff. Mosaic Select anyone?

I've only seen it once, but that's a good one Quincy — thank goodness for Flicks! The last documentary I rented from them was (ahem) The Girl Next Door — about porn star Stacy Valentine. I didn't really know what to expect, but it's actually not a bad documentary. Sure, there's plenty of nudity, but its true focus seems to be the deterioration of trust as it's magnified under the lens of the adult entertainment industry — which should actually read: adult alienation industry. The documentary's not meant to be erotic in the least, and ends up revealing a fair amount of tragedy. Certainly not a "great" documentary, but engaging all the same, if only for its curious subject matter.

I finally landed a copy of High Won-High Two! Man, it was worth the wait. A fine, fine record. Norris Jones is all over the bass on this one. For those looking for a copy, I found one (new) at www.selections.com — an outfit from England that was very speedy! Their website still says they have it in-stock ... as well as Stanley Cowell's Brilliant Circles. Also, for more Burrell, I saw a used copy (cd) of Windward Passages at the San Francisco Amoeba a few weeks back. Might still be there? This guy's turning into one of my favorite pianists.

Oh yeah, wanted to add another of my favorites: Richter: An Enigma. Tells the tale, with much archival footage, of Sviatislav Richter. Strongly recommended for classical piano enthusiasts. I need to see it again as a matter of fact.

What did you guys think of Mayor of The Sunset Strip? I actually ended up liking it quite a bit. My wife's from L.A., and was a teen during the 80's, and she kept saying "Oh yeah, I remember that!" Koyanisqaatsi and Powaqaatsi — Maybe I need to see them again, but I just felt wholly unmoved when I first saw them. I dunno, maybe it was Phillip Glass. Adam, I think I've seen all your documentaries! Nicely done. We're fans of the History Channel here.

Levitt's part of the trombone section in the Gil Evans' group assembled for that 1958 CBS show featuring Miles Davis. I agree: the OJC's a winner. I like the RCA Arrangers disc even better, though. Shame that the thing's so hard to come by. (I only have a CD-R.) That one, for musical and historical reasons, needs to stay in print.

Paul just reminded me of two more of my favorite documentaries: Word Wars This one follows professional Scrabble players both at home and in tournament. I adore this film, and not simply because I love Scrabble — the characters are something else. And ... a poster here (Randy) is in the film! Game Over Gary Kasparov vs. IBM. Ostensibly about chess, but really about ... IBM crushing Kasparov's soul? Both documentaries get a big thumbs-up from me. And, yes, The Fog of War is excellent. Haven't seen the others listed (yet), but have especially been meaning to check out the Bukowski doc. I've heard mixed reviews about Grizzly Man, but will have to see for myself, even though I don't have a strong interest.

Currently the only type of film I've been interested in is the documentary. There are so many fine documentaries out there — what are some that shouldn't be missed? Conversely, what might be skipped over? Some recent documentaries I've seen that come to mind and are worth recommending: 1. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill I actually saw this one in San Francisco — then got to see the parrots, and director (by chance), in person afterward. Nothing overly intellectual; just a simple, endearing film. 2. Theremin I've seen this about four times now. Really a love story in the end, the film also gives a pretty good overview of Theremin's life. 3. My Architect Architect Louis Kahn's son traces his father's dual life. Unusually engaging, and you don't have to be an architecture enthusiast. I'm leaving out a ton, but thought you all might post some of your favorites with (hopefully) a micro-review.

This is the only James album I own. I dig it.

Both are great sets. The Mulligan was remastered by Malcolm Addey — the sound is tremendous. The first disc alone is worth the price of admission. I'm a little surprised at the enthusiasm for the Jones set. I love it, but only a few years ago it seemed that this Mosaic was receiving fairly lukewarm to cold reviews on this board. I'm glad to see the change of heart! This set has some monster tenor playing on it. I don't play it enough.

But what record was on the player?

This album is great at night and great in the morning. Heck, it's just great. Bags had a way of hitting the vibes — you just know it's him.

French roast. Strong. (Slightly hungover.)

A Lucky Thompson Mosaic Select would be very tasty. Probably even better than peanut butter.

Florin, the Colin title in question is titled simply Trois. Haven't spun it in some time now. Will have to change that today.

You're right. The Jimmy Carter (my last name, too) connection is blatant.

GARussell — bump that Artist Selects disc way up on your list. It's a good, no — great — single disc compilation. Maybe because the man himself picked the tracks? If anyone wants to get a taste of Wilson without buying the Mosaic, get this one! It really is a great single disc offering. One of the very best "best-of"s I own.

Brand name? Freshly ground? Is it bad for you? Good? I confess: I like it on English muffins.

Nah ... Tony (Chaney)'s child lives on ... Still — The Hated Music kicks my buttocks.

Actually, I think I like Sonny Stitt better on baritone than I do on alto. (Blasphemy!)

St. Remy brandy. But only because I spent most of the day working in a quarry.

A belated addendum — maked sure to snatch up the Randy Weston OJCs. You won't be sorry! (Even if you have the Mosaic Select.)

"Pedro, just listen to your heart ... that's what I do." I am now the proud owner of the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack, talking doll, and (limited edition!) coaster set. SWEET! (I know, I'm a dork.)

Two more "obscure" discs, both in-print, both by John Tchicai: The "strings" here are really John Coxon and Ashley Wales of Springheel Jack — creating soundscapes (both acoustic and sampled) that Tchicai improvises over (on alto and/or bass clarinet). Tchicai really pours his heart into the proceedings, unleashing some beautiful and fragile solos. Every track's a winner, except perhaps the last: Tchicai recites a poem a la Yusef Komunyakaa. It's alright, but I would have preferred an all-instrumental set. Still, it's the last track, and that's what the stop button is for (!) Then there's this title on Black Saint: Tchicai on tenor with two basses and drums. Freakin' great. If you think Tchicai fizzled out after the 60's, this is the disc to get to challenge that assumption. Tchicai's use of space and off-meter fragments to create a string of "melodies" is simply haunting.