Brad

I saw a little of the first half and followed the rest on BBC and France seemed rather awful. At least, they didn't lose. However, they clearly got cheated out of a pk on an effort by Henry as there was a clear handball. On the other hand, they haven't scored a goal in 4 WC games (I believe they didn't score in Korea). Last gasp for the Generation of '98.

The US performance wasn't disappointing in that the team didn't show up. There's one thing and go down fighting like the Ivory Coast. No shame there. I saw a comment on the BBC that we're one striker away from being a good team. That may be true. I also didn't like it that Arena publicly criticized the performances. That should go on behind closed doors. Why weren't they ready? I don't know but that's the job of the coach to have them ready. It's not a question of results, but performance.

Just a few hours to go

A very nice win by Ecuador today. They got the goal they needed and their defense did the rest. However, I have to say that the Poles helped them quite a bit, sleepwalking through the match with about 5 minutes before time. When they finally woke up, it was too late although they hit the woodwork a couple of times. However, it may be enough to give Ecuador a leg up to finish second.

The stupid Borders around here (Madison NJ) doesn't even have them in the system. Assholes!

I find that article a little disturbing and I don't like the idea of these faith days. However, as a Mets fan, I have learned to accept Pedro Martinez, Carlos Delgado and David Wright as my lords and -- god I hope so -- our saviours.

I didn't see where Eastern Sounds is mentioned in the Concord New Releases Page. Is there some other link? Also, there's mention of Monk and Coltrane Complete Sessions but I didn't see Monk and Rollins unless that's what Cayetano was referring to.

Here are some links to previous discussions: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...topic=18016&hl= http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=277&hl= http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...topic=16907&hl=

For those who may be interested, Eric Clapton is going to be on tour in September. He's going to be at Madison Square Garden on September 28 and 29. My son has lately become interested in the blues and Clapton's playing so we were lucky enough to get tickets for the 28th. Speaking of which, we picked up for him the 2 DVD of the Guitar DVD set, Crossroads, that Clapton sponsored a couple of years ago in Dallas. What a fantastic set. It's got guitarists of all stripes, mostly rock and blues, however. But what an awesome concert it must have been to go to.

I've got the Herbie Nichols Mosaic up for sale on Ebay. Everything is in pretty terrific condition. I'll be selling a few Mosaics over the next few weeks.

According to the BBC, this is the latest. Gerrard's doesn't seem that serious so the big question mark is Wayne Rooney.

I'm on the fourth disc and that commentary drives me nuts. I guess that drivel passed for interesting with the Eisenhower crowd. I'm sure Miles wanted to kill him. Back in those days The Tonight Show was live; and it was low key, assuming that everyone watching was near his bedtime and winding down. Nowadays Leno and Letterman are keyed up as if they're on during prime time hours. What I also found funny was the crowd cheering wildly. Guess they had those applause signs on.

Pretty sick, but why bother with the dog?

Less than a week to go . Nice article in the Sunday NYT Sports Magazine supplement about the American team. Here's another article in today's sports section by George Vecsey: THEY are no longer a novelty act. The Americans who arrived at the World Cup with sleepy faces and lethargic motions yesterday have been this way before. As soon as they get over the first stupefying blast of jet lag, they will be in a familiar place. There was a time, back in 1990, that the United States national soccer team was like a child's crusade, but this is the fifth consecutive World Cup for the Americans, and they know how to do certain things, even the little details. Certainly, German fans have not forgotten the 1-0 victory over the Yanks in the quarterfinals in South Korea four years ago, after which knowledgeable German fans (and reporters and players and even Franz Beckenbauer himself) volunteered that the Americans had outplayed the Germans. This stuff sticks. Now there are expectations. The American team arrived with a been-here, done-that attitude — not cocky by any means, simply professionals who have been this way before. Fresh off the overnight flight from the States, Manager Bruce Arena had the lads out stretching in the bracing morning air. Why, the German reporters asked. Moving around a little seemed like a novel concept to him, Arena replied, his New York sense of irony seeming to be intact. The Americans are certified quarterfinalists now. These credentials will hang around their collective necks in the next few weeks when they venture forth into their Group of Death against the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana. Like American shareholders, always looking for new growth in the company, casual sports fans will ask, "Well, they made the quarterfinals last time, why not the semifinals this time?" It doesn't work that way, the American players quickly note. With experience come aches and pains. Claudio Reyna, the captain, was moving gingerly, saying his aching hamstring seemed to be improving. He was injured and could not play for the United States in 1994 when they advanced to the second round, but played every minute in 1998 although Jens Jeremies of Germany hammered him in the first five minutes of the first game. In 2002, Reyna played maybe his best game for the national team, roaming the right side against Mexico, not merely controlling but creating. But that was then. "We have a lot to prove," Reyna said yesterday. "All 32 teams have something to prove. Yes, 2002 was a big year for us, but now we want to play three good games and get out of the first round. Our squad has grown a lot." Arena noted how the 1990 team members, innocents abroad who lost three in a row in Italy, were almost all former college players, but now all 23 players are in professional leagues in Europe or Major League Soccer back home. "We never like to think about expectations," Arena said. "Obviously, our standing has risen, but we're still on the outside looking to get in." Arena calls himself an outsider, but he does have his ways of running his second World Cup adventure. He has heard how the American players went stir crazy in their rural chateau in Burgundy in 1998. He put the team in Seoul in 2002, and now has the team ensconced in a fancy chain hotel in the heart of this proud old port city, near the waterside warehouses operated by the burghers of Hamburg for centuries, not far from the bawdy pleasures of the Reeperbahn. "It suits our mentality not to be locked up," Arena said. Most World Cup coaches take their players to monastic retreats, with strict rules against nearly anything. Politely, the local news media wanted to know why Arena was exposing his players to such distractions. "If we have to worry about that, then we have no chance whatsoever," Arena said with a smile. The German reporters had also smoked out the fact that the players' wives and families are along for the ride — in fact, staying at another chain hotel nearby. "Well, it's family," Arena said, nicely. "We've been told that we're stupid and ignorant Americans, but our players are with their families all year round, so why not here?" Perhaps recalling how Ronaldo of Brazil celebrated winning the 2002 Cup by announcing that his enforced celibacy was about to end — and soon — the reporters delicately asked if the American players could stay in the same room with their families or would the families be in separate rooms? "Both," Arena said, ending that line of questioning. The German reporters also noted the stringent security surrounding the American team. Arena shrugged it off, saying: "When security is handled well, you don't notice it. I think we're being handled very well." The reality is that the American players are more visible than most players in a World Cup, as demonstrated by the gracious way Reyna and Steve Cherundolo tumbled out of bed for a 1 p.m. news conference yesterday. Reyna, who proved himself with a couple of German squads early in his career, couldn't rouse any latent German-language skills, but Cherundolo, who plays for Hanover 96 in the Bundesliga, seemed comfortable in his recently acquired German. Language skills are the least of it. The Americans have been picking up a number of talents in recent years. But basically, the challenge starts all over again this month. Four years ago doesn't count.

No offense guy but except for Miami, Dallas, Detroit and Phoenix, does anyone really care? For the most part, I'd say not. There's just no juice here.

That's unusual that you have 10 Mosaics but only 200 other CDs. I think Mosaics are great but I'm almost to the point where I prefer the individual CD. Too many Mosaics and other box set just seem to sit on the shelf.

I hope they're doing their postgraduate work by now.

Not funny, just entertaining. Peck's bad boy in the 21st Century.

I'm on the fourth disc and that commentary drives me nuts. I guess that drivel passed for interesting with the Eisenhower crowd. I'm sure Miles wanted to kill him.

It's gone. Oh, darn!

Well, I've got a year so not to worry. But it is one that I do want to pick up.

To answer your question, for amusement. Maybe we should dreg up -- and I mean dreg -- some of his famous posts such as when he stole the sign for Donaldson Street in LA?

Amen to that. Although I didn't get any of these, this is one of the better BFTs that I listened, no matter the whining about too much baritone. I'll be looking to pick up some of these disc.

It's always the one you least suspect! Ok, that means you buddy

These might be nice cds to have, but they're kind of light wieght, it begs the question: If this is the second group, what next? Sorry if I sound down on these, but I am disappointed in the selections. Of course, I'm not speaking for Chuck, don't want him getting cranky at me. Well, I'm not sure if these are "lightweight" or not, all that is a matter of opinion, and really, if their criteria as I understand it includes that this be material rarely if at all on cd, they're limited and they are going to be offering items that will really please some and confuse or not move others at the same time. Hampton's work during this period is excellent; I think there are a number here who would enjoy this one. I don't see how Slide Hampton, Buddy Rich or Art Farmer could be considered lightweight.