robviti

my friend kevin and i have conducted many a/b comparisons (and quite a few a/b/c ones too!). most often we don't have the luxury of separate components, and frankly i'm not sure why that kind of a setup would be an advantage. more important, i think, is to have more than one person involved in the testing. i'll put the cd on and have kevin listen to it. then i'll put on the other cd and have him compare it to the first. we usually compare mutliple tracks, and sometimes we go back and forth. it ry my best to confuse him at times, so that only real differences in the sound will be readily apparent. also, i try to adjust for volume differences before the music is played. if this whole process isn't followed, then: a) i'd know which cd is being put in the player because i put it in there myself, or b) i'd know which one it is because i hear a distinct change in volume. Either way, confounding factors like anticipation and bias will play a role in my perceptions of the differences I think I hear. This whole thing might sound unnecessary or too involved for some (hey, I'm a psychologist that does testing for a living!). But I assure you, it can be fun to do and the results will amaze you sometimes.

Francesca Tanksley appears on a 1989 Candid disc called Dreamer by another female artist that has largely gone unnoticed: saxophonist Erica Lindsay. I first became aware of Lindsay from her work on Bakida Carrol's Door of the Cage. I think Dreamer is her only date as a leader, but she's also performed with Oliver Lake's Big Band. Forget the stereotypes about female reed players, this woman has plenty of strength and chops, and she doesn't veer toward smooth or easy-listening crap. If you see Dreamer, grab it! It also features Howard Johnson playing some great tuba, baritone sax, flugelhorn, and on one tune - penny whistle! There currently are some used copies of this disc on Amazon.com for less than $9. BTW, Johnson had a gig at Birdland a couple of months ago with an all-female band that included bassist Melissa Slocum, another artist deserving of recognition. Anyone catch that show? P.S. The next female artist I plan to check out is trumpeter Igrid Jensen.

Hello friends! I will soon be saying goodbye to a therapist I've been supervising for the past two years. As a parting gift, I plan to give her what I think are five classic and representative cds of great jazz (she has expressed an interest in learning about the music and I don't think she has any recordings yet). When I give her this present, I will tell her that if she does own any of these discs, I will replace that cd with another title. Here are the five I've purchased for her: Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue Bill Evans Trio - At The Village Vanguard (compilation of the original two lps without alts.) Ella Fitzgerald - The Best Of The Song Books Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue Now here's the question/challenge (if you're interested): What cd do you think would make an appropriate substitution for one of these discs? For instance, if she has KOB, I'd probably get her Cannonball's Something Else. Of course, you don't have to "play by the rules." If there's a title that I should have chosen (and should be pistol-whipped with a Kenny G disc for having neglected it), feel free to mention it. One caveat: I prefer not to give compilations (I know, I know. The Ella and Evans cds are comps.) Anyway, thanks for reading, and for particpating if you choose to do so. B) Bye-ya, Rob

eric's a very consistent player. here's one of my favorites:

According to The World Factbook on www.cia.gov: "Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs) and as a non-EU member for agricultural products." Of course, you know how accurate the CIA's information-gathering has been in the past few years!

thanks for your input alan. on second thought, i think the players i was initially looking at are beyond my current system's capacity. so i placed an order for the NAD 521BEE for $219, and i think it will suit my needs quite nicely.

Maybe some of the material comes from the 1956 Birdland dates originally issued on Fanfare: Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra Talib Daawud, Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Ermit V. Perry, Carl Warwick (tp) Al Grey, Rod Levitt, Melba Liston (tb) Ernie Henry, Jimmy Powell (as) Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, Ernie Wilkins (ts) Billy Root (bars) Wynton Kelly (p) Paul West (b) Charlie Persip (d) Recorded at Birdland, NYC, November 4-December 2, 1956. Introduction Dizzy's Blues A Night in Tunisia Stella by Starlight Doodlin' Big Band Live in Hi-Fi from Birdland / Dizzy Gillespie (Fanfare LP N 46 146) Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra Talib Daawud, Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Ermit V. Perry, Carl Warwick (tp) Al Grey, Rod Levitt, Melba Liston (tb) Ernie Henry, Jimmy Powell (as) Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell, Ernie Wilkins (ts) Billy Root (bars) Wynton Kelly (p) Paul West (b) Charlie Persip (d) Austin Cromer (vo -1) Recorded at Birdland, NYC, December 1, 1956 1. If You Could See Me Now 2. Groovin' for Nat 3. The Theme 4. Introduction / The Theme 5. Whisper Not 6. Tangerine 7. Dizzy's Business (inc.) Big Band Live in Hi-Fi from Birdland / Dizzy Gillespie (Fanfare LP N 46 146) Or else they could be tracks that were released on the Jazz Unlimited and Jazz Hour labels: Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra Talib Daawud, Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Ermit V. Perry, Carl Warwick (tp) Ray Connor, Al Grey, Melba Liston (tb) Ernie Henry, Jimmy Powell (as) Benny Golson, Billy Mitchell (ts) Pee Wee Moore (bars) Wynton Kelly (p) Tommy Bryant (b) Charlie Persip (d) Austin Cromer (vo -23) Chester, PA, June 14, 1957 1. A Night in Tunisia 2. Doodlin' 3. Autumn Leaves 4. My Reverie 5. Dizzy's Business 6. I Remember Clifford 7. Jordu 8. Whisper Not 9. Birks' Works 10. Jessica's Day 11. Left Hand Corner 12. Yesterdays 13. Cool Breeze 14. A Night in Tunisia 15. Autumn Leaves 16. Dizzy's Business 17. Anitra's Dance 18. Begin the Beguine 19. Left Hand Corner 20. I Love You Much to Much 21. Yesterdays 22. Cool Breeze 23. Wonder Why Tracks 1-13 Dizzy Gillespie and his Orchestra "Live", Chester, Pennsylvania, June 14, 1957 (Jazz Unlimited [sw] JUCD 2040) Tracks 14-23 Dizzy Gillespie Big Band Live in Stereo at Chester PA (Jazz Hour JH 1029) Either way, the 50-year limit isn't up on this material.

the evolution of obi: in the beginning there was and this became which led to so now we have and unfortunately we end up with

i had a class with laporta at berklee back in the 70's. it was a joy to hear him talk about the music he obviously loved so much. i remember he'd demonstrate differrent things on his clarinet, and you really got the sense that he was reaching out to you rather than looking down at you. arrivederci insegnante.

there's a copy of what it be like on ebay: blackwell

thanks for the tip. i'll give them a call tomorrow. btw, i also checked out the rotel rcd-02, and it's a contender too.

My Marantz carousel cd player is making that annoying whirring sound on an increasingly frequent basis these days. I'm thinking of purchasing a new cd player, and most likely I'll go back to a single disc unit. What do you folks think of NAD's C542? I had an NAD receiver and cassette deck for many years without any problems, so I generally like their products. Don't bother suggesting a SACD or DVD combo player, 'cause I ain't going there. Honestly, anyone have a C542 or C541i? Heard any horror stories? Thanks in advance for your help.

The original drummer of Santana?

a love supreme

i'd substitute water for novocaine on that patient's next visit!

i think it's due to a lack of commitment.

moron.

I just learned that comedian Alan King died this morning of lung cancer at age 76. I'm old enough to remember some of King's appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show, but I'm sure most of you are more familiar with his Friar's Club specials on Comedy Central. A great comedic mind with a searing wit, he will be missed. By AP NEW YORK -- Alan King, whose tirades against everyday suburban life grew into a long comedy career in nightclubs and television that he later expanded to Broadway and character roles in movies, died Sunday at the age of 76. King, who lived in King's Point, N.Y., died of lung cancer, his wife Jeannette told local media. Services were scheduled for Tuesday morning, said Riverside Memorial Chapel in Manhattan. King, who also was host of the New York Friars Club's celebrity roasts, which had recently returned as a staple on television's Comedy Central, died at a Manhattan hospital, said a son, Robert King. King appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" 93 times beginning in the 1950s. He played supporting roles in more than 20 films including "Bye Bye Braverman," "I, the Jury," "The Anderson Tapes," "Lovesick," "Bonfire of the Vanities," "Casino," and "Rush Hour 2." He also produced several films, including "Memories of Me," "Wolfen" and "Cattle Annie and Little Britches," and the 1997 television series "The College of Comedy With Alan King." He said he was working strip joints and seedy nightclubs in the early 1950s when he had a revelation while watching a performance by another young comedian, Danny Thomas. "Danny actually talked to his audience," he recalled in a 1991 interview. "And I realized I never talked to my audience. I talked at 'em, around 'em and over 'em, but not to 'em. I felt the response they had for him. I said to myself, 'This guy is doing something, and I better start doing it."' King, who until then had been using worn out one-liners, found his new material at home, after his wife persuaded him to forsake his native Manhattan, believing the suburban atmosphere of the Forest Hills sections of Queens would provide a better environment for their children. Soon he was joking of seeing people moving from the city to the suburbs "in covered wagons, with mink stoles hanging out the back." His rantings about suburbia, just as America was embracing it, struck a chord with the public and soon he was appearing regularly on the Sullivan show, Garry Moore's variety show and "The Tonight Show." Bookings poured in, and he toured with Tommy Dorsey's orchestra, played New York's showcase Paramount theater and top nightclubs around the country. He also worked as the opening act for such music stars as Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Billy Eckstine, Patti Page and Judy Garland, who he joined in a command performance in London for Queen Elizabeth. After that show he was introduced to the queen and, when she asked "How do you do, Mr. King?" he said he replied: "How do you do, Mrs. Queen?" "She stared at me, and then Prince Philip laughed," he recalled. "Thank God Prince Philip laughed." King appeared in a handful of films in the late 1950s, including "The Girl He Left Behind," "Miracle in the Rain" and "Hit the Deck," although he didn't care for his roles. "I was always the sergeant from Brooklyn named Kowalski," he once complained. He also appeared on Broadway in "Guys and Dolls" and "The Impossible Years," and produced the Broadway plays "The Lion in Winter" and "Something Different." He wrote the humor books "Anyone Who Owns His Own Home Deserves One" (1962) and "Help! I'm a Prisoner in a Chinese Bakery" (1964). Born Irwin Alan Kniberg, he grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side and in Brooklyn. "Both of them were tough neighborhoods, but I was a pretty tough kid," he recalled in 1964. "I had an answer for everything. ... I fought back with humor." The son of Russian immigrants was one of the so-called Borscht Belt comics who in trademark acerbic delivery, cigar in hand, would gripe about the trials of everyday life. King especially poked fun at being Jewish. In one typical joke, King quipped that a short summary of every Jewish holiday was: "They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat." In another, he asked: "What's the difference between a Rottweiler and a Jewish mother? Eventually the Rottweiler lets go." King once recounted a Jewish man asking his wife if she would like diamond jewelry, a new car or a trip for their anniversary. She responded that she wanted a divorce. "Oy vey," the man replied. "I wasn't planning on spending that much." He married Jeannette Sprung in 1947 and they had three children, Robert, Andrew and Elaine Ray. When King was at the height of his career, he faced one son's drug addiction and said he realized he had neglected his family. "It's not easy being a father," he said, "but I've been allowed a comeback." He spent more time at home and his son conquered his addiction. "Now everyone kisses," he said. "We show our affections." Reuters contributed to this report.

that obi strip will fit sideways in the slot of the front cover - where the removable liner notes should have gone!

okay, now you have me wondering. what does dmitry play in his office? new age george winston? classic evans trio? or maybe hardcore mingus. after all, he was known for changing a couple of guys' dental work!

harsh? probably, but i was being honest. perhaps i was also thinking, "great, another saxman!" remember "CHECK IT OUT!"?

since you asked...i took the time to listen to the audio and video clips. personally, i think they're crap. the crooning on the "jazzed up" beatles tune is second-rate harry connick (which makes it third-rate sinatra). the other selections are uninteresting smooth jazz. definately not my cup o' tea.

due to be released 5/25, i believe?

the sonic improvements are definately worth the purchase of the 2002 single reissue.