JSngry

You say that like its a bad thing...

Pen envy?

How convinient for them!

Dude, why can't you learn to love Bill Evans?

With regards to Wayne - Is it still "illness" if one remains functional? If you're ill, don't you need to get better? And if you're doing fine as you are, why would you want to "get better"? Better than what? Seems like there could be a more accurate word.

Exactly what Timeless titles were issued on American Impulse cds? I know of a Blakey, an Eddie Harris, and an Eastern Rebellion thing. What else was there, if anything? As always, thanks in advance!

Here's what I know, none of it "firsthand". Sonny's apparently doesn't like to "live in the past" in terms of his recordings. Somewhere in the very early 1980s, French RCA released an outstanding 2-LP compilation of previously unrelased studio material. Sonny supposedly raised holy hell, and not just because he wasn't paid. The agreement that I heard was reached was that the stuff that had come out would be allowed to stay out (thus all the "new" material on american CD issues of the RCA material), but that that was to be it. No more. Around the same time as the French release, Coda magazine published a discography of unreleased Rollins RCA studio material, with the caveat taht it ws by no means complete. Some of the sessions listed appear on paper to be very enticing. I wish I had that issue today. All of this is in addition to the unissued Village Gate material, which is indeed some of my favorite Rollins (and which I've heard consists of anywhere from 4 to 8 hours worth of material). My guess is that when Sonny passes, it will all start to come out in some form or fashion. But if that's the way it's gonna be, I'm in no hurry. But you never know. Sonny might indeed have a change of heart about this. Time will tell. I do get the feeling that the RCA years were "problematic" for him in some ways, musically and personally, although I'd not venture to guess why that was.

You can always get more money (hopefully...). But lost time is not found again. Read the book, buy the music, and have a better (musical) life for the duration.

Great side. And STREET OF DREAMS is maybe even better. No Hank, but oh well... Buy 'em both and decide for yourself!

That would be RCA, and unless Sonny's had a change of heart over the years, I don't think he wants them released, at least in his lifetime.

All I'm saying, Kevin, is that the notion of "surround sound" as anything other than pure "fun" (and I'll not deny that it is that!) leaves me skeptical. So far. How "real" is the sound of a record that was produced with isolation booths, mutitracks, and overdubs, surround sound or otherwise? Sure it's fun, but it's hardly real. It's a construct, and as such can be treated any which way in terms of soundstaging. Which, again, is fun, but I don't know that I'd necessarily enjoy the music of Aereosmith any more in 2005 surround sound than I would in a 71 Pinto playing on an 8-Track, if you know what I mean. I'm all about the fun, and I'm all about the real as well. But they're different things. Any genuine intersection of the two is a gas, but it will happen coincidentally, not as a result of manufacturing. Usually, anyway. And truthfully, I never cared too much for the hyper quality of so many modern movies, all the shit going off on all sides and that. I know I'm in a minority, but oh well. Give me a good story well told, and I'm happy. If I want my senses stripped, I'll call Mr. Tambourine Man. Seriously, all of this stuff is fun, really, but it's no substitute for content. When the style and the substance meet at a high level, then I'll be interested. But so far, my experience has been that style is waaaaaaay out in front of this race. I know that Bob Belden recorded BLACK DAHLIA specifically with a mutlichannel soundstage in mind, and that he's working on a concept of "holographic music" (ie, the performers having multiple sound output points at their disposal as part of the "instrumentation", and as material for improvising as well. In other words, the points of sound emanation can be improvised to meet the moment just as the actual music itself can). These are the types of things that give the medium the potential for "serious" consideration, in my opinion, when they're an integral part of the actual conceived content, not a means to tickle the senses. But right now, it's mostly just for fun. Which is cool indeed, but still...

The Lord moves in mysterious ways. And so do my bowels!

Got mine today as well.

"They" are doing to sound what "they" did to food. There's got to be a reason for this, and I'm skeptical that it's benevolent in nature... "Surrounds sound"? Hell take a walk (without headphones). That's the real "surround sound"!

Barry Miles=Barry Silverlight

Lest I be misunderstood, I have very high respect for Art Taylor. He's just not somebody who makes me go OOOOOH!!!!! when I see his name on a record. I know that everything will be fine, and that the drumming will be in good hands. I just look to see who else is on the record before deciding whether or not to buy it, if you know what I mean. A.T's work was the subject of discussion a while back amongst some friends, and the classic line that emerged from the discussion was "generic, but great". To me, that just about says it all. And as a "soldier", a fighter and survivior of those years and that scene, he gets nothing but love from me. But that's a different thing.

What I mean is that the style of the Buddy Rich band is not to my liking far more often than not. Too strict, too tight, too "higherfasterlouder". Soloists whose main goal (and possibly the only feasible goal, given the environment) is to execute successfully and get out alive. Charts where relaxation is relative to massive tension, not to further relaxation. But that was Buddy, right? A driven soul if ever there was one. And one, as noted above, totally without tolerance for bullshit (at least bullshit as he knew it). So, how do you seperate the personal dislike of most of the music from a deep respect for, not only the sheer professional awesomeness of it all, but from the realization that this was the way that a Buddy Rich big band HAD to sound? That to do anything else would be dishonest? That if the mark of greatness in jazz is to create a musical identity that is yours and yours alone, unquestionably and uncompromisingly, that Buddy Rich reached greatness in no uncertain terms? Certainly Buddy Rich was a talent worthy of tremendous respect, both from his own ability and from his career path.So, if that talent is respected, how does one say that they just don't care for the results, and would most often hear anything but? Is it possible to have as much respect for Buddy Rich as I do and dislike the bulk of his music to an equal degree? Seems a bit of a quandry, it does. But there it is. Courage.

Good things come to those who wait.

Prompted by the recent heavy rotation of the new NO FUNNY HATS disc on KNTU... I mean, it's all tighter (in both ways) than shit and it "swings" more than it swings, if you know what I mean, but then again... I started my jazz life loving it, then hating it, then just ignoring it, and now... It seems that for better or worse, it was a perfect vehicle for the human twisto known as Buddy Rich, and was a perfect reflection of him as a person. So, hey, that makes it "right", right? So what more do you want, other than to not have to deal with it if you don't want to? Myself, I'll take THE NEW ONE (for what was Side One of the LP, a genuine adreneline rush if ever there was one), and leave it alone. But still... Such is the Buddy Richness of life, I suppose.

YEah, the Medes is cool. Don't have the CD, but remember the LP from back in the day. More "pop" than anything else, ultimately, but in that good kind of way. "Night & Day" off of that album still gets me in a cocktail party mood. Again, in a good way.

Supermegadittos!

Crank harder!

Yo no lo tengo yet.

Seems like at least some of this was on one of those "Gold Collection" budget cds. I bought a cassette version for 3 bucks. Don't know how complete it is, but yeah, everybody plays nicely.

Dude, you need to get the Ra biopgraphy by John Szwed: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...679804?v=glance