JSngry

This is a really good record. Foss incorporates hooks (in a matter of speaking), and Bergsma (another new name to me, this series is full of them) works in an ethereal, perhaps prototypical minimalist style long melodies surrounded by looping string parts that wrap around that melody. Again, a really good record, and a really good box set. A great way to start the summer!

I liked pretty much their entire catalog.

I did know that. Denton was a pretty booster-heavy community back in the day. IIRC, also Pat Boone was a Dentonite. I read somewhere that Sly always had his nose in the Rimsky-Korsakov orchestration book. That would not surprise me. The guy's songs very often had SOME kinds of twists in there, and sometimes a lot of them. Beautiful. Too beautiful for this world. This is a VERY good record. I kid you not and I don't say that lightly.

That's all well and good, but the mix also needs to be analyzed as well. A lot going there as well.

If Tone Poet uses gatefold covers, why couldn't they do two-fers of these orphaned tracks?

This is a real loss RIP

That Oakland stadium is HUGE. The crowd size was probably normal. The games in Texas are played in a much smaller stadium. A good crowd will fill it up. Cognizant is betting heavily that they're building this thing out for the long term. I hope they do well on that

MLC opener - Finn Allen went GONZO tonight. 19 sixes! The Oakland Coliseu is, as mentioned previously, a cavern. Some of these balls were "double deckers" that bounced around the empty seats. It was a bit surreal. At one point, San Francisco (sic) hammered. IIRC, seven consecutive sixes. Most impressive! SF finishes their inning 269-5 and wins by 163! Whoa

One Andrew Hill CD came out, Pax.

Alexi Haieff is a new name to me, but there is no shortage of frisk in either his composition or it's playing. I like it! Samuel Barber is not a new name to me, but he's not somebody I've yet to go "all in" on. I do like his piano playing here a fair amount, and Price has what I suppose is as much youthful (1955) exuberance as is allowed for in this type of thing. I make to claim to being able to have an informed opinion, but I'm gonna lean positive at this point

Ok, here's something that is the opposite of predictable. Or excitement. Or joy, But definitely a sounce of wonder, like I wonder what the fuck happened here? But thinghs have gotten better since, although for how much longer...

Wow.

Bob's Precious Gloaters - I'm So Glad!!!

Had he been active prior? RIP. He was indeed a contributor.

What is this?

So...the second time through the Virgil Thomson piece has been a bit more interesting than the first. A bit more harmonic interest than I heard at first. Maybe a third time is called for, in the AM. So ..was this guy really all that or was he ultimately "of his time"?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Mercy

Virgil Thomson was apparently an important figure at one time. My personal jury is still out on that importance, although I've only heard a few things. This String Quartet is "nice enough"...but the Quartet is in great form. And the last movement does take it up a notch. The William Shuman piano piece is actually very enjoyable, and might not sound "classical" to certain "jazz" ears. Pianist Beveridge Webster certainly has a name suitable for jazz and a touch not terribly far removed from Ran Blake or the more nebulous side of Paul Bley. Certainly pulled me in! You know, I looked and realized that I do have that record on a scratchy LP that I pulled out of the used bins precisely because it was JSQ. I do recall playing it through a few times and thinking that this was probably going to be a close as I was going to get to actually LIKING Mozart (although I'm leaving the door open for the operas at some point...DVDs with subtitles preferred!)

It almost sounds like a post-Creed Taylor CTI record. And it also sounds like Rouse may or may not be playing over tracks.

Fresh ears did indeed help. Hearing the details inside the devices did wonders! Next up in the box: Very much appreciate the execution, but...no thanks. Had the same reaction to the Mozart disc in The New Music String Quartet box of a few years ago. Love that cover though!