T.D.

I saw Steve Baczkowski and Brandon Lopez last year at a Tubby's show Clifford put together. It was badass. Agreed on Lopez (italics added).

Thanks. Objectively the film is likely to have merit, but remakes of classics are generally polarizing. For my taste (which may be bad), Paul Schrader is probably a contrarian indicator. This remake reminds me in an ironic way of a funny Opera News article I read decades ago. The author was bemoaning the rigidity of the opera repertoire and lack of original works. He wrote something like "Imagine if cinema worked the same way as opera...film buff discussions would tend to statements like 'This new Gone with the Wind is pretty good, but Spike Lee's was much better'..."

David Gilmore (g), Rich Syracuse (b), Jeff Siegel (d), monthly jazz night at a pizza restaurant. It was really excellent. Gilmore is impressive.

[Emphasis added]. That's why I'm out for the foreseeable future. Not going to shell out $100+ upfront and then be at the mercy of some unknown (and probably half-assed) collection process while the mdse remains in limbo.

Thanks. But that link implies that cdjapan is still shipping to USA via Fedex/DHL, while temporarily suspending Japan Post shipping. I've always used Fedex/DHL, so it's confusing. Although I've shelved order plans until the tariff situation clarifies.

When US tariffs were first announced (months ago), cdjapan sent out informational email to customers stating that tariffs were not a factor (which they were not at the time due to continuation of de minimis). I expect cdjapan to send out the updated status as soon as they get sufficient clarity from authorities (not holding my breath).

As expected (try opening in incognito window to avoid paywall): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-26/japan-suspends-some-parcel-deliveries-to-us-due-to-trump-tariffs Takeaways by Bloomberg AI Japan Post Co. will suspend shipping of some small packages to the United States due to fresh tariffs imposed by the US government. The mail service will stop accepting parcels that include consumer goods for sale or gifts worth over $100 from Wednesday, after the US revoked its tariff exemption on lower-value packages. Japan Post's decision falls in line with other national postal services that have temporarily suspended their shipping services to the US, including Britain and Australia.

I completely agree.

I've assumed this is going to KO cdjapan as a personal buying option. Probably why they've been offering a lot of coupons the past couple of months. If collection issues ever get solved, there'll be a price increase of more or less the tariff rate. That could be manageable, but I don't think the collection thing will get worked out any time soon. Merchants like Dusty Groove could also get hammered. It's conceivable that they've been importing in de minimis (< $800) increments, which would put them in the same boat... So I fear the import CD/LP market is going to dry up for a while.

That one plus this mash-up of 2 sessions:

I saw Dersu Uzala back in the early '80s, not knowing what to expect, and was blown away (cinema, big screen). Much later watched a DVD and it didn't have the same magic. The Spike Lee remake of AK's High and Low, one of my all-time favorites, is coming soon. But I don't think I could stand to watch it.

PM on The Ligeti Project (5 CDS)- EX/EX $12

PM on -John Surman- Glancing Backwards- The Dawn Anthology- 3 CD (back of case cracked- hole punch in UPC) VG+/Ex $12

🤣

Pass, regardless of the 2 missing tracks. I have the Conn twofer and also rarely play it...lots of Ike recordings I go to far more often.

This is actually a good album (Euro-jazz fusion, 1974) This is an unusual crossover project but great fun to listen to.

OT, but Joe McPhee was in the audience at the last Lace Mill concert Aug. 10.

Wouldn't surprise me. 😉 I think there have been rumblings on the forum.

Big regret: I was in school in the Albany area 1978-83. Often heard about Brignola (and J. R. Monterose) club dates in Albany. Considered going, but never did because I wasn't yet such a jazz enthusiast at that time. 😢

You're right, of course. It's just that a lot of his Internet statements seem to rub me the wrong way.

The more I hear from this Zev guy the less I like him. By no means a new trend. I now avoid his projects unless I find one absolutely compelling.

RIP, sad loss. I think I first heard him on a Taj Mahal album. Ain't gwine whistle Dixie (any mo') (live) has long been a favorite tune.

Unreleased alternate take from Another Timbre website

I heard this on the radio today. Must have heard it "in real time" (in the '70s), but it didn't register then. Today I was stunned by the free jazz-like piano. Looked up Mike Garson on wiki, and of course the solos are well-known 🤣: Garson provided the piano and keyboard backing on the later Ziggy Stardust tour of 1972–73 and his contribution to the song "Aladdin Sane" (1973) gave the song an avant-garde jazz feel with lengthy and sometimes atonal piano solos. 'I had told Bowie about the avant garde thing. When I was recording the "Aladdin Sane" track for Bowie, it was just two chords, an A and a G chord, and the band was playing very simple English rock and roll. And Bowie said: 'play a solo on this.' I had just met him, so I played a blues solo, but then he said: 'No, that's not what I want.' And then I played a Latin solo. Again, Bowie said: 'No no, that's not what I want.' He then continued: 'You told me you play that avant garde music. Play that stuff!' And I said: 'Are you sure? 'Cause you might not be working anymore!'. So I did the solo that everybody knows today, in one take. And to this day, I still receive emails about it. Every day. I always tell people that Bowie is the best producer I ever met, because he lets me do my thing.'