T.D.

Strange season so far in the East. Can't get used to seeing Detroit there. West sure looks stronger at this point. Weirdly, I mostly follow NJD (started rooting for them as underdog back in the Gretzky "Mickey Mouse" days), who I expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this year. They're approaching respectability after a horrid start, though playoffs are likely not in the cards.

Importcds.com is having a 10% off sale, so I ordered: Mauricio Kagel, Sankt-Bach Passion Charles Tyler, Saga Of The Outlaws BTW, importcds is also running a promotion on Universal Music Group box sets, and I've found them a good source of Black Saint/Soul Note boxes, so the sale might be worth a look.

Very sad news...he played an August event in Woodstock that I didn't hear about in time. Rudd was also profiled in a recent issue of Ulster, a Hudson valley tourist magazine: http://ulstermagazine.com/roswell-rudd.html

The OOP Don Pullen Select is also available for download, at a slightly higher but still ridiculous price of $12.49. http://www.amazon.com/The-Capitol-Vaults-Jazz-Series/dp/B005DJIG7C/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&sr=1-1&keywords=don+pullen

+1 on that. OTOH, I expect (hope) they're a bright enough group to steer clear of utter fiasco... I was a pretty big Stateside Python fan back in the day (late '70s and early '80s). For whatever reason, only discovered Fawlty Towers recently.

Hu Jintao Donald "Duck" Dunn Cousin Itt

Dr. Joyce Brothers Joyce Mac Rebennack

I'm in the "never" part of the 36% (have been for over 15 years). But was once a big beer drinker, in the 9%.

Hamilton, 55. I know nothing about the CFL. Usually enter this at the last minute with a score around 70.

Berkshire Record Outlet is stocking a new label called "Piano Classics". Appears to be something like Regis - licensed (from defunct companies) bargain re-issues. There are some attractive items. I'm definitely going for Ustvolskaya, Galina [1919-2006]: 'Complete Piano Music': The Six Piano Sonatas; Twelve Preludes. (Ivan Sokolov, piano. Rec. 10/95) 2 cds @ $5.98 (currently have some Oleg Malov performances on Megadisc, but the sound quality isn't great, and one can't have too much Ustvolskaya!)

Good grief, if it wasn't purported to be journalism, that crap could almost be entered in the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest: http://www.bulwer-lytton.com/ Maybe one could sneak it in anyway, as the link to reality is a bit tenuous.

It gets idiotic when it gets to Malcolm X and MLK. Yeah, William Rhoden of the NY Times (also African-American) commented in a similar vein, but much more reasonably: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/sports/football/civility-need-not-be-excluded-from-the-culture-of-the-nfl.html?ref=williamcrhoden&_r=0 ...At least one of Martin’s black teammates went to ridiculous lengths, referring to Incognito as an honorary brother. Trust me, if the roles were reversed and Incognito were black and Martin white, the narrative would be different...

Gutsy article by Mr. Whitlock. I've followed the situation to some degree, but don't think I know enough to make any conclusions.

Sounds like Rhino Records and Jack's Rhythm's? Exactly! Jack's also started carrying used books some years ago, and they have a very nice selection. Unfortunately, every used CD (3 in total before giving up) I bought from them was scratched. Rhino does have quite a few classical discs, mostly used, but the ones I pulled out and looked at had scratches. I live too far away to be bothered with returns/exchange. Both shops have lots of vinyl. [Added] Inquiring Minds bookstore, across the street from Rhino, has a reasonable selection of jazz CDs (and a few classical), worth looking at if you're in the area but not worth making a special trip. Their music section also stocks decent jazz titles - I've seen Larry Kart's Jazz in Search of Itself and Groves/Shipton's The Glass Enclosure in the past.

Today's Berkshire e-mail includes: 'Alfred Brendel: The Complete Vox, Turnabout and Vanguard Solo Recordings' on Brilliant Classics, 35 CDs for $52.15 A 25-CD Rimsky-Korsakov box, also on Brilliant Classics, for $37.25

Happy birthday! BB and the Pats send their regards... And on the eve of the big WC chess clash!

There are a couple of brick-and-mortar stores, with surprisingly good jazz selections, about 60 miles from me (and a block from each other!). I try to visit when in town, and occasionally purchase. Unfortunately, one of the two has an unpleasant habit of offering used CDs with scratches! For classical recordings, the Internet is my only feasible source.

More or less agreed. I've always had a violent aversion to his writing, and won't be checking out the latest.

Have an excellent one!

Happy birthday!!! :party: Felicitations richly deserved, since GA is very active in noticing others' b-days.

Got e-mail yesterday - Berkshire has the Regis 9-cd box of Kempff's Beethoven sonatas (mono version, originally on DG) for $26.91. I like that set (granted, I have notably poor taste).

I've bought a lot of recordings from importcd, most notably Black Saint / Soul Note boxes. Funny thing: they also sell on Amazon, but there can be big differences (not always in the same direction) between their own site's price and their price on Amazon. So it pays to check the site.

Hard to say without knowing Mosaic's financials. The "limited edition" approach seems essential in order to maintain price levels and "desirability". My personal hunch (nothing more) is that the number of sets was pitched a bit low. But 5,000 is a nice round number, something like 7,000 would look weird, and 10,000 probably too high!

Very much a latecomer, Carmell Jones Select for me. Only Selects so far, though the Clifford Jordan Strata-East may cause an alteration to that policy...

PM sent on Sam Rivers - Contours (Blue Note 73163 reissued 2004) - $15