T.D.

The 3 discs other than Prepare Thyself to Deal With a Miracle. I've long owned that one; recently picked up this set to get the others. [Lanquidity] Great album, I only own the original, strongly considered the reissue but drew a line in the sand. Damn, you all are making me reconsider.

I was in the same boat. I didn't and wouldn't base any decision on what's said here because come on, we all know it'll get nothing but raves. It's like Mosaics in that respect. But I did buy it...

Spinning this again, the more I listen the more I like it.

Thanks. Much prefer those dimensions. Got off the fence and ordered it.

After a couple of spins, I like this and am happy with the purchase. General comments: sound quality excellent IMO, better than expected. Playing time is short, about 40 minutes divided almost equally into two tracks, Questions and Answers-Epilog. Specifics: Questions is rather "outside" (far more so than I've previously heard from Cowell), more percussive and atonal, more in Burrell's style. Answers-Epilog more accessible, less aggressively avant-garde (though there's some strumming of piano strings, for instance), more recognizably features Cowell's voice (or how I perceive same). Questions took 3 listens (1 on Youtube, 2 at home) to get my head around it, first hearing was rough but now I enjoy the piece. Overall: probably depends on your opinion of piano duos. I don't own many recordings in the genre, but consider this a very good one. Not essential, but worthwhile if you dig Stanley Cowell (I'm not sufficiently familiar with Dave Burrell's work to venture an analogous statement). If in doubt, a prior release of the album is on Youtube.

4th of 4 on the changer, not yet started, will update. I auditioned the whole disc on youtube through my low-fi computer speakers, and to be honest it could go either way. But I really like both principals (though more familiar with Cowell), and am hoping for the best in hi-fi.

Used an unexpectedly large tax return (I usually file late w. extension) to splurge on some Japanese reissues from DG. Arrived today:

I vaguely remember (around 40 years ago), a friend with some recording experience saying that the last track on side 1 was the place to put the blockbuster tune (or big hit). I thought that was plausible. But my memory could be off, or the saying might be an old urban legend (or even outright BS).

So much for my lame joke above...

Never mind.

I'm in the same situation. "Three CDs worth is enough" vs."The Art Pepper Vanguard box has 1 add'l CD, at least as much repetition, but is awesome and one of my favorite box sets". Haven't checked prices for a few days, but felser mentioned importcds (far) above, and that's the first site I'll visit on the next pricing run.

Some circa 1970 sportsmen: Leron Lee Scipio Spinks Warren Jabali Joe Pepitone Carmen Fanzone - he was a jazz guy! Cliff Pondexter (a little later)

Thanks, good price. Agreed on the corporate umbrella (emphasis added). Popmarket is a crappy seller on discogs, prone to posting price errors, canceling orders at the low price due to "not in stock", but then failing to correct the errors. I noticed via Paypal that importcds and popmarket use the same e-mail address.

Thanks, I independently noticed some of these on DG's "Coming Soon" page. The one I put on "send arrival notice" for now is (I like '70s Haig and this has Billy Higgins on drums):

Thanks again. DG came through and the disc arrived today. Your comments on sonics were absolutely spot on, and I'm happy with the purchase.

Links incl. above indicate the band was formed in early 1944, which would make Monk (b. 10/17) 26. That's a surprise, I agree with you on Monk's youthful appearance in the pic.

You mean trumpet (Benny Harris) and bass? Eddie Robinson on bass? If correct, credit to Messrs. Google; I didn't recall. The band is named in Kelley's Monk bio, which I've read but no longer own. See e.g. https://www.richardvacca.com/on-march-18-1944/ The relevant excerpt from Kelley is also on Google Books.

Dunno about the former, will offer Euro PD labels for the latter.

The "Conclusion" of Art Pepper's book Straight Life is a 2-page description of an on-stage competition with Stitt at the Black Hawk in SF. Great passage, highly recommended, I'm too lazy to type it all in. Starts (more or less) and ends with "But Sonny is one of those guys, that's the thing with him. It's a communion. It's a battle. It's an ego trip. It's a testing ground. And that's the beautiful part of it. ... and when I finally finished I was shaking all over; my heart was pounding; I was soaked in sweat, and the people were screaming; the people were clapping, and I looked at Sonny, but I just kind of nodded, and he went 'All right.' And that was it. That's what it's all about."

Fully informed is a good way to go! I had a product alert for the disc once before, but it sold out before I made up my mind. I used to maintain a lot of product alerts at DG, but switched to using a watch list because I was getting too many tempting e-mails about pricey Japanese reissues.

Many thanks for the helpful comments. I have the Black Lion CD and agree about the woeful SQ. Considered purchasing this reissue, but held off because I didn't see any reviews mentioning improved sonics. Too late now (sold out, my fault for failing to carpe diem), but I'll buy a reasonably priced used copy if one surfaces. Still showing "in stock" at DG, ordered! Maybe the most I've ever paid for a single CD, but I just finished my tax return and have a surprising refund coming, call it a YOLO buy.

Cool. You got a good chunk of the poetry in attractive formats. I found the poetry not uniformly excellent. Many awesome pieces, but quite a few that aren't particularly good, and Ra's verbal/typographical permutational tricks wear thin in large doses. Needless to say, YMMV. The Thmei Research pamphlets, broadsheets, etc. discussed in Sites's recent Sun Ra's Chicago seem weirder and more interesting. I'd like to read more of that stuff. Revisiting my copy of Szwed's outstanding Space is the Place bio, I was surprised to see no mention of Thmei. There seem to be archives at https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/scrc/findingaids/view.php?eadid=ICU.SPCL.ABRAHAMA (Alton Abraham collection at U of Chicago - the mother lode!) and http://archives.nypl.org/scm/29921 (NY Pub. Library, much smaller, from Pat Patrick estate)

This has a lot of writing, far from cheap but still on the charts: I have a copy, and to be honest I found it a bit disappointing. Having just finished the Sites book Sun Ra in Chicago, I think The Wisdom of Sun Ra (unfortunately, given availability) would be a better read.

This recent release got my attention due to Bach being played on Fender Rhodes, but only on 1 track. The English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV807, played both on regular piano and Rhodes. Rest of the disc looks interesting, but I haven't heard it. https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8795778--bells

If I can check out a copy via interlibrary loan*, will do so. Won't purchase, though. *Not that unlikely; only last week I finished Sites's Sun Ra in Chicago. Searched for the title on a whim, not expecting to find it, but a brand new hardcover came in through ILL.