DrJ

Anyone else notice the excessive boominess at the low end on the new RVG of BLUE SPIRITS? The old McMaster had the opposite problem - little to no bass - but this one sounds excessively tarted up on that end. Using a damn good listening system and no boominess on other recordings (including Tyner's TENDER MOMENTS RVG which I bought the same day). Overall, the BLUE SPIRITS RVG is still a big improvement over the McMaster (detail, definition, balance) but sort of disappointing.

Well, ended up going with the Richard Gray. Auditioned in the showroom, and made a big difference, plus the dealer let me take home tentatively for a trial and return if not happy. BIG difference at home too. Everything sounds a bit more "up front" and assertive, and the deep bass really improved pretty dramatically - more defined and present but without a touch of boominess (in fact, I can now put my speakers even closer to the back and side walls than before - a big issue in such a small listening room - without any rumble except on poorly recorded/mastered material). Highly recommended. I like it so much I'm considering auditioning their next step up unit ($500 or so more than the one I got) to see if the sonic improvement is commensurate with the increased price tag.

I grabbed a used (who let it go!) copy of HERE COMES THE WHISTLEMAN last weekend and have been LOVING it. Man, these Water reissues sound fantastic, very close to vinyl-like on a good system. I hadn't had this album before despite being a Kirk nut, it's a really good one. And vintage Jaki Byard! Jaki Byard! Jaki Byard! Seems anything he played from around this time (circa FUSCHIA SWING SONG era) was golden. One question - Kirk is listed on the back tray card and in the new liners (not the repro original ones) as playing alto sax on the final cut. Now by my ears, this sounds like tenor - same timbre etc as the horn for the cuts on which he plays tenor. I know you can be tricked sometimes though, and Kirk would be the type to play games like this by sticking in the lower registers of the alto to make it sound "tenor-like." But still, doesn't sound right to me and Kirk really didn't play alto all that much. Any saxophonists familiar with this recording that can weigh in on this?

Yep! Well, that may or may not be a factor that influences benefit/lack thereof from this unit, but I think it might be important. I'm going to demo the Richard Gray unit at the dealer's tomorrow, possibly take it home - may not be fully necessary though as he has basically has the same set-up as I have in his showroom and the room characteristics are pretty similar. Will keep you posted!

Tony, are you using solid state or tube amplification? Just curious, I would expect we could have drastically different systems and that could result in different performance. I am running a single-ended triode tube amp, very low output (8w!). Wolff, running cool is indeed a good attribute for my room - the listening room is small and gets more than a little bit warm during the hot Sacramento summers, warmer now due to the tube set up.

After doing some research, I'm pretty interested in the Richard Gray RGPC 400 MK II - the same dealer who worked with me as I assembled my Audio Note/Zingali system really touts these and there are a lot of very positive reviews. I like the idea behind/philosophy of their technology too - not really a line conditioner but rather more of an "unconditioner." This "restored purity" approach jibes well with Audio Note's approach to avoiding up/oversampling - stripping away all the stuff that can color the true sound. Richard Gray FAQ Not a bad price too, about $700-800. Anyone done comparison listening with more traditional power conditioners like PS Audio, Shunyata, etc?

I think it's a fantastic set. Woody was a giant. I would love to see a Mosaic Select of live Woody - include Stepping Stones, the track from Woody III, and some unreleased stuff (I'm sure Cuscuna must have a line on some, he seems to have been a personal friend of Woody's and a huge fan).

Wow, $40 for the Beatles "Red" compilation...WITHOUT even the original issue Apple label. Jeez, shoulda held on to mine...

DOIN' ALRIGHT for sure, with OUR MAN IN PARIS a close second. As huge a Sonny Clark fan as I am I have never felt that either GO or A SWINGIN' AFFAIR were all that they've been cracked up to be - especially GO which seems to be on everyone's short list of "BN's Best." Sure, it's a fine session, but why so lauded I don't understand - and I do fully realize Dex thought is was "the stuff." But I just don't hear it, though I can understand and appreciate that others clearly seem to feel differently. It's more than the playing that makes DOIN' ALRIGHT such a classic to me. It's a damn near perfectly sequenced album, with the full range of moods Dex operated in, some of his simplest but most memorable compositions, a ballad reading that is truly one for the ages in "You've Changed" - seriously, play this one as I make my transition into whatever hereafter there might be - and a hugely sympathetic support cast. The cherry on the top is one of those great NYC location cover shots BN used to do (right up there with the one on the front of THE MAGNIFICENT THAD JONES).

Will do, thanks Jazzdude. My room is small too.

I see Grappelli as a really talented musician who can be exciting but who often sounds to me like he's "coasting," relying on pet licks and a schtick. Having said that, his sound is unmistakeable - no small feat - and he's played on some very fine dates and at his best can generate a breathtaking excitement in his soloing. Check out the Universal Jazz in Paris reissue of the session he co-led with Stuff Smith EKE BBB mentions if you want to have a 40-minute smile on your face...while I find myself giving the nod to Stuff for solo honors, Grappelli works a lot harder than he often seemed to and it pays off. If this one doesn't get your foot tapping, check your pulse! His session with Baden Powell on Barclay is also a real gem, more relaxed than the Stuff Smith blowout but no less excellent and you get vintage Baden Powell guitar to boot. The live one with Pass mentioned earlier is superb, too.

Since these days I never have time to listen to a whole CD (let alone album side!) in one sitting, I prefer the alternates at the end of discs...there's just no way I'm going to really truly be able to follow the sequential developments of a whole recording session UNLESS it's a very short one (e.g. some of the swing era and before dates where they layed down 3-4 brief tracks and called it a day). As for order of original LP tracks - it depends. For truly classic LPs where the sequence mattered - where the whole concept hinges on a running order/flow - I like them kept as is. But for most jazz dates, honestly I don't think it matters much (not a criticism but that wasn't what the music was about before "concept" LPs became vogue) and I could care less what the order is.

This is a great box. The live recordings (Japan material and the date with Woody Shaw) are top echalon Henderson. I find the rest more of a mixed bag quality wise - although in a way that makes for even more interesting listening than his Blue Notes - due to the variety and the very unevenness. For someone coming to Henderson anew I'd definitely stay start with the Blue Notes, but I suspect I'll be returning to the Milestone box a lot more than the BNs over time before I feel I have really absorbed and appreciated what was he put down in that era. His playing on the best dates here was a lot more unfettered, freer, more purely improvisational and that makes for challenging but rewarding listening over time.

It's a very fine album, I echo what Paul and Jim have said about it. For some reason, more than Elmo Hope, I find myself thinking of Herbie Nichols when I listen to Hewitt. It really has very little to do with his actual approach (choice of notes, etc are not really anything like Nichols') but he's just that idiosyncratic and creative and refreshing to listen to. Brings the same stupid smile to my face. The sound of surprise. What are we jazz fans to do when ALL of these fantastic, adventurous "old timers" eventually pass?

Lon mentioned the Hagans CDs...I recently picked up AUDIBLE ARCHITECTURE and that one is a very strong recording, nothing tame or 2nd rate about it.

I'll probably try Lon's approach first - we have a brand new house with good wiring.

So to make sure I'm understanding, the idea with the dedicated line is that the electrician installs something that is separate from/better than the house main power supply?

It's excellent. Much more exploratory in nature than later vintage Woods, and the band is up to the challenge.

Been really enjoying my new listening room set-up. It's taken the sound up so much that I'm thoroughly convinced that high end audio is worth it. I'm now looking ahead at doing something with power conditioning and power cord upgrades in the near future Right now everything is plugged in to a simple surge protector which goes directly to the wall socket, and all the power cords are stock cheapies. What would people recommend as good options?

Marcoliv, can you elaborate on that Powell boxed set - who put it out, what's on it (stuff for which labels etc) and where can I get it?

Tom it was a figure of speech. It's not like I prescribe exorcism for people with mental illness. I just got through explaining at length that I view mental illness as a medical problem, one that deserves the same type of careful assessment and treatment and lack of stigmatization. I'll assume you read that all carefully and were joking. One other point: outside of "the West" there are very few to no "mental health professionals." So your statement is a nonsense in that light. It's the rest of the world that often invokes demons/posession to explain mental illness, in the absence of a satisfactory scientific base. Totally understandable, but let's at least get the story straight, shall we?

Some great suggestions have been made, but no drummers yet mentioned - so I'll put Blakey's name in the hat. At least in the 50's-60's period, hard to mistake him for anyone else (those press rolls and his sock cymbal counter-rhythms are a dead giveaway)! Elvin and Jo Jones deserve mention too, and Roy Haynes (mostly a matter of the "snap, crackle, pop" sound of his drum tunings).

Having said that, I find Motian and Lovano made a fantastic team on Tom Harrell's PASSAGES (Chesky) album. It may be personal taste though, I really dig Motian in almost any setting. This brings up another aspect of what is for me the enigma of Lovano - he so often sounds better on other people's recordings (another great case in point is his work on Don Grolnick's Blue Notes, whoa nelly!). I agree with you about him seeming to be a hell of a nice guy - that really came through loud and clear in seeing him at Birdland (and overhearing some conversations between him and some friends outside the club). I'm pulling for him every time out...again, looking forward to checking this one out for sure, sounds like one of his winners.

Lovano is hot and cold for me - there are times where he should have had a slam dunk (the 52nd STREET THEMES album for example) where things end up sounding somehow uninspired and cold. Having heard that same group (essentially) live in NYC, I can tell you that it sounded better then, but even at that there was some magic missing. But he has also made a couple of really fantastic records, especially the regal FROM THE SOUL - which just keeps sounding better and better as the years pass - and the masterly RUSH HOUR. Always have enjoyed the Vanguard live 2CD set also, nothing quite as fine as the other two but excellent, gritty playing. Sounds like this is another Lovano date I'll have to check out!

Well I missed this the first time around, so thanks for posting it B. Goren. Damn, what a huge loss. I really think Williams was a vastly underrated pianist and musician. He features heavily on one of my favorite jazz recordings of all time, Art Farmer's BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH, and some other great ones in my collection too (e.g. Jack Walrath's NEOHIPPUS). I loved his voicings, and I loved that "rolling" feeling he got whether comping or soloing at certain tempos (e.g. "Fairy Tale Countryside" on BLAME IT ON MY YOUTH), totally different than the "crest and wave" sound of McCoy Tyner, more of a gliding thing. His leader date PROGRESS REPORT (Sunnyside) is the only one I have, and while it's damn solid I think I prefer his work with others based on what I've heard so far. A huge loss, especially given his relative youth. Sad news.