RDK

Dude - truth be told, I'm sick of "jazz for the sake of jazz", if you know what I mean. I'd rather hear good somethingelse than mediocre jazz, and I'd rather hear great something else than good jazz. I mean, I've got a personal relationship with jazz that I don't have with any other music, but like any other personal relationship, if you don't keep it meaningful, it degrades the original nature of the relationship. After a while, as I know that you know, it's really all just music, and it all gets judged/appreciated accordingly. Anything less is just cheap.

Sorry for the delay. Disc 1 is still in the car changer, so i'll try to get to that tomorrow. I've listened to both discs many times and enjoyed them greatly. In many ways I may actually prefer this Bonus Disc since it's a bit more unconventional and i can listen to it without having to try to guess who might be playing what. That makes it easier, i think, to simply sit back and absorb the music. This disc, rather minimalist and classical, is perhaps easier to put on in the background and "relax" to, but it's actually very interesting and full of challenges. Great comp, Mike, that I know I'll be listening to many times in the future. Even my wife commented that she likes it. Don't have any solid guesses as to who's doing what... 1. I think I mentioned earlier that this track reminds me of Terry Riley or perhaps even Philip Glass. Don’t think it’s either, but the influence is there. Very cool, hypnotic track – I like it! 2. Again, has that Terry Riley-minimalist thing going on, this time with percussion/marimba rather than piano. I love how the lines intersect and build on one another, like wave crests in a still pond. This sort of minimalist stuff can be lovely or dreadful, but so far Mike has selected two really interesting tracks. 3. Lovely piano solo that starts out more classical than jazz but then builds to something that Jarrett might do in one of his concerts (sans humming of course ). If it’s a classical player than I’ve no idea who it might be; if jazz, then maybe Paul Bley? (And yes, I’m aware of the irony in suggesting that it’s either a jazz or classical cat.) 4. Haven’t listened to it in a while, but this reminds me of something off Simon Rattle’s Jazz album - http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&t...93&sql=43:92658. It’s a lovely piece of (apparently) early 20th century impressionism. 5. Again, no clue. I’m not up on much classical music, though I tend to enjoy it when I hear it, so I’m likely to compare everything to jazz pianists that I’m more familiar with. The opening low chords on this piece remind me of Jarrett’s Dark Intervals, but the rest of the piece not so much. It’s a lovely piece, but perhaps a bit too sedate for my tastes. My least favorite so far. 6. Another lovely, impressionistic vibe/marimba piece, again probably from someone more classically trained. But then again, I hate to fall into that trap as many jazz musicians start out with classical training and have a passion for that music as well and I really hate to ghettoize. For familiar players, this sounds like it could be Gary Burton, who would also be open enough to use the “prepared” instrument (or electronics effects, I can’t tell). And wait – isn’t that a familiar Burton melody creeping in in the middle? Surely this is some European musician whom I’ve never heard of before doing some Gary Burton tribute. Very nice when it double-times at the end! 7. Don’t care so much for the sound of – what is that? – harpsichord, guitar effects, or whatever. Interesting and pleasant enough for 5 minutes, but wouldn’t want an entire album of the stuff. 8. Lovely voice singing in some foreign language – yes, I am an ugly American. But one doesn’t need to know what she’s singing; I’ve always said that the human voice is perhaps the most beautiful and emotive instrument, and here’s a case in point. The rest of the musicians ain’t bad either. Especially love the bass and cello (?) that comes in late for flavor. 9. Bass solo that opens this sounds like it came from some Dave Holland ECM solo album, but then some other musicians enter, changing the feel altogether. Feels almost Spanish or Latin, but still strikes me as having a 1970’s-era ECM quality to it. 10. Interesting. Really curious about this one! But no idea… 11. Not quite as interesting. Not really digging the composition, but the instrumental combinations are inventive, giving this track a unique sound. Along with 7, one of the weakest tracks so far. 12. Bet this would sound cool with headphones! Not sure if I actually like this one even after listening to it so many times, but at the same time it’s so interesting and oddly compelling that I can’t not listen yet again. Hypnotic and dream-like. Sounds more like an electronica/rock band doing some arty sound collage. 13. Yeah, this wakes me up! Like some Germanic Spike Jones. I think I’ll add this to my kids’ music comp… so that I can listen to it again. 14. I get these classical, uh, classics mixed up. “Fur Elise?” It’s a beautiful “tune” all right, but I’m not that big a fan of the harpsichord.

And let's not forget: one man's jazz legacy is another man's business. Geez, Aric, tell me you haven't graduated college yet...

Unfortunate all around, I agree, but the fact that Terri was given only three days notice isn't necessarily a big deal. They may have given her a nice severance package - and should after 30 years! We really don't know, but unless she was fired for cause (very unlikely!) i doubt she was simply shown the door without any severance.

I bet the Xanadu tracks were never "upgraded" and redone as VBRs. The old 128K mp3s could sound horrible.

Lon, I haven't looked for a while, but i recall that all the Xanadu stuff on emusic was taken from LP needle drops (they used to state that and may still). So yeah, they are inferior quality. I've found that most of the mp3s sound very good now, at least the ones done at VBR. Before they switched to VBR, their mp3s really did suck.

Chris is right. You can blame the messenger, but you have to look in the mirror as well. Spelling produced shit, but A LOT of people ate it up and demanded more. One can say he merely gave the people what they wanted...

David Letterman last night suggested that the new PC-term for a homosexual should be "cowboy."

That's hilarious. And sad...

Received today - thanks Michael!

Leave it at that. I have no idea what he is pissed about, but I think the guy is a whiney, cry baby, shit talking dickhead. Yeah, but i could never hate Cuban just because of how much he despises Donald Trump. The enemy of my enemy and all that...

Mosaic Eddie Condon #152 Five CD set. Great condition except someone (not me!) wrote the total CD running times in light pencil on the CD inserts. $125 U.S. postage included.

Notes still forthcoming, but i just wanted to say that I was playing Disc 2 last night and my wife really dug many of the tracks, noting that several of them reminded her of Dead Can Dance and Lisa Gerard. Me, I'm hearing Terry Riley and perhaps Can in at least one of the early ones (track 2 I think it was). Very interesting and often lovely disc, but perplexing when it comes to guesses.

But the earliest sets all came with a bag of weed hidden under the plastic tray insert - isn't that enough?

So Lon, now that you've seen it, just what is the "code of the jungle?"

Remember that time when Waldo Jeffers sent himself parcel post to his girlfriend Marsha only he was stabbed through the head when she tried to open the package?

I think we're seriously overthinking this, guys. If it's jazz and if it sells... that's nothing but good, right?

One of my favorite comic geek sites... http://www.dialbforblog.com/

Here's one for you, Lon... http://www.howardhallis.com/drstrange/

Thursday, June 14, 7:30 pm Playboy Jazz on Film The Playboy Jazz Festival evening of jazz on film returns to the Bing Theater! Once again, jazz film archivist Mark Cantor presents an eclectic mix of big band, small combo, bop, and modern jazz on film. The program includes many well-known and respected jazz artists, including Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong. In addition, there will be a large number of world-premiere clips featuring performances never before seen in public, including the earliest film appearances by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and Thelonious Monk. ***** If you haven't seen this before, it's often extraordinary. Many raritities that have to be seen by every jazz fan. Tickets I believe are free, but you have to get there early and pick them up before the show as they usually sell out.

Wrightson was a genius when it came to that horror-themed stuff. The late 60's-early 70's was the begining of (imo) the post-Kirby revolution with Neal Adams, Wrightson, Jeff Jones, Barry Smith, etc. Adams is my favorite comic artist of them all. I have an original Green Lantern page by him, bought years ago when even his work was fairly cheap. I've actually started buying some (reasonably inexpensive) original art lately. Just got this "birthday present" the other day - The Hulk by Tim Sale...

PM on the Bennie Green. Would have taken the Amy but just ordered it yesterday from Mosaic...

I'm getting confused in this thread over which version of The Office people are loving or hating. Personally I find the British version dull and confusing; something's lost in "translation" - and I do count myself as a Python/Fawlty Towers/Goodies fan. The U.S. version of The Office, otoh, is brilliant, easily (imo) the funniest show on television at the moment. I've even gone back to watch the British version, but it still doesn't work for me in the same way...

Don't mean to take things out of context, but why would you think that Manilow had to offer them "big $$" to play with him - the implication being that he had to pay more than their usual rate? I'm sure they were well compensated, but I doubt they were too uptight or snobbish to otherwise accompany a pop singer.

We might sneer at their middle-of-the-road sensibilities, but many of these pop singers ain't dummies. They want hear/play with the same cats we do...