Guy Berger

I've listened to this whole set and definitely recommend it as a fantastic value. I don't hear any noise on most of the tracks, which suggests that it's been subject to substantial noise reduction; that said, I'm quite satisfied with what I hear. The documentation inside the set is somewhat meager and includes some errors. Guy

Good luck, Mr. Jim. Guy

Thanks Barak -- some of those were pretty good! Guy

Great, where can I upload my Organissimo recordings as a public service for the people who dont have full acces to them? Excellent EXCELLENT point! Sorry, I don't think this is comparable. The negative effect to the NY Times of the Chris posting the articles is very small. Guy

For those who want to hear the performance, a copy has been uploaded to the site which must not be named. Guy

Happy birthday dude! Guy

This was a very good show. The band was Bob Belden (soprano), Tim Hagans (electric trumpet), Scott Kinsey (keyboards), Matthew Garrison (electric bass guitar & electric standup bass), Guy Licata (drums) and DJ Logic (turntables). They did the entire BB album, with "Spanish Key" to 5th place instead of 3rd. Highlights for me were "Pharoah's Dance", "Spanish Key" and "Sanctuary". During some of the tracks, the band "updated" the rhythms to more modern drum'n'bass and hip hop grooves, and this usually worked very well. At the best moments, the band also captured some of the turbulent textural density that characterizes this album. They also get points for not copying the album. Hagans was excellent on trumpet. My biggest beef was with Belden -- he just wasn't effective as a saxophonist. I'm not sure if it was an off night or what, but his playing did only a little for me. (He did do a very nice "mellow" 70s Wayne Shorter, but Wayne also had an edge playing this music that Belden didn't.) I also had the pleasure of meeting Dmitry and his wife before the show! Guy

It's a great gig, though not obviously superior (except in terms of the setlist) to any of the others on that tour. Guy

All the albums are available on itunes if you can't find the box. Guy

Janacek's are excellent, especially #2 "Intimate Letters". People frequently recommend Debussy's quartet, but I like his other chamber music better. On the other hand, I like Ravel's quartet quite a bit. Schubert's last three quartets are contemporary with Beethoven's last quartets. "Death and the Maiden" is my favorite. However, I personally prefer Beethoven's. Guy

Happy birthday, Ghost!

He does, but not as loudly as on the ECM recordings. I think it's less noticeable on some of the earlier Impulse albums, like Fort Yawuh. This music is fantastic. Guy

A buncha trolls. Guy

The only thing that would take the venom out of the arguments and clashes in the politics forum is forbidding political discussions. The politics forum is there for a reason -- to keep the inevitable political discussions (which will happen wherever and whenever people congregate) from spilling out into the rest of the board. If people want to spend the overwhelming majority of their time there, as Johnny E and Scott seem to, that's their business. Personally I find non-political discussion to be more enjoyable and look forward to their occasional contributions outside politics. I'll admit that initially I was somewhat wary of Scott given his "reputation" but all my interactions with him suggest that he's a nice guy. If he plays rough in the politics forum, that's par for the course. Guy

sand

Brownie, I want you to start a top-10 Organissimo Forums posts thread... Guy

Uh, we get your point. Guy

In 1970 and 1971, Miles Davis and his groups played a series of gigs at the Fillmores East and West. Fillmore East, with Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Airto Moreira: 1) March 6, 1970, first set: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/The Theme; second set: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/The Theme 2) March 7, 1970, first set: Directions/Spanish Key/Masqualero/It's About That Time; second set: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Bitches Brew/Spanish Key/It's About That Time/Willie Nelson/The Theme (issued as It's About That Time: Live at the Fillmore East) These were Wayne Shorter's last gigs with Miles. The band is more explicitly rockish than the 1969 Lost Quintet, but a lot of the free elements are still there. Chick adopts effects on his electric piano, and Dave switches to primarily electric bass. "It's About That Time" and "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" aren't the wild avant-garde pieces they were in 1969. Superb music. ---- Fillmore West, with Steve Grossman, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Airto Moreira: 3) April 9, 1970: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/This/It's About That Time/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/Spanish Key/Bitches Brew/The Theme 4) April 10, 1970: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down/Willie Nelson/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/Bitches Brew/Masqualero/Spanish Key/The Theme (issued as Black Beauty) 5) April 11, 1970: Directions/Miles Runs the Voodoo Down [incl. Sundance]/Paraphernalia/Footprints/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/Willie Nelson/The Theme 6) April 12, 1970: It's About That Time/Directions/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/Footprints/Agitation/No Blues/Bitches Brew/Spanish Key/The Theme Steve Grossman replaces Shorter. I like these gigs a lot, though they're not on the level of the March recordings. These are the last recorded performances of "Footprints", "Masqualero", "No Blues" and "Agitation". A favorite performance is "It's About That Time" from April 12 -- very funky & chunky. Also, Grossman has a nice tenor solo on one of the "Directions" (April 11?) -- he sounds much better on this horn than on the soprano. ---- Fillmore East, with Steve Grossman, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Airto Moreira: 7) June 17, 1970: Directions/The Mask/It's About That Time/Bitches Brew/The Theme 8) June 18, 1970: Directions/The Mask/It's About That Time/Bitches Brew/The Theme/Spanish Key (was this the only time Miles played an encore?)/The Theme 9) June 19, 1970: Directions/The Mask/It's About That Time/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/Bitches Brew/The Theme 10) June 20, 1970: Directions/The Mask/It's About That Time/I Fall in Love too Easily/Sanctuary/Bitches Brew/Willie Nelson/The Theme (issued in bits and pieces on At Fillmore]) These are the gigs sliced and diced by Teo for At Fillmore. The infamous keyboard battles between Chick and Keith are here. The group is much funkier than it was in April. ---- Fillmore West, with Gary Bartz, Keith Jarrett, Michael Henderson, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moreira and Jumma Santos: 11) October 15, 1970: Honky Tonk/What I Say/Sanctuary/Yesternow/Bitches Brew/Funky Tonk/The Theme 12) October 17, 1970: Directions/Honky Tonk/What I Say/Sanctuary/Yesternow/Bitches Brew/Funky Tonk/The Theme 13) October 18, 1970: Directions/Honky Tonk/What I Say/Sanctuary/Yesternow/Bitches Brew/Funky Tonk/The Theme This is the Cellar Door band, early in its life. The major "tunes" in the band's book are already these. The groove isn't as tight as it would be two months later. ---- Fillmore West, with Gary Bartz, Keith Jarrett, Michael Henderson, Jack DeJohnette, and Airto Moreira: 14) May 16-19, 1971: Honky Tonk/What I Say/Sanctuary/It's About That Time/Funky Tonk/Sanctuary Theme This is the Cellar Door band at its peak. The groove is ridiculously tight. There aren't any more recordings until October, when the band goes to Europe with Ndugu Chancler instead of Jack D. All gig information comes from Pete Losin's excellent site, Miles Ahead.

I must admit I'm enjoying reading all your top ten lists -- we interact daily but this gives a little more insight into all of you. Guy

SS1, Which ones are your favorites? guy

Nice article. Guy

I will definitely have to pick this up. Guy

Phoenix is playing very well, but I'm wondering -- will Amare always be a shell of his former self. That would be too bad. Guy

Maybe this makes me a philistine, but I enjoy what I've heard from this guy. I haven't listened that closely, though. Guy

Which Stitt is the best? There are almost 10 of them! It kills me that Concord is going to delete these before I get a chance to listen to all of 'em! Guy