Guy Berger

Season 3 is much better, and season 4 is the best! I agree about season 3 -- I've seen 5 episodes so far, and it has much more depth than most of the earlier episodes. Guy

Has anyone heard this album? It's a collaboration between Shipp, Medeski and Scotty Hard. William Parker and Nasheet Waits complete the rhythm section. Sounds very intriguing! Guy edit: There's a DJ, a second drummer, and some drum machines on this album.

This evening this very random question popped into my head. Examples, if you have them! Guy

Clem, Can you elaborate? Guy

I've just been listening to this superb recording of "The Man" and "The Journey" suites. Essential stuff for any fan of Floyd's '68-'72 period, but you're not going to find it on any official release. Bits of the suite showed up on various albums. The music is mostly composed, but there's some avant-garde improvisation on a few of the tracks. Definitely not your standard rock group "jamming". Is Rick Wright the one playing trumpet on "Afternoon"? (ed: It's trombone, and yes.) Who is the second drummer on "Doing It"? Guy

That would surprise me. With the exception of the Gil Evans collaborations, Miles was recording exclusively with his working groups during this period (late 1955 to late 1967). Guy

I agree with you that ToCCC is probably one of their best albums, though it has plenty of flaws. Guy

"Watching and Waiting" is one of their best songs. Guy

I did too. Guy

1) I don't think the two necessarily contradict each other. F is talking about a multi-decade period starting in the mid 60s. B is talking about the period since 1986. It's possible that education spending rose in the mid-60s and then fell after 1986. Unfortunately I don't have data on Irish education spending. 2) F agrees with B about the importance of fiscal tightening to Ireland's growth miracle. It probably helped facilitate Ireland's investment boom. Guy

You'll forgive me if I'm skeptical of an economic article from a publication that employs a clown like Donald Luskin and holds him up as a model of brilliant thinking. I agree that in general the NR's economic analysis shouldn't be taken seriously. That said, I think it's worth making an exception for this article. The Cuba example is possibly a poor one.* Regardless, economists tend to think that human capital is in fact quite important to the "wealth of nations", and I don't think it's crazy to think that it played an important role in Ireland's growth boom. FWIW, here are the per capita GDP growth numbers for Ireland broken down into five year intervals: 1961-65 3.6 1966-70 4.2 1971-75 3.4 1976-80 3.2 1981-85 1.8 1986-90 5.0 1991-95 4.2 1996-2000 8.6 2001-2005 3.4 Guy *I don't get the impression that Brenner is using 1991 as a breaking point. Rather, he is probably just assessing Cuba's current income levels and thinking "they're still poor." That makes little sense since they were probably poorer than Ireland in 1961. Of course, what matters is how fast they have grown per capita over the same period. I only have data for 1995-2004, when Cuba's GDP per capita grew by 3.7% -- not bad.

I'm guessing this will sooner or later have to be moved to the politics forum. Anyway, the Irish economic miracle is indeed remarkable. I wonder what a 1900 Brit would have said had you suggested to him that 100 years later, Ireland would be a wealthier country than Britain. Guy

Haven't heard the duo discs, but I share Nate's feelings about the other three albums. Guy

These are great tunes. Almost enough to make me forget that the White Album is wildly overrated. Guy

Am I the only one taking notes? Guy

The way Trane is marketed in general gives me the heebie jeebies. He's always presented as this "spiritual" musician (even for pre-ALS Trane), but in a very kitschy, superficial and new-age way. Guy

Sorry to laugh at your misfortune, Jim, but that story was fun to read. I wish I was two years old again! Guy

The Site-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named has a show from the most recent Vanguard engagement. September 12, early set: Light Blue Good Morning Heartache Yahllah Body and Soul Mumbo Jumbo It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago Drum Music

I actually think the Atlantic title is somehow fitting. But the Prestige is ridiculous. Guy

Black Fire maybe, but Judgment is very explosive in an explicitly avant way. The lack of horns on the latter session obscures the already oblique group textures and complicated compositions/forms. Among the more striking elements of the album is the sheer metrical complexity created by the ensemble interactions (we're talking Hill, early Hutch, Richard Davis and Elvin freakin Jones, for cryin out loud)--It's dizzying, dizzying stuff, and perfectly suited to Andrew's darker, denser side. Maybe, but the playing on Pax is more outside. Guy

I think this nails it. I must say I disagree with Ornette on this point. Guy

PM II, not PM I. Guy

Are she and Judy Garland the same person? Guy

I don't think you will be so lucky. Guy

No. Black Fire and Judgment are both more accessible, as are several Andrew albums from the late 60s. Guy