Guy Berger

I'm guessing that Pluto will remain a planet due to politics. A bunch of Plutologists will be very angry if their work is demoted in importance. Guy

This is the first time I've heard of such a thing. Sounds like an abomination to me. But I'm not a huge watermelon fan. Guy

I was reading AMG's reviews/ratings for Joni Mitchell's mid-70s music (Hejira, Don Juan's Reckless Daughter) and they were quite negative. That said, my understanding is that the albums are quite popular among Mitchell fans. (I haven't heard them myself.) It made me wonder if AMG's writers/editors weren't willing to approach this kind of "fusion" (with a small f) music on its own terms, and whether this is a problem with rock critics in general. Guy

I don't understand what your problem with GA is. Guy

From AMG (doesn't sound too promising):

Mingus in Wonderland, out of what I've heard. Maybe Mingus Dynasty as well. Guy

Harpsichord made out of legos. The free sample is hilarious.

I will listen to his album Special Edition, w/David Murray and Arthur Blythe. An excellent cd. Guy

It was Kind of Blue. Then Bitches Brew and Sketches of Spain. None of these made a big impact on me at the time. Guy

If the majority of your jazz listening conforms to the time frame of that of your pop/rock, you're not becoming a jazz snob, you're becoming an old fart. Not that there's a helluva lot of difference... Jeez, an old fart at 28! As far as time frame, I listen to a fair amount of post-'75 jazz though the majority of it is in the time frame specified. Dan Gould's suggestion distinguishing "jazz snobs" and "jazz listeners". It's just that I was listening to a band that a friend likes (Danielson -- the band's name, not the friend's) and thought, this isn't bad, but it isn't jazz and I'm not going to spend time/money investigating it further.

Well, for smaller labels promotion on this kind of bulletin board might actually make a meaningful difference. I admit I'm not sure why Concord is pursuing this strategy, however. I'm not sure why you are coming down on GA. Sounds like he has a pretty good deal. Any labels that wish to send me free music so that I can promote it on this board if I like it are encouraged to PM me. Guy

Not sure if this belongs here or in the politics forum but I thought it was interesting. God, people sure went bonkers for a few years! article link

I will be attending as well. Guy

I still listen to rock occasionally, and like a lot of it (mostly pre-'75), but it doesn't spend much time on my MP3 player and I haven't bought a pop/rock CD in over two years. Guy

I more or less second Felser's recs. The Webster-Blanton recordings on the 3 cd set Never No Lament are absolutely essential. The Far East Suite is my favorite of the later recordings, followed closely by Such Sweet Thunder, And His Mother Called Him Bill and The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the '56 Newport set -- aside from the legendary Paul Gonsalves performance and one or two other tunes, I don't think it's that great. Money Jungle was one of the first Ellington albums I ever picked up. It went over my head the first time I heard it. But my opinion of it has risen with each listening. Was this Duke's only recording of "African Flower"? By the way, Chuck said something pretty cool about this recording a few months ago: Guy

I'm almost certain it is vibes, not celesta. Guy

Happy b-day, Lon. Guy

So I saw this tonight... I liked it. I'm only familiar with Dick through his short stories so I didn't bring any special expectations to the movie theater. Guy

Not a bad guess. More likely than Lon's mama. Guy

Who is playing vibes on this album? Guy

Is it doing any worse/better than usual? Guy

Check out Jon Jang. Guy

Does anyone know why Jimmy Knepper takes two solos on "Things Ain't What They Used to Be"? I really love John Handy's alto playing near the end of "Mood Indigo". It's too bad that the rest was edited out. "Diane" has one of Mingus's most beautiful melodies. Guy

Big Wheel is 100% right. Guy

I'm probably in the minority, but I like Murray's Steps more than Ming. Guy