Guy Berger

Just don't mention Borat. Guy

According to AMG, this album went #186 on the Billboard pop charts, which is pretty mind-boggling. Guy

I enjoyed your dig at him in your review (as well as the review itself). Guy

This is great music for a really, really hot summer day. Guy

What if you drink it all before you reach customs? Guy

Possible, but it was in the editorial reviews section. Guy ps Meet Ben Watson!

From amazon:

yup yup

God, it was hot here today. I was in the office most of the day and didn't realize it until I started walking home. It's still 94 degrees at 8:30 PM. Guy

Same here. Guy

I picked this up on Lon's recommendation about a year and a half ago. I'm most familiar with the first disc; the novelty numbers on the 2nd and 3rd discs have kept them off my iPod. This will be a great opportunity to reacquaint myself with the music. It's hard to listen to this stuff without tapping your feet or getting a big smile on your face. It's fascinating to hear Ellington slowly put his band together (Harry Carney, Barney Bigard & Johnny Hodges all join within 6 months of each other), as well as find his way as a composer. A lot of the tunes that we associate with Ellington -- "East St. Louis Toodle-o", "Black and Tan Fantasy", "Black Beauty", "The Mooche", "Mood Indigo", "Rockin' in Rhythm" -- make an appearance on this set. Guy

The Complete Brunswick and Vocal Recordings of Duke Ellington, 1926-1931

Alexander, I bet as a father you don't want to hear this, but your daughter has quite a bit in common with one Aric Effron. Guy

Are there more alternate takes than on the original albums? This is some of my favorite Monk post-Prestige. I don't have the box, but do have the original albums Monk's Music & TMw/JC. Coltrane was really coming into his own by the time of the session w/"Trinkle Tinkle" and "Ruby my Dear". "Crepescule with Nellie" is one of my favorite Monk ballads. Guy

He's smokin' on the tune "80/81", with Haden and Jack DeJ laying down some great swing. This sort of pop-jazz really isn't my thing. But otherwise, Brecker's playing on this album is really great. Especially on "Folk Song #1" and "Open". I love the groove on "Folk Song #2" -- it reminds me of "Backwoods Song" on the first Gateway album. Charlie Haden may not like playing vamps, but he's damn good at it. I just love that guy's playing. Guy

I thought the first half was funny, but it wasn't as good once it turned into a romantic comedy. Guy

I've been listening to this for the first time in a while. I'm not crazy about everything on here (the ballad on side 4 is a little cheesy for my tastes), but "Open", both Folk Songs, "80/81" and "The Turnaround" are among the best Metheny I've heard! Guy

Congrats David. Guy

In his autobiography, no less. <shrug> I guess I can't argue with Duke. But the argument that (Avakian's own words) Jones was "quite possibly the person most responsible for this explosive performance" when all the guy did was egg on the band nevertheless seems quite strange to me. <shrug again> Guy

I can honestly say that both are equally great. Get both and be doubly satisfied. Seriously. I picked up Everybodys Mouth's a Book and am very pleased with it. Will have to get the twin! Guy

It's my favorite Dylan tune, and I think it could actually sound pretty good as a jazz ballad. Has it been recorded in such a format? It's not a jazz version, but I just thought I should mention that Jon Anderson/Steve Howe's version isn't bad! Guy

Uggh. I think I will have to hold off on taking advantage of this great sale due to a large backlog. Guy

next: Monk/Trane @ Carnegie Hall after that: Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band @ the Village Vanguard

Explain. Among other things, and possibly the most egregious, is the claim Schapp makes where he says Jo Jones had absolutely NOTHING to do with the band's performance. I mean, he damn near goes so far as to say that George Avakian, who was there, didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about in his own original liner notes! Though I obviously wasn't there, it did seem to me that Avakian's story inflated Jones's supposed importance to the performance at the expense of the musicians actually onstage, and that Schaap was setting the record straight. I'll have to read it again. Guy

Explain. It's part of the atmosphere. If they'd cut out music to put it in, I'd be with you. Otherwise, program it out if you want. I've never noticed! Guy