Guy Berger

Yeah, it's my favorite thing on the 2nd disc. Guy

I like alternate takes if they're sufficiently good and/or enlightening. If there's space on a CD for more material, definitely include those at the end. Incomplete takes (I'm thinking of the Verve issue of Bird'n'Diz) should almost always stay in the bin, I don't want to hear 30 second snippets that never amounted to anything. I'll admit that I don't understand why some CDs were issued with alternate takes in the middle of the CD. Why disrupt the original programming? Guy

Haven't heard all of Domino Theory, though I think I have MP3s of one or two tracks I downloaded back in the heyday of Napster. ("D Flat Waltz" and something else.) I do have Procession, though, and it's a nice album. Better IMHO than 8:30, Night Passage or the 2nd self-titled album. And as far as the ragging on "Directions" -- I really dig this tune. I like it best with Miles's group in '69 and early '70. Interestingly Zawinul claimed that he composed "It's About That Time", and that tune pops up on several WR shows I've heard. I'm usually skeptical about what comes out of Zawinul's mouth. Guy

From Live in Tokyo to Spyro Gyra. All hail progress... I agree w/FFA about Live in Tokyo -- maybe the best WR on record. The band is totally ON. (Judging by the live recordings I've heard, not unusual for these guys.) None of the commercial compromises or cliches that the word "fusion" would imply just a few years later. As far as studio albums Sweetnighter is my favorite. Guy

I think you'll find that many would disagree about HW being their best. Every WR album prior to that one is better IMHO. Guy

I really like this album. Interestingly it has identical instrumentation to "Street of Dreams" (a previous AOTW). I really like "The Turnaround" and (if I'm thinking of the same tune as Clifford T) "Latona". Guy

We've discussed Weather Report quite a few times on this board, but it's time they've had their own thread. I've been listening to a bunch of live recordings from 1973 and earlier (a great one from Chateauvallon, France 8/73 right now) and they're great. Lots of great ensemble improvisation, making music that appealed to the masses and made them think, as Zawinul wanted. I think the group started declining after 1974, with a major drop-off after Black Market, though I've found that I enjoy something on almost every WR album. Guy p.s. Interestingly, in the 73 boot I mention above Zawinul does a solo piano version of "Sophisticated Lady".

I have the same CD. The track called "Brazilia" is in fact "Song of Praise", and identical to #3 (except one of the two has about 30 seconds chopped off from the beginning). Guy

Brazilia and Alabama weren't performed at the Half Note. Guy

← Don't get TOO excited, only half of this material is on the Verve set, and the best performance (Creation) will remain available only in bootleg form. Still, it's worth getting somewhat excited, with the caveat of a middle finger aimed in Verve's direction. Guy

I just picked this up. My first impression was "this guy likes Stravinsky" (sorry if this is superficial or "wrong" -- my knowledge of 20th century classical music is primarily Debussy, the Stravinsky ballets & Bartok's work). But the more I hear it, the more I'm digging it. And the jazz links become more obvious with each listen. I'd be interested to read some discussion about this music's relation to both 20th century and jazz of the time. Also, the version of "Everything happens to Me" is quite freaky. Guy

An order just shipped from alldirect yesterday: Mingus: Mingus Dynasty, Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus, Let My Children Hear Music, Changes One Charles Lloyd: In Europe/Journey Within, In the Soviet Union Monk: Complete Live at the It Club Pat Metheny: Bright Size Life, Rejoicing Joe Lovano: Rush Hour

I was listening to this album. "The Song Is You" is intense, wow! One of the best recorded performances I've heard from this trio. The rest of the album is very good too. Guy

Maybe the cause of all these bad phenomena is merely proximity to Canada. Guy

Chim Chim Cheree 19:37 John Coltrane Half Note 3/19/65 Impressions 20:55 John Coltrane Half Note 3/19/65 One Up, One Down 28:13 John Coltrane Half Note 3/26/65 I Want to Talk About You 12:40 John Coltrane Half Note 3/26/65 announcement 1:07 John Coltrane Half Note 4/2/65 untitled original (AKA: Creation) 23:27 John Coltrane Half Note 4/2/65 I Want to Talk About You 15:42 John Coltrane Half Note 4/2/65 Afro Blue 6:21 John Coltrane Half Note 4/2/65 Jazz Song of Praise 20:55 John Coltrane Half Note 5/7/65 100 Jazz My Favorite Things 23:51 John Coltrane Half Note 5/7/65 Jazz

Just to clarify, the causal link claimed by the article may very well be true (though I doubt it), but the study in question really doesn't actually seem to say anything about such a link, despite claims to the contrary. Hence, "spurious". Guy

The article isn't exactly clear on the methodology for this study, but the results strike me as spurious. Correlation does not imply causation. Guy

My hunch is that the answer is "yes, they did play together; no, they did not record." After Trane joined Miles's quintet, he was replaced in Jimmy's group by Odean Pope. Anybody have Porter on hand to verify? Even if they did record, I think the recordings would be primarily of historical interest. Guy

The proprietary format is one of the many lame things about Apple.

Was tripod part of a trilogy??? ← What I meant to link to was

1) All of the stuff being released has never been issued officially, though it has widely circulated in bootleg form. 2) This release only includes about 1/2 of the circulating Half Note material. Guy

I felt dirty giving my money to Apple when I got my iPod. Guy

Gotta part ways here. I rank em late BNs, early Milestones, early BNs. The Milestones are excellent at their best, but like akanalog I get a little ear fatigue. Maybe it's the production. The late BNs seem to have a bit more space. Plus you have both Wayne and Gary in the front line on two of those. Guy

We have at least two or three threads discussing this release. I haven't heard the Monk & Trane release so I can't compare, but the Half Note (not Five Spot) material is worthy of all the superlatives it gets. Too bad Verve isn't releasing all the material. Guy

What about the aborted Miles box on Warner Brothers? I even remember being on a flight and listening to one of those promotional one hour programs they create for new releases. The box was killed. Guy