Guy Berger

BNs that I haven't heard but really want to hear: Pete LaRoca - BASRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! various Hutchersons -- Oblique and Happenings, not sure if there's anything else Andrew Hill -- Andrew!!!! Don Cherry -- Symphony for Improvisers and Where Is Brooklyn Charles Lloyd -- the ones he did in the 80s There are a lot of other ones that I haven't heard but am not rushing out to get. Guy

Miami has to learn, but they have a whole season. Pistons will be great, again, with a solid chance of winning the east -- all the pieces except Larry are coming back. Pacers will be excellent as long as Artest doesn't fly off the handle again. Cavs will definitely make the playoffs this season and could even cause some post-season damage. The Bulls should make the playoffs again as a #5 or #6. Other than that I have no clue what's going to happen -- a bunch of mediocre teams that would get ping pong balls if they were out west. Guy

Then again, they could have saved shelf space and used 2 quad cases. As it is it looks more monumental though. ← Yeah, that wouldn't have hurt. But, if you're listening record companies, can your fancy-schmancy designs and put things in jewel cases! Guy

The best design is still the Plugged Nickel box -- jewel cases and none of this booklet garbage. Guy

I'm at 101-150, I think, but there's a bunch of live stuff I have that I haven't listened to and I'm not sure how much. Guy

Which solo -- the first one or the second? (They're both phenomenal, but maybe you have a preference.) For those who are interested we've had threads on the greatest Coltrane and Wayne Shorter solos. Not sure how many of these are overlooked. Guy

80s Genesis=>70s Genesis=>Brand X, King Crimson=>Mahavishnu Orchestra=>In a Silent Way + Miles Smiles=>Out to Lunch, Unity, A Love Supreme=>jazz!

I don't think Yes (even the '80s version) ever aspired to be greazzzzy. Not sure about greazzzzy but the guitar intro to "Siberian Khatru" is kinda funky. Guy

That would be one cool shopping center. Guy

I more or less agree with you about Shaq. The rest of the team is better, though. The west should be interesting as well. Spurs will be favorites as usual and the Mavs will be an underachieving dark horse, but who knows about the rest? The Suns will be good enough to make the playoffs, but without Joe J won't be as good as last year. I think the Kings will struggle to make the playoffs this year -- they looked terrible against the Sonics last year. The Sonics, too, won't be as good as they were last year and will struggle to make the playoffs. I'm guessing the Rockets will be a little better than they were last year, and a potential contender. The Nuggets played brilliant once George Karl arrived, but the honeymoon is over and you have to wonder whether Camby can again stay healthy for a full season. The Lakers -- no clue about these guys, but Phil and Kobe have to be good enough to get the team to a low playoff seed. The Warriors could be a real surprise if Baron Davis stays healthy for the entire season. Who knows what will happen with the Jazz. I don't think the Grizzlies, Clippers or New Orleans will make the playoffs. Guy

I'm gonna go with Miami winning the East as long as Shaq doesn't self-destruct like he did last year -- not sure what chance there is of that. Guy

(Also posted to the KJ setlist. This one sounds even more ridiculous than the first, if only for the Joshua Redman bit.) ← Sigh -- apparently Ouellette was only fantasizing. Guy

Happy birthday Wayne. Only 28 more years til we'll celebrate your 100th! Guy

RUMORS, RUMORS: (Also posted to the KJ setlist. This one sounds even more ridiculous than the first, if only for the Joshua Redman bit.)

Except for the title track -- that one really does cross a line as far as I'm concerned...

Here's what I found:

Keith Jarrett's solo intro to "Roads Travelled, Roads Veiled" (Fort Yawuh)-- I'm iffy on his solo concerts, but some of his solo work within group confines is masterful and this one is stunning Charlie Haden's bass solo on "Ramblin" (Change of the Century) Joe Henderson on "Zoltan" (Unity) -- maybe my favorite Joe H solo Joe Henderson on "Teeter Totter" (Our Thing) & "El Barrio" (Inner Urge) John Coltrane on "Creation" (from the Half Note 1965) Chick Corea on "Masqualero" (Paris 11/3/69) -- the best Chick Corea solo I've ever heard Wayne Shorter on "Mademoiselle Mabry" (Filles de Kilimanjaro) -- I like how he allows the recurring melody to fill in the gaps in his solo Wayne Shorter on "So What" (Plugged Nickel) -- burning Wayne Shorter on "Arabia" (Mosaic) Horace Silver on "Blowin' the Blues Away" -- my favorite H Silver solo Booker Ervin on "I.I. BS" (Mingusx5)

Wayne Shorter on "Message from the Nile" (McCoy's Extensions) -- one of the greatest soprano saxophone solos I've heard

Yeah, Andersen and Christensen pop up on a few CDs in my collection (no disagreement about them being heavyweights), and I have one album by Molvaer. What does Masqualero sound like? How is Andersen's album with Vasconcelos and Ralph Towner? Guy

Jeez, we waited 86 years for as championship, and people are already hating us? ← I think people hated you before you won the Championship!!! ← You read my mind! Matthew, I hope you're right about the As. Guy

I have to go with the Yanks winning the Wild Card -- the A's recent meltdown doesn't bode well for them, but Boston looks too strong to blow the AL lead. I wish I could enter a second vote for "fuck the Yankees and the Red Sox", though.

I was fishing around in that Tower garage sale and there were 5 or 6 ECMs by artists that aren't well-known in the states. You know, the kind where the artists' names include lots of punctuation. I'd seen some of the names before (Penguin Guide?) but AMG usually didn't have good reviews. Any thoughts or descriptions would be useful. Not planning to pick up any of these soon but I am curious. Some of the names: Masqualero Jon Balke

Jim, could you talk about this a little more? Mercy, Mercy, Mercy has some of this on the first track ("Fun" I believe) -- Cannonball's playing dipping into avant-garde waters. Does the new release have more or less of this kind of stuff? In the recent Zawinul biography, he talks about how the band's music really started getting adventurous once Charles Lloyd joined. I don't remember whether what I've heard from Fiddler on the Roof has the more adventurous Cannonball sound, though "74 Miles Away" from 1967 definitely has that vibe -- Cannonball takes a very intense, inside-outside solo. Maybe I'm a little weird in that I like this style of Cannnonball's playing better than the late 50s/early 60s style (which I like too, don't get me wrong). I guess the moral of the story is, pick up Money in the Pocket soon. Guy

Wow... a very eclectic set of CDs for sale. Lots of Italian jazz (some Black Saint and Soul Note titles) as well as lots of those intriguing weird European ECMs that never make it out to the states. (Masqualero, Jon Balke, etc) I bought: Joe Henderson & Chick Corea at Montreux (w/Gary Peacock & Roy Haynes) Tomas Stanko, Matka Joanna Dave Holland, Seeds of Time Paul Bley with Gary Peacock Mat Maneri, In Full Cry Any thoughts on the Maneri & Stanko? I'm a little pissed at myself for ordering these CDs, but ECMs for $9!!! plus I'm guessing that at least some of them are out of stock. Guy

I've seen it. Definitely some interesting bits, particularly when Chuck is on the loose in Europe. Very hard to believe any of the spy stuff was true. More like Andy Kauffman pulling your leg and never letting on that it was a gag. ← Fun movie though! Guy