Guy Berger

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

Booker Ervin's on "Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting" (is it just me or did Mingus bring out the best in Ervin)

Brana, Welcome to the board! Guy

No clue. The guy who posted this on the email list will have egg on his face if it turns out to be baloney. I'm just reproducing it here because it's interesting and I'm bored. Guy

Can't say whether this is reliable or not, and this is the way rumors get started, but the following was posted to the Keith Jarrett email list:

Wayne Shorter's solo on "Directions" (Miles Davis, Live at the Fillmore East Disc 2) Keith Jarrett's solos (both introduction & main) on "Inflight" (Backhand)

My favorites are Eric Dolphy, and Bennie Maupin (primarily on Bitches Brew). With Eric there are so many phenomenal examples, but I think his solo on "Hat and Beard" is my favorite. Guy

Aside from a dangerous lack of cowbell, you're gonna dig Black Fire. I was listening to it a lot last week and it's goooooooood. Since they just shipped the Jazz Crusaders '68 Lighthouse, I think Brownie & Max at Basin Street is next. Guy

I don't have anything especially interesting to add to what's been written above, except that there are several hundred Fantasy CDs I have on my mental wish list -- and that's not even including the several hundred I probably haven't thought of yet. As Jsngry said, I can't buy 'em if they aren't in print. Guy

I wish Blue Note and Verve had reissue policies as good as Fantasy's. Guy

They're not bad, and it's hard to argue with the prices. However, they can take forever to stock certain CDs (particularly new releases) -- I had some annoying experiences with a CD that "would be in stock in 10 days". After the 10 days were up, they told me it would be in stock in another 10 days. Guy

I dunno, I've always thought Christian McBrie is too cheesy. Guy

And besides, it's impossible -- we all know that when Charlie Parker "died" he really went into the Witness Protection Program, got plastic surgery and emerged as "Ornette Coleman" shortly thereafter. (I mean, come on, you thought "Ornette" was a real name?)

Another non-musician here. Monk reminds me a lot of Ornette Coleman -- both major jazz composers with very personal/identifiable compositions that require more than "playing what's on paper" for a satisfying performance. Guy

Thanks to Frank, akanalog & WD45 for their recs. I'm actually planning to pick up Witchi-Tai-To and the early Garbarek ECMs at some point; and I'm a big fan of Charles Lloyd's Canto & All My Relations. (I thought The Call was too sleepy, though -- not very familiar with Notes from Big Sur or Fish Out of Water.) I excluded those two saxophonists because I was interested in Stenson's other sideman work. I'll have to get a Stanko CD one of these days! Guy

I'm not a no-limit guy, but you probably have the best hand here. The only hands that beat you are AA and 2x, both are unlikely. If the guy who puts you all-in didn't play very aggressively pre-flop, you can effectively rule out AA. Furthermore, anybody with a decent pocket pair (say, 99 and higher) might think they have the best hand and play aggressively. So definitely go all-in. Guy

Any recommendations for CDs that include Stenson but not Charles Lloyd or Jan Garbarek? Out of his recent albums on ECM (Serenity, War Orphans, Reflections) which is the best to start with? Guy ps I initially wrote "don't include Stenson but not..." Maybe I should draw a Venn Diagram next time.

I finally saw The Great Escape last night -- wow, what an amazing movie!!! Guy

I disagree-- unless you make large BMG orders, yourmusic is generaly cheaper. Guy

At least some of the tracks on Live Evil were victims of splicing. I can't remember the names but the disc 1, track 1 is a combination of "Directions" and "Honky Tonk". Disc 1, track 2 begins with a take of "Directions" that has the melody spliced out at each instance. Guy

RVG wasn't the best at recording, either. Guy

People who buy these CDs and experience difficulties with them should send an angry email to Sony's reissue program -- they don't want to alienate their market for obscure reissues. Guy

You weren't the dude from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that I was talking to after the Lloyd set, were you? Guy