Guy Berger

I think the only (EC) team the Bulls don't have a chance of beating in the playoffs is the Heat. Anybody else and they could pull an upset. Guy

The crazy thing about the east is that the 6 seed is much, much better to have than the 4 or 5 seed. You get to face a mediocre Atlantic division team in round 1 and then get the Pistons instead of the Heat in round 2. The Bulls-Wizards series should be one of the only viewable Eastern Conference series of the 1st round. So many crappy teams. I think the Bulls have about a 15-1 shot of passing the Pistons to capture the Central Division title. (Chicago is currently leading the season series 2-1.)

I really like this session, though I prefer Unity and think Sam holds back a little too much. (Understandable, given the audience Alfred Lion was aiming for.) Guy

I think the Japanese internment during WW2 has become increasingly relevant in the past three years, but that's a discussion that's more appropriate for the Politics forum. Guy

I just got the box this week. Wicked version of "Autumn Leaves", though I like the one on Up for It better. Guy

Che, I recommend that you watch it with them. You might enjoy it even more than they will! I really liked the Incredibles too. Pretty sophisticated for a kids' movie, or for that matter what passes for "grown-up" comedies. Though I guess there's a place for Harold and Kumar too. Guy

The Keith Jarrett trio's version (on Whisper Not) is my favorite. Guy

Anybody else familiar with this place? They have 2 dollar cover for the Tuesday night jazz performances and there's a lot of variety in styles from week to week. Guy

Someone else suggested this a while back... I don't see what the point would be, since the thread effectively ghettoizes whatever the heck is in there already. Guy

Arrgh! Still can't decide. Wayne's my favorite saxophonist but I think Sam outplays him on Spring, and I think Sam plays even better on the 1st album. Plus I think the compositions are better on the 1st album. So I guess I'm voting for Life Time. But it was difficult to choose! It's a shame that they didn't do a repeat of this album in '69 or '70! Guy

By the way, after a meteoric rise to the top of the Shitlantic division, Boston is losing again. Just because a team shows a pulse for 10 games doesn't mean they're actually any good. Which they aren't. I'd say 2-1 they get booted in the 1st round. Guy

Two great albums. It's so hard to choose, I'll think about it overnight. Two thoughts: 1) This is some of the best Sam Rivers on BN that I've heard. 2) Considering how loud Tony is on the Miles albums from this period, it's interesting how low-key his playing is, at least on Spring. Anyway, if you haven't heard these albums, they're absolutely essential if you like the more adventurous end of Blue Note in the 60s. Where else are you going to hear Shorter and Rivers playing together? Guy

I hate those earphones. They always get tangled up. So one more reason to get something less conspicuous. It seems like most of the thefts, at least on the subway, don't involve actual force. So if you keep it in a safe place you should be alright. Guy

Slightly more superficial than the above example (in terms of synthesis with Indian music, not in terms of quality), but there's Coltrane's "India". And some of Miles Davis's 70s music includes tabla and sitar. (On the Corner, In Concert, parts of Big Fun and Get Up With It.) Guy

Even more significantly, Larry played electric piano on Bitches Brew. Guy

I'm really looking forward to hearing Motian on this tune! (Though "After the Rain" would have been even better! But maybe too predictable.) Guy

Both the Lakers and the Knicks are missing the playoffs this year. An NBA fan's dream! Guy

Charles Lloyd recorded Bacharach and Costello's "God Give Me Strength" a while back. Guy

I more or less followed the same path into jazz as PhillyQ. Just pay attention to who's on the CDs you like, and get more stuff featuring them. Guy

By the way, has anyone else been reading Paul Shirley's blog? He's the 12th man on the Phoenix Sun's bench, and he can be pretty funny:

For what it's worth, I saw Peterson (w/my dad) about a year ago and it wasn't great but not bad either. He did start out with a really nice boogaloo, though, and the guitarist (Wakenius) is good. Guy

Isn't "Deception" one of the first Miles tunes to experiment with stopping harmonic motion? Guy

Wow, Chris, thanks for posting that -- it was really cool. Guy

Jazzkat, When you check out WBGO on the web(wbgo.org, I think), also give a listen to WKCR. They don't always have jazz on, but they do have some great jazz programs. If you search around here, there's at least two threads about WKCR in the lat month. KCSM is also available online, and it's a great station. One of the things I look forward to every time I visit the Bay Area. I have my radio dial currently tuned to some station in the lower 90s where they play lots of offbeat stuff -- techno, Latin, whatever. I don't really know the station name because I almost always play CDs in there. But a few months ago I stepped into the car and heard the DJ say, "...and that was John Coltrane with 'Sun Ship'. " Guy

I didnt notice it on the radio. The two worst albums for cymbol overdose are Coltrane, and The Waiting Game. If Elvin's the one giving the cymbal overdose, I'll take it. Guy