Guy Berger

Oh, no doubt the earlier records are (usually) better records. Most of the Capitols and a lot of the Fantasys are not without..."trappings" of one kind or another (however, the few that aren't or almost aren't are dandy!). But I like Cannonball's playing better on the later sides. I'm with Jim here. His later playing had more depth and is, to me, more interesting. For what it's worth, on reading reviews by Lon, I picked up Why Am I Treated So Bad a while back - very good album, commercial leanings or not. Guy

I don't hear any particularly discontinuous jumps in Coltrane's style after 65 - not any more discontinuous then the rapid evolution of the sheets of sound in 57/58 or the transition to his more liner style in 60. Furthermore, there is a fairly clear progression in the 64-and-onward recordings that seems continuous to me. Guy

I just watched this... echoes of Coppola's "The Conversation", but I thought this was a better movie. Highly, highly recommended. Guy

So, the triathlon went well. I finished it in 82 min, 21 sec, which was substantially better than my personal goal of 90 min. I did the 400m swim in 10 min and 20 sec. The 11.6 mile bike was somewhat challenging because of the hilly terrain (it was in the mountains - Asheville NC), and also because I used a heavy (but sturdy) mountain bike. I may buy a road bike in the fall. I did the ride in 46 min. The 5km run I did in just over 22 min. While the race was certainly a challenge, I feel like I could have pushed myself harder and am definitely looking forward to the next one, in about 2 months. I was tired but not wiped out at the end and could have probably kept going a little longer. If you have ever thought about doing one of these, I recommend it. I would definitely train [which I did, about 75 minutes a day during the week and 125-150 min during Sat and Sun - I don't think this much is necessary] but it's definitely achievable. Guy

In general I am not a big box set fan. However, this one may be worth picking up (despite the high price tag) due to the fact that two of the live tracks (one from the Antibes concert, and one from the Feb 1964 concert) are only available on the box. The packaging, as usual, is annoying. Jewel cases exist for a reason... Guy

Websites Click to buy from Amazon.com: “The Essential Difference”, by Simon Baron-Cohen (Amazon.co.uk). Simon & Schuster has information about Ms Pinker’s book. Book details The Sexual Paradox: Men, Women, and the Real Gender Gap By Susan Pinker Scribner; 352 pages; $26. Atlantic Books; £12.99 Buy it at Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk

This shit is scary... This financial crisis is not over by any means.

Wow, thanks guys... it was really nice to log onto the board after a few days and see all the kind wishes. You guys still rock (or swing I suppose)! Anyway, it's good to be in a warm climate and great to be out of grad school/academic. I dig the work though it's not 9 to 5. My jazz collection is getting a little out of hand now that I am no longer a grad student... Guy

Websites Little, Brown has information about the book. ArcelorMittal posts a profile of Mr Mittal. Book details Cold Steel: Britain's Richest Man and the Multi-Billion-Dollar Battle for a Global Empire By Tim Bouquet and Byron Ousey Little, Brown; 340 pages; £20 Buy it at Amazon.co.uk

I have Air Time and Live Air. I like both but prefer the live album, which is amazing. First time posting via mobile!

I picked this up back in the fall and am listening to it for the first time. Wow, what a great pair of albums, the first time the AEC has really clicked with me (though I have enjoyed some of their other stuff). Highly recommended for the AEC neophyte. Guy