Scott Dolan

Yes! I hadn’t even considered that. I think one of my favorite groups in the last few years is the Claremont Trio.

Good point. It’s been that way in Pop/ Rock for many years now.

Agreed. Mr. E has been m.i.a. for nearly a decade, it seems. Thanks for the rec, too. I’m going to see what I can find from her. Ha! That’s awesome! *edit* Currently listening to Nellie Bly Project from the Sam Boshnack Quintet. Quite good so far!

Yes, it sounds like a funny question. But this week I’ve listened to albums from Kris Davis, Tomeka Reid, Esperanza Spalding, Mary Halvorson, and Jaimie Branch, all of which were top flight! I can’t think of another era where female Jazz musicians were so plentiful. Does anyone else see this? Do you have any favorites of your own? Currently listening to Planktonic Finales from Ingrid Laubrock, Stephan Crump, and Cory Smythe.

They most definitely do! It’s all about the second-order harmonics tubes add to the audio signal. A harmonic distortion that most people find pleasing to the ear.

There is nothing "affordable" about Audioquest. $120 for a set of RCA cable is sheer lunacy.

I misread GA's previous post thinking he'd already purchased everything. That said, I know jack shit about TT preamps, but WILL definitely second Kevin's recommendation of Monoprice and Blue Jean Cables. Great quality, low price, 100% bullshit-free. I went with similarly priced Emotiva cables for aesthetic purposes. But cables from either of those two companies will serve you perfectly and spare your wallet.

Looks fantastic, GA! Please give us an update once you’ve spent some time with it all. I love that rack!

Looks like that one is a cool $700!

Very interesting. I wonder why the disparity?

Unless the cables are digital. In which case get the cheapest you can find, unless looks are a consideration.

There is, but it goes sideways pretty quickly. I’d suggest starting a new one. Or just continue here. What kind of cables are you looking for? RCA? HDMI? Speaker? TosLink?

Oh no! He just posted not long ago, though I can’t recall the thread. As Lon said, I hope this isn’t true. He was a good cat...

But, they seem to be looking to head in the right direction by hiring a new GM. Good start, hopefully...

What Kevin said. Just get something sturdy that you won't mind looking at for years to come. If you want to spend big bucks on Mapleshade, that's cool. They make incredibly beautiful furniture. Just know there will be zero difference in functionality. I've got my main rig set up in the living room on an entertainment center with hardwood legs and smoked glass shelves. I think we paid around $200, but you can find excellent quality for less. We bought it strictly for the looks.

Goddamn, king! Asteroidea is outrageously good! Thanks again! Never heard anything from Kris Davis before. She is astonishing!

Excellent! Thanks, king! I definitely need to check this out.

Clear, and it isn’t even close. We decorate the hell out of the interior of our home. Some of our animated Christmas village pieces have multi-colored lights, but the tree, stairway railing, bay window in the kitchen, and 16ft red brick fireplace all have clear mostly intertwined with garland and ribbons. I think we put up a total of 1200 lights this year. We’ve started our transition to LED lights this year.

I thought I mentioned this before, but it may have been elsewhere. Though my standard response is, “it’s probably not too happy for them”. But, like Beefy said above, I’ve simply learned to live with the practice. It not a hill worth dying on.

IMO, Stephan Crump is the most outstanding bassist in Jazz right now. I’ve been listening to the trio a lot lately. He is truly next level.

Yes, the other two from that tour: Broadway The Hard Way, and The Best Band You've Never Heard In Your Life. Neither are as strong, IMO, but still have a lot of great music on them. Heavy Duty Judy from Best Band is some of his most aggressive playing ever. Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel and Outside Now from Broadway are definitive versions.

Have you listened to the albums from the '88 tour? Our musical tastes seem to be very similar, so I'm wondering if you would like those. Make A Jazz Noise Here is possibly my favorite Zappa album.

I agree with every word of that! That '88 band truly WAS The Best Band You've Never Heard In Your Life.

No, I'll get it digitally. Either streaming, or purchase through iTunes. I haven't had a turntable since we left Florida.