Shawn

Aside from a few exceptions, the 80's had just as much horrible pop music as any other decade. Phil Collins anyone? A Flock Of Seagulls (gag) Pat Benatar (Love is a Battlefield alright...and a terrible song) Men Without Hats (aka Men Without Balls) Culture Club...Do you really wanna hurt me? Why yes, I would! How about standing in front of my car. Tears For Fears - Shout, Shout, puke it all out, Tears For Fears I can do without, Come On! Everybody Fucking WANG CHUNG tonight!!!!! ...I could go on, and on, and on... However, I do agree with one item. The Power Station kicked ass! Now if they had just stayed together and Duran Duran could have fallen off the face of the earth...

Another film to add to my "Ignore" list.

Amen to that!!!! Even though the best track on Heavy Soul doesn't even have Roach on it...I'm of course referring to that brilliant duet of Nature Boy between Ike & Milt Hinton. I listen to this twofer alot, great albums well worth seeking out...

I just listened to these 3 tracks and I don't know, I think the titles as printed are correct. Chain Reaction fits the second track, it's intense enough for a title like that - - despite the modal framework, I really don't think the title Soft Impressions fits. Plus...Hank was a pretty slick cat, I don't think he would have intentionally named a track indicating where he got the idea from. Now for the 3rd track. The title Chain Reaction wouldn't fit this at all, it's got too much of a light and happy vibe for me to believe they would have used that title. However...the title Soft Impressions captures the mood of the piece quite nicely. Just my opinion, based on no research whatsoever.

I'd buy that Burrell set in 2 seconds flat....

I hate pop music...so I doubt I'll be buying even one this decade....

I still can't believe that Lion split up that March 7, 1963 session. That's common practice for someone like Prestige but not Blue Note. I mean, personally I think that's one of my favorite Mobley sessions. I made my own compilation of this material to keep from going completely insane. Here's the title/tracklisting I came up with: Hank Mobley - Yes Indeed! 1. Yes Indeed 2. Up A Step 3. The Feelin's Good 4. Old World, New Imports 5. East Of The Village 6. The Good Life

Let's hope that doesn't come to pass...I'd rather not start my morning by saying "Check my email, HAL"

Import only, but definitely worth grabbing. Masters Of Reality is really just Criss Goss and whatever side musicians he happens to use on albums/tours. For this 2001 tour to support "Deep In The Hole", he brought in Josh Homme & Chris Oliveri from Queens Of The Stone Age to be his backing group...the results are incendiary. Criss & Josh's voices blend beautifully (as do their guitars) and the material ranges from the heavy (Blue Garden, Time To Burn) to psychedelic/druggie (Why The Fly, Rabbit One) to straight old-fashioned rock n roll (She Got Me, John Brown). 4 stars

I don't agree. With every new copy-protection and DRM scheme...comes almost immediately software to undermine or bypass the copy protection. The current DRM technology in .wma files is fairly solid (except stream ripping), but the copy protection on CD's and DVD's can be easily bypassed by purchasing software that doesn't even cost $20 for the license. They'll keep trying to restrict out rights, we'll keep figuring out ways to give them the finger.

My Mother and I have had a strained relationship for years, never able to figure out how to mend it. She just visited me for a few days...and I don't know if it's because we're older now or what...but the "emotional cloud" that's always been between us just melted away. I think we had our first real conversations in about 15 years. It truly did feel like a blessing. Moms are great.

I really love the Mosaic set and all the recordings he did with Horace...but I gotta say that I have a soft spot in my heart for Blue's Riverside recordings. Like I said, there's a magic between Blue & Wynton. Albums like Big Six, Out Of The Blue, A Sure Thing, The Cup Bearers, Soul Time (Bobby Timmons) and Smooth As The Wind are must-haves.

I can see it now...Patton playing this massive pipe organ on stage...thousands of fans screaming...I wonder how a medley of Smokin' and The Yodel would work?

Yeah Allen, I know what you mean. I used to own it years ago but dumped it pretty quickly once I realized how "un-thrilled" I was by it...now the Griffin nut in me wants me to at least replace those tracks via emusic. :-) Thanks! Shawn

Does anybody know which tracks on this album feature Johnny Griffin? I know he's not on the entire record. Thanks.

Easily my favorite Blue Mitchell album. The cover is a classic. But it's the music! Blue & Wynton Kelly were about as perfect a match as you could ever ask for. Both were the epitome of taste and had that utterly natural "blues feeling" that can't be taught in class or in books...you're born with it. Wynton Kelly was just so amazing during this era. Totally correct about Kinda Vague, I've been fascinated by that song since I first heard it.

Venus Di Mildew

I've always liked the Somethin' Else cover...because of it's simplicity.

Great session...in fact I pretty much love everything John Patton did (although Blue John is the one possible exception). But for some reason, my favorite Patton album has always been Let 'Em Roll. I think the match with Hutcherson's vibes is absolutely stunning and some of those songs are very memorable. In fact, the song Latona from this album should be re-visited..amazing song...you can listen to this track and hear the future Allman Brothers and Santana sounds. Ahead of it's time, perfectly executed, an absolute classic. That Certain Feeling & Memphis To New York Spirit run a close race behind it....

Well, I hadn't been listening to any, but decided to pull out Crescent and give it a spin due to this thread. I agree with Lon, one of my favorite Coltrane's (I actually prefer it to A Love Supreme). I go on different "tangents" with Trane, listening to the Atlantic stuff for awhile, then Impulse, etc. I've been on a Prestige kick recently and enjoying those great sessions..some personal favorites: Soultrane (this album is physically addictive I think) Traneing In Cattin' With Coltrane & Quinichette Settin' The Pace The Stardust Sessions

Classic movie buffs (like myself) are always bemoaning the fact that modern Hollywood films are so one-dimensional and targeted to the lowest common denominator. We wish for a return to the quality of a Casablanca or a Thin Man or The Big Sleep... It ain't gonna happen. The world that existed (the Hollywood studio system) allowing those films to be made is long gone and will not return. The quality was at such a consistent level because the studios OWNED all their own actors, directors, writers, etc. The available talent at a motion picture studio like Warner Brothers was fucking staggering. Of course the downside of this was that the writers, directors, etc (except for a select few) didn't have final say in what films they would do, how they would do them or have approval over final cut. This made them feel like they were being artistically strangled (they probably were) and the fight for freedom from the studios had begun. However, it's the COMBINATION of the studio's resources and the actor/director's fighting to put their own artistic stamp on the film somehow that caused enough creative tension to make the film a classic. The evidence of this can be found on rack after rack of classic films in any decent video store. The same rule applies here as to music...if the environment is extinct (it is), don't expect the same lifeforms to emerge from the ooze.

April 11, 2006 MICHAEL BOLTON COMES OUT SWINGING WITH SET OF SINATRA CLASSICS International superstar Michael Bolton has taken on another extraordinary challenge with Bolton Swings Sinatra (slated for release May 23 from PASSION MUSIC CO./Concord Records). The collection finds him singing classics like “New York, New York,” “Night and Day,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Girl From Ipanema” and “That’s Life,” and bringing in special guest Nicollette Sheridan for a duet on “The Second Time Around.” Bolton Swings Sinatra is being released jointly by the singer’s PASSION MUSIC CO. and Concord Records on May 23, 2006. HHHEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!! I think they left out some punctuation on the title: MICHAEL BOLTON COMES OUT; SWINGING WITH SET OF SINATRA CLASSICS

June is going to be a good month, because that's a KILLER record!

Jimmy Witherspoon was another genius at "fighting off" bad arranging...he always sounds awesome.

Return Of The Griffin is a must-have. It was Johnny's "coming home" album, I believe the group was his regular touring group at the time. In the liner notes he thanks Dexter for "paving the way" for Griff's homecoming.