Shawn

This is VERY COOL! I'm noticing that there are many of these that I don't already own....it's going to be pretty hard to resist especially since I don't have to drive anywhere to the record store.

It may not be a "mind blowing" date, but it is VERY fine and well worth the money involved. There are so few Pearson recordings that it's worth getting them all.

A band that really DESERVES a box set (especially since the single CDs are so poorly mastered) is Thin Lizzy. Phil Lynott is very underrated as a songwriter and the two-guitar tandem sound they created was one-of-a-kind and very influential...but never quite surpassed. It would be a LARGE set if it was complete...but most of their albums are worthwhile.

I still use Ernie Ball strings. Used to use Super Slinkys, then switched to Regular and now I'm using one of the Hybrid sets (can't remember which one at the moment, thicker low E string)

Fast paced game last night...but where were the defenses? For this year I'm keeping up hopes for my lifelong underdog faves - Seattle Seahawks

I know that the individual CDs have been re-released since the box came out....but it's my understanding that it's the same mastering. So the box should still be as good as it gets...and to my ears it's damn tasty!

Well, I don't own it *yet* but knowing the material I would have to say that the Black Sabbath box will be my favorite (although a little miffed that another disc of unreleased recordings/demos weren't included). However they made up for it with a bonus DVD. Of the box sets I already own, the Steely Dan box is easily my favorite....followed closely by the Led Zeppelin box (the big one with all the original albums). That Hendrix box is a must have as well!

Well, out here in the hills we got SLAMMED with rain today. The front room of my house started to flood and I had to dig a trench along the front of the house to keep it from coming in. Got about 6 inches of rain today and the pond across the road from me flooded and started washing across the road. It's still raining but thankfully it's calmed down. There was a bad wreck a couple miles from my place, a guy went flying through a water covered road..but unfortunately the road underneath was gone....hit pavement head on and the car flipped over on it's top. Just another quiet day out in the country....

This just came on, but unfortunately I can't stay up to watch it. Will have to check out the DVD at some point.

Hank Mobley's Blue Note debut with Silver/Watkins/Blakey

Well the weekend wasn't bad....but the traffic this morning SUCKED!!!!!!

"Poke that in your pig!" - The Great McGinty (Preston Sturges)

I have no imagination...so my handle is the same on all the boards I frequent. Must not be many jazz fans named Shawn out there.... I did have a couple alternate "handles" at the old BNBB. I used to post occasionally under the names H.P. Lovecraft & Ardeth Bey.

Duke Pearson's Little Johnny C Ike Quebec's Born To Be Blue

Reuben Wilson is DA BOMB! I'll be picking this one up for sure...

two or three miles?! That's going to be difficult considering that it's going to be dark when I get home here pretty soon. I live out in the country and there are no streetlights...but there are plenty of dogs and trigger-happy rednecks. I'm looking for an exercise routine I can do at home..... Also, what is the best place to get started with Atkins? Thanks.

I always find it interesting that Peterson seems to cause so much controversy. As for me, he's never really caused any emotions pro or con...which is why I don't own any of his trio recordings (although I have heard plenty). I think Oscar is very good on those Verve dates backing up famous horn players. Probably my favorite is the Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson, he really swings his ass off on that one. The single best album though is Oscar Peterson Trio + 1: Clark Terry - that album is going to the desert island with me....

& I love these albums...LOVE them. VERY underrated. Midnight Oil is primarily Richardson on flute (there is one track where he plays tenor) and it's a great record. There's a marvelous arrangement of Caravan on here. Interesting instrumental frontline as well: flute, trombone & guitar. Roamin' With Richardson is even better, a GREAT record in my opinion. There is only 1 flute track (a beautiful version of Poinciana), but you also get Richardson on Tenor & Baritone. The real standout track here is his bari reading of Ellington's Warm Valley...and absolutely FLAWLESS performance... If you like these, make sure to get all of the "Cookbook" albums with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis & Shirley Scott. Richardson is on hand for all of these and primarily plays flute. Good groovin' stuff. Here's the list: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Cookbook Vol. 1 Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Cookbook Vol. 2 Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - Cookbook Vol. 3 Smokin'

I lean towards what Joe posted, the tracks with Mobley on Blue Spirits are EXCELLENT...I'm much less thrilled with the remainder of the album. Usually when I put this in the player I tend to just play those tracks. I haven't upgraded to the RVG, I have the old version and I doubt I'll be upgrading anytime soon. Regarding Hubbard's Blue Notes in general. I much prefer Hubbard as a sideman in this era. There's nothing really *wrong* with these albums per se, but they just don't have that warm glow that BN records of the period usually inspire in me. So I would say that I tend to pull these out much less than many others. If I was going to have to list some of my favorites in order... Goin' Up - This was my first Hubbard purchase and I still really love it. I think Hubbard's performance of I Wished I Knew is one of his best ballad performances. Blues For Brenda is another standout track. Ready For Freddie - I have the old Conn of this album and it's been played quite a bit over the years. Easily Freddie's best arranged date of the period. Hub Cap - This album tends to get overlooked, but I've always enjoyed it. Open Sesame - This one I like primarily for Tina's performance. But comparitively, True Blue is a FAR superior album. Everything else falls into the "haven't listened to them enough to rate" category.

Agreed!

I have to jump in here and say that I DISAGREE with this opinion. That's actually one of my favorite Lou funky dates. A couple of great lineups, very tasty...extra special props to the extremely underrated Leon Spencer Jr.

Seattle is a great place..but WORD OF WARNING.... The job market there SUCKS...I mean SUCKS!!!! I tried to relocate back to Seattle (I lived there for 6 years) earlier this year. I spent over 2 months pounding the pavement looking for a job and didn't even get a single interview. Each job I applied for had at least 50 applicants. During that time I tried to work temp jobs to exist...but on average even the temp agencies were dead and I averaged about 2 days of work a week (and I was signed up with 5 different agencies). So I would say...if the job is a SURE THING then go for it. The real estate market has loosened way up and there are rentals available everywhere. I still love Seattle, but I would never go back there again unless I had a guaranteed job waiting and they paid for my move. There are many other places (including Seattle) that I would prefer living than in the tri-state area (WV,VA,MD)...but the job market is good here and the cost of living is cheap. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Well, put me in the "need to lose" category... There was a time, at least 8 years ago, when I weighed around 150 pounds and wore size 29 waist jeans. Now I can barely squeeze into 34 waist jeans and I'm busting the scales at around 210 pounds. I'm NOT happy with the way that I look or feel. One of my "eye-openers" was digging through a box recently and finding an old driver's license. I looked at the picture and thought...wow, look how skinny my face was! Now for the problem. Time for exercise isn't easy to find. Between work & my long commute I'm away from the house for 12 hours mon-fri. When I do make it home I'm so dog tired I'm lucky to have enough energy to cook dinner. I'm looking for suggestions for a good (healthy) diet that isn't too hard to stick to. And I need suggestions for a simple exercise regimen (about 30 minutes a day) that will give me the most bang for my buck. I need to lose the weight and I REALLY need to work on toning up the "old spare tire". Thanks in advance...yours truly..."Chubby". P.S. - I'm absolutely clueless about calories, carbs, fat grams, etc.

Oh yes! Lester's music is absolutely timeless and always a pure joy. Will be playing some this weekend.

Joe Milazzo turned me onto this film, quite an interesting experience to be sure! You can see how this movie inspired more recent fare like Dark City...but in a less cerebral fashion. One of my favorite things about this movie is that character actor Akim Tamiroff is in this....fans of Preston Sturges should remember him as the wonderul character "The Boss" from The Great McGinty & The Miracle Of Morgans Creek.