Free For All

Believe me Wes, I agree in theory, but I get really peeved when Borders wants 17-18 bucks for a new release when I can get it much cheaper online. Sometimes price overrides my desire to "do the right thing", which in this case would be to support the local retail business. Of course, I've pretty much given up on the local indie retailer here, whose jazz section has shrunk to an embarrassing minimium, not unlike a mall Sam Goody's. The irony in this is that my initial surge into buying CDs was because of a sale at Camelot Records (major mall chain) in the mid-80s when they sold first generation Blue Note CDs for like $3.99 a pop. Rooster, where the hell are you?

Hey Chuck! Welcome back. Hope your vacation/trip was enjoyable!

I absolutely agree John!

I've seen this happen at a couple stores. The "Jazz" section keeps getting shoved into a more obscure spot, like a senile uncle.

As far as Borders goes, I've found that if I show up on the release date (even late in the day), about 75% of the time the product is not yet on the shelves. No problem, I usually just need to sweet talk an employee into looking in the back room or on the "cart". I know that the music is in the building, I just need to find it. They just haven't seemed to have learned to deal with the obsessive buyer, which is someone they should certainly appreciate, IMHO. What I don't spend w/CDUniverse most often goes to Borders..............

Regarding Free For All, I'd have to say it does indeed sound better than the previous incarnation (as do the McCoy and Dexter). On FFA the horns are still plenty hot, but there seems to be, to my ears, less of the distortion that was on the earlier version. Blakey's cymbals sound beautiful- if I was going to generalize an improvement overall in the RVGs, I'd have to say I really like the way the cymbal sound has improved. This was my first impression when I listened to my first RVG which happened to be another one featuring Blakey, Somethin' Else. Man, FFA is an AWESOME side! The cats were ON FIRE! Maybe no one more than Wayne. IMHO he set the tone on the first cut, and Freddie rises to the occasion and takes it to another level. Hard to pick a "winner" here- Wayne and Freddie are smoking, but Bu is lighting the fire! Edit: I have to add one more thing(since I'm listening to it now)- Bu's groove on Pensativa is outstanding. Kind of a swinging clave. Also, there's a lot of yellin' on this one. Is that all Blakey? "Blow ya horn"...."awright"....."ahhhhhhhhh"...etc.

..........add to that 72% another 10-15% who aren't feeling so good..........

What a pleasant surprise! Good pick Barak! Carl has long been at the top of my list. The first time I heard him was on a Supersax side, Salt Peanuts. The fluid technique, distinctive tone and the wonderful melodic construction are what drew me in. I remember thinking "Wow, that's the way the instrument should be played. I should either start practicing harder or quit!" I'm glad I chose the former. I'd guess this AOTW choice might be a bit conservative for some, but I urge you to listen for what (IMHO) are the most crucial elements of improvisation- SOUND and TIME. Carl plays with a very controlled and focused tone, and has an amazing internalized sense of time, as proven on his all-alone moment on It Might As Well Be Spring. He can play very fast but treats technique as a means to an end, not an end in itself. When he does play fast lines, they are clean and relevant. It's relatively easy to learn to articulate fast on the instrument, what's hard is making a meaningful statement with that technique. I had a student transcribe one of Carl's high-speed solos; the student was using a half-speed transcription deck, and it was amazing to hear the solo at a slow tempo- every note was perfect and in tune! While he doesn't have the more modern harmonic vocabulary of someone like Slide Hampton, for example, I think the beauty of his improvisation comes more from his melodic sense. Yes, he has favorite licks and patterns, but he always seems to assemble his vocabulary into a very interesting and engaging monologue. And he has huge ears! One thing about Carl is that that he has long had a disdain for the business side of music which has kept him residing in relative obscurity. This is partly the reason for the dearth of recordings, plus the fact he was never really a hustling self-promoter. This is a wonderful side- engineered by RVG himself!- and serves as a long-overdue testament to a true master of the instrument. As far as I'm concerned, Carl owns Polkadots And Moonbeams!! I've heard him play the tune many times and he never fails to make it special. And let's not forget what a treasure Al Cohn is! He and Carl make a great front line. The rhythm section is also exceptional. I look forward to the discussion of this AOTW. Once again, thanks Barak!

H a P p Y b I r T h D a Y S o U l S t R e A m ! ! !

Is that the pork version?

Buddy Bolden!

Regarding the Velveeta dip, you can also dump some beer in it, very tasty. Might as well go for it, Dan- Charley's a-comin'!

It's "ironical" that this and the Cheese-Wiz vs. Velveeta thread appeared at the same time!

It's like Alien vs. Predator- "no matter who wins, we lose"!

Good luck to our Florida members. Give us a report when you can. Hunker down!

Just heard she passed away. One of the pioneers in food TV. I always liked her- she had more personality than the majority of the Food TV people. Plus Dan Aykroyd's spoof of her will always be a favorite SNL moment, even if it was a bit of a Monty Python rip-off.

OK, today it's working. I haven't done a damn thing. Whatever. It's still pretty slow, though.

Alright, who voted that they have 'em all? Please adopt me.

Oh yeah baby! Definitely a guilty pleasure. Melt the Velveeta (at a low temp) w/a little milk so it doesn't burn and then mix in the salsa. A little chili powder or chipotle doesn't hurt. Try some of that new Tabasco chipotle! I've also been known to add a little browned ground beef. Velveeta is the key ingredient 'cause it melts really well, as opposed to cheddar, etc. Yeah, it ain't health food but it is tasty. What, do you want to live forever? B-) EDIT: Of course if you're sloppin' down a Pat's cheesesteak, it's GOT to be the Wiz!

Oh Lordy no, not another friggin' guitarist! Oh what the hell......welcome aboard, Jeff!

Yes, the Blue Label really IS the way to go! B-)

We wouldn't expect any less of you!

!!!

Sure, let's add Selects to the total. The procurement of Selects requires a mindset as obsessed and "committed" as that which seeks out the larger Mosaics, if not quite at the financial commitment level. Of course, in that case my total approaches 40. Still not a contender in the overall Mosaic pissing contest, though.