Free For All

I just picked this one up as well as Apogee and am enjoying them both muchly.

Just a curious aside, clifford, what is it you don't like about these two?

...and I see (via AMG) that it contains additional cuts. Are they from another session or just previously unreleased?

It's funny, in college the double lps were ideal for cleaning weed, and every now and then I'll pull out an album and find seeds inside. Ah, the good old days.......

Yeah, we've got some old wallpaper to deal with when we get ready to do some painting. Well, I just finished tiling the basement floor. The new tile covered the old scary stuff very well. We also had a bunch of drainage-type work done around the outside of the house and on the eaves so this basement should be bone-fucking-dry forEVER! I need to get my cave back to normal soon. I'm rapidly gaining DIY skills, whether I want to or not!

I've found that the pursuit and anticipation are often as much (or more) fun than the attainment. I love the feeling of ordering something and knowing that one day soon there will be that little package at the front door. Like my soon-to-arrive Liebman and Reece Selects. Or my CDUniverse order (with all the new RVGs) that's also on the way. Recordings that I (for the most part) already owned but am for some reason buying again. This is very much due to hanging out here. It hurts so good. With certain artists I will buy anything their name is on, for example Lee Morgan or Woody Shaw. I can do without owning every last thing, that is until I come here and someone says "you gotta get that", and I'm off to order it. You guys are killin' me......but in a good way.............

I haven't had any experiences other than hitting the occasional squirrel or bird (or armadillo when I lived in Austin), but it just makes me sick when I see a dead pet, especially a dog, on the side of the road. It makes me think of the family that's wondering where old Rex is, and I almost start bawlin'. Excuse me.....I have to go hug our dog now........... ..and vaj, glad you and your daughter are OK! That's got to be a traumatic experience.

A couple recordings I like- Pendulum (Artists House) Vinyl only and out of print, I'm sorry to say. A great live (VV) recording- Randy Brecker, Richie B., Al Foster and Frank Tusa. This one needs to be reissued on CD. Prime Lieb. A burnin' version of Footprints. Family (Sutra) Bob Moses' date w/Lieb, Terumasa Hino, Steve Swallow and Steve Kuhn. some very nice straight-ahead blowing. There's an interesting Lieb head on Autumn Leaves changes- "Autumn Liebs". Speaking of Bob Moses, I just remembered a great side of his- "When Elephants Dream of Music". Anybody else hip to this one? Some nice writing by Moses.

Haven't we been down this road quite a few times already?

Hardbop, you are rapidly becoming the king of thread starters! B)

I think I see now. Some people get on for just a few minutes but more frequently. I usually get on and stay for awhile, but less frequently. Maybe a better way to ask the question would be "how much time do you spend on the board each day?". I'd probably say from 30 minutes to a couple hours per day.....and that seems like a lot to me! I guess I'm an addict too.........

So far two people voted for +30! Are you kidding me? I thought I was extreme by checking in 3 or 4 times a day. 30.....that's more than once an hour! Or if you subtract eight hours for sleep, about once every HALF-HOUR! Do you still have a marriage? Living pets? Do you ever mow the yard? Have you seen your children lately......they'll be starting college soon....? OK.........sorry I blew up.

Soul Station is indeed a classic, but I had to pick Roll Call- one of my first Blue Notes and just a great session I keep going back to listen to (even more than SS)......probably 'cause I'm a Freddie fan. Sentimental value, I guess. Although if I wanted to list just one recording that best defines the essence of hardbop it would probably be RC. A great blend of gospel, post-bop and early soul.

Financially unfeasible.

I'll talk to you more in person about this, Rooster, but from my experience you need to be a bit of an entertainer when working with kids. I know when I do clinics (and this is for older kids- like high school and college!) I have to balance talking with doing something else (like playing, listening or some other non-verbal interactive type of thing). If you lecture for too long, they'll start to tune out, regardless of the importance of what you're saying. Chalk it up to the ever-decreasing attention span. I've noticed that when I talk for too long (more than 7-10 minutes usually), I start to detect a general glazed-over deer-in-the-headlights look accompanied by shifting in seats. I try to vary the input and do different things, especially things that involve the students- make 'em sing, clap, stomp etc. And don't assume any knowledge on their part. They often won't admit to not understanding something and just gradually tune out. I think it's important to explain even the most fundamental concepts without being patronizing or elitist about it. I would go into the interview with some ideas for making the process fun for the kids. Use local musicians for demonstrations, for example. Make it a community affair. And most important, realize there's no way you're going to be able to please everyone. Just do what you think is right. If that's not good enough than maybe it wasn't meant to be. Or better yet, it will work out perfectly! The best advice, IMHO, is to be yourself!

Hey Rooster- I'd be happy to go but I unfortunately have an "obligation" (the jazz band I'm directing at Washburn is scheduled for a concert that night). I'd love to go as much for the hang with you and Spon as for the music. Or to watch you work your backstage magic.

I noticed that CDUniverse lists this as one CD, not a two-fer. Hmmm...I hope you're right JohnS, cause with all that talent aboard it would be easy and IMHO desirable to fill two discs. We shall see............

I like the version in the box set. Hard to pick a favorite tune. No weak points at all. Going slightly off-topic for a moment, I like the predecessor Milestones almost as much as KOB. Granted, the presence of Red Garland as opposed to Bill Evans (and Wynton) changes the sound of the sextet, but there are some pretty special moments on that side. Like when Red quotes Miles' solo from Now's The Time (from when Miles was with Bird). That was the subject of one of my very first posts. Or Miles comping on piano when Red didn't show. Or the tune that REALLY introduced Miles' direction towards modality (that was most associated w/So What) - Milestones. Or Cannonball working "Skip To My Lou" into his solo. Or the hard swing of the trio's rendition of Billy Boy- Philly Joe is the shit! I even loved the weird reverb on that side- it was part of the package. I listened to that one A LOT in my earlier years, and I still love it. It always puts me in my "happy place". The group definitely was gelling more by the time of the KOB session, but there's a raw energy on Milestones that's really compelling. Kind of the same reckless abandon that's on Round Midnight.

Oh, I don't know.......I think Reunion Blues or SKB makes a baby "gig bag" don't they?.......

Actually, Joe, I've been contemplating you guys coming out this way. How about a little tour- The Blue Wisp in Cinnci, the Green Mill in Chicago and the Blue Room here in KC. Call it the Blue'n'Green tour. You know Rooster'd be down with that! I don't know if you could make enough for it to be worth your while, but hey, I'm happy if I can break even on most jazz gigs (after I pay my bar tab)! If that doesn't happen, I'll just have to find an excuse to come out there I guess. I do know some of the jazz faculty at Michigan......hmmm......

You know, when you get to be our age, you really have to keep an eye on that "postrate". Congrats, Paul. Hope it works out to your liking. Just think of this place as your oasis, where you can come and vent, relax or whatever.

I'm a little careful w/the Mosaics, but one thing I do do is give students the CDs that I have replaced or duplicated by buying Mosaics, Selects, RVGs, etc. I remember discovering the music early on by people giving me recordings, and I think it's important (in a "karmic" way) to pass it on to the next generation. They can buy their own damn Mosaics, though!

Well, we just returned from our trip to the D.C. area, and we had a great time! Yesterday (Saturday) we snuck off from the workshop and did some sightseeing. Beautiful day! Saw the White House, etc. Sang the West Wing theme. There's a lot of construction going on out there currently.The reflecting pool was drained, it seemed they were doing some work on it. The Lincoln Memorial was great- it's much more impressive that you might have thought. The new WWII memorial (not quite finished) looks like it will be very nice. The most stirring sites by far were the Korean and Vietnam war memorials.Both were beautifully conceived by the artists- very high impact art to be sure. We walked all the way to the capitol, and since it was getting dark decided to head back. The museums will have to wait 'til next time. There's a LOT to see there! BTW, we had some great meals including one at one of my favorite places, Legal Seafood. One of the biggest treats of the trip was getting to meet our very own Weizen for the first time. He brought his two beautiful daughters to my gig and came up afterwards. We only talked for a few minutes, but my impression was that Wiezen is one great guy and a devoted father. I hope to catch him again (as well as other board members in the area) when I go back out there and have a little more time. It was really exciting to meet someone from the board- I want to do it again! Thanks again for taking the time and trouble to come, Weiz!

I lived in Chicago for most on the nineties and went many times- for me the only way to really enjoy it was either to get a backstage pass or get up real close, which was often not easy to do. Good programs, yes, but it's hard to enjoy Sonny Rollins from an eighth of a mile away! Usually, though, the crowds thin out after the mainstream acts- I was able to get right up front for Henry Threadgill and Very Very Circus! I think that festival for many is as much the hang as it is the music.

I've played at Pori, Molde, Umbria, Vienne and Istanbul (with the Herman band). All were good festivals- I guess it depends on who's there. Finland's really an interesting place- in the summer it just barely gets dark (at about 2 or 3 AM) for a short time. It's light most of the time- I assume the reverse is true in winter- lots of darkness. We were at the Istanbul festival the year of the big Turkey earthquake- about a month before! I also played at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eliat, Israel a couple times in the mid 90s. I don't think I'd be as anxious to go there now. It was a great festival, though and Israel was beautiful. I think the European festivals are for the most part much hipper and better attended than the ones in the US, I'm sorry to say.