Dan Gould

What's your preference?

Since my delineation of how I feel the blindfold test should be handled has its detractors, time to put it up for a vote.

Jim, I think most people feel that an individual selecting a group of songs is preferable to a compilation. Just because I have not downloaded MP3s myself does not mean I have not heard them. And no one has explained how non-PC people are supposed to produce these great sounding MP3s for upload. Now Rockefeller is saying that slow-connection people can get CDRs which completely defeats the purpose of an FTP server. I think the only way to settle this is to start a poll and let the board decide. It will be up in a moment.

Two more things regarding MP3. This requires that all moderators work with PC audio and be able to convert vinyl or CDs into MP3s in order to upload them. Some don't have or bother with this capacity and only have burners hooked up to their stereo systems. Never having downloaded an MP3 myself: isn't broadband connection helpful? Do we want to discriminate against dial-up people because their downloads will take forever?

MP3 to cd-r can be played anywhere (unless you burn a data disc). There's no difference to an audio disc compiled of wavs or tracks copied directly from cd. Why is a webserver a bad idea? With the money that's going to be spent on postage and cd-rs a webspace could be rented. Re legal issues: spreading the music via cd-r is legal but via internet it isn't? Its illegal in all ways. I would just avoid *downloads* because that's what the industry is targeting. As to your point re: postal and CDR costs-what does webspace cost to rent? Who is taking responsibility for it? This space would have to be dedicated to the blindfold music, because once you start spreading usernames and passwords around, whatever is on that FTP is fair game. Is the cost for webspace equivalent to a single iteration of the blindfold test or is it a multiple of that? My way, costs are spread out and borne by willing participants. Your way, costs must be shared by all, with the resulting problem of actually collecting that money. Finally, I personally do not care for an inferior format like MP3. I would rather the music stay in wav or CD quality. But if you'd like to set up a poll, go for it.

Rooster, I really feel strongly that the idea of a compilation of different people's submission is NOT the way to go here. I think it should be done individually so that one person can pick particular music and if he chooses, there can be an overarching theme, perhaps instrument-wise or maybe something like "pop hits covered by jazz artists" or whatever. I think the idea of downloads, even with an "anonymous" FTP server is not a good idea. Plus, I'd like to be able to play the music anywhere, and MP3 downloads might be burned but they won't necessarily be playable anywhere. On your second question, I think it should be entirely up to the individual. Personally, I think it would be informative to hear players and identify their influences or guess at who they are and then learn that its someone who's somewhat obscure. ****************** Last but not least, we might avoid the complaints of some who wish they'd be chosen for AOTW by assuring that those who have posted here and are technologically capable will be selected, sequentially, for being moderator of the Blindfold Test.

Actually, I think its over-complicated, Peter. My plan would be this: Dr. J compiles the inaugural blindfold test CDR. Interested members send PMs to him with their info, knowing that they may be asked to send out an additional burn or two. European members understand that each European will be expected to send a burn onto subsequent European members (that is, Tony only sends one burn to Europe and Europe takes care of its own). Tony burns and sends out 5-10 burns maximum, and those people are asked to send out one burn each to any remaining list members. Tony posts a thread in which members are invited to post their comments on the music received. After a suitable interval-maybe two or three weeks after mailing, Tony posts the answers and his own comments, and of course people are invited to post their reactions to learning what the music actually was. At some point, Tony names the next organizer and round and round we go. (Most of that probably wasn't necessary but I thought it might be a good idea to just write up the steps as I see them so its nice and simply laid out). I do think its fair if moderators spend around $10 or maybe $15 total including burns and postal costs, though. We could make it so that Tony sends out a single burn to America and a single burn to Europe but we would get things out much much quicker if he sent out multiples, at least to America, so that the music would reach people sooner and it wouldn't rely on the timely response of each person individually.)

I've been receiving PMs from an AAJ member, telling me of how members of her family married into a mob family-some pretty freaky things which made me think of this thread topic. In 1970 my family moved from Chicago to Long Island, New York, into a, shall we say, interesting upper middle class neighborhood in a town called Old Westbury. I was only 5 to 11 years old during the time we lived there, so my understanding of the events and my parent's suspicions was rather limited, but I came to understand that there were various families nearby, some mafia-connected and some just plain weird. The first inkling that my parent's had came one night when they hired a babysitter so they could go out for dinner and a movie. As they drove through the neighborhood, they were understandably shocked and concerned to see several police cars, marked and unmarked, parked at various intersections in our small cul-de-sac. Understandably concerned, they came home and called the police and were told that they shouldn't worry at all, their children were perfectly safe, there were so many cops there because they were about to move in on one of our neighbors-who was a major pot dealer in town! Another story that comes to mind is what happened one summer day when a child from the cul-de-sac just north of ours suddenly appeared at our door. His name was Matty Ianello, Jr., 7 years old at the time. He had a beach towel and a flotation device around his waist and he wanted to swim in our pool! Not just wanted, demanded. When my father told him he couldn't, we were heading out the door, this seven year old pulled out a wad of hundred dollar bills and started peeling them off. My father was not about to be brought off by this punk and sent him on his way. This story came full-circle almost ten years later, strangely enough while watching Saturday Night Live. It was during the time that Frank Sinatra was getting a hard time about his alleged mob connections, and they did a skit in which Joe Piscopo, as Sinatra, was being interrogated about his friends. The interrogator would name a mob figure and Piscopo would deny knowing him. Well, one of the names he was asked about was ... Matty "The Horse" Ianello! And at that moment I realized that my parent's stories must have really been true-that punk kid was the son of a mafioso. So what weird, famous or infamous neighbors/in-laws have you had?

If 17 are truly willing to receive blindfold test CDRs and participate, that is considerably more than the participation I got in my AOTWs. I think its fair to expect that Dr. J and future compilers should expect some assistance from participants, i.e., maybe 8 burns go out and those 8 people cover the other half of the interested parties. But this is good-if 17 are interested, we could easily do this as a bi-weekly to monthly thing (I wouldn't do it on a weekly basis because people need time to ship and receive the tests-I always took two weeks before my AOTW.) Guess now we're just waiting for Dr. J to make his announcement.

Thanks, Brownie. So its definitely jazz, I take it. Is it big band or what, though?

Sweets Edison. Ben Webster. Gene Harris.

Thanks Chuck. I just wonder what his one leader date is-jazz or R&B? Was it one of those studio dates for Collette and Sweets? I kind of suspect its a big or larger band-why have Sweets on the date when the leader plays trumpet too? Anyway, I've contacted the seller, should hear whether or not its available soon.

Thanks for the replies. I've got a bead on another Tangerine release by a guy named John Anderson. The listing says this: TANGERINE 1506 John Anderson Time Will Tell(st) MINT 8.00 (Above LP also features Harry "Sweets" Edison,Lou Blackburn,Harold Land,Buddy Collette,& others) And AMG indicates that he played R&B as well as jazz and gigged with Mingus and others and in '59 was in the Basie band. For $8 probably worth a shot.

There was a JRVG issue of the original session, it sounds fabulous.

I don't know, but I'm disappointed that mine is the lone vote for "Misty Night" which is just a beautiful, beautiful tune.

Oh well ... I'm broke anyway. But with my birthday coming up in September ...

Hmmm ... new One For All as well as a Joe Farnsworth led-date. Wonder who's with Farnsworth-his One For All friends, perhaps? Thanks, Hans!

To me a 3-star review is bothersome. Why? It leaves me with the feeling that many of the sessions with this type of rating aren't critically judged at all. If the reviewer doesn't have the time or inclination to really listen to a session, it is so much easier to paste it with an average 3-stars. In other words, he is taking a pass on the session. At least the reviewer takes a stance with 2-star ratings. There may be those who disagree but at least the reviewer can claim he listened and rated. Of course, there's got to be a lot of sessions that are genuinely worth 3-stars, but one gets suspicious when these are liberally doled out, especially with no accompanying text review. The critic is taking a pass on the session. I've had the same thought that three stars is the "default" rating but I've never sweated the fact that so many seem to have that rating. I chalk it up to the fact that there is simply a vast amount of solid, decent jazz albums recorded by competent professionals. I do expect that a 3 star album is going to reach at least a certain minimum standard of decency. I've never encountered one that wasn't at least three stars; can't think of one that really should have been four or five. I think the three stars is really shorthand for one of Yanow's favorite comments: "Fans of this artist will enjoy this disc" or "fans of this style of music will enjoy this disc"

So many to choose from, I'm most torn between Our Delight and On a Misty Night, with Misty Night probably getting the nod-one of my alltime favorites. But Tadd was a master. Here's hoping those Uptown Dameronia albums finally come out soon.

Guess its time for the former Gene Harris Fanatic to chime in here. While I dig the Live at the It Club recordings, they are quite different from the "classic" Sounds BNs. Considering that you are not a big fan of the Lighthouse recording, I would actually hesitate to recommend them, at least not without giving them a listen first. If you search for "Gene Harris" on Amazon you can find clips from each of the albums. I'd go there first before committing. I should mention though that somewhat surprisingly, there are a couple of the tunes on Volume 1-Love for Sale and Green Dolphin Street-have the same arrangements as the original studio versions.

Well, Conn. I don't think of three stars as the kind of gross injustice that Rooster is after here. I think we're looking for the 2 or fewer star dates that are clearly better. But in general, they've really gotten it right on the Sounds; some might even say they've swung the pendulum to far. You see, before I got online, I relied on the AMG book and I was quite distressed to find there wasn't even a Sounds entry, but the next edition really made up for that by publishing one of the longer profile sections, and lengthy reviews of the BN titles from their first tenure on the label. And if you check the actual reviews, they get it largely right, pointing out the overall consistency of the band from album to album, so I really don't have much argument. But if they don't give 5 stars to my avatar, them's fightin' words!

Nice idea for a thread, I wish I could participate but I'm having a hard time finding really questionable reviews of personal favorites. Maybe that's a function of the fact that I sometimes use Yanow as a proxy-he and I have largely similar taste and therefore if he likes something I often like it, so there aren't many albums we disagree on?

You know, all of the warnings I've seen made me extremely anxious when I got a message from ebay about my expiring credit card. Fortunately I recognized the last five digits and rememberd that I had just received a replacement card. But I didn't trust the link I had gotten so I went directly to the Ebay site and although the navigation was a pain in the ass, I did ultimately become convinced that indeed, the message was legit and the card on file was expiring so I gave them the numbers. Definitely a pain but I guess its good to be so doubtful when these messages show up.

Happy Birthday, Lon!

OK, now I understand. However, I do think that the idea behind this is not a compilation of donated tunes, but like the AOTW, the selection of a specific group of tunes by an individual who is then in charge of distribution, sometimes with the help of a few of the recipients. I think that's what Dr. J was talking about, especially considering his comment about Blindfold Tests with uniting "themes."