Uncle Skid

Well, I'm probably more square than crazy, but ya gotta adapt to survive, right? But, since I was born and raised in Detroit, I might not count as a real West Michigander. And yes, that whole Dutch Reform thing is still intense. That Amway guy, Dick DeVos, has a reasonable chance at being elected governor... let's just say his biggest supporters don't live north of Windsor.

What Dan said!

Shepp-Tchicai/NY Contemporary 5 (would probably be a Select?) "The Complete Enja Recordings of Mal Waldron"!

Yes, if you're getting great sonic results from your setup, I guess that's what really matters. My experience (with on-board sound circuitry on a relatively cheap motherboard) was different. Incidentally, I also purchased Xitel's playback device ("HiFi-Link"), and I noticed a HUGE difference in playback quality. Most of my music is encoded as VBR MP3s -- but lately I've just been playing CDs without any computers involved -- the old fashioned way!

Rather than calling up "new" ranges of feelings, I would think that the best artists are those that are adept in calling up "old" feelings -- the ones that are common to all of us.

Here's another one with Cecil definitely worth checking out:

Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives and Sevens! You have at least three options to obtain some or all of this (wonderful) material: 1) the "JSP" box set, 5 CDs, relatively inexpensive (~$25), probably available in most bookstores with decent jazz selection: 2) The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings on Columbia/Legacy; not exactly the same material as the JSP set, but they have a lot in common. This Legacy set is more expensive, but comes with nicer packaging, photos, and documentation: 3) The "Best of the Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings", a single CD, also on Columbia/Legacy. This is a compilation of tunes from the above box set.

Why? I've gotten great LP tranfers using the soundcard and Goldwave. Although it would certainly save steps if their software recognizes track breaks and splits up the tracks automatically and also sets levels, I fail to see the advantage otherwise. If the point in bypassing the soundcard is the fact that soundcards are easy to overdrive, well - set the levels lower. Here's a bunch of marketing hype that explains why the Inport is better. But, from my perspective, some of the hype makes sense. Most commercial sound cards (even the expensive, high-end "gamer" cards) are mostly concerned with sound playback, rather than sound recording. In theory, a device concerned only with recording (and priced about the same as most basic soundcards) will have better analog to digital components. The fact that it is external is also a plus -- any electrical noise present inside the PC case will have much less effect on an external device. Heck, just the 30' cable and the software are worth the $60 pricetag, IMHO. The cable is very nice (not some cheapo-radio shack thing), and the software is very easy to use, yet powerful; designed specifically for recording analog signals to your PC. No, I don't work for Xitel... just a very satifisfied customer.

ChicagoScope: The New Velvet Lounge Podcast interview with Fred Anderson.

Well, I don't agree with that, because very few new receivers have a phono input, so this limits the choice a lot. And it may turn out that the built-in phono input sounds worse than a $30 box bought seperately, that is more flexible because it can be used with every amplifier or receiver that you will have later. That's a good point, but I would (perhaps naively) assume that a phono input on a decent quality receiver would be better than a cheap separate box. Or not... I haven't bought any new audio equipment in almost ten years. I didn't know that phono inputs aren't too common anymore, but I guess that makes sense.

Audacity

A man comes homes extremely late at night from the bar. As he walks through the door, his wife is FUMING MAD! She says to him; "you're cheating on me! I know it! this is the latest you've ever came home!" The man says; "No, baby, I'm not cheating on you. I was at this bar and it had golden urinals, it was beautiful.." The wife, angry and stressed out, wasn't buying any of it. So she called the bar where her drunken hubby was and said to the bartender: "Hello? My husband is a frequent customer of your bar and he says that your restrooms had golden urinals. Is this true?" The bartender put his hand over the receiver and said: "Hey, Tom! I think we found the guy who pissed in your saxophone!"

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Next up: Archie Shepp - Attica Blues #2: Horace Silver - Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers

Up, 'cause I'm diggin' the hell out of this record! But, don't just take my word for it -- Kenny Weir nails it: "Do This! is one of those magic albums that forges a wonderful path between more free/outside jazz and more mainstream post-bop/hard-bop fare. The album really swing and grooves, but in a way quite different from yer typical post-bop outings." Exactly! Big Al... ya got this one yet??

Ephesians is obviously a biblical reference -- religion topics belong in the political forum!

Up, for two reasons: 1) to naively inquire if Mr. Ayers suggestion of a "Shepp-Tchicai/NY Contemporary 5 Mosaic Select" is still as unlikely as it was almost 5 months ago, and 2) to ask why, according to the liner notes of Storyville 8385 (Archie Shepp & The NYC5), "... no club in New York would, in 1963, be interested in sustaining a group like this during its formative period". The NYC5 seems (to me anyway) a logical extension of the music that Ornette (and Don Cherry) were doing a few years earlier. I realize that Ornette generated a good deal of controversy at that time (and/or a few years earlier), but he was still playing in NYC at that time, correct? Was the NYC5 still too "far out" or radical for New York in 1963?

well, then how come you're not johnmclaughlinfreak???? I see you've been a member for almost two years now... that's almost 1 post per year! Seriously, welcome to the board! Jump right in -- what's so great about McLaughlin? Favorite Album? Any recommendations?

Max Roach! "Legendary jazz drummer, Max Roach plays his own rendition of "Mr. Hi Hat", in tribute to Papa Jo Jones." More Max: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIr76FDpOjM

Well, even if you have very high expectations, you won't be disappointed. Outstanding show!

"Foreigners love us for our jazz. And they don’t hate us for our purported liberty and justice for all. They hate us now for our arrogance." Vonnegut's Blues for America

Just finished re-reading Galapagos. Cat's Cradle up next...

Also looking forward to it!

Clear, direct, and concise, Couldn't have said it better.