GA Russell

As I recall, it took two or three years for the iPod to catch on. Does anyone remember if price was a consideration then? With people willing to spend a thousand dollars for a big screen TV, I'm of the opinion that people will spend the money if they want the damn thing.

My pick this month is Gil Evans - The Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings. I had this down at number six on my queue last month. I noticed that a number of people here and on AAJ included it in their Best of 2006 lists, and I believe I saw that it got some votes in the Downbeat Readers Poll. So I decided to bump it up to the top of my queue and give it a listen. I've liked everything I've heard of Gil Evans, but I can't say that I've loved any of it. I haven't really given him the chance his reputation deserves, so I'm going to play this one a lot and let it help me decide if I want to get any more of him.

Stefan, I agree with Dan. And you can chalk it up as a learning experience that didn't turn out to be too expensive!

Happy Birthday CT!

I took the day off today. Miroslav Vitous Group - s/t (ECM) Michael Gibbs - s/t (Deram) Walter Bishop - Valley Land (Muse) The Art Farmer Quintet - s/t (OJC/Prestige) Mike Nock - Ondas (ECM)

I continue to be a member of BMG, although I haven't bought anything from them (except spending my Music Points) since I joined Your Music two years ago. My current BMG deal is Buy One, Get Four Free. That works out to saving $2.01 for five CDs at BMG over Your Music. Of course, if there were five CDs I really wanted from them now, I would have bought them from Your Music the last week of December.

The Winnipeg Sun is reporting today that the Bombers' Board of Directors is considering asking for offers to buy the team. One offer already exists and will be considered. But they don't want to make a decision without multiple options. The concern is not only with the operation of the club but also with the construction of a new stadium. Apparently they have grown tired of the Bombers being a hand to mouth operation. It was just a few years ago that the team had a franchise value of $5 million and a debt of $5 million, making the team essentially of no value. I didn't realize until this past year that CFL teams are having trouble signing players who are practicing with the team. The money for an NFL taxi squad player is so much greater than what the CFL pays that many players just don't want to commit as long as there is a faint chance an NFL team will sign him. For that reason, I see private ownership as the way to go. Community-owned teams (except Edmonton, of course) can't compete with the NFL for practice roster players! However, I think it should be noted what I've never seen publicly discussed: Canada has a problem. There is a shortage of Canadian sportsmen who are willing and able to compete on a world championship level. (I consider the Grey Cup to be the world championship of Canadian rules football.) Montreal lost its baseball team. Quebec City and Winnipeg lost their hockey teams. Vancouver lost its basketball team. This is a Canadian problem. So the CFL, being a Canadian league, has the problem; but it is not a reflection of the CFL. It's a reflection of Canada. If someone with deep pockets offers to buy the Bombers I would do the deal. But I would not sell to anyone whose business plan required the team to be self-sufficient. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Win...176316-sun.html edit for typo

Happy Birthday Nate!

I received my Brasil '66 CD today, and the box was opened! What the heck is going on for all of us?

I don't dislike Gil Evans. It wouldn't surprise me if one day Miles Ahead clicks for me. It just hasn't yet. I'm going to give Evans another chance this week: His Complete PJ recordings are at the top of my Your Music queue.

Yesterday and today I have pulled out some albums I haven't listened to since 2003. When you keep your albums in LIFO order (rather than alphabetical) it's easy to do! Yesterday: Earle Hagen -I Spy, Music from the Television Series (Warner Bros.) Eddie Harris & Les McCann - Second Movement (Atlantic) Today: Larry Coryell - Barefoot Boy (Flying Dutchman) Stan Kenton's Greatest Hits (Capitol)

TTK, my database showed that I hadn't listened to either since 2003, so it was extra enjoyable to hear them both. Both are relaxing, and I was in the right mood for both. I got Rain Forest for Christmas, 1966. It seemed like jazz to me at the time, but it's really not. Bucky Pizzarelli contributes some jazz riffs, but Wanderley's style is lounge. Still, for what it is, it's good, with a good selection of songs. Miles Ahead has never been one I've worn out the grooves of. It's particularly good as background music. When I first got into jazz forty years ago all the writers for Downbeat couldn't say enough good things about the Miles records with Gil Evans. In retrospect, I can see that they were different from the run of the mill, with good production values (money spent on the sessions). I'm glad I have it, and it occurred to me that this would be a good present to someone who is not already into jazz in a big way. But I won't be spending money on a new remaster of it. Maybe one day I'll appreciate Svengali's arrangements more. Miles' playing is good, but not eye-opening.

My diet was pretty poor in 2006. One of my resolutions is to eat a lot of raw vegetables. I've started with cucumbers and tomatoes.

I see also that the Ticats released James Cotton today. Cotton was a great one, but I guess he is getting up in age. Nevertheless, as I recall he played half the season with a cast on his hand. Assuming that the hand has healed, he should be able to help someone. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Ham...2753924-cp.html

The Eskimoes signed Josh Ranek today. Ranek was great with Ottawa, but he was a dud with the Ticats this year. The Ticats released him because they signed Jesse Lumsden to carry the ball. Now Edmonton will have both Ranek and Troy Davis in the backfield. I think they still need some help in the o-line to open some holes for them. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

Happy Birthday Marty!

I can't argue about the generalization, but I had a pleasant experience to the contrary once. When I was a junior in high school in 1966, one of my favorite TV shows (one of the few that I watched - I had a lot of homework that year) was called Occasional Wife with Michael Callan and Patricia Harty. Funny show. Over the years, I would wonder if I would enjoy the show today if I saw it. It was never in reruns. Then about twenty years ago the cable channel Ha! (the forerunner of Comedy Central) showed Occasional Wife. And I was pleased to learn that I enjoyed it as much in 1986 as I did in 1966. So sometimes your youthful tastes bear out. One of these days I will buy the DVDs of my favorite television show from my youth, Secret Agent with Patrick McGoohan. I bet I'll still like that one too. edit for typo

Assuming that you use Windows, have you first used the Disk Cleanup program in the System Files under Accessories? I always do that before running the Disk Defragmenter.

Happy Birthday shrink!

I didn't know about Freddie Marsden. I've got a couple of Gerry & the Pacemakers CDs, as well as the soundtrack LP of Ferry Cross the Mersey. RIP

Saturday to close out the old year I pulled out some LPs that I hadn't listened to in quite some time: If - If4 Walter Wanderley - Rain Forest Miles Davis - Miles Ahead Bob Cooper - Coop! Miles Davis - Blue Haze

My best wishes to all!

My first was 1986, the Monk Blue Note Mosaic and the Mulligan/Baker Mosaic. However, when I was very little (probably 1955) my family got its first LP & 45 record player, and also got an RCA Victor compilation box (of EPs) entitled Music America Loves Best. I remember it had The Three Suns playing Twilight Time.

Happy Birthday Tony!

So far so good for me. I ordered seven Christmas gifts on Dec. 5. One was backordered, and the other six arrived in four days. I've been a Your Music subscriber since Jan. of 2005, and the only problem I have had was my queue shipment of May, 2005, which never arrived. They made me wait 30 days to file a complaint. They then promptly shipped it again and that time it arrived in four days. On Oct. 29 of this year I ordered a birthday gift and I was told two days later that it was on backorder. So I cancelled that order and placed another for a different CD, which arrived in five days.