Tom Storer

And how would you do that, exactly? I have an application (MusicMatch) that reads the CDs in my CD drive and converts them from there. How would it work if you hook up your audio CD player?

Beautiful post, JSngry! I have "East Broadway Run Down" on vinyl (now sleeping in the cellar, due to a lack of turntable) and always liked it, but it's been a long time... I'll have to pick it up on CD. I'll also have a listen to "Shadow Waltz" and "Green Dolphin Street" with your post in mind. You've given me plenty of food for thought - thanks!

Yes, it's a good record. But I don't think it's as great as the hype it gets. Good, clean, energetic playing; they were on a roll that day. The energy was there and they were all sounding great and playing shapely, spirited music. But the compositions are no more than a pretty good basis for everybody to blow with gusto. IMHO, this is a hot blowing session in the spirit of the better 50's Blue Notes but no more. Mind you, that's quite enough as far as I'm concerned - goodness knows that's a high standard. The AMG review says: "Parker and Drake comprise the best rhythm section in jazz; together, they should go down in the history books as one of the most fruitful and interesting musical relationships this side of Ellington and Strayhorn, Diz and Bird, and Miles and Trane." Now that is happy hyperbole. There are any number of rhythm sections that could contest the title of "best," and to compare Parker and Drake to the other pairs mentioned is over the top.

I hate the idea of not being able to convert my CDs to MP3 format. Even folks who are not trading thousands of files on the net like to be able to make home compilations, to have a music library on their computer and make their own playlists on the fly, etc. Man, I'll be steamed if they make that difficult. But I imagine there will sooner or later be software that gets around these protection mechanisms and renders the audio files convertible again. At least I hope so.

I'm looking forward to hearing this. It will be interesting to compare it with the recent "Live at the Village Vanguard" by Fred Hersch. That album also has Nasheet Waits on drums (Drew Gress on bass), and it too smokes. But it has no "foreign language" things. What is that about, anyway?

That's great. Many thanks to you and to couw!

I'm fascinated to hear that Mark Shim is playing with people like Michele Rosewoman, Mark Helias and Tim Robertson. My only exposure to him was when he was playing with Betty Carter. I believe he went through the jazz masterclass series she ran, and then he toured with her and appeared on her (marvelous) album "Look What I Got." As a result I thought of him as a mainstreamer, along the lines of other Betty alumni (Stephen Scott, Cyrus Chestnut, Curtis Lundy, Ira Coleman, Kenny Washington, Lewis Nash...). Glad to hear he's still working, if not recording for the time being, and that he's widened his horizon. He sounded good with Betty.

Dan, did I sign up for BF2? I thought I had, but I have a sudden doubt. My efforts to PM or email you via the board are not working today for some reason.

I wouldn't mind seeing many of the performances on volumes 1 and 2, but that's not nearly enough for me to buy the whole damn thing. To think they left off Betty Carter, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, George Benson, Keith Jarrett, Sun Ra, Eubie Blake, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock! Interesting that they haven't shown any jazz since Wynton in 1987.

Wow, I saw that band in Paris around the same time! I just got the Taylor solo album on Sketch. It sounds very nice indeed.

Do you know if the reissues will include "Playground," with Sheila Jordan?

I think they're a good trio, but only one of many.

Although the recent jam-band stuff isn't my cup of tea, I've been a big Sco fan for ages. Just to demonstrate my great age, the first time I saw him live was 27 years ago! He was playing with Gerry Mulligan in a club in New York in 1976... My favorite incarnation is his trio with Steve Swallow. I saw the original version, with Adam Nussbaum on drums, many a time in the 80's. Nowadays he usually does an annual European tour with Swallow and Bill Stewart. They're passing through town next year, and I'll be there! Edit: I meant next week, Sept. 12!

I saw the Milestone Jazzstars during that 1978-ish tour at a very comfortable performance space in the Albany, NY, region, and have vivid memories of it. Rollins roaming the stage like a tiger, Carter the picture of elegance, Al Foster smiling dreamily, McCoy attacking the keyboard... it blew me away. A musician friend who came with me said of Rollins, "You want to kiss him for that phrasing!" One of my favorite Tyner records is "Trident," which I got when I was in high school. I wore that one out. There was another one I had in vinyl and absolutely loved, but it's long gone and I'm not sure of the title. The LP cover was yellow, and had a photograph of, I think, an African scene.

Gosh, thanks for the hearty welcome! Jim, I sent you a PM saying I'm in... I'm already starting to think about what to put on mine...

Hello, everyone. I'm new here. I post on another couple of jazz BBSs so some of you might know me already. It was only a matter of time before I ended up here, too. I'm hoping someone will take advantage of this thread to explain what the blindfold test thing is all about. It sounds like fun and I wouldn't mind taking part. But how to do so? What are the rules?