jmjk

I picked up the Rava last week. Much as I love Enrico's playing, it's the same shit as Tati and Easy Living before it. Just like Stanko's ECM releases of the last 5 years, the compositions, feel, and playing are virtually indistinguishable between all the records. It seems as if nothing by way of a new approach has been attempted. Throw in Rava's Full of Life on Cam Jazz and it's the same thing, once again. Maybe repeated listenings will reveal something different, but based on the first two passes, The Words and the Days plays like background music for when the in-laws visit.

Any fan of King Crimson's Islands lp will appreciate knowing that drummer Ian Wallace died yesterday. As far as I can gather, he was fighting esophageal cancer, and as a result of a mistake made by a relatively new nurse, Ian ended up with a lot of fluid in his lungs and a nasty infection---which killed him a few days later.

I've thought about this too. But if I'm not mistaken, there is some material on the Mosaic that is not available elsewhere on CD- the "Chant" session. As well as The Creeper session. Or did that see Japanese release?

i'm sure it just reads the file on your drive so it should only be 5kb in your example. However, there might be extra memory usage for 'labelling' and the like. When I've created very long playlists for journeys in the car, it doesn't add great amounts to the disc usage, but there is some increase. Thanks, tonym. I just did an experiment with 1.5 GB of duplicates in two playlists, and it didn't make much difference, as you say.

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to this stuff, but... If I place a song in multiple Playlists, does it take up multiple bits of memory? For instance, if I have a 5kb track in Playlist A and again in Playlist B, am I using 10kb of space on my iPod?

Been into Porcupine Tree since the late-90s when they first started to catch a little exposure in the US. I think I like the mid-period PTree the best (Signify-Stupid Dream-Lightbulb Sun), probably because of the songwriting and Chris Maitland's drumming. The early material is good, but a bit drawn out to my ears. There are sections of Voyage 34 that I like, and sections of Up the Downstair and Sky Moves Sideways that are brilliant, but it all seems so padded. Early PTree is best for me when kept short(er) and sweet, like the tunes "Stars Die", "Always Never" and "Swallows Dance Above the Sun". The live Coma Divine album is a good summation of the early period. I liked In Absentia and LOVED the live show I saw from that tour down at Irving Plaza. I looked forward to Deadwing, bought it, and was really disappointed. Something in that album didn't click with me. Steve Wilson is a genius songwriter and producer and I can't wait to see where he brings the band next.

Wow, a boy or a girl? Double Congrats! Thanks again, everyone! Don't know the bambino's gender, as we're only 12 weeks along. I think my wife and I want to be surprised, so we may tell the doctors to keep it hush-hush.

Happy Bday, Alexander---from one Capricorn to another.

Damn shame Fripp alienated everyone in that line-up, even Bruford 25 years later. I do love that Les Paul, though.

Thanks so much to GOM for digging this up, and to the rest of you for the warm BD wishes. Even though I don't post very much these days, I do READ the board regularly. I have soaked up so much information from all of you. Thanks for that. 37 feels pretty good so far, and with a little jmjk on the way, I'm sure the birthdays will fly by in the future.

Oh, forgot to mention Carla Bley's Social Studies, released on Watt, her ECM sub.

Most of my favorites have been mentioned above, but in addition: Jan Garbarek - SART and Triptykon Iro Haarla - Northbound AEOC - Nice Guys Sam Rivers - Contrasts Paul Motian - Le Voyage Robin Kenyatta - Girl from Martinique

I really only started exploring these this past year. Fantastic!

Hey, you can't be serious! Has he really been off your radar all the time? There's LOTs of life in Jazz outside all those hard-bop-funk-jazz-rock-bluenote-hornblowers! :D ... ... ... ... No worries, Jim. I know you're joshin'.

Scott, where'd you get that Fender-ish Blue Flower pattern for the pickguard?

I've thrown down my guitar in frustration many times while trying to learn Tal's licks. Too damned fast. He had it all. A humble guy, too, from what I've read.

Can't say I know a lot of her material, but hearing "And the Angels Sing" was my introduction to the pen of Johnny Mercer, my favorite lyricist ever! RIP, Martha.

Thanks so much to everyone who chimed in with recommendations. Your suggestions have created a listening roadmap that should hold me for the next year!

Can anyone suggest some recordings? Over the past few years I've really warmed to the sax-bass-drums format. I have many of the "well known" dates like: Ayler - Spiritual Unity Rollins - Live at the Vanguard Coleman - Golden Circle, I and II Garbarek - Triptykon Sam Rivers - Streams Taylor - Nefertiti and some more recent dates from Greg Osby and Kenny Garrett. Who else might I explore? Also, I'm curious to hear any trumpet-bass-drums recordings. Any out there in this format? Thank you for any direction on this.

Yes, but that mood is exactly why I like much of what ECM releases...well, did release, actually. Some of the newer issues put me to sleep (Stanko----Lontano and Suspended Night), or bore me (Katche----Neighborhood). What sets this record apart, I feel, is that all the typical atmospheres are present, but the compositions and arrangements are very engaging and memorable. Maybe it's not new, as you say. But to me it's a lot better. Ubu the King - -would LOVE a chance to listen to that broadcast you mention.

I find this album stunning. I'm probably on my 25th spin in the past few weeks, and I'm getting sucked in further with each drop of the laser. Lately, I'm having a difficult time absorbing the music on many of ECM's newer releases, but not so for Northbound. The arrangements are very elastic, but hold one's interest really well. Knowing that Haarla is Edward Vesala's widow makes the already poignant compositions damn near heartbreaking for me. This one ignites a frozen fire, for sure...AND it doesn't drift off into ECM snooze land!

I general, my parents were very much like Noj's. Dad usually listened to Doo Wop and 50s/60s oldies, Mom was in the Soft Rock Zone. Records by Dan Fogelberg, Barry Manilow and Bread were common in my house, as well as Anne Murray, John Denver, etc... Dad can be a little more hip. He likes it loud (still does--my parents were 21 when I was born in 1969---they tell me that's around the time the ear-splitting volume started ). He still loves going to rock concerts.

Hmmm...Maybe YOU will not be, but it's been over twenty years so far, and some people are still listening.

Nice that Philly Joe made the cover. That's two drummers in two editions!

Not having access to Newbury Comics was (still is...) one of the saddest aspects of moving back to NY from Boston three years ago. I'm glad they're on Amazon, and that everyone here who has used them seems so supportive.