papsrus

The Decca seems more vibrant to me, but to be fair, the later stuff on the Columbia is excellent quality. Either way it's not a big concern. Both are perfectly acceptable, IMO.

Thanks for posting this. Related thread here. Contributions here.

OK, I received the Columbia "America's No. 1 Band" the other day in the mail and spent much of the day today listening. Fantastic. I initially thought the Columbia had better sound quality than the Decca. Now I'm listening to the Decca tonight and I was wrong on that count. Decca is superior. Nonetheless, the Columbia is a real gem with a great variety of music. I also have been getting my feet wet with some of his small band output -- Kansas City 6, and Kansas City 7, along with Basie Jam. All of this smaller group stuff is just right in the sweet spot for me. Relaxed and swingin' so smooth.

my baby (3 1/2) always asks me to put on some jazz music! As the father of a 13-year-old, trust me: that will end. Indeed, when they want listen to "Metallica" or "Motorhead" on you cd player... and this is only a very short time, after you tried in vain to teach them who were the Led Zeppelin, they will move towards Techno and DUB... a lost battle. On the positive side consider that you'll not have a bunch of drunked teenagers handling your records. It just occurred to me, I have only just received my third Mosaic. ... I have a full and wonderful life still ahead of me. ... . Oh happy day!!

Oh yeah. A very friendly place, this is. Here's the thing, and it goes to the essential difference between the two boards, IMO. ... Don't take it so seriously. The 'join or get lost' comment (I paraphrase) was kinda funny, really. There's a whole lot of deconstructionist navel gazing that you can easily get sucked into elsewhere, and you end up in a battle royal over the nature of blues, if you know what I mean. It's all so draining. So, you know ............ Edit to correct the spelling of navel ... damnit!

In four years you have purchased 43 Mosaic box sets and all the Selects?! ... This is a tremendous record of achievement. Bravo!

Well said, Chuck! And - just to confuse matters - "...a jazz album that pays tribute to a rock icon..." If we're so hooked on labeling music as part of this or part of that, how is Joni Mitchell in any way, shape or form a "rock icon?" Well, yeah ... I felt a little queezy typing that. She's not a rock musician, except in the broadest sense, which sort of destroys the whole premise of the article. Folk-rock? I agree that labeling music is an exercise in futility, and I very much like kenny weir's thought that some of the most interesting music takes place on the fringes. ... Ultimately, the article fails, beyond offering some of the author's musings about growing up. But hey, at least Hancock's award has people talking about jazz a bit, which I like.

The Hodges box arrived today. (fast service!) ... With white gloves on, I'm now preparing to dive in.

Maybe rock, paper, scissors would have been a better thread idea.

Salon article compares rock and jazz in light of Hancock's grammy for "Joni Letters," (a jazz album that pays tribute to a rock icon) and ponders (at some length) the differences in the two musics. Frustratingly, he never really gets around to discussing the album that inspired the article in the first place. Nonetheless ... Here's the link.

I like your enthusiasm. It's enough make me go and look for these. In fact, I did look for the Gordon-LaFaro disc, but no sound samples that I could see. I'm curious though, if Gordon and LaFaro don't play together on it, isn't the album title misleading?

That's a good rule. I work nights, so that alone limits my TV watching. But there's TiVo. Ours is more than half filled with unwatched -- and probably never-to-be-watched -- programs. We recently ditched the movie channels, because we rarely utilized them. I use the TV during football and baseball season to keep one eye on the games, to monitor election results (although, the internet is better for that) and to watch a few shows I enjoy from time to time. (The various incarnations of Law and Order, I'm afraid. Luckily, I can turn the TV on at virtually any time of the day or night and catch an episode.) That's it. I think nothing of going a day or two without turning it on.

Don't kids respond well to role models? Perhaps digging up a few educated ones might inspire them? Or people who have risen above the ordinary despite long odds? (... I'm sure you've tried all this and more). I think that your post also suggests something about the education system in the United States that often overlooked when comparing test results here to those in some other countries. Virtually every child in the U.S. is required to attend school (or be home-schooled) until a certain age. Something to keep in mind when comparing U.S. test results to, say, Indian or Chinese students, where, correct me if I'm wrong but, I think there are broad swaths of uneducated children who simply are not factored in to their results. The U.S. has the most extensive higher education system in the world and some of the best universities anywhere. It's a system that attracts students and educators from around the globe, to our great benefit. The opportunities to attend them can be limited, of course. But that speaks, at least in part, to their quality as well. Adult or continuing education programs (as you've pointed out) are also pervasive. And technical schools, where people can learn these useful skills that your students are curious about, are common. There are a great many educational opportunities in this country. We of course have to make them more widely accessible ... again. But the truth is, many people are happy being uneducated, holding down day jobs and going home to watch television each night instead of reading a book, or listening to music. They get by in our society just fine. In fact, we need them. Who else is going to change the oil in our cars, serve us fast food, deliver our pizza? That sounds cold, but there's some truth in it, isn't there?

Hi ... um, beboppin' guy. ... No need to skulk around. It's not hostile here in the least. In fact, I quite prefer it now that I've hung around for a while. Freewheeling, lots of knowledge from the listening end of things. No experience with the musician side of things. Lots of good discussions. And people with a sense of humor ... yowza! ... But, in the end, it is what you make it.

What with the fire truck being sent back in time, and all ... and the high praise otherwise, I figured I'd better dial up Newbury and snatch me a copy of this fandango Europe disc. ... I'll have a bucket of ice at the ready when it arrives ...

Hah! The Fugs. I remember them also. EDIT: Apparently, the Fugs were still a going enterprise up until at least 2004.

My god man! I just noticed you have over fifteen thousand posts. ...

No argument there from me. Bluenote had nothing to do with the earlier exodus, but was more a part of the general shift in overall tone over there, I think. Certain members seemed to get away with direct attacks while others were penalized for nothing of the kind. That, to me, was the problem in a nutshell. Part of that equation is now being addressed, it seems. The other part ... ??

Interesting. Thanks for posting. Hopefully I'll remember to tune in March 19.

Bluenote82, I think was his handle. A pretty recent "addition" to the community over there. A very abrupt and elbows-up kind of guy. A know-it-all from the get-go. Among other things, he ripped into Damon Smith, an accomplished avant bass player who posts there, on a Wynton Marsalis thread (there's a mouthful). Damon, of course, responded with grace. But I think that may have been the last straw for old bluenote. He'd ripped Michael (WordsandSounds) too, for no reason. Just a rowdy guy. ... He could wash up here, so ... heads up. I think it seems like they are trying to take steps over there to get a grip on things. We'll see.

Johnny Hodges Small Group Mosaic

The Hodges was near the top of my list as well. I was actually set to order it a month or two ago but was swayed over the the Crusaders box (no regrets there!). So thanks for the heads-up. My order's in now.

EDIT to add this late-night order:

Well, the whole point (beyond grandstanding by all parties involved) is to get drugs out of sports ... or make progress in that direction anyways. More than once I heard references to steroids in high schools. If the aim is to keep athletes clean -- high school kids especially -- then I'm all for the hearings.

2007 disc is g-r-e-a-t. The second disc of original compositions is outstanding. Haven't heard the others, unfortunately.