papsrus

I grumble to myself about the limited jazz opportunities here, and what do I stumble across? Terrence Blanchard is playing here Monday (Monday!) in a sextet under the banner "Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour" (???), and the Ken Peplowski Trio with Bucky Pizzarelli is performing here on Feb. 23. Things are picking up. I'm in.

"We are ready for any unforeseen event that may or may not occur." -- Dan Quayle, 9/22/90

Looking at his smaller group stuff, picked up these: The second from Overstock for what looks like a decent if not great price (after some quick comparison shopping).

People with a death wish. They'll probably get their wish at some point.

Thanks gents. The amazonians seem to love, love, love "Chairman" too, so I ordered a copy from Newbury for a good price. I was looking over "Atomic" at Borders the other day, but didn't grab it.

And it's a "good morning" from me, too. MG As well here. ...

Thanks Lon and Free For All. The new rig may well have a lot to do with. It all sounds good! These both look good. Went ahead and ordered the Birdland for now.

I'm bumpin' this just cause I've taken an interest lately. Recently acquired the Decca box, and not sure where to go next. I'm pretty much starting on the ground floor here, so ... old testament, new testament ... I just need some more people willing to testify!

The recent SF Jazz Collective is excellent, particularly the second disc of original material.

Pre-ordered this: Matana Robers -- "The Chicago Project" Roberts on alto and I think some clarinet too, with bassist Josh Abrams, guitarist Jeff Parker and drummer Frank Rosaly. Sound samples were very good. Prompted to get this one while listening earlier to Roberts' "Sticks and Stones."

I'm no expert, value or otherwise, but there's a new factory sealed copy over at amazon marketplace for $729.99 here. Notice, there's also a used for $1,37481, so .... ???

I'll give it some thought, but I hope your avatar is no comment on this current project. EDIT: I assume, since you're not the greatest dancer, you'll want a relatively short tune. ...

Thanks for jump-starting this one Bev. It's prompted me to give this one a spin: Excellent band, particularly Eugene Ball on trumpet. But the whole band, really ... very tight -- somewhat reminiscent of Dave Douglas, but with softer edges, maybe a little more contemplative at times. Beautiful compositions. ... Shannon Barnett on trombone is wonderful as well, featured nicely on the cut "Twenty-Ten." And Gian Slater's voicings fit perfectly here.

He writes on politics now? I can only imagine ...

Fair enough. I expect the Pats to come back next year on a mission after getting beat Sunday, but ... that O-line was demolished. That's a problem when your offense relies on Brady winging the ball 30-40-50 times a game. And the defense certainly seems vulnerable, particularly at linebacker. The front seven -- let alone the front four -- couldn't put nearly enough pressure on Manning. ... They'll plug whatever holes they need to personnel-wise. But they were ranked No. 4 overall this season. Are they capable of playing better than that? Maybe. But I'm not sure I'd hang my hat on "maybe." But the defense, I thought, played well enough overall to win the game. It's not like they were allowing big plays all over the field. They kept it close. Seems to me it came down to the Giants front four just overpowered that O-line, and the Pats coaching staff had no answer.

"I was thinking, and I was only thinking ..." (Any thought prefaced by this phrase means she really, really wants to do it. But we both realize that. It's not subtle or possible to misunderstand at all. It's usually accompanied by a certain giddiness and/or reference materials like catalogs.) Here's one thing we really don't have that I wish we did. We don't have one of those secret signals (other than long, blank stares where the eyes gradually grow wider and wider as the head slowly tilts to one side) that signifies "It's time to leave this dreadful party." ... I think the reason for this is, she likes parties much more than I do.

Dave Holland Quartet -- "Extensions" ... (after spying it on the AotM thread). And this Pepper-Cables disc:

I'm with you. Thanks for bringing the Holland disc up WB3. Definitely will track it down. EDIT: Ordered. There's 11 reviews at amazon and they're all 5 star. One guy gave it 20 stars! I think you're onto something WB3.

That's two years in a row of..."questionable" behavior in the face of post-season defeat by Belichick. I understand the intensity of the season, the game, and the disappointment, & I still have the highest respect for the organization's accomplishments this season, but still....just a little busg-league, I think, and not at all befitting the man & the organization. Yep. Classy move. Didn't everyone and his brother know that the game would hinge on how well they could protect Brady? I must have read a half dozen stories on that. How does the genius not figure out some schemes to counter the Giants pass rush, which everyone knew was going to be coming all night long? I think the Pats had just that one wide screen play (that worked about five times) and that was it. They finally started going to Moss late in the game, but they should have been feeding him the ball more than they did. And it looked to me like Moss could have jumped up to make a better play on that deep pass on their final series. All he did was keep running with his hands out. That's the whole idea of his height advantage -- he needs to out-jump the defenders on a ball like that. It was one of the few deep balls Brady threw that was right on the money. Pats would have been inside the 20 with enough time left to go for a TD and OT in the bag. Congrats Giants. Great win for those guys.

I always sort of thought of Lupica as a 12-year-old trapped in a 50-year-old man's body. Then again, maybe that's what the Daily News wants. One would have to assume.

You know how I feel, Lon. You're a lucky man to have shared the time you had with her. And it must take enormous strength, which you've obviously found, and I'm sure had all along. But it really does put things in perspective, and maybe should inspire people to mend fences where there's a need to. I like Lon's words: Let time be your friend.

Thanks for the input. I guess it's insane to even consider at this point. I spied a used copy at amazon for about $600, I believe. Even that is a considerable amount of money to be spending on music in one drop, to say the least. I think it's good advice to use resources such as this thread as a guide, rather than go bananas on a box which is going to provide some overlap anyways. Envy those that have it though.

A new arrival tonight: This rec is right on Bev. Sunset and the Mocking Bird is indeed gorgeous, and what follows as well. The music unfolds so gracefully. I have to say I love every one of these suites that I've heard -- Far East; Such Sweet Thunder; Black, Brown and Beige; and now this one. It's so interesting to contrast these with his earlier swinging-like-crazy big band stuff. Lonson just mentioned the RCA Centennial box in passing. I haven't checked back into the thread yet, but of those of you who've purchased it or listened to it, how do you feel about it? A silly question -- Maybe better: For someone (like me) just beginning to really tap into Ellington in a deeper way, is it even worth wringing my hands over this set? Or is it wiser to move through the discography picking off things more selectively (almost can't miss with that approach) before considering such a mammoth (and expensive!!) set? I would tend to think the latter, just because there is so much to choose from (thankfully). I know I've seen some "highlights" discs from this set. Maybe that's the more prudent way to go? Any thoughts?

None. Zero. Zilch. Nada. BETJ has some programing (or used to ... I haven't watched in a while) that focused on jazz legends. But I can get that on demand from YouTube now, so .... Beyond that, nothing.

Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra 1941: The Complete Standard Transcriptions Wasn't sure what to expect with this one. Most of the material was apparently recorded solely for radio play, and only about a third of it was penned by Ellington or Strayhorn. But, what an album! ... It contains early versions of "Take the A Train" and "Perdido," also 11 tracks that were otherwise not recorded in studio by Ellington, and generous portions of Blanton and Webster. On top of that, the sound quality is superb, to my ear. The disc spills over with clear, rich soloing from Ray Nance, Hodges, Webster, Blanton, etc. There's a new copy at amazon marketplace for $3.25! Click here. For a 2-disc set! Practically giving it away. Not essential, I'm guessing, but entertaining certainly. And ... have this one on order. Thanks Bev.