Saint Vitus

How many here have seen, or are close with someone who've seen, Down With Love--the Renee Zellwegger movie that's supposed to attract those who do not want to see Matrix Reloaded--this week?

Did you know that you lose your right to vote if you view poll results first? BTW, add a vote for Jamal for me.

Well, this is no surprise. Norah and others have proven that being eclectic without being profound is a good way to the listeners' hearts ... which is what Van has been doing for quite a while. Blue Note is proving it can sell the concept well and will likely be a good home for Morrison.

Today I picked up REM's Automatic for the People on DVD-A, my first of the format. I don't have the DVD-A player; therefore, for the time being I'm not going to be able to enjoy the advanced resolution audio. At first listen even the Dolby Stereo track, the most rudimentary option, comes through clearer than the CD version--which sounded a bit muddy in various spots--does. Yesterday I bought, as previously mentioned in another thread, the Maynard Ferguson Mosaic on CD. Thus far, I've gone through the end of '59 and liked what I've heard. Mnytime, wow! 22 Pearl Jam shows? Don't get me wrong; I like Eddie Vedder and friends and have most of their official officials ... but please enlighten me on this. Is each show that unique? J'Moose, I don't think I'm the only one who see The Essential Sly Stone and Tear the Roof Off in your future soon. One disc anthologies simply aren't enough with these men.

Just came home with this set from a local used CD store. I'm just about done with the first disc and, boy, the band indeed sounds fiery. I love being bombarded by the brasses. (Heavy metal thunder, yeah!) Maybe 10 discs of the same might tire out even me ... but an out-of-print Mosaic set for $80 (with $50 paid with traded-in CDs) is a deal one should not turn down, don't you think?

I still, from time to time, take out and watch the CBS broadcast of the 5th and deciding game of the Cavs-Bulls 1st Round series. The excitement never gets old, even after countless viewings. Jordan hits the apparent winner with 6 seconds left ... only to have Craig Ehlo take the lead back with 3 seconds left ... to set up the famous shot at the buzzer by MJ. Coincidentally, ESPN's showing it again now. As an aside, the game telecast before that game was the 5th game between the Hawks and the Bucks which has to be the one of the dullest games I ever sat through from start to finish. The Bucks, with three key contributors missing, upset the heavily favored Atlanta with Dominique Wilkins, Doc Rivers and Moses Malone.

PS2's the one if what you dig are sports and fighting games.

Roscoe Mitchell Snurdy McGurdy & Her Dancin' Shoes NESSA NCD-20 Sing/Song; CYP; Stomp & The Far East Blues; March (Composition 40 Q); Round; Snurdy McGurdy & Her Dancin' Shoes. Hugh Ragin (t, flhn, piccolo t); Roscoe Mitchell (f, wood f, cl, ss, as, ts, bsx); A . Spencer Barefield (g, p); Jaribu Shahid (clo, b, perc); Tani Tabbal (d). 12/80. Here is truly exultant music from one of the great originals of the once-called ¡°new thing", music that pulsates, vibrates and excites at every turn. One of the best (and more secret) issues of 1982, it has remained out of print for many years until this long-awaited reissue on CD. Where at least one other recent issue has purported to celebrate the jazz tradition through re-examination, but succeeded only in smothering it, this highlights and sheds new, detailed light on a range of styles - from the blues and the New Orleans parade to bop, the cool and the abstract. The parade is not just represented in ¡°March", but also in ¡°Sing/Song", where, following a contemplative, serene sequence featuring Mitchell's flute, march figures segue into drones and wailing figures appropriate to a funeral. This parallel is underlined further by the break into a radiant melodic trumpet solo that serves to reflect the traditional ¡°Oh Didn't He Ramble?" segment. But there is more to this performance than that, as Barefield's guitar and Mitchell's tart alto demonstrate. The sense of joy threads the album like a little ray of sunshine and is particularly gratifying on the aptly dancing title track. The steps in this particular hoedown are somewhat off-centre, so the rhythmic surprises generate delightful melodic ones. In contrast, the abstract is represented by the minimalist ¡°CYP" and ¡°Round", the latter finding links between formal counterpoint and the basic call-and- response patterns of gospel music. More basically, ¡°March" itself is not an outside-looking-in impression of the rhythm and blues, but an expressionist view from within, while the blues are stretched and reshaped on ¡°Stomp & The Far East Blues." A wizard of the reeds and founder member of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Mitchell's influence is heard directly in the work of multi-reed player Anthony Braxton (who used it to expand his interpretation of Tristano) and trumpeter Leo Smith; it is heard also in the contemporary work of such as Rob Mazurek and This Moment, who hew more to the non-jazz schools of free improvisation (but, then, Mitchell is equally at home with Morton Feldman-like symphonic structures). Joy is an emotion much undervalued in jazz, both by musicians and the critics who treat it as a shallow emotion. Mitchell puts that calumny to rest here in an album to rank with the innovative Congliptious and Old/Quartet (both nessa, 1967 & 1968), Songs In The Wind (Victo, 1990) and Hey Donald (Delmark, 1994). CHRIS SHERIDAN

Two Prestige dates by the Davis quintet that yielded Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin'.

SRCS 9194 (3/1/97) Tower online lists this on special order.

On a similar vein, does anyone know where to go to download the clip of the public service announcement on safe driving that had the music of the Jazz Messengers on it? Someone posted a link at the old board a while ago.

Live at the Trident (1965) with Charlie Haden was issued by Sony Japan.

Hunter's represented in my collection by way of compilations and samplers only. "Two for Bleu" from Charlie Hunter and "Enter the Dragon" from Return of the Candyman are strong on grooves and high on excitement. The man has strong fingers and uses them well. I didn't go for, however, the two Norah tracks. Anyway, it is a mild surprise to hear that jerks over there decided to let him go ... Then again, seven CDs (with most of them still in print) add up to a long, successful run there. Probably, it's best for both sides to look for new directions. Is Rodney Jones still on the roster? He was another one with an identity (in terms of marketing) crisis there, it appeared.

I did some investigating and couldn't find a thing. I think my memory's a bit faulty on this. Never mind.

Did this Stephen Malkmus appeared on a drama series (with a Back to the Future plot) that got immediately cancelled last fall? I didn't get to watch the show (and it was quickly cancelled after a couple of episodes) ... so I'd appreciate if anyone can confirm.

I gotta listen to this again (and probably will have more to say about it later) ... but the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Bird in Hand is the growling baritone (nay, the varitone) sound. Of all Byrd/Adams records, this is one where Pepper seems to take charge. I have no remembrance of Rouse's contribution on this ... but I could be in for a pleasant surprise based on the comments made here. A nice idea revived ... Bravo!

Is true original first pressing any different from original first pressing or first pressing?

If Wingy had Feather, he would've dramatically declared Gene Harris the lightweight champion of the piano.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by this. Could you give an example? I'm away from my record collection at this time, and the examples from my recollection are not that detailed ... but the first Jimmy Smith records come to mind. "The Champ" or "The Way You Look Tonight" are recorded in such a way that one comes away with the distinct impression that the organ sound is stepping over the rest. "Willow Weep for Me" on Stop And Listen and "Monk's Dream" on Unity work similarly in creating such impression, even though two organists' styles are quite apart from one another. So basically what I've been trying to say is that the organ is usually the most prominent voice in the organ trio records (to state the obvious) and the mix usually seems to make sure of that. You feel the keys and the pedals being pounced, similar to the sound we make when we touch the keyboard as we type. Some people have said that a compression method is used to make certain sounds more pronounced ... but I'm not well versed in recording technologies. Is this clear enough?

About 70% of my collection is jazz ... I've sold off a half of my rock collection over the past few years and am now down to essentials and a few new releases. New releases by Snoop D. O. Double G and Sean Paul are recent purchases, and so are the remasters by the Kinks and Bob Marley.

Yes, I agree that the organ blended nicely and warmly into the overall sound/atmosphere on Waiting for the Boogaloo Sisters. :rsmile: I was simply wondering how you felt about the attacking, in-your-face sounds heard often on organ trio records. Dry and upfront is a good way of puttin' the sound on Unity ... although I feel the dryness in this case had an effect of clarifying the improvisational lines for the benefit of the listeners.

Thanks, Mule.

How about Jacky Terrason? I've heard two ways: American (accent on Te) and Freedom (on son).

I made this a chance to get better acquainted with a couple of musicians I was only familiar with from in-flight audio programs: Scott Hamilton and Ken Peplowski.

Isn't he Sheila E's daddy?