WorldB3

They could score, but it would be all perimeter shooting. Boring. The NBA is all about getting the inside game working. You sell posters of slam dunks. You don't sell posters of outside shooting. I doubt it, its all bout getting face time, if you can dunk over someone you get an even bigger poster. Think John Starks and Barron Davis playoff dunks.

I was thinking this the other day. Celtics were fairly lucky to cling to their Game 2 victory. Lose that one and the whole tenor of the series changes. No it was planned. The Celtics are lucky that they are big market team and Stern told the refs to make sure the series goes at least six games as the last the 3 finals have been dogs and have had low ratings. I am not saying the Celtics probably weren't the better team (I can't say for sure as I stopped watching after game two) but there is no way if you have an ounce of objectivity that you can't see that game 2 was fixed, and this is coming from a life long Laker hater. To go with the allegations from the 02 playoffs with the Lakers and Kings I am done with the NBA if I can't be sure that the games aren't fixed or scripted. I might as well watch professional wrestling. Stern needs to step down, it took him years to allow a zone defense, he still has the stupid 3 second rule (you seriously can't tell me the best athletes in the world couldn't score points by changing this rule, hell if the other coach wants to put 3 statues under the basket let him), the 11th through 16th best teams record wise didn't make the playoffs this year because they were in the West and last year didn't Stern force the players to play with plastic basketballs? Next year look for Nascar advertising on the shorts. Great game but it needs real leadership and some common sense as opposed to just being about the money.

I just picked up the Trumpet player Avishai Cohen's After The Big Rain and he is bad ass. I bought it on recommendations from friends and its well worth it. It also has Lionel Loueke on it who is kind of blowing up right now playing with Herbie Hancock. The bass player is freaking awesome. Make sure to check out his work with Chick Corea (especially his bass playing on Fingerprints on Past and Future Presents) and last couple trio records under his own name. There was an interesting read in the May issue Jazz Times on the Cohen's and the Israeli Jazz Wave in NY.

Picked up yesterday, both are excellent!

While the Yanks are having their issues the entire NL West is in free fall. A year after 3 teams made the post season and two from the West were in the NLCS the D-Backs just went 17-24 in May-June and GAINED a half game in the standings on the 2nd place Dodgers. Despite that I still bet Torre is happier here on the left coast.

Good question, while his stock his high right now, I doubt that other GM's would offer enough compensational talent back for how good he is due to past injuries. I would roll the dice and keep him as the upside is so high. If they decide to get rid of a starter I would rather see Blanton go.

As an A's fan I appreciate the effort. Anything to bring the Halo's down to earth even a little bit helps. However the reality is unless the A's go on a 15-20 game win streak and play 700 ball in the next six weeks its over as they only have 20 home games left in the entire season after July 31st. I have to remind myself that this year was about the kids in the Haren and Swisher trades (both are looking like steals so far!) getting experience, rebuilding for next year and anything close to 500 ball would be a nice surprise.

I didn't care for the record much but with T.Bone and Buddy Miller in the band I wouldn't mind going to see it.

I would say these three deserve to be on the essentials list. Kenny Wheeler--Gnu High Charles Mingus--Tijuana Moods Yusef Lateef--Eastern Sounds Argument could be made for these as well. Booker Ervin--The Space Book Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh Rahsaan Roland Kirk--Bright Moments Pat Metheny--80/81 William Parker--O'Neal's Porch The rest I agree or haven't heard.

I love Duchscherer. Great game last night. I am loving the Gonzalez kid in CF, 8 of his 11 hits since he was call up two weeks ago have been doubles, the ball jumps off his bat. Interesting article today in the local rag about how the Yankees seem to be waiting for something good to happen and look like they don't have a plan. A lot of the position players are questioning the move to put Joba in the rotation as the Yanks are known for having a strong bullpen. To keep it musical related the writers (one of the best) father user to arrange charts for Frank Sinatra. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?.../SPRS117GE4.DTL

Let me be absolutely clear: NO FUCKING WAY!!! Its not going to happen, Texas gave away their best pitching prospect to get Hamilton from the Reds last year. They even had scouts go to Hamilton's AA meetings and speeches he gave to people in recovery just to make sure it was the right decision. He is the best thing to happen to Texas in a decade or more. The guy is the real life "Natural" and a great story. A GM's dream on the field and off. Unlike in the natty the players on Texas don't care about the extra attention he gets and look out for him.

After reading how MoFi handled the remaster on this in the last issue of Jazz Times I thought I would give it a try.

No shame in losing to the Halo's on the road. Even though its early I think the world series goes through Anaheim and Boston. They aren't hitting right now but they have great pitching, good d and are fast on the bases. Not sold enough on the White Sox yet to see them as a major force in the post season.

I actually enjoy that one better than Face to Face. Maybe because it was one of the first records I bought with Grant Green on it when I was becoming obsessed with him. Both are excellent and the new RVG of Face to Face sounds great.

My copy of Road Trips #3 arrived yesterday. Only got through disc 1, its still a bit odd hearing the Dead as just a quartet or with Pig and no keyboards. Raw and energetic with Phil and Billy leading the way. If your a Phil fan you will love this. Interesting if somewhat abrupt transition to Bird Song from Dark Star, you can hear the onstage dialog of the band members during the transition.

for those interested there is a 5 FREE track RVG sampler http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artist...d/11226316.html recent downloads.

Just grabbed it (192kbps) off of emusic. Excellent. Thanks!! http://www.emusic.com/album/John-Patton-So...d/11225496.html

At least for the next three days Dan, Paps and myself can all agree on Go A's, Yankees Suck. Though the A's might be battling the Rays for the wild card so maybe Paps should be rooting for the Yankees? Paps, if the A's fall out of the race can I join the Rays bandwagon? Fun bunch to watch.

Seems like the refs were letting the Celtics man handle the Lakers a bit last night. Lots of fouls that didn't get called but as long as it goes both ways its nice to see the intensity and the physical play. Don't think for a second that Stern didn't tell the refs to make sure this goes at least 6 games. Funny moment at my house last night when I said "oh come on" after a missed Laker shot. My wife asked me what was I doing, and said "are you rooting for the Lakers?" . Me a life long Warriors fan who even rooted for the Celtics against the Lakers in the 80's said "um. yeah. I am so sick of Boston sports fans, east vs west I got to go with the west coast team". Wife: "BUT ITS THE LAKERS!" I hate sports..

Somewhere I Belong - Gabot Szabo - 1969. The album itself is a bit lame, while he always did pop covers he would do something interesting with them but on 1969 its kind of a sell out record except for the last track which sounds like it could be by Primal Scream or some DJ like Darren Emerson spinning in Paris or London. No electronics on it but it has this fat groove, great reverb and trippy guitar playing that sounds 35 years ahead of its time. Laughing - David Crosby - If Only I Could Remember My Name. David Crosby harmonizing over great sounding layered 12 string guitars and Jerry Garica laying down some gorgeous Pedal Steel. Heaven.

Good news. Can't beat a 1971 Hard To Handle. Speaking of the Winterland Box I don't know if a moment or a song makes it worth the box set but that Dark Star is one for the ages. I have had the soundboard MP3 of it for years but the remaster is like hearing it brand new. Check out around the 22:00 minute mark when Keith lays down the groove after Phil's bass solo and then the MLB Jam before Eyes. Incredible.

210 Wins, 154 Saves. HOF?? Considering it was a hitters era I think he gets in.

Went a little crazy with the 35 free and 65 starter pack for 4.99 I picked up at Circuit City. I still have 28 left. Feel free to recommend me something. Jazz/Blues: Marc Copland - Another Place (w/ John Abercrombie) Gabor Szabo - Bacchannal Gabor Szabo -1969 (ok, but Bacchannal is amazing!) Dave Douglas - Moonshine Dizzy Reece - Asia Minor Roland Kirk With Jack McDuff - Kirk's Work (RVG Remaster) Frank Kimbrough - AIR Otis Spann - Otis Spann Is The Blues Other: Blonde Redhead - 23 Old 97's - Wreck Your Life Susan Tedeschi - Austin City Limits: Live From Austin, TX Gillian Welch - Music From The Revelator Collection Keith Hudson - Nuh Skin Up I-Roy - Don't Check Me With No Lightweight Stuff (1972-1975) DJ Cheb I Sabbah - Krishna Lila

If were talking fantasy and music in addition to Mandy Moore I would have to include Shelby Lynne and Neko Case. Add A custom Les Paul, 60's SG, couple nice Gibson ES Archtops, 4 Taylor's one a 12 string. Grand Piano, Vintage Hammond w/ Leslie and Fender Rhodes. All Sixties Tube amps of course. Vox, Orange, Twins.. Island = Mustique

I went to the Saturday show in SF. While I was entertained I thought for the most part it was how the French say “Au chien qui fume (the dog that smokes)”. I thought the KOB stuff for the first set didn’t work. The Sitar wasn’t really made to play blues scales like in So What and All Blues. Blue In Green should have been mind blowing but I found the singer to be over the top for a song that is all about understatement. Blue In Green had some great moments in the middle section of solo’s but it took way to long to get there. Highlights for first set were Ron Carter and Rudresh Mahanthappa’s solos on All Blues. The 2nd set which focused on the electric period worked much better. They locked into some nice grooves and Roney sounded great. Pete Cosy couldn’t make it so Henry Kaiser filled in for him at the last minute and he seemed to not really fit in. The highlight for the second set and the night was Badal Roy’s solo. I will be looking into more of his recorded works. Overall it was cool but nothing I heard really compelled me to go out and get the record.