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Don't know if it is just the set-up at work, but I can't get a single track past the first one to play (at Amazon), so I'm not even able to evaluate the album myself and am relying on AMG reviews and my past experience with the artists. Pretty unsatisfying to say the least.

If I didn't already have Gnu High, that would be the first one I would pick up. I think I found this used at Jazz Record Mart here in Chicago. I found that many if not all of these Touchstone CDs are still available as Amazon MP3s (even if the CD had gone out of print), and in some cases quite reasonable (under $8), so that might be the route to go, esp. if you don't want to wait until Sept. I think these are the ones I will pick up: John Surman - Private City Ralph Towner - Solstice John Abercrombie / Dave Holland / Jack DeJohnette - Gateway Ralph Towner - Batik I'm a little on the fence about Jan Garbarek - I Took Up The Runes. Any thoughts? I'll probably just download these from Amazon: John Abercrombie/Ralph Towner - Sargasso Sea Tomasz Stanko - Balladyna John Abercrombie - Animato So not quite as huge an order as I originally anticipated.

Now correct me if I am wrong, but do Olympic runners (and swimmers) actually practice relays that often? For the most part, they don't train in the same facilities. The real focus has always been on individual events. They just kind of take the 4 best runners and swimmers and throw them together. I remember that in at least one Olympics there was a substitution at the last day (or last qualifying event, whichever) and that the entire team had never practiced together. Probably practicing hand-offs would matter a lot more for runners than swimmers. But I still suspect it isn't something these guys and gals have actively "practiced" since college. True enough, but I gotta think that their earlier training, going back to high school (or earlier), was in a team environment, and that these basic skills were instilled early on, and indelibly so. It's the type of thing that is so basic that, yeah, you might get a little rusty on it, but ultimately it's like riding a bicycle. But then again, look at how many NBA players are crap free throw shooters. Sign of the times, maybe... Either way, the buzz is that there's a shakedown coming with the whole track group, including management & coaching changes. I think the training is not so good nowadays, but also that baton passing isn't quite as easy as riding a bicycle. Or swimming. I certainly haven't forgotten how to swim, but my form is crap now and it would take months to get back to a decent stroke. I'm sure the same is true with golf, where you can play but still be really rusty. And, anything you have to do between two or more people that you don't practice with involves some risk.

Now correct me if I am wrong, but do Olympic runners (and swimmers) actually practice relays that often? For the most part, they don't train in the same facilities. The real focus has always been on individual events. They just kind of take the 4 best runners and swimmers and throw them together. I remember that in at least one Olympics there was a substitution at the last day (or last qualifying event, whichever) and that the entire team had never practiced together. Probably practicing hand-offs would matter a lot more for runners than swimmers. But I still suspect it isn't something these guys and gals have actively "practiced" since college.

They (Clean Feed) seem to update every couple of months, so I'll hang on a while longer and see what happens. There's one James Finn that has never made it to eMusic. I'm with you, I'll wait and see if this one arrives. Good label. You can always write to them and request it. The direct approach doesn't always work, but it beats sitting around and wishing and waiting. While wishing and waiting is my natural mode (which has already paid off for this disc), I did write a label about Fathead Newman's Life (hasn't paid off yet though).

I think it is also telling that China has violated every one of its promises to the IOC, and the only official response from IOC has been to sweep it under the carpet and get angry when reporters/bloggers keep bringing it up. One of my many reasons to hate the Olympics (not the athletes themselves who usually transcend this) but the whole framework around the Games is so tawdry.

Well, I do hope special price means specially low, not specially high. I have only a handful of these and many are out of print, so I am all for it. I see 5 that I must buy and probably another 10-15 that I would pick up depending on price. I suppose if I had been a loyal ECM customer and bought them all when they were first in print I would be somewhat chuffed.

I try to have as little duplication as possible (and yes it bugs me a lot), though with earlier artists I have a fair bit -- Lester Young, Count Basie, Django Reinhardt and Don Byas are probably where I have the most duplicates and no easy way to cut it out. I think I have duplicates of the Dizzy Savoy sides as well.

Was transferring a bunch of 45s and got really caught up with Paul Humphrey's Detroit. It was particularly nice as most of these are pretty trashed, but this one has very little surface noise. Turns out it isn't quite as obscure as I thought, but still a really nice cut. Now contemplating tracking down two of his main LPs, but because these are desired by crate diggers, they won't come cheaply. Oh well. (The Cool Aid Chemists album is also available as a somewhat overpriced import CD, but I'm not quite ready to pay that much... yet.)

Well, lemme ask ... what's the advantage to having an underage gymnast? Wouldn't a 16-year-old who has trained longer and is more developed muscularly have an advantage over a young child? ... I'm not quite making the connection here with younger (than 16) = an advantage. On the one hand, they've trained longer. On the other hand, most of the routines favour ultra-light frames. In fact, even in the US, it is rumored that the gymnasts routinely starve themselves -- and maybe take hormones -- to stave off puberty. Once puberty hits, the center of gravity drops, you have to relearn all your routines. Of course, some gymnasts keep going, but it is ultra rare for any females to be any good at the sport after 23 or so. Another issue, perhaps a little overblown, is that younger competitors are too young to know the difficulty of what they are attempting, so they actually have better nerves than older competitors. (I've seen this a little with helping out on a high school athletic team.) One SI columnist said that the Chinese gymnasts had Kool-aid in their veins. Probably 14 is an acceptable age limit, but it is quite clear that the Chinese did cheat this year, but they will get away with it.

Whether you agree or not, the age limit for women's gymnastics is 16, so under 16 y.o. girls are ineligible. It's very clear that many (most?) of the Chinese gymnasts are 14 and 15.

They (Clean Feed) seem to update every couple of months, so I'll hang on a while longer and see what happens.

No, I don't agree with this at all. I'm one of the pedestrians who is nearly run over everyday by fucking selfish drivers running reds. Chicago is going to be covered with these soon, and I can't wait. That's probably how Da Mare is going to balance the city budget -- off the backs of all the asshole drivers in this city.

Is it on eMusic yet? (Can't check until late tonight.) I just burned up my dls for the month, but I'd probably get a booster if this one is available.

PM sent on: Count Basie In London (Verve) $6 Kenny Burrell, Live at the Village Vanguard (32 Jazz) 2 disc set - $10 Lou Donaldson with the Three Sounds (TOCJ) $11 Nicholas Payton, Gumbo Nouveau (Verve) $7

On the pricey side, but Dusty Groove does have this. I actually nearly picked it up but decided I had bought enough today.

My wife and I went and saw Steely Dan at the Chicago Theatre. They've filled their sound out pretty considerably with a trombone, trumpet/flugelhorn, tenor sax and baritone sax! Plus, another keyboard player, bass, guitar and three background singers. And a hyperactive drummer. He actually had one of those cymbals that was discussed that are cut out and spiral all the way down this long pole. I kept waiting for him to play it, but I think he only did that once during Aja. It was quite a good show, though the duo actually leaned towards more obscure material and/or newer stuff. It wasn't until the fourth song in that they did anything for casual fans, and that was Bodhisattva. My wife was a bit disappointed they didn't do Deacon Blues, but otherwise they eventually covered the hits. The opening act was the Deep Blue Organ Trio and they were warmly received by the crowd. I don't know if they were opening outside Chicago or not.

I have the Young and Gillespie sets and like them both a lot. I had much more of the Young material, so it was a harder decision to get the Young set, but I did anyway based on the improved sound. I guess I do listen to this set a bit more than the Gillespie, but both are good.

Interesting stuff. When I am functioning at a high level (unfortunately hasn't been that way at work for a while), I could get called in on a task and focus on it for a minute or so and then make some suggestions which usually turned out pretty well. On the other hand, in my personal life, I do agonize over things and double- and triple-think them to the point where I stayed up late thinking things over -- which never helped.

Just listening to this for the first time (yes I'm slow -- though I did have Sweet Rain before the recent reissue). I don't mind the extra percussion, but I do think it would have been a better sound on a standard, i.e. non-electric piano. I'm sure one day the technology will be there to attempt such a thing. But I am enjoying it for what it is.

Get right on over to the Music Matters site and correct that problem with a 2x45 rpm. Sorted ! I noted that. Of course, there is a CD import and Dusty Groove has an LP version all for roughly the same price. I expect whichever one I buy, there will be a RVG of this coming out the following month!

I'm well aware of the intent, but as we've discussed on plenty of other occasions, including the New Yorker "satire" of the Obamas, once these things are out there in the public, the original intent is muted and you have powerful images circulating and influencing the culture in weird ways. I don't appreciate the possibility that this film makes it safer for entertainers to put on blackface in an ironic way. I don't think that its extremely tame message (newsflash - actors are self-absorbed jerks who will do anything for a role) justifies Downey's performance. And that goes doubly for putting "retard" back into circulation, when it was largely fading out of US vocabulary.

Not the world's greatest deal, but I was the only bidder on Lou Donaldson's Midnight Sun on a recent eBay auction, so it was just $10. It is sealed though with a hole punch somewhere in the cover, and it is a Liberty pressing. Nonetheless, I was pleased*, as it normally goes for $15-20. When I went to pay, I realized this was bluenotesound or the like, and is clearly connected with Mosaic/True Blue, perhaps at an arm's distance. Just a little surprised that more people aren't tracking their auctions more carefully. What I am more pleased about is that I only need LD+3 now and I will have the contents of the Donaldson Mosaic, so there's no need to toy with buying that anymore.

Not interested. I don't really care how ironic the use of blackface is, it's too much for me. As far as portrayals of the mentally challenged, Extras (the Gervais show) skated right up to that line and wobbled a bit but pulled back just enough. This movie looks like it just crashes through that barrier. Again, always being ironic and knowing about it, but that doesn't cut it with me. Just not interested.

Ok, it's all been shipped out. Things are winding down, but there are still two weeks left if interested in anything listed. I just added the Fats Waller Proper box set @ $15 for those a bit overwhelmed by the JSP approach.