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Well, I agree it is nice to find musicians that can actually sing. Still I didn't find the Super Bowl interesting and I think I succeeded in only watching 20 minutes (if that) as I went around the house. I actually was coming back from the Jazz Showcase as it started (a much better use of my time). I did find the whole thing so sanitized and boring (the game and halftime) that I am not surprised that ratings are down. I also am still so mad over the FCC going crazy from last year and becoming super censors that I will probably feel negatively towards the Super Bowl for years to come (but no more on that in this thread).

Yes, Larry Gray was incredible. I didn't mean to run down Mabern's rhythm section, but I wasn't blown away by them the way I was by Gray. Still, it was a fairly full room for a matinee, and people seemed to really enjoy the music.

A very good show. The band is quite loud, although I was only a couple of rows behind Mark. Mabern really does pound on that piano. I suspect it will need a tune-up after this weekend. Mabern did steal the show, as several people indicated he would. He's really the only reason I went. I thought Alexander was pretty good. I wasn't terribly impressed with the drummer or bass player (maybe because the bass player at the Golson show was so much better).

I actually try to avoid them. I've had at least two and I believe more items go out of stock. Once I eventually got the item. The other time(s) I had to cancel. If there is anyone else with the comparable product at a comparable price, I will go with the other seller instead. But I have occasionally used them and probably will in the future.

Are the deleted scenes actually inserted into the movie (like expanded Lord of the Rings or Apocalypse Now), or are they off on their own (like 90% of movies)? While I like watching deleted scenes, you just can't get much flow or feel for them, when they are separate.

I'm listening to the Modern Sounds from the West, and it sounds fine, even great to me, but I really am no audiophile. I can do a bit of a review after I hear it again. I also thought that the Oscar Pettiford Big Band CD sounded good, though the live material (3 bonus tracks) was just a bit rougher. It's really hard to decipher how legit this is. Both the Cds I am listening to have material recorded in 1956 (and Pettiford has a 1957 date) so it isn't "pure" public domain, even in Europe. Both CDs have little notices on them, indicating the material was licensed. So that's a start for Lonehill. But was it only licensed for the EU? Did the record companies that own this license it for a trifle, since they probably figured they only had a couple more years until it went PD in Europe anyway? I don't know. It's still pretty grey to me, but it is better than Blue Moon or Definitive, for example. Still, I am glad it is available to a new batch of listeners.

I agree the whole thing is unusual. It looks as though they intend to sell $11 per disc, and then when someone orders something and they discover it is a set , then the price is adjusted (one of the Mingus sets and the Sinatra, for example). But someone pointed out that the Selects have been priced that way for 6 months. I'll keep my order open for a little while (it's on a card I was just about to pay off and destroy anyway) just to see what happens.

available as a Japanese re-issue (2003) While I know many have qualms and reservations about Lonehill, this material with 3 bonus cuts has just come out as Oscar Pettiford -- Complete Big Band Studio Recordings on ABC/Lonehill. It appears to have been licensed, but perhaps only for the European market. Pettiford at Dusty Groove

Shortly after reading this thread, I found a copy of the 2-fer for $10 at Dusty Groove. It was in good condition, though side 4 probably could stand to be cleaned. I'd be happy to pass it along. PM me if interested.

What I'm really waiting for is word on whether Criterion is going to release Playtime in 2005 or not. I sure hope so, though maybe it will be 2006. Any later than that and I will just get the R2 release and be done with it. Still, Criterion has the opportunity to use the 70 mm release (very nice) and correct some issues that others have pointed out. I still vividly remember when the Tati films showed up in J & R Musicworld. I decided to watch the films first before buying them (seems sensible to me though there are people who buy all Criterion films sight-unseen, much as some of us (not me) buy every Mosaic). I didn't actually care for them on first viewing, though they grew on me. By this time, they had gone out of print. I do kind of regret not getting them, since I would have made a killing on ebay, especially with Playtime. Oh well. It's better that they be restored and kept in print.

I'm leaning towards getting the Criterion of Altman's Short Cuts. Not only is it an interesting film but the packaging is nice, with a booklet including the Raymond Carver stories drawn on for the film. Of course, I already have those, but that's besides the point.

Tranemonk: I just ordered the Roach set, but it is paired with the Hill Select, so I won't get it for another couple of weeks, so I don't have anything that useful to say now. I don't think you would be disappointed. He's got great sidemen, and it is from a high point of his career (musically speaking, even though he was trying to recover from the loss of Clifford Brown). Eric

I think we could use a beating a dead horse gif, but I don't have the skillz to do it myself.

"JaMo plays the Times Square HoJo"

I missed that, though I have Will Ferrell in my Netflix queue just to see this infamous cowbell sketch. I have spent some time at the cowbell project -- what a hoot!

Ok, I'll try to PM in the morning with a description of what I am wearing. I think two friends of mine can also make it, so that would be a lot of fun.

I saw Maynard Ferguson playing in Chicago's Soldier Field back in 1985 or 86. The Basie Ghost Band at CSO on New Years. Mingus Big Band a few times. That's all I can recall.

I wonder if it is something they composed and played together in New York. There was a concert maybe two years ago featuring Hill and Moran that I missed by one day (flying in from Chicago). Oh well.

Are you going to make it to the Sunday matinee? It looks like I can go, since the wife will be busy watching the Superbowl. By the way, the Aoki project at Hothouse has now moved to the 9th and now there is a cover charge. I'm still leaning towards going, but it isn't quite as great a deal.

I kind of like the gamble, especially since this looks a little dodgy. If I lose out, then I won't be as tempted to stray from the straight and narrow again. There are actually a number of shops on Gemm.com that I won't deal with again because their fill rate is so low. But I wasn't that impressed with the rest of their inventory, so I probably won't be coming back again and again to the site.

Ah well, human nature strikes again. I did order the Brookmeyer and will let you know if it shows up. Mosaic has got a lot of my other money, and I wouldn't have paid $36+ for the Select, since I already have some of the albums on it.

They do have the track listing correct, though, and they should be suspicious that you can fit 30+ tracks on 1 CD.

Hard to see how they could make any money, unless these fell off a truck. OTOH, I don't have the Brookmeyer, and I'd be willing to gamble. Sometimes these places just get the prices wrong. Amazon was selling a 10 CD set of Billie Holiday (from Definitive) that replicated the Columbia set, and it only cost $20. I know some people got the entire set at that price. (Now it is $90, though plenty of used copies for $50 floating about.)

I have many books - around 2500 with 2/3 being academic and/or work related A small but growing DVD collection, split mostly between film noir, British comedy and SF movies Pretty much anything Futurama related (the DVDs, the comics, the coasts and holiday ornaments and even a wind-up walking Bender! )

Well, I certainly like the Farlow, though I like the recent Farmer/Golson Jazztet even more (not on your list). They should both be around for a while. With $50 I might be inclined to go for one of the earlier Selects like Curtis Amy or Randy Weston. Or Randy Weston and Andrew Hill.