Peter Johnson

The powers-that-be in my office recently bought a Nespresso machine--the kind that makes espresso from color-coded capsules. Yum! It's not the real thing, no, but it's damn close. I'm wiped out today--out late almost every night this week--and am having a shot now. Who else is into the midafternoon espresso tip?

Extension!

I'll be there! It would be fun to get a group together. I'll also hit the Lou Donaldson show at the VV in June.

Thanks, Claude. After a listen, I started wondering if it was a bootleg of some kind. Off to look for the original. The music is great, and look at the lineup: Don Cherry - Trumpet Herbie Hancock - Piano Jimmy Heath - Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor) Ed Blackwell - Percussion Billy Bonner - Flute, Percussion Albert "Tootie" Heath - Drums James Mtume - Conga Buster Williams - Bass (from allmusic's listing of Kawaida)

Hey folks. Just picked this one up today--it's a 3-song record on Upfront records (UPF-194). It contains, on side A, Maulana (by HH/Mtume), 13:21; on side B, Dunia (by ?/Kuumba), 8:33 and Kamila (by HH/Mtume), 5:50. No personnel listed, other than the recording engineer (Tom Owen), assistant engineed (Larry Walker) and art director (David Lartaud). The jacket says "These Recordings Have Been Previously Released." Oh yeah? Where???!!! Sound/recording quality is fair. Does anyone know what this is? Kari??? Help! Thanks!

My wife has a shitty call schedule this weekend (again). She's working today (Friday) through Saturday mid-morning, then all day Sunday. So: Fortunately, my firm has good friday off. So this afternoon I'll go for a long run and then listen to & comment on BFT 9. Tonight, drinks & dinner with neighborhood friends; Tomorrow morning, I'm going to take a rock-climbing lesson at an indoor rock climbing place (if the weather's bad). Tomorrow night: dinner with my wife if she's awake from above-mentioned call schedule. Sunday morning: if it's not raining, I'm gonna dust off my motorcycle and go for my first ride in too many months. Got to reinvigorate my skills before a rally in Kentucky I want to attend in May! In between: music, a little work, a little org.org.

I have one of their records from back in the day...not sure which one. I'll have to pull it out now! I liked it, but it never made me want to get everything they did.

It's such bullshit. Why can't we set the clocks forward/back 1/2 hour and be goddamn DONE with it?

I'm with you, brother! I was out of control toward the end of 2003 and early this year. 6 CDs a pop a Tower while a CDUniverse order was pending, that kind of thing. After taking some hits on things I purchased, decided I didn't like and then sold, I've slowed WAYYYYYY down, and have resolved not to buy anything more until I've offloaded enough stuff on Half and Ebay to bring the account "into balance," so to speak. It feels good. I have way too much shit in the house anyway. You can't take it with you! Of course, an announcement of new Connoisseurs would destroy my resolve outright, I'm sure...

damn...not sure I want to go to sleep just yet...

pm on its way re star bright... Yeah, baby!

I'm glad you haven't!!! Actually, it wasn't that terrifying...I distinctly remember being impressed at the pilot's ability to maneuver a 737 in a parking garage. Sometimes I can't even maneuver my CAR in a parking garage!!! I'm still trying to figure it out, though. I have had a personally flying dream (it was after I saw the first Harry Potter film, go figure ) and it was the best!

Hmmmm...not sure if I agree! (see my "flying" dreams above). Do you mean flying, like a bird, or flying in a plane? My terrifying dreams are flying in a plane... don't know what it all means...

Another airplane dream last night! This time I was on a 737 or A320, USAir (clearly remember that) flying into Philadelphia. One pilot (attractive female with blond hair; not sure it matters, but it's a detail I remember), no co- or radio operator; the cockpit was open, and I must have been in a bulkhead seat, because I could see into the cockpit and out the front windows. We were flying into Philadelphia and losing altitude, so we landed on the expressway that goes into/out of Philly from the east/west. We were taxiing on the expressway for a while, in traffic (stop and go for a while, then traffic sped up), and the pilot finally found an opening (I distinctly remember she was searching for either a) a place with no overhead wires, or B) a downhill to assist the speed and takeoff). We sped up, and successfully lifted off the expressway to fly the remaining few miles into Philadelphia. We approached the airport, came in for a landing, but couldn't decrease speed once on the ground, which was a problem because we were rapidly approaching a parking garage! Here's where it gets weird--the entrance to the parking garage was large enough to "swallow" the plane, so the pilot retracted the gear, lifted a bit, and flew in to the parking garage. I remember the plane's roof scraping the ceiling, but the pilot handled it, and we were literally flying around the INSIDE of this garage--up ramps, etc. Finally, we approached a big metal door, which opened instantly upon our approach. We flew through the door, stopped immediately, and all got off the plane and walked into the airport as if nothing had happened. WTF??? Anyone want to give interpreting THAT a shot?

I'm really sorry to hear this. I know how attached one can get to the vinyl. Hang in there.

In no particular order: 1. Music (I mean, I love jazz, but I LOVE music!) 2. Vodka (stolimartiniupwitholives is one of my favorite words) 3. Women (now, my wife) 4. Fast cars (that Volvo 240 of mine has some MAD speed) 5. Crate-diggin' (vinyl never died) 6. Cigarettes (although I quit, I still gots the jones) 7. Chocolate (one thing on my list has to be legal!) Oh wait...we were only supposed to choose three?

I'm terribly sorry to hear of your loss. Take care of yourself and your loved ones in this difficult time.

Sounds good, Randy--I'll check my schedule. Sometime in May should work--are the trails drying out by then?

Oh YEAH! I'm old school--1993 Bridgestone MB5 (top-mounted shifters) and a 1995 Barracuda A2M. I LOVE my bikes. Haven't had much of a chance to do a lot of offroad since moving to Philly, but would love to take a long weekend for some tasty Mich singletrack. Could we possibly organize an org bike trip? Hmmm....I'll check mileage from Philly!

I killed a man. Actually, I'm 2nd chair defense counsel.

Tonight: dinner with my wife at a new Mediterranean BYOB in South Philly (that's right folks, some of our restaurants allow you to bring your own...it's cut my restaurant budget in half, but increased my consumption tenfold! ) if (big IF!!!) she doesn't get called in to the hospital. Tomorrow night: Repeat, if she gets called in tonight. Otherwise BBQ with friends. In between, and all day Sunday: prepare for trial on Monday. The first real spring weekend all year!

ferrrreshhh AIrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Someday I hope to have all of the BN 1500 and 4000 series on wax, regardless of the pressing. About 2/3 of the way so far. As far as artists, not so much...

Oh MAN, impossible...GD is almost all I've been listening to this long, tough winter (Philly); this morning (spring's here, right?) it was SIX DEGREES (with the windchill). Nothing left to do but smile smile smile. I'd love to hear this. Anyone heard it?