Kevin Bresnahan

I've been looking for an affordable copy of this for a few years now. I've been getting by with the CD in meantime.

The Bop Session with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, John Lewis, Percy Heath, Max Roach & Hank Jones (Sonet SNTF 692). This is a variable date with some tracks sounding like fresh interpretations of old war horses and others sounding like tired old war horses.

Just finished: Stanley Turrentine - ZT's Blues (Blue Note). DMM pressing - not my preferred vinyl technology but I believe that this is the only US pressing. Now playing: Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Swings (United Records And Tapes). I have no idea of the provenance of this date. I don't know if it's Crown CST 206 date with Thad Jones because there are no liner notes. It's not a "hi-fi" pressing, that's for sure. Were these United releases even legal?

John Patton - Accent On The Blues (Liberty). Black/light blue label with Van Gelder in the deadwax. This is the first time I've heard this. I guess I never got around to picking this date up on CD.

Just finished: The Phil Woods Quartet - Volume One, A Live Recording (Clean Cuts/Adelphi Jazz). Eh. It's good enough but nothing big really happens so it sits kind of flat. I was expecting a bit more. Now playing: Jackie McLean with the Great Jazz Trio - New Wine In Old Bottles (Inner City). Another eh. Nice enough. Polite even. But they aren't doing anything they hadn't done a few times before. Jackie's still in the "full sour tone" mode which isn't my favorite sound in Jazz.

Last night I caught Gary Burton at Scullers. What a great show. Gary lived in the Boston area and played regularly for many years. I took that for granted and somehow never managed to catch him. When the e-mail came in advertising this as his 70th birthday tour, I figured I'd better get off my ass and see him. I am very glad I did. EDIT: He is doing two more shows tonight so for those of you in the Boston area, you still have an opportunity to see it yourself.

For starters, the sound on these discs is fine. They don't suffer from the overly-loud, compressed sound that has degraded recent offerings in the TOCJ series. I did notice that EMI-Japan is now owned by Universal. When did Toshiba sell out to Universal? Cannonball Adderley - The Happy People Nope. Not doing it for me. This just doesn't sound like a Cannonball Adderley date (except when he solos). Not a huge fan of vocals to begin with but these just aren't great vocals. The moaning/screaming on the 2nd track really doesn't work and the whacka-whacka funk guitar sounds so weird with Cannonball soloing along with it. The echo-ey operatic singing on "Savior" is trippy. I suppose if all you're looking for a lot of energetic playing and a band having fun, go for it. I doubt I'll be playing it a lot. FWIW, my wife & daughter didn't like it at all. They were looking at me weird when it was playing. Not my usual musical fare for sure. Guitars Unlimited/Laurindo Almeida/Howard Roberts - Quiet Nights & Brazilian Guitars Nice mellow Latin Jazz. Wicked short though. It's only about 28 minutes long. The tunes are so short there's not a lot of deep thinking involved. I'm glad I got this one but I wish it was a bit longer. Clare Fischer - Manteca! Good playing but for some reason, I think of Charo as I spin it. I could see this being used as the soundtrack to a movie in the 60s. I like this date. The percussion is great. Bud Shank & Clare Fischer - Bossa Nova Jazz Samba Really like this one - best of the bunch. It's really well done Latin Jazz. Unfortunately, under 30 minutes of music. They could have combined this with the Guitars Unlimited date and still had a CD under 60 minutes. Bud Shank - Brasamba! This one is pretty good too. I agree with an earlier poster's feeling that the flute tunes are weaker than the alto ones. Joe Pass is great. I do like it when Larry Bunker added some vibes to a couple of the tunes.

I'm spoiled. I get to see Laszlo quite often around Boston. John Lockwood even more frequently. One of the few times when Boston has an advantage over NYC.

I've had a similar thing happen when my CD drive was dying. Try it in another drive and see what happens. It was because of this that I went onto eBay and bought a couple of extra original Plextor CD-R drives.

I've never heard of this date. How is it? It looks like Temperley is playing a tenor. Does he also play baritone?

No title track?

Indian's gas tank, fenders and structural stuff is all metal as far as I can tell. Both of my Victories were all metal except the side covers and the hardbags. Have you read otherwise? Are you talking the batwing faring on the new 2014 Indian Chieftain? I believe Harley's batwing faring is also plastic or fiberglass. If you're talking about the hardbags, well maybe Harley's are metal, but I would prefer ABS plastic hardbags. I agree with you about Indian's dealer network. If I wanted to test drive one, I'd have to drive over an hour to their Worcester, MA dealership. The next closet one is in Pittsburgh!

What have you heard about the 2014 (Polaris built) Victory that would turn you away? It can't simply be that it is Polaris, as their Victory motorcycles have a much higher reliability than most other makers (domestic & foreign). Their latest offering is finally putting a Chief into a price range I could consider ($19K vs $32K). I may even be enticed to get back on a bike with these machines.

There's no such thing as a "fender bender" on a bike. Your ass is usually the only fender involved and it loses in a battle with steel.

US Lowenbrau has been brewed in Germany for many years now. It's not as good as the stuff you get in Germany but it's miles ahead better than the stuff that Miller produced for decades. I agree that Hofbrau's beers in general are some of the weakest German beers shipped to the US. Generally, I drink German Oktoberfest biers. Most American brewers seem to miss. I'll have to see if I can find a couple of the ones listed here to see if they've gotten better. Right now, all the stores around here are filled with various pumpkin flavored brews. Not my cuppa tea (or beer). FWIW, I think Hacker-Pschorr got bought by Paulaner years ago and I seem to have tasted a difference. I don't usually buy Hacker-Pschorr any more and I've never been a big Paulaner fan.. Now Ayinger. Erdinger & Weihenstephaner - now you're talking!

Don't you love it how young talent looks all moody and shit for album covers, and then when they age they get all smiley and friendly for the covers, when the odds are very good that in real life it works just the opposite way? A smiley young person on an album cover is creepy, and a scowling old fuck is just scary. I guess that's why. Do a Google search - Aimee Mann still doesn't smile too much. On top of that, one of her albums is titled "@#%&*! Smilers".

The CD has some nice bonus material. Rock flashback playing now - 'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry (Epic). A Boston band that seemed to get a lot of local airplay (back in the days when there was such a thing).

Just finished - Lem Winchester - Winchester Special (OJC) Now playing - Lew Tabackin - Black & Tan Fantasy (JazzAmerica Marketing). And yes, the title of this album is "Black & Tan Fantasy", not "Jazz $5.98".

I sent a little your way Jim. Kevin

This is a bummer from Lew Tabackin's Facebook timeline: "Can you say bootleg? I guess musicians don't have to be paid, and just be thankful to have their career boosted. At least ask permission. LT" http://www.uptownrecords.net/home/store/94.html Apparently, Lew doesn't believe that this should be released?

Just finished: John Lennon - Imagine (Apple) Just started: Pat Travers - Go For What You Know (Polydor). I haven't heard this in decades!! I found it in a cheapie bin at local store and picked it up for nostalgia sake. Boom boom - out go the lights!! Ha ha ha.

Stanley Turrentine - That's Where It's At (dark blue label with VAN GELDER in the deadwax). I don't know why, but I've always dug this date. Nice & bluesy. I guess I don't understand the times, because I find the liner notes fanciful. I don't see what's so different about this date that would somehow make it knock Rock And Roll off it's axis. Edit: Is it "that's where it's at."?

Steely Dan - Aja (Cisco). Everyone over on the Hoffman forums raves about the sonics on this LP but to my ears, it's OK, but not great "the best record in my collection" that some of them claim. It seems to be getting big bucks these days so maybe I should sell it. I actually have two copies (found a 2nd cheap & thought maybe it would be cleaner) and neither one is dead-silent. Surface noise abounds, right out of the sleeve. Always worse on the lead-in grooves too.

I like these dates and I agree with Lon that the latest Japanese issues sound better than the old Fresh Sound CDs. Neither version is "audiophile", but the Fresh Sound versions sound muffled by comparison.

I'm not a huge fan of "Wailin'". The electric piano is "meh" and the tunes are just OK. It's not worth paying the big bucks it's going for these days.