Kevin Bresnahan

Brownie, what's "reasonable"? I have a few of these "Complete" sets and I'd like to get them all. Unfortunatley, Red Trumpet, the only place that stocks them, wants almost $45 + shipping for each of them. Too rich for me. I'd buy both of these sets if they were reasonable and since you don't want that JJ set, let me know how much it is. I might be interested. Kevin

You can also buy paper that is cut specifically for labels and inserts. http://www.provantage.com/buy-7vbtm27t-dvd...63-shopping.htm And for printable blanks: http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/nsea...1Zs6a9KpnYTN44- ← Chris, I would avoid stick-on labels. There is a much greater chance that you'll have playback problems now & in the future. They can unbalance the disc on many players and if you use a slot-loading machine, there's a good chance it could jam. Heat causes them to curl (and most players generate heat). If you don't have very smooth CD-Rs, they release after a while. I recommend avoiding them. I have seriously looked at these new Epson printers. They are intriguing to say the least. How good do the labels look? Kevin

James Carter is bringing this band into Cambridge's Regattabar next month (August 5th & 6th) and I'm on the fence about going. I have seen Carter live several times now and I've got to say, he seems to go downhill every time I see him. The last time was his electric band and it didn't seem like Carter was "on" at all. He seemed to be on auto pilot and his showmanship was uncomfortably forced. I felt that the band wasn't digging it either. I really miss his old band with pianist Craig Taborn, bassist Jaribu Shahid, and drummer Tani Tabbal. They put on show of shows at Ryles one year. I'll never forget it. So should I take a chance or pass? This thread makes it seem like I'd be in for another let-down. Kevin

So, I had managed to "pass" on this title for that last 6 months or so... then Acoustic Sounds got it in for $30 (more than I like to pay) and I figured, there aren't any other Ben Webster SACDs, and there probably won't be any more so screw it! I am soooo glad I got this. I love Ben's breathy tone and it's audible in all its glory on this SACD. They only dropped one tune from the large band session, "The Jeep Is Jumpin'". Funny thing is, I thought the Black Lion stuff was the live material I have on two German CDs. It turns out that I didn't even own this material! What a nice bonus. Well worth it for me. Later, Kevin

Someone told me that myelodysplasia is a form of bone marrow cancer that has no real cure. There are experimental drugs that he could consider and in young patients they transplant stem cells with moderate success. Michael's not young so that seems to make that less likely. I found a website it appears that the expected survival is 6 months to 5 years, depending on the type of myelodysplasia and how far it's progressed. This is a major bummer. The guy's only 56. I sincerely hope it turns out that his diagnosis isn't this disease. Maybe they made a mistake at the lab? I really feel for Michael and his family. I hope he can keep upbeat. One of my co-workers is here at work every day with a similar diagnosis. He is as upbeat as can be. I am constantly amazed by him. When I ask him how he does it when he knows the clock is ticking, he says, "Why go down being depressed? Live life and enjoy yourself. You never know when it will end". On the bright side, he's already surpassed the doctor's initial prognosis. I often wonder how I would take such devastating news myself. Facing one's mortality is never a good thing. I just hope by the time I do, I am able to look back at a good life and leave little regrets. Play on Michael. I hope you can swing through Boston soon. I'll be there cheering you on. Kevin

Funny how everyone has their own turn-ons/turn-offs for this stuff. I agree that side 4 of "The Wall" rarely made it to my turntable back in its heyday. However, with the advent of CD, I found myself spinning disc 2 (for "Comfortably Numb") and actually liking it a lot more. It's really one continuous piece. I think the flow gets interrupted by the LP. When I hear it on CD, it just fits together better. Side 4, including "The Trial", is the finale. Of course, the best is where the whole thing ends with someone saying "Isn't this where..." with the obvious tie-in to the first words of the record, which were "... we came in". Now, my fellow Floyd fans, could all of you do me a favor? I once owned the first US edition of Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". Even though it was the first CD version sold here, the CD itself was made and printed in Japan. I really, really want to get this again so I can compare it to the other versions. I am still kicking myself for giving this away... to who, only my dead brain cells know. Probably too much wine. This version is unique in that when you put it into a CD player, the display only shows 2 tracks instead of 5. They basically break the LP into sides with index marks (like any player today has an index function!) for the tracks. The disc will have numbers on the inner ring that will say 35DP-4 in them. This is version I am looking for. A description from a post on another forum describes it this way: "The Japanese CBS/Sony plant pressing with catalog number CK 33453 (again, divided into two tracks) is found with either "CSR COMPACT DISC" repeating in the clear plastic ring or "MANUFACTURED BY CBS/SONY RECORDS INC." stamped on it. The matrix code is in a neat font and has the original Japanese CBS/Sony catalog number "35DP-4" in it. The back insert does not have "Now Made In The U.S.A." above the barcode." If anyone visits their local used CD shop and finds this, I'll make it worth your while. Later, Kevin

Cute? Valuable? Tell you what, if you want, if these UK reissues come in a jewel case, I'll swap you one-for-one for the Japanese mini-LP version of "Mexican Green" and "Tubbs Tours"! Of course, I am assuming you had tongue firmly planted in cheek when you wrote this. I do hate these cheesy cardboard sleeves on these Japanese CDs. "Cardboard" is actually a misnomer with these... it's better calling it "thick paper". Later, Kevin

Maybe you can get your hands on a copy of this Japanese CD to compare? I imagine Roger might be able to help you find a "listener's copy". I'd be curious as to what you think. No one seems to know what the Japanese reissues had for source material. Later, Kevin

How do you think I felt? I saw it at an IMax theater! The fight scenes made me nauseous. Really not well done at all and made worse when staring at a 45 foot tall screen. And another thing... Katie Holmes has crooked bottom teeth and her complextion isn't that good. I believe she had a cold during the filming of the movie, at least from what I could see up her left nostril. I believe I saw some spit on her lip... Gaaaaaahhh too close!!! Too close!!!! All in all, I liked this movie more than any of the others. I do think it dragged a bit though. By the end of the movie, I was wishing there had been an intermission. make sure you visit the bathroom before going in to see this one. Kevin

I do not have "Mexican Green" on LP. Roger, you have this on a stereo LP... how does it compare to the Japanese CD? As I said above, I thought these Japanese remasters sounded OK. Maybe the stereo version of "100% Proof" might pry my money out of my hands, but would it really be worth it for "Mexican Green"? Later, Kevin

Roger, being on the "Trio Label" seems to indicate that this would be a piano trio date? No info all at www.allmusic.com on this session. BTW, good to see you posting over here on Organissimo. Later, Kevin

Roger, I have Tubby's "Return Visit" on a gold CD from the Smash label. I believe it's in stereo. It's sounds very good to my ears. Do you have this version as well as the Japanese CD? Kevin

I used to think that the more recent the remastering effort, the better it would be. As the years have worn on, I am not finding that to be true in many cases. I am particularly disappointed by the number of recent remasters where the audio is clipped because the levels are too high. This clipping tends to fatigue me after 30 minutes or so. Granted, this phenomena seems more prevalent in the rock & roll world, but it is everywhere lately. To date, I have only had one SACD that I didn't think was an improvement over the standard CD. I like that about SACDs. They just sound better to my ears. As "bad" as the Japanese version of "100% Proof" is reported to be, I didn't find it too bad at all. I actually thought it sounded fine. Mono, sure, but not hissy or boomy... just mono. Quite honestly, many people might prefer the mono mix on some dates. There seems to be a huge number of Beatles fans who pay exorbitant $$ for mono LPs. The same goes for Blue Note sessions. As I said, I'd love to commit to buying these upcoming reissues, and if I hadn't just paid big bucks for these Japanese versions, I'd be jumping for joy. However, I did just buy them and the sound on them isn't bad enough to make me re-buy them. If they were SACDs, I'd pre-order them! Later, Kevin

If these upcoming releases in the UK were SACDs, I'd be ecstatic. As it is, I just bought these expensive CDs from Japan. I won't be buying them again. Oh how I wish these labels would put out more SACDs. Don't they realize it's an easy way to get new buyers? Just these 4 titles would get my money for SACDs... in a second. Later, Kevin

Already done many, many times! My current favorite is Ike Quebec's "Ballads" but Stanley Turrentine's "Ballads" is a close second. And no, "A Love Supreme" is not romantic dinner music. Kevin

Tonight I took my wife of 18 years out to a nice restaurant for a nice, quiet dinner to celebrate our anniversary. No kids, no mother-in-law. Just the two of us. We went to the Pond View Restaurant in Plaistow, NH. Nice ambiance for a romantic dinner. So, we're sitting there looking at menu and I start hearing Miles' trumpet playing "Autumn Leaves" from Cannonball's "Something Else". Nice appetizer music. As the evening wore on, I heard some Sarah with Brownie, some Long Tall Dexter and even some Basie. I made it a point to go find the maitre'd to compiment their musical selections. I can't remember the last time I had good music to go with good food in a nice relaxed atmosphere. Later, Kevin

I'm not "overeacting"... just "reacting". I was knocked out of my chair by Brookmeyer's stance, and believe me, a lot of people tried calmy discussing his dissing of a majority of the Jazz Corner posters. His wouldn't take back one word. A lot of people were caught off guard. My reaction was "to heck with him". It was really pretty strange. I wish the whole thing was still around but I believe a lot of it got deleted. Things weren't helped when DEEP jumped in and stirred it up by basically blasting anyone who tried calling out Bob for insulting everyone. And if what he said to us wasn't being a "jerk", I'd like to hear a better word. Look, he is a very well-versed musician who knows the ins & outs of writing and arranging for large and small groups. He's a pro's pro. I have utmost respect for his abilities in this regard. However, the way he treated me personally is why I don't buy his stuff. As for others in the Jazz field, I have no doubt... none at all... that many of the artists in my music collection are/were jerks. However, none of them did anything to me personally. Hey, since the subject of this thread is to try and get a Jazz reissue some good press, I'll drop it. I really just wish that Bob Belden had chosen a different artist to push, that's all. And my reasons are personal, not professional. Later, Kevin

Don't judge my comment as "stupid" unless you know what you're talking about. Bob Brookmeyer used to post over at Jazz Corner. He basically told everyone who wasn't a Jazz musician to stop posting there. His attitude was, if you aren't a Jazz musician, you have no right to be writing about it. He stated it several times and never backed off his opinion. Since he thinks so highly of my opinion, I have witheld the contents of my wallet from him since. I may still buy this because I like what Bob Belden has done for Jazz and I respect what he's trying to do here. I do not respect Bob Brookemeyer at all. And for the record, I buy hundreds of dollars a month of all types of Jazz, reissues and new artists, both vinyl and CD. I am not "part of the problem" wih regards to Jazz CD sales! Later, Kevin

If you're interested in this Mike LeDonne CD from Cellar Door, I'd E-mail Cory soon. The response I got from him seemed to indicate that he would never be able to run another pressing of this disc because of legalities. It's worth E-mailing him to see if he gets any returns. He's trying to get me a copy now. Later, Kevin

Why couldn't Belden pick another artist to pimp for? Brookmeyer's a jerk and I don't like supporting him. I might buy this just because Belden asked but it would never be for Brookmeyer's benefit. Later, Kevin

Popping sounds are usually electrical surges. Your guess that the power supply failed is a good one. However, if your machine has any built-in surge circuitry, and it's likely, there has probably been a fuse or trip that has to be reset. There could also be more damage to you machine than just the power supply. Don't drop too much money on this machine. It could turn out that the whole thing is fried. I wouldn't even buy a new motherboard. If all else fails, pull the hardrive out of this puppy and toss it in a dumpster. You can get refurbished Celeron Dells for less than $300 that will likely beat it out for speed. Just go to http://outlet.us.dell.com/Dispatcher?targe...414104&tgtSeg=I and check out the prices. Beats the heck out of de-bugging power problems. Later, Kevin

I still have my vinyl copy. It's one of the very few LPs I kept during the "great purge" of the 80's. I played it the other day and I still think the CD version I have sounds much better. I think the reason so many people got sick of this title is because FM radio stations played it non-stop. well, that and the fact that the songs' lyrics make you want to jump off a bridge! Oh yeah, and it accompanied a truly twisted and crappy movie. Anybody ever visit this page? Someone went through the trouble to put up the secret message (forward and backward). I never realized it was "Chalfont". I thought it was "Chelmsford", but then again, I had to rely on spinning the LP in reverse. Hard to get good fidelity that way! Later, Kevin

Rumors are strong that Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" will be coming out on SACD by early next year. This would be fantastic as it's my favorite session and one that could sound awesome in multi-channel. Like "Dark Side of the Moon", it too was released as a quadraphonic LP back in the 70's. However, unlike "Dark Side of the Moon", "Wish You Were Here" was recorded in quad! I imagine that if they use those original quad masters, we'll be in for a sonic treat! Am I the only one who digs "The Wall"? Sometimes I think so. Maybe it's because it was released during my senior year of high school? Maybe it's because "Comfortably Numb" is such a phenomenal song? Whatever... you have to like a band that puts a secret message in a song called "Empty Spaces". Later, Kevin

I think Jim made it clear that he would prefer not to have solicitations for illegal material here on Organissimo. Kevin

I was listening to Barron's "Hot Line" this morning on the way to work and I was once again reminded at how much I dig this date. Barron has such a unique sound to my ears. I just can't pin it down. He has that way of bending notes like a cat mewing a la Dexter Gordon (which could probably be described as the "Lester Young School") but he seems to twist the sound a certain way. One of the things I like the most is that Barron seems to get Booker Ervin to modify his usual solo style on a couple of tunes. Yeah, Booker gets stuck in his patented crying mode but he also does some unusual (for him) twisting around the beat, particualrly on the opening tune, "Bill's Boogie". It's a very nice tune. I assume this date takes place very early on in brother Kenny's career because Bill doesn't give Kenny a whole lot of solo space and, is it me, or does the piano sound "off"? Of the other two rhythm players, for some reason I dig Larry Ridley's playing more than anyone. This may go down in history... I actually dig the bass player more than the piano or drummer. Andrew Cyrille seems to be a time-keeper here. Not a lot of accents and very little in the way of soloing. Anyway, Savoy should get this date out there for everyone to hear. It's definitely a good one. Later, kevin