Kevin Bresnahan

My order got messed up too. I never did get an E-mail confirming that I ordered it in the first place so I confirmed my (first) order with Scott only to not get told that my credit card hold expired and I did not get my order in at all. So instead of getting one from the first batch, it looks like I'll be waiting for the next batch before I get my set. Mosaic's ordering system is pretty screwed up.

The way I read this is that the money paid in by us old-timers was done prior to the recent surge in salaries in the US. Therefore, when these people with these new heftier salaries retire, us old-timers would not have put enough into Social Security to cover their higher-than-planned payouts. "In CBO’s projections, average retirement and disability benefits in the first full year of claiming increase over time because of growth in average earnings. For example, initial benefits for retired workers born in the 1990s (who turn 65 beginning in 2055) are larger, on average and after adjusting for the effects of inflation, than for earlier cohorts. However, initial benefits replace a similar share of past earnings for successive cohorts." I think can see where this is coming from as I know of quite a few 30-somethings making big bucks (a few over $150K/year) in their young careers due to intense competition among employers. This would have been unheard of when I was 30-something and since your Social Security payments are based on your lifetime earnings, these people will qualify for maximum payouts. Not a lot of people in my generation will earn enough to hit that maximum. BTW - making big, big bucks does not mean you put big, big bucks into the Social Security fund. In 2023, withholding maxes out when someone earns more than $160,200, so these larger salaries are not going to contribute as much to the general fund as is needed.

Craft is going the "collectible" route to get the most bang for the buck. It's almost like they see Blue Note rolling in the dough with their Tone Poet series and go, "Nah. That's too much work". So instead, they've gone this ultra-limited "deluxe" packaging. How is this good for the fans? Go look up the LPs of Lateef's "Eastern Sounds" for sale on discogs. At least 7 of the 11 for sale are sealed. Craft's model encourages this & I don't think it is good for us in the long run. Can you imagine if OJC had chosen to go this route during the CD's heyday? We'd still e waiting for some titles.

Don't you think the packaging and the resulting price is a little overboard for what is just a regular Yusef Lateef record? I almost understood when they did this for Coltrane's "Lush Life" & Miles' "Relaxin'" but when was the last time Lateef's "Eastern Sounds" was mentioned as a record needing this kind of treatment? Don't get me wrong, I like it and play it when I'm in the mood for some Lateef but I don't consider it any sort of classic deserving of this lavish reissue. What's next, Herbie Mann's "Flute Flight"?

Bobby Hutcherson - Conception: The Gift Of Love (Columbia). This comes across as an early attempt at smooth jazz. Not really my favorite Hutcherson but not Kenny G-level terrible either. Until a post a few days ago, I forgot about this 2 CD set that I bought several years ago. I'll probably go back to forgetting about it again.

Craft?? No. No they don't. Exhibit 1B: Only $99... oh wait, it sold out in hours and now lists for over $300. Someone said it - a sucker is born every minute.

https://www.nme.com/news/music/singer-songwriter-david-crosby-died-3383908?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=singer-songwriter-david-crosby-died David Crosby has died at the age of 81 after a long illness. After he said in an interview that he didn't have long over two years ago, I was expecting this, but it's still tough when someone who has brought you a lot of happiness through his music leaves us.

When I want to hear that special sound "up close & personal", I usually pull this CD off the shelf:

It could be because "Chet Baker Sings" was in the first batch of Tone Poet LPs and Blue Note couldn't seem to keep it in stock. I certainly don't understand that one. But then again, I was never much of a fan of Baker's vocals to begin with.

My wife & daughters went to see the latest Avatar movie in the theater and I passed because I didn't want to have to get up in the middle of the movie to go to the bathroom (which happens a lot more since my surgery 6 years ago). I'll just watch it on BlueRay with my 3D glasses and surround system.

Terrible? On the Chiaroscuro LP or just in general? I always thought the stuff I streamed sounded OK but not really terrible. I should pick this up just for this track alone:

Lew Tabackin's FB page mentions that his meeting with Warne, "Tenor Gladness", finally came out on CD in Japan.

Taylor Swift's rabid fans probably bought all 4 of the variants of her latest LP release, "MIdnights", which likely is the reason that there were a lot of buyers of LPs in 2022 who didn't own a turntable. Those LPs sold out in most brick & mortar stores in a few days and I bet that a lot of those LP buyers didn't buy them to play them.

https://www.billboard.com/pro/vinyl-album-sales-rise-growth-slowing/ It's all in this billboard article.

Thanks to my Facebook friend Derek Taylor, I learned that Jim Hall's estate is releasing a CD (2 CDs maybe?) featuring Hall, Scott Colley & Joey Baron via Artist Share on March 2, 2023. It is called "Uniquities Vol. 1 + 2". I wish they offered more details on this release (Live? Studio?) but I still ordered the CD(s). Derek's post also pointed out that I missed an earlier Artist Share recording of Hall & Baron called "Conversations" that was released in 2010. It's sold out on CD but still available as a download from Artist Share. I'm not a huge fan of downloads but since the CDs are pricey on the used market, it may be my best option.

Not a fan of Columbia for doing these "bootleg" releases since they're being done strictly to claim the copyright, which they would lose in the EU under their "use it or lose it" copyright rule. I wouldn't be as bothered by it if they were actually doing it to make it available to fans of the music. They clearly are not. They do one limited pressing - just enough to get credited with releasing it - and then let it run out of print. My feeling is that they should "lose it" because then maybe the fans could actually buy it from someone who would keep it in print.

I'd love to help you out but I have most of these already. I've also pretty much given up on audio upgrades as I don't think my hearing can tell much difference these days.

I don't know that cover at all. Is it some new PD release? This is the cover I have:

Lousy bass sound on this one... although typical of that era. Direct bass pickup I assume? Further listening to that web link and I hear that this was recorded when Pharoah was still doing that random screeching stuff, which I find weird. In my experience, this was better live than it is on this recording. It's like he's playing a regular solo and then just loses his shit for second. This is the same label that's been putting out those Onkel Pös Carnegie Hall recordings.

Crosby, Stills & Nash - CSN (AF Gold CD). This was never a favorite of mine but when I'm in the mood for some mellow rock, it fits the bill.

The sheet music and lyrics enter the public domain. The musical recordings are still under copyright for quite a few more years (2049).

The same thing happened to Ronnie Cuber's web page a few years ago. It also happened to Horace Silver's webpage a few months after he died. Once you let your web domain rental expire, it's fair game for anyone to grab it.

I have heard this music in various forms over the years. In fact, I'm pretty sure I owned it on CD at least once. But I found an inexpensive used Japanese CD in my local record store so I thought I'd give it another listen. It's been a while since I've heard it.

I picked up the CD versions. I'm close to being done with vinyl (again).

Yesterday actually... Duke Ellington - Charles Mingus - Max Roach - Money Jungle Abdullah Ibrahim - Water From An Ancient Well