jazzbo

Some good material, raising my esteem of Blue Note a bit more. I guess I like the albums Terrason has put out a bit more than Flurin, I think they're good straight ahead jazz and I like the "rapturousness" of some of his playing. The solo album should be interesting.

Are you familiar with Bix, Tram and Tea? If you're a fan of this style of music, you may have a lot of the material elsewhere . . . and though it sounds great here and there's a great booklet you may not feel justified buying it again. (I did, and I'm sort of glad I have, but I haven't spent a lot of time with the box set, I've mostly played the individual cds I had for some time instead). If you don't have this material, and can "handle" the sonic aspects of early jazz and what some perceive as "not as sophisticated as modern jazz" swing and vocal styles (some people can really put down the early recodings and just not get in to them) then this is a really interesting box. A great group of recordings, well presented.

The McLean would be my first grab of these.

Hey, I've had these in Houston since May. . . . Bose Companion 2 powered speakers. These are good for traveling tunes. Doesn't weigh too muchl Doesn't have an alarm clock function so if you need that. . . the iHome is okay I think, heard it in the Apple Store, but its no Companion 2 soundwise. I really like the sound of these things with my iBook and iPod. Really!

Hhm mm mm . . . .I guess I like women skinny!

Much as I often agree with jazzbo's assessment, I've got to disagree with him on this one. I read "A Love Supreme" on my summer vacation and could hardly put it down. I was very pleasantly surprised at how good it is. I really enjoyed the section about van Gelder and his famous studio. Looking forward now to the new book. Well, maybe it's just me. It's just that in those two previous books there was little that I actually learned that I had not read elsewhere. . . . Admittedly I read obsessively about jazz for a few decades and just stopped finally recently, but . . . there wasn't much new there, and he never seemed to go to another level with the material for me. I'll probably pick this one up at some point this year or next and maybe I'll enjoy it more.

Last year's (or the year before's?) domestic reissue was remastered by Ron McMaster. There are some improvements over the early remastered by Malcomlm Addey, and some areas where the earlier cd is better. I think I hear a bit of distortion on the new one.

Easy mistake to make!

Bird Call made it to cd in Japan in a really limited fashion (pressed as a Blue Note Club selection or some such by TOCJ).

Thanks C!

Whew. NO. I never reformed from my electric Miles days! I'm still in 'em.

Ed, I like that term, "jazzhole." Wow. I might be one. I'm actually the last few years progressively listening to jazz less and less and getting into a blend of other tings. The Dead were helping there. yourmusic helped, because it made it affordable. And Monday Michiru is helping me to regroup and rethink. The great thing is when I do slip back into a jazz mode, especially of the old giants that I grew up on jazzsise, I am deeply into it with a new joy.

I'm really digging this too. The sound doesn't bug me a bit (I like the bite the organ has!) and it's darned fine groovin' stuff.

I've got those and about four other Water reissues. Man they do a good job. I wish the regular Blue Note reissues sounded and looked so good.

Thanks Jim, Jim and Don. Yes, I really did have a good birthday. . . a little oasis in the desert I've trekked across recentl (and am preparing to set out across again).

Well, yes I like that . . . but I thnk my favorite Caravans are the live ones that Duke did in the last years of the fifties. . . where he introduced the players on percussion and it had that long loping groove. . . there are a couple of versions on the Private S Series that are just such fun!

For those who do find Norma Jean very attractive. . . there's this site. . . . http://stellargraffiti.com/My%20Pictures/

"Soultrane" seems like a matador's red cape!

I'm not really ignoring it but it's not really among my favorites, I left it and African Flower off as I didn't have much to say about them, they don't jazz me. Yeah, the old guy gives them the slip. There's so many better versions of Caravan out there.

A dream of summer.

With "Money Jungle" I have to say when I first bought the cd and "Very Special" spilled out I just flipped. It may be the best track on the disc for me in fact. The swing. . . the new guys are pretty in sync with the old guy here to my ears. . . it just really communicates a mood of exuberance. And the new material still remains my favorite because "Switch Blade" is my second favorite. I was very enamored of Charles when I first grabbed the cd, and the way he leads off with that meaty and "mean" feel just had me in its spell. And I love the space in the music, the way Duke is so in command with single notes then runs then those so Ducal chords. The mood is sustained and Max is giving the perfect groove until Charles does his plucky ending, showing off. The "Money Jungle" composition and performance sometimes really rocks me though. This is so "modern" and yet also so very "Rockin' in Rhythm" to my ears. . . a blend of the new and the funky and worn shoes old. I seem to feel Duke really having fun with Charles and Max here. That hard hitting sound he gets out of that piano. He learned how to fill a room with sound long before this date! I'd love to hear what they might have spoken in preparation for this one. Both the "Solitude" performances are good. In my mind's eye I can see Duke making is faces as and wide smiles as he presents this stylish staple with slippery charm, pretending to the unseen audience that he's sort of thinking this arrangement up as he goes along. Sure. We believe you Duke. The alternate I like a hair more because it seems to convey this offthecuffness the most. Really, Charles and Max could have gone down the hall for a cold one. I don't think their contributions to the final part are necessary at all. Would have been nice as a "solitudinal" piano piece. I should like "Backward Country Boy Blues" more, because it shares characteristics with my other favorites, but it seems less "invested" and by the end of this cd I'm just wanting something sweeter. "Warm Valley," I agree with MG that this isn't the richest version by any stretch, would have served better as the closer. But I'm spliting hairs. I find myself listening to the old cd version most. The new one though it offers more, offers a bit less to my ears sonically. It may be just me but I hear some distortion. I really like the sound of the TOCJ cd I have, but it lacks the extra material, and the extra material really sings.

Scott, you've gotten good recommendations here. I have to say: the Pablo sides are a good way to start out and get your feet wet in Ellingtonia. Lots of modern Duke there and lots of looking back to the past. I would say my favorites may be three of the Suites cds, the "In the Common Market" (I have that on lp but i think it's cd'd), and the featuring Paul Gonsalves disc. I like the 1956 Newport two cd set more than Guy does. . . That band. . . Nance, Terry. . .Gonsalves. .. Woodyard. Wow. I like 50s Ellington in general and would say Blues in Orbit, Indigos and Anatomy of a Murder are three good starting points for that decade.

Photo #2 is also not MM. I think the intent was to show how she has become an "image of an ultimate babe"?

You know, I don't watch her movies, haven't even seen probably a quarter of them. But from photographs I just see a unique charisma that reaches out and grabs many men. She has a full and natural beauty that I wish had been captured more and not "blonded." She managed to embody a type of dream woman of the America of her time that walked in men's heads at night and that they wished they could walk with during the day. I think she was AN ultimate babe. There are others. . . for other men in other generations and places and times. It's sad she was not with us longer.

It's the 51st. For a year I've been "over fifty" because I guess the day you turn 50, you're over. . . . But now no denying. . ."over fifty!" Feels fine though. I'm going to not have an age problem. So much going on that is distracting/requiring attention, and I'm better suited to deal with the good AND the bad stuff a this time and age.