jazzbo

I voted no, because I'm not OFFENDED by it. I do myself feel that these particular animated gifs may be a little TOO MUCH. I can certainly understand that they may offend someone else, certainly I can understand that they may offend women who might otherwise decide to nest here. I'm not slinging stones. I don't have a clean slate. I like to post in the Babes section indeed. Though I wouldn't mind at all posting fully clothed babes only!

Yes, the sound is going to mirror the parts in the source or the amplifier BUT it could also be sonically affected by the compatibility of the source and the amplifier as far as voltage matching (impedance, etc.) which I know is real, but don't UNDERSTAND at all (the engineering of this is beyond me). More likely than sounding "aggressive" (an active, powered line stage has a better chance of this) a passive line stage would sound thin or not lively or lacking dynamics and volume. . . . THAT is not how organissimo.org sounds!

I've had good experience. The Masters of Jazz series is in great sound, has items not found elsewhere, and has notes! One of my favorite series of cds is the French CBS "Complete 1947 to 1952"--six cds, much of which are not in print from the US or Japanese branches of the label, and the sound is quite decent. (I know it could be better but it's quite good). The Chronogical Classics series again has decent sound and has items that are not found on US cds. . . .

UNLESS vinyl is your thing and all that, and that is perfectly understandable; in my brief experience with vinyl (the CBS Mingus set) theirs is da bomb! I really love the music on this Taylor set, I have the cd version, and I've heard a few of the Candid cds, and either is a good way to go, the lps would be great for a vinyl lover as well. . . . The music is worth having indeed.

Why almost anyone here could tell you that it is a line stage that is "not active." It might sound "agressive" though.

I went with Thurber too, though I like the others, the exact order would be inverted for me, but Thurber was someone that my dad turned me on to and that we can share humorous moments about in a wonderful way. . . . I've got a 1000 page bio of Thurber in my stacks to read one of these days when I'm ready for serious weightlifting (or when I retire.)

Thanks!

I'm getting a little tired of Fantasia's "personality" and I really wasn't that knocked out by her "Summertime." Jennifer wowed me though. I thought George did well too, at least as well as Fantasia, but the judges felt differently. I get really really sick of the judges by the time the final group is picked. . . . That's why guest judges is a good idea for the most part. Gives you someone else to get miffed with!

You mean you're a huge Louis Prima fan and you DON"T have the stuff in this set? I like this set a lot, mainly because I'm a Wingy Manone nut and I like Prima of this vintage a lot. The sound is very good. There are some killer sessions in here and very little filler. Some nice Pee Wee Russell. Very nice, really. It's New Orleans jazz with a swing sauce liberally sprinkled on and lots of personality from the leaders. The remastering is excellent; a tad bright in some systems. Really good booklet as well.

Well I think he did a good job on the show, and obviously I like his movies better than you do! John Stevens sucked, but that's not surprising. Most others did quite well. George and Jennifer were the best for me, and the first two!

Hmm. . . I actually liked Forrest as Bird. . . but whadda I know ('cept what I like!)

I think you WOULD like it Flurin.

"Jacknife" is going right now (still don't like the cover). I can listen, rather quietly most of the time at work. Thank goodness! Like Mule I have difficulty listening at home during the week to anywhere near the extent I listen at work . . . but I can listen more loudly at home when I can listen. Most of my quality listening is the weekend. Come on Saturday!

One of the greats that I saw that I have been thinking of lately was John Lee Hooker. That man's performances in Chicago that I saw left a lasting impression. He inspired me to pick up a guitar. He seemed so real in a way that many other performers DIDN'T. I was remembering one of his performances quite vividly a week ago. . . . Maybe that means that memory cell is going away and gave up its ghost!

Yeah Jeff, I feel that immense poweful rush of feeling in the work of 1965 to the end. . . . I think the first time I felt that it might be the illnesses pain channeled/ sublimated/defeated and transformed by the music was listening to "Live in Japan" one time about four years ago. . . . I literally started thinking about my grandfather while listening to one of the pieces, who had died slowly of an ever-increasing painful pancreatic cancer. . . I got to thinking of his pain somehow out of the blue because of the music, and did some thinking. Not sure it is valid, but I think that the pain that Trane HAD to have felt HAD to have gone somewhere because he did not give in to it til the very very end. . . . Anyway, I do believe that his spiritual search was at least in part one of communicating the spiritual benefits I think he found earlier and found that he had to communicate and share. I think he may have been looking for a way to go beyond the known forms of music and fuse or forge some new form of direct communicating sound . . . . Uh oh here we go getting "out there" again. . . !

I tell you, he was a good instructor. The fact that I haven't driven a vehicle in six years has NOTHING to do with him! Sailor? Wow.

Don't call me Shirley! Man oh man my Driver's Ed teacher was named Shirley. Shirley Wilson. Manliest of men--bald, rich dark crop of hair all down his arms and poking out of his shirt. I bet he slugged a lot of guys in his time!

You're welcome!

Here's a review of the "Helen Merrill Sings the Beatles" XRCD24 that I thought would be a nice thing to see on All About Jazz in the reviews, but their "guidelines" for style and mine are too incompatible, so I'll just put it here for those Merrill fans interested in this release. . . . "Helen Merrill Sings the Beatles" This is an odd, and for me and oddly satisfying compact disc. Now, I wouldn't call myself a Beatles fan. I was fifteen when Abbey Road was released, I can remember lying in my bed in my Waterford-Kamhlaba School dormitory as we all listened to the broadcast from BBC of portions of the lp in wonder. But in the ensuing decades I heard far too many Beatles recordings over and over, and I have some favorites, but I don't own any except a mono lp of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," and a stereo lp of "Revolver," two of my first lp purchases that I still have by some small miracle, but haven't spun in years. . . . But I AM a Helen Merrill fan. Her unique voice, delivery and interpretations of song have penetrated my listening world and brought me great joy. Due to the subject material, I deliberated whether to purchase this expensive XRCD release and finally decided that I would wonder and wonder about it if I did NOT. I pre-ordered it online for a good price, and sat back and waited for it to arrive. A few weeks later, I've spun this disc five times and I must admit I like it. At this time Merrill was a Tokyo resident, and a celebrity. Those Japanese recordings from this period I have been able to collect are quite different from her American output prior to settling in Japan. These are more "pop" records in a way, and yet, with Merrill fully participating, are interesting and intriguing efforts. Truly, "Helen Merrill sings the Beatles" is a freal "rock" record in many ways: rock compositions, with rock instrumentation augmented with big band and string (and vibraphone!) on occasion. Yet there is also a "fusion" feel to many selections; the rhythm section is very versatile, anchored by Arakawa's strong and nimble bass playing, and Inomata's drumming which captures the tom-tom and bass centered feel of Ringo Starr but spruces it all up with some Billy Cobham-like busyness (and some truly virtuoso hi-hat work). Merrill's voice is very well recorded, and this is the first recording I can remember hearing of hers where her voice is quite effectively double- and triple-tracked for harmony and layering. The arrangements are varied and suit the mood and message of each tune. I particularly like the psychedelic fusion sound of "Norwegian Wood," the gentle cello and violins and guitars of "Mother Nature's Son," and the sparse Fender-Rhodes piano dominated arrangement of "If I Fell in Love." A lot of work went into the writing, and yet the execution feels appropriately loose and unrestrained. At times the musical accompaniment reminded me of the Fab Four, but also of the San Francisco sound of the Dead and Airplane, mixed with the sophisticated fusion that Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett were bringing to jazz and rock together and separately around this time. The talents of Sato, Arakawa and Inomata and the uncredited other musicians are showcased and undeniable. Their participation brings a creative zest to the recording session that frames Merrill's vocals with interesting highlights and provides a solid bedrock for her interpreting craftwork. Finally I must say that at first I was not as grabbed by Merrill's singing on this release as I had anticipated. The music commanded my attention initially, and I thought that Merrill had done a fine but not particularly distinguished job. But on repeat listenings, it became clear to me that Merrill had used her expressive voice and her unique "feel" for melody and lyrics to deliver a fitting tribute to the Lennon and McCartney material, and offered a special view of these pop and rock tunes from her seasoned vantage point. I'm so glad that I took the chance on this release! As this is an "audiophile" and expensive release, I must note that the sound of this cd is exceptional! Clear, direct, and with a realism that can be spooky.

Clark Terry is another that was in both bands. I'm not sure I agree with you re: Betty and Al, and I don't think appearances in listing is an accurate way to assess real merit. . . and so much depends on how loosely one defines "jazz."

I'm hard pressed to get a clear view of typical, but I bet that the typical Blue Note collector of the time would have sound that was pretty good, maybe even better than some modern choices. Just a guess til my time machine comes back from the shop.

Is it really possible anyone will make a movie about Brownie? I'd like to hope so but don't expect to ever see one. The Hadju book about Dylan, Baez and the Farina's dust jacket says Hadju's "Lush Life" is being developed into a movie. . . . I've evidence that this was considered but still don't think we'll see it and there's more drama in a life of Strays under Duke's wing than in Brownie's life. . . .

Alright, turns out I picked up the Duke Pearson Select from a board member.

Did he or did he not pull a knife on Cab when confronted? My boss would fire me if I pulled a knife on her, I do believe. . .

I have a 1959 EICO integrated stereo amp that I used as my main stereo amp for years and it was NOT an expensive item in its day and it sounds better than most of the not expensive items of any type today. Also, I grew up as a child with a Dynaco / AR / Electravoice system that my dad had through the seventies that I STILL MISS as it was a magnificent and musical system. A careful shopper back when Blue Note was "the shit" in the fifties and sixties could have been enjoying really nice sound.