jazzbo

I'm listening to a borrowed advance copy (sleeve version, no booklet etc.) of Ellington's "Uptown." DAMNIT THIS IS GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC RELEASE! The sound is excellent. I put on one of my favorites from this time period included here, "I Like the Sunrise" and it sounded as if a larger than life Al Hibbler were singing in my living room! Whenever this one comes out, seriously consider grabbing it! (Not sure they'll use this cover.) How does such a huge sound come from this guy? One of the mysteries of the universe!

Yeah, "Oh Baby". . . one of the best Blue Notes of its day.

Hey, Bob Belden is pretty darned proud of this set that he produced! I know I'll buy it. I actually think I might like this more than the lp itself, which was not one of my favorites. The material from this that HAS come out besides the lp I really do enjoy, have had for years and learned to dig it. I'm psyched! Now bring on the Cellar Door sets!

This was my real love though. . .had a bike just like this one for about nine years and many many many miles. . . just this bike, no car til the final two years (the Belair wagon). My wife gave me an ultimatum: I could live with her or I could have the bike. I THINK I made the right choice, living with and then marrying her. BUT the bike remains in my garage. . . for thirteen years now, gathering dust, but it makes me feel better knowing it's there!

That 1998 Jag looks a lot like an Alfa Romeo model from 1965 or so. . . beautiful cars (both of them). The favorite cars I ever owned, in the seventies, were a 1967 Camaro (didn't look great but ran great and was the closest thing to an Italian car I ever had before I had an Italian car!) and then a 1964 Alfa Romeo Spyder. This was a great car, it had been uglified for racing (i.e. bumpers removed and replace with homemade, etc.) but man a beautiful handling and riding convertible with a detachable hardtop that I loved to drive, drove it cross country several times, and it was a great car. I replaced that with a series of motorcycles, and then my final car was a 1966 Belair wagon, so I could haul drums around, straight six with three on the tree. Still have that one though it hasn't been running in about four years and is now mainly a storage space. A real trooper of a car!

I think I like these covers better than the others too. . .maybe they're getting better?

Cool. I like this one! I wasn't sure what to think about the Patton at first. . . but looking at the albums covered, you know it looks like it works!

I guess I like Wolff's contemplative photo side, as this one is also a favorite (and I'm now far enough along in my not-smoking that I don't want to light one up when I stare at it!)

Yeah, I know what you mean. . . and Malcolm Addey is doing remasters on the Mulligan set so I know how good it will sound. . . .

New Selects

At least twice! I think only twice. . . . But I'm not an artwork fiend or connoisseur.

This is one of my favorites. It just seems to capture the lyrical quiet core to this man's fiery sounds, and the time period as well. . . .

Gosh it's been too long since I listened to this session (while eating a can of Wolf Brand chile.) It's one of my favorites of his Impulses! because I think he WORKED on this puppy long and hard in preparation. It was the big shot you know! And there was some love in there too for Trane who had been a support and a catalyst and guide in some ways to the music and the biz. The arrangements are what does this for me. Excellent stuff, striding the free and the less so very well, putting the soloists right where they need to be. And they also serve as a vehicle for Shepp's "acting." I view Shepp as an actor for the most part, especially during these Impulse! years. . . . He puts drama, maybe melodrama, into the material with his sound, his notes, his swaggering swing (or lack of swing, I'll certainly grant you that John). It took me a while to come to grips with his style in this period, and finally the "acting" idea allowed me to wrap my mind around it. . . . This is among my very favorite Shepps. I'm going to have to grab it and put it in the player again soon! Come on FRIDAY!

And Alanis Morissette is God? Who knew!

I've always found it safer to let sleeping dogma lie! Not that I always follow that advise. . . .

Alright Temple Jazz, glad you checked that one out because it's a winner, offbeat but on the mark!

Ummm. . . true confessions time. . . I have all of them but the batch that came out last week. . . Sunday I bought Indestructible which caught me up on the last batch! I love this series, yes I do.

It says "More good stuff coming soon!"

Congrats! Getting together with Helen has been the best thing that ever happened to me, tragic events that followed and all! I know you're in for a great adventure!

Slight correction: That is the TOCJ cover for Sonic Boom. The other half of the Procrastinator 2 lp set was actually reissued with the first half of the Procrastinator 2 lp set on the Procrastinator TOCJ cd release (with a different cover than the US cd!)

Figures! Man, Vic. . . . I just look at that picture and I can hear the music he made that makes me smile!

Well, I don't have this one but it would have to be good because did Vic ever make a BAD record?

No, there's a sort of new ugly red cover posted elsewhere on the board for this one.

I dig this photo!

Two I'd like to mention: Lush Life and Dakar. Lush Life was quoted as being Van Gelder's favorite Prestige session for some reason. Dakar is very nice because of the baritones. . . unusual, everyone plays very well. At least the sound on almost all of the Prestiges is more than good. . . .