jazzbo

I use powder too! Oh no I don't. Forget I said that. Don't tell my parole officer. . . .

With Mosaics and most conventionally packaged box sets I put the boxes away somewhere out of the way, keep the booklets separately on a bookshelf, and keep the cds in with the general cd chaos in my "archive."

Glad you had a good one; many more happy ones!

Anyone seen Cold Mountain yet? I went Friday and enjoyed the movie. It suffered a bit from the Hollywood glamorizing syndrome, but I did enjoy the way that the Civil War was represented--no justification or glorification was really applied, you saw the horror of war and no one explained it away with one or another super justification. . . . Basically another reworking of the Odyssey epic by a good cast that turned in a solid job. I was especially glad to see Natalie Portman as I hadn't known she was going to be in the movie, and it was a pleasant surprise. Rene Zelwiger's character was a little over the top and so was she, but I think that was the way it was in the book and possibly the script. . . .The villains were ruthlessly villainous. . . . It's always unsettling to see how awful human beings can be. . . . I'm interested to hear other impressions. . .

Well, Saturday I went to see Paycheck, an update of the 1953 short story by Philip K. Dick for the 2003 movie scene. . . . Overall I think they did a very nice job revamping the story and bringing it to the screen. The police state aspect of the story was definitely dowplayed and rather than a private corporation being a force for good, the corporation was made over into a villain. . . . I predicted just this story change to a friend of mine on the way to the movie! Afleck did a decent job, as did Uma Thurman. Ben's training for Daredevil and Uma's for Kill Bill paid off for them; they did the action scenes quite well. Not a fantastic film, but for fans of PKD a nice cinematic interpretation along the lines of Minority Report.

My resolution is to do more writing this year. I've never made that one before so so far I've never broken it. . . .

Tom thanks for mentioning Vic, quite an innovator, and one of the best jazz tympanists ever!

No, that's not safe! You're a marked man!

Okay, if we're going to name names like Chad Wackerman, then I'll add Danny D'Imperio.

Yeah, I have two Pepper cds thanks to Ron Thorne, one of the nicest guys on the planet, and I found one to be as Jim describes, stoner and interesting but. . .s t o n e r. The other is quite interesting and intense. One of these days I need to find some more!

That's interesting. . .I see them both as similar players in a way, flashy and bashy, though I think Bu comped better for soloists and had a more compositional approach to ensemble playing. Blakey as a drummer used to be an inspiration but I don't enjoy his drumming as much as I used to. I probably would have made the same choice in your shoes! But in any case I'd have liked to see both.

I'd add Tony Sparbaro (Spargo) and George Whettling.

I can take or leave nearly the whole season except for the fellowship fo family and friends and. . . I really really dig the time off and need MORE~!

Many More Happy ones!

Very good book I'll be reading for a while:

You know, this may be the only session as a leader of his that I don't have and haven't heard. They edited a bit out for the cd release, and I've been wanting to find and hear a complete version!

I don't know Bert. The out of tune piano doesn't bother me. It might bother the hell out of you as I know we are two different people and listeners. Does the Dolphy at the Five Spot piano bother you endlessly (if you're familiar with those recordings)?

He's not the best choice. BUT I think he does throw sparks around and gives the floks what they need. Still, even though I've been a drummer, I don't pay much attention to his work here; there's Bird and Diz and MONK. That's what I listen to and marvel at.

Stefan, my wife and I very carefully detail what we are getting for each other. That has been proven to be the safest thing to do. . . . I really like that Parker set!

My wonderful wife Helen got me the book of the Louis Amstrong HOUSE which is great, and the Master Takes on Verve of Charlie Parker which I am sure is great, but can't get at til tomorrow! Dem's da rules!

I have all eight volumes released on cd so far. This is a stupendous series in my opinion. Excellent sound quality. Great performances, featuring a number of selections live that are rarely recorded elsewhere. The original shows are well supplemented with other contemporaneous broadcast/taped live performances. It's so very fortunate that Storyville has initiated this program!

Quite a cool lp. This has been reissued on "RCA Spain" cd. . . . Great Jim Flora cover too!

Have a great holiday! PEACE

That is indeed the source of the picture!

C J, I hear it pretty much as you do. I dug it when it first came out because I had SEEN that tour, but I never listen to it any longer. The lps up through Tale Spinnin' are da schitte for me NOW and I hardly spin any of the others at all.