jazzbo

Hope it's a great one!

I like them both.

Yes, it's not typical Himes. I've read a handful of novels, and a biography. Quite a character! Should revisit his work soon. I've read a lot of Amis, mainly in the 'eighties. Not sure if I've read The Rachel Papers. Sounds like I should check it out one of these days. I like his earlier stuff.

I've read Pinktoes, pretty interesting read.

Will be interesting to read details of the interviews. Thanks!

Hope you have a great day!

A few weeks ago my friend Dave brought his copy over and we watched "Redux." Not one problem with it, just beautiful sight and sound.

I love it! Wish there were more films like it. I really really wanted to like this one. . . but it was just too implausible and didn't really capture me.

I don't disagree about Shaw's playing. . . I just don't feel that all other elements of the sessions are up there with that. But I'm happy that you hold them in such high esteem!

Gene Shaw's Breathrough can be found, reissued a few years ago by Dusty Groove. Carnival Sketches was out from Japan but would be hard to find these days. I have heard Debut in Blues, which is possibly the best of the three. I love Shaw. . . but I'm not positive I would put them in the category of excellence that JLH is asking for. . . .

Here's the online poll page from www.mingusmingusmingus.com Encouraging, it's very different than the results on my facebook page. On facebook, digital downloads leads. I'm glad I mentioned in my email that FB results may not be the best indicator of the wishes of all Mingus fans. http://test.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=4f5e2cece4b07459c19b4d83 Digital Downloads 6% (4) 4 CD box set for $68 9% (6) 6 CD box set (with additional music) for $102 84% (54) Okay, I didn't check the link in post 42; I assumed it was the FB link.

Weird, as that's VERY different from what it shows me.

Joe, on the FB Page, move your mouse to the right of each poll choice and you should see a pop up window with data. . . The results there are different than are reported above.

Storm Corrosion is now available for pre-order from Amazon. Though it doesn't specify, I believe the listing is for the cd/Blu-ray combo.

I absolutely hate the Draper character, just not the type of man I would ever want to be.

It took me forever to get past a lot of the characters in that show and how they treat others. And I still don't really like many of them at all. But the production values are excellent and there's a fascination that keeps me coming back. My gal just shrugs at the way the women are treated. She works with huge judge egos long hours every day. She knows how to maneuver and to an extent manipulate.

Public domain release of the Candid Taylor sessions, with additions of tracks from Impulse and Verve. Probably sourced from prior cd releases. My personal thoughts: for me, not necessary.

WELCOME! Thanks for the information, and please stay and post amongst us!

I agree, this is a nice one. There is hope that there is a chance it may come out from Japan in the next few years, as they seem finally to be releasing Capitol Cannonball dates not yet on cd.

This year or next?

An email last night from Michael at Transparency Records announces the next Sun Ra Transparency release: SUN RA Live At The Red Garter New York City, July 1970 Transparency 0319 (Two audio CDs - 86 minutes total - Includes nine minutes not circulated among collectors - Plus a slide show of 82 black & white photos of the event by Lee Santa on the second disc) UPC #716205031922 A superb performance by the Arkestra at NYC's The Red Garter (later known as The Bottom Line). Dragging the folder of 82 photos to your computer desktop and viewing the slide show while listening to the audio discs takes you right there to the concert - for a very unique documentation like no other. Please order now using the paypal address meridianavenue@yahoo.com We anticipate shipping during April 2012. $15 first class postpaid within the U.S. $18 airmail postpaid to Canada and Europe July 1970 The Red Garter, NYC (Earthly Recordings #150) UNIDENTIFIED TITLE This is a lovely understated duet between Ra on organ and Alan Silva on cello. It's nice that Ra gave Silva so much solo space during the latter's relatively short tenure with the Arkestra. UNIDENTIFIED TITLE Horns and flutes come in, still in keeping with the subdued mood of the previous duet but clearly playing a different piece (RLC calls it a "slow minor key theme"), before the drums pick up the tempo and the horns and organ dig into a cool swinging riff. This would have fit perfectly on My Brother The Wind Volume II. Like so many compositions here, this is one I really wish Ra had recorded officially. He lays down cool organ grooves and Kwame Hadi plays a gorgeous trumpet solo, compelling and exciting like all of his playing. This is followed by sumptuous Pat Patrick baritone sax solo. The groove here is simply incredible. Flutes comment in riffs in the background, and other horns come in. After Patrick stops, the riffs take over for a bit before we return to the opening slower ensemble theme. Dissonant flutes lay down a blanket of chords for the main theme to rest on as it builds to a nice finish. LADIES AND GENTLEMULES What a quirky song! Accompanying himself on organ, Ra introduces the piece by saying he has something to say to the gentlemules. Then the band eases into a slinky jump groove, and they chant "Things ain't gonna change like they did," and something indecipherable. At intervals they stop and Ra makes special announcements about members of the congregation not having themselves together -- but it's okay, because "another ******* gonna take your place!" All through the groove, Ra's organ cooks; we get an abrupt ending as the tape cuts off. SOMEWHERE ELSE A nice, tight rendering of this piece, one of my favorites from this era. The trumpet solo, by Kwame Hadi, is tight and focused. It's followed by some cool organ, with the band sustaining the groove before returning to the head. (You can tell my bag of musical vocabulary terms is running out. Oh well -- my language may run dry, but Ra's musical ideas never do!) SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY This is the earliest known live Ra version of this song, which he first recorded in 1962 at the Choreographer's Workshop (on the CD Standards). Later to be sung so beautifully by June Tyson, here it's all instrumental, with a really nice Gilmore solo, backed by Ra's organ comping. Did I say "really nice"? Gilmore swings like a mutha, turning in a heart-thumping whopper of a solo. I'm going to quickly run out of laudatory language to describe his superlative playing, I can't tell. Words really don't do him justice. Silva does some cool out bowing as the song draws to a close. PLEASANT TWILIGHT This piece is easily the highlight of this volume. Ra starts it by playing the melody on solo organ, slowly but straight through, followed by meditative ruminations on the melody. Then the band comes in at a swift swinging tempo, faster than the studio version (which is the only known recording of this piece at all!). After the band plays the head, something magical occurs: the tempo drastically slows down, the horns play through the chord changes slowly, and Gilmore takes off, laying down a simply glorious solo that shows him at the peak of his powers. It's one of those solos that's all over the place while at the same time fitting firmly in the flow of the song, and it's one of his most amazing ever. As he reaches the upper stratosphere of the high register, Ra's organ joins the horns, then, as on the studio version, the band plays the melody at a slower, statelier pace. But it's not over yet -- the tempo picks back up and we get the added bonus of another hot trumpet solo, I'm guessing by Kwame Hadi. Besides Walter Miller, the dynamic duo of Kwame Hadi and Akh Tal Ebah are my favorite Ra trumpeters, and it's great to get whatever solos we can from them. The head comes back, but played even faster than at the beginning. Overall, a fantastic performance. ________________________________________ ____ TRACK LISTING: 01. unidentified 02. Somewhere Else 03. Ra Improv - Sometimes I'm Happy 04. Pleasant Twilight 05. unidentified 06. Love In Outer Space 07. unidentified 08. Ladies And Gentlemules

It's good to have. I had tracked down all the Savoy material on lp burns before that came out, and it was good to have the remastered material there was there. And then nice to have the Fresh Sound set. I don't often buy the Fresh Sounds stuff, but this one was a boon for the Savoy sides that hadn't been on cd (to my knowledge) before.

Unfortunately, that's only true of the second disc of the "Last Savoy Sessions."

We're lucky we have such consolation.

I am exactly the same age as Billy Bob Thornton. I console myself by reminding myself I share the same birthday with Louis Armstrong and Barack Obama.