jazzbo

Yesterday I watched "Black Rain" (Ridley Scott with Michael Douglas) for the first time. Was okay. I just got the first season of "Leverage" in the mail yesterday and will probably start watching that. My uncle is going to be an actor in an upcoming episode and I've never seen the show (no cable.)

Huh. Well, they're great strings. Feel wonderful under the fingers and full of life.

Until very recently, I would not have recozgnized him! Anyone else addicted to Black Diamond strings? I love the black coated nickel wound. Wow. Still haven't found anywhere to buy them in town, I have to order them online.

Yes, FOUR signature models, two "Sonic Youth" ones introduced just last week (so that makes an Elvis Costello, J. Macis, Lee Renaldo and Thurston Moore "Signature Editions."). And the '62 reissue is still coming out. Fender Japan also is putting out '66 reissues (neck has binding and big position markers a la Gibson). There's also a "Classic Player" model made in Mexico. The Japanese ones seem to have Strat pickup works, not real Jazzmaster pickups. For me, lover of neck pickups, the '62 reissue has the warmest, woodiest, darkest sound of Fender neck pickups I've ever heard. The Costello and Macis I believe share these pickups. Seymour Duncan apparently put out pickups that are most true to the fifties original sound. Very interesting guitars!

Well it says if the payment was by credit card "cut-outs" and "limited editions" will not remain in backorder status and will not be filled. Each and every one of my OJCs was a cut-out.

Looks like a nice one indeed. No experience with that model, but it's sure pretty! It's weak spot may be the pickups, and with so little in the guitar if you wanted to you could add some really humdingers in time.

Well, after considering myself a Gibson sort of man for a long time, I really have fallen in love with two Stratocasters that have beautiful necks and sounds and they're my two main guitars. One I've had sort of clandestinely for a few months (haven't talked about it) and the other for a few weeks. The first, the one that totally surprised me was a Billy Corgan strat a friend of mine (I bought my bass violin from him) wanted to sell for a friend of his. Because I have more money than sense now I tried it out. . . and really fell for it. It's a hardtail, which is my preferred bridge. The neck is perfect, maple fretboard, 9.5 inch radius, 43 mm nut. The damned thing looks really great. . . Olympic white nitro finish, black pickguard, big 'seventies style body and headstock. Has custom Dimarzio single-space humbuckers, a very modern sound that just comes alive in blazes with effects, and if you play with it you can get almost all the blues and jazz tones you need. Sustains like crazy and has a nice midrangey sound. Quite a guitar! So I investigated the specs of that neck and found that it's pretty standard on a lot of modern Strats, especially Deluxe and Highway One. . . . Started playing some in stores and found there's a special edition mahogany Strat SHH (made for Guitar Center I think) that has that neck and the nice tone of mahogany from a one-piece body. The current ones have TexMex pickups in the neck and middle and I'm not that crazy about those. Did some research and found that there was a Fiftieth Anniversary limited edition Deluxe Strat that had the mahogany body and the newly introduced fantastic SCN pickups, LSR neck, locking tuners, etc. Found a great example on ebay and it's a fantastic guitar, beautiful crimson transparent finish, beautiful neck with rosewood fretboard and abalone markers, fantastic warm sound from the body and the pickups and S-1 switching as well so ten pickup positions, just a really versatile and easy to play guitar that has a sweet darker sound. Honestly between the two of these I am very very happy and well covered. I may keep these two, my '72 Thinline Tele, maybe my Breadwinner, and sell the rest of my guitars and a couple amps. . . . I really like Jazzmasters that I've played around with lately in a few stores, and if I can realize enough out of the other gear I may buy one. . . the Elvis Costello model is really really nice, love the look, feel and sound. WARM! It's really frustrating. . . my AC is out again and through the weekend, and I am sweating so much I'm afraid to touch my Strats. And I want to touch my Strats! Maybe I'll put myself into heat prostration and play my drums instead, I've really been neglecting those.

Ended up getting 22 of the 40 discs I ordered. I did not get Rollins, Flanagan, Big Joe Turner and Tjader titles I'd ordered. (But did get titles from each of these, quite a few Rollins, three Tjaders, three Turners and a Flanagan.) Ordered the Rollins and Turner I didn't from Oldies at not too much more from half.com and amazon.com.

Many many more happy returns! Glad you're enjoying 53. Me too!

I love Duke. I have heard a few discs from this set. In my opinion they sound mediocre. I do care about sound quality. I've been collecting Duke on cd since 1988 and I have been going for the best sounding sources, and there is a difference that does help the music shine through. I was more than partly tongue-in-cheek about this but I really feel that Duke deserves better than to be sort of pirated together (from a US standpoint) in slipshod fashion. I love Duke. But to each their own and I guess I'd rather people have Duke in any form than not in any form. Edit to add: I know it seems arrogant to be concerned about sound quality in these compressed loss-file days but I'm always going to buy a carefully engineered remaster over some noise-reduced nonchallant affair produced with no access to master material or legitimate origin. I can hear the differences on my systems and they are worth the premium for me. Duke's work is one of those that I feel really shines when given its best reproduction, especially the first two decades worth.

Lots of great Hackett on George H. Buck labels . . . . Here's one of my favorites: http://www.jazzology.com/item_detail.php?id=JCD-111 Complete World 1943

I have lots of tunes that are sort of bedrock in my brain. I notice some of them because they come out when I play instruments. This year they've included Tenderly, Stardust, This is No Ordinary Love, and lately If Ever I Would Leave You.

Also new is the new Wynton Marsalis.

Playing music always makes me want to hear new music. I've been playing guitar this last year more than anything and it's moved me toward new guitar sounds and players and music. When I pick up the bass, the same. Piano, drums, the same. I need music in my head. It's become a big part of my "self-talk"--how I interact with worlds inner and outer. And I need to feed the need. I have the need to feed. I think as long as I have coins to rub together I'll be seeking out new recordings. Less so the "social things." I've sort of happily retired from the social life.

Might be good if this happened to me, I really wish it would. It hasn't. There is so much to explore!

Many many happy returns!

Jim, you do know about Lacy's earlier work with Whitey Mitchell, don't you? He started out in traditional jazz.

Glad you did. You're more into all the elements (the scene, the music, the drinks) than I am!

I have that somewhere so I'm safe.

They probably have more than one. I bought one from them about two years ago!

I also don't have the Washington either - unlikely to go for it too I guess. Once my latest 'presciouses' arrive, I'm only missing the Peterson/DeFranco, Ray Brown and the Teagarden I think. Any movers and shakers amongst that batch? I keep the boxes though ! I didn't go for the Washington when I saw it because I had all the material. I have all the Mercury box sets, so I'm a big fan just haven't gone for the single releases . . . . Get the Teagarden (you can get it on iTunes if you do downloading)

A very "That Girl" video of "Sands of Time." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYDMch9BMCI

Mine was also placed on July 4, not sure what time of day. It was an exciting holiday.

Yeah maybe. I just have a strong distaste for SXSW events. Irrational in many ways, I know. And then again, I really don't need to fuel my guitar mania! I've way too many axes and amps, and need to thin the herd.