mjzee

I bought 2 Circuit City booster packs: Art Pepper - The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions Duke Ellington - Fargo 1940 Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington - The Stockholm Concert 1966 Jim Hall - Jazzpar Quartet + 4

I don't have time to read all 9 pages of this thread that seems to have sprung up like a mushroom, so forgive me if I repeat what others may have posted. 1) Lyrics are overrated. I prefer listening to jazz because it's instrumental, and I can think while I listen, while lyrics jam up my head. Also, most lyricists these days are callow youths (from my perspective), who have nothing really new to tell me. Finally, my politics have changed, I've gotten more conservative, and most ranting political songs turn me off. Example: I was considering downloading Norah Jones's last album (Amazon had it for like $2.99), but the feedback indicated that many songs were political. Who needs that? I didn't buy it. 2) We don't have time to study albums any more; we're working. I love Capt. Beefheart, but I don't know if I'd love him if I first heard him today - I don't have the time to devote to listen to him, and put together what he was presenting. 3) At the end of a hard day, I don't want to listen to some jangly-ass piece of shit. 4) It's still very pleasant to relisten to music from my youth - I still get something out of it. I enjoy listening to the Grateful Dead - that's my music. So sue me.

John Fahey - Death Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes John Fahey Vol. 4 - The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party John Fahey Vol. 6 - Days Have Gone By John Fahey - The Legend of Blind Joe Death John Fahey - Old Fashioned Love John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death John Fahey - The Voice of the Turtle John Fahey Vol. 3 - The Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites John Fahey - The Yellow Princess Ingrid Michaelson - Girls & Boys Leo Kottke - 6 & 12 String Guitar Kottke, Fahey & Lang John Patton - Soul Connection Alvin Queen - Jammin' Uptown John McLaughlin - Floating Point Art Pepper - Intensity Barry Harris - For The Moment Hank Jones - Compassion

The quintet sides on "The Washington Concerts" (Blue Note). Jaw-dropping in terms of speed and ingenuity.

Up.

From the Wall St Journal: Alison Krauss And Robert Plant, Together It's a pairing that works a lot better than you might expect By JIM FUSILLI June 14, 2008; Page W16 ROANOKE, Va. -- At first blush, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and bluegrass singer and fiddler Alison Krauss seem an unlikely pair, but they share territory on the pop landscape. Witness Ms. Krauss's faithful version of Mr. Plant's "Big Log" on her brother Viktor's album "Far From Enough" or her forays into pop with her band Union Station. Then there are the mellow, velvety smooth folk-based songs on Mr. Plant's solo recordings or the folky side of Zeppelin, a band formed by Delta and Chicago blues. The best evidence of their commonality is the Plant-Krauss 2007 collaboration, "Raising Sand" (Rounder), produced by T-Bone Burnett. The million-selling album comprises country-flavored rock and rockabilly from the 1950s, with a touch of Kurt Weill's Weimar Republic-era arrangements here and there, all enveloped by Mr. Burnett's shimmering, atmospheric production. The disc provided most, but by no means all, of the material for Mr. Plant and Ms. Krauss's current U.S. tour, which resumed here on June 2 after the troupe spent early May in Europe. In concert, the music was a little bit looser and by turns quiet and tranquil, pounding and aggressive as the singers and their five-piece backing band tossed bluegrass numbers and several reworked Led Zeppelin songs into the mix. The singers' versatility was matched by the band's, which featured Mr. Burnett on guitar, Stuart Duncan on all sorts of stringed instruments, Dennis Crouch on upright bass and Jay Bellerose on drums; all of these musicians played on "Raising Sand." Nashville's Buddy Miller was also on guitar, succeeding the album's Marc Ribot, and Mr. Miller's presence deepened the country twang. But with the exception of Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bellerose, rarely did the musicians play the same instruments in consecutive songs, nor were they always on stage at the same time. When Ms. Krauss sang the bluegrass gospel song "Green Pastures," she was accompanied only by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Duncan on guitar. She began "Down to the River to Pray" as a solo a cappella number; soon she was joined by Messrs. Plant, Miller and Duncan singing low harmonies. "Leave My Woman Alone" was built on Ms. Krauss's fiddle and Mr. Duncan's mandolin, and the two played fiddle as Mr. Plant offered a decidedly country version of his solo hit "In the Mood." Fronting the band when Ms. Krauss departed, Mr. Plant bridged the U.S. and the U.K. with "Fortune Teller," previously recorded by the Rolling Stones and the Who but written by New Orleans' Allen Toussaint. Both vocalists were in extraordinary voice -- perhaps not a surprise given how distinctive and commanding they usually are. But they blended so well together, whether they were singing a tight, controlled Everly Brothers-style harmony in "Rich Woman," the night's opener, or letting loose during a soaring reimagining of Zeppelin's "Black Country Woman" that seemed to rattle the bunker-like Roanoke Civic Center. Though there are no Zeppelin songs and only one composition by Mr. Plant and his Zeppelin partner Jimmy Page on "Raising Sand," the band's material was a focal point of the concert -- and yet another opportunity to celebrate versatility. "Black Dog" arose from an interpretation of its guitar lick by Mr. Duncan on banjo, and Mr. Plant and Ms. Krauss gave it a sly, understated reading: Though they've been playing this version for months -- you can find a performance on You Tube -- they still seem delighted by the audacity of the re-creation. Later, they let their voices fly during "Battle of Evermore," with Mr. Miller adding a gorgeous third harmony. "When the Levee Breaks," which Zeppelin reinvented 42 years after Memphis Minnie's version in 1929, served as a fitting conclusion to the two-hour show, with strands of country and rock flavoring the blues. They paid tribute to Bo Diddley, who died earlier in the day, by playing his "Who Do You Love," Mr. Plant alternating the vocal with a piercing harmonica solo. Mr. Burnett's penchant for reverb and tremolo, his and Mr. Miller's chugging guitars, and Mr. Bellerose's use of maracas, toms and sticks on the drums' rims created a pretty fair facsimile of the Bo Diddley sound and a rebuke to those who attempted to define the late musician in their eulogies by a single rhythmic pattern. From beneath a cascading mane, the 59-year-old Mr. Plant was in a playful spirit throughout the evening, joking through song introductions and smiling and glancing out of the corner of a twinkling eye at the reserved Ms. Krauss, who did her best to avoid his distractions. Calling her "the most gifted musician I know," he made it clear he relished the chance to perform at her side, all but laughing in joy after a song in which their vocals intertwined. As for Ms. Krauss, who is 36 years old, her voice is so pure and potent that she can control a down-tempo number by holding a crystalline note and letting it build in volume, seemingly without effort. If the evening's version of Tom Waits's "Trampled Rose" was maudlin to the point of overbearing, Ms. Krauss wasn't to blame. She sang it with disarming power. Which isn't to say that Mr. Plant was outclassed. The duo's version of Doc Watson's "Your Long Journey" was a lovely bluegrass prayer, and in "Killing the Blues" their voices formed a flawless two-part harmony. Despite an evening's worth of resourcefulness and invention, the most magical moments were when the singers sang, together and without reservation.

Thanks. That would make all of these illegal bootlegs, since it's all still copywrited material. But what an odd selection of songs... I wonder what was the thought process behind these. Also, if you're just trying to rip off Fahey, why stuff these discs with 70+ minutes of music?

Yeah -- I noticed the low volume when listening online. I wondered if it was just those clips or if it was the actual volume on disc. I wonder if they were concerned about dynamic range, et al. I know there's been a lot of negative buzz about "hot mastering" and jacked-up signals, digital clipping, etc, etc. It must have been done for a reason. If not, I'd imagine a producer would have cought that. I haven't heard the Chu set, but it struck me throughout the Al Cohn/Joe Newman set that the mastering level is markedly lower. Is this an RCA thing? My impression is that they've always had a weird approach towards remastering - their Horowitz CDs sound distant and cold. Same for the Ellington Blanton/Webster set.

Does anyone have info on these 3 Fahey albums currently available on eMusic? Americana Masters, vol. 1 Americana Masters, vol. 2 Americana Masters, vol. 3 On one of those no-name labels, but they don't seem to be taken from existing albums. Outtakes? Legit or not? Who knows? They look good, though...

Not sure that the reference to his being Jewish is correct. In Phil Lesh's autobiography, "Searching For The Sound," p. 143, he writes: "It didn't seem too much of a reach, therefore, when Mickey introduced us to his father, Lenny Hart, to hire him as our manager; they'd been in business together just before Mick joined the band, partners in a drum store in San Carlos. If Lenny regretted the loss of his son and partner to rock 'n' roll, he didn't show it, and Mickey seemed genuinely glad to have him around, recommending him to us as someone who knew about business. When the drum store closed, he'd become a Bible-thumping evangelist preacher; he cam on to us as if he were doing God a favor by helping us hapless hippies hang on to our ill-gotten gains, and that should have raised some hackles on our necks. Since Lenny was Mickey's father, and a religious man, we assumed he'd be honest - and hoped he could control our spending better than Rock had."

Yeah, I think I'm finally done. I feel like such a glutton... Red Garland: When There Are Grey Skies, The Nearness of You, Blues In The Night, Revisited, At The Prelude, Plus Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Soul Burnin', Red in Blues-Ville, All Kinds of Weather, Manteca, Crossings, Red Alone Zoot Sims: Suddenly It's Spring, The Swinger, Basie and Zoot, Hawthorne Nights, w/Joe Pass, Live at Falcon Lair, Quartets, Somebody Loves Me, Either Way, Jazz In Paris Mississippi John Hurt - 1928 Sessions (Yazoo) Charlie Hunter Trio - Mistico Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones - Our Delights Joe Pass & Jimmy Rowles - Checkmate Bob Dylan - I Will Not Go Down Under The Ground - Let Me Die In My Footsteps (track) on Broadside Ballads, vol 1 Modern Jazz Quartet - 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival Drake/Gahnold/Parker - The Last Dances Dave McKenna - No Bass Hit John McLaughlin - My Goals Beyond Bill Evans - Moonbeams Taylor Swift Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars - Sunday Jazz at the Lighthouse, vol. 2 Cecil Payne - Chick Boom, Cerupa Jerome Richardson- Midnight Oil Al Cohn: Night Flight To Dakar, No Problem, America, Play It Now, Broadway Al Cohn and Barry Harris - The Complete, vol. 1 Milt Jackson: It Don't Mean A Thing If You Can't Tap Your Foot To It, Jackson Johnson Brown, The Big 3, Bag's Bag, Centerpiece, Mostly Duke, Big Mouth, The Milt Jackson Big 4 1975, Soul Believer, The Harem, & Count Basie 1, & Count Basie 2, The Ellington Album, Quadrant, Two Of The Few, Feelings, Night Mist John Coltrane: Lush Life, Dakar, The Last Trane, Wheelin' & Dealin', Cattin' with Coltrane & Quinichette Elliot Lawrence Band Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements Earl Hines - Live Aalborg Denmark 1965 Gerry Mulligan - Walk On The Water Coleman Hawkins - Jamestown, NY 1958 Davitt Sigerson - It's A Big Country (song) Yazoo compilations - Alabama Blues, Jackson Blues, Georgia Blues Mal Waldron - The Quest Bennie Green - Glidin' Along Lee Konitz - Satori Bud Powell - Bouncing With Bud Arnett Cobb - The Wild Man From Texas Houston Person and Etta Jones - Don't Misunderstand Brunswick Finger Lickin' Soul Vol. 2 Moondog - H'art Songs, In Europe Benny Carter - Jazz Giant Art Farmer, Donald Byrd - Three Trumpets Stacey Kent - In Love Again, The Boy Next Door The Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies Thelonious Monk: Monk's Music, Misterioso, Alone in San Francisco, Monk In France, In Italy, At The Blackhawk, Live at 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival Ornette Coleman - Town Hall 1962 Ray Bryant - Hot Turkey Sun Ra - Angels and Demons At Play Nubians of Plutonia Hank Jones/The Great Jazz Trio - 'S Wonderful, KJLH - Objects Appear Closer Wynton Kelly - Kelly Great Martin Taylor - Sketches Herb Ellis/Joe Pass - Seven Come Eleven, Two For The Road Ben Webster - At Ronnie Scott 1964 Kenny Burrell - Blue Muse The Bad Plus - Motel Sonny Clark - Oakland, 1955 Bob Brookmeyer - Out of This World David Fathead Newman - Diamondhead, Blue Head Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars - In The Solo Spotlight Pat Martino - El Hombre Pepper Adams - The Adams Effect Charlie Parker - Boston, 1952, Montreal, 1953 Rosemary Clooney - Sings Ballads Art Pepper - Smack Up Lee Morgan - Expoobident Tommy Flanagan - Nights at the Vanguard Red Mitchell & Warne Marsh - Big Two Vol. 1, Big Two Vol. 2 Ben Webster: Wayfaring Webster, Confluence, Ben and Buck, w/Dexter Gordon - Baden 1972, Ben & Teddy The Jones Boys Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost (discs 1 - 7 + disc 11) Joe Pass - Virtuoso #4, Virtuoso #3 John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death Sonny Rollins - G-Man Cannonball Adderley - Radio Nights, Quintet Plus Charlie Rouse - Social Call Barry Harris: Chasin' The Bird, Newer Than New, Listen To..., Luminescence, The Bird of Red and Gold

I think Chick Corea is a part-owner of Concord; he owns the Stretch label (distributed by Concord).

Yes, as many as you want. Check out the emu message board for more info. It's a beautiful thing! Thanks muchly.

The Circuit City booster packs worked! The signs said $14.95, but they scanned as $4.95 at the register. Thanks for the tip! Anyone know if you can apply more than one card to any one account?

Anyone know about this one? Annie Ross - A Handful of Songs I'm an Annie Ross fan, but know her voice went downhill after awhile.

The Harkleroad book and the booklet to Grow Fins, taken together, are revelatory. They do pinpoint a certain cult aspect to the house/group that created Trout Mask. Lots of putdowns. From the Harkleroad book (p. 41): "When we weren't rehearsing, Don would subject us to long sessions of being 'brainwashed.'" Something must have been in the air there, since they lived not far from the Mansons. It's all mysterious and fascinating. None of this would be interesting if it weren't for the end product, Trout Mask Replica, which I still consider amazing. Beefheart's talents are debatable, but I don't buy into that he was untalented. He had a sound, and it's no coincidence that his subsequent groups still sounded like him. It's obvious that John French was the straw boss. He forced the band to practice so intently, to get those sounds, and to play so precisely. The question that hovers in the air is "Why?" Why did they play that music, why did they devote so much time of their lives, why did they align themselves so with the Captain? Harkleroad doesn't have an answer. The closest he comes to is this (p. 39): "As time went on, it was clear the Trout Mask Replica material was pushing all the parameters. Certainly, it changed my feelings about music in a real positive way. Those tunes became really magical to my ears - they felt like a part of me. It was all so new and I felt I was participating in something that defied description. I remember wondering how I could possibly describe this to someone, 'What the hell do you call this?'" In other words, he was participating in a magical experience. It must have been somewhat similar to playing in the Coltrane group that did Live In Japan. "What the hell do you call this?" I don't think you can take that achievement away from Don. Say what you may, none of the subsequent efforts from Mallard, John French, etc., captured the magic again.

Music is absolutely essential to me. The way I know is, there have been times in my life when I've consciously tried to "scale back" music, usually because of some pressing need, such as studying. Somehow, music has always crept back. So, since the decision is almost at an unconscious level, I conclude that, for me, it is essential. I think he was simply delineating between music and its carrier. Since I listen to so many eMusic downloads, I'm still listening to music, but not to CDs. Different communities, and different people, use music for different purposes. Some use it to rally the troops, or to signal community spirit. Some people listen to it in the background, others intently. Many of us listen to music either for sensual pleasure, or to listen to alien sounds. Similar to Bev, I can listen to Irish folk music or pop from Zimbabwe precisely because it's not my music, and therefore find its alienness lovely. What I do know is that there is much more music available today, and more ways to listen to it, than at any time in the past, period. Too bad there is not more time to listen to it! Ultimately, I prefer to not define why I listen to music. I only know that I'll continue to, according to its own mysterious logic.

Thank you, TMG. This is an essential reference.

I'll try again tomorrow; thanks.

Hmmm. Just went to my local Circuit City, they didn't have this. They had 65 track starter boxes for $14.95. That's it. The regular price is $14.95, but it should be on sale this week for $4.95. Did you check the price at the register? It's pictured in the weekly ad. Box says the card expires on 4/08, but all reports (including mine!) indicate it still works. Did you have to create a new account, or could you use a current one?

Hmmm. Just went to my local Circuit City, they didn't have this. They had 65 track starter boxes for $14.95.

Thanks for the tip, C.W. Rosemary Clooney - My Buddy Sammy Price & Lucky Thompson - Paris Blues Paul Chambers - 1st Bassman The Young Lions (VeeJay) Walt Dickerson - To My Queen Henny Youngman - Himself Woody Allen On Comedy Gilbert Gottfried - Dirty Jokes Johnny Griffin - Sextet Kenny Drew - Pal Joey Pepper Adams - Encounter Kenny Dorham - 2 Horns/2 Rhythm

From a profile in today's Wall St Journal of Sam Houser, creator of Grand Theft Auto: The DNA of Rockstar traces to Mr. Houser, a British-born pop-culture aficionado. He remains close to his parents and to his brother Dan. Their father, Walter, is a lawyer who was part-owner of a well-known London nightclub, Ronnie Scott's, where young Sam met jazz legends. When trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie asked the boy what he wanted to be when he grew up, Mr. Houser says he replied, "a bank robber!"

I saw Billy Cobham a few times with Mahavishnu, and he consistently made my jaw drop. An astounding, powerful drummer. I can't speak to what he did to make a living later on in the '70's - I know his Atlantic albums bore me. Least favorite drummers? Jimmy Cobb (no personality, too rushed), Bobby Durham, Cindy Blackman.

Now up to $16.45. Thanks, though.