Big Al

All I can do is just stand in awe at the level of genius behind that quote.

Toronto 45

Download for me, please! Since I haven't even had time to listen to, much less offer the usual incoherent comments about, the current BFT, perhaps we should get together for lunch, dinner, or drinks, and then you can get the full in-person effect!

I know what you mean, but I can think of one instance where my son and I applauded out of sheer excitement that a song we thought would never get played live was being played live: Metallica's "The Call of Ktulu." (I know it's not jazz, hang with me a second) I mean, we went apeshit!!! And then after the introduction, they started playing "The Unforgiven." THAT'S when everyone else in the crowd went nuts. My son and I, however, went to the concession stand....

Big Al, you will find some of this BFT delicious and easy to digest! Ah yer just sayin' that to get me to drop my guard.

It was Cal Tjader's version running thru my head while listening to #7 that was driving me to distraction the entire time. Nice to know I was not alone in this!

I am actually ashamed of my responses. This is a first. I've been clueless before, but my guesses above reached a whole new level of know-nothingness!

With antacid by my side, I heartily request a download!

Caveat: this didn’t drive me to the usual brink of insanity that most free-avant-squawk-fests usually do, and this is because I can tell you the EXACT day I listened to this: Wednesday, October 3, immediately after the Rangers got swept into Wild-Card oblivion by the Oakland A’s. In my massive frustration, this collection only fueled my already blitzkrieged brain and what I originally started typing ended up being an endless list of “I DON’T KNOW, I DON’T GIVE A RAT’S ASS, BUT I WANNA PLAY THIS IN THE RANGERS CLUBHOUSE TO SCARE THE SHIT OUTTA THEM INTO PLAYING FOR THEIR LIVES!!!!” Alas, such did not happen. Although I’m happy that Detroit is going to the World Series (and you better believe I’m rooting for those guys!!! GO TIGERS!!!), alas (again) all you’re left with is the following clueless musings. Sorry to keep y’all waiting! Track 1: Three minutes in, still waiting for the song to start. Long intros make me think of CTI, the trumpet player makes me think of Freddie Hubbard which makes me think of CTI. Oh, that piano vamp is nice! Let’s have some more of that! Oh, I’m liking this more with that two-chord vamp holding things together nicely, despite the squawking going on over it. It’s as if the prettier this gets, the more determined the sax player gets to make this as dischordant as possible. {{{MEGA-SIGH}}} And just like that, the piano player is told at gunpoint to quit playing anything rhythmic and go back to playing this ten-minute introduction to...... I guess we’ll never know. Track 2: Sounds like vintage mid-60’s Blue Note Bobby Hutcherson & Joe Chambers. Nice. Doesn’t sound very structured to these ears, but at least it sounds like it’s going somewhere, and the vibist & the drummer keep things very interesting. Track 3: It’s the same guys from track 1. I guess they felt I haven’t been tortured enough. Thanks guys. Appreciate it. NO, seriously, when I actually listen to this (as opposed to whining without listening), I can appreciate that it’s of the same character as track two. The man in the mirror sez it’s because my ears prefer vibes over horns for this kind of thing, because the drummer here is keeping things going like the drummer on track 2. Track 4: I must’ve really hated this one, because I see I deleted it from my download. Sorry! I think! Track 5: Hold that train!!! I’m coming! The piano intro sounds like what Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood would be like if it were a dark creepy forest. Nice Ellingtonish voicings! Me likey so far! Gonna go out on a limb and suggest Marion Brown? Track 6: I never complain about anything even remotely Klezmer-sounding, and this be no exception! Fun, rollicking, & noisy! What’s there to whine about? Track 7: One thing that’s always irritated me with jazz (or any instrumental music) is my consistent failure to recognize tunes and not know their names. I love this song! I love this arrangement! Sounds like it could be from TIME FOR TYNER. Maybe it is! It’s been so long since I listened to .... AFRO BLUE!!!!! I knew it would come to me! Thank you Cal Tjader! NO, that’s not my guess, I was just trying to remember where else I’d heard this. Wait, maybe it *is* Cal Tjader! Ah, whatthehelldoIknow? I’m just lovin’ it, that’s all! Actually, on second thought (or maybe I’m up to my eighth thought), this sounds like mid-70’s Hutch on Blue Note. ALWAYS a good thing! Track 8: Good for what it is, I guess. Not a big fan of solo sax. Track 9: Okay, I guess. Just kinda drags for me. I mean, it all makes sense on a technical level, and I appreciate the chords and the voicings and the obvious thought that went into the improvisations. I dunno, it makes me think that things are being overthought instead of just movin’ & groovin’, y’know? I mean, I respect it a TON even if it don’t move me much! Track 10: Sounds like they’re trying to go for the sound of a New Orleans hangover. Whether or not they succeeded is up to a better judge than me (i.e. someone who’s actually HAD one). At this point, my stamina has run out and I as I sampled the last four tracks the range of responses I had were “meh” to “YIKES!” So, I’ll leave it at that. I apologize for being my usual grouchy narrow-minded anti-avant self again, Colin, as I have no doubt you put a lot of thought and heart into this. Take my comments with something less than a grain of salt, because I defer to the more knowledgeable amongst the BFT players and their much-more-informed-than-my comments!

I loved Morph The Cat. Probably my favorite Fagen album.

Speaking in terms of instrumental proficiency, yes, great players. I will respect that if I don't anything else (which I pretty much don't...). Instrumental proficiency? At what? Saint-Saens? Guy Lombardo? And how can you tell based on this IMO f---ed up performance? I mean, if they can't play this score decently, it's kind of like saying of a baseball player that he's athletically proficient because he's in great physical shape, has excellent bat speed, oodles of quick-twitch muscles, and can run like a deer, even though he still can't catch a fly or put his bat on the ball. By this logic, the Texas Rangers are the LCJO of baseball. And I can't say I disagree with this comparison.

I think I'll wait for a remix, since there's no indication that this was sourced from the original hops.

Digipaks, especially the ones where the teeth are pre-broken.

Screaming thru your horn, pretending you're saying something meaningful & profound when all you're doing is... well, screaming thru your horn... Oh yeah, and bass solos....

Completely agree! I bought this sight unseen when it came out after having not bought anything by him recently. This is very reminiscent of THE SWING OF DELIGHT to these ears, and this too is delightful!

I've enjoyed everything he's done since TWO AGAINST NATURE, and I'm one of those rarities who prefers his solo stuff over the SD stuff. I've heard the album once today on Rhapsody, and will be heading to Best Buy to get the CD later. There's nothing on this album that's any different from anything else he's done, but then Fagen is one of the few artists who can say the same thing over & over and keep me interested. It's all about the groove for me, and few people keep that groove going like Donald Fagen, AFAIC, IMHO, and YMMV.

I call it Neil Young's beautifully sloppy album from earlier this year....

MUST try this beer, if only to find out if it lives up to my name. Or vice versa!

I'm still rooting for the Rangers! If they go down, THEN I'll root for the A's all the way. But not a minute before!

Buddy Montgomery THIS RATHER THAN THAT (Impulse! AS-9192)

A-freakin-men!!!!

Just once, I'd like to be right for all the right reasons. A's 12 Rangers 5 AL West Champs: Oakland A's AL West Chumps: Texas Rangers Congratulations to the A's for playing outstanding unstoppable baseball and being hungrier than any team in the league. At this point, I don't see any other team stopping them from going all the way. As for my Rangers.... ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS WIN ONE GAME! Instead, you played like Little Leaguers today! THREE errors? This was the baseball equivalent of a Cowboys game! Okay, rant over. The simple fact is: reality finally caught up with the Rangers. Their starting rotation was never consistent, their hitting even less so (especially in the clutch), all that was holding things together was the defense and when that started falling apart over the last couple weeks, it was only a matter of time. But this still sucks. Even worse than game 6 of last year. How the hell do you build offa this?

What Ptah said!!!! I borrowed that Lighthouse disc from a friend sometime back with the intention of getting my own copy. Needless to say, that hasn't happened yet, but will soon (I hope)!

In fact, I'm calling it now: A's sweep Rangers right outta first place, thus repeating a feat accomplished by the Mets in 1969 when they overtook the Cubs. Has there ever been another club that held first place all season except for the very last day?

Nothing is happening to change my mind about this. Sad. Very, very sad. Oh well... For the Rangers to miss the playoffs entirely, the Angels or Rays would have to overtake them. They have a four game lead on the Angels and a four 1/2 game lead on the Rays. One loss by the Angels and the Rangers at least clinch the wild card play-in game. I'm pretty sure they'll play after October 3. But not for very long, the way they've been playing lately...