Big Al

I tool advantage of the Thanksgiving 30%-off sale at bluenote.com which was November 23. Here it is December 23 and it has yet to ship. I've reached out to bluenote many times and keep getting the same reply: "Our warehouse is currently fulfilling your order and it will be ready to ship shortly. You should receive your tracking information in the next few business days!" I know it's the holidays, but nobody else seems to have this delay. Is this normal? TIA.

You're not wrong. Sadly, it's all about ratings. After last year's CFP disaster, they likely didn't want to take a chance of the ratings going south like they did for this past year's World Series aka MLB Gave A World Series And Nobody Gave A Shit (except for Sangrey & me). Just my two cents. Change given.

Didn't know about this set until just this moment and now I'm debating pulling the trigger for a copy on Discogs currently for $50.

Completely agree! I've only made it through side 4 so far and I love how each set/side is a nice mix of Latin and jazz.

Same here! I've listened to it at least ten times today!

I noticed that mistake on the photo as well. And I have to say I was disappointed with Burton's write-up. Seemed very self-serving with barely a mention of Tjader.

Haven't read any guesses yet. This was an overall enjoyable BFT with only a couple of clunkers and a few I will be seeking out and one that is just so darn special I about cried when it started! 1. I need this album RIGHT NOW! It has the feel of an opening-credits TV theme from the 60's, back when those themes were so much more memorable. 2. Sounds like a Larry Young Blue Note date but I think the tenor may actually be the leader. 3. No clue and even less interest. Next! 4. This was nice but I also have no idea. Carla Bley maybe with a bassist not named Steve Swallow? 5. Wow! Is that Esperanza Spaulding? If not, I'm betting the singer is one of the musicians on this track. Doesn't matter: I love it! 6. Again, no clue but I sure like it. I really enjoy how it was recorded. 7. No idea but I like it. The tenor sure likes him some Trane. 8. Sounds like something from a Bobby Hutcherson BN from the early 70's, but the stereo spread is messing with me with the piano in the left channel and the horns in the right. 9. I need this album RIGHT NOW! I could ride that extended groove for hours! In fact, since I first typed this up about 10 hours ago, I've listened to this track at least 10 times and that groove just keeps getting better with every listen!!! 10. Sounds like the same bunch that made track 7 except they didn't know when to stop. 11. I'm curious about the story of how this track made it onto a BFT. It sounds more rock than anything else, but I dig it nonetheless. 12. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS ALBUM!!! A desert-island album if there ever was one! Recognized this track right from the first chord! In fact, I used a track from this album on my BFT from 2013 and it was between this and the track I eventually used, so I'm glad to see this track on someone else's BFT! Side 3, track 1 of this monumental album! The pianist, who is also the composer, included this on his album of the same name, which is just as phenomenal. Whatta way to end a BFT! And speaking of that: it occurs to me that on my previous BFT from earlier this year, I used a track from another monumental double-album to close out my BFT and you nailed that guess too! Pretty cool if you ask me! 🙂 Nice job, Fel Z! I always know I'm gonna enjoy your BFT's!

So far, phenomenal! I can't wait to hear your opinion of this album!

Got my copy tonight and spinning it right now. Worth every penny! Only on side 2 right now but I am eating this all up! This might end up being my favorite Cal Tjader live album!

Unabashed and unashamed fan of all things Ron Carter. Elegant would be the word I'd use to describe his playing. Plus, I like it he's pretty active on Instagram and seems to actually interact with his fans (as opposed to having some intern run it for him).

What would be a good comp to get? Unlike me, my wife is more of a "greatest hits" listener and content with one album/collection. I'm asking you guys because I overthink everything. Thanks in advance.

I'll play if the spot is still open.

Yep, this felt like the same gut punch.

After hearing "THEY'RE ALL GONNA LAUGH AT YOU!!!!" as an Adam Sandler joke for so long, imagine my surprise to hear Piper Laurie say that fateful line in Carrie, a movie I'd not seen previously. Most people don't laugh at that scene at all, much less as hard as I did.

Do you remember your first BFT where you included "Rut"? I always loved that song and regret it took ten years to dig deeper into that. I now have Night-Glo, Heavy Heart, and Sextet and, while I understand these aren't anyone else's go-to or first choices, I really enjoy each one of them. They seem to embody her spirit well and it sounds like these were fun records to make.

All of my Astros friends are trying to reassure me that "we (the Astros) suck at home," to which I reply, "yeah, but we (the Rangers) just suck." The momentum is completely in Houston's favor and it is now their series to lose. Tried not to get emotionally invested in this series and then Altuve's 9th-inning swat (which I called but nobody was around to hear) was like my heart getting ripped out and stomped all over again like it was 2011 again.

VERY interested!

I sure did! Picked up the pumpkin-shaped version and I absolutely love how wonderful it sounds! It makes me SO glad I passed on the previous cruddy sounding version.

EXCELLENT news! I love this soundtrack!

On one hand, I regret not participating because I love so many of these tracks and have many of them in some form in my collection. At the same time, I would've likely beat my brains out trying to remember where I'd heard the bulk of these and would be uber-embarrassed at the potential for missing so many of these. Maybe I dodged a bullet after all! LOL But I'm definitely gonna download it and give it a listen!

My wife & I saw Bennett in 1994 with the Ralph Sharon Trio at the Casa Manana in Ft Worth. At the time, this was a theater in the round and Tony worked every inch of that room like a grand master. As others have said, he clearly enjoyed himself most in front of an audience and this night was no exception. I had always admired Bennett from my mom's Christmas albums. That night made me a fan for life!

I access Twitter/X thru the Brave web-browser and not the app. I only follow a few accounts. Interestingly, I see quite a bit from both sides of the political aisle in my "For You" feed. If there's any censorship, I haven't noticed. One thing I have noticed is a tendency of posters of a certain political persuasion constantly threatening to leave Twitter, only to stick around and be questioned by their followers why they're still there; OR, they do leave, but then come back and make a big to-do about it. I'm still on FB but I rarely post. As I've gotten older my interest in keeping up with people I've never met in person, especially when these same people only want to shove their political opinions down my throat, has diminished rapidly. The only thing that has kept me from doing a complete FB-friend mass-delete is my overall laziness and tendency to overthink everything. Ironically, I have 2 Instagram accounts, a private personal one and a public one that is nothing more than pictures of my records and various musings on said records. Of the 200-or-so followees/followers, I've met less than five in person. And I'm okay with this. The personal IG account gets about as much attention as the FB page. All this to say, if there's a social media war going on, I haven't noticed. But then, I don't say enough to probably notice it or be noticed by it.

EXCELLENT!!! Thanks for the heads-up!

I love both the concept and the execution. The studio album is one of my favorite Metheny albums.

I'm not sure I could care less. And I'm really tired of Rangers brass making a big deal about having 5 or 6 starters in the All-Star Game, especially when it ends up being a meaningless footnote on yet another heartbreaking season.