CJ Shearn

Yeah, I don't think it would happen either, like having The Complete Horace Silver Blue Note Sessions but it'd be nice if it happened. The releases on HDTracks are great because it's getting stuff out there, but some of the choices like "Sweet Lou" and "Sassy Soul Strut" are odd to release so early, yes they've never been reissued domestically, but who is going to buy those at HDTracks? I don't see crate diggers--who'd have more interest in those albums than us forking over $17.98 for a high res download when they can go seek out the original vinyl fairly cheaply

Actually my HDTracks files are in WAV, but yes iTunes is a mess.

Not sure. The reason I don't use iTunes as a library is because with the HDTracks purchases I have of several 24/96 files, they aren't recognized. Windows Media Player plays everything in the 1,000 odd albums or so in my collection.

Thanks, Scott. I have a few .flac's, I use Windows Media's Player's library, on an HP pavillion laptop with an 1TB HDD and strangely for FLAC the timings for tracks don't show, and you can't use the seek bar, very strange.

Ahh I see, thank you for the explanation, Scott. Well, my friend, he wants to have the best everything, he goes for a lot the marketing hype too, like he was surprised when I told him SHM CD's and Blu Spec-- the latter I have no experience with were no different technologically than regular CD's. He was also surprised when I told him b/c SACD and HDTracks downloads at 24/96 will sound similar, although like Jim said in your signature maybe hi res audio is pointless, b/c when done well (take Terence Blanchard's new one "Breathless") the differences to my ears between that and a well mastered CD is minimal at best. And as you say, a 320 MP3 sounds just as good as a .wav from now on I will rip my discs to 320 MP3 to save hard drive space.

Just a few questions I pose.

Oh, interesting Scott. My two responses merged, didn't see it posted. Well, my friend is just at the beginning of the audiophile market. What do you mean by near field?

I enjoy good sound but I never considered myself an "audiophile" per se because when I find something I like, I use it forever until it's dead, my set up otherwise is anything but, an Onkyo TXSR304 receiver, Technics SBA-36 speakers. The music is the #1 thing, and you'd be surprised from reading things here the past decade, plus lurking at the SH forums I've really eased off on wanting to buy 20 different versions of a Blue Note title, and the headphones for me, do help certain masterings. I have a set of Polk bookshelf speakers, R10's I think, but I really need the subwoofer to make them sound good. I do 95% of my listening on headphones, and as I'll be moving to my own apt in White Plains soon and that'll be necessary. I also use the "direct" setting on the Onkyo amp which has minimal signal processing. I have a friend who is going to drop $3200 on Martin Logan speakers and I think a Marantz amp, but he really loves extended bass and treble so that's the sound he's going for. He loves a lot of jazz funk, disco, Afrobeat, and highlife so that's the sound good for him, Right, though my system is anything but audiophile, but the headphones. I would say I am a headphone audiophile more than anything, it's the bulk of my listening. The Audio Technica's do great with jazz, classical, electronic music, prog rock, pop. On my Onkyo TX SR304 receiver I use the "direct" setting which is minimally processed.

Yeah Scott, I agree. It was a tiny hair that punctured the driver, which a friend tried to repair but they also seemed too fragile to me. The Audio Technica's are very durable, plus I like the uncolored flat frequency response sound they present. I no longer use EQ's of any sort, and the cans even balance out a few of the early RVG's like "Somethin' Else" which had too much treble.

I have been using the Audio Technica M40's for years, on my second pair now, they sound wonderful, every detail is intact. I had the infamous Grado SR60's a while which sounded nice, but actually the driver blew in the left phone. The SR60's had a high frequency treble bump I didn't like. I like the Audio Technica's because of the flat response, they balance things nicely, and I would like to upgrade to the M50's at some point.

Damn, RIP. I love his playing from what I've heard, "Masabumi Kikuchi in Concert" is nice

thanks. it will be interesting to compare the box set version to the existing 2000's fm broadcast. a raw pre-fm/soundboard recording usually has a fuller sound in the mid and low frequencies than an fm broadcast. of course, the producers of the box will have eq'd ('remastered') the recording for the box. so there may not be any way to tell for certain. Welcome, l p. I think I know what you mean, I have pre FM/soundboards broadcasts from other artists and they have that sound, fuller mids and fatter lows. I can tell you that you will be VERY pleased with the sound of this gig in the box. I'll be reviewing the set a few days before the 17th.

Well, the liner notes state the Dietkon tape is direct from the SRF archives, other performances like the '66 and '67 Second Quintet gigs are sourced from the collection of the producers. My podcast with Erin Davis and Vince Wilburn, Jr. http://bit.ly/1IzfFcC we talk a bit about the source of the tapes. I had you guys in mind when I asked

The "Rudy Van Gelder yelled at me" thread on the SH forums is pretty funny. Not quite as epic as the whole Lou Donaldson sammich call, but personally, as much as I admire RVG for all the amazing albums he's captured, I'd have zero interest in approaching the guy.

The thing that really makes the SHM of "Empyrean Isles" the best CD version I've heard is Tony Williams really pops now. I didn't think the RVG was bad necessarily but there was so much mid range, it had that odd AM radio effect a lot of people talk about.

Definitely grab "Out To Lunch" and "Empyrean Isles" if those are still around, they may be OOP.

Cool, I think I've heard bits of those first three, the title track of "Tales of Topographic Oceans", and I like "Changes" from "90125"

RIP I need to get more familiar with Yes

Any way you can get it, "Inner Urge" is fantastic.

We discuss the forthcoming set and festivities at Newport this year. The possiblility of the complete Japan '75 shows is very real as a future installment. http://bit.ly/1IzfFcC

An interesting aspect of this set, is that the Newport '66, '67, Berlin and Switzerland sets are listed in the credits as provided "from the collection of the Producers", I will ask the Davis estate about this when I interview them for New York Jazz Workshop next week. I can assure you things sound fantastic.

Yes, the new disc is nice. He is also wonderful on Antonio Sanchez "Three Times Three" as well.

Wow, definitely on it

Good read, Mark. Thanks. RIP Ornette. Terrific read Mark. Thank you!

RIP, thank you for everything and your contributions to this music, Mr. Coleman!