T.D.

It's showing at a nearby film festival in mid-October. I'm on the fence but leaning against seeing it.

Very true. But a lot of big US vendors seem to have lagged on this. List too long to mention. Maybe it was more pressing for cdjapan because they do a lot of pricey int'l shipping.

I suspect it's a number slapped on by the shipping firms to cover their "overhead / expense" in addition to any putative tariffs. (Using "putative" because of the persistent assertion that "informational materials" are tariff-free.)

I bought this (last year?) with high expectations but found it disappointing on first hearing. After a few more listens I now think it's pretty good. But there are better Ranelin recordings around, so this one is mainly for serious fans of Phil.

I just got an e-mail announcement from cdjapan: Today, we would like to inform you of our new update regarding shipping. Depending on the size and combination of items in your order, the size of the box used for packing will vary, which in turn affects the shipping cost. To help reduce your shipping costs, CDJapan has implemented an Optimal Box Selection Algorithm. This new system automatically selects the smallest possible box to pack your items. No action is required on your part. In addition to reducing shipping costs, it minimizes empty space to lower the risk of damage during transit, and also increases the chances of using size-restricted shipping methods such as Airmail and FedEx Pak. Unfortunately, the elephant in the room (tariffs) was not mentioned.

The No Business collections Centering (William Parker) and Muntu Recordings (Jemeel Moondoc) are outstanding Loft Jazz as well. As an enthusiast of both principals I can't explain why I haven't acquired the Brown/Burrell. 🤔

I'll add that the "old" alto player in #2, though not a household name, has a significant following. 🤣

Randy, it's just a weird coincidence. I own both underlying albums. Listen to #2 often, and that exact track always stuck in my mind because I was surprised the ensemble covered that tune. The album of #7 imprinted on my memory because of the distinctive piano style and unusual/strange/distant recorded sound.

Only sampled 2 tunes so far, but they're great. No time to verify, but #2 sounds like it's from this album. #7 instantly rang a bell, track 8 (it's the alternate take) from this. Awesome selection!

Agreed, FE is a great vendor with really diverse inventory. Buy with confidence if they have something you want.

This is pretty good, as is Energy Control Center, the other Lightmen+1 album I got. Mostly learned of this group through a BFT.

Short excerpt from this new Another Timbre release, which I will probably have to buy. Ditto for this one, though more on the fence:

Maybe this is just anecdotal, but... Just received a periodic e-mail from Simon at Another Timbre, a UK-based label specializing in modern classical ( website ). It contained this excerpt: ...And finally, a note for everyone in the USA about posting CDs across the Atlantic in the era of bloody Donald Trump’s tariffs: I can still post discs to the US, and they are somehow exempt of tariff charges. However, amidst all the uncertainty the UK postal service has leapt in and considerably increased the price of sending small packets to the States. So if you want to order fewer than 5 CDs, it’s now probably cheaper to order them from Squidco – our US distributor, who carry virtually our entire catalogue. I’m still happy to send out smaller orders to the States, but the postal costs will be steep...

+1 Although I've made some import preorders from Dusty Groove, one of which has arrived and another is en route. That'll be my import source until the tariff thing clarifies. Not holding my breath.

NYT has a pretty sturdy paywall, so it probably wouldn't help. But to my amazement I was able to read this in an "InPrivate" tab: Shamek Farrah Made a Jazz Masterpiece. He’s Still a Mystery. - The New York Times

I bought this set on a whim fairly recently. Basically because it was cheap...ordinarily the instrumentation and mostly solo singing wouldn't appeal so much. But I think it's great and am happy I bought it (farewell Berkshire Record Outlet and thanks for the memories).

Bach fest This is Bijlsma's first (1979) set on Sony. The second (1992) was on Sony Vivarte.

True, that. And the former is way, way more common. 😁

Kid Rock definitely, but I'm not sure Billie Holiday would pass muster.

There's a new Sun Ra documentary film: https://www.firelightfilms.tv/films/sun-ra-do-the-impossible Mostly shown at festivals so far. Coming to the area soon, I may go see it.

$40-$60 MM is more than I would have thought. Although the headline number* is still a lot less than various pop music deals: https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ranked-biggest-music-catalogue-sales-163000337.html * "Headline number" because I'm too lazy to compare the exact rights granted by the various transactions.