patricia

Although I really liked "Gangs of New York", I think that Scorcese meant it to be a star vehicle for Leonardo di Caprio, who needed an adult role. Daniel Day Lewis' performance was head and shoulders above di Carprio's and I don't think that was Scorcese's intention. It was interesting to watch Day Lewis flesh out his character. Amazing performance, IMO.

Lee Morgan - Memorial Album - Blue Note Before that, Ziggy Elman and his orchestra - Dancing With Zig - 10" on MGM. Nice.

Jim, I really do feel your pain. However, there are a few things that I did with my two girls at that age. They might minimize the damage around the house, especially the damage to the grownup, expensive stuff. We didn't even move the breakable ornaments, or hold off on upgrading our furniture. I looked at it as an ongoing lesson on respecting other people's stuff. You have to establish whose stuff is whose, which as a side-benefit make kids easier to take to other people's houses. What I did was to use a technique that threatens to drive you crazy, but becomes routine. It involves constantly re-establishing territory No. That's mine. Don't touch. [handing them their toy, or other thing] "This is yours [at the same time moving them away from the forbidden thing, or activity]. Sometimes you feel like you've done it a thousand times, but it really does work. The tantrums can be handled with your naughty step procedure. Tantrums outside the home are handled only one way, in my experience. No anger. Just pick up the child, along with anthing else you have with you, take her to the car and take her home. Immediately. Only truly emergency errands can't be handled by removing the child from the situation. No yelling. No slapping. No punishment, other than the removal. The hair-washing thing is not that uncommon. Just rinse, at whatever point you reached before the tantrum, and get her out of the bath. Her hair won't be as thoroughly done as you hoped, but you can't put up with the dangerous nonsense when they are in water. I found that both my girls soon, usually the first time any malfeasance happened, realized that I was not part of their little game. The only thing I told them was that they would not go back to wherever we were if they behaved like that again. Oddly, I guess because I had my stern Mom face on and they interpreted the whole thing as written in stone. As a result, I could take them anywhere. You and your wife are the Alpha Dogs. Zora is the puppy. Parenting. Not a job for the weak, is it?? :crazy:

WAR PHOTOGRAPHER by Christian Frei. Almost all the war documentaries, at least for me, pale when compared with this film, which I recommend everyone find and view. It's centred around the war photographer, JAMES NACHTWEY, one of the finest war-zone photographers working today. He has been at every war zone recording their effects on the ordinary citizen for over twenty years. YOU are behind his camera, seeing the horrible effects of political and idealogical disputes, solved by the killing of ordinary people, or destroying the lives of those they don't kill. Nachtwey is the quintessential peace activist, but one who actually is attempting to make a difference, by showing us the results of de-humanizing people to make political gain. He, because he is not glorifying war, has earned the respect of the people he photographs and from his fellow war-chroniclers. Not a bad legacy. A must-see, IMO.

Chuck, the Peter Gunn theme has always stuck in my mind, along with the themes from "Mr. Lucky", "77 Sunset Strip", "Dragnet" and all those other series in which I didn't even notice the themes' excellence until years later. As you say, "Ah, Silly youth." Now on, "Julie Is Her Name" - Julie London - London-Liberty-soft cover. Julie's first album. Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on guitar, and that's it. Very effective and intimate. Julie London does not have a fabulous jazz voice. But, she uses what she has with no pretention at all and I've always admired that about her. "Cry Me A River" is, of course, on the track list. But, she does a credible job on several standards. Love this.

On the turntable now is the soundtrack from Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini on RCA. I've always loved this, so much so that when I saw a copy of it the other day, I picked it up, not realizing that I already had one. Not to worry though. I gave the extra one to my daughter's boyfriend. I think he'll like the main theme, though I'm not sure about the rest of the album, at least not right now. I mentioned on another thread that I encouraged Kenny's flirtation with vinyl by giving him my spare turntable. Now [heh heh] he's hooked.

OK. Gecko, schmeko. I'll see those GEICO spots and raise you the absolutely perfectly crafted ads for TELUS here in Canada. They are a continuing series, changing before you get tired of any one of them, with a solid white background, featuring exotic animals like elephants, parrots, orangutans and others, just moseying across that background. The music is familiar music from the sixties, most of it Beatles classics. There is no narration, just quiet printing of the particular service that ad is promoting. The last ad campaign I remember being so impressed with, visually, was the series of Chanel ads which were done by Ridley Scott. Genius.

Errol Garner Gems - Columbia Label. Nice.

Not very much, Rostasi. You know how those Germans are. They don't listen.

Tonight: In Person - The Limelighters Needed a boost for my spirits. NOW I remember why I liked them as a teenager.

Chipmunks are not carnivores. I suspect that catching the sparrow was a successful test of paw/eye co-ordination for the chipmunk. It's probably best compared to a dog chasing a car. What would the dog do if it caught the car??

Well guys, I finally had to retire my amp [Telefunken, 30 years old]. I replaced it with a Sony one today. The sound was cutting out and although I assumed it was accumulated crud that a can of contact cleaner would fix, the knobs don't come off. The amp doesn't owe me anything, after thirty years, but I mourn it's demise, almost like a family member. BUT, now my right speaker is not giving me any sound. It has a fuse that might be the problem, a cheap repair. So, before I replace my speakers [spectrum] I will replace the fuse and see if that's the problem. If I have to replace my speakers, what do you recommend? I don't have unlimited funds, so don't give me recommendations for speakers which will cost a bag of money.

Simply avert your gaze, to avoid the cartoon photo and don't read the letter from Time/Life. Small problem. Easily remedied, don't you think? Balanced with the usually almost unplayed condition of the records, I think it's a trade-off worth making. Like a lot of the boxed sets issued from various sources, Time/Life ones seem to have been bought by people who wanted to have them, rather than people who were likely to listen to them. Their loss. My gain.

YESSSS!!!! But, every guy needs a nice basic suit, to look nice, if their lady wants to dress up, or ultimately to get laid out in when you check out. Remember. 100% wool, usually midweight, perfect fit, not flimsy and cheap. Do not buy polyester under any circumstances. You'll sweat in the summer and freeze in the winter. They are totally verbatum in a stylish man's wardrobe. Ties should be good-quality silk, not shiny. There again, don't even consider polyester for a tie. They look and feel cheap and ties are not that pricey. Black is, IMO not as good a choice for your only suit as dark grey or dark navy [midnight blue as the Duke of Windsor called it]. Black is very dressy and unless it's pinstriped looks too funereal to me for daytime wear. But, some guys can carry it off. So, if you don't have a suit, get a suit. You don't want to not have one if you need one and have to shop in a rush for a wedding, a dressy soiree or other occasion.

I agree absolutely. Not a bizarre opinion at all. I have no respect for anyone who, knowing that a collection they are being given has super-rare, valuable discs wouldn't tell the giver that and even help them find a buyer. Also, a true friend would not do so in order to score part of the proceeds, although I sure wouldn't turn down a finders' fee if offered. Oddly enough, I have never had a true jazz-lover not tell me if I have a rare disc when they peruse my collection, although I would never get rid of a record I love, unless I were really strapped for cash.

I have three of the Jazz Giants boxed sets [billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Jack Teagarden], but not the Beiderbeck. However, I do have Bix in another boxed set which has fourteen records on the Joker label. It covers his entire career and is in near-new condition. Don't be put off by the idea that somehow the boxed sets that are not Mosaics are all somehow inferior. They are not, in my experience. Not only that, but they are quite often in near mint condition, with booklets included, also in almost unread condition. I've picked them up for as little as $1 per record, so $3 for the Jazz Giants Billie and Teagarden. I paid a little more for the Ellington, but still not a lot, considering their excellent representations of the artists' work. No, they're not the be-all and end-all, but they are certainly not to be scoffed at, IMO. Now that it's been mentioned here, I actually know where I can pick up almost all of the issues of the Jazz Giants boxed sets. Thanks for reminding me.

DUH!!!!

Eric, I believe you're right about the whole allure of vinyl. Of course, part of it is that although much of the music has been re-recorded on CD, particularly jazz, not all of it has. Many of the collections which were originally produced by tiny record labels, now defunct, can only be heard if you have a turntable. There is more space on the cover than on a CD for information about the artists and the music presented. That is a huge part of why I love records. I'm thinking of such labels as Black Swan, Liberty, JazzTone [a mail-order company] and others. When I see the distinctive JazzTone cover, my heart actually speeds up. The hunt, if it results in discovering just one or two good finds is as rewarding as listening to the disc when I get it home. But, I must reiterate my cautionary note that you must try to be discriminating about your choices. Records do require more storage space, since each should be on it's edge on sturdy shelving. Records can be much more easily damaged if they are not treated with the respect they deserve. Always store them in their sleeves, in their covers, away from the radiator and out of the sun. Excessive heat will warp your treasures and turn them into garbage. Immediately after you have played one, put it back in its cover. When I was growing up, not doing so was a hanging offence, at least to my father. Handle them only by their edges. Pay attention to the condition of your stylus. [JON!!!] If a record becomes damaged, it can't be repaired. And remember that they are to be listened to, not just collected. And JSngry my first album, as a young teenager, was an "8 Top Hits" compilation. I rested for a while some years later, got rid of my turntable and records and went to CD. I then re-gained my sanity, bought one of those huge pieces of furniture which used to be called a combination [radio/record-player] since replaced with a good turntable. My first record, after my hiatus, was Jazz - Chicago Style by Max Kaminsky. Since then, the virus is unstoppable. I've never enjoyed an obsession quite so much.

You're right of course, Dmitry. But, he was here.

To digress even further. I still remember my brother's wife saying, when asked about the death of one of my friends' fathers that his death was "alcohol related". Someone said sypathetically, "cirrosis"? My brother laughed and said that Harold [my friend's father] had gotten totally wasted, decided there was way too much snow on the roof of his house, climbed up on the roof and fallen off, breaking his neck. Dumbass. He had no records either. But, getting back to the subject of vinyl. Some hesitate to explore the exciting and rewarding world of records because they are discouraged by the cost of vintage records. Though it's true that rare records are expensive, like all collector's items are, there are lots of records available that are affordable. Start off by checking out the classifieds in your local paper on the weekends. Then look for records at second hand stores. They sometimes have some, among the old sofas and miscellaneous. Estate and even garage and yard sales are sometimes goldmines for old vinyl. Used record stores sell most of their records at reasonable prices usually. My favourite store prices their stuff from about $6 to about $20, so not free, but reasonable. But, and who can blame them for this, if the record is rare, they know it and will charge accordingly. Also, and this is important. Don't just buy records because they are records. Decide what genres you're interested in actually listening to. A record collection can get away from you, leaving you with all sorts of stuff that you really don't listen to. It's a kind of wonderful insanity, so watch yourself. I think it's a mistake to start a collection with the idea of selling it to make a profit at some point. Like all art, collect what gives you joy. To me, it's real value is in the enjoyment you get from listening to the music. And NOJ, get a new stylus already.

Most of your concerns are dealt with in the archives of this section [The Vinyl Frontier]. You might want to peruse them.

Your turntable's condition is not as crucial as the condition of your stylus. I smiled when you said that your record collection doesn't repeat anything from your CD one. There are some things which I have not only the record, but the CD and the audiotape. Am I beyond redemption?

Thanks for the belly laugh, JSngry. LJAZZ, Did you mean that you have a turntable, but NO records? Sailer, regarding giving my daughter's boyfriend access to ALL my records for his new collection, with the exception of my jazz. I'm nice and want to promote music on vinyl. But, I'm not insane.

OK. The reason I started this thread was that I wondered how many of us not only love vinyl, but have spread the word about the continuing romance we have with it? The other day my youngest daughter told me that her boyfriend has come down with the virus. I of course was delighted. He managed to acquire a turntable, but it has no stylus. The turntable he now has is a piece of crap, but luckily, I solved his problem by giving him my spare, which is compatable with his sound system. I also invited them over to peruse my collection of discs, with the exception of my jazz, which of course is off limits. Imagine how I feel about this young man's interest in something I thought was not on his radar at all? I have a reasonable number of albums from the sixties and seventies that I have decided to give to the cause and have asked him to bring a couple of milk crates with him when he picks up the turntable. Have any of you done similar things to keep the interest in vinyl alive by promoting it to the next generation??

'tis true.