papsrus

Great! Not wanting to gum up the works here, I posted an Ellington topic on the Artists thread.

I'm just now getting into Ellington in a big way. I'd listened to some of his later-period discs and enjoyed them in the past, but not with any great enthusiasm. Such Sweet Thunder and Far East Suite I considered good, not great, albums. Now I'm suddenly hearing these in a whole new way, and I'm looking back into his catalog and practically salivating while pondering where to go next. I've ordered a Blanton-Webster band box set to get me started, and have Vol. 1 of Duke's Men: The Small Groups, also Blues in Orbit and a smattering of other small group stuff. I don't want to overstate things too much, but listening to Such Sweet Thunder and Far East Suite, I'm starting to hear these as almost revolutionary. The detail in the music is vast and the musicianship is superb throughout, Hodges and Gonsalves in particular, but others will emerge too I'm sure as I listen more and more. And the arrangements, of course, are beautiful, exciting, funny. And that's just it -- there's so much to hear in this music. And so ... I'll be interested to read others thoughts on Ellington, his sidemen, his early period, big band, later period, small group. There's a lot there.

I can heartily recommend the Clusone 3 -- Rara Avis (sealed). <---- does that mean you haven't listened? Or is it a duplicate?

I just ordered a disc of this concert the other day. Pretty excited to hear it.

First of all, this sounds like a wonderful book. I will find it. When I think of the word 'jazz,' I think of a process of creativity. And creativity, by definition, means expressing something new. While Ellington and other jazz musicians of the past may have been formulaic to an extent (I'm not sure this is so, but it's what the quoted passage states), I think of Ellington as a highly creative, therefore progressive, musician. The word 'creative' itself suggested not just change for the sake of change, but a 'new' way of presenting things. Is this progress? I'm not familiar with these notions in some quarters of the science community that there is no progress in science. I assume that it means science is merely the art of uncovering what is already there? Of giving us the tools to understand and utilize what is already in existence? This book sounds very good.

I agree that Plus is a real gem. While I love his playing, I only have a handful of Adderley albums -- Lighthouse, Somethin' Else, Plus, with Bill Evans ... a couple of others on MP3 -- and this is hands down my favorite of the bunch. Really nice energy throughout.

Well, I love discussing albums and artists. I go through phases where I'll be into a particular artist or group of artists, and then I'll get turned on to something completely different, and have a thirst for that for a while. Example: While my tastes until recently have been pretty much contemporary and just a little bit outside (Douglas, Melford, Ehrlich, Berne etc.) and I definitely have a taste for free jazz, I'm now into a phase where I'm devouring Ellington, Hodges, Gonsalves, Webster, have about a half dozen Lester Youngs on order, some Basie. So I want to absorb as much about these artists as I can. I've been tempted to start an Ellington thread to talk about his music and the music of his sidemen. Get some recs. Things like that. Maybe I should.

Where's Chuck Norris when you need him ...

Yes, as far as the dog thing goes, definitely find out what your legal liability is, just to be sure. And seriously, check with your homeowner's insurance company. Some will jack up your rates if you have a "dangerous" breed. All in all, a security system (a loud one) is going to be the best deterrent. A thief is going to vamoose as soon as the alarms starts screaming. And he won't come back. And you'll likely get a break on your insurance. But, I like the idea of getting a dog, separate from any security concerns.

Can 'o' tuna. Works every time. The dog thing, think about it. They can be high maintenance. Can't leave them alone for long stretches like a cat. Alarm system with floodlights and high-pitched siren might be something to consider. You should get a break on your insurance with an alarm system as well. With a doby, they might up your insurance!

That really sucks. I would be highly suspicious that this is someone who lives nearby. Someone who knows your pattern of coming and going. Neighborhood kids? That would be my guess. Extreme bummer.

On order. Thanks for the heads-up. $3.25. Deal-o-rama!

I'm with you guys on the newbury comics Art Pepper deal. That's where I got this copy, also. Jumped at it. And Uncle Skid, that V5 Alchemia is an awesome box as well.

In addition to the Jazz Crusaders Mosaic box, I've been listening to this newly arrived excellent box set over the past two days. Pretty amazing.

Been there ... takes a while. But ... amazingly, New, Better things happen ... Q Yes. And one shouldn't feel guilty about forging ahead. There is a degree of excitement about new freedoms, a new life, selfish pursuits, etc. It's all out there waiting for you! Life is good. Embrace the change when you can.

They say (don't they?) that the three most stressful things in life are ending a relationship, moving and losing a loved one. You're dealing with all three. You will feel disoriented (I'm sure you already do). That's of course normal, considering. It will take time. Stay patient with yourself and allow time to heal and re-balance. There will be some "letting go" you'll have to deal with. And that's a process that can be difficult. You may not be able to embrace anything new completely until some time passes. So you should be careful about moving. It may be somewhat disorienting, obviously. It won't cure the emptiness, and you may even feel like you've made a mistake at times. But as a little time goes by and you get your balance again, things will start to become easier, more natural. Laughter returns. Excitement for all the things you enjoy returns. You emerge, scarred but wiser and more complete, Just some thoughts from someone who's been there.

Great interview. Thanks for linking. Although I don't really completely understand half of what he says about his music (it's like learning 3-D chess or something), he's nonetheless always engaging (which says something right there). It must be an experience to be a first-year music student in one of his classes. ... I suspect he's as good an educator as he is a musician. As he said in the article, he almost has to be, because his students are the only ones who really "get" what he's doing. They're the only ones who can play his stuff with the understanding required to fulfill it.

Taken for what it is -- an affectionate reading of Mitchell's music -- River is a great album, IMO. And Shorter is near-perfecto. As for Hancock since the 60s ... ehhh. Saw him at the Atlanta Jazz fest last spring and he pulled out the shoulder-strap keyboard ... or moog ... or whatever that funky thing is, and launched into some Head Hunters stuff. I headed for the exits.

Youza!! ... The Complete Blue Note Hank Mobley Fifties Sessions -- Mosaic

I just gotta say, what's the deal with the raccoon eyes? Babe, ease up. I dealt with a sales woman the other day who literally had her eyebrows painted on somewhere on her forehead and an ungodly amount of eye makeup. Like a Boy George kinda deal. And she was trying to look good, not freaky. Damn. (maybe someone put ink on those binoculars) ... Course, I look suspiciously like a small dog, so I probably shouldn't criticize too much ....

Rain late last night. Sunny and warm today. Drove home from work last night with the top down! (before the rain). We're just not going to get much cool weather this year, me thinks.

Well, at least he's not calling the QB gay, a la Garcia... Don't know how much people bought into this (or that it matters) but Garcia has an incredibly hot (and pregnant) wife. ... Don't know what TO was talking about there.

Thanks for the heads-up on Audio Advisor. I will look into those connectors. ... Yeah, super happy with this. I look forward to breaking it in ... I've been sampling a variety of stuff for much of the day and it's amazing how much it seems I've been missing. ...

Here it is: More info here. Arrived yesterday. Set it up this morning. Pretty damn good sound, to my ear. Crystal clear. Robust bass. Nice price. This is the low end of their product line, and there are other similar rigs out there from other companies designed for the iPod. I had to re-rip a bunch of CDs in lossless format to take full advantage of the thing. I haven't done a comparison test yet, but I'm certain MP3s would sound a lot muddier. The amp also has a jack for a CD player. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has heard this or similar systems, what they think. I'm really happy with this.

Agreed. They probably skip over him figuring he'll be injured anyways ...