Jazz

No new beer this weekend - every carboy is full and I don't have enough empties to bottle anything, though old Al dropped by a dozen from his beer-making days last century. And anyway, it's nice to take a breather and enjoy what I have, especially the Oct 4th bitter that is a little bit red because of a quarter pound of roast barley. And with time, a few beers, and an Internet connection, of course I buy music. How different from the days when I saved up for Coltrane or Mingus LPs at five cents per irrigation pipe moved. I still have all those records, though I haven't listened to them in decades. I made mp3s of a few of them, but the pops and hiss are unendurable, and now I can just download a new perfect copy. But I accumulated those LPs so slowly, like a guy with a telescope mapping canals on Mars, I can't throw them away now, even if the latest technology renders them somewhat beside the point. Let's just say I grew up a long way from the Village Vanguard, but I remember reading about 'A Love Supreme' (probably in one of those incredible Nat Hentoff liner notes), wanting ' A Love Supreme', having the money, but not being able to interest the guy at the store. He was skeptical. Made a good deal more money off the Bay City Rollers, of course. Somehow, back then, special orders were more special, something the guy might think about or dangle as a possibility, but mostly a small joke on a farm kid. He did write down the title, but check back as many times as I might, it was never in. Today I can download it for $9.50 and I don't even have to figure out how to get the wrapper off the CD.

Of course you know that album though - but do you know Steve Lehman? Try the Steve Lehman Octet - 'Travail, Transformation, and Flow'. He's great. Needs to work on his titles perhaps, but still great.