Stomach churning yes - but a big part of the nausea for me is that in the current culture of the U.S., a company like Amazon feels they have to do this to appease people whose reactions are all based on surface level emotional appeals from those who have an axe to grind with the company. Big companies like Amazon that bring in big profits for their leaders are always an easy mark. Amazon does however employ nearly 1 million people in the U.S. - about one out of every 150 employed workers in this country, which is staggering. 1 out of every 153 American workers is an Amazon employee . That's a very inconvenient truth for those who feel they are an evil empire, if you think things for even a few moments beyond the knee jerk surface. Given the current context especially, when there are record numbers of unfilled open jobs in the U.S. offered by other employers - US job openings rise to record high, layoffs hit record low - you kinda have to wonder about whether it's really so bad at Amazon for employees. I wonder, why don't workers with Amazon who feel they are being treated poorly shift over to one of those other employers and tell Amazon goodbye and really "show" them? People who are being treated very badly by an employer who have other parallel employment options typically vote with their feet. Even back when I was an unskilled, little educated young adult employee, I did, leaving several jobs because I thought I was getting the shaft and shifting to parallel earning positions where at least I felt respected and not insulted. So I'm thinking most of those nearly 1 million folks working for Amazon must be perceiving better options staying there than going elsewhere. Also, the emotional appeal of comparing Jeff Bezos' earnings to a warehouse workers' as was done earlier in this thread is of course high and full of drama and righteous indignation, but it's frankly nonsense. The warehouse worker didn't stake huge amounts of their own money and take the risk to build the company. For every Bezos level success, there are dozens if not hundreds of failures where somoene put a lot of their own skin in the game and came up with nothing to show for it, or worse. One can certanly argue about how much of the profit he "should" partake of personally, but ultimately, it's his business (and you can take that last word multiple ways). And all this is to say nothing of the philanthropic side of Bezos - tens of billions of dollars to very worthy efforts: Bezos and Bloomberg among top 50 US charity donors for 2020 I'm not trying to say he's any saint - but I'm saying he's a far cry from the devil. Life is complicated, folks. I hope we can now get back to discussing music which is why I come here, and skip the half-baked politicizing and obnoxious "calling out" of people like me who "dare" to buy an occasional CD from what some seem to feel is "Darth Amazon's" outfit. There's another section of the Forums dedicated to that stuff: https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/forums/off-topic-general-discussions.7/
And in that light: been enjoying this one which came from ImportCDs (NOT Amazon ) earlier this week: Combining the original albums EASTERN REBELLION and the subsequent Volumes 2, 3 and 4. Mastering is excellent, very neutral, and I am very much enjoying revisiting this stuff, it's been years since I listened to the first two albums and I never did own Vols. 3 and 4 previously. Among other reactions to the set, I am once again taken with what a great composer Cedar Walton was.
I've been listening to samples of Shelly Manne live at The Blackhawk 1959. I've been looking at a 4 cd set Complete at the Blackhawk on one of those European labels with an eye to purchasing it. The write-ups for it are positive. I've been aware of Shelly pretty much since I've been listening to jazz {since I was 13. I'm now 66), but never really dug deep into the West coast school. I'm liking what I'm hearing, and will likely buy this 4cd set. As to what's playing from the collection, Don Byas and Lucky Thompson are getting more than a few spins this week.
I agree. Having it, and appreciating it, are two different things (than can meld together, but not in this case IMHO)
NP Donald Byrd - Slow Drag Blue Note BST 84292 CD - RVG Edition Sitting back after work, enjoying a Raw/Sheng Pu'er tea and enjoying this chill yet fun (soulful) music. Feels like the 60's moving into the 70's for sure (and was recorded same year as Blue Note was sold to Liberty Records).
Since your plea to “get back to music” took 10 lengthy paragraphs, hopefully you will forgive a brief paragraph. I was not piling on about your purchase, i too occasionally buy from them , and like you its a last resort but the reasons for jobs not being filled today are many and complex and uniquely Covid related and not necessarily indicative of good working conditions at A. Comparing owner profits to staff is a common useful tool to compare societal shifts over generations . ( this gap only started getting out of hand with the Reagan presidency ) and finally once you have monies on the scale of Bezos giving becomes insignificant and a way of burnishing your public image, its how you give that matters most …( compare with Bill and Melinda Gates work for exampl) I wont comment further ( my wife always complains I get the last word and I usually reply “I do not!”)
Over the weekend we were driving around and I put on Nina Simone's Little Girl Blue. I'm a relative newcomer to her music and so far it's instant love. I notice she straddles and blurs the line between genres. I also was impressed with her way with the keyboard. How do folks here rank her piano playing?
@Berthold You got me on the Lars Gullin train thanks queued up 1949-52 Vol 6 The Sidemen and 1951-54 Vol 10 More Sidemen. @Stu02 with a write-up like that I had to check out Myra Melford and Ben Goldberg also coming later. And @dennis the menace checking out your fave Horace Parlan later and a few more. But right now not listening to jazz but a fantastic album I would recommend to anyone, I could just sit and listen to Pops read the phone-book.
I was in a used record shop today that was having a 50% off sale on all vinyl. One father brought along his 5 year old son, probably after picking him up from kindergarten. I overheard the boy say, "Daddy, I want to get a Bob Dylan album!" I really liked that. The kid may be like me. At that age, I got my mother to buy me some Lead Belly. Lead Belly statue in Shreveport LA
Was going to say this earlier and maybe someone did but these posts about Amazon, pro and con, are starting to drift into political areas and that could get us moderated.
Dave Brubeck’s first album for Columbia but not his first dealing with college performances, these are live performances at various colleges, with him and Paul Desmond, plus Bob Bates (b) and Joe Dodge (ds). Early Brubeck (1954) but some really fine performances.
RE Elmo Hope...I just found NM copies of Last Sessions, and Last Sessions Vol. 2 on Inner City. Great stuff. Nice sounding G.K. (Gilbert Kong) masterings. Trying to figure out which pressings I have. Both have bar codes so it's unlikely they're originals if released in 1977.
One of my favorites by Parlan. I had a serious jones on Parlan about twenty years ago and listened to his BN albums a lot. I need to revisit those albums so thanks for the reminder. That is a killer band indeed.
