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Thumper
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Username: Thumper

Post Number: 496
Registered: 01-2004

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Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 11:13 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Although I’ve been away from the board for a while and haven’t read any books, except books on electronic and anatomy/human physiology; I have been able to still listen to, and indulge in my love for music. For those of you who have never seen me, I do not go anywhere without my iPod. It’s the best thing since slice bread and Aretha Franklin. One day I decided that it would be best if I put all of my music on a portable hard drive. Somewhere along the line, I got into the kick that I needed to back up everything. Well, actually, I discovered Tiger Direct.com and lost my damn mind. After I got a new computer after my 2 year old Dell computer crapped out (Don’t BUY DELL!), I had to reenter my music into a new iTunes library, on my new computer (Gateway this time).

At this point, I had over 30 GB of music to deal with rendering the 30 GB iPod useless, so I had to upgrade to an 80 GB iPod. I carry the 80 GB iPod on me, and I put the 30 GB iPod in my truck. Anyway, I started loading up the CDs on the computer and backing up the music on three separate portable hard drives. Tiger Direct had a massive sale. When I started putting the music into my library, naturally, I had to hear the music as it was being added. It was then that I pleasantly discovered that my new computer had an audio fiber optical outlet! For those of you who are not audiophiles, the audio fiber optical connection provides the clearest sound for the home entertainment. It delivers the pure 5.1, 7.1 digital surround sounds available today. After this discover I just had to get a 5.1 stereo receiver that had the optical audio connection. I ask you, how could I possibly leave that kind of thing hanging…I mean really.

After talking to my older brother Richard (if you think I’m evil, boy, I look like Little Red Riding Hood compared to him!) I found a relatively inexpensive receiver to do the trick, Insignia, which is sold by Best Buy for around $100. I then got my audio fiber optic cable from Home Depot, believe it or not for less than $10. I’m putting this system in my office, so I wasn’t trying to break the bank with the setup. I already had some mix-matched speakers, and speaker wire lying around the joint. The only thing missing for my office sound system was a powered subwoofer. I believe in powered subwoofer, the ones that you have to plug into an electric outlet. I have a few technical reasons for making the powered subwoofer essential to the setup, but I will spare you, only to say that if you have a surround sound system with those little cute speakers and you want to keep those little cute speakers working, you had better get a powered subwoofer to handle the bass of your system so that those cute little speakers don’t get blown out. I got a Pioneer powered subwoofer from Amazon.com for $30. I couldn’t believe it either. I couldn’t get my fat fingers moving fast enough to buy that puppy either. My home office surround sound system was/is now complete, now all I have to do is listen to my music on it.

You never know how much stuff you got until you have to move it! I have well over 2000 CDs, which includes CDs in the many box sets that I own. It took me a little over 3 weeks to put all of those damn CDs in my computer. I have a very eclectic taste in music, so I had a lot of old school R&B, Jazz, Gospel, Soundtracks, Rock, Country and Classical stuff. I feel in love with music that I hadn’t heard in years. I feel in love with artist that I had only one or two CDs. But, with the existence of iTunes, I turned into a downloading fool! I began downloading CDs like crazy. Then I discovered Amazon.com Marketplace, where you can buy new and used CDs cheap, man, I was on a serious roll. As of this writing, I now have over 100 GB of music! Yeah, it’s crazy. But anyway, there are a few artist that I discovered, rediscovered, that I absolutely love. I’m telling you all about them because I don’t want to be the only one that loves ‘em.

1.) Nancy Wilson – My Lord, this is a singin’ woman! My Nancy Wilson collection went from 4 CDs to 23 CDs. She’s great. I just bought 4 Nancy Wilson CDs today with my stimulus check (what a racket, but I’ll talk about that later).
2.) Jimmy Scott – aka Little Jimmy Scott – he is probably the most underrated great singer of our time. All I can say is that it’s a damn shame that Scott is not recognized for the great singer he is. I love him. If you haven’t heard of him, check him out. Now, I’ll admit that he sounds like a woman singing, but that’s due to his medical condition that caused him unable to physically mature. But his voice is something out of this world, and his phrasing and style is off the hook!
3.) Etta James – now you all know I love me some Etta. I rediscovered her later Jazz albums, Time After Time, Mystery Lady, Blue Gardenia, Heart of a Woman, and I just fell in love with Miss Etta all over again. She can sing any damn thing she wants to. Now, I’m moving into her Blues albums. I just downloaded her Blue to the Bone CD. Etta can do no wrong.
4.) Margie Joseph – now I know I’m going back, and I know that you all may not know who Margie Joseph is, but she is another underrated singer from the early 1970s. My friend Steve introduced me to Margie Joseph about 10 years ago with her version of Etta James’ classic, “I’d Rather Go Blind”, and Margie Joseph’s album, “Sweet Surrender” that has her covers of “To Know You is to Love You” and “My Love”. Well, just this year, somebody decided to get up off of their ass and released Margie Joseph’s albums on CD for the first time. So if you happen to see her albums, “Margie” and “Sweet Surrender”, BUY THEM!
5.) Barbara Mason – yep, another one, many of you may remember Barbara Mason from her first big hit, “Yes, I’m Ready”. Well, about a year or so a new compilation was released, and this one contained all of her 70s hits including “Bed and Board” and the bomb ass version of “Me and Mr. (s) Jones”. Mason came out with a new album last year which was wonderful.
6.) Now, I have gone crazy over opera. Not all opera, mainly, Puccini operas, Madama Butterfly and La Boheme, and a few others. But this growing passion opened up a whole new obsession with the sopranos, especially the black sopranos starting with Leontyne Price, and moving to Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, and finishing up with Grace Bumbry. I’m going to have to take up the Italian language after this.


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Libralind2
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Username: Libralind2

Post Number: 1043
Registered: 09-2004

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Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 08:34 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Ok Thump..your going to HAVE to get into a new line of work..making mixed CD's LOL
LiLi
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Troy
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Username: Troy

Post Number: 1271
Registered: 01-2004

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Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 08:58 am:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hey thump you can create a mix on Itunes and other can buy. That will make it easy for you to share the music with others. I'm not up on Margie Joseph or Barbara Mason.

You might also want to look in to Microsoft's media center. Basically you can network all of you media playstation, music, video and access you devices all over your home from compatiable.

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Steve_s
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Username: Steve_s

Post Number: 318
Registered: 04-2004

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Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008 - 03:10 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hey, Thumper. How have you been?

Are you hip to "Echoes of an Era 2," released in 1982, a live album which features Nancy Wilson with Chick Corea, Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White, playing standards like I Get a Kick Out of You, Round Midnight, etc.?

It was a follow up to the studio album of the same name, but with Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and Chaka Khan as the vocalist. with some overlapping repertoire, however, the Corea original, "High Wire," which is one of my favorites, doesn't appear at all on the live album.

It's Albert Murray's birthday today, number 92.

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

Steve

PS How's your puppy, Sasha? Still feeding her from an eyedropper? :-)
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Thumper
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Username: Thumper

Post Number: 500
Registered: 01-2004

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Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 12:46 am:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hello All,

Troy: The iTunes mix is an excellent idea!! When I get done here, I'm going to create one.

Steve: What's up! I am doing fine, and you? I did not know that it was Albert Murray's birthday. It's good that he is still here with us. I have not heard of the albums you mentioned, are they still available? I'm including the most recent picture of Sasha in this post, along my new addition, Callas. I got Callas from animal control when I was thinking about getting another shepherd. I decided to save one instead. She's a hoot, too. Warning: the pictures are huge!! I don't know how that happened. But you have to scroll over to see Sasha's face in both pictures.

This is Sasha now:

This is the both of them together:



LiLi: Oh, I know I should be doing mix CDs. My taste is so peculiar, I don't think anyone else would get it but me. Check out my mix on iTunes and tell me what you think.
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Libralind2
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Username: Libralind2

Post Number: 1045
Registered: 09-2004

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Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 11:31 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

How do I do that..??
LiLi
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Steve_s
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Username: Steve_s

Post Number: 320
Registered: 04-2004

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Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 12:08 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thumper, Thanks for the pictures! I sent you an email reply yesterday because I was experiencing a technical glitch in posting. Another book I liked and forgot to mention is "Hip: The History" by John Leland. Later...
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Yvettep
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Username: Yvettep

Post Number: 2886
Registered: 01-2005

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Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 11:46 am:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I was experiencing a technical glitch in posting.

Hey, Steve, me too. Glad I'm not being singled out or something! Troy, I am still getting the message when I try to post from my home ISP, BTW.

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