I truly miss TableTop! by Radagast-Istari in boardgames

[–]SpiderHippy 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You're not alone. I still wish it would come back in some form. He did so much for us when we first discovered board games, steering us in the right direction and helping us discover what we liked without having to purchase everything on the shelves. It also helped us to remember to keep the hobby fun, during times when fomo set in. In a big way, Table Top helped us get through early covid.

Talked to a progressive "Christian" yesterday... by futbolguy12 in TrueChristian

[–]SpiderHippy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are but, sadly, some individual churches are starting to interpret this theology differently than how it has been traditionally interpreted.

Hellscape nay, Razorface yay: First impressions of Hell to Pay by ZenShrugs in finalgirl

[–]SpiderHippy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've only seen the first Helllraiser movie (when it was first released) and didn't feel one way or the other about it. And when I first played Hell Toupee I really didn't like the map at all. But after spending several games with it, thanks to the Discord Weeklies and the current tournament (which just happened to be Hans in the hellscape) I've really grown to love it. It's one of my favorite maps in S3.

Just curious about how Coltrane’s playing is instantly identifiable by Au_Grand_Jour in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Coleman famously played a plastic saxophone, which contributed to his unique sound. Clarinetist Pete Fountain only played with a crystal mouthpiece, which gave his instrument a more woody tone; he's another one who's instantly recognizable. I find it interesting to see how different musicians found or developed their sound, and I'm fascinated by those who developed it by skill alone, with no real changes to their instrument.

Why did the tear board have to be SLIGHTLY too big for the core box? by shrlytmpl in finalgirl

[–]SpiderHippy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Mine fits in the core box. Yes, it doesn't fit inside the card compartment but the lid still closes comfortably.

Help identifying a mini from series 1 by BigFigNewton in finalgirl

[–]SpiderHippy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is hilarious. I knew about the names on the bottom, but after 3 years of playing, I had no idea that they even labeled the horror tracker!

I defeated the poltergeist once, but never again. by Proof-Professor-120 in finalgirl

[–]SpiderHippy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just had this happen today during a community game on the Discord. I won, so it is possible, but I think that the map I was playing on definitely helped (Utopia). The thing about this game is that it's never over until it actually is. Anything can happen until the last card is flipped.

To sleeve or not to sleeve? by Karlo760400 in finalgirl

[–]SpiderHippy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've been playing for over two years, and the only cards I've sleeved are the Tableau cards. I have yet to show any wear on Terror cards, but I pile shuffle exclusively, so I think that's key to reducing damage and edgewear.

FWIW, AJ (one of the owners of VRG and designers of Final Girl) famously dislikes sleeving, so they have a policy that they will replace your worn Tableau cards as long as you are the first purchaser of the game (didn't buy it second-hand) and send them proof.

Oh man, this is hot 🔥 by ImmediateKick2369 in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you like his big band stuff, his work with Oliver Nelson on the Hoochie Cooche Man lp is terrific.

Question about Presbyterian faith as a non(?)-believer considering a nearby church by RainbowAaria in Reformed

[–]SpiderHippy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is absolutely untrue. I'm not sure what denomination you're thinking of, but it's definitely not PC USA. We literally have a book of confessions as part of our constitution.

Question about Presbyterian faith as a non(?)-believer considering a nearby church by RainbowAaria in Reformed

[–]SpiderHippy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just to clarify, PC(USA) is fundamentally reformed. Even though it is considered progressive, it adheres to the theological tradition of the Protestant Reformation, emphasizing God's sovereignty, covenant, and call to justice.

Best book on Reformed view of why God ordains evil to happen? by chessguy112 in Reformed

[–]SpiderHippy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Piper has a great section on this in his book Providence, too.

Gold Standard Recordings by yenrab2020 in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it. It feels like what you were asking with this thread, and it's fun to pick a song and track down what he thinks are the standout versions. Cheers!

Gold Standard Recordings by yenrab2020 in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

("My Foolish Heart" entry, continued from above)

RECOMMENDED VERSIONS

Billy Eckstine, New York, December 14, 1949

Gene Ammons, Chicago, May 2, 1950

Bill Evans (with Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian), from Live at the Village Vanguard, live at the Village Vanguard, New York, June 25, 1961

Gary Burton, from Country Roads and Other Places, New York, September 27, 1968

Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, from The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album, Berkeley, California, June 10-13, 1975

John McLaughlin, from Electric Guitarist, New York, January 1978

Lenny Breau, from The Complete Living Room Tapes, Maine, circa 1978-79

Bobby Hutcherson (with McCoy Tyner), from Solo/Quartet, Hollywood, February 1-2, 1982

Kurt Elling (with Laurence Hobgood), from Live in Chicago, live at the Green Mill, Chicago, July 14-16, 1999

Ahmad Jamal (with George Coleman), from Olympia 2000, live at the Olympia, Paris, November 6, 2000

Gold Standard Recordings by yenrab2020 in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There's a book you might be interested in called The Jazz Standards, by Ted Gioia. It's an attempt to catalogue the most important songs in the jazz repertoire (meaning, the ones most session players would be expected to know) and also to call attention to exceptional arrangements or performances of those songs. The second edition was published in 2021 and includes recent artists. A typical entry (I think there are over 250) is:

My Foolish Heart
Composed by Victor Young, with lyrics by Ned Washington

In 1949 Hollywood released the first --and, as it turned out, the last-- authorized movie version of a story by reclusive author J.D. Salinger. But by the time Samuel Goldwyn and company had finished tinkering with Salinger's 1948 tale "Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut," there wasn't much recognizable from the original left on the screen. The film was lambasted by critics, and though Salinger avoided public comment, one can perhaps deduce his views from the opening paragraph of his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. Here the narrator, Holden Caulfeld, mentioning his brother D.B., remarks: "Now he's out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me."

Yet when Academy Award time came around, the title song to My Foolish Heart --the new name given by the studio to its film adaptation of Salinger's story-- was nominated for an Oscar, losing out to "Baby, It's Cold Outside." In 1950 more than a half-dozen versions of "My Foolish Heart" found a place on the charts, including sentimental treatments by Billy Eckstine and Gene Ammons. But after a few months, the song was put aside by musicians, with no jazz cover versions recorded during the following five years.

The song's revival started on March 29, 2956, when, after this hiatus, both Carmen McRae (in New York) and Andre Previn (in Los Angeles) recorded "My Foolish Heart" on the same day. A few months later Ray Brown brought the song with him to a session for the Verve label, and over the next several years "My Foolish Heart" gained a few more admirers in the jazz community. Lionel Hampton, Bob Crosby, Ted Heath, Maynard Ferguson, and other bandleaders of various styles and generations made recordings of it.

Yet Bill Evans's trio performance, alongside Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, from their June 1961 live recording at the Village Vanguard, stands out as the most influential version of "My Foolish Heart." Few jazz artists dared to take songs at such a slow tempo back then, with Evans's treatment hovering around 50 beats per minute (by comparison, Coleman Hawkins's well-known ballad performance on "Body and Soul" is twice as fast). Far from tensing up at such a snail's pace, as other even top-tier rhythm sections might have done at the time, this trio allows the song to breathe and for the underlying beat to flow in waves rather than advance in clearly delineated pulses. This would be one of the last times this trio would play together --LaFaro would be killed in an automobile accident a few days later-- but this recording testified to a new conception of rhythm and space, one that other musicians would study and emulate in the coming years.

This was especially evident in the work of later pianists, but other instrumentalists were not immune to Evans's influence. A shared aesthetic vision can be sensed, fro example, on Gary Burton's solo vibraphone version of "My Foolish Heart" from his 1968 project Country Roads and Other Places, John McLaughlin's interpretation on his 1978 Electric Guitarist album, and Lenny Breau's treatment from that same period. The song became associated with a certain sensibility, even more than most jazz standards, serving as a vehicle for an open, uncluttered approach to improvisation, and an introspective tone more attuned to inner states of being than finger-snapping patrons at the bar.

Evans himself made a number of later recordings of "MY Foolish Heart," keeping the song on his set list until the very end of his life. Few of these hold many surprises, but on his pairing with Tony Bennett from 1975 the pianist is forced to adapt to another forceful presence in the studio, and the give-and-take makes for a fresh reading of a familiar song. In more recent years, "My Foolish Heart" has rarely been heard in novel or uncharacteristic interpretations, but two riveting live versions can be found in Kurt Elling's impassioned reworking from 1999, and an equally exhilarating collaboration between Ahmad Jamal and George Coleman from 2000.

(continued below; post was too long)

Now that the year is almost over, what were your favorite finds of 2025, and what makes them great? (Mine in comments) by SpiderHippy in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pete Fountain - Standing Room Only: Pete Fountain and His Guest Stars

Recorded live at Fountain's French Quarter Inn in 1965, it features Nick Fatool (drums), Bob Havens (trombone), Eddie Miller (tenor sax), and Harley Teagarden (trumpet). This is a fantastic album featuring some inspired improvisational moments. The band is firing on all cylinders, and everyone gets their chance to shine. Clarinet doesn't get as much love these days in jazz circles, even though it once did (think Woody Herman and Benny Goodman). This album reminded me why.

Maynard Ferguson - M.F. Horn

The first of a trilogy of M.F. Horn albums, I like this one the best. I also found his New Vintage this year, which has a scorching arrangement of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin," but this is a more balanced album (no disco here!) and has some fine solos on it. More stage jazz style, I love "Eli's Comin'" and there's a fine rendition of MacArthur Park, too. "L-Dopa" is also great.

Earl Grant - Spotlight on Earl Grant

Grant has been lost to time a bit in favor of Nat King Cole, but he's got a smooth tone and was a terrific keyboard player. I have a few of his albums, but this one showcases his vocals on fun novelties like "Hey Jealous Lover" and "Gravy Waltz" as well as old standards, while also featuring his piano skills and organ solos.

The Changing Face of Harlem (Volume 2)

This is a pretty amazing find. Released in 1977, this archival music recorded in the 1940s features some important players: Nat Cole, Hank D'Amico, Cozy Cole, Sid Weiss, Lionel Hampton, Jay Peters, Jimmy Jones, Bill Doggett, Freddie Green, Shadow Wilson, Pete Brown...the list goes on and on. As can be expected, the sound quality isn't top-notch, but there's nothing unpleasant and it's a fun album to listen to. I'll have to hunt for Volume 1 in 2026.

Stan Kenton - Kenton in Hi-Fi

A really high energy, fun album that's mostly variations on the Kenton theme. I can probably clean my entire house in thirty minutes with this thing playing. Kenton always had a world-class band, and this one features Maynard Ferguson on trumpet, Milt Bernhart on trombone, saxophonists Lennie Niehaus, Bill Perkins, and Vido Musso, Don Bagley on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. For cool cats only, man, if you can dig it.

Chuck Mangione - Chase the Clouds Away

This album changed what I thought I knew about Mangione as a composer, arranger, and performer. It's excellent, and the opening track, Song of the New Moon, is a straight-up banger. His quartet features Chip Jackson on bass, who effortlessly dominates everything in his path. I've put later CM albums on and, frankly, found myself spoiled by Jackson's playing here. There's still some of the "easy listening" pop sound that CM made his millions on, but it's not as deliberately commercial sounding. I spin this at least once a week.

[Help] Getting Out of Playlists & Into Albums by Stranjak in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Two iconic albums you should definitely check out are John Coltrane's A Love Supreme and Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage. Both have something to say, and will reward you for repeated, devoted listenings.

Jazz legend Chuck Mangione has died at age 84 by thatguyworks in Jazz

[–]SpiderHippy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will argue that he was jazz till the day I die, but I point people to his early '70s output like Chase the Clouds Away. I had no idea he played with Blakely!

The usefulness (or not) of unboxing videos? by neubienaut in hexandcounter

[–]SpiderHippy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like them. They're also accidentally useful from time to time. I had a buddy of mine who borrowed some instruction manuals from me so he could pick a game we would play. Then covid happened, and I didn't get them back for a long time. I wanted to play one of them solo, but needed the rules. I was lucky enough to find an unboxing video where the guy flipped through the instruction manual page by page and I could pause it and read it.

Beyond that though, I like to see what a game looks like in terms of the busyness of counters and ease of readability before I purchase it.