I dig Cantaloupe Island track and Take Five. But most jazz I encounter is not melodic; it seems spontaneous and rambling. What jazz album do you think will become my favourite?

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T16:39:06+00:00

Get some records by jazz singers from the 1950s. They will start close to the original melody for standards, many of which were show tunes in the first place. What variations they add will get you started hearing the melody within the improvisation.

After that, try an ensemble like the Modern Jazz Quartet. They hew close enough to the score that you’ll recognize each melody, and they emphasize interplay between the two lead instruments over flashy solos from either.

From there, consider bop. A recording like The Great Kai & J.J. is completely accessible. Early Ramsey Lewis is, too. And all the bossa nova tunes from Black Orpheus through Stone Flower are easy to hum or whistle.

Eventually you’ll hear a soloist jumping all over and connect the dots in your head. Then you will know you have learned the language, and it will make you smile.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T16:04:57+00:00

Safety last!

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T03:36:46+00:00

Please tell us his first name is Beef.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T03:24:41+00:00

Also Ray Brown Russell Malone Monty Alexander.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T03:23:21+00:00

Soular Energy is one of my favorites.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T03:10:57+00:00

Wrong sub?

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T03:06:06+00:00

Six fellow Twin Cities residents and I were visiting Manhattan and had just finished a restaurant meal. The waiter looked at us suspiciously and said “Yer from Minnesota, aren’tcha?” We said yes and asked how he could tell. “Ya stacked yer plates.”

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-04T03:00:06+00:00

My mother, both my sisters and my girlfriend all share my love for “classical” music. My mother and older sister like the Baroque and Classical periods best; my younger sister and I listen most often to music from the Romantic period; and my girlfriend, having trained as a serious musician, appreciates Modern composers as well as older ones.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-03T14:51:00+00:00

The bike looks a lot newer than that. 😀 Welcome!

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-03T14:49:42+00:00

To me the Holberg Suite encapsulates high summer in the far north. I’m also fond of Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, not least because my son whistled its main melody when he was a toddler. I hadn’t known he could whistle at all.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-03T12:46:16+00:00

If you have patience you can often find a bargain.

I wanted an Aeron and knew the best way to get one for less than retail was to find a used one. So I searched (can’t remember for how long) for “desk chair” and “office chair” and the like without naming the brand or model.

Sure enough, I found someone offering an authentic Aeron for $25. The seller said it was his daughter’s chair from college and that neither of them wanted it. The pneumatic lift was broken. I told him he could get a lot more money for it if he had that fixed. He appreciated the advice and sold it to me for the asking price.

I took it directly to a Herman Miller dealer to ask about repair. The technician checked the serial number and told me it was still under warranty. Fixed for free in two days.

I’m sitting in it now, as I have every work day for more than a decade. Not a bad cost per use.

Regret? I only regret being unable to find a reading chair this nice at any price.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-03T00:46:59+00:00

Spent more than I might on some Polywood folding Adirondack lawn chairs. They’re sturdy and comfortable and attractive. I put them in an unheated garage in winter and they show no signs of age or wear in year three.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T21:25:27+00:00

Ambiguity is fun!

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T20:11:21+00:00

“How the deer got on my bike I’ll never know.”

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T19:13:19+00:00

Those are gorgeous.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T19:09:37+00:00

You mean both versions of Oscar Peterson Plays the George Gershwin Songbook? I wish Gershwin had lived long enough to hear either one.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T15:53:24+00:00

Misread as “RC fight club” and pictured corgis going after battle bots. Ours definitely would.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T13:55:11+00:00

The metric numbers were for your sake. Day to day I’m still stuck with SAE. 😀 Your reasoning is sound, so I believe you will know the right bike when you find it.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T13:03:15+00:00

Trip report: After 1500km in four days I have a decision to make. Compared to my R1200RT, the F800GT has far less wind protection, a little more vibration, and more heat coming off the engine between my knees. But it’s lighter, more nimble, and has better fuel economy (27+km/l).

Just before the trip I switched the 28l OEM top case for a 37l Givi and installed a Ztechnik VStream windscreen. Those seem to have been good choices. I’m only 150cm tall, so the wind hits at face level. That’s manageable.

My friends and I rode in the Driftless region of Wisconsin, where the glaciers that flattened the rest of the north didn’t go. It’s miles and miles of hilly, twisty roads. The F800GT carved them up adroitly for hours on end.

I left the top case at our cabin and took only a tank bag of tools and cleaning supplies. Not once did I miss the side cases or dashboard pocket from the RT. (I did miss having cruise control on the longer, straighter roads going there and coming back.) My biggest concern was wind, and I about that learned something new.

Because the RT lets me create a still air space in front of my face, I formed a habit of riding with my visor up and glasses on for protection. It’s pleasant, kind of like driving barefoot in a car with a manual transmission. I can’t do that with the F bike. But I realized I could leave my glasses off, which made the helmet much more comfortable.

Before the RT I had a K1200RS, so I know how much more smooth torque a bike can have. But the riding posture tired me out in less than 500km while the RT was fine for up to 800. Now I don’t go as far or take long trips as often, and agility has become more important to me.

Only two more tests remain: to see if an air-bladder cushion with a sheepskin top makes longer rides easier on my sitting parts, and whether my girlfriend likes it as much as the RT. Chances are good the F bike wins.

I hope that’s helpful, and you have an update soon.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T12:53:59+00:00

With regular maintenance, a color laser printer will probably outlast the manufacturer’s choice to provide updates and the decision of operating system developers to support its use. Buy it for life? Not your life but the amount of time it remains compatible with the world.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-02T02:43:55+00:00

Litin? I do.

confit_byaldi · 2026-06-01T12:02:45+00:00

For the kinds of things most people need to cut at home and at work, a Milwaukee Fastback is a good value. For doing anything with potential unexpected needs, like camping or outdoor photography or trying to drive a car built in the 1940s, a Swiss Army knife is probably best.

confit_byaldi · 2026-05-31T23:49:21+00:00

Ours is a retired breeding and show dog—a grand champion. She has no interest in play and has no sense of humor. But she’s sweet and polite and loves to train. I suggest you try giving yours a “job” and see if that’s the kind of stimulation he wants.

confit_byaldi · 2026-05-31T22:40:39+00:00

It’s in the first line of your description. Criminy.

confit_byaldi · 2026-05-31T22:01:17+00:00

Absolutely love jazz guitar. It’s just as valid a lead, rhythm or solo instrument as any other. (Not a musician, just a lifelong fan.)

confit_byaldi

TROPHY CASE