LATEST ADDITIONS

It was the strangest feeling: to be part of something yet without any understanding of how what I was doing fit into the whole. Back in the early 1980s, I had graduated from playing miscellaneous instruments in an early-music ensemble to devoting myself to the recorder (the end-blown fipple flute, not the audio archiving machine). My teacher, Nancy Winkelmann, had introduced me to various ensembles, and one Saturday afternoon, an ad hoc group of us was working with a composer of so-called "aleatoric" music; literally, music by chance.

<B>MILES DAVIS: <I>The Complete On the Corner Sessions</I></B><BR>
Miles Davis, trumpet, electric trumpet, electric organ, electric piano, synthesizer; Michael Henderson, (electric bass); Badal Roy (tablas); Dave Leibman, Carlos Garnett, Bennie Maupin, John Stubblefield, Sonny Fortune, Sam Morrison (reeds, flute); Wally Chambers (harmonica); Cornell Dupree, John McLaughlin, Dave Creamer, Reggie Lucas, Pete Cosey, Dominique Gaumont (guitar); Al Foster, Bernard Purdie, Jack DeJohnette, Billy Hart, Pete Cosey (drums); Mtume, Don Alias, Billy Hart (congas, percussion); Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Harold Ivory Williams, Lonnie Liston Smith, Cedric Lawson (keyboards); Colin Walcott, Khalil Balakrishna (electric sitar), Paul Buckmaster (electric cello).<BR>
Columbia/Legacy 88697 06239 2 (6 CDs). 1972&ndash;75/2007. Teo Macero, Billy Jackson, orig. prods.; Bob Belden, Michael Cuscuna, reissue prods.; Stan Tonkel, Don Pulese, Russ Payne, Doug Pomeroy, orig. engs. AAD? TT: 6:47:42<BR>
Performance ****&#189;<BR>
Sonics *****

December 16, 2007 was the 60<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary of the invention of the point transfer transistor. <I>Forbes</I> has an <A HREF="http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2007/12/15/transister-creation-anniversa…; on it.

One year after the Consumer Electronics Show switched venues from the Alexis Park to The Venetian/Sands Expo and Convention Center, leaving "renegade" exhibitors at T.H.E. Show's less costly St. Tropez venue isolated from the rest of the action, both shows are back stronger than ever. CES's "high-performance audio" exhibits in the Venetian's Tower Suites have increased to 173 from 122, while T.H.E. Show has expanded to a total of 90 exhibit rooms in the Alexis Park and the St. Tropez.

<B>IRebuildMarantz.com:</B> Robert D. Bowdish sent us an email recently, pointing us to his <A HREF="http://www.irebuildmarantz.com/"&gt; IRebuildMarants.com website</A>, which he describes as "my semi-DYI site that's for the purpose of keeping great vintage audio gear alive."

On December 2, we posted an <A HREF="http://stereophile.com/news/120307samplerateconversion/">article</A&gt; based on conversations with Benchmark Audio's John Siau, which described Siau's thoughts on the bit-transparency of later versions of iTunes. On December 9, Gordon Rankin weighed in with Wavelength Audio's <A HREF="http://stereophile.com/news/121007fixes/">thoughts on the subject</A>.

Coming this week: What everyone loves this time of the year—lists! Best jazz albums of the year! And not just that: Best jazz albums of the decade (so far)! Best newly discovered jazz treasures! Best living jazz musicians in various categories! Etc.!