"Jazz Combos" - July 2020

A monthly, music-themed meta crossword published at noon on the first Tuesday of every month. The puzzles increase in difficulty each month, and at year end there is a 13th puzzle (the "Mega-Meta") that invokes each of the 12 monthly puzzles. Currently available at https://pmxwords.com/, as well as through the Washington Post website here: MMMM at WaPo
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Abide
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#41

Post by Abide »

Humming the tune.
The site is just a web page, a meeting place, a clubhouse - it's the group that's special.
—Brian MacDonald
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BarbaraK
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#42

Post by BarbaraK »

I spent days chasing a big juicy irresistible red herring that I couldn't get any reasonable answer from. Somewhere in there, I noticed some different things that seemed likely to be relevant, but couldn't get an answer there either. And I couldn't get myself to totally let that herring go. Finally a kind friend told me forget the herring and stick with my other idea. Then once I found some more stuff and let go of a piece that wasn't actually relevant, there was the answer.
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BarbaraK
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#43

Post by BarbaraK »

Hah, there's an Isaac W on the MMMM leaderboard at 4:45 this afternoon! First submission this year. Is that a muggle? :)
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Eric Porter
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#44

Post by Eric Porter »

I'm now on the leaderboard with a little help from LaceyK. Thanks!

I won't say yet exactly how close I was when I posted earlier. I had the right idea, but made mistakes carrying it out.
burak
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Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:15 pm

#45

Post by burak »

Last minute inspiration! Ashore!

I was reading the comments here and looking at the puzzle at the same time. Then I noticed something. Then basically Google/Wikipedia solved the meta for me so I can't take all the credit I guess.
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Jeremy Smith
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#46

Post by Jeremy Smith »

On the board! Still, looking at that darn MGWCC!
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BarbaraK
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Location: Virginia

#47

Post by BarbaraK »

So did anyone else get stuck in the rabbit whole with shared combinations of letters, like iGUANA and GUANAcos? I mean, that can't possibly be coincidence, can it? Guanacos??? It took me way way too long to let that go.
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Eric Porter
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Joined: Sun May 05, 2019 2:19 am
Location: Nashville, TN

#48

Post by Eric Porter »

First, I should say that I know very little about jazz. Usually I can search for what I need to know, but I found it more difficult this time.

I was at first caught up on the iGUANA and GUANAcos like BarbaraK. Even worse, there's an 'I' above GUANACOS so it looks like a second IGUANA.

At first, I was able to get only 6/10: BIRD (thanks Bird Lives), ELLA, DUKE, COUNT, FATS, & MILES.
I found some names that were a real stretch because I didn't look up nicknames for the most famous musicians. I was only using their first names, but because I had BIRD, I should have done so for the other most famous musicians.

I liked that my initials are in 27A and my first name appears in this week's WSJ meta.
LesY
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#49

Post by LesY »

Just joined the Mega Meta party! Thanks to a fellow Muggle for a gentle nudge that led me back to something I’d noticed and abandoned early on.

Can’t wait for Tuesday!
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FrankieHeck
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#50

Post by FrankieHeck »

LesY wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:39 am Just joined the Mega Meta party! Thanks to a fellow Muggle for a gentle nudge that led me back to something I’d noticed and abandoned early on.

Can’t wait for Tuesday!
I finally got the mega meta this week, too! I thought I was submitting the red herring, but apparently not.
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