The Buy Side by Turney Duff

The Buy Side / Turney DuffWe don't usually review books at AspenSpin, but new in hardcover is The Buy Side, written by former Galleon Group hedge fund trader Turney Duff.  The Buy Side hit so close to home that we chose to review it here. 

Full disclosure:  Mr. Duff & I were once colleagues at Morgan Stanley in the 90's.  Before he became "size x size".

Like me, Turney Duff managed to squeeze into Morgan Stanley's Private Client Services Group (a.k.a. high net worth) via the side door.   As we learn in The Buy Side Turney's knowledge of the current story line of Melrose Place, as well as his gift for gab got him entrance into the private club.  He started as a floater / sales assistant in PCS...it was the right place at the right time. Heady times during the Clinton Administration, the market was rallying... remember. Duff over came his lack of Ivy League pedigree and/or the popular nepotism route to become a star.  He admits in the book that he was at his best "with a glass in his hand".  Turney was a good guy, a social guy, a fun guy and he became friendly with all the other sales assistants, who were primarily pretty young women.   PCS was known for having "top tier talent" within it's administrative ranks.  The skirts attracted the traders.  Every day after the close there was plenty of inter-departmental mingling at a nearby mid-town watering hole, Cite'.  Turney references that in the book, and that's where he became friendly with the infamous David Slaine (google him).

Turney Duff , The Buy Side. Click to buy the book.Slaine was a friend of mine too.  He was what's known on the street as a "big swinging d*ck" (see Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis).  Slaine was a muscular, tough guy who threw around huge OTC block trades like they were frisbees. As an aside, the men's  room on the MS's trading floor had a heavy bag hanging in the foyer... not sure if there's a connection.  Slaine eventually left Morgan Stanley to join the Galleon Group...one of the largest, most aggressive hedge funds on the street.  Slaine took Turney with him.  Once Duff was firmly entrenched on the buy side, he became a BSD too. Trading is a stressful business.  Duff's success led to excess. After several HUGE years he succumbed to alcohol and cocaine addiction. Like Galleon Group itself, which would self destruct in 2009 amidst the largest insider trading scandal in the the history of Wall Street, Duff would give it all back in a haze of drunkeness and cocaine abuse.

The Buy Side provides the reader with inside info into the hedge fund world.  It's not an indictment of Wall Street excess...it's just one guy's tale...but its a good one.  Don't worry, it's a feel good story too.  Turney went to rehab, got clean, quit Wall Street and now has a best seller on his hands.  The Buy Side is highly recommended.  Perfect summer reading, and for me a trip down memory lane.

Stay-cation: Westin Snowmass Resort.

Super Moon over Westin SnowmassI'm cool with Snowmass.  Snowmass is a good neighbor.  In the Winter they have over 3330 acres of skiing.  In the Summer they have the Snowmass Rodeo, the biking is siiiiiick, free music on Thurdays and there's golf ( but I abhor golf) and its wide open and generally pretty relaxed.

Aspen has a different vibe in the Summer. All the show ponies are in town. It's more accessible by car, its crowded, it's noisy, there are tons of guys on scooters, from Long Island & Miami claiming to live here. There are 100 bars and 500 outdoor dining seats, but there is no more skiing. The 15 or so major construction projects in the 5 block core have brought a flurry of BIG machinery to town.  It appears as if the banks have opened the spigots and Aspen is a development opportunity again.  Throw in all work on the parks and the curb upgrades...and it's as noisy as NYC.  I needed to de-stress.

Click for pix:  Stay-cation Snowmass.

So When the Westin Snowmass Resort invited Carmelo and I to come over for a stay-cation, a food frenzy and a pool party at The Wildwood...I looked at my dog..and said hellllllz yeah.  So off we went.  9 miles via Owl Creek Road into a different world.  As we passed the imposing structure known as base village that blocks the sun.  We weren't stopping at the imposing concrete parking stucture that is reminicent of The Wall that borders the Northern edge of the 7 Kingdoms, guarded by The Night's Watch that defends the Realm in the Game of Thrones.  No way...we were headed up the hill to The Mall.  Last year, a new ownership group began flying the Westin flag at the Snowmass Conference Center and The Westin Snowmass Resort was born. They did a complete remodel bringing the hotel into modern times.  The same group did a total re-do on the The Wildwood, right next door.  Kudos on the rad re-design at The Wildwood to my pal Carlton DeWoody, a founding member of Ski Radical.  Excellent job, bro. The bright, primary colors speak to me...and everybody loves the New Belgium Beer bar and the game room in the lobby.

Someone loves luxury hotelsCarmelo, my best friend is getting a little older now, but she still gets excited and loves to turn it on in luxury hotels. Her booty was shaking so hard in the lobby that everybody wanted to pet her.  Then she dropped into the belly rub position on the cool marble floor...and indicated "I'm good".  The staff couldn't have been nicer.  It's very clear that The Westin Snowmass has professional management in place.  All the details are covered.  When we got to our beautifully appointed room...Carmelo gave me a look that said " yeah, I can't jump up on the bed anymore...but turn up the A/C... full blast, will ya pal".  We both sacked out. Carmelo on the floor, and me on the Heavenly Bed.  I'm not exactly sure what makes it a Heavenly Bed...but I slept like a log...heavy drool and everything. 

The next morning we skipped yoga in favor of a spirited game of fetch on Fanny Hill.  The slope-side spa and pool at The Westin Snowmass Resort looks siiiiick...but brunch at Snowmass Kitchen was calling my name.  Several media members had spent the night in Snowmass and we were scheduled for a grazing session at the Westin's awesome in-house restaurant.   Before I started blogging, I never realized how many media people were just one free meal away from starvation.   Any way, it was full-on feeding frenzy...a four course, 3 hour brunch.  I don't know what I enjoyed more the bagels & lox (Jewish soul food), the waffles & fried chicken (real soul food) or the Eggs Benedict (1% soul food).

Next stop...the first Sunday pool party of the season at The Wildwood.  Luckily I brought my underwater camera cause sh*t got crazy. It was a great crowd for the first of a series of Sunday fundays at The Wildwood.   DJ Naka G was spinning, the sun was shinning, skin was showing and the food and drink specials were too good to pass up.   It was a very fun scene.  The Wildwood Pool is open to the public...so feel free to get after it. Luckily we got hooked up with a late check out so Carmelo and I spent the afternoon jamming poolside.  It was a great weekend in Snowmass.  A little stay-cation never hurt anybody. 

Thank you WESTIN SNOWMASS RESORT. To para-phrase Arnold... We'll be baaaaack.

Click for pix:  Stay-cation Snowmass.

The Eggs Benny was off the charts at Snowmass Kitchen. Click 4 pix.The WildWood pool in Snowmass is open to the public. Huge pool party on Sundays. Click 4 pix.Media babes copping some rays at The Wildwood. Click 4 pix.

Jazz Aspen: The Sweet Sounds of June.

Click for Info about JAZZ ASPEN SNOWMASSFor the 23rd year in a row JAS / Jazz Aspen Snowmass presented a stellar musical line-up in June. The Benedict Music Tent on the campus of The Aspen Institute is probably the best venue ever. The indoor / outdoor acoustically perfect Bedouin-style, semi underground concert hall under the big top is an Aspen treasure. The headliners of the 3-Day June Fest were Jackson Browne w/ Sara Watkins,  Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite and Tedeschi Trucks Band w/ Naturally 7. The ongoing mission of Jazz Aspen Snowmass is to present and preserve jazz and related music forms through world-class festivals, performances and education programs.  So the bands played on.

Click 4 pix:  THE SWEET SOUNDS of JUNE

Both the VIP Patron's tent and the free lawn party were bustling with bars, food stations and world music from Mezcla-Afro Cuban All Stars and Tizer a jazz rock fusion trio. Locals and tourists were dancing side by side both inside and outside the tent.  The VIP area was a decadent scene as it always is for all Jazz Aspen Snowmass events.  The food and drinks flowed copiously.  The guys looked mountain ca$h and the ladies chic and sexy. Chef Martin Oswald and the team from Pyramid Bistro created an eclectic and delicious nutrient packed menu. If I had to pick a last meal it might just  be Bryan Nelson's Garlic Shrimp chased by Pyramid's blueberry cobbler ala mode.  The lawn party was free and open to the public with food from local vendors and a large tequila bar.  While the lawn has an obstructed view, the tunes were flowing freely.  The lawn party certainly offers a less VIP experience...it's still a great vibe and open to everybody.  In fact...the lawn party is my favorite part of JAS because it makes the music accessible to all... free and open to the public.

Jackson Browne captivated the crowd at Jazz Aspen SnowmassFriday night felt like 1977 again as Jackson Browne kicked off the fest with a sweet sounding set.  A. Party had a serious flashback while shooting pix in the front row.  The Pretender, Running on Empty, Doctor My Eyes and Somebody's Baby were highlights.  Take It Easy...made famous by the Eagles and co-written by Browne & Glen Frey brought the house down.  But JB was not finished yet, as he closed it out with a rowdy rendition with My Redneck Friends.  Sara Watkins the fiddle player from Grammy winner Nickel Creek and a full band provided support.  Browne sounds great...his voice resonates a time gone by.  Even the patron's section was standing & swaying in the aisles.  If you closed your eyes...and you didn't look too closely at Jackson's youthful, but almost 65 year old face...it was a flashback to the 70's...and it felt soooo niiiice.

Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite rocked the tent.Saturday Ben Harper the Grammy winning singing song writing blues, folk, soulful, rocker teamed up with harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite to "almost" blow the roof off the music tent.  Harper and Musselwhite are touring behind their new album Get Up!.  Musselwhite known for his harp is a member of the Blues Hall of Fame.  The undisputed peak was the rousing cover of Led Zeppelin's...When the Levee Breaks.  The fairly docile crowd up front erupted in a frenzy during the crescendo of this classic rock ballad.

Sunday capped it all off with the husband & wife team of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks and their tightly knit Tedeschi Trucks Band or TTB.  With Allman-esqe guitar licks and a long musical heritage including Grammy's, TTB did it's thing to the delight of the full house and even more packed lawn party.  Opening for TTB was Naturally 7, a group of seven vocalists who replicate instruments to such a degree, that they have you looking for the actual band.  Naturally 7 are known as the "first vocal play group ever".  They received a standing O from the JAS Festival crowd.

Spectacular June weather and an undeniably awesome venue at the Benedict Music Tent made JAS's June Festival a huge success.  Whether you enjoyed the shows from the lawn or you were in the big money front row at JAS's June Festival, it crystal clear that the music , the overall vibe and the community scene was very sweet indeed.

Click 4 pix:  THE SWEET SOUNDS of JUNE

Tedeschi Trucks Band jammed at JAS at the Benedict Music Tent in Aspen. Click 4 pix.Everybody had a blast at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass June Fest. Click 4 pix.Mezcla, Afro Cuban All-Stars chillin' after 3 days of fun & music at the Free JAS Lawn Party. Click 4 pix.Ain't no party like a JAS Lawn Party. Free & Open to the Public. Click 4 pix.

Jamming in style at Jazz Aspen Snowmass. In the VIP Patron's tent. Click 4 pix.

Alp-n-Rock: Luxury Personified

Click for Alp-n-RockThe first time you try on an ALP-n-ROCK polo top, henley or hoodie you know with full certainty that you are wearing a top quality garment. 

Since 2008, Alp-n-Rock has produced luxurious & stylish clothing for active men & women.  Alp-n-Rock's products are inspired by a passion for the outdoor lifestyle.  The clothing combines fashion and functionality...feels great and looks amazing.

Living in Aspen, we get to see the latest and greatest ski and summer styles that compliment our chic mountain town's world famous culture.  Aspen is often chosen as a testing ground for some of the finest international clothing brands. Alp-n-Rock is no exception  In a very short time Alp-n-Rock has made a huge impression on Aspen's active and trend-setting fashion community.  The distinctive Alp-n-Rock designs are extremely popular with Aspen's fashionstas, both locals and visitors.  Alp-n-Rock is Swiss inspired but made in the USA using the finest fabrics including supima cotton blends and super-soft micro fleece.  The tops are warm without being heavy, quick drying and extremely breathable.  The unique patches, embroideries and appliques are glamorous and lively and make a strong and classic statement.

Not a Model... but A. Party of AspenSpin loves rockin' his Alp-n-Rock in Aspen. Click to enlarge.Alp-n-Rock is available in the finest specialty stores in America and internationally as well as on-line.  In Aspen the entire Alp-n-Rock line is available exclusively at Gorsuch. Next Winter, Alp-n-Rock will be featured in Hamilton Sports and the newest high-end ski shop Miller Sports.  Alp-n-Rock has developed a large and loyal cliental in the ski world, the equestrian community and among world class sailors, tennis players & golfers. If you try on one of their flawless tops and you'll feel the premium quality, posh comfort and attention to detail.  While I'm not a model...you'll see me sporting my "Aspen big mountain" tee this summer...why?  because I love it, it's comfortable, it feels amazing...and it looks fabulous.

Being a good world citizen is extremely important to Susanne Reich the founder of Alp-n-Rock. The brand is rooted in the belief that "the greatest luxury is the ability to give back".  Alp-n-Rock donates up to 10% of all profits to educational programs in developing countries.  Ms. Reich wants her customers to look sensational, to feel delightful and to contribute the lifelong gift of education. 

Alp-n-Rock exudes style and sexiness with an international flair.  Their offerings are simply deluxe.  Take it from AspenSpin...we love Alp-n-Rock, and you will too.

Click ALP-n-ROCK to see the entire line.

Alp-n Rock at the 2013 SIA Snow Show. The brand made a huge impression on the entire ski industry. Click to shop. Photo: AspenSpin.

Food & Wine Bacchanalia in Aspen.

Whaaaaat? 

It was a bacchanalian weekend in Aspen for the 2013 Food & Wine Classic. Google it here for the definition.

  Hedonists from all over the world visited Aspen to eat, drink, network, attend seminars, party and in many cases over-indulge with food & drink.  The entire weekend was over the top, a decadent display of sumptuous epicurean delights.  Connoisseurs, gourmets and bon vivants from all over the planet came to Aspen to get after it in the gastro-dome.

AspenSpin enjoyed our very first Food & Wine experience as we successfully crashed the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.   In it's 31st year, F & W Classic in Aspen is an extremely impressive, World class event.  F & W is a well oiled machine, the production and set up are simply incredible.  It's BIG business, BIG money and BIG fun.  I'll admit it...  The Aspen Food & Wine Classic is phenomenal...there I said it.  Kudo's to American Express, Food & Wine Magazine, Devin Padgett and all the chefs, workers, staff and volunteers. 

Starpants servin' it up at F & W Classic in Aspen.Yeah, I've taken a few pot shots at F & W in the past. I admit it... I have a NIMBY-esque & myopic viewpoint.  Mainly because I love Wagner Park (my neighborhood) and hate to see it worked so hard as an event space.  I'm under the impression that with all that cash and brain power that maybe they could set up on the cement...and it'd be a win /win.  Now that I've actually attended F & W I have a little more perspective and about 15 extra lbs to drop.

It's impossible to do it all during Food & Wine weekend...but AspenSpin tried our best.  Without a press pass, but with a little help from our friends...we kicked off the Summer with another HUGE weekend of decadence in Aspen.

Click 4 PHOTOS:

Food & Wine GRAND TASTING (The Bacchanal)

Food & Wine SEMINARS

WOODY CREEK DISTILLERS

MAGNUM P.I./ SKIPSTONE SUITE / MOUNTAIN SPICE

CHOPIN & TY KU

Day drinking with NEGRONI

PATRON MOJITO LAB

ASPEN PEAK Rooftop

GRAND COCHAN / JET SET

SKY / KIMPTON / William Grant & Sons

F & W is a marvelous event.  Even if you're not a foodie or a wine expert...its a lavish spectacle of over-indulgence and depravity.  In fact the people watching on the mall is a circus unto itself.  The level of extravagance and gluttony and public intoxication is beyond my wildest dreams. I had a mental picture...but that was like a 13" RCA...the real thing is a 3D Imax.   There are mountains of fine food prepared by celebrity chefs at venues all over Aspen. The side-parties are off the hook...and the free alchohol flows so abundently that its easier to find booze than a glass of water.  The Grand Tasting in the main tent (Wagner Park) is an unbeleivable procession of taste treats.  The lamb-chop lolli pops from New Zealand, the Alaskan sea food and the tequila popsicles were my favorites.

Intoxication at F & W Classic in Aspen.It's pretty well known that I don't drink much...even when its a hosted bar. So I can say with almost complete soberiety that the level of alcohol consumption that I witnessed this weekend is... off the MF-ing charts.  It seems like the food part of Food & Wine is an important albeit secondary component.  The Chefs, the restaurant & liquor people are a hard partying bunch and Aspen... where everything is completely walkable...is where they choose to let it loose.

After the final bacchanalian Grand Tasting the scene moved to The Grand Cochon.  Grand Cochon is a 10 chef, 10 city competition & tour celebrating Pork.   The giant PIG Out finally threw me into a food coma...or it might have been the tequila milkshake I pounded at the Sky Hotel's gigantic pool party to close out the classic.  Either way...A.Party was spent.

It was a non-stop party for 4 days.

Courtesy Photo: American Express Publishing.Welcome to Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.A.Spin's first ever F & W Seminar....call security.The off-site parties never stop during F & W Classic in Aspen.Patron created the Mojito Lab in Aspen.Thank you sir...I'll have another.

 Chef Andrew Zimmern and actress Allison Janney took home the honors at the Grand Finale Cook-Off at the the Kitchen / stadium at the St Regis.