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I think that one listen is enough, but it's been one helluva fun listen, and an abundance of Wild Jimmy Spruill adds to that! Watts has that sound and speaks this language about as naturally as it has been spoken. It might be a relatively limited vocabulary, but that vocabulary can be used to speak a rich language, so there it is!

Anthony Braxton, Ursula Oppens and Frederic Rzewski – Composition No. 95 For Two Pianos  

The whole Indo-Jazz concept is an interesting one. My personal view is that Indian rhythm instruments + jazz improvisation is an absolutely winning combination, one that perhaps works even better than Afro-Cuban or samba rhythms in jazz. I don't know why it should be because there is no meaningful link of which I am aware between jazz rhythms and Indian rhythms. But then it all comes down to what is exciting and Indian rhythmic development so often is. However "Indo-Jazz" to my mind more often refers to jazz using Indian stringed instruments in lead or harmonic roles or the use of Indian scales and classical Indian improvisational techniques in a jazz context. I don't really find that either of those has a particularly high hit rate when combined with jazz or used in a jazz context. Again, I don't know why that should be, and it is just a matter of personal taste. Obviously India is home to two of the world's preeminent improvising classical traditions, so you would think it would be natural, but perhaps the strength of the Indian traditions means that a working combination is harder to achieve. It is interesting and perhaps telling that "Indo-Jazz" so often gets dubbed a "fusion" music, whereas Latin jazz or jazz samba are subgenres of jazz. Either way, it rarely works for me as a mix, although when it does, it does.  One major problem for me with more recent attempts at "indo-jazz fusion" has been that in the last decade or so it has often taken place in an institutionalised context. In particular, the dominance of Harvard Professor Vijay Iyer who plays on so many such records. Amancio D'Silva's and John Mayer's music was so pulse-raising; Latter-day Vijay Iyer's many many records make me wonder whether jazz has any future at all. Unsmiling academics playing unsmiling academic music.  Even records that I have quite enjoyed like Ganavya Doraiswamy's Daughter Of A Temple or Arooj Aftab's Night Reign have suffered from being overly studious.  Anyway, I'd be interested in any other members' views and recommendations.

The Alouettes have decided to ban the fans' horns this year.  I'll be interested to see whether the attendance goes up or down. https://3downnation.com/2025/05/23/silence-at-last-montreal-alouettes-ban-air-horns-for-2025-season/ ***** Ticats-Argos preview https://cflnewshub.com/cfl-news/hamilton-tiger-cats/tiger-cats-host-the-argonauts-for-cfl-pre-season-game-1/ *****      

Terrible name for a really interesting record.