BeBop

Hey, belated thanks to you all! I don't get around here much anymore - not by choice, but just because I seldom have internet connections. But I sure do miss this place. And miss music more generally, beyond what I've got on my 30GB MP3player. Hopefully, 2019 will bring a change or few. But thanks for remembering me.

Previous Discussions: Here (Yeah, I didn't like it, for what that's worth.) Here

I have that same mental image, formed circa 1977 to put a date on it for me. Just a bit younger than the other "big" trombone player at that moment: Rob McConnell. If my memory hasn't betrayed me, around that time, I saw Watrous with Red Rodney. A long time ago like yesterday. RIP Mr. Watrous.

Is anyone in contact? I haven't had any success reaching him.

Just the latest news on Amoeba Los Angeles, from Variety Amoeba Records’ Los Angeles store will move to a new location “within blocks” of its current spot on 6400 Sunset, where it’s been since first opening its doors back in 2001, according to Marc Weinstein, who co-owns the indie record retailer with Dave Prinz. The company also plans to seek a marijuana dispensary permit for the new location.

Yes, Academy (the one on Manhattan that sells CDs, not to be confused with the others) is okay. Probably better for classical than for jazz, though there always seem to be some cool nuggets in the jazz CDs, about US$10 or so. Aside from Jazz Record Center can't think of a better shop on Manhattan. Always busy too. Mosaics usually in the front window. The Berkeley store was cut in half. Business was down. They turned the sectioned off portion into a marijuana dispensary.

Happy Birthday, Kevin!

Happy Birthday, Jim.

1.632 henways.

RIP, Bob Dorough

Happy Birthday, Allen. I don't get around (here) much anymore, so I miss almost everyone's birthday. But it's nice to catch this one after seeing the man in the flesh (not too much flesh) in February.

If you've been to Amoeba Berkeley in the past or so, you've noticed that half of the store's floor has been closed. (You probably also noticed Rasputin's vinyl business across the street open and close.) Today's Daily Californian (U.C. Berkeley campus paper) reports that Amoeba is opening "High Fidelity", a marijuana dispensary, as a neighboring business. http://www.dailycal.org/2018/03/19/amoeba-music-set-open-dispensary-telegraph-avenue-april/ I don't know anything about marijuana, aside from whatever knowledge is inevitable when you grow up on Telegraph Avenue/Sproul Plaza in the late 60s/70s, but I guess it's a compatible business.

Mr. Wilson led a series of interviews with Earl Hines back in the early 1980s (?) at the UC Berkeley campus. The interviews were enlightening and enjoyable. I hope the proceedings were preserved in some form. (...though I couldn't find anything with a quick internet search; maybe back at the Hertz Hall library, as relocated) They ultimately led to my interviews and light friendship/acquaintance with Mr. Hines in his last couple of years. Mr. Wilson was quite an educator too, be reputation; I never took any classes from him. I've lots of respect for educators. So thanks, Mr. Wilson.

I'm traveling, so I don't have access to any of his recordings, but Sam Most was a really nice guy. He offered to play at my wedding, and, while it didn't happen, I think he was sincere. For a while, I was catching him all over the place; our travel schedules just had some odd synchronicity. (The same was true of Kenny G - another seemingly okay guy - but that's another story.) In my opinion, he didn't record enough on tenor - or play enough tenor in concerts. I used to tease him a little about it, and, sure enough, he'd pull out the tenor. I think there is some recorded on But Beautiful and on one of his early albums ("New Star"? "Debut"?) IIRC, there may be scattered tracks on alto and bari.

That tour does look pretty interesting. If I happen to get 13 hours. My one hope would be U.S. Thanksgiving day; if all of my co-workers take the day off...