BeBop

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...

Speaking further of Japanese pianists, I have enjoyed several duo recordings of Aki Takase: - Blue Monk (w/David Murray) - Duet for Eric Dolphy and The Dessert (w/Rudi Mahall) Is the late Connie Crothers overlooked?

Resurrecting my own thread from 2015, now I'm going to Auckland and Melbourne. It's a work trip, but I'm hoping for a little slack time. (Time zone differences between those spots and "home office" may provide some opportunity to trade sleep for ????) Two weeks total, with most time spent in Melbourne. So, if anyone has thoughts on (1) live music, or (2) local stuff that might appeal to an extremely jaded traveler - 24 years at 365 days a year burnout - please share. I don't drink and I'm a ^&*#$^( ~ 40-year vegan*, so my universe of food and bev is pretty narrow, but if you want to take a shot at that... Thanks! * as opposed to the many "vegan-this-week"s.

Agree. I inadvertently ended up as a Tchangodei completist. The sides with Archie Shepp are particularly good. ("Eagle's Flight" and "Ginseng" on Volcanic) as well as those with Steve Lacy. ...and "Pure Blues".

I've long been fascinated by this. And now it appears to be coming to an end. (NY Times) A nearly century-old law that turned New York bars into no-dancing zones, prevented singers like Billie Holiday and Ray Charles from performing and drew protest from Frank Sinatra, is finally set to be struck down. See also Gigs: Jazz and the Cabaret Laws in New York City, by Paul Chevigny I didn't play in New York City enough that I can claim significant, direct impact, but I'm glad to see the legal morass being unraveled. And, of course, the broader social issues that were the genesis and result.

Very sorry to hear this. Another significant loss to the art. RIP.

Art Farmer - flugelhorn Tom McIntosh - trombone James Moody - tenor saxophone, flute Patti Bown (track 8 & 16), Tommy Flanagan (tracks 1-7 & 9-15) - piano Richard Davis (tracks 1-7 & 9-15), Reggie Workman (track 8 & 16) - bass Albert Heath - drums Marie Volpee - vocals (track 8 & 16)

Bay Area educator (including mine), local legend. Great pianist. Beloved. Now remembered with festival bearing his name. RIP, Bill. I've got many on the list. These I've heard recently enough to "second",. One to add from this morning's listening list: Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Yakhal’ Inkomo (1968, with Lionel Pillay, Agrippa Magwaza, Early Mabuza)

I suppose you're not all that far off. Most of us (I'm long-time IAJRC) are pretty fanatical. And the label has put out material gathered by some of the Association's artist fans (completists). I had to chuckle a little though; members are often so into their own (often mouldy) niches that it's hard to think of the whole group as being fans of anything.

Fan club label? Hmmm. Not sure I know what that means. For what it's worth, the remaining stock of IAJRC CDs are selling at blow-out prices, as low as $2.50 for members: http://iajrc.org/index.php/items-for-sale/cd-listing

I'm in the midst of two months downtown (aka DTLA). If you're downtown (likely only if you're on a business trip), the best club is Blue Whale. There are certainly many other clubs in the city. Unless you're driving, you ought to be shopping by neighborhood+public transit connection . (Use that LAJazz website pull-down menu.) IMO, if you're driving, psychological help may be recommended...not just for traffic, just cumulative hassle.

I've got all of the Feather Encyclopedias and, when I have access to them, they can be useful and amusing (with application of hindsight...though not as much as the Panassies). Relying on the first encyclopedia, I discovered that a certain prominent sax and flute man was having a birthday on the night of a concert I was attending. I decided to let the pianist know. He made a really over-the-top announcement. Unfortunately, the birthdate was wrong. I felt about two inches tall. Apologies were insufficient. That was thirty-five years ago.

Happy Birthday!

Perfect day. A little early morning rain to settle the dust. High temp a very autumn-y 38C/99F. Warmer days coming. Enjoy today. N'Djamena, Tchad

The last time I was in the Bay Area, I found that most of the jazz was in Oakland. Piedmont Piano Company, the Sound Room, Birdland Jazzista Social Club, Cafe Van Kleef , California Jazz Conservatory (Berkeley), Geoffrey's Inner Circle, Duende. Not much jazz at Yoshi's any more. Most of this is pretty straight-ahead swing to hard bop. I didn't find much like The Stone. One place in San Francisco that i like - in part because I like book stores - is Bird and Beckett. It's outside of the central city (financial district, "downtown", North Beach, Haight, Sunset, etc.), but they have intimate shows of mostly local talent and only ask for a donation. Good resource here: https://kcsm.org/datebookmanager/

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is (again) looking good for this year. Sunday, Joshua Redman and Lou Donaldson will be worth missing work for. Louis Hayes on Saturday is another.