fasstrack

Anyone here remember Denis? He was a good guy and player. We played in a street band years ago led by a trombone player who jumped up and down while playing what seemed like 80 choruses on what he called 'Tenodd Medness'. Denis would stand up after a while and tell the guy 'I love you, but why don't you learn some new songs?' I hope Denis isn't forgotten about: http://www.denischarles.com/

The little saying at the bottom of posts. How do you do it? Thanks in advance, Joel

Wow! Indeed...

CD just came. Thanks so much, Allen. You're a peach...

It's a clothing chain, mostly in the 'hood...

You buying? I'm down ...

Finally seasonably cooler in NYC. Finally...

Well, my days of street pick-up tries are long over, earbud defense or no. Too old, and anyway never was much good at it. But the woman who wrote the Guardian article only makes my point: the reason for wearing the damned things is (I'll be optimistic and say in part) to shut other people out. 'I vant to be alone'---Greta Garbo 'Be careful what you ask for in life. You just may get it'--Some wag or other...

I write this after the fact. I messed up in not posting it before, because I love both these guys and their playing. Ed will swing and blues you into bad health. Here's the skinny on FB, with pics (none of Ed, unfortunately): https://www.facebook.com/joel.fass To remedy the above, here's Ed at work:

That was the one! Thanks. How could I have forgotten that face?

I used to have this record. Patti Bown, piano, right? Had a different title, I think, but it was all ballads. So relaxed...

I used to read Bob's blog, called Currents, and his sometimes-merciless public thrashings of very good musicians started to get to me. So I reached out to him via email---prefacing my comments by saying he was a hero---and respectfully calling him out on some of the things he had written. He gamely responded, writing that he 'had some strong opinions. Maybe they are not correct, but I listen for a living'. Then he proceeded to tear into the same people again, if anything even more viciously. He called one guy who is a friend and a terrific player and person a 'fake', etc. OTOH, he was very supportive of and devoted to his students and their charts at the BMI workshop and elsewhere, and very devoted to and loving of friends he admired like Bill Finegan. I suppose a person has a right to call them the way they see them. I just don't know where people are coming from sometimes, or what good especially pillorying people publicly does the world. Don't feature throwing wood on fires myself. I remain an admirer of Mr. Brookmeyer's playing, composing and thinking about same...

Also free on Ms. Pepper's site: AP and Lee Konitz. Tune is on the changes of This Can't Be Love, to which they briefly allude at the end: http://artpeppermusic.blogspot.com/

Has a few excerpts: http://santamonicapress.com/stan-levey-jazz-heavyweight/ And this guy has some reservations: http://www.broadstreetreview.com/books/stan-levey-jazz-heavyweight-by-frank-r.-hayde

C. Sharpe was like that. Jimmy Raney, too. Did they have egos? Sure, but they were really about the music... Usually quartet with guitar. Randy Johnston played with him at the West End, and, I think, a guy named Bob Ward...

To tell the truth, I felt bad for both those guys. Joe seemed close to senile. He remembered his tunes---blues in C, shuffle and slow. Every. Tune. Every. Set. Every. Night.Talked a bit at the one rehearsal, even told a joke or two, then never said squat to us. Except once, when the band didn't pick up his tempo and he turned around to say 'what we waitin' on?' I wish I could have worked with him in his prime. I saw a video later of a TV performance from, perhaps, the '50s. He was vibrant, and communicated so much naughtiness just with his eyes...

I got the joke. Sorry to bust your balls...

He was in a wheelchair, as was Turner...

Looks interesting. Here's what somebody wrote about it: http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/everything-else/54700-stan-levey-jazz-heavyweght-new-bio.html

I might. But then if it was never here I wouldn't know to miss it...

Can't answer your first question. Sure, or I suppose, to the rest. I didn't know that documentaries were 'entertainments'. Entertaining, sure, hopefully...

Well, nice cinematography anyway. I'll give it that...

Woody's band?