Mark Stryker

Really. The restaurant is geared toward the fans of his Food Network show, not for "fine dinning." Just a way for Pete Wells to show he's above it all, and pure, and doesn't fall into the category of a Food Network lemming, etc., and knows what real food is all about. Sort of like a jazz critic reviewing a Boney James concert. Disagree. There's news value in the fact that Fieri is a celebrity and that the restaurant's size and location make it a new marker in the city's busiest neighborhood. Also, tourists read the Times too and deserve to know whether a spot is worth the surely outrageous prices its charges, and locals deserve to know whether a spot that has all the signs of a tourist trap does or does not have any culinary value. Also, I do think in this era of celebrity food personalities it's worth monitoring the fault line separating chefs with something of value to say and the lower class of food celebrities. As a one-off, a more than reasonable decision to devote space.

In a class, perhaps, with John Simon's now legendary theater review of "Moose Murders" in 1983. Download PDF http://nymag.com/art.../reviews/46358/ and perhaps the most brutal critical review to appear in the Times since Frank Rich bludgeoned the same play: http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9400E3DF133BF930A15751C0A965948260&_r=1&

So, let me go out on a limb and say I don't think Pete Wells liked Guy Fieri's new Times Square restaurant. http://www.nytimes.c...gewanted=1&_r=3&

I came upon a copy of "Soul Sounds" yesterday but didn't bite because of the price. I was intrigued by the presence of both Wayne Shorter's "Black Nile" and "Armeggedon." However, while "Black Nile" was listed on the jacket, when I took the LP out of the sleeve to check the condition and give a fast listen on the in-store turnatable, "Black Nile" did not seem to be on the record. I can't remember if the tune is actually listed on the inner liner, but, unless I simply missed it or I dropped in an a passage whose arrangment fooled me, my drop-the-needle check did not reveal "Black Nile" on the LP. Can anybody shed some light on this? Coda: Those tunes are pretty fascinating cover choices for a grits 'n' gravy organ trio, though I've often found it curious how organ bands will take modal tunes or those with progressive harmonic ideas and simply put a groove on it and streamline out some of the complexities. Another interesting thing to think about is that both those tunes were recorded on "Night Dreamer" on April 29, 1964. I'm not exactly sure when the release date was, but it was probably mid fall, because the Down Beat reaview seems to have appeared the first week of December. Now, the Three Souls record was taped on Feb. 12, 1965. That's a fast assimilation of Wayne's music into the currency of another working band. "Night Dreamer" obviously made an impact on those musicians, who would have had to transcibe these songs to play them, unless they happened to have a connection to Wayne to have gotten lead sheets, which is doubtful.

There was a long profile of Newborn by Stanely Booth under the headline "Fascinating Changes" published in the Village Voice rock and roll (!) quarterly in 1989 that went into great detail about his illness, quoting at length from hospital clinical records, interviews with family, friends, etc. I have the piece in my old-fashioned clip file (just pulled it out). The internet tells me that it's been reprinted in Booth's collection "Rhythm Oil" http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_10/184-4148179-7328161?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=rhythm oil I don't recall all the specifics at this point, and don't have time today to go back through the piece in detail, but there were hints of problems as early as a late '50s visit to Bellevue and then issues really mushroomed from the mid '60s forward with numerous stays in hospitals, etc. Symptoms were pretty severe delusions (thought he was Christ at times), paranoia, withdrawn behavior. Alcohol abuse exacerbated the mental problems. I don't remember what (if any) specific diagnosis was given. You wonder if today's doctors/knowledge/drugs might have made a difference. Mostly what I recall was a truly tragic life tragectory.

Great stuff re: "Stompin' at the Savoy" and Christian from Miles Okazaki via Ethan Iverson: http://dothemath.typepad.com/dtm/stompin-at-mintonsby-miles-okazaki.html

On "Drums Around the World" Garrison (three tracks) splits the record with Sam Jones (four tracks).

John Clayton has Ray Brown's bass. Ray had been like a father to John, and when he died his widow wanted John to to have the instrument. My recollection is that John bought it from her but not for a few years until he could deal with the emotion of it.

Yeah -- with Hank Jones, Ron Carter, Tony Williams. But speaking of Sesame Street, I'd like to hear any jazz musician take on this one -- it has a certainly vaudvillian vibe to it.

Ditto. Great to have this stuff in one place. Still, must say that in recent years I've become addicted to later Hines, especially the solo stuff -- talk about a true improviser and taking chances (!). Wild. But this set: important addition to the Mosaic library.

Here's what was recorded in February and March 1953. I've heard some but not all of this stuff but wouldn't venture a definitive judgment without relistening down the line. Anyone think any of this is on the same level as the Washington material? Charlie Parker Quintet Charlie Parker (as) Valdo Williams (p -1,2) Steep Wade (p -3/5) Dick Garcia (g) Hal Gaylor (b -1,2) Bob Rudd (b -3/5) Bill Graham (d -1,2) Bobby Malloy (d -3/5) "Chez Paree Nightclub", Montreal, Quebec, Canada, February 7, 1953 1. Ornithology Jazz Showcase LP 5003; Uptown UP 27.36 2. Cool Blues Uptown UP 27.36 3. Moose The Mooche - 4. Embraceable You Jazz Showcase LP 5003; Uptown UP 27.36 5. Now's The Time Uptown UP 27.36 * Jazz Showcase LP 5003 Charlie Parker - Bird On The Road * Uptown UP 27.36 Charlie Parker - Montreal 1953 Charlie Parker Septet Bill Harris (tb) Charlie Mariano, Charlie Parker (as) Harry Johnson (ts) Sonny Truitt (p) Chubby Jackson (b) Morey Feld (d) unknown (vo) "Bandbox", NYC, February 16, 1953 Your Father's Moustache Queen-disc (It) Q-002 * Queen-disc (It) Q-002 Charlie Parker/Miles Davis/Dizzy Gillespie - Bird With Miles And Dizzy Joe Theimer Orchestra Bob Carey, Ed Leddy, Marky Markowitz, Charlie Walp (tp) Dan Spiker, Earl Swope, Rob Swope (tb) Charlie Parker, Jim Riley (as) Ben Lary, Jim Parker, Angelo Tompros (ts) Jack Nimitz (bars) Jack Holliday (p) Merton Oliver (b) Joe Theimer (d, cond) "Club Kavakos", Washington, DC, February 22, 1953 Fine And Dandy Elektra/Musician E1 60019 These Foolish Things - Light Green - Thou Swell - Wills - Don't Blame Me - Something To Remember You By / The Blue Room - Roundhouse - * Elektra/Musician E1 60019 Charlie Parker With The Orchestra - One Night In Washington Charlie Parker Quartet Charlie Parker (as) Jack Holliday (p) Mert Oliver (b) Max Roach (d) "Howard Theater", Washington, DC, March 8, 1953 Cool Blues VGM 0009 Out Of Nowhere - Ornithology - Anthropology - * VGM 0009 Charlie Parker - Yardbird-DC-53 Charlie Parker Quartet Charlie Parker (as) Red Garland (p) Bernie Griggs (b) Roy Haynes (d) WHDH radio broadcast, "Storyville Club", Boston, MA, March 10, 1953 Moose The Mooche Blue Note BT 85108 I'll Walk Alone - Ornithology - Out Of Nowhere - * Blue Note BT 85108, CDP 7 85108-2 Charlie Parker At Storyville Charlie Parker Quintet Charlie Parker (as) Milt Buckner (org) Bernie McKay (g) Cornelius Thomas (d) "Bandbox", NYC, March 23, 1953 Groovin' High Columbia JC 34831 * Columbia JC 34831 Charlie Parker - Summit Meeting At Birdland Charlie Parker Quartet Charlie Parker (as) Walter Bishop Jr. (p) Kenny O'Brien (b) Roy Haynes (d) "Bandbox", NYC, March 30, 1953 Theme: Caravan / Coool Blues Klacto (E) MG 100 Star Eyes - My Little Suede Shoes - Ornithology - 52nd Street Theme - Diggin' Diz - 52nd Street Theme - Embraceable You - 52nd Street Theme - * Klacto (E) MG 100 Charlie Parker - Star Eyes

This discussion prompted me to give all of this a listen for the first time in a very long time. Yes, the enthusiasm for the small group material expressed by others here is of course warranted and I'm guilty of not giving it full due. 3/8/53 material, esp. "Out of Nowhere," "Cool Blues" and "Anthropology" include mad-to-live, ridiculously wild and risky blowing. As good as any Bird anywhere. Max's presence a big kick in the pants, perhaps? Still, I put the best of the big band solos in that class "Willis," "Fine and Dandy," "Thou Swell." One thing I've always loved about those tracks is hearing Bird working through standard changes that he didn't record often or at all -- you hear him really improvising and creating within his language with less fallback to (his own, of course) favorite patterns that he favored on, say, "Ornithology" or a blues in C like "Cool Blues." Checking the recording dates, another thought occurs. With the big band stuff from late Feb. 53 and the small group from early March 53, this was clearly a terrific window for prime Bird. His playing and behavior could be pretty erratic at this point, but clearly he was feeling good those weeks. I haven't checked the discographies, but I wonder what other stuff, if any, was taped in that time frame and whether it's anywhere near as good as the Washington material.

Is Clifford no longer with us? If so, I was not informed. How does this happen? Not to worry. Clifford (the Big Red Dog) is still kicking, having made his last appearance between covers apparently in 2011 and continuing to prowl PBS, though cannot say if these are reruns. For some reason, however, the Guiness Book of World Records, refuses to recognize him and awarded the world's tallest title to Zeus. Was there not a Lance Armstrong-like scandal in Clifford's past? Coda: I loved Clifford books as a kid. Coda II: His exact height seems to be in dispute. Wiki tells me he seems to have started at 25 feet but in most instances is about 15 feet -- this after starting life as the runt of the litter.

If your car breaks down, you can just saddle him up and ride him into work.

The world's tallest dog visited metro Detroit over the weekend. Zeus. 44 inches tall on all fours; 7-foot-4 on hind legs. A big fucking Great Dane. Scroll the picture gallery to get to the last couple photos. http://www.freep.com/article/20121022/NEWS03/310220058/World-s-tallest-dog-poses-for-pictures-at-Troy-fund-raiser?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

Coda: Board consenus may favor the small group over the big band overall and I suppose I wouldn't disagree, but Bird's playing on two of the big band tunes specificially -- "Willis" ("Pennies From Heaven") and "Thou Swell" are off the charts. Two of my favorite Bird solos bar none, especially the former. Edit: to note switch to "Thou Swell" from "Roundhouse" -- age playing tricks on me.

A taste:

I think the larger point here is that it's all great and you should get it. Like now.

The big band stuff -- some of my favorite Bird, period. He's simply on fire, wailing over arrangements he's never heard, figuring out the key changes and other wrinkles on the fly, double timing like crazy, super loose. From another planet.

Don't know about Esperanza's education efforts, but if Wynton's teaching is along the lines of his numerous pronouncements/strictures over the years about how jazz has to be played and how it should not be played, more's the pity. BTW, Wynton has been out there encouraging and inspiring the youth for some time now, no? How many notable youngish players can one name who owe a significant debt to his example/tutelage? I may be blanking on this, but I can't think of a single one outside of the guys who have played in his small groups or the LCJO. And I don't think of any of them as particularly notable figures artistically, certainly not compared to other players of their general age group who came up elsewhere and otherwise. You could add James Carter and Rodney Whitaker to the list, but, really, the education activities are not about a list of other well-known pros who have come up under his wing. It's about the thousands upon thousands of kids, from elementary schools to colleges, he's reached through clinics, school visits, post-concert talks or encouraged and helped in many other ways (paying for instruments, sending music, buy a meal, etc), the Essentially Ellington initiative at JaLC, the JaLC school curriculums that get jazz into classrooms in ways that non-music teachers can use and more. I've seen all of this at work in Detroit and environs, including seeing him take time in the poorest neighborhoods you can imagine for elementary school kids who desperately need role models and the like. I've also seen him bend the ear of administrators, politicians and philanthropists stumping for music education in ways that do in fact make a difference on the front lines, or at least they have here. I'm not entering the debate here on aesthetic issues, the future of jazz questions or the is-WM-good-for-jazz argument or anything else. Leaving all of that aside, on the education front, my own view is that there is no argument to be had. If more powerful artists across the spectrum -- I'm talking classical, jazz, theater, visual artists, writers, etc. -- put their money and time into these kind of endeavors the way he has, we'd be a lot better off.

Thanks, folks.

To be clear -- I'm not creating a list of all the famous families in jazz and did not mean to start a thread requesting that we all chime in with the all the jazz families we can think of, though if anyone's looking for a time waster, don't let me stand in your way. But I'm really just asking if there's any earlier significant sibling or father-son example other than the Dodds.

Trying to think of the first of the many famous jazz families -- Jones, Heath, Adderley, Dorsey, Marsalis, etc. -- and I'm coming up with Johnny and Baby Dodds. Am I missing somebody obvious?

"Faberge: The Rise and Fall" at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Wrote it up here: http://www.freep.com/article/20121014/ENT05/310140076/The-DIA-s-new-Faberg-exhibit-adds-historical-context-its-glittering-display?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Entertainment

Not the best as these things go but it's all we got: Detroit Tigers' theme song from 68: "Go Get 'em Tigers"