J.A.W. Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 Wish I had those tapes. Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 I want to clarify. I'm not asking because I don't think he deserves his lot. I'm asking because I don't know! Everything I read skips from Was Not Was to Bonnie Raitt to Hootie to Brian, Grammy, etc. I'm genuinely curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 FWIW, Bruce Lundvall is still on board as "chairman emeritus." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 I want to clarify. I'm not asking because I don't think he deserves his lot. I'm asking because I don't know! Everything I read skips from Was Not Was to Bonnie Raitt to Hootie to Brian, Grammy, etc. I'm genuinely curious. My guess would be that he made some pretty varied group of connections with WNW (on top of those he already had), and then spent time networking, working his way up by doing favors, "being there", etc., making new connections in the process, etc., lather rinse repeat. Ambition & talent meeting opportunity, the same way it works anywhere else. The specifics will probably come out at some point in some other interview, eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 I guess I just assumed dat dere was a skill set associated with being a producer, and being a musician with social skills and corporate know how wouldn't necessarily put you on that many smash pop records. Maybe it was his density. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 5, 2012 Report Share Posted May 5, 2012 No, you're right, just social/musical skills alone doesn't guarantee that you'll get the opportunities, much less that you'll succeed at them. You still have to deliver stuff that pleases the patrons/clients/bosses at some level. But it seems to me that he did whatever it took probably a lot of "assisting" and/or "being there" to be finally given a shot, and that once he got it, he didn't fuck it up. It's really just basic business, that's all. I wish I had known then what I know now about basic business-handling. Or at least known some of it. It's really not complicated in its basic form, but it does require a basic sobriety of thought. Save the "flights of fantasy" for the music itself. Music is made for such things, and wonderfully so. Business isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed S Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 Nah, I think the label name should live on. If Was can get them to make a few more albums like the last few Andrew Hills, or the Lovano-Jones ones, then that's fine. I don't think the label has to become what it was, and the change has already been done, and one could argue that it could become a trusted name in jazz again. And those guys that refer to Lovano as "that white Italian dude who just can't do it for me like Joe Henderson once did" --- those people really don't matter. Besides, there is value in having a living label name with a connection to a storied past. It keeps that storied past active in a different way than if there were no active label. I think Lon nailed it. I'd like it to become a trusted name in jazz again. I'm as big a classic Blue Note era fan as there is on the board. Unlike most, I actually enjoy the later 60s and early 70s stuff too. After the label was reborn, I think they put out some really excellent stuff. I think I must have about 90% of what they put out after the revived the label up until the Norah Jones era. That's where they lost me. I stopped looking to Blue Note as a source of jazz, though I did pick up some stuff over the past few years by the likes of Lovano, Glasper, Cassandra Wilson and a few others. I know that times have changes, but I'd like to see them have a decent sized roster of jazz artists. Even 5-10 years ago they had the likes of Don Byron, Osby, Scofield, Truffaz, Blanchard, Lovano, Brian Blade, Eliane Elias, MMW, Stefon Harris, Jason Moran and a few others I can't think of. It would be nice to have the label putting out some jazz on a consistent basis from a stable of artists again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 Isn't this sorta how the discussion started on the Organissimo forum, years ago? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gould Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 No, the discussion got started this way: What the fuck happened? Jesus, they're awfully touchy about their new cash-cow Norah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 No, the discussion got started this way: What the fuck happened? Jesus, they're awfully touchy about their new cash-cow Norah. Exactly, a discussion about Blue Note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 That was the first thread here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 Wasn't the "Norah bashing" what caused them to shut down the BNBB in the first place? Which in turn inspired the creation of this board for us "homeless folk"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 Wasn't the "Norah bashing" what caused them to shut down the BNBB in the first place? Which in turn inspired the creation of this board for us "homeless folk"? Exactly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed S Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 If I recall correctly, while Norah Jones might be considered the "epicenter" of the BNBB's demise, there was a whole lot of contributing factors. By the time Norah had hit it big, the board was akin to a Wild West town with no Sheriff in sight. No one was running it - or policing it - as far as I remember. Bo was long gone and Tom at Blue Note was more or less a guy who was dishing out "corporate speak" to a clientele wanting more reissues, Conns, and Rare Grooves - irrespective of the economics. The political stuff was breeding a negative atmosphere through out the board and there was constant bickering and personal attacks. The naked babes thread and the free sharing of ripped material was just icing on the cake. So when the legions of fans of Norah - most of whom I assume would be teenage and female - and/or the powers that be at whomever controlled Blue Note (was it EMI?) - finally paid attention to the BNBB, they found a lawless environment with naked babes, rampant bickering and absolute/complete bashing of their prized star - Norah Jones. A few feeble attempts were made at restoring order, but the board members would have none of it - and soon, the BNBB was no more. IIRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 ... a lawless environment with naked babes ... The Jazz Age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.A.W. Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 ... a lawless environment with naked babes ... The Jazz Age! And that Jazz Age ended only nine years (and a bit) ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Ahhhhhhhhhh, the good ol' days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Speaking of the good old days: Joe Christmas Member Member # 119 posted April 10, 2001 07:47 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Right on Aric. That must have been exciting for all three of you. What did he say? Wait, I can hear the conversation now... _________________________________________ MATT and ARIC sharing the same phone line: Dude! Hellyeah! We got his number! (RING) ARIC: Okay now, shhhh. (RING) ELDERLY WOMAN: Donaldson residence. ARIC: Yes, uhm, is Lou there? ELDERLY WOMAN: With whom am I speaking? ARIC: Oh. Jeez. It's.....Hank? ELDERLY WOMAN: Hold on please. (silence as she puts the phone down) MATT: Hank?? HELLYEAH!!! You're the man, Aric. ARIC: I know. Shut up, Matt. He might hear us. MATT: Sorry. LOU: ahem. Mmmhello? ARIC: Lou? LOU: Yes? MATT and ARIC in unison: HELLYEAH!!!!!!!!!!! LOU: Who is this? ARIC: Well Lou, my name is Aric and I love Blue Note and you're the man and I have your number and I thought I'd call and tell you how great that you are. MATT: Hellyeah. LOU: Who's that there? MATT: I'm Matt. I'm in the other room. LOU: Oh. Well, thank you young man. What can I do for you? ARIC: Remember in 1954 when you came charging in with that kickass line after Horace did that vamp and then ya'll returned to the head and you just wailed? LOU: I think so. Yes. ARIC: That rocked. MATT: Hellyeah!!!!!!!!!! ARIC: Hellyeah. LOU: Well, thank you Aric. So you a jazz fan, huh? ARIC: Sheeit. Oh my god you just don't know, Lou. I am so ****ed up right now and you're on the phone and this is the coolest thing in Holy **** I'm ****ing talking to Lou ***ing Donaldson **** ******* ***!!!!! LOU: Okay. MATT: You're the bomb Mr. Donaldson. LOU: Usually my fans write or say hello to me in person. ARIC: Can we come see you? LOU: No. ARIC: I understand. You're probably busy as all hell, huh sir? LOU: Yes. ARIC: So that cover for HERE 'TIS is phat. Could you tell me what it is that you're giving that guy on the cover? Is it a buck or somethin'? LOU: No. It's a sammich. MATT: A sandwich? LOU: Yes. ARIC: He said sammich!! How dope is that? Hellyeah. I play organ and I know some of your tunes from your funky period. LOU: Well thank you. Say, I need to split. My oven roast is ready. The hot rolls too. ARIC: Gravy Train. LOU: Gravy Train. MATT: Hellyeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ARIC: Can we call you again, Lou? LOU: Anytime. This was a nice conversation. ARIC: Right on. You rock. MATT: Yeah. LOU: Ok now. Thanks for the cheer. God bless you. ARIC: Bye Lou. MATT: Bye Mr. Donaldson. LOU: Goodbye now. (click) MATT and ARIC in unison: Holy ****ing **** ******* ************* **** ***!!!! ARIC: That was soooooo phat. MATT: Today was a good day. ARIC: Yeah. ______________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Haven't talked to Al in a long time. Must do so. And you saved that post! Understandable. "Classic" Blue Note Board. Ear in the dead wax and everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ayers Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 I've read that conversation so many times now I have to remind myself it never actually happened... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Was there a "babe thread" at Blue Note BB? I don't remember one til here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.A.W. Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 I've read that conversation so many times (...) The expression ad nauseam comes to mind... Was there a "babe thread" at Blue Note BB? I don't remember one til here. I think there was one, but it was deleted at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 We had one, but it was deleted at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Yes, that's the only one I remember. Fondly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Looks like BN is working on a much needed revamp of their website, "coming soon". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_forumlogo.png.a607ef20a6e0c299ab2aa6443aa1f32e.png)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.