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👍ESP material is strong. Along with this

Starting the new year with a book of trivia.

Last night: duo with Sandy Ewen on guitar & Weasel Walter on drums trio with the amazing Webb Crawford & the incredible Chuck Roth both on guitar with Weasel Walter on drums Tonight: Darius Jones on alto saxophone, Craig Taborn on grand piano & the *great* Ches Smith on drums

Tchaikovsky: Sym. No. 1 "Winter Reveries" & Sym. No. 2 "Little Russian" / Markevitch, LSO

Disc IV. I forgot how much I like A Slice of The Top. McCoy Tyner's contribution to the title track is something else.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

NP:

Adarius Pickett has signed with the Argos. https://www.cfl.ca/2026/01/16/argonauts-sign-adarius-pickett/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/article/east-all-star-pickett-returns-to-argos/ https://3downnation.com/2026/01/16/toronto-argonauts-sign-adarius-pickett-following-release-from-redblacks/ https://3downnation.com/2026/01/16/almost-none-adarius-pickett-reveals-limited-negotiations-led-to-departure-from-ottawa-redblacks/ ***** Top 5 Roughriders plays https://www.cfl.ca/2026/01/16/top-5-saskatchewan-roughriders-plays-from-2025/ ***** Nathan Rourke highlight reel https://www.cfl.ca/2026/01/16/nathan-rourkes-mop-season/ ***** Sask free agent analysis https://pifflespodcast.com/blog/roughriders-free-agents-keesean-johnson/

...it just sounds nasty.

Ray Wylie Hubbard: Snake Farm

Always great to see a lady explaining and admiring A Love Supreme (she blows a kiss at the end)

As requested, the two threads have been merged.

I repeat: Dodgers are the new Evil Empire. Yankees were never in on Tucker, but I share Dan's relief that he won't be playing for Toronto this year.

There are some tracks on this album that (for me) are among the best jazz I have heard in a long time. I am a big fan of Rein De Graaf's piano playing. He has that special be bop sensibility that very few jazz pianists have today.

And the "companion" album:

Oh Damn - Bichette to the Mets. If that means the Mets aren't in on Bellinger then the Yankees could end up getting the guy they wanted to retain. Not the outcome I want.

I’d like to add an important detail that comes from Buell Neidlinger’s interview in Cadence Magazine (Vol. 23, No. 10, October 1997). Neidlinger explains that Don Cherry attended all the rehearsals for a recording session he had organized with Cecil Taylor, and Cherry was supposed to be the trumpeter on the date. However, on the eve of the recording, Ornette Coleman told Cherry that if he appeared on that session, he would no longer be welcome in Ornette’s group. Out of loyalty, Cherry withdrew at the last moment. Neidlinger says that, suddenly left without a trumpeter, he called Nat Hentoff for advice. Hentoff told him: “Call Clark Terry and offer him double scale.” Which is exactly what Neidlinger did. This episode confirms two things: Cherry did play with Cecil Taylor at least during the rehearsals, even though no official recording exists. The internal dynamics around Ornette’s group in that period were more complex than often assumed. Neidlinger doesn’t tell the story in a polemical tone — he simply describes how things worked at the time, and how strong Ornette’s influence was on his musicians.

Von Freeman - Serenade & Blues (Nessa, rec. 1975)

One of the finest 50's Mobley records. Weird that it wasn't issued in its time. Beautifully recorded, and this particular record captures Hank's sound better than most. Plus—Kenny and Sonny are on their A-games. Jimmy Rowser went on to join Red Garland's gigging trio.

Aldo Romano: Chante. Dreyfus Jazz 346050366862 [France 2005]