Justin V

McAtee's nephew has a credible account of what happened here. It is mind-boggling that the body cams weren't on in such a situation. When I was pulled over in Manhattan last year for a minor traffic offense, the officer asked if he could turn his camera on. Failing to turn a body cam on against department regulations should be a fireable offense.

As a longtime vegetarian who made the leap to being totally vegan this year, sign me up. Many people push aside all ethical, environmental and health concerns aside simply because they like a nice hamburger. The current administration has rolled back or is in the process of rolling back 100 environmental regulations. One, the Stream Protection Rule, was meant to limit the amount of mining debris polluting streams. Opponents of the rule claimed that it didn't accomplish what it was intended to, but it is just another attempt to protect the fossil-fuel industry at whatever the cost. Claiming ineffectiveness is easier than admitting that they don't care about clean water.

I think that most politicians believe that climate change is real and that humans are causing and accelerating it. Despite that belief, they simply don't care. In the end, claiming that the matter is open to debate allows them to justify the status quo and remain in power.

As opposed to political discussion arising in two threads about that apparently minor pandemic that were shut down? The current administration has been catastrophic on multiple fronts, so maybe we should start a thread about the environment, immigration policies, etc? What issues are important enough to ignore the prohibition of political discussion? Not engaging in political discussion here doesn't mean that people aren't doing so elsewhere. In what discussion has seeped through, it's obvious who has been sipping the MAGA kool aid with their (Fox and) friends. Beyond those few, most of us are decidedly on the left end of the political spectrum. The divide between the two sides isn't likely to be bridged here. I don't do Facebook, but maybe someone can set up an Organissimo political discussion group for interested members?

I'm on the third disc now. I'm torn here. Although I appreciate that Woody pays tribute to Duke, it begs the question of why I should listen to another big band play Duke when I can just listen to Duke?

Disc 2: I've owned this for 3.5 years and this is probably only my second or third run through the set. I'm enjoying it. Between the Duke covers and his Hodges-inflected alto playing, Herman wears his love for Duke on his sleeve.

Two different COVID threads were closed because they veered into politics and this thread is on its third page.

I'm glad to hear that. That was the album that prompted the thread about lesser-known leaders with well-known sidemen. I posted some thoughts about it there. Let me know what you think. My two latest purchases are: This will almost certainly be one for the recommendation thread mentioned above, with a band of Mulgrew Miller, Ron Carter and Lewis Nash. The cheapest copy was an autographed one. That led me to search for autographed CDs on eBay. I picked this one up for $2.50 plus shipping: I really like the Hedges album I have, Live at Andy's. I'm not sure how well-known he was outside of the Milwaukee and Chicago scenes, but Hedges was a fine clarinetist worth remembering.

The Glad to Be Unhappy sessions: My library used to have a subscription to a service that allowed for streaming and up to 5 downloads a week. Between our two accounts, this was one of several box sets I downloaded. With the new Desmond Mosaic out, I realized that I never listened to this whole set. Although having this set means I have a healthy chunk of Desmond, the thought of hearing that much Ed Bickert is very tempting.

Ed Kelly was also on Michael White's classic The Land of Spirit and Light.

Jim Self/Jim Chiodini - Floating in Winter: I'm enjoying this one. Tuba (or fluba!) with guitar is an oddball combination that works. This is one of two duo albums they've done.

Owen Howard's More Lore: Drum Lore, Vol. 2 is a good one as well. I picked it up to hear more of Adam Kolker (the band also includes John O'Gallagher, Frank Carlberg and Johannes Weidenmueller). Bob Kindred is probably known a little better than Ray Alexander, but he was a helluva saxophonist who flies under the radar. Gorgeous tone on multiple reed instruments with a patient, mature approach. Like Houston Person, I'd imagine that he probably knew the lyrics to the standards he played. He did record a number of albums, fortunately. I recommend the two Kindred albums I have, both of which have sidemen who are more well-known: Blue Moon, with John di Martino (who has recorded with Person as well, incidentally), George Mraz and Ben Riley. Hidden Treasures, with Clark Terry, Grady Tate, Bill Charlap, Bill Mays, Richard Stoltzman, Todd Coolman, Tim Horner, Sean Smith and Fred Sherry. It can be found for a bargain price.

A tuba (and fluba)/guitar album!

I like his singing. 'Devil Blues' is a hoot and 'I Could Really For You' is warm and avuncular. I'll spin some of his music this weekend.

I went on a Freddie Redd kick last year. I think of him as being in the same league as pianist/composers like Elmo Hope and Herbie Nichols. For as long as he has been on the scene, he has been under-recorded. Happy Birthday, Mr. Redd!

Disc 3: It's been a few years since I last had one of my Andrew Hill sprees. It's about that time.

I saw Jimmy Cobb perform only twice. Once was at the University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar concert. It was an all-star lineup. A pared-down group of Cobb, Pharoah Sanders, Kenny Barron and Robert Hurst performed 'So What'. Roger Humphries later joined the band and engaged in a drum battle with Cobb on a tune or two. The other time I saw Cobb was with Four Generations of Miles (with Sonny Fortune, Buster Williams and Mike Stern). It was the last time I saw Fortune as well. Cobb swung like crazy and soloed mightily. Beyond his contributions to undisputed masterpieces like Kind of Blue and Smokin' at the Half Note, Cobb played on so many great albums. I think that he is underrated given the impact that he had. Thank you for the music, Mr. Cobb, and rest in peace.

And now:

Jon Nagourney - Second Light Up, with Cedar Walton, Andy Simpkins, Ralph Penland and Bob Cooper. Vibraphonist Jon Nagourney, who passed away last year at 63, was new to me until Peter Friedman posted that he was listening to this one. I've been listening to it quite a bit. (Nagourney's first release for Trend, A Song for Marion, had Kenny Barron, John Clayton and Dick Berk. I haven't heard it yet, however.)

Seeing Ghost of Miles' remark that people were treating Memorial Day like it was V-Covid Day prompted me to wonder what people observed over the weekend. My in-laws threw a party on Sunday. Beyond the Facebook invite that my wife ignored, she heard nothing else of it. Her mother likely knew that it was an awful idea and decided not to even broach the subject. With my wife's grandfather being in very poor health and now living across the street from my in-laws and probably attending, it was a recipe for disaster. Here in Ohio, I walk around the neighborhood with my dog and saw several parties, including one large one. The only mask I saw was worn by a woman in her 60s who had it around her neck and was hugging a teenager. With 4th of July around the corner, I only see the situation worsening. Our society is too selfish and shortsighted.

Sonny Payne

I'm listening to a Jimmy Cobb show posted on the Blue Note's Patreon page. The band includes Richard Wyands, Peter Bernstein and Walter Booker.