AllenLowe

well, funny that this comes up as I was thinking about that whole Miles era recently. I've always felt that when it comes to playing funk, jazz musicians are over-qualified - they kinda miss the feel. Problem is that many of them feel superior to the music, even as they play it. The attitude tends to be "I'll show those other guys how this can really sound." Personally I'll take one '50s James Brown band over twenty '70s fusion outfits (or hollow groups like the Crusaders). I heard that era Miles in person on 4, 5 occasions, and I was at the Fillmore East on one of the nights they taped - as a matter of fact, I think I've told this before, I found myself (age 16) standing right next to Miles in the Fillmore lobby during intermission; my friend says "talk to him" but I froze up (he was quite small, and dressed like he was wearing some kind of Indian rug). One of the more terrifying moments of my life. as to the music - well, I found (and I saw relatively early versions of the band, when Miles still had some chops) that there were moments of pure beauty followed by longer stretches of musical boredom, at least on my part. Even at age 16 I sensed that Miles had the right idea but was not completely able to separate trendiness from musicality. I only saw Hendrix once, also saw Sly and the Family Stone once (both at the Fillmore) but with both of those acts I got the sense that they knew where they were going and what they had to do, it just came naturally, as part of their background and musical DNA. Miles, I always thought, was working too hard. There was much more funk in the work of a later generation of players, when they got it right, as with Hemphill, who himself spoke of his time backing Ike and Tina Turner with great boredom - but who, on his own, took that idea to places that, IMHO, Miles never got near. It's not unrelated to the mediocre music Sonny Rollins, in pursuit of a similar musical sound, has produced. There are musicians who can do it better than the guys Sonny works with (and I know this will piss people off, re-Miles, but there were funk drummers who, for example, could do it better than DeJohnette) - Miles would have done better to work with Hendrix and his rhythm section, who not only understood the time requirements but who also had a sense of how compact funk can be, from a musical and rhythmic sense. Too much time was spent watching Miles stand on the sidelines groovin' while the band played nothing of consequence.

Chuck, what are you talking about, or do you have any idea what you are talking about or are you just typing? try reading - we were not talking about whether or not I was wrong but whether I called Jim a liar - maybe not a big difference in your world but a big difference in mine - I do know why I've been avoiding this place, and if growing up means to be like you, than I now understand Peter Pan -

I did not call him a liar; you guys are quite amazing. I merely posted what I had been told - Jim responded in kind. Maybe I was wrong. But I did not call him a liar; there's a difference. Why don't we ask him, or is it easier just to cast aspersions and mask personal attacks as alleged attempts at clarification? Any moderators paying attention to this? or will this turn into the usual crap? Jeez, this is why I've been avoiding this place lately-

cripes, let us not get back into the personal attacks, guys. Disagree, fine, point out an error if you feel that way. The rest is uncalled for.

it doesn't really matter any more - I've done projects with "good" companies and "bad," and with the exception of only one (based in the USA) they do business the same way, do not give royalty statements, distort the numbers for publishing payments. As a matter of fact I just found out that one of my older CDs, made for a German company (for which they never, contrary to the contractual agreement paid me any Euro publishing), is doing rather well on I Tunes (I'm talking to SESAC about some way to deal with it, though I am skeptical that there is anything that will help). So in reality it's every musician for him/herself, unless that musician has any economic clout. On my end of the business, few do. So my feeling is to buy those reissues; at least keep the music alive, as both the majors and the minors will never change their ways of doing business.

why are we so sure that Clem deleted his own posts? It was a moderator who began first to delete Chris Albertson's posts -

the JSPs are fine, I have more than a few myself - what they do, in most (but not all) cases is lift stuff from other reissues. And at least they don't decimate it like Proper does -

one suggestion I would make for old blues, if one still has a turntable, is to keep an eye on ebay for the following labels: Origin Jazz Library/Flyright/Herwin (the LP Herwin)/VJM. A lot of these can still be found for reasonable cost and in most cases I have found the sound to be decent.

1) Sorry, I don't know Baby Face Lewis - 2) Well, I've considered all suggestions - especially in the area of Cajun and also with Willette, who I think is one of the most soulful performers I have ever heard - I wish there was more of his 1950s singing/playing available - just praying that the record company does not change their mind - also going crazy trying to finish the notes, which will be basic annotations, with hopefully a book proposal to follow - the writer William Gay has expressed an interest in collaborating with me on that book, but I have a ways to go in getting the idea together - but I am very excited about this one, and think it's not only good, historically, but a very enjoyable listen -

just to mention, I should have a complete list for my blues set in a few weeks - the mastering is almost done; I think it will meet the needs of blues nuts everywhere (total of about 935 cuts) - and if Dan Gould is reading this, I apologize for not sending an email back, but it turns out I will be using 2 of his Baby Face Willette cuts - I have now become a major fan of Baby Face, love that 1950s stuff -

I don't remember the amount, but I was told by a tax lawyer that there is a yearly max, and so the deduction sometimes has to be spread out, I think -

depends on the prior meal -

the nice thing about donations like this one is that they keep important collections together where they can be utilized properly, instead of dispersed all over the place into the hands of private collectors, who my or may not allow access - and by the way, donation or not, I know Will and, like his father, he is a terrific guy -

well, my wife is pregnant with octuplets, and I'm naming every one of them Nessa -

can play, but try playing along with him (I met him in Hartford about 25 years ago) - I consider him to be the autistic star of free jazz. Has the social skills of a toad and is about as easy to play with.

Will's father was Herb Friedwald, a wonderful guy who worked for Atlantic, and maybe some other labels, and I would bet a lot of this stuff comes from him. Herb (who was also very helpful to me) did a lot of Atlantic's New Orleans recordings in the 50's and 60's, if I recall correctly.

did you by any chance play Glady's Bentley's late 1950s recording, The Juneteenth Jamboree? it is a little bit obscure -

it's time to take the pap test -

"Stopped by my favorite local CD store after a rehearsal today and was picked up" uh....keep your sordid affairs to yourself -

Lou Rawls Capitol The Best of Lou Rawls: The Capitol Jazz and Blues Sessions INCLUDES 3 TRACKS WITH DUPREE BOLTON $7.29 shipped media Lightnin' Hopkins Hello Central The Best of Sony Legacy $6.03 shipped media Count Basie Basie's Basement BMG $5.28 shipped media Robert Pete Williams Free Again Prestige Bluesville $5.42 shipped media Lightnin Hopkins Smokes Like Lightnin' Original Blues Classics $4.88 shipped media Benny Carter: Symphony in Riffs (actually a film about Benny on DVD; Rhapsody Films) $11.49 shipped media I like paypal; my paypal address is alowe5@maine.rr.com

any way I can borrow ten bucks from the fund?

I just have this fantasy that there's someone in some center of cultural power who is interested in the true journeyman jazz musician who is doing creative work - sort of the subculture of improvised music. will never happen. but I can dream.........................

"No, I'm not some label hack trying to dish up and sell the latest warmed-over turd" not that there's anything wrong with that -

same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsamesame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same oldsame old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old same old

interesting about the LA Times review - this would not be the first time I have seen someone review a book after having read only a part of it - as a matter of fact, when my American Pop book came out, Gary Giddins criticized it for not having certain references, which it did in fact have - when I realized he had only read the liner notes and not the actual book, I wrote a letter to the Voice, and boy, was he vicious in response. To this day I am mad at myself for not suing him for libel - I know Elijah's work well and can recommend it, though I have not read the latest - and the Van Ronk book is excellent -