AllenLowe

Ivory Joe Hunter, Charles Brown - see, I'm not that out of it, Jim - I Just think THOSE are the guys Lou is trying (with so little success) to emulate -

"Allen, I love you, man, but on this one, you're en crannius recti. Man, it's party music for hen-early-middle-aged-black-folk-who-didn't-necessarily-want-to-go-to-the-same-clubs-their-kids-went." actually, I think of Nancy Wilson and James Moody in this respect. I understand the impulse behind this music but I think it doesn't have to sound like Lou. Hey, I once played on the same bandstand as Willis Jackson - he was a mean s.o.b. but he could play - I just think there's more interesting ways to approach it. Also like Jimmy McGriff, Johnny Hammond Smith and the other Smith - I think Lou, as a soul jazzer, sounds too damned middle class - I'll take Bobby Buster and Gene Ammons -

listen, as well, to the other great Whiteman band version of this - vocal by Bing, solo by Red Nichols, great arrangement by someone whose name I can't remember (not Challis or Grofe; a songwriter, however); masterpiece -

Fathead Newman, Booker Ervin -

or King Curtis -

all right, let's get serious Soul Stream - name some other instances of soul jazz - it's a good idea, but Donaldson's idea is all cliche and false feeling - soul jazz? Julius Hemphill's hard blues - Ornette playing a ballad at Town Hall - Monk playing a slow blues - not the repetition of a string of tired phrases by a guy who is not, honestly speaking, much better than an ok bebopper - Lou always played all the right notes, but not much more, in my opinion. more soul? Dave Schildkraut; Art Pepper; Ernie Henry; Cannonball on just about anything - NOT, the way I see it, blues cliches - a la Oscar Peterson - Bird on any blues or ballad, YES - jeez, I'm a better blues player than DOnaldson - I'll send you a CD -

there's "Agree with me or I'll Hit You" - book of the month selection -

"print please correct the v. distracting misuse of "than" for "then", it's a small thing but a pet peeve of mine..." to you and everybody else - look, I'll a print a few below and you can make the changes yourself - I find it too confusing - than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then than then than then than then then then then then than than than than than then than then email me if you need any more -

I'm not trying to start trouble here (so please only people who agree with me may respond) but is there anybody else here who cannot stand listening to Hodges? I appreciate his amazing technical control, but his sound drives me up the nearest wall - but than I can't listen to Paul Desmond either or Stan Getz -

you're right - I was looking at it in the mirror -

oh, you guys were talking about HOT DOG - I thought you were talking about Mantovani Plays The Beatles - sorry ooohhhh - prettiest color yet -

oh, you guys were talking about HOT DOG - I thought you were talking about Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - sorry wow, still such pretty colors -

oh, you guys were talking about HOT DOG - I thought you were talking about Kind of Blue - sorry

well, joke all you want, but I think I'll start the Hot Dog Depreciation thread - such pretty colors -

and don't ask why I'm using this big type - or I'll make you actually listen to Hot Dog -

look, I'll need names, addresses and social security numbers of all you guys who like Hot Dog - expect a letter from the IRS -

we're living in the Bizarro Music World here, right? or I'm dreaming - or I forgot to take my meds today - or I shouldn't have taken those 18 sleeping pills last night - or Kenny G has been elected President - or Dan Gould is heading the new Commission to Investigate the Assassination of JFK - or CHEWY is my new psychiatrist - or Berigan is my mohl - or - some people here are saying that HOT DOG isn't a piece of poop - which it is - well, it used to be a free country - now I can understand why we need the Patriot Act - freedom is too much for you guys, you can't handle it, you need smart guys like me and Chuck to keep you straight - and did I forget to mention - Hot Dog is a piece of POOP - ? just my opinion, of course -

I've heard the working title is: bird and ME

thanks everyone, all orders should be on the way - and happily I've got two more promo sets which should arrive by the weekend; will sell them at same price - $125 plus shipping, 36 CDs, booklets and CDs are complete and in mint condition - shoot me an email at alowe5@maine.rr.com - my paypal is the same -

good show, but the Feminist "we are the world" Tribute to Valerie Solanis that he's now playing seems inappropriate - even if Hillary Clinton is a fan -

"if he doesn't write negative reviews I will not take him seriously." I don't know, Joe, how we could take that out of context? but you're entitled to your opinion. Personally I'm a kind pf guy - I think McDonough's brain is half-full.

actually, I don't want to be immodest but I think I do a better job than Schuller does on Western Swing -

Chris - a little bit llike Condon's remarks about bebop - "we don't flat our fifths, we drink 'em," if I remember correctly - also, Sonny Rollins apparently resolved never to read his notices again after reading Schuller's (very interesting) analysis of his solo on Blue 7 -

this all comes up as I am trying to finish up my rock and roll history (1950-1970); here's one section on Dylan, who I do think ran out of ideas in about 1968 - "In terms of repertoire Newport was Dylan at his best. A great deal of his talent has always been melodic, an odd thing given how anti-melodic his singing is purported to be. In truth he had a gift for creating simple but memorable blues-like songs, diatonically constructed with the occasional surprising, if very basic, chord change and the even more occasional violation of formal expectations. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry, with its nicely inserted and altogether appropriate middle section, is a case in point. Dylan, whatever his stylistic quirks, always had a firm sense of where, technically, he wanted to go. And that, ultimately, may be the source of his most satisfying music making. Ironically, given his folk-poet reputation and pretensions, the most salient characteristic of Dylan from this second period is not his lyric writing but his music, his absolute group fearlessness and willingness to open up his songs instrumentally. On albums like Highway 61 Revisited and than Blond on Blond (and than in his live appearances with The Band) there is an engaging sense of willful and not quite joyous, anarchy. He was writing too many songs, and though there were some brilliant hooks, lyrically it showed; musically he was in the process of defining a new idiom, and making musical connections with as many logically-brilliant free associations as any jazz musician of the day. The jangling guitar lines, the phrase fills moving in and out of the front line, as though adjusting to the music’s constantly changing depth-of-field - all are part of his suddenly new musical m.o. When he tells Michael Bloomfield, at the session for Highway 61 Revisited that "I don't want any of that B.B. King shit," he means exactly what he says, to distance himself from the more conventional phraseology and methodology of the blues. Newport was the clarion call of his arrival. This was his New Deal, and if one were inclined to make such apocalyptic pronouncements, that day (7/25/65) might be seen as the true start of modern rock and roll. It’s a somewhat oversimplified way of looking at things, but Dylan’s heresy was one true sign that musical boundaries in rock and roll were coming down, overrun and trampled by the new hordes; if anybody was really surprised, than they hadn't been paying enough attention. If Dylan’s prime motivation was to get more people to listen to him, to become the rock and roll star of his Minnesota fantasies, than more power to him. All eyes, which had been looking in his direction, were now focused solely on him, on what he would do next, what songs he would write and what kind of albums he would make. Always aware of the necessary hipness quotient, and conscious of how much of his elliptical pseudo-philosophy other people would or would not tolerate, he now became more and more personally insufferable. It mattered little that, in interviews and in the film that came out of his 1965 British tour, Don’t Look Back, he came across as narcissistic, shallow, and just plain nasty, because now he was the point of focus. The most astonishing thing was, given how repulsive and obnoxious his filmed behavior was, that he let it out for the public to see. Like some fame-hungry figure in a Frederick Wiseman film he seemed less concerned about why he was the center of attention than the simple fact that he was. The practice of songwriting was a different matter, and of major importance to his growing myth. Though he always tended, in his lyric writing, to alternate insight with preciousness his writing now, more than ever, had the burden of meaning, much as he might disavow such claims. He was the new seer of rock and roll, and his voice could be heard in just about every prominent group, from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones to Simon and Garfunkel. Under pressure of deadline, to get out one song after another and assemble his albums, he began to indulge, more than ever before, his tendency for glib poesy, for words and phrases that had little reason for being beyond pseudo-symbolist fantasy. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t; language for its own sake was a legitimate technique for the songwriter, but Dylan’s language was often as not clumsy and awkward. In this scheme of things it was OK to rhyme heat pipes that "cough" with a radio station playing "soft", (Visions of Johanna) as long as the audience was with you, as, with Dylan after Newport, it was. On in-person recordings from tours made in the middle 1960s Dylan is like a king at court before his subjects, condescendingly tolerant and arrogant at the same time, the most elite of the anti-elitists and very conscious of the natural privileges of power. Everything and everyone else, from Woody Guthrie to old roommates like Mark Spoelstra and Dave Van Ronk, was now, in more ways than one, in the past. Unlike the old Dylan, exhumator of and grand re-designer of the folk tradition, the new Dylan was his own self-contained model, his own and sole source of history and tradition."

let me add, by the way, John Szwed and Lewis Porter to this list as two real academics who not only know the music but also know how to write about it -