.:.impossible

That is intense. We had a print of his at our house in college. I had forgotten his name over the years. Very vibrant and three dimensional Buddhist images.

In reference to Vint's vegetarian comment, Basquiat. I think a lot of the digital artists are really nailing it for me lately. It may seem silly to include people who do print design, and typeface for that matter (!), in a thread like this, but I think they deserve equal credit as artists. I see a collision between the grit of real life and the pop sheen in a lot of recent design.

I'm going to be at one night of the Mclean/Grachan/Hutch stretch, either Friday or Saturday. I don't think my people are going to be much into the Vision crowd though. I'd still love to catch Milford Graves!

We always listen to the Larry Young/Grant Green stuff pretty loud. If its got a B-3 on it, its gotta be loud! Check SMOKIN' by Lockjaw and Shirley Scott! Boom! Medeski Martin and Wood SHACK MAN is a killer loud. Probably not jazz enough for this group though. I also like to listen to Herbie Nichols and Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk at high volume. If I could find a good Charlie Parker recording, I'd REALLY crank it, but the treble hiss is just too much on most of what I have.

Happy Birthday Larry. Thanks for commenting on the article. Do you have an official street-date for the book yet?

I will be interested to read George Lewis' perspective on this subject, and I am very much looking forward to digging into the Nessa Art Ensemble box this summer. To address the original question, I don't think the music sounds at all "the same." I can hear, in both musics, what I am beginning to identify with as Chicago. Aside from territory, there are broader similarities such as the theatre and visual elements of these groups' performances, as well as the search for a music that transcended the jazz of the past by incorporating ideas pre-dating jazz. There is one more thing that I continue to realize about this music. When I first hear it, it all seems so serious. The more I become familiar with the music, the more I hear a smile and a nod countering that seriousness. There is a duality to both of these groups that I don't quite understand, but it has revealed itself to me.

I can't understand why people would want to speculate that Elvin Jones is dead. It feels like sensationalistm. This is not a race to who can break the news first. Let's have some respect, please.

That was hard to read, but there were some nuggets in there. Thanks for the recommendations aric. Wherever Barney is now, I hope someone keeps a guitar nearby.

My brother just sent me this for my birthday. I was unaware of these recordings. So far they are fantastic and extremely varied. Duets and solo performances range from pure "world" music to jazz duet. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I only new one facet of Billy Higgins: drum kit. And I don't know much about Charles Lloyd at all. These two have an amazing rapport. I was also unaware of their relationship. ECM is mostly unfamiliar to me as well, so this is a new territory for me, as familiar as it seems. Highly recommended to Billy Higgins fans, drummers period, world music fans, Charles Lloyd fans, wind instrument fans period, solo and duet music fans. "World Music" mostly refers to North African sounds in this case. Beautiful photos inside, along with the prospect that the events were video-recorded. I'm in.

I meant to post on the Cadence review earlier... very favorable I think. Congrats! Al Jones got the cover feature as well!

I was definitely impressed by his playing with Dave Holland Quintet. I'd be interested to hear more about this album. Interesting ensemble.

Yeah, the band seemed to be all-white and over a certain age, but we all know that isn't what makes a musician great. I did notice. I assumed they were all studio musicians as well. Can't always judge a book by its cover though, right?

Very true. His life was a blessing to many of us. His death is the natural end of that blessing. I am not sad that he is dying. I have seen people die before. People that I actually knew. I understand the process. I am sad that people continue to try to deny that death is an inevitable conclusion. I don't think for a second that Elvin Jones denies this. This much was comforting. His life was so well documented behind the drum kit. From the second half of the 1950s to the 1990s - he held up well with Dewey and Cecil just years ago. His life was full until the end from all I can tell. His time is coming to an end, regardless of rumors or stories on jazz bulletin boards. It is the end of an era, and nostalgia can be saddening. Although I never knew the man personally, I've spent enough time listening to his music to feel an attachment to the legacy. Elvin Jones isn't a sideman that happened to play well on a famous side or two. He is an important element to the progression of the last quarter of the jazz century. We have seen so many pass on without a successor. His drumming had personality. A tone that was individualistic. Identifiable, like that of a saxophone player. Modern drumming is kindly imitation of the last quarter century, where advancement comes in small increments. Elvin was one who made advancement in stride. He can't play for us forever.

I've never even heard of many of these. Some of the covers are great. Others have TERRIBLE font choice. My favorite is Sonny Clark Art of the Trio. Nice.

Yeah. I really do. My other Grandad, "Grandpa," isn't much into music, but he isn't much into wearing his hearing aids either! He's real cool though. When I say "I love you Grandpa," he says, "Thank you Cary." Its great! He's got this saying. Ask him "What's new Grandpa?" or "How's it goin'?" and he responds, without fail. "Oh I don't know. Same old 6s and 7s." Can anyone tell me what that means? No one in my family can figure it out! We love it though, and he's been saying it for years. I'm going to ask him next time I see him. OK, carry on about Tal.

Rather than critique 19 year-olds with no training, why don't we talk about the band tonight? I know some of the American Idol watchers here are fans of big band and arranging for horns. What did you guys think of the band? Any musicians worth noting that were on the stand tonight? I've read about plenty of guys making a buck in Hollywood when the scene wasn't paying. I was hoping for at least a 4-bar from someone! boo.

This is definitely on the wish list. I have never bought a Mosaic. Got the Sam Rivers as a gift. Missed out on Hill, Larry Young recently. I would regret missing another one. Maybe I can talk my Grandaddy into getting it and listening to his copy! He's got a quite a few Mosaics since I showed him a catalog!

Speaking of Bill Evans, Barry Galbraith shows up quite a bit in conjunction. Recommended listening.

Dave Holland sold out RBar in Boston. Die Like A Dog had people standing in the stairwell at Institue for Contemporary Art in Boston. Jason Moran Trio sold out Sculler's in Boston.

I don't think it will. I just got it this weekend. I've been loading it up since. I don't think of it as an alternative to CDs. I think of it as an alternative to a discman and Caselogic books in my suitcase! The kid at the store that sold (unlocked the display case) the iPod said something like "I never buy CDs and Satellite Radio is a waste of money. I just download everything and put it on the iPod." If that kid knew just one person who made their living playing music, I don't think he'd be stealing it. Its a portable storage device with a great front-end.

I pieced together four photos very sloppily, and did some odd looking patchwork, but you get the idea. The Monk print was a gift from my wife for my birthday! The iPod was a gift from myself!

Thanks again everybody. Have any of you ever considered writing greeting cards for a living?

Ripped off or not, Pavement did have some great cover art. That picture of Mark E. Smith is... wow. How was the show?

Jim, Are you a fan of Barry Galbraith? He also didn't do as much as a leader, but his playing is often fascinating.

Sounds like she had a very beautiful environment to pass on. I was in a similar situation two summers ago. I think it is more important than we know to have this familiarity surrounding our loved one. Your Mother sounds like a wonderful woman Randy. May she rests in peace.