Ted O'Reilly

Geez, Bev... You're in the UK. Isn't it "Wodehouse"? (Like Home is Hume?)(Or is it Hume is Home?) You are, of course, right! I was clearly confusing him with the dog trainer! Not read him in many a year. Actually thinking of giving him another go - I recall laughing myself daft when I was about 15. Silly mad, VS barking mad. I understand. Surely among the bestand most delightful characters of 20th Century literature are Wodehouse's Jeeves/Wooster, and I think the best Wooster was Hugh Laurie. Interesting that he's the Ultimate Twit (add in his Blackadder work) -- but in the USA and further, now the acerbic and cynical egoist House, MD. Laurie must have some kinda talent, eh? Too bad his musical talent (and he has it) is more towards rock...

Geez, Bev... You're in the UK. Isn't it "Wodehouse"? (Like Home is Hume?)(Or is it Hume is Home?)

Yup, and hit three more today, beating Orioles 6-1. (Jose Bautista leads MLB with 16.) Franchise record of 53 now, looking for MLB record of 58. Likely won't do it, though, as the Jays open a home series against Tampa Bay on Monday night, and 6 HRs is unlikely.

The late Moe Koffman might have led to a lot of jazz fluting with the hit "Swinging Shepherd Blues" in 1958 (with Ed Bickert on guitar): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiOkgKm0Tcg And there's a terrific full-time jazz flutist here in Toronto, Bill McBirnie, who as a flutist alone has won the applause of Sir James Galway: http://www.myspace.com/billmcbirnieextremeflute (audition his Hackensack).

Went to the website, and she seems to be a good one...but there was no guidance as to her name. In my many years of radio, one of the things I was fearful of was mispronounciation, and I'll admit being stumped by "Champian", a name I've never seen before. Would it be said as in 'champion', with a real "chuh" sound, or possibly softer, as if it were French -- as in 'shampian'? Or even "Champi-Anne"? Inquiring minds want to know!

Ed Allen? What happened to Ed Anderson? Wasn't he the topic?

Who they? Joe and Nick Jonas. Who they?

Well, I subscribe to AccuWeight and AccuAge. They're remarkable -- can guess both over the internet!

You may be right that he didn't have a social security card...I heard once from a friend of Vic Dickenson's that Vic didn't have one, thinking it was a way 'They' could find him and make him pay taxes.

Certainly looks like Kenny. And he did/does play acoustically ("Guitar Forms"!), so I'm with you...

The only reference book I have that mentions him is John Chilton's Who's Who of Jazz, a 1970 publication, and he's alive at that time, saying "...ceased playing several years ago, but continues to live in New York City". Born July 1, 1910 in Jacksonville, Florida -- maybe he's having his 100th birthday in a few weeks!

For starters: http://www.algallodoro.com/bio.htm

I'm glad I never had anything to do with it (yet, "friends" have invited me to join). Facebook seems more like Assbook.

I see amazon.com is selling the Mosaic Bing Crosby set. It's $142.40 with free shipping. $119 with free shipping from Mosaic itself...

I think it's farther back than that. Big Wheel's right: at least a couple of years ago Jon Stewart was using it on The Daily Show. Memes multiply like mushrooms. (In the dark and covered in shit?) Meme: a cultural unit -- an idea or value or pattern of behavior -- that is passed from one person to another by non-genetic means,as by imitation. See: "Ginormous", or "Brangelina". Now that I think of it, what happened to "truthiness" now that we're out of the bushes?

No free shipping over international borders, I'd guess. I've never earned it on Amazon.com (vs. Amazon.ca) items to Canada no matter how much I've bought. Pay the shipping and it'll still be cheaper than from any one else. Also, perhaps if the items are to be shipped by different suppliers and since they can't be put in the same box, there's no free shipping.

Give Victoria's Ian McDougall a call, and he'll come over and share it with you. Ian was one of Rob's closest friends, personally and musically...

McLeod's band has recorded a CD, and he's soon to self-release it. I'll let everyone know when it's available. Thanks Ted. I will be watching for it. I wouldn't even mind a little drive down the 401 to hear them Denis Monday, May 31 at 9:30pm. Two hot sets! Doug Ramsey's Rifftides had a nice piece today: http://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/2010/05/on_rob_mcconnell.html

Indeed! Should be easy to get Collectables 6278, which has the two LPs "Baritone Sax" and "Lars Gullin Swings". He was a good pianist too, playing it exclusively on his 1973 album of originals "Like Grass" (EMI/Odeon 7234 4 75206 2 4) with Lee Konitz, Bernt Rosengren, Red Mitchell and Island Ostlund. Anyone mention Sahib Shihab's bari work yet? And, Toronto's Jim Galloway is known as a mainstreamy soprano player, but his bari work is very interesting and much more modern. It's as if his musical mind switches with the big horn.

Well, a long-time member of the Boss Brass trumpet section, John MacLeod, has for several years now been writing for and leading his "Rex Hotel Orchestra", so named for its last-Monday-of-the-month gig at a jazz joint in Toronto. It's much influenced by Rob, as you'd expect, even including two french horns, and staffed by a lot of BB veterans. A year or so back McConnell was in to hear it, and took over the mic to say something like "This band is better than mine, but I don't know why -- the writing's not as good". It got a huge laugh, as intended, but also showed Rob's competitive spirit was alive and well. McLeod's band has recorded a CD, and he's soon to self-release it. I'll let everyone know when it's available.

The Toronto Star has a story... http://www.thestar.com/news/obituary/article/803587--rob-mcconnell-75-jazz-star-made-thrilling-music

Aha - I think I know it. Thanks. Recorded April 7/8/9, 1977. I wrote the liner notes, and have record number 0001. Very nice job you did! My copy shows number 404332! Wasn't this supposed to be a limited edition Wow, really? I think at the time the company said they'd not be able to pull more than 10,000 copies off the stampers. Maybe they went to the 30 ips non-dolby tapes (that were running all the time) and put out 'bogus' D-to-D pressings. A second two-disc set (RM & BB Again!) was done that way a year later, and admitted it, when they were having troubles cutting the discs live.

Aha - I think I know it. Thanks. Recorded April 7/8/9, 1977. I wrote the liner notes, and have record number 0001.

Rob McConnell died in a Toronto hospital this afternoon from liver cancer. His health had been declining for the last couple of months. The valve trombonist, composer, arranger, teacher and leader was best known as the leader of The Boss Brass, a 22-piece jazz orchestra, and the Rob McConnell Tentet. He was 75 years old.

"would of"? Is English your second or third language? You surely mean "would have", indicating 'possibility'. And doesn't 'shitload' mean 'load of shit'? Why would you wish him to make shitloads? The reason for grammar rules, and vocabulary is to communicate accurately. Put a little effort into this, please.