bertrand

I nearly dropped dead of a heart attack on Monday. I get to work and there are eight, count 'em eight voice mails waiting for me. Six are from clueless co-workers who have no idea how to fix a trivial non-problem (I wasted a whole day in e-mails and conference calls), and two are from old acquaintances from high school. The guy I see every few years although I'm bad about keeping in touch; I always liked him. I didn't have time to call him back yet, but he called tonight and we chatted for a long time. The other call was from a woman I've known since I was 5 or 6. We went through the French School in D.C. together for like 12-13 years. Then, when she moved to Paris after College and I was living there as well, we used to hang out a lot (jazz gigs and movies mostly). We were always just friends. Anyway, we haven't spoken since her wedding in 1990, so getting the call sure was a shocker. I haven't had time to call her back yet, but I'm a bit hesitant. Truth is, I was unhappy at that school. For a while, I was hanging out with the people from my class who live in D.C., but I really felt uncomfortable with that crowd. Among other things, they liked to put down my job (I'm a government grunt) which after a while really started pissing me off. Also, they would always nag me about when we were going to have kids, which was really none of their effing business. Anyway, I don't know if I should call this woman back. It's been so long, and I'm worried that I'll start a chain reaction and have to start socializing again with the crowd I'm trying to avoid. Plus, she apparently has some high level job somewhere - I can see another scenario where I'll feel kind of inferior. I guess the problem is I just have so much shit going on in my life right now (including some personal problems I'd rather not get into) that I just don't feel like I'm best equipped to handle this right now. I'm not really sure why I'm so upset about it, but I just can't seem to focus. Any ideas? Bertrand.

5 copies of each title were earmarked for the Vatican. I doubt they sold. Bertrand.

At their peak, that band was untouchable. Bertrand.

I posted my opinion of the crummy job they did with the George Russell - they fucked up the separation between tunes. For $10, that's a scam. I know I could probably mess around with iTunes for 2-3 hours and fix it, but I just don't have time. Teach me to be honest. I should have just burned a copy off a friend. I guess I got hoodwinked by the 'don't steal music' sticker on my iPod when I bought it. Bertrand.

Wayne Shorter looked really pissed off when I did it last time. Bertrand.

Mike, Butch Warren is still living, although keeping a low profile right here in D.C. I've been periodically posting about this in the live shows forum. I haven't seen him in a few months. He lost the Wednesday night gig because he was unpredictable ('hasn't been taking his medicine'). I'm trying to put together some sort of benefit/tribute (don't tell Allen Lowe), but I have no clue how to go about it, and I can't pay anyone from my own pocket. Bertrand.

GM3 Bertrand.

I'm fascinated by the presence of Butch Warren! Bertrand.

You're still young - I guarantee you that somehow, by hook or by crook, you will hear this session in your lifetime. Bertrand.

Eventually all this rejected stuff will be available digitally. The downside will be that there will be no more CDs proper from Blue Note. Bertrand.

Clever moniker Bertrand.

Is there a fee for requesting this music? (I can't check the sites right now). If not, I'll get them right away before they are told they can no longer give them out. Bertrand.

I don't care one way or another about the jackets, instruments, and various other relics. The sheet music is another story. I wish everything had just been sent to me to add to the other lead sheets at the Library of Congress. Bertrand.

I'm surprised you didn't order the AEC's 'Music To Paint The Downstairs By'. It's a super-rarity that even Chuck Nessa has never heard of. Bertrand.

Don't bother trying to figure it out. It's his opinion and he's entitled to it, but he is so wrong it hurts. By the same argument, no classical performer should perform a program consisting solely of Bach. Whatever. Bertrand.

Absolutely. All the tunes (except 'Brew') were from his last two records. There may have been a snippet in the second set from the forthcoming one (as announced), but nothing that really stood out. The dishes thing was amazing - happened in both sets. We're grooving to Wallace, then suddenly 'crash'. By the way, I called Friday AFTER the first set and they couldn't tell me who was in the band. Of course, Wallace only announced it at the beginning and end of each set. Blues Alley is a fucked-up joint in many ways. I love the way we totally derailed this thread. Bertrand.

'Teo, why the fuck are you having me do a Michael Jackson tune? The guy's a weirdo'.

Good point. I am curious as to what the Lucky Thompson project is. I didn't know it existed. I suspect it's hardly a faithful recreation of his originals. Plus how many of these tunes are actually 'done to death'? That's right - none. There's some Thompson charts in the Library of Congress. I wonder if they are of any interest. Bertrand.

Weizen, I was at both shows (no cover in the second, so why not). I was sitting against the middle partition (so I got to hear all the dropped dishes - I think last night was a record). I was with a friend who mans the 'unofficial' Roney website. We got to talk to Wallace and Geri afterwards. I think his frustration in the first tune was either because the arrangement fell apart, or because the sound was screwed-up (the tenor sounded weird to me). The turntables were used throughout both sets, so I don't think that was the problem. This is something that he has been doing for a while. My friend has the whole setlist (except for some confusion in the second set, when they suddenly launched into Bitches' Brew). I'll post it when I can. I agree that Val Jeanty, the turntablist, was quite a good looker. What silky blonde hair? She wore a knit cap the whole night! Turns out she's worked with Braxton and Wadada Leo Smith as well. I had apprehensions about the turntable, but it worked for me. Bertrand.

Any plans for a '20th anniversary of Miles not re-signing with Columbia' celebration? Bertrand.

Nonsense. The only way I can understand your making this statement is if you have never heard the music of the Herbie Nichols Project (my statements below probably also apply to the Lucky Thompson project, but I need to find out more about them). The Herbie Nichols Project is most definitely not some sort of dusty 'ghost band', repeating old gestures for several reasons: 1. Much of the material they are performing was never recorded, and only some of the unrecorded music was even performed by Nichols in his brief career. The charts came for the most part from the Copyright Deposits at the Library of Congress, plus a few from friends of Herbie's to whom he may have given some charts (Roswell Rudd, Sheila Jordan etc.). 2. Even in the case of compositions that were recorded by Nichols, the arrangements are new and highly personal to the members of the group, while retaining the spirit of Herbie's musical vision. This is obvious in light of the fact that the arrangements are for sextets or septets. Nichols was never given the opportunity to record any of his originals with horns. I'm the first to be annoyed at half-baked tributes that barely dig into the repertoire and appeal to the more nostalgia-oriented audience base. But this critique most definitely does not apply to the Herbie Nichols Project. What's wrong with revisiting music that was barely explored the first time around? Michael Cuscuna pointed out to me years ago that he is always astounded at how few of the great original compositions from the Blue Note heyday were ever performed live by their composers. One studio date with a pick-up group, and that was it. There's a thread out there in the musicians' forum, where some posters expressed the preference to dig into obscure, seldom-performed originals then the same tired standards. I agree. Bertrand.

Weizen, I was at the Roney show tonight - I thought it was fabulous. And Geri Allen sounded great on that Fender Rhodes. Different strokes... Jim, Whatever happened to Leon Henderson? Bertrand.

Thanks! So all three Don Cherry sessions will be in print simultaneously. That's quite an accomplishment. I'm amazed that it took so long, considering how fast the Mosaic box went. Bertrand.

I did a search, but I can't find the thread anymore that announced the 2005 RVGs (Symphony For Improvisers etc.) Anyone? Thanks, Bertrand.