Alexander

Here's the hottub sketch. I think Brecker is on the far right side of the screen...

It seriously looks like something the Jim Henson Creature Workshop came up with.

I recently inherited a large number of old rock LPs. Many of them have jackets that are falling apart, and some of them have separated completely. I plan on getting inner sleeves for the ones that don't have them, but what can I do about the jackets that have fallen apart? Should I attempt to glue or tape them together? Or should I just stick them in plastic sleeves?

I agree. I don't own any of his own work, but I do have one or two albums on which Mayer guests (including the Sco), and he's always pleasantly surprised me. And he *can* play the guitar, whatever you think of his singing voice or his song writing. It's easy to imagine some parallel universe in which Mayer *didn't* become a pop star but instead became a very well respected studio musician...

"Man who catch fly with chopsticks accomplish anything." RIP

I have some LPs that could probably do with some cleaning (purchased used, in decent condition, but definitely dirty), but I haven't gotten around to washing them yet. When I worked in the music library at BU, we used some sort of store-bought cleaning solution (don't know what kind, but it came in a red bottle) and these cool brushes that you would hold over the LP while it turned on the turntable. It seemed to work well. I keep my platters dust-free using a swiffer cloth. It's very soft and picks up dust like a magnet...

Do you mean "The Infinite," or are you referring to another album I don't have? I'll be the first to say that "The Infinite" is somewhat overrated. I like it, mainly because I like the electric Miles stuff that inspired it, but I never thought it was revolutionary. I did, however, enjoy it and have enjoyed pretty much everything I've heard from Douglas. I don't spend my time looking for messiahs, so I tend not to be disappointed when I don't find them...

My understanding is that Douglas was commissioned to write some music to accompany Arbuckle's films, and that while watching the films and reading up on his life, Douglas became aware of the need to revive Arbuckle's reputation. It is true that all most people know about Arbuckle (if they know anything at all) is that his career was ruined when he was accused in a violent rape case. What people tend to forget is that Arbuckle was acquitted. Not only was he acquitted, but the jury felt that Arbuckle deserved a public apology from the D.A.s office. It didn't matter if he got it or not. His career was sunk by the scandal. Douglas feels that Arbuckle belongs in the pantheon of early filmmakers along with Chaplin and Keaton, which he very well might (I haven't seen enough of his work to judge). I know that there is an effort afoot to similarly raise awareness of the work of Harold Lloyd...

Similar to people having nostalgia for the nostalgia of previous eras. Like Nick-at-Nite showing reruns of "Happy Days." Let's all look back on a TV show from the 70s that looked back on life in the 50s. I'm reminded of a Dan Clowes cartoon from the early 90s in which he predicts that this very phenominon will come to pass. Two men are shown: One is dressed like Fonzie, the other like Brian Setzer (from the Stray Cats). The Fonzie guy says: "I'm not into the 50s per se. I'm really into the 50s revivial of the 70s." To which the Brian Setzer guys says: "Bah! I'm more into an 80s 50s!"

I agree. I'm just looking forward to some new Martino! The problem is that these "tribute" albums sell based on the name recognition of the artist to whom tribute is paid, rather than the artist actually making the music. I'm sure there were people who would never buy a John Scofield album who picked up his recent Ray Charles tribute. Although *I'd* never buy an album for that reason, I can see why that "name-brand" recognition tends to work.

I've picked up three recent (?) Dave Douglas recordings that I'd like to recommend. The first may not actually be terribly recent, but I just found out about it. It's a live recording from Amsterdam which appears to be the first in a series of budget priced releases available only through Douglas's own label (Greenleaf Music). It's a two CD set priced at $14.99 for both CDs (even less if you download it). The recording features Rick Margitza, Uri Caine (on Fender Rhodes), James Genus and Clarence Penn. Very much of a piece with "The Infinite" and "Strange Liberation" (sort of in a late-'60s Miles mode). Very good. Also available only through Greenleaf on the web is "Keystone," which is made up of music composed to accompany certain films of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (who has become something of a cause celebre for Douglas). Haven't listened to this one all the way through, but what I've heard is fantastic. The CD comes with a bonus DVD which features the 1919 film "Fatty and Mable Adrift" set to Douglas's music. It's quite cool watching this 86 year old film accompanied by Douglas's rock-fusion music! Douglas also has ANOTHER disc out in stores called "Mountain Music." This is a bit more unusual than the other two, and it features a rather unique line up (including cellist Peggy Lee). Quite interesting music, although it might take a few listens to really get into it. Anyway, I just wanted to make people aware of some good music that rather off the beaten path. Anyone have any of these? Any thoughts on them?

Definitely looking forward to both the Hill AND that Martino release!

"Caution (Do Not Step on Tracks)" (6/68), "He Was A Friend of Mine" > "China Cat Sunflower" > "New Potato Caboose" (all 6/8/69), "China Cat Sunflower" > "I Know You Rider" > "High Time" (all from 2/7/70).

I got mine a couple of weeks ago. I opted for the package where you get the Filmore set, the "Dead Ahead" DVD and Dick's Picks 36. All are wonderful, and the bonus discs are great too. For me, the Filmore set is a revelation. "Live Dead," great as it is, only hints at the full range of the band during this incarnation. This set delivers. I wish I had been able to order the full 10-CD set when it was available! Hopefully, some will become available (used) in the future. That way, someone else's loss will be my gain. The Dick's Picks set is a real treat. It's a four CD set from September of '72. The show itself is four and a half to five hours (the box includes three songs from another '72 show) and they do EVERYTHING. They do "China Cat Sunflower." They do "Dark Star." They do "Cumberland Blues." They do "Truckin'." They do "Bird Song." And "Sugar Magnolia." Pretty much everything a Dead fan could have hoped to hear on a September night in '72! Amazing stuff! Has anyone else picked this up yet?

"What are you complaining about? I get my hair cut there all the time!"

I have a male barber, who is a friend of my wife's sister, so I kind feel obligated to continue going to him. He doesn't do a bad job by any stretch of the imaginiation (my wife really likes the way he does my hair), but I could do without the "So how's old so-and-so..." conversation. Just shut up and cut my hair, dammit! When we lived in Rochester, I had the World's Greatest Barber. Joey was an absolute master. I started going to him quite by chance (I had no car at the time, and he was closest to the University where I was attending Grad School), but he turned out to be an absolute GENIUS. First of all, he ALWAYS washed your hair for free. I loved it! He also spent about a half and hour to forty-five minutes cutting your hair...and he was the only person who worked in the shop! The line was around the block some days, but this guy was THAT good that I would sometimes go to his shop and spend two or even three HOURS waiting to get my hair cut (Joey was very cool if you needed to run out for a while...he'd hold your spot forever). You had a bring a good book when you went to Joey's! After he finished the cut (which was always absolutely perfect. He always asked you how many inches you wanted off the top, off the sides, etc), Joey would add the crowning touch...A SHAVE WITH WARM LATHER AND A STRAIGHT RAZOR. All this (the shampoo, the hair cut AND the shave) was around NINE DOLLARS. It was HEAVEN. Shortly before I moved, Joey got sick and had to sell the shop. I was heartbroken! I'll never have a barber like Joey again!

But I'm not opposed to his crossing over, per se. Jazz is only one of my musical interests -- I own more rock and pop albums than jazz albums (a function of getting into jazz later, but still). I think Headhunters, Thrust and Man Child are all very good albums. I even like Secrets. I think Future Shock is very good, too. I think his "New Standards" album was very well done. But to pull a Carlos Santana as he did... I'm sorry, this wasn't done "because he likes it," it was a very calculated move designed to sell CDs. More energy appears to have gone into the packaging and marketing of this thing than there was creative energy expended in making it, and that's just sad. ← C'mon, guys. We all spend a ton of money on the stuff, but we all know that very few people will ever get *rich* off of jazz. Herbie's one of the lucky few who makes a very good living off of it, but even he has to hock stereo equipment on late-night TV. As much as Herbie has "crossed-over" in to pop and funk in the past, very few of those albums could be called "commercial." "Possibilities," on the other hand, is VERY commerical. But who will begrudge the man a living? He just wants to get paid for making music...

I've seen most of his films. I love "Mystery Train," "Night On Earth," "Down By Law" and "Stranger Than Paradise" best. The only ones I haven't seen are "Dead Man" (no real reason...just never got around to it) and his current film "Broken Flowers" (which I very much want to see). I always enjoy Jarmusch's films. "Coffee and Cigarettes" had some very funny bits. My favorite bits included Tom Waits and Iggy Pop, The White Stripes (with Jack's Tesla Coil), Alfred Molina, and Cait Blanchette (playing herself and a deadbeat relative).

A friend of mine once had a funny encounter: She was walking through a train station (possibly Grand Central or Penn Station in NYC) when she saw an older African-American man walking towards her. At the same time, a small child walking with her mother pointed to the man and cried out, "Look mommy, it's Lou Rawls!" To my friend's surprise, the man really turned out to be Lou Rawls! He turned to the little girl and said, "That's right, little lady. Who are you?"

Right now I'm listening to the second side of the first LP in the "One Night With Blue Note Preserved" box set. Wonderful stuff!!!

And if you drink too much you will be hanged over the next morning...

As resident English teacher, I feel obligated to point out that pictures are *hung*. People are *hanged*.

I'm somewhat reminded of a scene in the novel "High Fidelity" in which Rob (the main character) is approached by a bitter ex-wife selling her husband's 45 collection. The guy has an amazing selection of discs, including original Elvis Presley Sun 45s, worth hundreds of thousands. She offers to sell the whole thing for fifty pounds. Rob, torn between wanting these records and wanting to do right by a fellow collector, turns the woman down. The point, I guess, is that if he's REALLY trying to do something shitty and bitter, he shouldn't try to sell her burns for $500 (which no one will ever pay) but chuck them in the trash.

Yep. Hated that film. Didn't walk out on it, though. I don't think I've ever walked out of a movie (unless there was a technical problem that prevented me from watching the movie, like when the sound kept cutting out of "G.I. Jane"). My wife walked out of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," but I liked it so I stayed (my wife actually accused me of dragging her to the movie under false pretenses, since I had read the book and knew exactly what it was about).

Altman's film is absolutely brilliant. One of the best things he's EVER done. I don't understand people who don't like "M*A*S*H." When I was a kid, and all I KNEW was the TV series, I was a bit put off when I saw the movie for the first time. I remember watching Donald Sutherland and Eliot Gould and thinking, "That's Hawkeye?! That's Trapper?" I had a similar reaction the first time I saw the film version of "The Odd Couple" having grown up on the series. Now that I "get it," I understand that in both cases the TV shows missed the point of the films entirely. "M*A*S*H" is NOT about funny doctors. It's about the insanity of war and the absurdity of military life (quite similar to "Catch-22" in this regard). It's not a comedy. It's a black comedy. It's gallows humor. The TV show, with its laugh track, drains all of the vitality out of that scenario. Similarly, "The Odd Couple" is NOT about a neat guy living with a messy guy. It's about men of the silent generation learning to cope with the world of the sexual revolution. These men were raised with an expectation of marriage that was suddenly no longer true, and found themselves unable to take care of themselves (they had been raised on the expectation that they would never take care of themselves, but that their wives would fulfill that fuction). In their brief co-habitation (people often forget that Felix moves out at the end of the play/film) Oscar and Felix come to recognize the shortcomings in themselves that caused their marriages to self-destruct. By becoming one another's "wives" they see how they were poor husbands and see the necessity of becoming complete human beings in their own right. Both "M*A*S*H" and "The Odd Couple" were insightful comments on their times that became bland sit-coms.