MomsMobley

http://www.archeophone.com/product_info.php?products_id=104 Moms knows best. And yeah, it was real tough to choose between this and, say, "Bitches Fucking Brew" in mono etc ad nauseum. Biggest collective goddamn LIE-- either by commission or ignorance-- in American musical history is about "jazz" and "blues" primacy etc. Allen "78 & 1/2 Won't Do" Lowe has been among the few to INSIST on contemporaneity and continuum but how many others have faked it, over and over and over again? Granted, access was long lost or-- often-- denied to recordings of 1890s-1910s but even the slightest thought should have revealed the duplicities. Nonsense blather about Robert Johnson as anything special ** except ** a superb musician/performer being best known example but there are many many others-- Most interesting, perhaps, are the Wilbur Sweatman acolytes (I am one) versus the ODJB buffs (I'm one too), both of whom are largely ignored or discredited by, say, the Giddinsite dipshits-at-large. Pha Terrell greater than Sharon Jones funkytown criers can ever imagine also but that's discussion for another time. p/s: Marc Blitzstein + Paul Robeson >>>>>> pretty much everything http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBqPFb9YorI

A few points: * "fire music"? I don't care if Shepp had the title, sounds like white boy romantic bullshit, a FALSE distinction, oooh, they so "free" and so fucking "spiritual" being a record collector ass crack excuse for actually knowing VERY little about American history, recorded and otherwise. Read Frederick Douglass' 4th of July speech and come back to me about... "fire music," hardee har har. (Euripides "The Trojan Women" and Wagner "Gotterdamerung" might also suffice.) * what "free" clowns disrespect Charlie Haden? * at his worst, he got old and dull and if I wasn't typing this from a truck stop in Emporia, Kansas I'd love to build a pyre of nothing but goddamn Jarrett/Haden duo cds and if anyone wants to throw Charlie's later Verve sides on the fire, I wouldn't stop 'em. * Hampton Hawes + Charlie Haden >>>>> all "fire music" pn + bs combined, real + imagined. * Verdict: Charlie is more than alright but so is Buell Niedlinger; I wonder what "fire music" knuckleheads have to say about him? ep1: I'm bemused but always impressed with your taxonomic rigor on these things thus surprised you'd bandy about romantic, obfuscating, limited and limiting claptrap like "fire music" around. You want "fire music"? HERE is some goddamn FIRE MUSIC-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLJOWQMWSFE

CHARLES BROWN was a giant for whom I have nearly boundless admiration-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQddiBz0Px8 Chuck Brown is a well-meaning journeyman, fine, with mediocre bands; dig it or shrug. Just noticed this Bobby Bland (>>>> any possible Chuck Brown, even heard between the meatiest of Petersburg, VA thighs) is from Chicago Soundstage-- My link Any chance Chuck or Larry were there?

guess again, crazy legs-- i'm the one playing bayan (russian accordion) just offstage-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9EqQ7LOAq0 otherwise, the party blues cliches Chuck Brown plays over and over and over again were weary before he was born but if the beefy thighs within a 100 mile radius of WDC get to quaking anyway, fine... Gatemouth Brown was fine too, Johnny Guitar Watson finer... and Prince on the worst night of his life never had a band as pedestrian as the majority of Chuck's 'functional' grooving. American culture is supposed to feel 'guilty' about that or-- hardee har har-- pretend its a race/class/regional conspiracy? Fuck that. Let's sabre dance! My link Shrug away, it might even become your dance, if it hasn't already.

Dude-- did ** I ** write this? The answer is NO. And the music's "potential" has been actualized; there are reasons to celebrate it if its your bag, and reasons to shrug if it ain't. There are, also, those of who are tired from working all goddamn day and night-- you might be among them, I know-- and would rather read a book or eff some single mom (they try harder) from the customer service department than "dance". Ain't wrong if you wanna shake it and it ain't wrong if you don't. Look, Moms, I'm dancing in my head!

D.C. cracks me up-- you all spend half your lives in hideous traffic making nice to venal apparatchiks and are therefore rather tense, I understand, but FACTS ARE FACTS: virtually ** nobody ** gives a shit and the failure of go-go has NOTHING do with 'danger' or any "racial" or racialized perception besides its own general lack of interesting content-- people can, and do, dance to lots of other stuff; i appreciate the proponents of dance but they DO protest too much-- they should include dance as part of theater if they're going that way, though the french often took things too far in 18th-19th c. opera. so why are you guys not crying about zydeco's lack of a national audience, or bluegrass, or old-timey, or cowboy songs? what about minstrel music and vaudeville, both of which are greater traditions than all of go-go ever combined? oh wait, save minstrel shows, they all DO have national audiences, albeit (often very) small ones, with less than a few handfuls of its practitoners able to make a full-time living (which is why bluegrass trends to mainstream contemporary country: it's a matter of survival). "go go" shuck was jive from the start, a useless "distinction" of a certain strain of late '60s, early '70s funk/blues the promotion of which, in willful ignorance at least a dozen other past and present black Chesapeake cultural traditions (from Frederick Douglass forward), couldn't have ended well-- and it didn't. do you believe otherwise? if it's a sustainable regional or local culture, GREAT, but there's no reason anybody else should care, let alone feel guilty for ignoring it or moving on to lots of other things. Side Q: why do many black folks like "smooth jazz"? because it's not "dangerous"? Moms Stag Director VFW Post 3285 Frederick, Maryland p/s-- I know Petersburg very well, Hoppy. Funny to see Civil War tourists looking for the Crater and wondering how they wandered into the land Reconstruction and its AWFUL (really) counerrevolution forgot. Petersburg, Va.

Chuck Brown is cool, Go-Go is crap... Or, let me clarify, the whole 'go-go' schtick was jive from the start, a useless 'distinction' for mess of musics that were failing nearly everywhere save oldies shows and the chitlin' circuit. The perception that shit is boring (sometimes it is) or 'corny' is by far most important; hardly anyone anywhere thinks of 'go-go' enough for any other perceptions to register. Also, a little guy named Prince had A LOT to do people not giving a shit. The Walk And oh yeah, Michael too. Just ask Carlos Ward (pre-Cecil)-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eqRHdaARCw&feature=related Also, who says a blues band can't play country? today i started licking you again

Tony's good stuff is pretty good; his bad stuff, however, is fucking horrible. And we can argue well, it's not his fault but... I dare everyone here watch "Lepke" (maybe thee worst mafia exploitation movie ever) and tell me Tony redeems it in the least. I don't blame him as much for "City Across The River" (from Irving Shulman's "Amboy Dukes") being total crap because he was young but it is a terrible movie. Some Like It Hot almost makes up for it but still... still. Ace In The Hole & Kiss Me, Stupid are better.

LK, bravo-- that is the correct answer! Best Burl villian this side of "Wind Across The Everglades" and one of the best lesser-known Robert Ryan roles; De Toth too is nearly always interesting, at least. I vacillate on "McCabe & Mrs. Miller," which is only other real contender re: snow, but I once thought it superb (and it may still be tho' "Reds" is probably better, DESPITE fucking Nicholson). I think I knew that about Agee but forgot it; his film work en toto is, I think, a distraction from his real literary merit. Critic JR or someone else? The best "snow Western" IMO is Andre De Toth's "Day of the Outlaw," with Robert Ryan and Burl Ives: http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/harsh-master/Content?oid=894500 P.S. FWIW, the real authors of "The Night of the Hunter" are Davis Grubb (who wrote the novel) and director Charles Laughton. James Agee's script (I say this based on information from the best film critic I know) was virtually non-existent; Agee was too far gone on drink to produce much of anything. What was printed as Agee's script was what Laughton came up with, adhering closely to Grubb's novel.

Correct. And the fact that approximately ZERO (+/- 1) hip-hop producers ** ever ** have developed beyond their initial inspirations tells us something; an exception to that is RZA. Your supposed greatest MC Rakim hasn't done shit worthwhile since what... 1992? Word for word Sean Price is the only dude who holds a mic that come close to that elusive blend of Richard Pryor and Donald Goines Dilla was dead at what, 33? Booker at 23 and the latter did way way way more/further was my only point. Dilla v. Dolphy? Please!! There might be a handful of MCs in the entire game who have any literary significance. And again, comparison of hip-hop dudes to Wadada, Hannibal etc is laughable. There are def. elements of hip-hop which survive, should be incorporated elsewhere but for the most part it's on a par with the jump blues or somesuch, except not much hip-hop can match Wynona Carr's ding dong-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLt7FCRxyY8 (listen thru the awful video.) Someone like DJ Spinna is a real musician but he is so because he works far beyond 'hip-hop' too.

I thought about putting that on but really, nice as it is, El Dorado pales before Rio Bravo. Not sure I agree about "Misfits" >>>>>>>>>> "The Lusty Men" but its arguable if you don't bother with the Nick Ray parts (which one needs not do tho' I think it's worth the effort). Fat City >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> fucking Chinatown all day every day forever; the veneration of which is untenable; Walter Matthau destroys Nicholson in every way possible too, except biker films, which are Nicholson's only lasting contribution. Night of the Hunter is, I repeat, high grade schlock-- it's what Agee did when he wasn't entirely focused and occasionally when he was. now a real contest is Friends of Eddie Coyle versus The Laughing Policeman. That's what Moms are for!

Hip hop is as dead as be-bop and with more good riddance, mostly. J. Dilla is no better than Sonny Stitt; reason for his veneration is ig'nant frame of reference, mostly. He was fine, whatever, but hardly a visionary-- rather than discuss Hannibal Lokumbe (of Bastrop?!), however, it's like oooh, Dilla. If only... He wasn't even Booker Little, and he had a decade more to prove otherwise. Madlib is like, I dunno, a second rate Phil Woods? Idea of a black Zappa is great but stick to Johnny 'Guitar' Watson until the real thing comes along.

On the other hand, Cliff, you had the only decent version of Charley Varrick for a long time... Region coding is utter 'shite' is ya'll say anyway but I empathize. Chinatown btw is a HORRIBLE movie, most overrated of the '70s, perhaps, and of one the most overrated of all time. Friends of Eddie Coyle is peak Mitchum; also The Lusty Men (which gets you weird Nick Ray at the same time) and for weirdness value, Track of the Cat is very good, one of the best SNOW WESTERNS and one of William Wellman's most interesting films; not quite The Ox-Bow Incident but estimable. Most of Mitchum's noir/crime is overrated, I think, inc. Night of the Hunter, which is high grade schlock; read Robert Fitzgerald books instead if you want Time Inc. lit.

(The great) George Lewis too. And please, can we pretend Stanley's 10th rate Albert Murray imitations are only very distantly jazz related? In retrospect Ran Blake is a really bizarre choice, although I have a great deal of admiration for him. I wonder who even knew to nominate him and not, say, Muhal?

Moran is a well exposed mediocrity but it proves a major label deal is still worth... "something." And it's no crime in being a mediocrity but he's had PLENTY of time to demonstrate he has concepts or even mad impulses more and that he's not done, which is a goddamn crime even if he's a "reliable" "pro." Better the dough went to Craig Taborn or, hell, since the Vandermark thing is still a goddamn farce, Taborn's sometimes employer... Tim Berne, who, while not under-documented... would probably do something interesting with the bread. Also, assuming there should be a token jazzbo: Wadada, Rosocoe, Muhal (before they're dead)... I'm not such a fan of William Parker music but as a benign social force you can't criticize dude... ALLEN LOWE (so he can do a big band). I'm out of touch with the younger generation, except at confessional, but I'd rather a young composer get it-- oh, speaking of which, how about Hannibal Lokumbe (more ideas in a month than Moran will have in a career) or Michael Daugherty?

Allen-- note 'Bleeker' typo on flyer. No big deal but you don't wanna distract anyone from larger issues; people like to brag about their spelling (or grammar) when they know little else (never read "Bleak House" either) but... Bleak is the color of my true love's hair, Moms

HECKELPHONE TRIO!

Cage/Joyce 'Roaratorio'

Speaking of vaudeville, we should talk more about Wilbur Sweatman later... Allen, you know you're cited in the Tim Brooks book "Lost Sounds" right? Dunno about the Berresford yet but wanna check it. ALSO-- you ever hear the Syd Nathan record sales convention disc in the King box? Can't check youtube now to see if it's up there.

As high level critic yourself, LK, you might enjoy this recent book by historian Gary Gallagher, at least the film parts-- http://www.amazon.com/Causes-Won-Lost-Forgotten-Hollywood/dp/0807832065 Sections on Civil War art might have more appeal to specialists. Gallagher irks some Lost Cause types because he's also military history expert, and they LIKE those books; Blight knows military history inside out too, of course, but is better known as social history, memory, etc-- http://www.amazon.com/Race-Reunion-Civil-American-Memory/dp/0674008197

Pretty sure correction noted, thank you! I think its important for people to realize the beefs with Burns are NOT just aesthetic/critical, i.e. who likes what more but that he is essentially DISHONEST for no other reason than being a dope or wanting to make a 'feel good' version of whatever his topic. Thus too in "The Civil War" he strongly implies the Union fought the war to end slavery from the start, which is utterly false-- it could have ended early with slavery intact and, also, BY FAR most northerners weren't abolitionists or anything close to it. I found one of the quotes I was looking for btw, from transcript of a lecture by historian David Blight-- it's worse than I remembered! David Blight "Legacies of the Civil War But if one thing in particular happened to the memory of the Civil War, it found it its way eventually into a broad consensus, in the broader national culture--this was never unanimous of course--but in the broader national culture that somehow, in this war, in this Armageddon, in this blood-letting, everybody had been right and nobody had been wrong. You want to reconcile a country that's had a horrifying civil war, how do you do it? Well, you start building thousands upon thousands of monuments. You start having soldier reunions. You've read about the Gettysburg Reunion in this essay of mine; I won't even go into that, the biggest of all the Blue-Grey Reunions, which became the Jim Crow Reunion by 1913. And Ken Burns did not tell you that in his film, and played a very interesting trick on you with that editing button by showing you black and white veterans at the 1913 Reunion shaking hands--an irresistible, beautiful, emotional moment. The trouble is those veterans were shaking hands 25 years later, in 1938, at the New Deal Reunion at Gettysburg. They weren't there in 1913, but in the film that's certainly what it looks like. The power of filmmaking.

Correction noted, thank you! A really good disc though, as are-- I discovered-- Cedille's two African-American composer heritage albums I've heard. The trope of 'jazz is America's classical music' is so ingrained in the quasi-pop consciousness even by the piss poor standards of contemporary Am. classical standards, it seems our finest black composers are given short shrift. That would be Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson.

Ken Burns Is A Fucking Fraud, intellectually, and his decent narrative skills aren't enough to overcome his sentimental sapheadedness. Big Beat Steve, who's the white beardo, Gary Giddins I presume? Yeah, he knows "tons"-- just ask him! Chris, in Burns' Civil War documentary-- the only one I've been able to watch front-to-back without turning off in rage-- he ends it by using a ** 1915 ** (or thereabouts) Blue-Grey reunion photograph with black soldiers in it but implies it's MUCH earlier-- when no such racial reconciliation took place, TO SAY THE LEAST!!! as anyone who knows the slightest thing about Reconstruction can attest.* I tried to watch the early episodes of "Baseball" purely for 'data' (visual or anecdotal) and it was so insipid I had to quit halfway thru disc 1. * I'm doing this from memory; I can dig up the exact details if anyone's curious but it was BLATANT misrepresentation of historical truth. Shelby Foote, btw, has more style & brains than Marsalis & Crouch put together tho' he can be equally full of shit (i.e. his famous line that the Union 'fought with one hand tied behind its back," which led one famous historian to reply, in a lecture, "bullshit, Shelby.")

Harry Partch = Edgard Varese + Stan Freberg >>>> Moondog ... My link (for JSngry) ... but early Moondog is pretty good/weird. Forget the later more formal crap, there are about 1000 contemporary composers of various nationalities and idioms better and more interesting, beginning with "Lumpy Gravy." In a jazz related vein, everyone reading this should know more Coleridge Taylor-Perkinson, esp. this album, which is by no means that 'far out' but is highly accomplished & interesting-- My link Alvin, you asked elsewhere about Henry Grimes and, uh... in my opinion, you wouldn't hire him for a session where you-- 1000% reasonably-- had some idea what you wanted to happen. (Fuck the fake "creative improv" schtick. If you were willing to just let it happen and be glad he's back... People are understandably wary of being 'critical' of HG but you want an answer... there it is.) Re: the minimalist shuck, you have performance clowns but most of the people tagged as such have done much more. Hardcore minimalism and its cult-like adherents isn't worth bothering with when you can have silence or Roger Sessions instead. If you cut Philip Glass' discography down to 1/4th or less its current size, and excise all the horrible "rock" references... he'd be very good, sometimes better. Finally, COMPOSITION >>>>>>>>> "free improvisation" don't kid yourself otherwise. (Mingus never did, even if he lacked self-control to realize all his intentions.)

Unless the drunken mewling of maybe the 150th best white boy "blues" (sic) singer of the era is your "bag," Pigpen's demise was BY FAR the best thing to happen to the Dead. Only "what if" is if he'd ever cleaned up and improved his technique enough to become an aggressive, exploratory keyboard player. Bobby Bland belching up a pop top can of warm Rheingold >>>>> all of McKernan vocal performances combined. If he was useful "catalyst" cum "distraction" to let Jerry grow without having to bear more pressure than he wished... that's fine, but it doesn't mean his time wasn't already used up. WORST THING TO HAPPEN TO THE DEAD (of that era): Tom Constanten leaving, because it opened the door to Donna Jean yowling live. (She was fine in the studio, as her pre-Dead career attests, tho' wearing hip-huggers and having an Alabama chin dimple didn't hurt her career either-- just ask Chips Moman.)