cih

Another mystery - just what was it that non-playing 'sociable guy' Harris used to do with the piano to "entertain his guests throughout the years, such as famous jazz musician Nancy Wilson"? the provenance of the piano might be straightforward to check, as a lot of these itinerant hobo musicians up from the deep south used to scratch their names into stuff - trees, tables etc - and there are pianos out there with Ellington's name on...

Such people wrote things such as songs at such times, in such cities.

I can't believe how recent it all looks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6v-hz3ER0c

"Leonid Ksanfomaliti.. analyzed photographs taken by a Russian landing probe... Ksanfomaliti says the Russian photographs depict objects resembling a “disk,” a “black flap” and a “scorpion.” a pretty thorough analysis

it looks like the young Charles was exerting a major influence on the look of the '20s from a very young age: "About 1911 I had the idea of making for my son, who had just been born, a blanket composed of bits of fabric like those I had seen in the houses of Russian peasants. When it was finished, the arrangement of the pieces of material seemed to me to evoke cubist conceptions and we then tried to apply the same process to other objects and paintings." Sonia Delaunay I love Sonia Delaunay, particularly her patterns for fabrics - the preparatory paintings make great graphic abstracts.

I like this one a lot - I love the sound of that plinkety spinet, and the percussion - and it says somewhere (I think - in the sleeve notes?) that Dr John used to play his band these recordings to indicate the sound he wanted Booker's habit of name-checking artists before he played their compositions pointed me in one or two very far-reaching directions. In fact, it was from the Junco Partner album that I got to Leadbelly and then pre-war blues (and music) in general... if it all goes to downloads, and we don't have sleeve notes, we're going to have to rely on artists calling all their sources as they go along

on the other hand, as I understand it, gratuitous or incongruous links to your website count as a negative www.britishgas.co.uk

Seems like more than a little bit of a stretch, logic-wise, Jim. Take it up with the guy who presented the request, and the guy who approved it as board policy. But yeah, it makes sense to me - fewer clickthroughs = less recorded traffic = less provable "viewership" = less an advertising rate that can be charged. It's not really "logic" as much as it is simply how shit works. plus, the links to a site improves its search engine status

let's hear it for les debutantes du Greggs

That's the Krankies... cos they're krazy

When I was a kid I remember there was often a strange aura of melancholy about childrens tv shows, music etc... can't think of much specifically (except even the incidental music on popular things like 'Mr Ben' were very affecting and atmospheric) - the story book 'Goonight Moon' is very surreal - I'm sure they put more faith in children's imagination and ability to respond to all sorts of moods than they do now, though top quality kids tv and books are still some of the best and most beautiful stuff being produced out there.

This is one visual aid I would have benefitted from at school... Cedell Davis in classroom

He and Monk were really my route out of the pre-war era in jazz (which might sound odd for someone in 2011) and into modernism

I suspect I've been listening mostly to the Hawkins of a different era - I recognise what you guys are saying completely... but things from late thirties - 'Dinah'(1939), even up to something like 'Lover Come Back to me' from 1943 sound very swinging (the last one has some hints of the more difficult timing). But then from the same session as the latter there's 'Sweet Lorraine' which sounds very different already (more modern). I still think that the Coleman Hawkins of this era at least must be very easy to like. This quote from John Chilton kind of sums up what I hear: "There was something about Hawkins' playing and his stage presence that transcended the barriers that exist between an esoteric jazz artist and lay listeners. He made no effort to adjust his style and played undiluted jazz, yet he did so with such skill and fervour that he won over almost every audience". - (however that did relate to a mid thirties tour of Britain...)

thanks for mentioning the Don - my original musical hero. two more Jamaicans - Rico Rodriguez & Vin Gordon also I love the deep blues trombone of Ike Rodgers that's exactly how I feel about it! - & it's sort of contemplative, almost like the sound of someone thinking

Monk totally - that footage of him doing Blue Monk with Basie watching is among my favourite film clips of anything anywhere - And Howlin Wolf doing Smokestack Lightnin. These films enhanced my listening whilst watching and afterwards. An example where the reverse occurs - on Youtube there's some fabulous footage of Josephine Baker dancing from 1927 - a plantation type scene - where I have to ignore the totally inappropriate music that's been put on it!

I don't watch music things on tv much - don't have any DVDs either and it would never occur to me to buy one, I'd much rather have a record or a cd. However, I do like Youtube very much - the visuals do help in a pretty substantial way for me I think. Seeing some of my musical heroes for the first time and having them readily at hand to watch is great. Sometimes I come away with a greater appreciation for them too, seeing the way they hold themselves and present their music - an example - the blues pianist Otis Spann.

seriously though - is there a way of not enjoying that video, even for the layman? Also, he is swinging on that isn't he? if not then I need to get a better definition of swing (I mean this sincerely btw) he sounds sort of 'sticky' but still propels it along (to my ears) edit - ok forget 'on the Sunny Side of the Street' (above) I must have been listening to the wrong record - I think it was Dorothy Fields on her penny whistle edit edit - the layman doesn't like it - or claims not to

Congratulations. I like this kind of light & composition a lot:

well, really for me anyway... probably my own listening is sufficiently superficial to not notice why I shouldn't have got him! I wish I could really describe what he sounds like to me - kind of heavy but hanging, and like thick oil or something. and yeah - now listening, right about the non-swinging time - except sometimes - 'On The Sunny Side Of the Street' actually, that'll be it I expect - most of my listening is pre-war blues & stuff

even though he's SO great - I reckon he's also one of the most accessible jazz players for the uninitiated - I mean, if I had to recommend something to someone interested in exploring jazz for the first time I might show them that movie. If they didn't like Coleman Hawkins, It'd be a hard sell. swinging, edgy, sexy, cool... I can remember the first time I really noticed him, on 'Monk's Music' - coming in after the drum solo on one of the early tunes - like somebody starting to speak in short utterances that then build together - it blew me away ..I guess he was the one where it really clicked and I got what was so important about an individual's tone and voice.

Don Drummond

Ironic that in the name of decency Arsenal should become 'Anal'.