Soul Stream

let me just say that this initiative was undertaken by a single person....Mayor Gus Garcia...he wants a smoke free Austin to be his legacy (oh, VFWs, Bingo Halls and Pool Halls are exempt. they don't care about those people's health I guess.). That said, if this were a time of an economic boom, I wouldn't be so inclined to care. However, now's not the time to experiment imho. A smoke free world would be wonderful. It would also be nice to play music in concert settings instead of smokey clubs full of drunk people. However, until something changes, Budweiser and Marlboro make it possible for me to play music and get paid (meagerly). Banning drinking in public places would save more lives than any smoking ban will, but I don't think that will happen.

Increased patronage in a smoke-free nightclub is something i'd love to have (proponents always show staticstical evidence for this). however, realistically I think we'll see a major drop. I guess I'll find out in September when the ban goes into effect. Historically, vices have always fostered a good environment for music...booze, smoke, even drugs and (dare I say prostitues in other times). Without these things we may never have heard the many of the musicians we love so dearly now. Would Bird, Diz, Bud, Monk and others have developed without the "nightlife" people who patronized the bars they played? Before Carnegie Hall comes a lot of smokey clubs.

Last night our Mayor Gus Garcia, in one last blaze of glory before he leaves office in a couple of weeks, pushed through a surprise "no smoking" ban in the clubs and restaurants of Austin, Texas. As a musician in a town that has seen landmark clubs close left and right due to a bad economy and unsupportive city council the last 2 years....this is about the last straw. Mind you, I'm a non-smoker and would love to play in smoke-free environments. However, I have to make a living. Smokers hang at clubs where live music is. Non-smokers hang at Starbucks and listen to CDs. These are huge generalizations, but when push comes to shove I think they are basically true at the core. Guess I better start looking for a job at Starbucks....latte' anyone?

hey, that's a real shame. chaulk another one up to capitalism. and another one down for arts, artists, jazz and general creativity. every club wants a "hot" group so they can sell a lot of drinks and pack the house. few clubowners want to nourish talent. Small's, and to a lesser degree Smoke, are two that did (do).

I doubt "Understanding" could be topped when it comes to groove and freaked-out sax skating over it all. Patton and Hugh Walker make that shit swing (and that's HARD to do without a guitar player along for the ride,--- Patton did it better than anyone IMHO.) This record sets the bar for this kind of thing. 30 years ahead of it's time...groove and avant meet. That Certain Feeling is a whole different ball of wax. More open-ended. Beautiful... Boogaloo is a gem. His playing is downright some of his best on record. And George Brown may have been Patton's perfect drummer.

GREAT POST LON!!!!!!! Man, I love it when people are passionate about certain albums! This certainly hit the nail on the head for Lon and Jsngry, as well as many others. This is a good example of why Album of the Week is so great. It's been responsible for me opening up to albums I wouldn't have otherwise. Armstrong plays W.C. Handy is on my "to buy" list now, with a big star buy it. Although I probably won't be able to get it in time for this week, I will post when I can comment on it. Great job everyone (especially Lon). Album of the Week is one of the best aspects of this board, and one that (to my knowledge) hasn't been "successfully" attempted anywhere else. Not even the old BNBB. I really look forward to it each week, even if I don't have the album or time to thoroughly participate.

Turning Point is some bad stuff, as you would expect. But in typical Lonnie-esque style....it's got some twists and the team of Lee Morgan and Maupin is an inspired choice and are nice to hear on an organ date!

got mine today... Basra was a TOCJ, but... Look Out by Stan T. was the old U.S. 80's print and Night of the Cookers was the old U.S. print as well... musics nice on all, but I wish they all had been TOCJs.

i lost track of aretha after "pink cadillac" -_-

I almost consider Donny Hathaway beyond the catagory of "Soul" singer. His concept was beyond soul the way that Marley's was beyond reggae.

i ordered mine saturday... basra, cookers1&2, and something i can't remember(!).... anyway, look forward to getting them all. thanks for the tip on these!

THE BIRDS!!!! They used to show that on t.v. on rare occassions growing up...it used to scare the hell out of me!

great job mike. it's always amazing to see somebody make something happen because of their own enthusiasm for the subject.

i think these "favorite" polls are a bit tongue in cheek. at least that's the way i take them. saying anyone is your favorite anything is tough....much less something a wide and varied as soul singers. and if it really came to push and shove...the Pilgrim Travelers are really my favorite "soul" singers.

O.V Wright or James Carr, it's a toss up to me. With an honorable mention to William Bell.

The show stopper was no doubt "Cherokee." Did the band lay out and let Lou go off? If so, it was probably was.... He kills that. To hear Lou play "Cherokee" by himself is as close to Charlie Parker as I'll ever come. Amazing. I LOVE LOU!!!!!

...hey...can't WE come? have fun!

i picked 1...nobody ever picks the obvious.

Groove Homes-"Comin' On Home" Bobby Humphries-"Satin Doll" Jack McDuff-"Moon Rappin'" Blue Note comp. BLUEBREAK BEATS VOL 1 John Patton "Blue John" George Braith "Two Souls in One" George Braith "Boptronics" on excellence records it's summer and I'm really groovin' on some of the old Rare Grooves. To me, summertime is time to lighten up, musically too, (hey, even bobby humphries is doing for me and that's mizell! )

i bet that was a real tough one to do, no matter what the mood. i mean, where do you even start! i'd love to see the whole interview unedited someday(was that from a t.v. show?). that's the trouble with documentaries, they give you a little clip to tease you and then leave you wondering what the rest was like.

for some reason, i especially like his work on the fender rhodes. his later stuff is my favorite thus far. which is the opposite of the norm for me.

forgive me, but i was so used to seeing the bnbb signature as "chris albertson," i never made the connection that "christiern" WAS c.a. even with the bessie avatar, i was clueless. somehow, i had heard early on c.a. had landed at another board. nice to see you here chris, even if i didn't clue into the fact that you've been around quite a while. congratualtions on the book revision. i'll be getting it as i've held off reading the original since i knew you were redoing it somewhat. p.s.-saw your video interview again as i watched the mingus doc. "beneath the underdog" the other night. mingus always looks intimidating in that segment to me.

i'd also like to see individual's "signs" posted...i'm a leo, baby.

I've become more and more of a Duke Pearson fan as of late. Got a 45 of "sweet honey bee" backed with "ready rudy." both are great. also, picked up "and i don't care who knows it" and love it too. the mosaic is just perfect timing for me. however, he seems almost lost in the bn crowd so to speak. can anybody add their thoughts about duke pearson?

i will joe g., shouldn't have really piped up yet about it haven't not gotten through it. don't give up on me yet.