DukeCity

Bubba Smith Fran Tarkenton Mean Joe Green

... and a lovely personality it is, I'm sure. PM'ed you for both items.

Only 40 (or 43 depending on the source) years old, and found expired in his bed. Not many details, but CNN story here. He was in Resevoir Dogs and some other films. I always enjoyed his performances. RIP.

Thanks for the comments on Cannonball "Live", Sangrey. I don't know that side, but I'm gonna start lookin'. I know what you mean, Larry. I remember the first time I heard: Within a whole album of rather saccharine settings, I marveled at a couple of things: 1. The incredible beauty of Cannonball's sound on "I Cover the Waterfront" and 2. The ridiculous contrast in the arrangement of "Surrey with the Fringe on Top". The two-beat strings playing the bouncy 'swing' over the woodblock horse hooves, and then Cannonball comes in with his truly swinging break, and it totally kills! I don't think I've ever made it all the way through the record in one sitting (diabetic coma looms after a couple of cuts), but I've played that "Surrey" break over and over, just shaking my head and practically giggling with delight. Not to mention that cover shot of Cannonball leering at his Super 20!

Also a member of the Saturday Night Live Band for many years.

Felix Unger Oscar Madison Murray the Cop

Just saw this on Yahoo news: Music Sales Resumed Decline in 2005 By LAURENCE FROST, AP Business Writer Sun Jan 22, 6:44 PM ET CANNES, France - Recorded music sales resumed their decline in 2005, the industry's leading global body said Sunday, despite high-profile victories against piracy and a surge in online and mobile music store revenues. Global music retail revenues fell about 2 percent last year, said John Kennedy, chairman and CEO of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. In 2004 they remained flat at $33.6 billion, punctuating a four-year slide. The new downturn, based on data from three-quarters of the global market, underlined major challenges facing record companies as executives assembled for the music industry's largest European gathering, Midem, which is taking place this week in the French Riviera town of Cannes. The drop in overall sales came despite a threefold increase in digital music revenue to $1.1 billion from $380 million, while illegal file-sharing volumes changed little, according to a separate IFPI market report published Thursday. The federation sees total sales broadly unchanged in 2006. Record bosses are now having to look beyond piracy to explain the latest decline in revenues, which have fallen about 20 percent globally since 1999. "Piracy in all its forms has been the major factor in this reversal but not the only factor," said Eric Nicoli, chairman of EMI Group PLC, the world's No. 3 record company. Speaking at the MidemNet music technology forum, which preceded the main event, Nicoli also cited tougher competition from other categories of consumer goods. "Twenty years ago there were no mobile phones, no DVDs, no computer games to speak of," he said. "In categories that did exist, like magazines, cosmetics and designer clothes, we've seen a massive explosion of choice and accessibility to consumers. So no surprise, then, that music sales have come under pressure." EMI and other record companies are also pressing Apple Computer Inc. to allow more pricing flexibility on its iTunes Music Store, which charges the same rate for any song downloaded — 99 cents for U.S. customers. They have argued — so far without success — that they should be able to charge more for the most sought-after hits. Apple's iTunes accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. and British online music sales and has significant shares of its 19 other markets. Its popularity is widely credited with halting the growth of piracy, but record companies complain that this has come at the price of a loss of control over their own pricing and marketing. "One of the biggest mistakes we've made is to hand a monopoly to the retailer," said Alison Wenham, chairman and chief executive of the Association of Independent Music, which represents 800 indie labels. Some analysts see other reasons for the industry's current woes. "Executives have focused so much of their attention on piracy that they've diverted their efforts from developing new talent," said Phil Leigh of Inside Digital Media, a U.S. market research firm. Entertainment companies won a series of major court rulings against music piracy in 2005, including a June U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing them sue the file-sharing site Grokster for encouraging copyright infringement. Grokster paid $50 million to settle out of court and closed down the site pending a planned switch to licensed sales. But anti-piracy laws and their enforcement remain patchy in some parts of the world. Record companies, copyright holders' groups and artists are planning protests during Midem against a French move last month to legalize online file sharing. In a rebellion by lawmakers from the conservative ruling party, the French parliament approved amendments introducing a so-called "global license" — allowing Internet subscribers who pay an extra monthly fee to copy as much music as they like online. The government is seeking the amendments' withdrawal and is expected to announce compromise proposals in coming days. Despite the music industry's gloomy sales and outlook, almost 9,500 participants from 92 countries are registered to take part in Midem, which runs through Thursday. That's a 7 percent increase from 2005.

I just picked up this book the other day. So far, about 1/3 the way through, it is making a lot of sense, and giving some great approaches to keep from being overwhelmed by all the day to day stuff that collects on our plates.

I don't know about the origin of the terms "verse" and "refrain" for popular songs, but I've often thought that in many instances the verse acts almost like recitative in opera, coming before the aria. The verses tend to be rather wordy, not very interesting harmonically, but serve to simply set the mood for the refrain. There are certainly some verses that are quite beautiful (Stardust, Lush Life), and that's why they get performed more often. So I guess those exceptions prove the rule. As for Emily, I haven't seen any evidence of a pre-refrain verse. A quick google search (are you listening, G.W.?) showed a Barbra Streisand record called "The Movie Album", and the notes mention that she asked Johnny Mandel to "write another verse" for her, which I assume means another stanza of lyrics for the refrain. Even though I think Johnny Mercer wrote the original lyric.

Shelley Long Edith Head Alan K. Ball

Michael Brecker David Sanborn Don Grolnick

Yeah, it's 'cause I'm an "old guy". Home taping means you can make your own copies for your own use - like a cassette to play in your car. Time to grow up. See, to me there's a big difference between buring a copy of a friend's CD and illegally uploading that same CD to the internet via a file sharing service. We're talking about friends sharing the music they enjoy with one another (Remember sharing? It was an important concept back in Kindergarten), not sharing it with the entire world. Illegal downloading is bad because it is illegally *distributing* someone else's music (accross state lines and all that). What I'm talking about is *one* guy making *one* copy for himself. To play in the car, so to speak. How about this one: A good friend of mine is a music theory professor. He makes copies of copyrighted music available to his students for use in his class. They can borrow the (burned) CDs from the library and make their own copies. I believe he also makes sound files for them to download. Is this bad too? The copyright thing in a classroom has some very specific differences with copyright laws out in the real world. Even though I'm a teacher, I still haven't figured it all out. But even if I don't follow the letter of the copyright law, I like to think that I follow the spirit of the law. If your friend, the theory professor is putting one burned copy on reserve in the library for the students to have access to, that doesn't seem to be too much of an offense. I would hope that his policy would be to discourage his students from making more copies. Just as if he put his original on reserve, he should tell his students not to make illegal copies. After that, the responsibility is on the students (and I'm sure the students would do the right thing ) Another difference is with regard to sheet music. Most public school band directors I know NEVER distribute original parts to kids. They always make copies for distribution (I believe the copyright laws have specific guidelines for copying for educational purposes). Likewise, if they purchase a piece for thier band and the piece comes with 8 clarinet parts, but thier band has 27 clarinets (clearly a different kind of problem) they make enough copies to give to each kid. Getting back to the original situation of two friends copying music for each other, yes it's illegal. Yes, to some extent it's immoral. But the world of music distribution is in such a profound state of flux that I think ultimately new laws, policies and procedures are going to be enacted to account for the digital/internet kinds of issues we're facing. When we were talking about making a cassette dub of an LP or CD, it was generally understood that the cassette would entail a compromise in sound quality. Usually if someone gave me a cassette, and it turned out to be music that I wanted to listen to, I would seek out an LP/CD original of my own. With digital copies the difference in sound quality between originals and copies is minimal or non-existant, so it's a different matter. Bottom line is the bottom line. People are trying to make a living in the music bidness. If copying means that one less sale is made, then that's a bad thing. Not to mention the karmic debt one my incur...

I do these occasionally, and I look at one third of the puzzle at a time. I'm either looking a column of 3x3's, or I'm looking at a row of 3x3's. That gives me enough info to fill in at least a few 'hasta be' squares. Then I start looking at individual rows and colums to see what's missing, and what might fit where. Sounds confusing enough, no?

Thanks for the input. Think I'll hold off for a while. (haven't heard about the bluetooth 'phones)

Duke, Sorry, that was intended to be "general" not personal. No problem. I just listened to about half of Rosenwinkel "The Next Step". It's good. As I said before, those guys have tons of chops, and some nice ideas. As a writer, I'd be thrilled to have some ideas like that come out. As a saxophonist, I certainly envy Mark Turner's command of the instrument. But I would say it still doesn't get in me the way, say Kenny Garrett and Tain do. Even Chris Potter (with ridiculous chops like Turner's) gets to me (see the live record, "Lift"). So, what am I hearing with those guys? I guess with Garrett/Tain it's somewhat related to a Trane/Elvin kind of energy. With Chris Potter I think that underpinning the more modern, technical stuff is the experience he had playing with Red Rodney, and playing in a more traditional, swinging setting. So I guess maybe I am living in the past. Go figure...

Paul, Paul, Paul... why so cynical? Clearly this young man is just trying to put out some new music, and wants to get the word out to us so that we can be 'ahead of the curve'. I'd like to thank him for giving us the heads up! And Miles? Cellar Door? You're living in the past, man! I mean, 35 years ago was a totally different time: a corrupt Republican administration, our country embroiled in an ill-advised military action half-way around the world, with no end in sight. Has no relevance to what's happening in today's world. Get hip, man. Catch the wave, and the wave is idea 1.

Jesus christ, Rosenwinkel, Turner and Mehldau are but a fraction of the jazz happening right now. Granted, if your radio station isn't playing it, you don't know that, but seriously, you need to make an effort to listen to some more UNDEAD guys. They can make you feel alive too. Doubtful, but you might be surprised. There are plenty of very alive players that really touch me. I was commenting only on that particular Rosen-Turner fraction. Easy does it...

Too true, too true! I heard someone use the description of the Rosenwinkel/Turner, etc. camp as being "heady" music. While I admire thier technique, and to a certain extent, thier thoughtful approach; and while I don't doubt thier sincerity for a moment, I find that the music that results very rarely grabs me in the gut/heart in the way that a lot of the old dead guys do.

Seargent Schultz Seargent Shriver Seargent Carter

Louis Armstrong Neil Armstrong Armand Hammer

I think it's just a trick of the sunlight, but it kinda looks like Ronnie Cuber's head has been pasted in from another photo. Odd-looking (the photo, not Ronnie).

Cosmo Kramer Elaine Benes George Costanza

Lorne Greene Pernell Roberts Dan Blocker

Wait...Dexter Gordon? I thought this thread was about Ruth Gordon! I dig Dexter, but Ruthy couldn't swing for shit!

Mr. Knight Mr. Day Mr. Syms Elvin Jones McCoy Tyner Jimmy Garrison