The Mule

I saw Jimmy at Catalina's about three years ago in September and found that show disappointing, but not anywhere near as disturbing as what you describe. The show I attended found Jimmy in one of his "cranky" moods and his playing was terse and somewhat low-energy. He let his sidemen carry most of the load. The crowd, however, didn't seem to care. Catalina's was the most crowded I'd ever seen it that night and they were pretty vocal in their support. Frankly, it felt like the crowd was trying to push Jimmy into giving a more energetic performance. As I had never seen him play before, I was glad I went but came away disappointed. btw, I agree with you about Stanley Turrentine. I passed up an opportunity to see him play at the Hollywood Bowl (a place I do NOT like to see jazz) thinking I'd catch him in a smaller venue next time and he died a few weeks later. I'm still kicking myself. Now that I think about it, I think that Hollywood Bowl gig also had Stan the Man paired with Jimmy...

From what I was told they were digitally erasing an actor, shooting the new actor in front of a green-screen, and stripping the new guy back into the frame. Lord knows how much that cost... Just saw a different trailer for it and it was only slightly better and still pretty oblique when it came to what the movie is. You can see Fox's marketing department struggling with how to position it in the marketplace. First they were calling it "LXG" in a vain attempt to get some of that "X2" magic to rub off on it. Then they were calling it "The League," which is just silly. Now it's some mish-mosh of all of them. My 10 year old son actually laughed when the narrator said, "THE LEAGUE!" Not a good sign...

Don't get your hopes up for the movie, I fear. Word on the street: Total disaster. I know someone who was called in to help with massive last-minute reshoots--including recasting one of the actors--less than eight weeks before release. Seems everyone involved just wants it to be over with and out of their lives. First clue I had that the studio (Fox) wasn't happy with it are the trailers. Have you seen them? All Sean Connery and NO MENTION of what the story is about or who the "league" is. Looked to me like they were hiding the story from the public because test-screenings told them all those Victorian-era fictional characters were a turn-off. Smells like a flop and, worse yet, a BAAAD movie....

Tony, you can catch up with just about everything Fruscella recorded by picking up the very reasonably priced TONY FRUSCELLA: THE COMPLETE WORKS, STUDIO AND LIVE RECORDINGS (4 cds) reissued on The Jazz Factory label (division of the dreaded "disconforme"/Definitive company). Here's the AMG entry: TONY FRUSCELLA: THE COMPLETE WORKS

I remember thinking that Baker was basically lying or, at the very least, being very disingenuous in this 1981 interview. There was no way Baker was "naive" about these things at this point in his life, especially after reading about how deep he'd gotten into the heroin scene by then. According to Russ Freeman, Chet had been an addict for over a year by the time Twardzik died. Indeed, one of the things that becomes very clear in the book is that Baker lived up to the old joke: "How do you know when a junkie is lying? His lips are moving." Baker is shown to consistently lie, spin, obfuscate, and con whenever he felt the need. As far as any of this being proof that he was with Twardzik when he died, well, it's far from that. I think Gavin makes the case that it was possible.

Well, I don't really agree with this assessment of the book. I didn't feel that the entire approach to Chet Baker was filtered through, or a reaction to, the Bruce Weber vision of Baker (frankly, I'm not even sure I really understand the point your making). The passage about Twardzik you mention deals with heroin use more than gigging. Gavin says that they were in a "fraternal ritual of getting high, then playing jazz." Gavin does describe Chaloff as a "rising young saxophonist" but he also says that Twardzik's "career hadn't gone far." In any case, ALL biographical works have to be taken with a grain of salt and while I found DEEP IN A DREAM a singularly depressing book mainly about the horrors of heroin addiction, I also found it one of the better researched and written jazz books that I've read in some time.

Skip Hall plays organ on: "Indiana," My Foolish Heart," and "Summertime." Mal Waldron plays piano on "Groove One," Lowland-ism," "Dibblin' and Dabblin'," "Catwalk," and "Dee Dee." It's a definite Soul Jazz album with conga player Tommy Lopez on most of, if not all, the tracks. Pretty enjoyable record, but nothing essential.

As I recall from the latest Chet bio DEEP IN A DREAM, the author seems to suggest that Chet might have actually been with Twardzik when he overdosed and spent a lot of energy covering it up. It's been a while since I read the book, but I seem to remember several people quoted saying they suspected Chet had something to do with it. Don't have the book here with me to confirm this. Does anybody else remember this?

The Complete SCTV (Second City Television) with John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, and Andrea Martin. STILL the funniest sketch comedy show ever. Well, okay, maybe Monty Python wins by a nose.... (btw, S.W.A.T. a "classic?!")

ALL THAT JAZZ It's about the music, so cool it with the camera work By Don Heckman Special to The Times June 13 2003 Watching a music performance on video in the MTV years has become an annoying experience. Why? Because batteries of mobile cameras combined with a sophisticated array of picture-modifying techniques have provided directors the power to completely control the images. As a result, it is the picture rather than the music that has become primary in most performance presentations. Cameras are in almost constant motion, long shots are quickly replaced by close-ups followed by audience reaction shots followed by overhead boom shots. Rarely does any single image remain for more than a few seconds before it is replaced by another. And one almost never sees a simple frontal shot of performers, holding long enough to present artists on their own terms, without the intrusion of visual gimmickry. Not that any of this is surprising in an era of short attention spans and information overload, when sound bites, information blurbs and factoids have replaced information in depth. That hasn't been good news for the jazz fan, eager to experience a music that demands concentration and thoughtful involvement rather than a nonstop flow of visual angles. That would seem to create a market for DVDs chronicling jazz performances that took place before the arrival of all the new technology. And a slow but growing flow of such recordings is emerging. In addition to the concert programs, documentary-style productions — some of which are plagued by the same sorts of directorial intrusions noted above — are also beginning to arrive. A trio of current releases displays the range of possibilities for jazz in the DVD format — possibilities that in some respects offer more intriguing jazz experiences than are present in many of the items in the current stream of relatively faceless music albums. "The Intimate Duke Ellington" (Image Entertainment) is a superb example of what can be done with a program of first-rate music, presented with unobtrusive camera work and a primary focus on the musicians themselves. Of course, it helps a great deal that the musicians are Duke Ellington and some of his major stars. The program consists of two half-hour, small-group sets broadcast on Danish television in 1967. In the first, Ellington performs with a state-of-the-jazz-art octet consisting of trumpeter Cat Anderson, trombonist Lawrence Brown, saxophonists Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves and Harry Carney, bassist John Lamb and drummer Rufus Jones. (The same group was also present on the album "Intimacy of the Blues," recorded later that year in New York.) The selections are classic as well: a stunning Hodges rendition of "Passion Flower" and an equally emotive Carney version of "Sophisticated Lady" among them. In each case, the visual aspects of the players' performances are fully, intriguingly apparent. In the second set, Ellington is in the spotlight, performing an especially touching solo piano take on Billy Strayhorn's "Lotus Blossom," duet versions of "The Second Portrait of Willie the Lion" and trio readings of "Mood Indigo" and "Take the 'A' Train." Throughout both sets, the camera work is transparent, the product of a directorial approach aimed at clearly visualizing the musicians in their natural milieu. Soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett has been intimately involved with Cuban music for two decades, frequently traveling to the island and immersing herself in its rich cultural gumbo. "Cuban Odyssey: Spirits of Havana" (EMI Music) is a musical documentary of a trip in 2000, filmed by a crew from the National Film Board of Canada. "Cuban Odyssey" follows Bunnett and her partner, trumpeter Larry Cramer, to a recording session, as well as to performances with the Afro-Cuban ensemble Los Munequitos de Matanzas and the remarkable Haitian Creole choir Desandann. In the process, the viewer is treated to a street-side view of Havana and beyond, with insightful glimpses of the manner in which music courses through every level of activity. "The Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration" (Rounder) takes a somewhat different documentary approach. Focusing on a single concert performance, it serves as the audio- visual record of a rare public appearance by the musician members of the Marsalis family: Ellis and his sons Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason. Recorded in August 2001 to celebrate Ellis Marsalis' retirement, the program also includes pianist Harry Connick Jr., bassist Roland Guerin and trombonist Lucien Barbarin. The material ranges from Ellis originals to standards to such New Orleans classics as "Saint James Infirmary" and "Struttin' With Some Barbecue." Beyond the performances, which are generally first-rate, the DVD also provides a series of interviews with the participants. Riffs Wynton Marsalis' long association with Columbia Records has ended with his move to Blue Note Records. Although the June 2 press release announcing the signing is filled with references to "new creative opportunities" and the "thrill of joining the Blue Note family," the real question is what the change represents in terms of Marsalis' future musical plans. Will he use Blue Note's historic jazz environment to further develop his fascination with classic jazz, or will it serve as a springboard into the sort of vanguard efforts that have, in recent years, only been present in his orchestral works? A block of eight front box seats for the Monterey Jazz Festival will be offered for auction on EBay, with bidding starting on Sunday and ending June 25. Proceeds go to the festival's Jazz Education Fund. For more information, call (925) 275-9255.

damn....Kerouac lives!

From www.soulfoodcookbook.com Basic Soul Food Collard Greens Ingredients: 4-6 bunches of collard cleaned and steamed 5 slices of bacon 1 smoked ham hock 1 large chopped onion seasoning salt to taste 1 bunch of green onions (optional) black pepper to taste 7 cups of water Instructions: Lay collard greens on top of each other, (no more then 4 at a time) roll and then cut in half with a knife. Cut even smaller if you have large leaves. Line the bottom of a large stock pot with the bacon. Cook on medium heat until done, obtaining as much bacon grease as possible. Add the water to the stock pot and the grease and bring to a boil. Now add the 1/2 of the chopped onion, ham hock, pepper and salt to taste. Let mixture boil for 10 minutes. Add the collard greens, other half of the onions and more salt and pepper to taste if desired to the stock pot. Rapidly boil for 45 minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer for 4-6 hours. Serve with green onions. Collard, Mustard, Kale or Turnip Greens Ingredients: 1 large bag of collard, kale, mustard or turnip greens, 1 package smoked turkey necks. You can also mix the greens if you like. Instructions: After rinsing turkey necks, add to large pot filled half way with water and let boil for 25-30 minutes. Add soul food seasoning to pot as accent to season the pot (enhance flavor). Pick stems from greens and wash several times in cold water until greens are clean (water is no longer dirty and greens are no longer gritty), cut greens up and place in boiling water. Allow greens to cook for an hour or until nice and tender. Serve with fried chicken and macaroni and cheese and you have good soul food eatin'. Virginia's Quick Greens Ingredients: 1-2 bags of greens (whatever type you prefer) 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 3 hot peppers (chopped) 1/2 cup chopped onion pinch of sugar smoked meat (whatever you prefer for added flavor) chicken soup base (creamy) Instructions: Put washed greens in a pot. Pour vinegar over greens. Add hot peppers, onion, and sugar, allow to set. This opens the greens up so they will accept flavor and be tender. Mix chicken soup base and hot water together; to taste. Pour over greens. There should be enough liquid to at least cover the greens. Boil for 1 hour or until you feel the greens are done (nice and tender). Comments: The key ingredient is the soup base.

FYI - The band is in San Francisco tonight, Chicago and NYC next week. You can find the schedule here: Arthur Lee and Love "Forever Changes" web page

I attended the first American performance of "Forever Changes" with Arthur Lee and Love last night at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles and, overall, it was an incredible show. The tour began in England in January and last night was the beginning of the American leg of the tour. In addition to performing the entirety of Love's classic album "Forever Changes" with a string and horn section (Swedish musicians on tour with them), Lee and Love also did many other songs from the Love catalogue including a blistering "7 And 7 Is" during the encore (with Johnny Echols joining them). Since the late 60s the make-up of "Love" has endlessly shifted with Arthur Lee being the only constant until the 90s when Lee brought in legendary Los Angeles band Baby Lemonade as "Love." Mike Randle played his ass off on lead guitar and Rusty Squeezebox (a friend of mine) did an amazing job on rhythm guitar and vocals--his work on acoustic guitar was especially beautiful. David Green on drums and Dave Chapple on bass drove things along wonderfully. This band is TIGHT. The wild card in all of this, as ever, is Arthur Lee. Things got off to a bit of a rocky start as the mix was burying his vocals--which was just as well for the first three or four songs because Arthur was struggling--these songs are not easy to sing. Arthur's voice warmed up soon enough and the rest of the show was terrific. Especially fine was "The Red Telephone," the lyrics of which seem more relevant now than they were in the 60s--and Lee put his all into it. By the time the full band and orchestra concluded the set with the titanic "You Set The Scene" the crowd was on it's feet and screaming for an encore---which came and was great. As mentioned previously, Johnny Echols came on stage for "7 And 7 Is" and then another former Love guitarist, Jay Donnellan, joined them for a rip-snorting rendition of "Singing Cowboy." Lee also played some pretty awesome harmonica on "Signed D.C." Arthur was in a playful mood and spoke to the very-vocal crowd throughout. At one point Arthur asked the audience, "Yeah, you love me up here, but would you love me out on the street?....I think you might..." The crowd was one of the more eclectic groups I'd seen in a while: old-hippies, new-hippies, record industry types, Paul Stanley from Kiss, Baby Lemonade friends and family, and LOTS of single guys who probably spend way too much time by themselves trolling used record stores. Royce Hall was PACKED. I'd recommend anyone with an interest in Arthur Lee and Love to make an effort to catch this show if the tour comes anywhere near your town.

So very sorry to hear about your situation, Mnytime. I wasn't aware you were getting chemo. Two years ago my father went through three rounds of chemo in one year and I understand what you're going through. The good news is he's in remission and doing extremely well now. Hang in there!

Los Angeles Times: JAZZ REVIEW At 75, Solal is at his peak By Don Heckman Special to The Times May 30 2003 Martial Solal is not a name that will ring a bell for many American jazz fans. His relative unfamiliarity perhaps can be traced to the fact that, at 75, he comes from a generation of international jazz artists whose careers were impacted by a chauvinism directed at musicians who were not American-born. But the French-Algerian pianist long ago established his jazz credibility with gigs with everyone from Sidney Bechet and Django Reinhardt to Don Byas, Lee Konitz and Stan Getz. He has recorded dozens of albums, composed music for Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless" and other films and, in 1999 was awarded Denmark's prestigious Jazzpar Prize. It is no exaggeration to say that Solal is the most artistically significant European jazz artist since Reinhardt. Amazingly, prior to his performance at the Jazz Bakery on Tuesday, his Los Angeles appearances have been virtually nil. Solal says he has performed here only in the recording studio; some veteran fans at the Bakery recalled brief club engagements. Either way it has been far too little, but fortunately, not too late. Working in stunningly symbiotic fashion Tuesday with twin brothers François Moutin on bass and Louis Moutin on drums, Solal offered an illuminating journey of musical discovery. Sticking mostly to standards ("Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," "Body and Soul," "Cherokee," "What Is This Thing Called Love?"), he transformed each into a new experience, deconstructing and reassembling the familiar material with an exhilarating combination of musical wit, imagination, virtuosity and swing. He was matched at every step by François Moutin's extraordinarily empathic bass playing and Louis Moutin's precise, supportive drumming. Music lovers — of whatever genre — should take advantage of this rare opportunity to hear a great artist at the peak of his powers.

The Hollywood Reporter: Martial Solal May 29, 2003 By Tony Gieske The Jazz Bakery, Culver City Through June 1 The great Martial Solal tucked into "Cherokee" fearlessly, and after a few bars it began to look like he was going to take you through everything that could possibly be done to it. And that is pretty much what happened. No sooner had the illustrious visitor from Paris stated the theme than he was off on a tangent, skipping through the harmonic shrubbery like Vladimir Nabokov chasing a butterfly. The first variation quickly turned into a gleaming fanfare, and that morphed into a breathtaking chordal modulation that took you back into the theme. The theme, by the way, never seemed to escape the all-seeing Solal intelligence as he reviewed the accumulated vocabulary of jazz. Now he rolled around in the bass for a few adroitly conceived comments, then across the keyboard with deft staccato stabbings, like a chef deboning a fillet. Somewhere in there came an intricately curved high-speed run as pungent and witty as anything Charlie Parker ever played. Yes, he had you convinced, and as he went on like that, through the great standards like "When Lights Are Low" and "What Is This Thing Called Love," you recalled his early career in Paris. Those were the halcyon days when he backed hard-core expatriate Americans like Lucky Thompson and Don Byas, two tenor saxophonists who could have taught Coltrane a thing or two. Meanwhile, the tempo of "Cherokee" had drifted out past good old four-four into free-form, and you realized what great things the bassist, Francois Moutin, was accomplishing, expounding equally fearlessly and equally skillfully in tandem, like Scott LaFaro used to do behind Bill Evans. Moutin and his twin brother, Louis, behind the drums, seemed to be a world-class rhythmic pair, though the blinding, astonishing, overwhelming, terrific and darn good output from Solal made it hard to pay attention to them. We're talking about a guy who knew Jean-Luc Godard, you see, a gent who scored the movie "Breathless," in fact; a talent who learned at the feet of Django Reinhardt and Sidney Bechet, a man who tonight, on his first visit to Los Angeles, gave you a performance on each tune that was as full of rich, curvy and thick layers as a freshly baked croissant.

Daily Variety: Posted: Wed., May 28, 2003, 7:26pm PT Martial Solal (Jazz Bakery; 144 seats; $25) Presented inhouse. Opened and reviewed May 27, 2003, closes June 1. Band: Martial Solal, Francois Moutin, Louis Moutin. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By RICHARD S. GINELL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Where has French pianist Martial Solal been all of these years? Plenty of listeners asked that question as the 75-year-old French pianist taught old standards some dazzlingly different new tricks at the Jazz Bakery. Old enough to have played, by his reckoning, on Django Reinhardt's last recording session in 1953, he has kept up a steady stream of recording activity since, but mostly on European releases that were always hard to locate here. That pattern is about to change, for last week, Blue Note released a startling live CD, "NY1: Live At the Village Vanguard," recorded one week after Sept. 11, 2001. Perhaps the main reason Solal has been overlooked is that he simply does not fit into any molds. For all of his bebop roots, he has grown way too unpredictable to be stuck in that bag. He could deconstruct "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" with single notes in the bass and wild right-hand runs, turn "Body And Soul" inside out, gradually lead us all around and eventually inside "Cherokee" or "When Lights Are Low." His solos were jagged, cryptic, a bit screwy, unafraid of dissonance, and his original pieces ("NY1," "Zag Zig") were filled with asymmetrical patterns and gaps of silence. In the second set, Solal's sense of humor ran riot; he would slip in sly quotes of Mendelssohn, Offenbach and Stan Kenton's "Artistry in Rhythm" (which is actually Ravel), or distribute "Tea for Two" into different clefs. Selections that seemed to end suddenly sprang to life and headed in other directions. This is a genuine original, a skilled musician free enough in spirit to trust and revel in whatever his youthful imagination conjures up. Solal's loose-jointed rhythm partners, the twin brothers Francois (bass) and Louis (drums) Moutin, picked up on every idiosyncrasy instantly and added some of their own. His stand at the Bakery may have been his Los Angeles live debut; he can't remember playing here before, although he recorded an unreleased studio album in town decades ago.

I was at the first set for the Martial Solal trio's opening night in Los Angeles. Evidently Solal hadn't played in LA in ages. Indeed, no one I spoke to knew if he ever HAD played in LA before. With Solal were Francois and Louis Moutin--really good-looking twin brothers who played bass and drums--and they were amazing, especially Francois on bass. With only a nod to the audience, Solal launched into an extremely intricate orginal. I have no idea what it was, but I suspect it may be from his new BN cd (which they were selling at the box office for $20!). He then focused on mostly standards--but a Solal interpretation of a standard might as well be an original as he completely dissects, deconstructs, and then examines the tunes from the most unique angles. He was constantly challenging his sidemen, with Francois focused on Solal's hands throughout as if he were trying to anticipate the master's next thought. As I recall (and I could be mistaken) among the songs they performed "Softy As In A Morning Sunrise," "What Is This Thing Called Love," "Cherokee," and they concluded with a killer version of "Caravan." Solal's take on "Cherokee" was very interesting and extremely playful with Solal suppressing little grins every time he tossed the Moutin brothers a particularly difficult bit to grapple with. Louis was great on drums, using brushes often and sometimes his bare hands bongo-style. Solal never spoke (seems he doesn't speak English) but nodded to the audience after every number. Decent crowd for LA on a Tuesday night. The Jazz Bakery was more than half-full and there were several critics and photographer's there. I assume there's going to be a review in the LA Times soon which should encourge people to show up for the rest of his run at the Bakery. Anyone who lives in the LA area should really make an effort to come out for this. Seeing Solal was one of the more incredible evenings of jazz I've had in some time.

Mine's a nickname which is loosely based on the spelling of my last name. I'm half-Sicilian and oddly enough I recently learned that the old-country spelling of my family name really IS "Mule" with and accent over the "e." Evidently, a grade-school teacher took pity on my grandfather when he was a kid because his classmates were teasing him about his name being "Mule" and she encouraged him to Americanize the spelling. So, basically, people have been calling me "The Mule" all these years and I really am The Mule... (That and I'm incredibly stubborn...)

I've heard the original lp which I like a helluva lot more than I expected to. My question for those who have picked up the new cd is: How are the bonus tracks?

Lee Morgan in motion 'cause it's kinda cool....

Playwright Jack Gelber dies at age of 71 May 10, 2003, 8:16 PM EDT NEW YORK (AP) _ Jack Gelber, whose realistic play "The Connection" examined the life of drug addicts, has died at the age of 71, according to his wife. Gelber, who lived in Manhattan, died Friday of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, a cancer of the blood, said his wife, Carol. "The Connection," written when Gelber was 26, opened Off Broadway at the Living Theater in 1959, polarizing both theatergoers and critics. It was soon appreciated for its innovations in style, language and substance, and won three Obie awards. Gelber also wrote a dozen other plays, worked as a theater director and spent years teaching and encouraging young playwrights, actors and directors. "The Connection" is a play within a play, with actors playing the director and the author, who the audience is told have been living among drug addicts. When it begins, the addicts are waiting for their dealer named Cowboy, playing jazz to pass the time. The actors solicited money from the audience during intermission, and a man in the audience interrupted the performance during the second act _ all scripted details designed to accentuate the play's improvisational feel. "I was so affected and energized by `The Connection,"' playwright Edward Albee told The New York Times. "It was exciting, dangerous, instructive and terrifying, all things theater should be." Gelber was born in Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois before moving to New York in the mid-1950's. He became involved with a small theater company and befriended many jazz musicians, which prompted him to write a play combining both interests. In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, a daughter and two brothers. Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press

Article on Crouch's firing by JAZZTIMES in the Village Voice

One of the best. Some prett great writing, too. Hawes' "voice" really comes through.