Dmitry

Speaking of that...does a 89 y.o. singer with 17 other Grammy's under his belt really need/merit another one in the best traditional pop vocal album category? Or we should view it as Bill Charlap's triumph?

No , I think your Zappa analogy doesn't play here. Parallels between Kamasi and Sun Ra: 1.Two large scale orchestras + singers & dancers, playing non-conventional music. 2.Both play original tunes, no standards. 3.Both woodshed-ed, and pretty much lived together with other band members [according to the NYT piece on KW that's what he did/does]. 4.Both would draw large non-jazz audiences. For example, I heard Sun Ra on the same bill with the Sonic Youth. Those are just the obvious similarities.

Google is still free... http://www.amazon.com/The-Silver-Lining-Songs-Jerome/dp/B013YKOVL6

Getting back on topic .. I just watched/listened to The Epic on youtube. The music is OK, nothing amazing IMHO. I lost interest with it after a while. There once was a much more original big band with it's leader also dressed unconventionally. It was called the Sun Ra Arkestra. I am surprised no one here has drawn the parallels between Sun Ra's and Kamasi's acts. Am I off by comparing the two? Even though I was less than thrilled about the music, I'm glad there's an act like him. It's always good to have the non-jazz listeners exposed to our music. Because all of us were non-jazz listeners once.

Wouldn't it be more appropriate for them to walk up to the podium to the sound of their own Grammy-winning album? Nothing against James Brown...just not familiar with the Grammy protocol.

It's a vast right wing conspiracy.

22 minutes per side, I think, is a maximum that can be pressed on it, to keep it sounding ok.

I'd love to go back to the Lp-length cd releases. 45 minutes is a perfect amount of time to say what you want to say. ..Just sayin'.

Kamasi is a musical director of Black Lives Matter? Seriously, I don't know.

I've got nothing else planned for April 1, so I'm thinking of going to see it on the opening day...if there are any local theaters that will be showing it.

I'm excited about this gig, never having heard Ramsey live. Somewhat ambiguous about the solo aspect of the gig. Anyone heard him solo? I would imagine he'd be more comfortable in the trio or quartet setting.

Do you work out? Ride a bike, jog, that sort of thing..

Is absinthe provided, or it's byob?

Good one! What about cat naps? Anyone take those?

Are you saying you'll be moderating the forum members coitus preferences also? Those, who, for one reason or another, distance themselves from my coitus suggestion...how about a warm glass of milk before bedtime?

I'm really liking the pictures underneath Pat's photo.

I think I might have this record, or definitely saw it before. Is it on Teichiku Records, or Progressive? Label looks just like the original PR labels. Tangentially, Teichiku Records owned or was in some way affiliated with Baybridge Records, another Japanese label that reissued American albums in Japan around the early 1980s.

Lousy? I've watched the trailer. It looked like Karate Kid Drummer.

He's from your neck of the woods. From memory, I think he played for tv studios in LA for many years. I had one of his trio cds, on Four Star Records iirc,..capable playing, left me underwhelmed. Just my $.02.

I remember reading Arthur Rhames' bio, which indicated that he played on the streets of Manhattan for several years, mostly in the Upper West Side area. Any other examples of musicians of note[no pun intended], who gigged in the streets when they were already known players? What would attract a musician to play on a street/in the subway? Desire to be heard, want of funds, other "life's circumstances"? Arthur Rhames in the early 1980s. Somewhere in the City.

Sounds generic. Don's sound is technically very facile, no doubt, but I find his playing anonymous. Just my $.02

It's time for that Chicago trip I've been thinking about. Perhaps a long weekend this Spring.

What's the attraction for buying these on el Pee? Odds are the lp masters were digitally processed.

Sounds cool. Real early John Hicks on this recording. How's the sound?