The Magnificent Goldberg

But Reagan's influence/zone of being was that of political and social power, while opera's is in the (or "a") zone of potential aesthetic pleasure. Thus, it would seem to me, getting what Reagan was about and being a fan of Reagan is not very comparable to getting what opera was/is about and being a fan of opera. Different strokes, of course, when it comes to what one finds pleasurable; you can't enjoy what you don't enjoy. On the other hand, and this is certainly understandable, some people who don't like opera (or musicals or cabaret -- not these are at all the same kind of thing) do so for reasons that are analogous in part to why you and I might not like Ronald Reagan. That is, there are social issues and auras and histories of groups winning and losing involved; if an art form reeks of a crowd or attitudes that you rightly can't take (given who each of us -- rightly for ourselves -- are), then that is likely to be the end of it. As for MG's: "But do you need to be a fan of military band music in order to appreciate New Orleans jazz? Or a fan of Spirituals? Or a fan of various kinds of African-descended music sourced from the traditional musics of the Wolof, Mandinke, Bambara and Serahule peoples that, in their contemporary, late nineteenth century form, we can never hear?" No you don't need to IMO, but if you do run across good examples of some or all of that stuff, it's not unlikely, if you're a curious, broadminded jazz fan, that you'll find yourself enjoying yourself some. It ain't just anthropology/musicology, nor is it sauerkraut juice. I mostly agree with that (though I'm not sure how an amateur, accidentally running across examples, would know whether they're good, bad or indifferent). But it's not what you said earlier, Larry. MG

Must have been dozing the day you posted that, one and three quarters. MG

There were oceans of different influences that went into the development of New Orleans jazz. No doubt those musicians who were involved over a longer period of time than we know about from recordings liked a lot of different stuff. But do you need to be a fan of military band music in order to appreciate New Orleans jazz? Or a fan of Spirituals? Or a fan of various kinds of African-descended music sourced from the traditional musics of the Wolof, Mandinke, Bambara and Serahule peoples that, in their contemporary, late nineteenth century form, we can never hear? MG

Charles Baudelaire Stephane Mallarme Joris-Karl Huysmans

Dear Abby, I've never written to you before, but I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. The usual signs; phone rings but if I answer, the caller hangs up. My wife has been going out with "the girls" a lot recently although when I ask their names she always says, "Just some friends from work, you don't know them." I always try to stay awake to look out for her coming home, but I usually fall asleep. Anyway, I have never approached the subject with my wife. I think deep down I just didn't want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I decided to really check on her. Around midnight, I decided to hide in the garage behind my golf clubs so I could get a good view of the whole garage when she arrived home from a night out with "the girls". When she got out of the car she was buttoning up her blouse, which was open, and she took her panties out of her purse and slipped them on. It was at that moment, crouching behind my clubs, that I noticed that the graphite shaft on my driver appeared to have a hairline crack right by the club head. Is this something I can fix myself or should I take it back to the pro shop where I bought it?

The Penguin The Riddler The Joker

Here are the (slightly corrected) details from the Lord discog Clifford Scott [s2764-4] Clifford Scott plays the big ones: Clifford Scott and the Hideaway All Stars: Clifford Scott (as,ts) Bert Kendrix (org) Wayne Robinson (d) Los Angeles, March 18, 1963 Tweedle dee World Pacific WP1811 Why was I born ? - Sack o' woe - Time on my hands - So rare - You came a long way from St. Louis - Clifford Scott [s2765-4] Los Angeles, March 28, 1963 I'll follow you World Pacific WP1811 Secret love - Teardrops from my eyes - One mint julep - My babe - Down blues - Note: World Pacific WP1811(mono) = ST1811(stereo). Clifford Scott [s2766-4] Lavendar sax: Clifford Scott (ts,as,bar) Emil Richards (vib) Charles Kynard (org) or Perry Blackwell (org) Carol Kaye (g) Leroy Vinnegar (b) Wayne Robinson (d) Los Angeles, 1964 Lavender sax Aura 409, World Pacific WP1825 Shangri-la - My biggest cry - Summertime - True blue Lou - I wish you love - Laura - Moonlight on Ebony - Ebb tide - Day dream - Beach Bunny Aura 409 Note: World Pacific WP1825(mono) = ST1825(stereo). Dan - Are you CERTAIN these are totally trashy? MG

Fode Baro Fode Kouyate Djeli Fode Kouyate

One of the really interesting things about people is their inventiveness in undoing everything that they perceive as being contrary to their own preferred lifestyle. As a result, no one has ever designed a system that someone can't get around. This will be no exception. Just as there will be nano-robots watching, so there will also be nano-blankets which will foil the watchers by substituting something innocuous. And there will be war between the manufacturers of the competing systems; and between their respective clients. And things will go on, approximately the same. Nothing changes. MG

I'm not a fan, but it is sad when someone with as much charisma as Pavarotti, who brought great joy to so many people, dies. MG

Yes, I was going to say that it wasn't just in classical music that there was some autonomy. Then I just looked at the date of the only hEMIsphere CD I bought. Some arsehole in EMI - Gerald Seligman - sold corporate EMI that they could release some of their African and elsewhere stuff in Europe and get hits. So they did. And they didn't. And that, I think, was the death knell of the regional autonomy business. But it was 1995 when that started, so probably 1997 when it went for a Burton. How time flies. MG

Aldo Moro Alpha Blondy Jay-Zee

The Diamonds The Hearts The Four Aces

I think that's true. Street names are more important to men. But SOME landmarks are more important to men than women - pubs, for example. MG

Same here. Me too. MG Oh I forgot - I can play Tom Lehrer to just about anyone except my wife. MG

Same here. Me too. MG

Wow! That's very, very interesting. MG

I think it's safe also to say that there will be no Soul music on it. Karl Denson is, I find, curiously uneven; and for some time at least, ambivalent about his direction. He made some very hard bop albums for Minor Music - I don't know if any were made available widely in the US - but it seemed to me that the guy was just trying too hard to impress with this stuff. At the same time, he was a regular member of Fred Wesley's band, also recording for Minor Music. He was a good bit more relaxed, it seemed to me, on those albums, but still playing hard, you know? The band made a live album, "Swing and be funky" for Minor Music, and Karl is a BURNIN' MUTHAFUCKA on that one!!!! (And so is everyone else.) It's one of my ten most favourite live albums. If you like funky stuff and happen to see a copy of this, don't toy with your scruples - just buy the thing! MG

Hans Christian Anderson Thumbelina The Little Mermaid

Cab Calloway - The scat song - Quadromania - I LURVE this stuff!!!! MG

I think Joe's playing on "The Right time", "All night long" and "The midnight sun will never set" is some of the best I've ever heard him do. He just feels so into it. MG

This is not rocket science, Clem. When I was 15 I realised, shockingly counter-intuitively, that some record companies were much better than others at making records I liked. So good, in fact, that I could rely on liking records I knew nothing about, save that they were produced by those record companies. I formed the view that these firms must have been run by people who were themselves fans of the specific musics they recorded. The others were just businesses like any other business. So I cherished Atlantic, Chess, Prestige, Blue Note, Specialty, Pacific Jazz and bought lots of their records. I DIDN'T cherish Columbia, EMI, Decca, RCA Victor, WB, Philips and bought hardly any of their records. These firms cannot be expected to make decent records. If they do, it's an accident. If I could work this out at 15, why is it news to Elder Don? MG

I'd agree with that - and "Front money" is pulled out of the rack for me to play in the next few days. But just because something isn't as good as something else - or even as likeable, maybe - is no reason to dismiss it. MG

"Brown sugar" was released a couple of years ago on Water. Must still be around. MG

But just how much gravy is on that train? That is the question. A lot, my friend. Enough to last a lifetime. Wow. Maybe they should call it Gravy Warehouse. It has the one and only Herman Foster on piano. So there's plenty of GREEEAAAASSSSE to go with the gravy. MG