The Magnificent Goldberg

Red Menace posted a report from the NYT about the TPM blog on the Politics forum. But one bit - not political - attracted my attention. So, is it the case that baseball is not a matter of skill, strength, speed, spirit, stamina and strategy, but of statistics? If so, I may start to believe all sorts of things about Americans. MG

Two parts Lonnie Liston Smith (when he was in his earlier introspective cosmic/black consciousness mode, pre-disco); one part Milton Nasciamento, circa "Clube de Esquina." Knowing your taste, I think you'd like him a lot. He sings in a soulful baritone. I don't think I've heard either of those singers. But I do take your rec. I'll see if I can see something cheap to start off with. Thanks. MG

I've often wondered what sort of a singer he was. What's it like TTK? MG

I have to say that, since the competition was restarted after WWII, France has done best France 22 wins 7 grand slams Wales 17 wins 7 grand slams England 12 wins 6 grand slams MG

Score was, I think, just enough to get Wales off the bottom of the table. MG

Yay! Wales won 27-18! MG

But that is from the perspective in which France was not England's first colony. Wales was, and still is. And that makes all the difference. Now 27-18! MG

Wales up again 24-18! MG

Harold Land Bobby Hutcherson Joe Sample

Rugby is Wales' national game. It's important for Wales to win the Grand Slam - defeating all the others in the 6 Nations Championship (England, Scotland, Ireland, France & Italy). If that's not possible, It's very important to win the Championship (on points). If that's not possible, It's extremely important to win the Triple Crown (beating England, Scotland and Ireland). But, if all else fails (and it has this year) - It is VITAL for Wales to beat England. The match - the final one in this year's championship - is on now. After 25 minutes, Wales was 15-0 up. Thought it was going to be fireworks tonight. Half time score was Wales up 18-15. Now it's 18-18. Wales won the Grand Slam two years ago. People want to know, how the team could have got so shitty so fast. http://www.rbs6nations.com/resultsandstandings_6nations.htm MG

Wow! Cheap too. Went straight to CDU and ordered it. Thanks! MG

Sax Roemer Neyland Smith Fu-Manchu

Big snow forecast for Sunday night. The milkman left an extra day's worth of milk this morning, so it must be likely. MG

Sorry I missed it - we Anarchists are a bit like that, as you know. But I hope you had a good one. MG

Hiram Bullock Henry Cow John Bull

A very large statement. Would it stem, do you think, from Vietnam? Or is that too local a matter, when thinking about the entire West? Are you thinking, indeed, of Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, New Zealand etc etc when you make a statement like that? Or is it just America? MG

What's to be guilty about? MG

You bet! And will it be completed in time? Ho ho! And let's all have a bet what the cost will eventually come to. My guess: £29 bn MG Including or excluding the VAT? That's the funny thing, isn't it? Why did they include the VAT? Even if it was from the private sector's presumed share of the work, it's a benefit to the Treasury and reduces the Government cost. MG

John Stuart Mill John Mills Hayley Mills

And the hardest of Hard Bop. The 50s-60s BN, Prestige, etc. stuff that "we" revere on this board as music for "listening" was in its time just as often as not hardcore inner city, social, bar music. Some people came to listen, but just as many, if not more, came for social activity and just used the music as their ambiance, for the not least of reasons that it was music that was in sync w/the rhythms and textures of their everyday life. They didn't have to sit and "think" to get it. It just hit them naturally where and how they lived. I've seen whores & johns, pushers & junkies, lovers and theives all doing business while Red Garland & Marchel Ivery played some of the most beautiful, swinging, serious jazz I've ever heard in my life, and nobody, nobody present thought it odd that it was that way. And I'll bet something of lasting value that it was once upon a time that way in every city that had a real jazz scene. Yep - and people just talking to their friends, singing "Happy birthday to you" or banging on the table for more beer. MG

I'm not sure that's right. There's been a big thread over at AAJ on the social comparison between the fifties Cool Jazz and Smooth Jazz. What seems to have emerged at the end is that the right comparison is with the very watered down material by the likes of Jackie Gleason, Les Baxter, George Shearing and Arthur Lyman, which was hugely popular in the late fifties (while the hardcore jazzmen scraped only 9 albums into the charts in that period). It has been suggested that the Gleason etc albums were aimed at, and bought by, middle class suburban whites and that most Smooth Jazz (with the exception of a few like Kenny G) is aimed at, and bought by, middle class suburban blacks. Now you can look down your nose at these people if you like, and decry their taste. And you can describe the music (both types) as cynical constructs. But, while I agree the music industry can hype anything, I don't think it can hype a style like Smooth Jazz, which has had over 30 years of commercial success, for a whole generation, if it's a fake. This is something that some people bloody well NEED. MG

Absolutely - there are three heroes of doing that kind of arranging: Duke Pearson; Ray Charles; and Hank Crawford. Take a listen to "Hornful soul" by Ray Charles "Baby won't you please come home" by Hank Crawford "Baptismal" by Stanley Turrentine. Stanley's "Rough n tumble" is definitely my favourite Pearson job. MG

I think I'll have another listen to an LP I recently found underused in my shelf - Stanley Turrentine's "Z T blues". What a good album it is! MG

I used to have two of his Dutch albums. Sold them when I was poor, but with regret. They were: Ben Webster at ease - on some British label but licensed from a firm called Catfish Blow, Ben, blow - on Catfish. Are these the ones on the Blue Note CD? I'd like them again. MG

OK, that was a very interesting article. It explained what to me has been a mystery since the fifties; how at a concert of a vocalist - whatever their style - the audience never applauded one of their big hits until they'd sung the first line - even though I knew, and assumed they knew, perfectly well from the intro what the song was going to be. Clearly they didn't. Similarly, my wife is NEVER aware of the background music to a film. If after watching one, I comment on the music, she denies that there was any. I forget who mentioned it, but whoever said that a personal preference for instrumental music can make it easier to listen to vocal music in a foreign language is also dead right. Allen's comments about the long history of audience preference for vocals is right on the money. It's almost certainly the case that people sang before there were instruments. Music is NOT strictly an abstract art. It is FOR things; politics, hustlin', religion (insofar as that isn't politics), dancing, sex, courting and so on. MG