WD45

Radiohead - I listened to Kid A everyday for 6 months. Really. Bjork - Love that voice, and the production is always at the forefront. She knows how to pick 'em. Tortoise - I saw the drummer do his side project thing the other night under the moniker "a Grape Dope." Mouse on Mars - General freakiness all around with these guys.

Me and the wife are still hashing it over. We have some friends in the area and we may be staying down there, hopefully to hit the sunday show.

The one and only Groundskeeper Willie. I loved AfricaBrass's cat animation ones. Make me laugh out loud.

Right on, another man from the Twin Cities. Being originally from Iowa, I have been to the fest before. I saw Dr. Lonnie Smith [with Ronnie Cuber], Christian McBride, and John Scofield before the whole thing was shut down by a nice big ole midwestern kill-em-all thunderstorm. We should have known, as it was about 95 degrees that afternoon. That is a killer line-up this year. I might have to make it down and stay at the in-laws [about an hour away from Iowa City.] There is a killer record store right on the street where it is always held.

I am going with Buck Clayton. I would have put Wild Bill Davidson, had he been up there. Love that guy.

Where is Alive? Love that sucker.

Don't forget New Jazz...

That sounds like a tune...We Talked About Jim Sangrey

I like to get in the groove and ride.

I think Art Blakey would have been a good candidate to lead a BN date, instead of jsut being a sideman. Really, though--I don't think you will find anyone that would counter yourCharles Tolliver suggestion, for all the reasons you listed, but foremost composition. I think he would have been on top of the list for me. The fact that his compositional skill were so strong make the selection of another candidate difficult. Since they did not lead their own dates [on BN at least] we do not know if their writing chops were strong or not. After that, I keep thinking of the Sun Ra sidemen who appeear on BN dates: James Spaulding, John Gilmore, and Julian Priester. I think a septet with Tolliver, these three guys, and Joe Chambers, Herbie Lewis, and McCoy in the engine room. That would have been super. The only way to top it would be to make it an octet; add Charles Davis on bari. Speaking of Charles Davis, I think he might have benefitted from more sideman work on the BN label. His solid playing makes "Illumination" by the Jimmy Garrison/Elvin Jones Sextet such a draw for me.

The Wayfaring Strangers "Shifting Sands of Time" This is Matt Glaser's project featuring Andy Statman, Tony Tricshka, Bruce Barth, Laszlo Gardony, Ralph Stanley, Lucy Kaplansky, and others. I was WAY pleasantly surprised by this.

I am having a bugger of a time finding any of the Don Pullen/George Adams discs. Like a chump, I passed up one of the albums on LP for $3.98. Damn.

Didn't Blue Note do that with the first group of Conns with OBIs? You could get a watch, or something, if I recall.

They do one of my favorite tunes on there, "Lazy Afternoon." It is one of those performances where the performers are absolutely unmistakable. You know it is Elvin back there, with his churning, quiet fire, Hutcherson saying all the right things, and Larry Young playing like no one else at the time. All this taken at what has to be the perfect tempo for the tune. The only other version that comes close for me is the one on Pete LaRoca's Basra with Joe Henderson.

Thank you Chris! One of my favorite movies of any era. A friend and I have discussed on many occations that this film represents Tom Cruise's performance zenith. That, with Curtis Armstrong, and Tangerine Dream doing the score, how can you miss!