Rooster_Ties

Yeah, a girlfriend I had back in college liked George Winton too, circa 1988. I hadn't actually gotten into jazz at that point yet (so I guess I can argue "I didn't know any better!" ) -- but I remember liking the 2 or 3 Winston albums she/we had, as far as it goes. I think my wife (not the gal I dated in college) had and still has 4-5 Windham Hill discs around here, a couple of them Holiday (xmas) music, iirc. Nothing we've listened to in 15+ years, but since they were hers, I didn't think it was a good idea to get rid of them myself. ("Yes, honey, I know I have 8,000+ CD's -- but maybe you should think about getting rid of 2 or 3 of the 15 you had when we met." )

My wife had a better day yesterday than either she or I expected (half of that was nothing really 'triggered' her, and she never had any breakdowns, or felt like needing to have one). AND, she DID sleep through the night last night -- and managed to get back to sleep after getting up briefly around 2am. She was really nervous this morning, so I encouraged her to taking a full Xanax pill (she'd only ever taken 1/2 pills, just once a day so far -- even though she's cleared for 3 full pills per day). No, I don't want her taking 2 and 3 full pills every day -- but I also don't want her to be so gun-shy about taking it, that she doesn't ever experience what the full effects of 1 full pill are (so she knows that that's like, and how much drowsiness that causes). Because there will be days she needs more than just one 1/2 pill. About an hour ago she said she was a little tired, but felt pretty calm. One day at a time, one day at a time.

I remember liking however many of Michael Hedges albums I heard back in college (had a girlfriend who liked him). Acoustic guitar, with wild all-custom tunings, iirc -- some of it pretty high energy. Haven't heard any since back then, though. Still, good stuff. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hedges

I don’t know if this is complete (maybe it just goes up to 1988, but the label went further?)… https://windhamhillrecords.com/windham-hill-discography-100/ The “roster” section of their Wikipedia page looks to be a good starting point too… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windham_Hill_Records

If I was looking for a guy, I was specifically looking for someone who had experience with a (female) spouse who’d had menopause before. I have had a number of GREAT coworkers of EVERY stripe — but all the straight guys were younger than me by a good decade. I wasn’t lacking for sympathetic years — but the gal I reached out to was in her late 50’s (had menopause in her early 50’s, now past it) — and she’s one of the best problem solvers I’ve ever known. She was the closest thing the organization had to a “Fixer” during my entire run working up in administration.

My wife has a telehealth visit with her doctor day after tomorrow (and her doctor literally dropped everything two weeks ago today when my wife presented as being uncontrollably emotional shortly into a regular follow-up visit my wife had bout other things -- and her doctor called her back personally at the end of the day that same day (two weeks ago) just to check up on her). So she will have an opportunity to report back these recent two nights with a lack of sleep, etc. -- and a chance to change or tweak her meds. I do think there's a good chance for some improvement over the next month -- but it will take time for the HRT to take effect, and probably some trial and error with the other meds. I just got off the phone from a good hour-long call with a trusted friend and colleague who left the museum I worked at about 6 months ago -- and she's about my wife's same age, and just got thru menopause herself 2-3 years ago. I wanted to brainstorm with her some possible things I might need to do, if my wife does have more of a meltdown than she's already had so far. My former colleague was always one of the best problem-solvers and most level-headed people I've ever known, and she and I always had very candid conversations over our 8 years working together -- not often about personal stuff (but sometimes). I had dotted-line responsibilities to her back when i was in my old role (she was second in command of the whole place). It was a very good conversation, and she had some good ideas for how to move forward -- how my wife should deal with her work, her HR, etc.

They just keep piling on heaps of work (and shit) on my wife’s plate at work — and the only long time off she’s got time for is a necessary trip to see her parents back in KC the first week in September (hardly a vacation). We are taking a quick ‘weekend’ overnight trip in late August — a Wednesday & Thursday (because I’m locked into working weekends), but that’s hardly time for her to really decompress much — and I’m genuinely scared it won’t be much of a getaway at all (and she could loose it then, for all I know). She’s been working most weekends too the last month (or at least Sundays), just trying to keep her head above water. It’s getting pretty bad.

Not me -- but my wife (we met in 1996) is going through the roughest time. She's incredibly stressed out with work, 50+ hour weeks for 60% of the last year, and 80% of the last 4 months -- much of the work itself is stressful (only because "the powers that be" have made it that way). But on top of all that, she'll be 55 later this year -- and menopause is kicking her ass like nothing I've ever witnessed in my life. Wild, crazy mood swings inside of barely 2 hours -- and she hadn't been able to sleep much for most of May and June (maybe some back in April, I forget) -- always waking up at 1am, and never getting back to sleep). Two weeks ago she went on some basic hormone replacement (which isn't an overnight fix, and takes time), and she got a prescription for some moderate sleeping pills that she is having to take right before bedtime (which worked great for about 10-12 days, but then the last two nights she's back to waking up again every night). She's also starting to have what I'd nearly call "panic attacks". I'm always able to talk her down some, but when they happen in the middle of the night or in the evening -- she can't take the anxiety medicine she was prescribed 2 weeks ago (Xanax), because of its interaction with her sleeping pill (Ambien). She's on the lowest dosage of Ambien, and she's barely taking any Xanax (just one-half pill almost every day, in the morning, and occasionally another half-pill in the early afternoon). TMI, I know, I'm just trying to paint a picture. Her mood swings are pretty wild. She seems very much "half on-top of things" for a while, and then two hours later she's almost weeping over what a bad person (she thinks) she is for not being able to do her job better, and how everyone hates her. And one employee of hers (one of her direct reports) is an especially impossible person to deal with, who know how to just say the "right" thing to set my wife off (yesterday, it was that my wife was supposedly "not thinking strategically enough" because this employee didn't like how a particular policy shift was affecting her (the employee, not my wife). And my wife recounted the story with me (later) 5 or 6 times within the span of an hour (3 times in a row, in 15 minutes), in an OCD sort of way. Then an hour later, my wife got hold of her emotions better, and was more in control. I do think my wife's getting good medical care, and has a really fantastic doctor (who she's had for about 7 years now, iirc) -- but that care is really just beginning. The other factor is that wife hasn't anything like a real vacation since before the Pandemic -- short of two weeks at Christmas the last couple years (but this last year, half of that was with her elderly parents, which is stressful, and they really need to contemplate downsizing and moving, and my 83-year father-in-law wants to pretend like that's 10 years in the future, when it needs to be 1-2 years in the future, at most). And my mother-in-law had to have a mastectomy (at 81) 6 months ago -- and the stairs in the their house are really a huge problem for her, because of some other health reasons. Again, TMI, sorry -- I just don't know how to do any of this succinctly -- and frankly, I'm trying not to break down typing all this (I'm normally incredibly good at must keeping everything all crammed down, and putting a brave face on everything). I'm trying to think of who all in my circle of friends, acquaintances, and colleagues that I can reach out to -- and I'm starting with you all first. (Trouble is, my very best friend back in Kansas City, who I'm sure I'll reach out to at some point, lost his wife to Covid about 18 months ago -- and if she had any similar Menopause issues, I'm just hesitant to make him my first-line sounding-board in all this). AND, compounding things a little, most of my best work-colleague friends are gay men (that's just the demographic of where I've worked the last 10 years -- us straight men are barely 10% of the staff now, and even back pre-Pandemic, we were barely 20% back then). I probably will reach out to one or both of the women colleagues I've known for 10 years (one of whom is now retired), who are both around 60 years old, and may have some firsthand perspective. Day to day, I feel like I'm sort of half on-top of all this (maybe just barely)(, but I know my wife hasn't felt that way in months. And I'm beginning to see the real possibility of my wife having a full-on nervous breakdown eventually. I *THINK* the medical care she's newly been getting starting about 2 weeks ago will eventually help, but we're not there yet (even if my wife has some new tools (Rx), that she may not be using as often or in strong enough dosages yet). Compounding things a bit, my work schedule includes every weekend (4 or 5 days a week) -- so my wife and I haven't had more than a handful of days off together at the same time in over 16 months -- and where I work is perpetually short-staffed (the same Museum I've been with since 2012, though my role isn't the same -- and the overall staff is barely 1/3rd of what it was, pre-Pandemic). I know, get a new job. But I loath job hunting more than anything in the whole world (can I have a half-a-dozen root canals instead, please?) -- but that's a whole 'nother can of worms I don't need to get into here. Life's being really shitty for my wife these days, this entire year, but especially lately -- and at least for the moment, about 30%-40% of the time (of any given day), my wife literally isn't herself, and it takes upwards of an hour for her self-loathing periods to dissipate enough that things like logic and facts mean anything to her. I'm babbling now, so I should stop. I'm not super shy about sharing stuff, feel free to ask pointed questions. I'll probably delete this thread (or clean it up) in a few months, when things are better. Far as my wife's work stress goes -- just to paint some more of the picture -- she's worked for the same federal agency for 28 years. And, actually, which administration is in charge can sometimes counterintuitively have a detrimental effect on her work (which is related to regulatory compliance). She oversees a department with a staff of like 30 people (spread across 3 states, all across the country). And the people in management above her haven't been with the agency (or even in Government) for more than a year or two -- and they have completely unrealistic expectations for how they think things should just magically work, despite decades of prior policy and practice within the organization (and competing priorities, often totally at odds with each other, within sub departments of this agency) -- and the support my wife and her entire department is getting from above her is often totally lacking. One good piece of news, though, is that my wife is supposed to be hiring NOT a new 'assistant' (she's had an assistant for years) -- but a new assistant director (someone almost at her level, to take on (or at least help significantly with) probably 40% of the less complicated cases my wife deals with now, and help run her entire department, including having half the department report through this person). THAT can't get here quick enough, and that person might be hired as soon as September. Won't fix everything overnight, but by November, maybe 25% of my wife's workload will probably be significantly reduced. I feel like I'm holding up a house of cards, but the worst of it, is that my wife is struggling so badly -- and I feel like there are significant periods of time when I can't even begin to get through to her that she's not an abject failure at life, and her job, "and everything". She's not suicidal (her doctor already asked), but that's only because my wife is far too responsible (about everything she's responsible for) to ever even consider it. But if she had it in her, I would be seriously worried. OK, that's it, I'm done, because I don't know how to stop, or how to edit all this.

BTW, although Ellington isn’t in the Mystery School — I think it’s entirely fitting that he was given some serious consideration (in the article). I’ve always loved Duke’s piano trio records, most of which I’ve either owned or at least heard — and largely because they are just (slightly) off-kilter enough to always draw me in. And I’m using that term “off-kilter” specifically, though I’m not sure I can precisely define it — but still, I think that term gets to the sort of sound and rhythmic world of the “mystery school” (at least to my ears, and way of thinking). Some might argue it’s because Duke was lacking a bit of keyboard prowess and technique — and while perhaps that might(?) be true — I think it’s just a good (little) dash of the “mystery school” approach and aesthetic that I hear in Duke’s playing.

Yeah, that’s ultimately why I didn’t mention Lennie in my original post kicking off the discussion… but I definitely did think about it!

Yeah, I had that same exact thought earlier — because I do think Lennie approaches this ‘sound-world’ somewhat (sometimes), if certainly not always. Did Lennie ever cite any influences (by name) that would lend some credence to the theory? Of course, the thing this he’s often WAY more ‘metronomic’ than anybody truly in the “Mystery School” category.

Not a digression at all! — that’s a whole reason I started this thread — to try and identify other players who are stylistically similar (regardless of ethnicity).

Ok, definitely not Black (he’s Norwegian)… And listening again now, I’m reminded this actually pushes a lot of my Ornette buttons (compositionally) — so maybe this doesn’t really hit the same realm. But for the longest time I loosely categorized this as “somewhat Andrew Hill”-esque… Håvard Wiik Trio - “Ball, Play” (opening track from “Postures” - Jazzland, 2003) Here’s his Wikipedia entry… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A5vard_Wiik I have one other trio album of his… https://www.discogs.com/master/1563075-H%C3%A5vard-Wiik-Trio-This-Is-Not-A-Waltz Both albums are uniformly excellent.

Half figured you had, but wasn’t sure — and I quoted it since I was betting not everyone else had read the article. BTW, I have at least two other (more modern) names to add to the list — but they’re really obscure, and I never can remember their names (and I’m at work, away from all my CD’s). Unfortunately about 15-20% of my collection is all people so obscure, that I usually only remember them by what the album cover looks like.

I mostly agree about Hope, or he’s darn, darn close. I only bought my first (ever!) Hope leader-dates just this year — and I’m slowly finding him to definitely be half a revelation. You may have seen this, but Shipp mentions Hope in the article thusly… > I have wrestled with whether Elmo Hope belongs in the group. I am not sure. I go back and forth for different reasons. If he is, a lot of it would be because of his influence on Hasaan Ibn Ali, who is another extreme of an ultimate example of this.

Is it bad that I've got half a mind to try and get any or all of the first three of these done as custom-jobs on t-shirts... (source) PS: OK, probably not (who’m I kidding!!) — although that Wayne Shorter one is really the best design of the three. Shame the Tyrone one isn’t better, or I might be tempted!! Also, definitely not this next one, but I'll include it here for 'completeness' sake...

I feel like Herbie Hancock has gotten into this specific territory about (and maybe only?) these three times that I can think of — specifically on… The All Seeing Eye (Shorter) Some Other Stuff (Moncur) The Trainwreck (Tyrone Washington) Am I missing anything else? BTW, I don’t think anything he did with Miles would count — although maybe(?) some of the Plugged Nickel stuff? Still, I’m inclined to say ‘no’ to even that, even as free or free-leaning as it is — since it isn’t anywhere near ‘off kilter’ enough rhythmically to qualify (if my use of that term makes any sense.)

I can’t fathom any of this stuff is licensed, but supposedly they’ve been in business online for 20 years (according to the ‘about’ page on their website). I’m skeptical about sending them $100 (cuz I’d get 4 shirts to get free shipping) — but DAMN if it isn’t really, really f’ing tempting. I’m gonna start a topic on the Steve Hoffman Forums, and see if anyone has ever bought anything from them before (and what their quality was like). Googling them, it appears they used to have an eBay storefront — but they don’t seem to any more. Maybe they got shut down there for selling unlicensed product. They also seem to have some artists conspicuously absent from at least their t-shirt offerings — Pink Floyd, for one — so I suspect they’ve gotten some cease and desist letters (and threats) before too. Still, it’s so damn tempting to get some of these!!!

I’d argue strongly for Valdo Williams!

Interesting “food for thought” article by Matthew Shipp, which begs the question… WHO ELSE?? — perhaps not as well-known? — or not just from the 50’s and 60’s (and not just “Black”) — would YOU classify as being somewhat closely STYLISTICALLY-related to the core group he identifies in the article?? Article has a good discussion — and makes good arguments — for who the author thinks ‘qualifies’ and who doesn’t qualify (and the rationale for each). BLACK MYSTERY SCHOOL PIANISTS https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/black-mystery-school-pianists/ Read the article — but to spoil it, here’s the list… So who is in the Black Mystery School of Piano? Monk Herbie Nichols Mal Waldron / Randy Weston / Cecil Taylor / Andrew Hill The legendary Hasaan Ibn Ali Sun Ra / Horace Tapscott

It’s SUPER random what they seem to have, which says to me that they are serious about taking suggestions — and then adding those to their offerings. For instance, Johnny Dyani’s Song for Biko… https://albumcoverstickers.com/johnny-dyani-song-for-biko-album-cover-t-shirt-black-/ TONS of Tomasz Stanko shirts too.. https://albumcoverstickers.com/tomasz-stanko/ https://albumcoverstickers.com/tomasz-stanko-quintet/ And here’s an MPS album that’s not super well-known by Michael Naura: https://albumcoverstickers.com/michael-naura-quartet-call-album-cover-t-shirt-black-/

This Monk 10" looks pretty badass on a black shirt, I must say. (And I have to confess, I don't think I'd ever seen this cover before -- maybe never! -- before I saw it on this shirt.) I'm NOT even the biggest Monk fan ever -- but this design looks killer on black. Thelonious Monk Genius Of Modern Music Volume 1 Album Cover T-Shirt Black (albumcoverstickers.com)

OK, seemingly the only way to make the search engine on albumcoverstickers.com work properly, is to manually change the search results sort order from the default of "best selling" to instead say "relevance" (the last option at the bottom of the dropdown menu) -- and you have to manually make that change after each and every search. Doesn't inspire confidence in their operation, but I am finding loads and loads of great covers that can apparently be gotten on shirts (including a good handful of obscure BN covers).

Amen to that.

So who wants to be the next Guinea pig?? — and order something from these fine(?) folks in Australia(!) — with seemingly 275,000+ different album covers you can get put on t-shirts. TONS of Blue Note stuff, and other labels too — but their search engine is total shit (at least on mobile). Couple I’m thinking about… https://albumcoverstickers.com/andrew-hill-passing-ships-album-cover-t-shirt-black-/ https://albumcoverstickers.com/grachan-moncur-iii-some-other-stuff-album-cover-t-shirt-black-/ Hey Jim!! Here’s your original LT cover for Etcetera — on “bleach-bright white” — if you can believe it! https://albumcoverstickers.com/wayne-shorter-etcetera-album-cover-t-shirt-white-/ Dan, maybe you should go first… https://albumcoverstickers.com/the-three-sounds/ https://albumcoverstickers.com/the-three-sounds/?sort=featured&page=2 https://albumcoverstickers.com/gene-harris-and-the-three-sounds/ NOTE: I mean it, their search engine is really, really shit (at least on mobile). There’s a TON of Blue Note stuff on there, but you can’t find half of it without searching 3 different ways (and even then, it still half doesn’t work). Again, I’m only trying on mobile — so maybe it’s better with a real browser. But they do seem to take custom orders (or readily encourage suggestions) — so maybe if I do take the plunge, I’ll try and get a Natural Essence shirt done up for me. That, plus Passing Ships and Evolution — plus god knows what else I can find — may be too tempting to say no to. $25 a pop, but free shipping (to the US) if you get four (4) shirts. (I am finding plenty of albums I absolutely adore, but I’m realizing many of them just aren’t eye-catching enough to get on a shirt.) QUESTION: Is Passing Ships better on a black shirt (up above), or on white? https://albumcoverstickers.com/andrew-hill-passing-ships-album-cover-t-shirt-white-/