Rooster_Ties

Just listened to the "200 Motels" soundtrack for the first time in probably 3 years. (The first time I ever heard it is when it came out on CD in about 1998 or so.) I had forgotten what a huge trip it was. I've still never seen the movie, but the soundtrack is such a mix of amazing, and amazingly weird music - it's hard for even a one and former Zappa nut (and I'm still somewhat of a Zappa nut) like me, to even know where to begin. For instance, I had forgotten about all the wacky lyrics set to such incredibly modern (and often complex) melodies. I'd forgotten that there was a version of Strickly Genteel that even had lyrics at all!! I'd forgotten about the various choral numbers on the soundtrack (here and there), with orchestra. For those who have seen the movie, how is it?? (I know - that's a question that's probably impossible to answer.)

I'm already through disc 1, and most of disc 2. Hope to get through the whole set, maybe even twice, before the week even begins!! I'll go ahead and say, right off, several tunes I've heard so far, are just drippin' with that whole Strata East vibe!!! Yeowww!!!!!!! GREAT selection for an album-of-the-week!!!!!!!!!!

With the open question about whether Roy Williams is leaving for NC, or not - there's not way she's going to do a total media blackout at this time. (I didn't even have the guts to suggest it to her.) Maybe, in a different year, without the "is the coach staying, is he leaving??", but not this year...

God help us, what isn't on the Internet????? The show with the very brief topless women (in the late 80's) was called "Bizarre", and the host/star was named John Byner.

The release with all the extra tracks (that are without the echo) is way more significant. Haven't heard the shorter one, with supposedly improved sound - but I can't imagine the improvement being so great as to overweigh the significance of the extra material - and particularly how it's presended (without the echo). Not sure which I prefer (echo vs. no echo), but it's good to be able to hear both.

Well, today my wife is still pretty much in a big funk about her team. What does it say about our society, where it's that much of a dissappointment to finish 2nd out of a field of 64 teams (not to mention the ones that didn't get in, so really it's out of maybe a couple hundred teams). It's not that my wife (or most Jayhawk fans, I gather) are dissappointed with the team, or the coach. But, rather, that the team is so dissappointed that they didn't win. (Not "mad" dissappointed, but "sad" dissapointed".) If it were me, I'd just be happy to have even finished in the top-10. And heck, the Jayhawks almost alway finish in the top-10 most years, so I still don't see what the big "heart-wrenching" deal is. Maybe it's cuz I'm not an incredibly competitive person. I think it's important to do well, but to do better than everybody else is way more than I have any energy for. Life's too short to worry about being #1 at anything.

Every once in a while you hear the word "shit" on broadcast TV. Not very often, but I know I heard it two or three times in that big "9-11" documentary on CBS, about the one fire-station that responded to the tragedies in NYC. I know I've heard it a time or two in other contexts, even dramatic (on broadcast TV). I know this was many years ago, but wasn't there some verbal line crossed in the very last episode of M*A*S*H?? Maybe the difference is that those were all dramatic contexts, and "American Pie" was comedy - which is kind of a different thing, so maybe different standards apply. And, don't forget, FX isn't broadcast TV either. Heck, I remember being in high-school (mid-80's), or maybe my early, early college years (late 80's) - and there was some zany "Benny Hill"-type comedy show on a non-Network affiliated station, back in St. Louis (channel 11, if any of you lived there back then). It was only on after 11pm, and usually once per episode, there'd be a very, very quick flash of a topless woman, in some comedy sketch. I can't remember who's show it was, but his first name was "John", and he had a round face. I think it was on this show the "Super Dave Osborn" character first appeared. Anyway, this was broadcast TV, I'm 100% for sure, cuz I was at my folks house, still, at the time - and they've never had cable TV (and still don't to this day). Now whether this (the dialog in "American Pie") is atypical for the FX cable network station, or not atypical - is entirely the question. But it wouldn't suprise me at all to hear the dialog described above on a station that was part some sort of "extended cable" package, meaning everything you'd get without getting the "premium" chanels. ===== Now, is this a good thing, or bad thing - is entirely a different question. Bad taste is everywhere, so I'm not much suprised by anything these days. Heck, in some ways, I'm just as offended by some of the semi-"squeaky clean" shows on during primetime (standard sitcom fare) that show the absolute most gender-stereotypical roles and behavior imaginable. But then that's just me, and America (apparently) seems to eat this stuff up. My wife and I not only didn't have cable for most of the last 8 months (just got re-hooked about a month ago), but the TV upstairs (where we do most of our viewing) only got VHF stations, which (in Kansas City), limited us only to ABC, CBS, and FOX. During those 6 months, I (still only occasionally) saw more "prime time" TV than I ever have in years. In particular, I saw more CBS stuff than ever - which is a network I almost never watch. "Everybody Loves Raymond" always had three or four jokes/gags per show that caused my jaw to drop. Not because it was offensive in any traditional way, but because of the way it depicted stereotypes about gender, and age, and the like. Can't think of a good example right off, but it was like every episode, as I recall - at least from the few episodes I saw.

There was a Tyrone Washington thread several days ago, and he never replied to it - so I'm not sure what's up with him. You'd think Tyrone would bring him out of the woodwork, if anything would. I was wondering about Jim too. Come back Jim, we miss you!!!!

Afraid the only Cecil I've got, or ever listened to much are his two BN dates from the mid-60's ("Unit Structures" and "Conquistador")... I do like aspects of both of them, but I've never really gotten my ears around them completely either. I think I also had Cecil's early 90's recording on A&M, but I can't remember the title (the one in the same series as Sun Ra's "Blue Deight" and "Purple Night"). I've heard a couple other cuts here and there, but have never warmed to Taylor much. It's not that I'm not into free jazz - as I'm a BIG Ornette and Sun Ra fan. But for some reason or another, Cecil's just never clicked with me.

My wife and I were in London (and Glasgow) for our honeymoon two years ago (our 2nd aniversary was yesterday!! - April 7th). Two musuems we really enjoyed were... =========================================================== Link: Design Museum A museum of international design and architecture, focusing on 20th and 21st century mass produced products and systems. A changing programme of exhibitions covers a wide range of themes, such as interiors, fashion, architecture, engineering, technology and graphics. The great variety of exhibitions will cater for all tastes and ages. The museum is housed in an imaginatively renovated 1950s warehouse in Butlers Wharf, and includes a Conran restaurant on the first floor which looks out on a fabulous view of the River Thames. There is also a great shop on the ground floor for picking up unusual 'design' gifts. =========================================================== Link: The Victoria & Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum is the jewel in the crown of London's famous South Kensington cultural area and a "must-see" on every London itinerary. The V&A houses 7 miles of exhibition space, containing a collection of over 4 million objects drawn from 5000 years of cultural history. Founded in the 1850s, it now boasts the greatest and most diverse collection of decorative art and design in the world, spanning all continents and dating from 3000BC to the present day. Alongside an innovative and challenging exhibitions programme, the Museum's constantly developing permanent collections encompass artforms as varied as photography, fashion, metalwork, sculpture, glass and ceramics. =========================================================== And, it looks like the V&A has a nice Art Deco exhibit going on now, through May 20th. (A personal favorite of mine!! - wish I could go too!!! =========================================================== Art Deco, 1910-1939 27 March 2003 - 20 July 2003 Certainly the most glamorous, and arguably the most popular style of the century, Art Deco took the world by storm during the 1930s. By the last part of the decade the style's profound impact was obvious everywhere from Paris to Shanghai. Displaying more than 300 masterworks from both public and private collections, the exhibition will be the most comprehensive to date. With sculpture, painting, furniture, architecture, textiles, glass, metal, jewllery, graphic art, fashion, photography, and film from all parts of the world, it will be the first of its kind to depict art deco as a truly global style. After London, the exhibition will travel to Toronto, San Fransico, and Boston. ===========================================================

How about Andrew Hill's "Tomorrow is Now!!"??

Maybe I should add that I'm not entirely, 100% anti-sports. I do like to go to a couple baseball games per year (Kansas City Royals), but I go never giving a hoot who wins - and I just enjoy the game, the whole scene (people watching and such), the hot dogs, and most of all - that "bag-o-peanuts" vender who throws the peanuts to you from all the way across two whole sections!!! Damn, that guy has an arm!!! It's the whole "team" mentality that I can't get all wrapped up in. I usually like the Olympics, more so (cuz they're individual sports, mostly), although I like the winter Olympics better than the summer games. (More "go fast" kinds of sports - skiing, ski-jumping, bobsledding, and such.) Still, I'm never in a "Go U.S.A." kind of mood. I like to root (a little bit) for who I like, where ever they're from - I don't care where. I guess I'm saying that I don't have a problem with kinda rooting for individual atheletes (to a degree), but this whole "our team's gotta win!!" thing just doesn't click at all for me. After all, any of those team members could just as easily gone to different schools (or in the case of Pro sports), been recruited by other teams, or traded - and then "our guy" suddenly is "their guy" in the blink of an eye. Enough babbling from me on this topic, for now. Gotta go now, or I'm gonna be late for an appointment...

I voted for "The Procrastinator" out of those listed above - what an *incredible* fairly progressive album, with an incredible line-up. One of Lee Morgan's very best, easily in his top-5 (in my book), maybe even my #1 favorite Lee Morgan album, sometimes. But, maybe my all-time favorite "not originally released at the time" Blue Note, would have to be... (drum roll, please.....) "Mother Ship"!!!!

Some background... My wife is a *HUGE* University of Kansas fan (Jayhawks), specifically of basketball (she's a "fair-weather" fan of K.U. Football). She's a K.U. grad ('91), and she was at the university for most of Roy Williams' first four years at K.U. - and she's a "Final Four" fanatic. She's been a K.U. Basketball fan since she was a little kid, and Basketball is a fairly big thing in her family - her Dad and brother are both big fans too. Me, I've never given a hoot about sports of any kind, least of all basketball. To give you a better sense of how sports fits into my priorities - I routinely don't know who's in the Superbowl each year (until the week it happens), nor do I know who's in the World Series until that week. I once went 10 weeks into the regular football season, before I inadvertantly heard the name of the new quarterback of the Kansas City team ("The Chiefs", I think they're called ). But seriously, right now I couldn't tell you who the coach of the Chiefs was, even if my life depended on it - although I seem to remember that he used to coach in St. Louis (Cardinals) when they won the Superbowl a couple years ago - or so I heard. Anyway, I think I've demonstrated my lack of sports knowledge, and lack of interest. Last night K.U. lost the very last game in the Final Four, and my wife is more sad and upset about this about this than about anything in the entire 7+ years we've known each other. She was up until 2 or 3 in the morning last night, first listening to the sports call-in shows, then on-line, crying, the whole bit... During the game she was screaming her head-off, cussing like a sailor, although she didn't throw anything. ===== Does anyone have a spouse who is fanatical about something that you couldn't give two hoots about?? Care to share with the group how you handle it?? K.U. Basketball is a **BIG** deal to my wife, and I have to at least partially acknowledge that and at least give it some measure of respect, or else I'd have to go live somewhere else every March. But honestly, I just don't get it. I went to a small liberal arts college, where 80% of the student population couldn't give a rat's ass about any of our sporting teams. If people wanted to participate, great - more power to them. And if people were interested in going to the games, fine - it's a free country. But there wasn't much "school spirit", or at least not much in the way of athletics (we were a Division III school, with no athletic scholarships). And, I went to a small, non-traditional high-school that didn't have athletics (the whole high-school only had 25 students in it), so there wasn't any of that "team spirit" thing going on there either... I try to logically explain to my wife that having a single-elimination tournament, doesn't really tell anyone who the real "best" team is - it only increases the emotion, and the TV-ratings. You put all 64 teams back in the very same bracket, and have them all play again, starting today - and the odds of the same winner coming out on top a second time must be like 1 in 1000. I'm betting of the 64 games played, 10 or 15 of them would go the other way. And of course, it would be key games that would go the other way, up near the top (meaning the last 4 or 8 teams). If they really want to have anything even close to a fair and "real" tournament, they'd have double-elimination, and/or make each match up a best 2 out of 3 -- until the Final Four - and then make it best 3 out of 5. But the way it is now, all it does is ratchet things up, with maximum (manufactured) excitement. And it's the same thing every year around this time -- it’s "deep depression" time around our house, cuz the Jayhawks didn’t go all the way. Anybody got anything remotely similar to share about their situation?? A spouse that is deeply affected by the outcome of some periodic event that they (nor anyone else) can't possibly control -- and all you can do is ride it out???.....

There's an LP of it available too (on eBay), current high bid is $7.50, with about 12 hours left to go... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...6&category=1078

I never badger friends of mine to quit, but if I know they're trying to - I always offer to take them out to dinner anywhere - finest restaraunt in town (within reason) - if they can manage to make it 3 months without a smoke. Unfortunately, nobody I've made the offer to has ever made it that far. And, about me vowing never to get 'involved' with anyone who smokes... That wasn't always the case (not always a 100% hard/fast rule) with me. It was one of many factors, but never a deal-breaker, absolutely. That was, until (back in college) I got frisky with a couple gals who smoked (yes, at different times ), and I realized that kissing someone who smokes, was like LICKING out the contents of an ashtray!! That's when it became an absolute dealbreaker.

For all intent and purposes, I've never smoked. Technically, I think I've smoked less than 10 cigs in my whole life, all back during college, most when I was a freshman. Just thought I'd try them, for the heck of it, but I never had any intent other than curiosity. My Mom smoked (and still does). I think the most she ever smoked was about 1 full pack a day, maybe slightly more. I think she's now down to less than half-a-pack a day, maybe even one-quarter pack. I don't really know for sure, but when I visit her, I never see her smoke all that much any more, and when she does - she only seems to take a few puffs on one before putting it out, only half-used. My Dad smoked for a few years, way back in the 40's - when everyone did. I'm not sure how long he smoked, but it wasn't any more than about 5 years at most. One day he decided to quit, and my Dad has incredible will-power. I don't think he ever looked back. Watching my Mom smoke, as I was growing up, gave me enough info to know that I would never take up smoking, ever. Nor would I ever get involved with anyone (romantically) who smoked. Disgusting habit, and I can't tell you how nice it is to go to jazz bars where smoking is not allowed. That said, I've never let smoking turn me away from a jazz club, or even a bar with a good juke box, and decent pool tables. I used to bartend, and I realize smoking goes with the territory. I just try to plan my wardrobe, realizing that everything I wear is gonna reek after I get home, and need to be washed. I'm always sure to wear an old jacket, or one that need washing anyway. Or, unless it's really, really cold out - I'll just skip a jacket, or leave it in the car. Man, can't stand the smell of my clothes after I've been someplace where people are smoking. Funny thing - I don't really notice the smell of smoke at my parents house (nor does my wife, so it isn't just me being 'used to the smell'). BUT, then, for some reason - when we get back home and start taking all our dirty clothes out of our suitcase (it's a four-hour drive) - they smell of smoke just as bad as if we were bar-hopping all night long. Strangest thing. Personally, I'm all for banning smoking in all public areas, especially restaurants. I guess having smoking in bars is not the worst thing I could imagine, but it would be just fine with me if they banned it in bars too. I'm not the most anti-smoking person ever, and I'm normally not very vocal about my views on smoking. But anything that can be done to discourage smoking is perfectly fine with me.

Actually, if Lee had only lived longer - and (possibly) recorded more with Harper - he might have gotten my vote too!! That very last Lee Morgan studio date (with Harper) is a *MONSTER*!!!

Damn, how's the sound quality on that Wayne tape?? - (presumably from the mid-60's). I'd be interested in what the other tunes are too!! (Oh heck - why hide it - I'd be interested in getting a copy of it too. )

Oh, I've thought about doing just that, a couple times actually (at least with the 'Tolliver'). At least in the case of the 'Tolliver' - it would be a lot more reasonably sized, although I sure wish he had recorded more. A decent Tyrone Washington sessionography wouldn't be all that hard to put together either, since it's (unfortunatley) also pretty small - even smaller than Charles Tolliver's.

Here's a huge list of on-line jazz sessionographies - LINK: http://www.kyushu-ns.ac.jp/~allan/Document.../Jazz_ExtS.html And where the hell are Charles Tolliver and Joe Henderson!!!!! Damn it, here's the complete list (from the link above)... Cannonball Aderley, Louis Armstrong, Albert Ayler, Chet Baker (2), Kenny Barron, Tim Berne, Art Blakey (2), Jane Ira Bloom, Carla Bley, Raoul Björkenheim, Anthony Braxton, Willem Breuker, Clifford Brown, Milt Buckner, Ray Bryant, Donald Byrd, Don Cherry, Charlie Christian, Sonny Clark (2), Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane (2), Tom Cora, Sylvie Courvoisier, Marilyn Crispell, Sonny Criss, Miles Davis (2), Elton Dean, Pierre Dørge, Eric Dolphy (2), Lou Donaldson, Kenny Dorham (2), Hamid Drake, Dave Douglas, Kenny Drew, Marc Ducret, Marty Ehrlich, Duke Ellington, James Emery, Marco Eneidi, Bill Evans (2), Tommy Flanagan, Fred Frith, Stan Getz, Grant Green, Dusko Goykovich, Mats Gustafsson, Herbie Hancock, Andrew Hill, Wayne Horvitz, Susie Ibarra, Keith Jarrett (2), Wynton Kelly, Rashied(?) Roland Kirk, Krzysztof Komeda, Lee Konitz, Gene Kruppa, Steve Lacy, Art Lande, Booker Little, Jackie McLean (3!), Matt Maneri, Warne Marsh, Myra Melford, Albert Mengelsdorf, Charles Mingus (2), Modern Jazz Quartet, Thelonious Monk (2), Michael Moore, Lee Morgon, Joe Morris, Fats Navarro, Charlie Parker, Evan Parker, William Parker, Art Pepper, Jim Pepper, Barre Phillips, Bud Powell, Bobby Previte, Sun Ra, Michael Riessler, Sam Rivers, Perry Robinson, Sonny Rollins, Ned Rothberg, Louis Sclavis, John Surman, Steve Swallow, Cecil Taylor pianist, Henry Threadgill, Lennie Tristano, Edward Vesala, Mal Waldron, David S. Ware, Eberhard Weber, Mike & Kate Westbrook, Barney Wilen, Reggie Workman, John Zorn. Excuse me, but where the %!@# are Charles Tolliver and/or Joe Henderson!!!! Not a criticism of the list (above) of on-line discographies/sessionographies (which I think is rather great, IMHO), but rather the absence of any kind of decent, halfway thorough online sessionography for Tolliver or Henderson. Aarggghhhh!!!!

Never heard of this guy, is this really worth anything close to $123.00 (high bid at the time I'm posting this)????? Link: Tony Pancella Piano Trio (LP) - Italian jazz

Any opinions about this release?? I found a review on AMG, which wasn't very descriptive. There's one of these (on CD) on eBay right now, with an auction closing-time of less than 1.5 hours. Opening bid required is pretty pricy ($29.99), so I probably won't bite - but I am kinda curious about the album... AMG Link: The Meeting - Chick Corea w/Friedich Gulda AMG Link: Friedrich Gulda bio eBay Link: $29.99 - ouch!!

In some ways, (apart from the song-writing credits), I could believe that any of the players (except maybe Hubbard) could have been leader on this date. In other words, listening to the album - one doesn't get the sense that this is a Wayne album, but rather that is plausibly could have been a Herbie album, or a Moncur album, or even a Spaulding or Chambers album (remember all the Chambers compositions on all those Hucherson albums, especailly all of side 2 of "Components".) In many ways, it's a little like various aspects of Wayne's, Herbie's, and especially Moncur's other albums. I'm starting to think that "ASE" might be the best "outside" album in the whole BN catalog, at least in my opinion.