Dave James

What Chrome said: All Along the Watchtower Red House Crosstown Traffic Never saw Hendrix, although he did play a number of times here in Portland. Get this. One of those times, he was the opening act for The Monkees. Nice pairing. I think if I was Mike, Peter, Davy or Mickey, I'd have hidden in my dressing room. Up over and out.

Who cares about Janet Jackson? Up until Sunday, she was flying so low, she wasn't even on the radar screen. Of course, this will temporarily boost her otherwise sagging career, but in a few weeks, pop culture will have refocused on the latest flavor of the month. I'll give Jackson credit for one thing...knowing how to attract attention. This is the personification of the old Hollywood adage, "you can say anything you want about me as long as you spell my name right." What leaves me slack jawed is the extent to which this insignificant event has captured the attention of the entire country. If this doesn't tell you all you need to know about the decline of Western Civilization, I don't know what will. Up over and out.

Rooster - Hope everything resolves itself as positively as possible. A trying time for you and your family no doubt. There's something about a parent falling into harm's way that causes us to confront our own mortality. Nothing about any of this is very pleasant. Keep us posted when you can. Up over and out.

The March issue of Jazz Times includes a very interesting article on George Braith. It's part of their "Overdue Recognition" series. Lots of "shop" talk about what he's been up to, some interesting historical information, including some tasty stuff about his relationship with John Coltrane and everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask about the Braithophone. Up over and out.

Gary Giddens column in the March Jazz Times is about the three "new" Ellingtons scheduled for release in February. Good article. Up over and out.

Johnny, Ibanez' earlier stint in the Queen City would not lead one to believe his return trip will be the stuff pennants are made of. In his entire career, he's had one good season and that was with Kansas City, in a ballpark that's arguably the most hitter friendly digs (outside Coors Field) in the bigs. I'd be surprised if his numbers are anywhere near what they were last year. Up over and out.

Conn 500 - I guess I just have a hard time seeing his style fit with present day players. He's old school all the way and today's NFL is a brave new world. I'm not saying it would have been impossible for him to adapt, but I think it might have seriously compromised his values and I'm not sure he'd be willing to do that. I'll tell you one thing, I'd love to put Joe Horn in Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine, send him back to Green Bay in about 1963 and have him pull that cell phone stunt. He'd have hit the waiver wire the next morning. I think it was Lombardi who espoused the "act like you've been there before" approach when it comes to scoring. I just don't see actions like Horn's or Tyrell Owens' or sack dancing or choreographed multi-player post TD celebrations peacefully co-existing with the Lombardi philosophy. Up over and out.

I think Lombardi demanded from others exactly what he demanded of himself and that tended to set the bar pretty high. Of course, no coach is going to be "great" unless he wins and in order to win, you've got to have the horses. As we all know, he had 'em in spades. Even now, I can could probably name 15-20 of his players from that early '60's era, and I couldn't stand the Pack. But, having great players is one thing. Molding them into a great TEAM is something else entirely. I still love some of the motivational phrases he coined. Wasn't he the "there's no "i" in team" guy? And I know he originated one of my favorites, "show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser." I've used that phrase to justify my less than exemplary behavior in a number of different sports. You have to wonder how a guy like Lombardi would have made out in today's NFL. I have to think not so well. Up over and out.

I think Boone's a genuinely nice guy, but in spite of his hitting one of the bigger home runs ever hit in Yankee Stadium, I'm not convinced he's cut out to play in the Apple. Let's face it, up until he dialed 9 that fateful night, he'd been a major disappointment. So many times, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights, especially in the playoffs. And I don't even want to get into his cutting off the throw to the plate in game 2 that may have cost the Yanks a win. Assuming Boone is gone for the '04 season, that really puts the Yanks in a bind. Wilson and Cairo are not everyday players and Drew Henson hasn't givne anyone any reason to believe he can play in The Show. I have no idea who they have down on the farm, but it could give someone a real opportunity. Otherwise, it's going to be a patchwork situation all year long. Not good. No use to discuss the stupidity of playing basketball when that's specifically excluded in your contract. How dumb do you have to be to do that? Wow. I could understand it better if it had happened to his brother, who's so juiced up on steroids, he probably doesn't think very clearly. Up over and out.

This is my favorite Grant Green session...period. Up over and out.

Jim - Glad to see this. It has to be extremely gratifying to start making some serious headway in what has to be one of the toughest businesses around. Up over and out.

I noticed in the most recent Mosaic brochure that the Eldridge set is one of those that will be made available over the counter. The insert said it would be released to retail shortly after its initial issue in November of 2003. Was wondering if anyone had come across this. If so, how was it priced? Up over and out.

I've become a shaving switch hitter. For Christmas, I was given a Braun electric, the kind that dispenses lotion as you shave. My S.O. got if for me because she was tired of me complaining about razor cuts. The Braun does a passable job but it doesn't get as close as I like. So now, after I'm done, I wait about a half an hour and then do a light once over with a bit of shaving cream and the old Gillette triple track. Cuts appear to be a thing of the past and it makes for the closest shave I've ever had. Up over and out.

The Mary Fields Trio at a long gone little spot in Portland called Fricasso's Prima Donna. First "name" artist I ever saw? Hmmm. Either Stan Kenton or Buddy Rich. Up over and out.

I guess you could send yourself around the bend trying to decide if Blue Note is still Blue Note. Here's my rationale. If it weren't for Norah Jones, maybe "Passing Ships" (or other obscure recordings) never see the light of day. Didn't Blue Note go through the same thing years ago with Lee Morgan? Only then it was "The Sidewinder" instead of "Come Away With Me." Point being, one you don't care about may very well beget others that you do. That's all I need to know to sleep well at night. Up over and out.

Should be interesting now that Clemens is in the National League, i.e. no DH. I'll bet there are more than a few guys out there right now who are salivating at the opportunity they will soon have to pitch to or at The Rocket. Up over and out.

Quincy and Ghost of Miles --- Right on with Roger Angell. He is a gifted writer. His article in the New Yorker a couple of months ago about the Red Sox collapse is a classic. Sometimes when I'm reading a piece in the New Yorker, I'll page ahead to see how much is left. This time I didn't because I didn't want to know when it ended. I don't thing anyone has mentioned Jim Brosnan. He's an ex-big league pitcher turned author. Something of an intellectual. The two books of his I'm familiar with are "The Long Season" and "Pennant Race". I'm also curious about what became of Joe Charbonneau. I can't recall this specifically, but I think one of the things he was famous for was opening a bottle of beer with his teeth and drinking it though his nose. He was about the only bright spot in Cleveland baseball for a couple of decades. Up over and out.

I guess someone has to swim against the current. Don't get me wrong, as individual artists, Getz and Barron have to be at the very top of anyone's list as they are at the very top of mine. Two giants...no if's and's or but's. I guess with "People Time" it probably doesn't have as much to do with Getz and Barron as it does my inability to warm to saxophone / piano duos. I wish I could put my finger more precisely on what it is that doesn't get it done for me, something about not enough bottom end or, I guess, rhythm instrumentation. BTW, I will sing the praises of both Verve volumes of Getz and Barron at the Montmarte with Rufus Reid and Victor Lewis, but it's the inclusion of bass and drums that help pull these together and make them more memorable outings for me. Up over and out.

Ever since Santana hit it big with Supernatural, it seems that the inclusion of other "name brand" performers on pop oriented albums has become more profligate. While it certainly worked for Santana, I'm not sure it's all that viable for someone like Norah, at least at this point in her career. I think she would have been better served to insist on something that more firmly establishes her own performing personna before starting to fall back on others for support. One more album that focuses the attention entirely on her. I was actually kind of looking forward to that, just to see what she'd come up with. So, either Blue Note doesn't have that much confidence in a Norah based sophomore effort, or they think by including performers like Dolly Parton, it will guarantee big time results. Frankly, I would not be at all surprised to see these expectations fall short, although I hope I'm wrong. I kind of like Norah...at least in small, manageble doses. I'll be interested to see what kind of legs the new album has. Sure, it will sell by the bushel basket when it first hits the streets, but what will happen a month or two down the road. Up over and out.

Any State slogan is better than the one we just spent over $400,000 in taxpayer money to develop here in Oregon. Thanks to an advertising outfit called Weiden & Kennedy, the same firm that handles Nike and ESPN, our new slogan is" "Oregon, We Like Dreamers." How lame is that? Up over and out.

Pepper HQ'd here in Portand for awhile. Used to play at a long since closed club called The Jazz Quarry. His pianist for a time was none other than Mr. Smooth Jazz himself, Tom Grant. This is long before Grant went over to the dark side. Up over and out.

Those two DB's on the Vikings ought to have a whole lot of trouble getting to sleep between now and the beginning of training camp. Unfortunately for Viking's fans, they didn't seem to have any trouble at all nodding off when it most mattered yesterday. My God, at the very least, you take a pass interference penalty if it keeps the guy from catching the ball. Neither of those yahoos laid a hand on Poole until he was pushed out of bounds. And neither of them even jumped to try to knock the ball away or screw up his sight lines. I think you could watch the NFL for a long time and never see anthing quite like that again. Immaculate Reception II? Just goes to show you it's never over 'til it's over. Now on to more pressing issues. My Eagles are as well positioned as they've ever been in the post-season. Even more so than last year cuz there isn't the kind of scary-good team like Tampa Bay lurking in the shadows. Home field advantage is going to be huge, assuming the Rams and Eagles wind up playing for the NFC title. Turf, playing outdoors and playing in the cold does not a good match make for the men of Martz. Green Bay does fuss me some. Emotion is such an important part of football and right now, they're running on a full tank. Hopefully, some of that will have been drained off if they do make it to Philadelphia. I'll tell you one thing...no way do the HeeHawks have a prayer next Sunday at Lambeau Field. You can bet the house on that. Up over and out.

I don't have much Guaraldi in my collection, but of the two I do have, I would call one of them essential. That would be the aforementioned "Cast Your Fate to the Wind." I know a number of people who consider this a "desert island disc". The other is "Vince Guaraldi at Grace Cathedral." It's a live recording of a "Mass" Guaraldi composed that incorporates the church's rather large choir into his trio's music. Not obstrusively I might add, but in a very listenable and coherent manner. I find the whole thing a very interesting piece of music, especially the 12 minute rendition of "Holy Communion Blues." That tune is one of my all-time favorite live recordings. Nothing overwhelming, just a nice comfortable jaunt that draws you further and further into the music as it plays itself out. Well worth having and, because it's on the Fantasy label, readily available. Up over and out.

I don't have the Ellington Reprise, so I can't comment on that one. Of the Wilson and Kenton sets, I'd have go with the Wilson. Not that it's without flaws. As I've said in other places at other times, this one would have been a terrific 4 CD set. Clandy44 got it right when he said you've got to exercise caution if you're to avoid the godawful renditions of pop songs like "Sunshine of Your Love" or "Light My Fire." What does knock me out about the jazz sides are the choices Wilson makes, like putting Richard "Groove" Holmes' B-3 out in front of the big band on a handful of cuts on the first disc. IMO, that's inspired musical decision making. The Kenton just disappointed me. I'm no East Coast snob when it comes to jazz. As a matter of fact some of my favorite jazz artists are West Coast guys. I do enjoy the Rosolino cuts on this one, but there are just too many performances that sound to me like they're mailed in. Maybe I'll put this one back in rotation and see if I change my mind. Lord knows, the guys that play on this one are top notch. Up over and out.

Another one gone. Seems like every time you turn around these days, you're crossing another name off the list. In this case, though, I guess I'm not surprised. I heard an interview with Mr. Young several months ago on our local jazz station here in Portland, KMHD. He did not sound well. I'm with Mike on "For Lady". A nice one all around. Sure makes you wonder why someone with his talent was so under-recorded. Up over and out.