Dave James

I have a hard time believing that organized crime didn't have some involvement in the assassination. Without the likes of Sam Giancanna and Johnny Roselli, Kennedy would not have been elected. They and theirs certainly had every reason to believe that this kind of assistance would be appreciated and, as a result, reciprocated. The last thing they ever expected was that Bobby would develop a major Jones for all things mafiosi and that he would, with Jack's acquiescence, begin steering the Justice Department precisely in the direction they didn't want to go. These aren't the kind of guys you mess with without the risk of some serious retribution. Up over and out.

A couple of comments. The Twinkies made the Pierzynski deal because they think their #1 pick from a couple of years ago is ready for The Show. His name escapes me right now, but he's supposed to be the second coming of Johnny Bench. Not only does this move save them some money, but they don't think they're giving up anything behind the plate. Hopefully, for Twins fans everywhere, that won't turn out to be a pipedream. I had not heard the Alex for Manny rumors, but from the Sox standpoint, that can only mean no more Nomar in Beantown. Still, I can't imagine them taking on what's left of Rodriguez' contract with all the other financial issues that are facing that team. Add to this the possiblity of trading for Curt Shilling and you're talking about spending at Steinbrennerian levels. How they can do this given the revenue limitations inherent in only being able to put 33,000 butts in the seats for 82 games is beyond me. I know their desparation to beat the Yanks is borderline psychotic, but this is beyond the pale. Then again, maybe as a Yankee fan, I'm just pooh- poohing the possiblity cuz I don't want any of this to happen. Up over and out.

"Spahn and Sain and pray for rain." One of the great baseball sayings ever. Spahn won at least 20 games in 13 different seasons. It doesn't get much better than that. He also hit 35 home runs during his career. That remains a record for National League hurlers. Being a life long Yankee fan, I rooted like crazy against him in '57 and '58 when the Braves played my boys in the Series, but the reason you got so wound up about the guy was because he was so darn good and the Braves were such a good team. Burdette, Adcock, Aaron, Matthews, Covington, Crandall...wow, what a collection of talent. Up over and out.

I recently took a flyer on four volumes of Jazz & Cinema that were available from Dusty Groove. These are part of the Jazz in Paris series on Universal Gitanes. I haven't really had a chance to thoroughly digest all of them, but based on what I have heard, I can unabashedly recommend Volume 2. The first four tunes on this outing feature Stan Getz, Coleman Hawkins, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and Gus Johnson. Cuts 5-22, the Benny Golson iteration of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and the last two, a French quintet featuring George Aranitas. I'm telling you kids, this is good stuff...da bomb. As is usually the case with jazz soundtracks, many of the tracks are short, but there are a handful in the 3-4 minute range that allow for more stretching out than you might normally expect. I don't think you'll be disappointed with this one. Up over and out.

I really like Braith's BN's, so when Laughing Soul showed up on Dusty Groove, I went for it. Not a good decision. I test drove it a couple of times and consigned it to my "sell for whatever you can get" bin. Looks like I'm swimming against the prevailing current on this one, but it really didn't do anything for me. Up over and out.

The OJC series is clearly the motherlode when it comes to jazz reissues. I know they are criticized as being blowing sessions and not much more, i.e. little if any rehearsal, calling the tunes as you go kind of stuff, but strictly from the standpoint of the artists represented in their catalogue, it's mindboggling. Not to mention the fact that they somehow manage to keep all their titles in print, readiliy available and at a reasonable cost. With regard to particular artists or albums available on the various and sundry labels that make up the OJC sobriquet, I'm surprised that only one person has mentioned Gene Ammons and then just a single recording. If you're a fan of Jug, or if you want to become one, OJC is the only place to go. I'm particularly fond of the "Gentle Jug" series and the material featuring Dodo Marmarosa. That one is, at least IMO, indespensible. They didn't call it "The Big Sound' of Gene Ammons just becuase they ran out of other things to say. A couple of other recommendations if you lean towards seminal hard bop. George Wallington. You won't find him too many places other than on OJC. Same with Wardell Gray. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (while perhaps a little heavy with alternate takes) is as good a look at Gray as you're gonna get. Up over and out.

GA - I'm sure that was the game I saw too. It was played at what was then known as Multnomah Stadium. I would have been 13 at the time and I was going to school downtown, so it all fits. Besides, I seriously doubt he would have appeared more than once here in Stumptown. He was quite a guy, quite a player and quite a character. Pretty much a one off. Up over and out.

If I'm not mistaken, Ken Burns' video essay on Baseball included a chapter devoted to the negro leagues. I know Buck Leonard appeared frequently as a talking head throughout the series. He even told a story about going to see Duke Ellington. Not too many jazz / baseball connections like that floating around. Rooster is right, a quick internet search will reveal tons of information. Certainly some of the best ballplayers who ever tugged on a pair of spikes played in this league. And not just the "name" guys like a Satchel Paige (who I actually saw pitch here in Portland when he was in his '60's) or a Josh Gibson or a "Cool Papa" Bell. Even the second line players were immensely talented. It's incalculably sad that they were never afforded an opportunity to ply their trade in The Show. Just think of what might have been. Up over and out.

The last few times I've been in e-Bay, I noticed an advertisement on their home page for "New Norah, Live in New York." Can it be that Norah Jones has actually crossed the mythical line that differentiates those who are known by two names from those who are known by one? That would place her in the rarified atmosphere occupied by the likes of Price, Pele, Madonna, Cher and Sting. My Lordy me...that's a long ways to travel on the basis of just one album. Up over and out.

Yankee Central here. Signing Donnie Baseball as the Yankee hitting coach can't hurt. I've heard so many personnel rumors it 's hard to keep track of them. For sure, signing Andy Petitte has to be a priority, but with the Astros dumping Billy Wagner's contract yesterday, it's going to make them more of a player. If the Yanks aren't able to resign Petitte, you can pretty much fit Bartolo Colon for a set of pinstripes. I would not be surprised at all to see Soriano take a hike. Same with Nick Johnson...perhaps as a package to the Expos for pitching help. That moves Boone (who I'm not sold on either) to 2B. No way Drew Henson will ever be an everyday third sacker, so that means another move to fill the void at the hot corner. Perhaps the second coming of Mike Lowell? I've also heard that the Yanks will be pursuing either Vladimir Guererro or Gary Sheffield to play right field. That would be followed by swapping out Bernie and Matsui. Williams going to left and Matsui to center. All you can say with absolute certainty is that this will be a fascinating off-season for Yankee lovers (and haters) everywhere. Up over and out. Up over and out.

Bird should have been an admirer of Jimmy Dorsey. That guy could really play. In some of the film clips I've seen, he was all over his horn. Crisp, tight and very, very fast. Not sure what to make of this Progresso stuff. I love the way he just matter of factly assigns Blakey the blame like anyone who knows anything ought to already know that. If the ending of Eastwood's movie is to be believed, Bird simply wore out and expired. If you were to play the devil's advocate, though, you might argue that the Baroness just took the path of least resistance. After all, wouldn't it have been a lot easier to explain things this way than to bring Blakey into the mix? Involving him would just complicate things and it for sure wouldn't bring Bird back. I'm guessing the authorities wouldn't give two hoots one way or another. Just another junkie biting the dust. Clear the case quickly and move on. Up over and out.

Put me in the Krall camp. While she's far from a favorite or even someone whose recordings I turn to with any regularity, I find her to be very listenable and, IMO, an underrated pianist. I'm especially a fan of the Live in Paris DVD, as much for her as for that toppermost band she assembled for the occasion. Krall fan or not, you can't help but enjoy the combined efforts of a Jeff Hamilton, a John Clayton, an Anthony Wilson or a John Pisano. And I agree with deus62's earlier observation that those guys do seem to be enjoying themselves mightily in the presence of Ms. Krall. Another way to look at this is that anyone who makes anyone pay attention to jazz can't be all bad. Up over and out.

Brutal...but thanks for asking. My idea of a reasonable evening is NOT a dozen mixed gender 13 year olds partying in our rather smallish front room. Fortunately, the party thrower was my SO's daughter which by default made her the babysitter designate. The sum total of my responsibilities involved putting on a scary DVD and disappearing with our 190 lb. dog in the back room. Unfortunately, that didn't keep me from hearing enough to know that 13 year olds now don't talk or act anything like 13 years olds when I was one. I thought I'd fallen asleep and woken up in a rap club. Booty this and booty that... It'll probably be awhile before we host anything like this again and that's a very good thing. Up over and out.

Hey..the props should go your way, not our's. When the BNBB was unceremoniously turned into cyper-scrap, it was the first time I've ever felt homeless. Now I don't. That's your fault and I thank you for it. Up over and out.

Shane, Yes, I'd say you did "marginally" well. Nice haul. I'm one of those who paid the high freight for the Rogers on e-Bay. I still think it was worth it, but $75 with no shipping and handling or insurance sounds awfully good to me. Care to take a swipe at exactly how you felt when you first spotted this one and then saw the price? That had to have made your knees buckle. I've had some finds in my day, but nothing like this. And then to top everything off with TB's TB, what can you say? When the gods are smiling on you like this, it's time to buy a lottery ticket. Up over and out.

I can remember several years ago having a major Jones for Wilkerson's BN work, but that was only based on the mystique of OOP BN's, not for any specific musical reason. I eventually tracked down Japanese reissues of all three, but I must say this is a case where anticipation greatly exceeded realization. These are not bad albums per se, just far from memorable. For my tastes, they veer a little too close to straight up R&B. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Given Wilkerson's musical background, maybe I shouldn't have been surprised, but that didn't keep me from being a little disappointed. Up over and out.

I'm one of the two who have voted so far who got into jazz in my '30's. My story is a lot like the one shared by Morganized. I've been into music of one kind or another for as long as I can remember. I grew up with Elvis and Ricky, moved to the Beach Boys and Beatles and lots of Philadelphia soul music from the '70's...O'Jays, Harold Melvin, Spinners that sort of thing. At some point, I morphed into what we now call smooth jazz, beginning with George Benson's Breezin'. That led me to others of the same ilk and I tested the waters with the likes of, among many others, Bob James, Creed Taylor's CTI recordings, Earl Klugh and a local guy, Tom Grant. The line of demarcation between this kind of music and more serious jazz listening occured when I landed a gig on a local public radio station that played jazz 24/7. KMHD, 89.1 FM. What a learning experience that was. An entire studio filled with LP's and CD's by people I'd never heard or even heard of. It was at that point that I abandoned all pretense and immersed myself in the music that consumes me now. What's kind of interesting, at least to me, is that I have an identical twin brother who wouldn't listen to jazz if you held a gun to his head. Not that he doesn't like music, but definitely not jazz. I got him to admit once, in what can only be described as a moment of profound weakness, that Miles Davis' KOB was "listenable", but that's as far as he ever went. On the other hand, the music he likes doesn't interest me at all, so I guess you might call ours a musically reciprocal arrangement. Up over and out.

Oh boy...does this one bring back some memories. I went to Lewis & Clark, a small liberal arts college just outside Portland. It's about two miles from where I grew up. I will never forget one, shall we say, heavily medicated experience in the Spring of 1970. At the conclusion of a rather interesting evening, I decided to walk home from campus. It was about 5:00 in the morning. Upon arrival, I planted myself in front of the big picture window in our living room, put on my headphones and chambered In the Court of the Crimson King. The window faced East, so I cruised through the entire album while watching the sun make its way up over the horizon. WOW! One of those experiences that's indelibly etched in my memory banks. Up over and out.

Further evidence of the decline of Western Civilization. Up over and out.

I have Gruntz' Mental Cruelty. Good stuff, albeit typical soundtrack material where you get a number of short, mood capturing pieces. I don't think there's anything on this that runs more than 3 minutes. Wilen acquits himself admirably. I would recommend it, especially if you're an afficianado. The Auto Jazz (Bandini) recording is available on CD. I've seen it on Dusty Groove a number of times. One other Wilen that hasn't been mentioned here, although it's come up on some other threads, is What's New Volume 2. It's an Italian recording on Schema / Rearward with drummer Gil Cupini in the leadership role. I know Lon is a big fan of this one, as am I. Again, something that pops up occasionally on Dusty Groove. Well worth the effort necessary to land a copy. Since this is Vol.2, I've often wondered if there's a Vol. 1. Haven't been able to run that question to ground. If you've got money to burn, go with anything from Wilen on the Japanese Venus label. The recording quality of these discs is outstanding. Up over and out.

I love the big pipe. The second Mosaic I bought was the Chaloff and only because he played the baritone...I'd never actually heard him and I only knew of him as a Herdsman. He's become a particular favorite. However, of all the bari players who have been rightfully mentioned in this thread, my numero uno is Lars Gullin. Such a unique, light and airy sound, especially considering the instrument he's playing. I'm particularly fond of his five CD's on the Swedish Dragon label. Put me amongst the Mulligan Masses and in the Carney Corner as well. As far as Pepper Adams goes, though, I'm not sure I've yet been able to acquire that taste. I have a lot of his stuff, but there something about that too raspy sound that just doesn't get over with me. Up over and out.

If he'd never done anything but "Support Your Local Sheriff", Elam would still rank pretty high in my book. One of those little, silly movies that you can keep coming back to over and over again and it never disappoints. Elam and Garner made a terrific team but don't forget Walter Brennan and Bruce Dern. That whole scene in the jailhouse with Garner, Brennan and Dern where Dern is stuck behind the bars that aren't really there is a classic. Up over and out.

I picked this one up yesterday and so far, it's everthing AMG said it was and more. I've only been able to listen to the first disc, but to these ears, it's the best sounding live Allman Brothers I've heard, and that includes the legendary Fillmore East recordings. Greg Allman has never sounded better either vocally or instrumentally...his B-3 is right up front and sounds terrific. Their version of "Dreams" from the first set is one of the best things I've heard in a long time. This really makes me remember a year like 1970 and how great it was to be young and foolish and knee deep in music. Rock the way it's supposed to be. Highly recommended. Up over and out.

I'm really looking forward to the Curtis Amy Select. For those who have never had the pleasure of hearing "Katanga" you are in for a rare treat. IMO, that's easily the flagship of the whole fleet of Pacific Jazz reissues that came out 3-4 years ago. A shockingly good album. Dupree Bolton is also on that one and he's someone you just don't get to hear very often. I'm also excited to see that one of the sessions includes Victor Feldman. I can't get enough of him as a piano man. Anyone who questions this need look no futher than the five Shelly Manne At the Blackhawk CD's. Feldman's soloing and especially his comping just kick that band into a wholly higher gear. The Pearson also works for me. I've got quite a lot of him, but none of the recordings that are included on the Select. How perfect is that? The Eldridge is also on the docket big time. Guess I'll just start having the company deposit my next few paychecks directly into Mosaic's account. Up over and out.

Bruce - Nicely turned. Bringing this discussion full circle from baseball to jazz in a completely coherent manner. Up over and out.