Alexander Hawkins

That's a very perceptive way of putting it.

Ukelele Ike Dwight D. Eisenhower Elton John Alton Purnell Pernell Roberts Henry Fonda Henry Ford Ford Prefect Zaphod Beeble-brox

Just had a listen to 'The Great Pretender' as well. Amazing. Just like Wadada Leo Smith (in a different way), he's got a colossal tone. I think I might have said it of Smith somewhere else, but they both remind me of Jabbo Smith, for some reason! I love the feel of this album. Reminds me of 'The Fifth Power'.

Thanks. They both have that cavernous sound. I always think Harry Carney would have sounded this way on a bass!

Gilbert and George Gilbert Grape George Wein

John Paul II John, Paul Ringo and George

Would Ware and Malachi Favors have known each other from Chicago? For me they share a sensibility, and I can't get enough of it.

No - believe me, when it comes to 'changes' gigs, life would be a lot easier if I could get around them like either player! There are sort of two limbs to my complaint: 1) I don't really sypathise with the conservative career paths of either player. I find the playing of both pretty (and increasingly) generic. To my ears, they play what they perceive piano trios should sound like, rather than where the music wants to go (I fully accept that this is subjective, and that others will disagree!) This conservatism seems to me to be the antithesis of what our music is about. 2) The second limb is probably not at all a criticism of the players themselves, so much as one of their countless and slavish imitators. One Bill Evans I can take (and enjoy); one Herbie I can take; one Jarrett, one Corea, etc. But when you go to a music school to learn to sound like these guys? When you set out to learn 'nice' jazz piano 'painting by numbers' style? That I can do without! That's my disillusionment - and again, I realise that it's not necessarily a criticism of the players themselves. It's more an unfortunate, irrational if real, conflagration of the issues by myself... I should say that Jarrett's attitude is irritating, but I won't make too many judgements on that score. I daresay there are countless players whose playing I love and respect greatly who are assholes. I also agree that overhype is irritating, but largely otherwise irrelevant.

the main interest was on entertaining and interesting, as well as European...promised I'm definitely going to check out more Jan Johansson!

No doubt about it. I got into it with somebody at AAJ awhile back on this same thing. I'll admit that the lyrics to MFT might seem a little schmaltzy by today's standards, but the music is class all the way- just what you'd expect from the great Richard Rodgers. So, I disagree. I think Trane (and Miles, who also dug Rodgers) had taste. Yeah, but they could pull it off. John Gilmore MORE than pulled it off. As for 'Someday My Prince Will Come' - check out Marshell Allen blowing it apart with Sun Ra on 'Second Star to the Right'. Great performance.

:bwallace2: (I was looking for the one with the smilie rolling around with laughter). At the risk of being inflammatory, ...I should be so lucky. I've never really warmed to either player, and am absolutely sickened (and dismayed) by the idolatry of these players by my contemporaries who are at music colleges.

My two-penny'th on the groups: Group A Germany Poland in that order, although it seems to me that it could be tight. Neither Costa Rica nor Ecuador are anyone's mugs, especially on their respective days. Group B England Sweden although I couldn't say in which order. Perhaps Sweden to nudge it, on account that England are prone to play out dull 1-1 draws with teams such as Paraguay. Group C Argentina Ivory Coast Netherlands Serbia-Montenegro This group is a NASTY one, as we've all identified. A betting man would have to say Argentina and NL, probably in that order. But a slightly risk-averse betting man probably wouldn't go near this group without very attractive odds. Group D Mexico Portugal I would have thought these two are fairly nailed-on, although Iran aren't bad on their day (I haven't seen them in a while, that said). Group E Italy Ghana Czech Republic United States VERY tough, again, and no two qualifiers would surprise me - with the possible exception that Italy are, after all, ITALY, and should get through. Group F Brazil Australia Well, the winner is surely not in doubt from this group. But I think the Socceroos have to fancy it. Sure, they could have picked a nicer top seed, but any team with any ambition has to like their chances against a jaded Croatia side, and the admittedly decent, but not world-beating, Japanese. Group G France Togo Switzerland South Korea France, even playing poorly, would surely make it. That said, we all know what the Koreans can do, and any team who can battle (I use the word intentionally...) past the Turks to qualify can't be bad, even if the Turks haven't really got it together recently. Togo are a complete unknown to me. Group H Spain Tunisia Ukraine Saudi Arabia Spain will get through. And then, as we all know, blow it. But that's for a later stage in this thread... Tough between Tunisia and Ukraine. Tunisia should do it, and I'd go with them. An interesting draw, all told. Bring on the summer!

...and it wouldn't be a major tournament if England didn't get Poland at some stage!

Thanks. An interesting, entertaining, and above all (especially as a European!) humbling test!

Can't stop to write - in a real rush - but if you mean the London quintet recording, I haven't heard it, but was there, and it's stunning stuff. I think I scribbled some more extensive remarks somewhere or other in this thread on the days after the gig (November 2004, iirc!)

I'm a big fan of 'Barrage' on ESP, with Dewey Johnson, Marshall Allen, Eddie Gomez and Milford Graves.

Fun! I like the politics of it (not quite as good as Eurovision though)...For example, I think Mexico fell through a crack between North and Central America...

The ones where we are playing to 'the listening public' who by this point in time are so distanced from the era of 'the standard' that most of them wouldn't know 'All the Things You Are' from Anthony Braxton's 'Composition 110A (+108B + 69J)'. Rodgers & Hart are as foreign to most general agudiences as just about anything you can play. So... why not push the envelope a litte? I know what you mean about AATYA, but...

I guess football is like jazz in the sense that it invites nostalgia... I wonder if PLM's comments pertained more to seeding? I think as we discussed above, past record IS relevant to World Cup seeding: hence the strong likelihood of France getting a top tier draw. You can have Togo in the sweepstake then BTW, I have an ambivalent relationship to football nostalgia. I love the old films of the Magical Magyars, the 1970 Brazilians etc. etc. - but here in the UK, football nostalgia is usually so bound up in the most horrific parochialism and nationalism that you can count me out, by and large.

I listened to the other Melis one today - 'Free to Dance'. What a line-up: Lester Bowie, Enrico Rava, George Lewis, Gary Valente, Don Pullen, Melis, Fred Hopkins, Don Moye, Sheila Jordan and Jeanne Lee. I loved this when I first heard it, and still enjoy it, but think that maybe with a cast like that, Melis could have done a little more? I dunno...Nice record all the same!

#2258. Is it possible to wear CDs out? Sound -

Not even for a while? In any case, a great player! Too right about Berlusconi.

Am I allowed to show my club biases by throwing Gianfranco Zola in as a name? Almost criminal to leave it at Baresi and Maldini. I think maybe throw in the other two - Costacurta, and, probably more significantly, Desailly, as well! And, in the best possible spirit as an avowedly anti-United man myself, Barthez's performances for the Reds are, I would suggest, a good reason to like him! Going back a bit - what about Gento? And I take it Gordon Banks will be a reserve goalie? p.s. count me in as a Baggio fan.

Some nice electric piano on Sun Ra's Lanquidity as well!

Let's club together and buy them some kit. What a team this could be! Effective though he was, I might lobby for Mr Matthaus to be replaced. And I suggest Mr Mourinho as our manager