Milestones

So "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" is timeless?

Don Cheadle was the right man to play Miles, but this thing was just so silly--and without seeming to have a sense of humor. I had low expectations, but still found it to really bad.

I found the film absurd and horrendous. I could not agree more with Dick Gregory. What the hell audience did they expect to reach? I believe this movie cost less than half-a-million to make. And Don Cheadle needed to put white boy Ewan McGregor in this thing? Couldn't Cheadle have found a couple of million just from what he earned in the Oceans Eleven movies?

The fact is, actors and singers can now be truly immortal.

Right on, Scott, for your highly reasonable posts. Language is by nature flexible, and too many people have gone with a literal and limiting view of the word "timeless."

I guess it would be better to remove "timeless," as this is a term suggestive of infinity. Maybe we should think in terms of "multi-generational"--that the music survives/endures over 3 or 4 generations and many decades. Thus you have many fans, singers, musicians who continue to keep alive the likes of Miles, Trane, Sinatra, Hendrix, etc. Certainly one has to feel that the works of Shakespeare and Mozart, having survived for centuries, will not be vanishing any time soon. Some 20th Century artists may have the same lasting power.

Realistically, I think part of it is seeing/hearing the greatness of something that was created before you were born. That way you remove the aspect of "I heard this when it came out" and "I associate this with my childhood or adolescence." Thus you have Mozart. Thus you have (in my case) some of the work of Miles Davis--for example, Kind of Blue came out shortly before I was born. But in the end it's complicated, and as I've said views will differ.

I'm sure we could go all day on the issue of "timeless." For me, several tunes by Yes are timeless. Sure, neither the group nor its best songs are not as timeless as The Beatles or Dylan or The Stones or The Who. I am quite certain that timeless song/compositions exist in every genre of music.

I never had much Yes in my collection, and only album (so far) in my digital collection. It's a group I had largely forgotten, but I can see value in re-exploring their best work. Was it a group of its time? Is there a certain timeless quality? Opinions will vary.

I'm thinking we have more King Crimson fans around here.

Any thoughts on Yes, since they are in the news for being elected into the Rock Hall of Fame? I was a fan of Yes before I was into jazz, and maybe those long pieces with frenzied solos helped set me up to be a jazz lover a few years later. Clearly many members of Yes love jazz--witness Bill Bruford's extensive work in the field. Steve Howe seems pretty deep into it as well, with several records that sound like a traditional guitar/organ/drums trio.

I had no idea about her. She sounds intriguing.

I've checked out samples and they sound good to these ears. I like the Stones a lot, yet I've never had a huge amount of their discography. I can see myself adding this one.

I think this is a tough one, since most jazz most jazz artists are so eclectic and open-minded that we are not terribly surprised by anything that they do. But I'd be willing to nominate Monk's swan song on Columbia: Monk's Blues. Definitely out of character in a bad way.

It's interesting that on The Opener he led off both sides 1 and 2 with ballads. That must be quite rare in Blue Note history.

He got off to a booming start, that's for sure.

He was sure on a lot of different labels, but then that was the case for most jazz players.

I'm wondering what people think of Curtis Fuller. Certainly he was a major of force on trombone a generation after J.J. (or more like half-generation). I find that I have decent amount of his work, though mainly as a sideman. He was often under-utilized, with only a brief spot, or sometimes not even a solo. Of course, he is great on the first Jazztet record, as well several encounters with Benny Golson. He was also a member of the Jazz Messengers for about four year, and I have a lot of those records. But I'm trying to hear him more as a solo artist, and to that end have just acquired The Opener and Soul Trombone--worthy records both.

I enjoyed it a lot. I'm a big Kenny Burrell fan, and it was cool to see him on this show. Tavis loves his music, including jazz, but getting Burrell on the show...I'm simply impressed. Kenny Burrell is all about taste in his person and music, yet he is also one the greatest blues players on the planet.

A fine actor. I liked him as Napoleon Solo (who wouldn't?), and he had some pretty memorable film roles (after Magnificent Seven I usually think of Bullitt). It's too bad he did't get a late-career, long-running, high-profile gig like McCallum as Ducky.

So Lou Donaldson is now 90. Jimmy Heath turned 90. Randy Weston turned 90. Aren't they all still active?

Monk.

Not to mention that Roth is now well past 80, and the Swedish Academy is unlikely to award another American within 10-15 years.

Maybe it's time to add a couple more Nobel categories--cinema and music. In music we could have had Miles, Trane, Ellington, etc. The literature prize has always been the odd one out among the Nobels. As for Dylan, I remember finding a book of his complete lyrics back in 1978. At the time I had not heard much Dylan, but I read through just about all those lyrics--and they were, for the most part, fascinating. As a songwriter/poet, they don't come any better than Bob.

This is a tough thing, and why not 10 instead of 5? My approach would be a top record by my all time favorites, so.... Blanton/Webster Band--Ellington Kind of Blues (or Milestones)--Miles Davis Brilliant Corners (or Monk's Music)--Monk Crescent--Coltrane Great Concert of Charlies Mingus w. Dolphy