White Lightning

Too many concerts to report from 2007. Many local groups, as well as many musicians from abroad. Some of the Int'l concerts (excluding the numerous excellent Israeli musicians who work in New York and play in Israel from time to time): Tel Aviv Jazz Festival (February): Organissimo, Matt Renzi, Stefano Bollani Jerusalem Jazz Festival (June): The Cookers, Slide Hampton's 4 Bone group, Antonio Hart, Al Foster Eilat Jazz Festival: Chris Potter's Underground, Sax Summit II (Lovano, Liebman, R.Coltrane), C.Herwig & B. Lynch - the Latin Side of Miles & Trane, Vienna Art Orchestra, Tomasz stanko Plus: Joe Lovano & John Abercrombie; Curtis Fuller & Jim Rotondi, Marty Ehrlich, Don Byron & Uri Caine, Abraham Burton, Peter Bernstein, Kirk Lightsey

GPS is really handy, especially when we travel abroad. The great thing about it, is the ability to turn it off, get lost on purpose, knowing it can easily get you un-lost anytime you want to. Getting lost is one of the best ways to experience a country, its culture and its people. On the other hand, using GPS when travelling from Jerusalem can be a risky business. A few days ago, a Jerusalemite was nearly lynched in Ramallah when his GPS chose this path to drive him from Jerusalem to some other Israeli town. Luckily for this guy, the PA police rescued him. GPS was destroyed with the car, though. Now that I think of it, this is another example of how getting lost using GPS is one of the best ways to experience a country, its culture and its people...

Best Live shows: January: Marty Erlich trio w/Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz & Mark Ferber @ the Opera House February: After some roller coaster, experiences, finally the 18th Tel Aviv Jazz festival to which I was the artistic director happened and got to meet Organissimo and hear them play. June: "The Cookers" w/Billy Harper, Craig Handy, Eddie henderson, David Weiss, George Cables, Cecil McBee & Gene Jackson - Twice, here in the Jerusalem Jazz Festival to which I was the musical advisor. August: Chris Potter Underground in the Eilat Jazz Festival

Jenin - Gilad Atzmon Al-Quds - Gilad Atzmon both from "Exile"

Everything on the Bethlehem label?

Gaza Strip - Lee Morgan

Not to be flip, but heck, it's hard not to own a few. They're everywhere! Exactly

RIP OP I was never a huge fan of OP, even though I own quite a few of his recordings. I always thought he sounded the same in every tune. But as a sideman he was great: Ella, Louis, Billie, Anita, Hawk, Pres, Ben Webster, Stuff Smith and so many others. He was a terrific accompanist. Our friend Bentsy turned me into buying "Exclusively for my friends" set. This set is the best OP in my collection as a leader. RIP mr. OP

I love this album. I have it in TOCJ format from May 2000 and the sound is good to my ears. Frank is not into pyrotechnics - like he was in later years, and I like that a lot.

Liebestraum - Liszt Mendelssohn's Spring Song - Mendelssohn Brahms...I Think - Brahms (Anyone knows what's the Brahms piece this is taken from?)

Pianist Siegfried Kessler died on January 2007. How could we forget Alice Coltrane??? No idea. She's sorely missed

A great musician, a true survivor. RIP.

Brass: Trumpets: Donald Ayler Herb Pomeroy Buddy Childers Bones: Paul Rutherford Tyrone Hill Reeds Michael Brecker Cecil Payne Mike Osborne Mario Rivera Tony Scott Rhythm Piano/Keys: Andrew Hill Jack Wilson Joe Zawinul Sal Mosca Bass/Violin: Art Davis Johnny Frigo Leroy Jenkins Drums/Percussion: Max Roach "Patato" Valdez Joe ``Habad`` Texidor Danny Barcelona A great heavenly orchestra! R.I.P.

Happy Birthday, David!

There's something about the Bari that draws such "best-of" contest. No one in his right mind would try to determine who's the best tenor or alto saxist, who's the best trumpeter. No one with his right mind will try to decide who's best - Fatha Hines, Bud Powell or Cecil Taylor. I can understand comparing Adams with Brignola, Cuber and Smulyan. They play in the same genre, more or less. But what's the point in the Gullin-Pepper comparison? Apples and oranges.

That's easy:

Happy Hanukkah!!

Very, very sad news. I'm totally bummed out now. I didn't post much, especially last year, but I'm here a lot, reading, chatting etc. Thank you, Jim, for the great-great ride. I truly hope this board will not cease to be on Jan 1st, but I'll understand if it will. What can I say, this small web-communitte of ours has become my favorite virtual pub. It's hard for me to imagine what it will be like should Jim will shit this place down. Nevertheless. happy Hanukkah everyone!!

I'm spinning this CD for the 2nd time and I enjoy it immensely. Escoffery is a real talent. I'm sure we'll a lot hear from him in the near future. The sidemen are smoking as well - J.Lock and L.Nash are SWINGING!!

Yeah, yeah, I'm familiar with many of the names you guys namedropped so affluently... But I'm still not convinced... What Drummers are "Superstars" these days? Which of the "Jazz-Celebs" are Drummers? In the age of Jazz-Celebs of Marsalis, Lovano, Brecker, Holland, Metheney and their likes, the drummers are missing. Why the lineage of Drummers who were celebs like Buddy Rich, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, etc... is no more? (You may continue throwing rocks at me now... )

Back in the 60s and 70s (and even before) some of the best groups were led by drummers. There were "Celebs-Drummers" in Rock and Fusion - not anymore. When I talked with Curtis Fuller a year ago he told me that bone players couldn't lead combos back in the 50s and 60s. "All the combos were led by drummers", he said. Mr. Fuller is of course exagurating a bit, but today things are completely different: There are many combos led by hotn players, Pianists and even Bassists, but there are few led by drummers. So why did the drummers gone out of the limelight?

Happy belated BDay BF!!

RIP. He was much loved in this house. I will spin some of his Delmarkd today.

A nice test! IQ: 118 428,521 points. Got only to level 11