Christiern

Very dumb response from Hillary--it strengthens my decision to not give her another vote--a decision I made a long time ago, the first time she voted in support of Bush's war.

One does not have to live in the UK to watch UK TV, here's a link to TheTelly.net, a site that will bring any UK channel to your computer, for a small fee:

On another thread, I expressed my thoughts on Obama lacking experience and thus being less qualified for the job. Thought being that it is nonsense, because people with experience created the mess our country is in today. I made an analogy, pointing out that the earliest jazz musicians did not study classical music, the trumpet payers did not have tutors to tell them that a valve depressed to an intermediate position is wrong, that slurring notes is incorrect, etc. If everything had been done according to the book, would we have jazz? Anyway, my point was that sometimes ignorance can prove to be an advantage, it can make us fearlessly (and, perhaps, stupidly) attempt the allegedly impossible. Have you ever jumped into something that cooler minds would have advised you against, only to discover that it was the right thing to do? I hope to hear some stories and will start things of with one of my own. Fifty-five years ago (almost exactly), I was a new jazz fan, still living in Copenhagen. I worked (as an artist) for the country's largest chain of music stores, so--even on my meager salary--I was able to purchase, on an installment plan, B&O's first tape recorder model. Knowing absolutely nothing about unions and the inherent limits their rules, I naïvely thought I could freely record my favorite band, which happened to be Humphrey Lyttleton's, and happened to be in London. I wrote a letter to Humph, c/o Parlophone Records, telling him that I would be coming to London in March and that I wanted to record the band, as well as an interview--both for a Danish Radio broadcast. The broadcast was pure fantasy, I knew no one there, but I thought it might get my letter some serious consideration. I should add that I had no money saved up, but figured I might sell some of my records if need be. A few days later, I received a response from Lyn Dutton, Humph's manager (I had no idea that musicians had managers) and I guess it should have discouraged me, but I saw a ray of hope in "It can be discussed more fully..." so I sold records and bought a third class ticket to London via boat train and steamer. Here's the letter I received: That's how I got my very first interview (an embarrassing tape that I still have), and live recordings from Max's at 100 Oxford Street, where the band worked. Dutton invited me to lunch and they apparently liked this overly shy 22-year-old Danish guy, so Humph said, "Why don't you tape the band tonight and if someone asks, tell them it is for your own pleasure." No one asked and when I got back to Copenhagen, I sent the tape to the Danish Radio--it became my first radio show. Ah, ignorance! Now, let's hear your experience...

It is said that the State Dept. changed its mind and she will be at the Grammy Awards show.

On Thursday's "Tucker" on MSNBC, David Shuster, who was serving as guest-host of the program, made a comment about Chelsea Clinton and the Clinton campaign that was irresponsible and inappropriate. Shuster, who apologized this morning on MSNBC and will again this evening, has been suspended from appearing on all NBC News broadcasts, other than to make his apology. He has also extended an apology to the Clinton family. NBC News takes these matters seriously, and offers our sincere regrets to the Clintons for the remarks. Video and details here.

You are misreading me, again. If her music was better, as you say, it, rather than her lifestyle, might generate the publicity. Her lifestyle does not matter to me, per se, but no one wants to see another person destroy themselves, much less destroy artistry in the process.

I guess a place can be near something, yet remote in the sense that few people go there.

Comparing Winehouse to Miles, Getz, Trane, Mobley, Blakey, Sonny Clark, Warne Marsh, etc. does not make any sense. I think you have misunderstood some of the posts. Some of us don't hear a talent in this performer that can overcome the factors upon which this thread is based. If she did not have all these problems, I doubt very much if she would have become as well known as she apparently is. If she had anything remotely resembling the talent that the musicians you mentioned had, I could find the publicity valid, but I hear a messed-up performer trying too hard to sound "with it." We live in an age where "singers" often are that by definition rather than by any previously accepted meaning of the term. While I think Winehouse is better than most of the new crop, I feel that her talent--as recorded, so far--is not commensurate with the attention she attracts. Just so you know, hoots, I have never allowed an artist's lifestyle to influence my assessment of his/her performance, nor is that the case here, I just don't think Winehouse is an artist notable for her performances. I hope she does sober up and that manages to stay sober. I also hope she becomes a more interesting artist. Considering the very low standard to which NARAS has sunk in recent years, I hope you are not impressed by her Grammy nominations, so I assume that you really like her singing--I just don't. Dif'rent strokes....

jlhoots, please give us a list of addicted jazz artists who made recordings about not wanting to enter rehab.

You ought to check her out, if for no other reason than to be able to form an opinion. I think her apparent popularity reflects today's lowered standards. There was a time when an artist could rise to the top based in large part on his/her talent, today they either have to be super-hyped or strenuously bizarre to stand out. That's MHO.

One can be talented, yet over-rated.

Let's face it, Winehouse is as messed up as she is over-rated.

Thank you Aggie, I have waited a lifetime for this! Every time I see a cook book, I am reminded, and my heart sinks.

For some odd reason, I am still waking up every morning. Here's what greeted me today...

Debra: "I intend to get familiar with it as soon as possible, after reading the artists and songs on the cover!" I discovered that my own CD copy was among many that were stolen, so I looked, found, and ordered a "used-but-as-new" replacement from Amazon ($8.99). I appreciate the good words re "Apollo" in this thread.

Pianist Chris Anderson Dies at 81 Date: February 6, 2008 By: Jeff Tamarkin Pianist Chris Anderson, who played with Dinah Washington, Charlie Parker, Roland Kirk, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach and others, died on Feb. 4th from the effects of a stroke. He was 81. Anderson was born in Chicago on February 26, 1926. His lifelong fascination with harmony, sparked by movie scores, began well before the age of 10. He was already teaching himself to play on the family piano, so well indeed that he never took lessons, a clue to the startling originality of his harmonic ideas. Before Anderson finished high school, he was playing blues gigs in Southside bars. An after-high school job in a record store exposed him to Nat “King” Cole, Art Tatum and Duke Ellington; from then on, jazz was his music. After those first three great mentors, Anderson rarely listened to pianists. As he put it, “I’d be more interested in listening to an arranger than to a pianist. Gil Evans for example, or Nelson Riddle—they fascinated me. The things Riddle did for Sinatra knocked me out.” Consistent with his interest for harmony and arrangement, his classical listening favored the great impressionist orchestrators, Debussy and Ravel. By the time he was 18, he was playing piano for Leo Blevins, an influential Chicago guitarist who knew almost all the jazz stars. That year, due to Blevins, Anderson started playing with Sonny Stitt. Within two years, he was playing the famous Pershing Ballroom concerts with Charlie Parker and Howard McGhee; two of these have been preserved on record. He was 20, and due to steadily worsening cataracts, became completely blind. For the next 15 years as house pianist for several of Chicago’s best jazz clubs, Anderson played with a steady stream of the greats: Sonny Rollins, Clifford Brown, Gene Ammons, Max Roach, Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin, Roland Kirk. At the same time he was playing with and influencing a whole generation of young Chicago musicians, many of them destined for greatness. Among them were Wilbur Ware, Clifford Jordan, Von Freeman, Billy Wallace, George Coleman, Wilbur Campbell and Harold Maburn. Anderson said, “Heck, they influenced me as much as I influenced them.” In 1960, Herbie Hancock heard Chris Anderson play. He said, “Chris’ music has affected the core of my music very deeply. After hearing him play just once, I begged him to let me study with him. Chris Anderson is a master of harmony and sensitivity. I shall be forever indebted to him and his very special gift.” In 1961, Dinah Washington, having run through several piano players in the previous year, asked Anderson to tour with her. Despite Anderson’s brilliance as a singer’s accompanist, the musicians in Chicago were betting that he wouldn’t last two months with the evil-tempered Washington. Sure enough, in New York six weeks later, she fired him. Anderson decided to stay on and play in New York. His crippling bone condition limited his ability to work, though he appeared regularly as a soloist in Barry Harris’ annual concerts and made the most of the gigs he had at Bradley’s, the Village Vanguard, the Jazz Gallery and Smalls. Through these infrequent appearances his playing was able to influence a handful of younger musicians who were lucky enough to have seen or played with the master, including Ronnie Ben-Hur, Ari Roland and Jason Lindner. Anderson left a small but significant number of recordings. Plans are in the works to make an extensive collection of his music available for posterity.

I had a very strong feeling that it was not around 4 PM on Tuesday, January 4, 1983.

Sorry, I'm slow (again) today!

Here's a link to an old Anderson thread.

Sorry to report that Chris Anderson--an extraordinary, but too often overlooked pianist--passes away last Monday. I'll look for details.

How does that relate to this thread, Aggie?

That may have been a contractual problem, but other footage was also left out. I originally (1984) picked up a LaserDisc release in Tokyo--it runs 82 minutes. How does that compare with the length of your version, Durium?

Thanks, MG. The Moms Mabley/Pearl Bailey track was an unissued alternate on which they both are having great fun and break up. Ruby Smith (Walker) was Bessie's niece by marriage (the main source for my Bessie bio). You may wonder who Bobby Brown was; he was a very talented, somewhat eccentric, saxophonist who worked with Mingus, Abbey Lincoln, and others, but only made one album under his own name, an excellent one that was never released. I could not get Columbia to issue the entire album, so I decided to get at least one selection out, its inclusion justified (in my own mind) by the fact that Bobby had performed on the Apollo stage with several bands. BTW, marathon internet reviewer Yanow calls it a hodge-podge.

All the releases I have seen have been shortened--is this one complete?