Christiern

Gil has had this show, "Like It Is," on ABC-TV in NYC for over 30 years. He also plays piano, but not seriously.

I am finally watching this show. So far, only one performance: Nancy Wilson singing "God Bless the Child," accompanied by Ramsey Lewis. It was painful to listen to--one of the worst vocal performances I have ever heard from an established artist. I mean, it was horrible! Anyone else hear this--please comment. Now Moody is on--what a difference! Heard some more... Jon Hendricks was ok, but his aged voice does not really lend itself to the style, IMO. Paquito was good, as I expected him to be. George Wein should have played something, but he gave a good interview. The new singer, René Olstead (sp?) was quite good, but she didn't send shivers down my spine. Ramsey is always fine, but he was more in the role of accompanist here. All in all, I still think "legends" is a bit of a stretch and the show was unremarkable. Nancy Wilson did not do her career any good with her truly awful performance, and before Joe M dreams up some story about a feud between me and Wilson, let me say that I have never met her, never spoken to her over the phone, and--as I recall--never given her a bad review.

Check this show out, if you can--it's quite interesting 12:00 PM July 10 - NYC Channel 7

As a regular listener to Night Lights, I regard this as great news. Good luck with it, David. Chris

Grumpy old man is correct.

Yes, Lon, but we were talking about his music.

I wonder how Gunther Schiller is doing. McDonough, a true jerk who used to kiss John Hammond's ass, should have asked George about Schaap--that would have brought to life this pedestrian article.

But it's still not a Mac.

Some factory refurbished equipment comes with the same warranty that it carried as new. As Rostasi suggests, the $495 mini Mac is a good solution and a great, painless way to upgrade to a Mac. You could even install Virtual PC and run Windows on it, but it's hard to figure out why anyone would want to do that!

It's July 6, 2005, so ...

All I can say is that, as a New Yorker, I am glad my city was spared the ordeal (and expense).

Allen, I just realized that I have also been remiss. I recall hearing a distinct improvement, but will listen again to be more specific. Sorry to have taken so long--thanks for jarring my memory, Big Al. BTW, I, too, wish you could de-Schaap the whole CD. Somebody on the Hoffman board was complaining about his having "ruined" a reissue--why has it taken so long for people to discover (or bring up the fact) that his ears are clogged?

We have just spotted Schaap and, psychic me, I am telling him "That's the guy's gonna mess up your concert tapes."

When the "Dr. Rat" handle is followed by the clarification, "not really a doctor," I have to assume the "rat" part is real. I placed it in quotes in an act of kindness.

Come on Chris....look around, there is lots to celebrate!!!.......family, friends, some good jazz, baseball, hot dogs....apple pie!!! m- ← You're right, but I celebrate most of that on a daily basis...well, maybe not baseball... ...and, come to think of it, maybe not hot dogs and apple pie (though I love both)... ...then, too, not much family left.... ...but I have an abundance of true friends... and, yes, they are worth a chronic celebration!! BTW Also look forward to our country getting back on track.

I think Jimmy Yancey's "How Long" is a wonderful choice, but I think I would opt for Mozart's Requiem--Atheist though I am, the music is beautiful.

Thanks, Barak, but there is not much to celebrate until we rid our country of the White House riff-raff and get back on track. The founding fathers must have spun past the moon by now.

and he always has new things, doesn't he?

I have 5 Maxtors on 2 machines and no problems yet. I do, however, back up current projects at least twice a day, to my .Mac drive, which is probably in California, but could also--for all I know--be in Hackensack or Peoria.

Thanks for the compliment, montg.

It was the uninformed DJs that made me write WBGO off as a skippable spot on the dial.

I guess he doesn't like it when the fantasies are someone else's.

July 1, 2005 Luther Vandross, R&B Singer, Dies at 54 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on such hits as "Here and Now" and "Any Love" sold more than 25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide, died Friday. He was 54. Vandross died at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, N.J., said hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh. He did not release the cause of death. Since suffering a stroke in his Manhattan home on April 16, 2003, the R&B crooner stopped making public appearances -- but amazingly managed to continue his recording career. In 2004, he captured four Grammys as a sentimental favorite, including best song for the bittersweet "Dance With My Father." Vandross, who was still in a wheelchair at the time, delivered a videotaped thank you. "Remember, when I say goodbye it's never for long," said a weak-looking Vandross. "Because" -- he broke into his familiar hit -- "I believe in the power of love." Vandross also battled weight problems for years while suffering from diabetes and hypertension. He was arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeer of his generation. He made women swoon with his silky yet forceful tenor, which he often revved up like a motor engine before reaching his beautiful crescendos. Vandross was a four-time Grammy winner in the best male R&B performance category, taking home the trophy in 1990 for the single "Here and Now," in 1991 for his album "Power of Love," in 1996 for the track "Your Secret Love" and a last time for "Dance With My Father." The album, with its single of the same name, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts while Vandross remained hospitalized from his stroke. It was the first time a Vandross album had topped the charts in its first week of release. In 2005, he was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for a duet with Beyonce on "The Closer I Get To You." Vandross' sound was so unusual few tried to copy it; even fewer could. "I'm proud of that -- it's one of the things that I'm most proud of," he told The Associated Press in a 2001 interview. "I was never compared to anyone in terms of sound." Vandross' style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning. While many of his contemporaries and successors belted out tunes that were sexually charged and explicit, Vandross preferred soft pillow talk and songs that spoke to heartfelt emotions. "I'm more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it," he said. "You blatantly state stuff sometimes when you can't think of a a poetic way to say it." A career in music seemed predestined for the New York native; both his parents were singers, and his sister, Patricia, was part of a 1950s group called the Crests. But he happily toiled in the musical background for years before he would have his first hit. He wrote songs for projects as varied as a David Bowie album ("Fascination") and the Broadway musical "The Wiz" ("Everybody Rejoice (Brand New Day)"), sang backup for acts such as Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand, and even became a leading commercial jingle singer. Vandross credited singer Roberta Flack for prodding him to move into the spotlight after listening to one of his future hits, "Never Too Much." "She started crying," he recalled. "She said, `No, you're getting too comfortable (in the background). ... I'm going to introduce you to some people and get your career started."' Vandross' first big hit came as the lead vocalist for the group Change, with their 1980 hit, "The Glow of Love." That led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the disc "Never Too Much." The album, which contained his aching rendition of "A House is Not a Home," became an instant classic. Over the years, Vandross would emerge as the leading romantic singer of his generation, racking up one platinum album after another and charting several R&B hits, such as "Superstar," "Give Me The Reason" and "Love Won't Let Me Wait." Yet, while Vandross was a household name in the black community, he was frustrated by his failure to become a mainstream pop star. Indeed, it took Vandross until 1990 to score his first top 10 hit -- the wedding staple "Here & Now." "I just wanted more success. I didn't want to suddenly start wearing blond wigs to appeal to anyone," he told the AP. "This is the same voice that sang Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola, NBC 'proud as a peacock,' ... America, the world, has heard the voice, so there's no reason that that music shouldn't have gone the complete distance, I mean, to number one." Another frustration for Vandross was his lifelong battle with obesity. Health problems ran in his family, and Vandross struggled for years to control his waistline. When he first became a star, he was a hefty size; a few years later, he was almost skinny. His weight fluctuated so much that rumors swirled that he had more serious health problems than the hypertension and diabetes caused by his large frame. Vandross' two sisters and a brother died before him. The lifelong bachelor never had any children, but doted on his nieces and nephews. The entertainer said his busy lifestyle made marriage difficult; besides, it wasn't what he wanted.

Don't have details yet, I just heard this.

It purports to be a biography and a reader with little or no knowledge of Parker and the jazz scene might easily be fooled into believing that. This is how myths are started.