Christiern

Thanks, Allen. A factual John Hammond biography would be very interesting, perhaps even shocking. Someone came to interview me for just such a book, but that was 2 or 3 years ago, so I'm not holding my breath.

EKE BBB, I had forgotten about Chilton's book on Hawkins. I have now put it on my list of bios to acquire. John Chilton is not a sloppy researcher, so I have high expectations. I hope he managed to straighten out some of the wild inconsistencies in Hawkins' own telling of his story. Sorry for having added him to my list. Allen, I guess you are talking about Chip Defa. No, I have not read his chapter on Sam Wooding. I knew Sam and Rae (Harrison, his singer-turned-wife) quite well. She was the official record keeper in the family, and I understand that all her notes are at the Schomburg. Great stories, a very colorful and unusual life. Did you know that Clifford Brown was in Sam's class when he taught music in Delaware? Sam told me that Clifford was good, but there was also a better student! Where can I find Chip's chapter?

Some candidates: Sam Wooding King Oliver Don Redman Coleman Hawkins Valaida Snow (there is a recent one, but it is seriously flawed) Lonnie Johnson Billie Holiday (several books out, but none comes close) Lionel Hampton (the one that's available is a cut-and-paste job) Mary Lou Williams (the real story)

It's all "Melancholy Baby," isn't it?

I thought Dave Brubeck was Native-American.

Allen Lowe: "the way this is going, maybe we need to ask if there are any jazz musicians who AREN'T Jewish." Baby Dodds Dudley Fosdick Washboard Sam

Add to that list: Orrin Keepnews Leonard Feather

Lew Tabackin Dave Frishberg Lou Levy Steve Grossman Jeremy Steig Manny Klein Lou Stein Marty Grosz (not sure)

Well, Weizen, Goldstein was indeed a despicable low-life, but I don't believe he ever sent anyone to his/her death, nor do I think he ever robbed the poor to enhance the bank accounts of the rich, and he wasn't a chronic liar--in fact, one might say that he was a straight-shooter, eh Jim?. Frankly, I would rather see Goldstein eat the candy pants off a guest on his show than see an incompetent lightweight appointed to the highest office in the land.

John Hammond never missed a copy of Screw. Known for carrying several Newspapers under his arm (NY Times always being the most visible), he often had Goldstein's paper tucked inside. Once, when coming to work, someone called his name in the lobby of the CBS (Blackrock) building. John turned around and stuck out his hand for a shake--in the process, the papers slid to the floor and there, for all to see, was Screw.

Phil, thank you for the illuminating link!

Whatever happened to the cinnamon bun that looked like Mother Teresa? Was it sold, or did someone eat it?

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN and MELISSA!

I just received a 2-CD set of Paul Whiteman's December 25, 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. Miff Mole is on it, as are Jack Teagarden and Artie Shaw.

RFP = Request For Proposal Show was produced in Trenton, NJ, shown on PBS (1972) Weekly half-hour in a club setting. Guests played and were awkwardly interviewed by me. They included the following and their groups: Larry Johnson (blues singer/guitarist), Ray Bryant, Jimmy Heath, Charles Mingus, Charlie McGhee, Bill Evans, Lonnie Liston Smith, Randy Weston, Roy Haynes, Clifford Jordan, Joe Lee Wilson, Rashied Ali, Ray Draper, Sam Wooding, Joe McPhee, Jeremy Steig, Bobbi Humphrey, Keno Duke, and Charles McPherson.Ted Curson, Irene Reid. Sidemen and vocalists included: George Coleman, Stanley Cowell, Bill Lee, Sheila Jordan, Tootie Heath, Clive Stevens, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Freddy Waits, Curtis Fuller, Bobby Jones, Kenny Barron, Mtume, Stu Williamson, Bu Pleasant, Louis Metcalfe, Jimmy Wright, Harold SMith, John Foster, Jimmy Shirley, Al Drears, Frank Strozier, Lee Scippers, Clifford Thornton, John Gilmore, Cecil McBee, Carlos Ward, Norman Connors, Marty Morel, Mike Kull, Eddie Gomez, Bob Cranshaw, Harold Mabern, Mickey Roker, Lonnie Hillyer, Leroy Williams, Harold Dodson, Sam Jones, Roy Brooks I was sick when the first show (Randy Weston) was scheduled for taping, so Dan Morgenstern subbed for me on that one.

Now that we have a thread devoted to present occupations, I thought it might be interesting to see what led to them. My first job (1948) was artist apprentice for Fona, a Danish chain of music stores. I successively (though not always successfully) morphed into: Artist (designing window displays) - Fona, Copenhagen, Denmark Desk clerk - U.S. Air Base, Keflavik, Iceland Announcer, disc jockey - U.S. Armed Forces Radio Service, Keflavik, Iceland TV News and weather person - U.S. Armed Forces Radio Service, Keflavik, Iceland Store salesman - Record dept. at Doubleday on 5th Avenue (Christmas relief), NYC Producer/Writer - WCAU Radio (CBS), Philadelphia, PA Jazz DJ - WHAT-FM, Philadelphia, PA Producer/writer (liner notes) - Riverside Records, NYC Producer/writer/and a dozen other titles - Prestige Records, Bergenfield, NJ Autograph signer for Benny Goodman (really!) Mail room worker - Current Magazine, NYC Continuity Director - WNEW Radio, NYC Announcer/producer - WBAI-FM, NYC General Manager - WBAI-FM, NYC Producer/Programme Director - BBC Radio, London/Hartwest Productions, New York Freelance writer/record producer - NYC Freelance graphics designer - NYC Plus various asides, including: Operator of "Storyville Club" - Copenhagen, Denmark Jazz show presenter - Danish Radio, Copenhagen, Denmark TV host/co-producer ("The Jazz Set") Artist (drawing roaches and things for Yellow Pages display listings) - Philly area Preparing text and art work for Early Childhood RFPs Translating and converting to a data base 18th century Danish slave tax records from St. Croix. Reason for edit: Remembered a couple of jobs I had left out.

If the amount is the total of pledges, they will probably realize a substantially smaller figure. 75% is considered success. I speak from experience.

Have you visited this one? Lots of good stuff there.

As has been pointed out in another thread (by something that calls itself "lp"), I am just a bitter old man who, presumably, keeps busy doing what bitter old men do. Let's see, that would be working on a new book, translating 250-year-old slave tax records from gothic Danish to digital data, writing he occasional liner note, interacting on a couple of jazz bulletin boards, preparing art work for early childhood RFPs, cataloging my 45 rpm collection (already took care of the cylinders), and setting up my blog. Did I leave anything out? Guess not, but one day I hope to find time to look back over my life and feed the seething bitterness that rages within me.

Wish he'd kept his day job.

Ratliff sometimes sounds like the Professor Irwin Corey of jazz. He does this sort of thing often. As I have said before, I think he is the most useless writer the NY Times has had covering jazz. I also think his sloppiness is symptomatic of a general downgrading of the NY Times entertainment coverage.

I love shows like Fibber McGee and Molly, and, of course, the Fred Allen Show. There was, however one that really stood out in my mind as being different from all the rest: Lum and Abner. I think it was quite advanced for its day.

Being chased away is one of her routines.

Didn't someone just name Yanow as being among the "most influential" jazz critics.

I didn't find the question offensive, just silly. If you have to ask..... ...besides, would you read posts differently if you knew the poster's ancestry? Have you not learned that all black people do not think alike any more than all whites, Arabs, Asians, etc. do. I repeat... silly question, IMO