Christiern

When one looks at the footage (I was up during the night and saw live helicopter shots) it is, literally, too horrendous for words. How can one adequately express the feelings that go out to the victims? One can't. Good to hear that our fellow O members fared relatively well. I hope Hiroshi has had good news from his family.

Many years ago, Stereo Review, sent me an album by Catina Savina (I think that was the name) for review. I had never heard of this singer, but she had interesting accompaniment, a mixture of greatness and mediocrity. The rhythm section was in the former category, two reed players in the latter, as was Ms. Savina—she would not have passed an American Idol audition. The liner notes (I wish I had them to share) spoke glowingly of this truly dreadful singer, and explained that a couple of the accompanying musicians could not be identified "for contractual reasons". A search through the Music Minus One discography confirmed my suspicion. She was singing to a MMO album, they added the two hopeless reed players, and two members of the rhythm section were not identified because they were no longer among the living! Rather than follow my first inclination and ignore this fraud, I decided to expose it.

Jazz singing, as such, goes beyond surrounding yourself with jazz musicians and enjoying a rapport with their music. Tony Bennett was never a jazz singer, as I heard him, but he was very compatible. People often mistake a certain "hipness" for jazz. Sinatra vas very hip and he obviously felt at ease with the music, having performed with jazz players since his Dorsey days, but I see him and Bennett more as suitable for jazz framing rather than as actual jazz artists.

Tony Bennett was never a singer I know of no one at his level of fame and recognition who is as accessible to the fan in the street. He really seems to know that he owes the public as much, or more, as he does the industry pushers. Similarly, I know that I have just posted two inordinately awkward sentences.

Garbo would have loved this mall.

There was much criticism of these recordings—pandering to base instincts, depraved beyond good taste, etc. That said, aren't we glad Norman staged and captured there performances? I have loved them since my dear, departed friend, Bent Håndstad filled the air of his little Copenhagen record shop with that orgiastic sound—and that was over sixty years ago. Nat King Cole and Les Paul playing tag still lingers in my memory.

Allan is right about Yanow. This is a guy whose goal in life is to listen to every jazz recording ever made. Well, he must be pursuing that goal, because his shallow bios don't reflect any serious listening—they are full of ridiculous misinformation, much of which proves that he does not even check the liner notes. Yanow is an extension of the late Leslie Gourse and he has pushed his way into every nook and cranny of the internet. When I Google and see his byline, I just move on. All Music Guide has always been unreliable, because so much of is data is computer generated and not checked. At least I think so. For example, I don't recall producing any of the Hot Five sessions—please correct me if I'm wrong.

This is to request for your permition to pay your allocation fund of us$10.5 million dollars to mess Helen Moore, who came from all the way from Taxas, in united state of America claiming that you ordered her to claim the fund, Dr Sanusi Lamido Central Bank Governor. As we would have said in the Denmark of my youth: Dr. Lamido did not invent hot water.

All Music Guide has Scott Yanow. That is never good.

This was without a doubt the worst Oscar show I have seen. The two hosts were awful. I sat through the whole thing, waiting in vain for a memorable moment. Fortunately, I was at my computer, working, so it was not a total waste of time.

Got this one today: Dear Customer: What is going on? We have been waiting for you since I hope all is with you and your family? I am Dr. Anthony Martins from Diamond Bank Plc Forgeign Manager and am contacting you regarding your unpaid inherited fund transaction that you make attempt to receive before, I know you are afford of scam that is going on in Nigeria? Please call me with this number +23470-3340-5522 if you need my help for your fund transfer. Thanks Anthony Martins What he needs is English lessons.

It was produced by Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews for one of the supermarkets (A&P?). We had tons of them in a closet at Riverside. I could have taken a set home (with permission), but I didn't. I had already bought them—big spender that I am.

I second Chuck's recommendations—absolutely great stuff, Some of the keynotes and the Kansas City sides were records I had to replace, because they had begun to sound like Prez's hat spinning at 78rpm.

Ravi raved—long before anyone else did.

Sol wanted so much to be Benny—and, sometimes, he almost was.

My review of the 2011 Grammy show is on my blog.

I have a friend who put his Marcel Marceau boxed set on e-bay. They snapped it up!

I cancelled my NARAS membership many years ago, when I first became aware of its fraudulent ways. The rules have probably changed since then, but I think anyone employed in the industry is eligible for membership, a fact that give large companies a decided advantage. Everyone can vote in the main categories and—or so it was, at least—had a choice of 3 or 4 specialty categories: liner notes, cover art, engineering by an amputee, etc. The only jazz committees I was aware of (because I served on the NYC one) was the group of about 5 who went through the submissions and weeded out inappropriate ones (genre-wise). The rest would go on to the list of nominees, to be narrowed down by member in the first round of voting (allegedly and, perhaps, actually).

Corrected. Thanks for pointing that out.

I know this has been around for a long time, but I have just put it up on my blog and, just in case someone here is interested, here is a link to it.

Murray is an old fool who used to be a young fool. If someone questioned a black performer's ability to render Mozart, Bach, or Berg, he would sing a different tune. True, there are many whites who don't get it when it comes to capturing in a performance the essence of jazz/blues, just as there are whites who play chopin like an automaton. Murray's pet, Wynton, has a problem with music, as a whole, but that has nothing todo with his blood ancestry and everything to do with his seeming inability to convey honest emotion. Basic stuff.

Tom, I don't know what sparked the animosity between Crouch and Murray, but it was flashing neon at Ira's party. Crouch is an opportunist, so I guess the flow took him in a different direction. It would be interesting to hear what happened. I picture poor Wynton, hype in head, standing at that fork in the road.

To reiterate, isn't that what Savoy CD reissues (Arista?) were a few years back?

Never mind, I just Googled. Isn't that, basically, what the Savoys were?

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a mini LP?