Larry Kart

Although I prefer Goldstein's recording, Julie Steinberg's Sonatas etc. is quite good and is at Berkshire for $4.99: http://www2.broinc.com/search.php?row=0&am...p;submit=Search

Your next step probably should be Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano and the String Quartet. I have the Arditti's recording of the latter, though I have fond memories of the old original recording on a Columbia LP by the New Music String Quartet. I recommend the Sonatas and Interludes by Louis Goldstein, which at this point can only be obtained directly from Goldstein (at a reasonable price IIRC): louieg@wfu.edu In any case, avoid the Naxos recording by Boris Berman. Goldstein also made a to-die-for recording of Morton Feldman's Triadic Memories, coupled with Cage's One5, which I also got from Goldstein. Here's a review of it by Grant Chu Covell: John CAGE: One5. Morton FELDMAN: Triadic Memories. Louis Goldstein (piano). offseason productions 226 (2CDs: 65:12 + 68:59) This has got to be 2000’s best piano recording. These two discs had better garner prizes and commendations throughout the industry (we’re wild about it here at La Folia) or else Western Civilization is coming to an end. Everything comes together in this phenomenally well-recorded 2 CD set. The piano is so rich and so closely miked, and the piano’s tuning is superb (alas, the piano and the piano tuner isn’t credited). Louis Goldstein plays with such control and delicacy. There are slight sounds of Goldstein breathing and moving, but they remind us of the human aspect of performing. Each and every note unfolds as if it were the most important note in the whole piece, wonderfully articulated and well-placed. I find myself getting lost in the Feldman and wishing it would never end, savoring the resonance and reverb, and the repetitions of patterns and gestures. I need to be in the right mood to truly enjoy the Feldman as it’s much like savoring an eagerly anticipated delicacy. I will have no other recording of Triadic Memories in my collection, and several other recordings of 20th century piano music went out of the house after this one came in. This is also a set of discs that will shatter commonly held misconceptions about Cage and Feldman. Several people I know think Feldman was no more than an improviser and dabbler with graphic notation, or who think that Cage was all about silence and doing anything at all for the sake of music. These two are traditionally notated works (ok, the Cage is a little different) which performers must interpret and perform, just like any other work in the standard repertoire. These two seemingly simple works are expansive and engrossing. The Cage is just over twenty minutes, but the Feldman is a mammoth piece with precise large and small structural layers lasting over an hour and a half, requiring endurance and commitment for performer and listener. Large expanses in each of the works are single notes, and the Feldman is built from short gestures that repeat with slight modifications. Goldstein seems endlessly fascinated with the Feldman, and his playing is hypnotic as he explores the work’s wonders.

IIRC he's fine form on the Getz album "Nobody Else But Me," with Gary Burton and Joe Hunt.

I imprinted on "Shulie-a-Bop," encountered it at age 13 or so on a 1950s 12-inch EmArcy sampler that was among the first jazz records I owned. Can anyone tell me what was on the rest of that album? Charlie Ventura's "East of Suez" with Jackie and Roy is another track I can recall, and I think there was one from a Harry Carney-led, sax-section date on Keynote. Assuming, in my naivete, that I was listening to a reasonable cross section of the music, that sampler left me kind of pleasantly mixed up. I recall, in particular, how weird "East of Suez" seemed. Eventually I realized that it was supposed to sound weird, as in be-boppishly exotic, but at that point I had no musical or social frame of reference for it.

Sorry, the ""onomatopoetic or nonsense syllables" part I borrowed from Jazz Grove. Just thinking about the things that Sarah Vaughan comes up with on "Shulie-a-Bop" makes my knees feel watery. As for successful vocalese lyrics, I think Jefferson's here are just about perfect: MOODY'S MOOD FOR LOVE (He:) There I go, there I go, there I go There I go.. Pretty baby, you are the soul who snaps my control Such a funny thing but every time you’re near me I never can behave You give me a smile and then I’m wrapped up in your magic There’s music all around me, crazy music Music that keeps calling me so very close to you Turns me your slave Come and do with me any little thing you want to Anything baby, just let me get next to you Am I insane or do I really see heaven in your eyes? Bright as stars that shine up above you in the clear blue skies How I worry about you Just can’t live my life without you Baby come here, don’t have no fear Oh, is there a wonder why I’m really feeling in the mood for love? So tell me why stop to think About this weather, my dear? This little dream might fade away There I go talking out of my head again, oh baby Won’t you come and put our two hearts together? That would make me strong and brave Oh when we are one, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid If there’s a cloud up above us Go on and let it rain I’m sure our love together will endure a hurricane Oh my baby Won’t you please let me love you And give a relief from this awful misery? (She:) What is all this talk about loving me, my sweet? I am not afraid, not anymore, not like before Can’t you understand me? Now baby, please pull yourself together, do it soon My soul’s on fire, come on and take me I’ll be what you make me, my darling, my sweet (He:) Oh baby, you make me feel so good Let me take you by the hand Come let us visit out there In that new promised land Maybe there we can find A good place to use a loving state of mind I’m so tired of being without And never knowing what love’s about... James Moody, you can come on in man And you can blow now if you want to (Both:) We’re through. What could be a more perfect fit to the sound and emotional aura of Moody's solo than: "Am I insane or do I really see heaven in your eyes? Bright as stars that shine up above you in the clear blue skies"

Yes, but even though I like King Pleasure's famous 1949 hit recording of "Moody's Mood for Love" (which preceeds the one on the album above by about a decade), the hip, clever lyrics King Pleasure sings on MMFL are by Eddie Jefferson, who seems to have originated the whole vocalese concept back in 1940 by setting words to Coleman Hawkins' solo on "Body and Soul."

First sentence of Holden's review of L, H & R Redux: "At 86 the visionary musical sage John Hendricks, who along with Ella Fitzgerald and Eddie Jefferson originated the jazz style called vocalese -- the setting of swing and jazz instrumentals with playful scat lyrics -- is as voluble as ever." Vocalese and scat singing are two different things, no? In the former, words (newly invented) are set to recorded jazz instrumental improvisations (e.g. "Twisted," "Moody's Mood for Love," the L-H-R stuff). In the latter, onomatepoetic or nonsense syllables, not words, are used, and the singer, depending on his or her skill, improvises on the framework of the given song as much as an instrumentalist would. I would think, then, that no vocalese performance would have "scat lyrics" -- scat lyrics being an oxymoron anyway. Further, Ella of course did lots and lots of scat singing, but I don't recall a single vocalese recording from her; thus she could not have "originated the jazz style called vocalese," right? Or am I forgetting something? And even if I am, vocalese and scat singing are still two different things.

Kinda thought it might refer to your wife in some way; now I know it's homemade.

Now that you mention KAL, I don't know what LTB means.

I'm stoned -- what's your excuse?

Sorry, I screwed up and posted Hamelin's Sonata Reminiscenza twice. Here's the Gilels:

Swinging Swede, your gift for this scares me, as I may have said before. On the other hand, it is a genuine gift. Nobody else here has it. P.S. That Phil Woods cover is utterly bizarre, in its own quiet way. Lord, does he look uncomfortable. On the other hand, the Shank cover (William Claxton photo, I assume) is a period gem.

Hadn't planned on it to coincide with the Fourth, but I've been reading Stephen W. Sears' "Gettysburg" and thinking of necessity of what so many thousands of men on both sides gave up during those three days in July (1-3), 145 years ago. To encounter in detail what happened in that battle is almost more than mind and heart can bear. Sears' book is the best account of a battle I've ever read, alongside Richard Frank's "Guadalcanal."

Probably not: "Judge John Kinsella has a different background from the other candidates. His father painted houses for a living, and the judge worked in this business him- self while young. His legal career spans 25 years, working as a prosecutor with Jim Ryan and current States Attorney Joe Birkett. He held the post of Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division, among others." I sure do remember John Kinsella the swimmer. I went to New Trier H.S., which dominated the sport, along with Evanston, until Hinsdale came along: "John Pitann Kinsella (born August 26, 1952) was a standout at Illinois swimming powerhouse Hinsdale Central High School in the late 1960s. As a 16 year-old, he was the silver medalist in the 1500 meter freesyle at the 1968 Summer Olympics, finishing second to U.S. teammate Mike Burton. Kinsella was a member of the gold medal-winning 800 freestyle relay team at the 1972 Summer Olympics. In 1970 he was awarded the Amateur Athletic Union's James E. Sullivan Award for outstanding amateur athlete. In that same year he became the first person to swim 1,500 meters under 16 minutes. Kinsella, Mark Spitz and Gary Hall Sr. were part of James Counsilman's legendary team at Indiana University, which dominated men's college swimming in the early 1970s. Kinsella was the NCAA Division 1 champion in the 500 and 1650 freestyle events in 1971, 1972 and 1973. After college, Kinsella went on to swim professionally, setting a time record for swimming the English Channel. He is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Following his swimming career, Kinsella attended Harvard Business School, and joined RBC Dain Rauscher firm as an investment officer."

Medtner, in my experience, is about as performer-dependent as a worthwhile composer can be. For instance, in Marc-Andre Hamelin’s hands, Medtner’s Sonata Reminiscenza sounds like perfumed sludge (here's one of several YouTube examples of Hamelin massacring Medtner): The same piece from Emil Gilels, however, is a tragic drama: And here's Nairi Grigorian (different from Gilels, but she also gets it): Don't miss Maria Yudina’s Sonata Triad: or Benno Moisewitsch’s Sonata in G Minor Op. 22: Medtner’s own recordings of several of his works can be found on YouTube, but it sounds like 1947 (he was age 67) was a bit too late for him in the solo works, though not so, oddly enough, for the two piano concertos (of three). I’ll just link to the first movements of each, but all movements of both can be found on YouTube; the first movement of Concerto 2 is quite something, both as a composition and as a performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DViuq6yViyM...feature=related All my Medtner CDs are inaccessible to me right now, but I recall liking in particular Irina Ossipova’s Forgotten Melodies (Arte Nova) and a set of the Violin Sonatas by Alexander Shirinsky and Dmitri Galynin.

Not for you, I guess. I admit it's no thigh-slapper, but I find the combination of dryness and madness in this story (and the headline, too) irresistible.

Keep tuned, and we'll probably find out. BTW, Michael have you ever tried any Medtner? Speaking as a listener, not a player, he's a late-in-life favorite of mine.

Assuming that Mary Halverson is the guitarist in question, you're what sex again, Chauncey?

Dan and Chris: Obviously, your mileage does vary, but what I liked about the headline was its sound and rhythm -- especially "...STOLE PUPPY BLEW POT..." and the dying fall of "...[comma] POLICE SAY." As for the story itself -- yes, some stupid criminals do tickle my funny bone, and surely I'm not alone in this. First, the idea that this goof would think it was good idea to blow marijuana smoke into a dog's face. Second, this passage: "Lopez told Kinsella that 'the dog didn't pass out right away; he passed out later.' "'Is there a difference?' Kinsella asked." I mean, who thinks it's a mitigating factor that "the dog didn't pass out right away; he passed out later"? Further, I'm drawn to the sheer unlikeliness (to me) that someone who's dumb enough to think that saying this to the judge would be a good idea would actually do the necessary conceptual work beforehand -- that is, run through everything that occurred and select "The dog didn't pass out right away" as a potential point in his favor. No, I don't think I find animal abuse inherently amusing, but there is a sliding scale, as with human beings. For example (and no play on words intended), lots of people laugh when they see someone slip and fall, but those laughs are stifled should the fallen party be injured and in pain. In this case, if the dog weren't alive and OK now... Finally, it's that it's a two-pound Pomeranian. OK, Dan, you're right -- I'm an incipient sadist and am turning myself in before I do more harm.

TEEN WHO STOLE PUPPY BLEW POT SMOKE IN ITS FACE, POLICE SAY By Art Barnum | Tribune reporter 7:14 PM CDT, July 2, 2008 A Plainfield man who stole a $1,500 Pomeranian puppy and who blew marijuana smoke into its face until it passed out was sentenced Wednesday to 60 days in the DuPage County Jail. Judge John Kinsella also placed Emanuel Lopez, 19, on 30 months' probation and warned him that after he is released from jail, he will be subjected to frequent drug testing: "Bottom line is that you are a thief and we lock up thieves. Saying you were enticed is nothing more than an excuse. You're an adult." Lopez pleaded guilty in May to stealing the puppy on March 21 from a Petland store in Naperville. The dog was returned to the store three days later and has since been adopted. Prosecutors brought up the alleged abuse Wednesday as an aggravating factor in the theft. "The bottom rung of humanity abuses animals for their amusement," Kinsella told Lopez. "Anybody who abused animals for their own amusement has a problem." Assistant State's Atty. Mary Cronin said Lopez was asked to participate in the theft by two store employees. "One of the employees distracted the manager and the other made sure the coast was clear," Cronin said. Lopez stuffed the 2-pound puppy under his sweatshirt and walked out of the store, she said. Naperville Police Detective Richard Arsenault testified Wednesday that after stealing the dog, Lopez and some friends drove around the area, "blowing marijuana smoke in the dog's face until it passed out." Lopez told Kinsella that "the dog didn't pass out right away; he passed out later." "Is there a difference?" Kinsella asked. In seeking the 2-month sentence, Cronin noted Lopez has two previous theft convictions, for which he received court supervision. Cronin countered claims that Lopez was lured into the theft. "But no one enticed him to abuse the puppy," Cronin said. There's "no excuse for what he did to the puppy." One of the two former employees, Karlie Pellock, 19, of Plainfield pleaded guilty in April to theft and was placed on court supervision. The case against the other former employee, Anais Marquez, 19, also of Plainfield is pending.

Not so amusing back then. It did, however, allow Lenny Bruce to say right after the assasination of JFK: "Whew, Vaughn Meader." That's a Yiddishy "Whew," as in "Think about the poor man." It also reveals how often the basis of Lenny's thinking, even perhaps the real basis of what he actually felt, was to place or see everything at the level of showbiz at its greasiest. Meader, of course, played JFK on The First Family album, and what Lenny was saying, accurately as it turned out, was the Meader's career was, overnight, over.

That was on GNP, right? I used to have that one... The Fantasy, you say it was suppressed? Does that mean before or after it was on the market for a while? In other words, how difficult might it be to find a copy today? "Anyway ... Onward" was on Mercury. The later one on GNP was "Sing a Song of Watergate." IIRC, "Anyway ... Onward" was much better. The stuff about personal interactions between LBJ and Humphrey makes you believe that Sahl had to have been there in the White House on a visit that day, as he claims to have been, though the very convincing story he tells on "Sing a Song of Watergate" about interaction between JFK and himself on a plane full of reporters during a bout of very bad weather is in fact an adaptation or appropriation of an exchange between JFK and a reporter, not Sahl. "Mort Sahl at Sunset" was out for a minute or two before it was withdrawn. I assume it's hard to find and expensive. I have it on a cassette that a friend made for me.

Also, through an incredible piece of luck, a friend and I (both way underage) bullshitted our way into Mister Kelly's in (I think) 1959 and caught Lenny Bruce there in vintage form. The feeling of being in the same room with Bruce at work was something else -- like being in the same room with a ticking time-bomb. Lenny even made up or debuted a routine that night, the not-that-great one about Gov. Long of Louisiana and the stripper. One knew that was the case because the last key step in the real-life drama -- when Louisiana's state director of mental health had Long committed, and Long then fired the state director of mental health -- was in that morning's paper. Far more striking though was a dialogue of some lengtb that Bruce engaged in with a passing Mister Kelly's busboy. Don't recall the content of what passed between them, but it was clearly utterly real and spontaneous (you could tell by the busboy's initially deer-caught-in-headlights response, though he eventually stepped inside Lenny's irresitible vibe wholeheartedly), and further by the intense, what-the-hell-is-he doing? anxiety visible on whichever of the club's two owners, brothers George and Oscar Marienthal, happened to be there that night.

I once was going to write a book about so-called hip comedy, having written about comedy so often for the Chicago Tribune over the years and having interviewed virtually every still-living figure in the field, and went so far as to take a month off and write a sample chapter, about Mort Sahl. In the course of all this I discovered Sahl's first album, "Sahl at Sunset," which he had had suppressed because it was taped surreptitiously (at a 1955 concert at the Sunset Auditorium in Carmel that Brubeck and Sahl shared) by the Weiss brothers of Fantasy Records -- the Weisses, in addition to whatever financial shenanigans they may have engaged in here, infuriating Sahl because in order to get his whole set onto one LP they sped up the tape, so Mort's voice is noticebly more high-pitched and his delivery is even more manic that usual. In any case, IMO this is the Sahl record. The common complaint about him, unfair or not, is that Mort (as some feel was the case with George Carlin) could be clever, caustic, etc., but how often was he actually funny? Here he is -- explosively -- in part because much of the audience doesn't quite know who he is and/or what to expect from him, and Lord does he feed off of this. Terrific, too, in an utterly different way, is "Anyway ... Onward," which in part recounts Sahl's supposed visit to the LBJ White House in the latter days of that administration. The portrait of LBJ the tyrannical schoomzer in action is worthy of a very good political novel, and it's funny too.