BeBop

I'm BeBop. And I just turned... Wait, where was I?

I'm interested in CDs, not babies.

FLASHBACK! to my wasted youth, playing at Disneyland. Thanks for the clip. Damn glad I had a high speed line here.

Maybe the government has it blocked

Anyone else assume "C. Berry" was "Chu Berry"? (...and that the Chess part only referred to the Bo Diddley box?) Just wishful thinking here.

Looks like they got Justice department approval. http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080324/xm_sirius_antitrust.html

I've decided to put in a bid for the company. I assume I can apply that 30% off coupon...

Big Al, Anything left?!

From today's LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-...1,3088610.story

30% on one item, through 23 March. $10 minimum. http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/coupon3010non0320.htm

Stan gets my vote, based on one unhappy encounter.

Seems like there's a mix. For instance Yum and General Motors are broken out by brand (Cadillac, Taco Bell)

Complied satisfaction statistics for 44 industries. Some interesting stuff...if not surprising! Compare brands. Look at trends across time. Okay, I just like simple statistics. If you're a beer connoissuer, don't look at breweries. (Gotta wonder who's in the Other category) http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?option=co...8&Itemid=33

BBB - that's "Birthday Best from Bebop"

Jazz, with a bit of soul ANDREW S HUGHES Tribune Staff Writer 1033 words 29 February 2008 South Bend Tribune Michigan D1 English © 2008 South Bend Tribune. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All Rights Reserved. After he discovered a Jimmy Smith record in his father's collection, Jim Alfredson immersed himself in the soul-jazz organ trios of the '60s and taught himself to play from records by such organ trio leaders as Smith and Brother Jack McDuff. "In collecting all those records, I came to the realization that all of them are similar," he says. "There are subtle differences, but the genre has a lot of redundancy to it." When Alfredson, guitarist Joe Gloss and drummer Randy Marsh formed organissimo in 2000, they took that observation to heart. They wanted the Lansing-based trio, which performs Saturday at Trio's in South Bend, to be "different and not just do Jimmy Smith records." "I would probably describe it, obviously, as a jazz trio, but with more focus on composition than on soloing," Alfredson says by telephone from his home in Lansing, where he also plays organ in Root Doctor. "There's a lot of soloing, but we focus on composing and we definitely keep things funky. ... A lot of those groups were, 'State the head and solo and get out.' A lot of it was blues based and blues forms. Again, we've focused on composition, and also add a little more modern sensibility to it, and not just do shuffles and swing tunes all night." Although organissimo's music is firmly rooted in the harmonic structures of jazz, particularly in Gloss' melodic lead lines, Alfredson's Hammond B-3 organ reminds listeners of soul-jazz's blues base in their music, while Marsh's drumming keeps the rhythm varied in conjunction with Alfredson's playing. "Soul-jazz is fun music," Alfredson says, and he could be describing organissimo's music, even with the trio's innovations to the form. "It's not meant to be intellectual or heady. I wasn't alive at the time, but from what people have told me, the organ rooms all over the country were places people came to dance and drink and have a good time. ... It's just good-time music that makes you smile and tap your foot." Beyond jazz, organissimo's music contains enough elements of blues, soul, progressive rock and Latin music to entice even non- jazz fans to it. It helps, Alfredson says, that the three of them come from different musical backgrounds. Marsh listened to and played '60s British Invasion rock and, later, Jethro Tull and Frank Zappa before turning to traditional jazz for most of the last three decades. Gloss learned bluegrass first on guitar and later played heavy metal. "His approach to jazz, I don't want to say is intellectual, but it's on the other side of the jazz spectrum from the blues," Alfredson says. "I kind of consider myself as in the middle of those two. ... I come from a very blues and funk and soul background. That's what I came out of before I went into jazz." Since forming, organissimo has performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Detroit International Jazz Festival and the Tel-Aviv Jazz Festival, as well as numerous clubs from New York City to the Midwest. They've also self-released two albums, 2003's all-original "Waiting for the Boogaloo Sisters ..." and 2005's "This Is the Place," which includes a remarkable cover of Frank Zappa's "Peaches En Regalia" and the original "Brother Ray," a tribute to Ray Charles that perfectly captures the essence of Charles' musical voice, among other tunes. In addition to tunes from their first two albums and covers, organissimo will play some tunes slated for their third album, scheduled for a fall release, on Saturday at Trio's. "For some reason, a lot of them are based around Latin rhythms," Alfredson says. "I don't know why. It's what we've been into lately." The organist also will sing some songs, a facet of the band's playing that might crop up on the next or a subsequent album. "If we do, I'd like them to be originals, but when I write vocal tunes, I automatically associate them with Root Doctor," he says. "Maybe I need to get away from that." Root Doctor, a soul and R&B band that has given two invigorating performances in the last year at the Midway, both featuring transcendent solos by Alfredson on his organ, however, helps contribute to his playing in organissimo. "It really opened my eyes to the importance of connecting with an audience," he says about playing in Root Doctor. "I believe soul music is simple from a harmonic standpoint, but it isn't simple from a rhythmic standpoint. I think I bring that to the table with organissimo. I'm a very rhythmic musician." Alfredson also has been paying attention to Root Doctor's singer, Fred Cunningham, and applying his observations to his solos. "Blues and soul music have great melodies, and playing behind a vocalist as great as Fred has influenced my soloing because you want to get the vocal inflection into your playing if you can," he says but also claims he's not a "technical" player. "I don't play with proper technique. I just try to think like a vocalist as much as you can on an instrument like the organ. I'm not one of those guys who sits around and practices scales. I try to think of things lyrically." As for the band's name, they always spell it with lower-case lettering, more for "symmetry than anything," Alfredson says, "a little 'o' at the end and a little 'o' at the beginning." There's nothing little, however, about the band's sound or Alfredson's pleasure with its track record so far. "I'm pretty proud of the fact that it's going on eight years now, and we're still going strong," he says. "It's tough to keep jazz guys together for that long, but I think it's a testament to what we're trying to do. I don't think any of us thinks we're close to tapping it out."

BBC World on the shortwave. Can't stream the audio through my dial-up connection.

I'm a lucky boy. Few wishes: A Nostalgia label cassette of Earl Hines And a couple of 78s of Vernon Alley on Trilon (Any help out there?)

Happy! Birthday!

Happy birthday, Al!

Regardeless of time zone, 2:15 - 2:30AM. Virtually my whole adult life...after giving up music as a profession.

I know I was a straggler. I'll have to check this post to see when my join-up date was. But Happy Birthday anyway - 5 years, 5.374 years, 4.961 years...whatever.

A whopping 20% off anything, through 3/9. http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/coupon20non0306.htm

rest easy, they are not. Thanks. Some nice looking offerings at five bucks a piece. I can't claim to have ordered any. I don't actually "do" TV/video. Embarassing, I suppose, but I've never even seen a DVD played. 3. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Clark Terry Sextet, 1977'. (Titles: Minor Blues; Pennies from Heaven; Samba de Orfeu; God Bless the Child; Sweethearts on Parade; Donna Lee. Participating artists include Oscar Peterson, Ronnie Scott, Niels Pedersen, Joe Pass, Bobby Durham & Milt Jackson. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 60') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39064-9 | BRO Code: 136946 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 4. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis [saxophone], 1977'. (Titles: This Can't Be Love; I Wished on the Moon; The Breeze and I; Angel Eyes; Telegraph; Land of Dreams; Blue Lou. Participating artists include Oscar Peterson [piano], Ray Brown [bass] & Jimmie Smith [drums]. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 60') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39066-9 | BRO Code: 136945 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 5. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Mary Lou Williams, 1978'. (Titles: Over the Rainbow; Offertory Meditation; Tea for Two; Little Joe from Chicago; The Man I Love; What's Your Story Morning Glory; Honeysuckle Rose + Medley consisting of The Lord is Heavy, Fandangle, N.G. Blues, For the Figs, Baby Bear Boogie and Roll 'Em. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 65') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39053-9 | BRO Code: 136944 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 6. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Benny Carter, 1977'. (Titles: Three Little Words; In a Mellow Tone; Wave; Undecided; Body & Soul; On Green Dolphin Street; Here's That Rainy Day. Participating artists: Ray Bryant, Jimmie Smith & Niels Pedersen. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 55') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39051-9 | BRO Code: 136943 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 7. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Roy Eldridge, 1977'. (Titles: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea; Blues; I Surrender Dear; Dale's Wail; Perdido; Bye Bye Blackbird. Participating artists include Oscar Peterson [piano], Niels Pedersen [bass] & Bobby Durham [drums]. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 65') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39054-9 | BRO Code: 136942 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 8. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Oscar Peterson, Solo, 1977'. (Titles: I Wished on the Moon; Mirage; The More I See You; Indiana; At Long Last Love + Medley of Take the 'A' Train, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, In a Sentimental Mood, I'm Beginning to See the Light, Satin Doll, Lady of the Lavender Mist & Caravan. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 65') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39090-9 | BRO Code: 136941 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 9. ' Ray Charles Live'. (In concert with the Edmonton Symphony, 1981. Titles: Riding Thumb; Busted; Georgia on My Mind; Oh, What a Beautiful Morning; Some Enchanted Evening; Hit the Road, Jack; I Can't Stop Loving You; Take These Chains From My Heart; I Can See Clearly Now; What'd I Say?; America the Beautiful. Running time approx. 48') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39070-9 | BRO Code: 136940 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Nostalgia 10. ' Gary Burton [vibraphone] & Makoto Ozone [piano] Live at Montreux, 2002'. (Titles: Afro Blues; Bags' Groove; Hole in the Wall; Opus Half; Le Tombeau de Couperin; Sonata, K20; Excursions for Piano, Opus 20, Number 1; Opus 32, Prelude VIII; Milonga; Concerto in F; Bienvenidos Al Mundo. Playing time approx. 71') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Digital | Code: DVD 39122-9 | BRO Code: 136939 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 11. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1975'. (Titles: For You; Autumn Leaves; Sunday; If I Had You; I Never Knew. Performers include Benny Carter, Clark Terry, Zoot Sims, Roy Eldridge, Joe Pass, Tommy Flanagan and Bobby Durham. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 95') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39067-9 | BRO Code: 136938 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 12. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Dizzy Gillespie Sextet, 1977'. (Titles: Girl of My Dreams; Get Happy; Once in a While; But Beautiful; Here's That Rainy Day; The Champ; Here 'Tis. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 95') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39065-9 | BRO Code: 136937 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 13. ' Dizzy Gillespie and the United Nations Orchestra Live at the Royal Festival Hall, London'. (Other soloists include Slide Hampton, Paquito D'Rivera and Flora Purim. Titles include 'Manteca' and 'A Night in Tunisia'. Running time approx. 90') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 19004 | BRO Code: 136936 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 14. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Ray Bryant, 1977'. (Titles: Take the 'A' Train; Georgia on My Mind; Jungle Town Jubilee; If I Can Just Make It Into Heaven; Django; Blues No.6; Satin Doll; Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child; St. Louis Blues; Things Ain't What They Used To Be. Solo Concert. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 60') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39056-9 | BRO Code: 136935 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz 15. ' Norman Granz, Jazz in Montreux, Presents Tommy Flanagan Trio, 1977'. (Titles: Barbados; Heat Wave' Wood 'n You; Blue Bossa; Medley - Some Other Spring / Easy Living; Medley - Star Crossed Lovers / Jump for Joy. Includes interview with Nat Hentoff. Running time approx. 65') Add to cart | Price: $ 4.99 | Country: AMERICA | D/A code: Analogue | Code: DVD 39068-9 | BRO Code: 136934 | Label: EAGLE ROCK Genre: Jazz

I became interested in Sugar Chile after seeing a video (Snader Transcription, I think) he made alongside Basie and Billie. As much as I wanted to like him, or find some value in what he was doing, I couldn't. Amuse yourself with a bio instead. Here's a bio he might have written himself. http://www.answers.com/topic/frankie-sugar...=entertainment). No cigars and age misrepresntation (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0732630/bio) or prostitues.

Berkshire Record Outlet has re-stocked its jazz offerings, particularly videos. Nestled among the Andorran knock-offs (Definitive, Jazz Factory, Membran, Tim (?), et al), there are lots of CDs from Music and Arts and Leo. And the videos are from Idem and Eagle Rock. The Eagle Rock stuff includes a bunch of material that seems to come from the same Montreux concerts that gave us those red, white and Blue Pablo LPs bearing Norman Granz’s name, way back when. Nat Hentoff commentary on some. If Eagle Rock and Idem are “Andorran-type” outfits, I rescind the recommendation to check it out. CD prices are usually $2.99 – $5.99. Most of the videos seem to be $4.99- $7.99. Advance search will let you see all ‘jazz’ offerings. BRO is a reputable outfit. I don’t work or shill for them. Remember, income taxes are due next month (U.S.), so don’t overdo it.