BeBop

Two meaningless thoughts: Back when I was trying to make a living in sports, I went from very small crowds (family and friends) to bigger ones. But there were always fans of some sort. Otherwise, it felt like practice. I grew up in Oakland. I can remember riots in the streets when the Raiders won or lost. I can't recall the Silver and Black Nation bringing riots to the games. Perhaps just a timing thing, with just 8 or so home games a year. Or my bad memory. Either way, glad to hear Baltimore was relaively peaceful overnight and that CNN's screaming headline today "Beyond Chaos" - 100 choppers, 7,000 people, and 24 hours to get out: The largest helicopter airlift in history... referred to Saigon, 40 years ago. (I hate CNN.) I'm dangerously close to straying into politics. Enough from me.

I don't know/care anything about sports. but I find this fascinating. (From CNN) Wednesday afternoon's game between the Orioles and Chicago White Sox in Baltimore will be closed to the public, the Orioles have announced. The unprecedented action follows the postponements of Monday's and Tuesday's games against the White Sox until May 28 amid unrest in Baltimore. Major League Baseball believes this is the first time that a game has been closed to the public, a league source says.

Happy birthday

Lowe is 93 today. I'm pulling out a couple of recordings he did with Bird ("Live at Rockland Palace" and "Bird is Free" - same date overlapping). Not many people left who recorded with Bird. Happy Birthday, Mundell Lowe.

For this moment, I'll appreciate what he left us without worrying about "how?".

Belated best wishes

Recorded interview so no call-in questions. 8:00AM California time. I learned a lot from Chris, founder of Arhoolie Records. Roots, Blues, Cajun, West Coast. He's certainly a guy I look up to. (Small joke there.). Nice, "giving" guy too.

When I think (jazz; improvised not composed) melody, I think Lester Willis Young.

I'm personally rooting for nos. 1, 3 and 5. And 6.

No kidding about Ken Peplowski (?) I met him in Eugene, OR when we got snowed in. Same night he was playing, Ernie Watts was playing. I'd been listening to a Ken Peplowski recording that was disappointing (not all are), so I opted for Ernie Watts. No regrets, but maybe I should have caught him live. Seemed like a nice enough guy in the Hilton lobby. Good luck with your projects - some or all.

As a kid, I loved this guy. I still have a couple of his LPs. Thanks for the laughs, Mr. Freberg.

Bagatelle's is great for digging. But, since I can't buy, I like Fingerprints for easy browsing, including a small selection of intersting books...like this one. And Fingerprints is open late and even has some nice "parties". Bagatelle would have made a nice picture for this book.

I've been traveling now, mostly 365 days a year) for almost 30 years. From 1985 until a couple of years ago, I spent every free moment in local record stores. Probably 500 different stores and 160 new-to-me stores a year, worldwide. I picked this book up off the shelves at Fingerprints (Long Beach, CA) yesterday. It was like a little heart attack. Pictures of stores I haven't seen in years, but remember like yesterday. Beloved stores. I couldn't buy the book - someday - so I haven't read it and can't comment on non-photo content. Worth checking out.

My old guitarist was the only person I knew who drank Schaefer (in California). RIP, Pierre.

Just what I was thinking. A few from Wikipedia: Dorothy Ashby, American jazz harpist and composer Geri Allen, American post bop jazz pianist Sean Anderson aka Big Sean; hip-hop artist signed to Kanye West's Label (G.O.O.D. Music) Kenny Burrell, American jazz guitarist Ellen Burstyn, Won Academy Award for Best Actress in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Alice Hyatt, Tony Award Winner, Emmy Award Winner, Golden Globe Award Winner (did not graduate) Donald Byrd, American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter Regina Carter, American jazz violinist Ron Carter, American jazz double-bassist Paul Chambers, American jazz bassist Alice Coltrane, was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, composer, and the wife of John Coltrane. Muriel Costa-Greenspon, was an American mezzo-soprano who had a lengthy career at the New York City Opera between 1963 and 1993. Jerald Daemyon, American electric jazz violinist, composer and producer known for bringing technical refinement to violin improvisation Delores Ivory Davis, was internationally recognized for her performances in opera, oratorio, and performances with the Springfield (Mass.) Symphony, St. Paul Symphony, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Elizabeth Elkin Weiss, 1925-, a noted pioneer of radio serials and early television in Detroit, Elizabeth Weiss née Elkin became known for her chameleon-like voice performances. In 2014, she returned to the stage in a production of Brundibár at the Detroit Opera House. Also a highly skilled painter, Weiss majored in Commercial Art at Cass Tech. Carole Gist, 1990 Miss USA, first African American woman to win the Miss USA title Wardell Gray, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods. David Alan Grier, actor, comedian J. C. Heard,[36] was a United States swing, bop, and blues drummer. Major Holley, was an American jazz upright bassist. Ali Jackson (musician), American jazz drummer. Philip Johnson American Actor, leading role in the Lifetime Original Movie, America Ella Joyce, American actress Roland Hayes Lawrence, Musician/Songwriter, Social Activist Hugh Lawson (jazz pianist),[36] was one of many talented Detroit jazz pianists of the 1950s Donyale Luna, was a model, cover girl and actress. Howard McGhee, was one of the first bebop jazz trumpeters, together with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. Al McKibbon,[36] was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz. Billy Mitchell (jazz musician),[36] was an American jazz tenor saxophonist best known for his work with Woody Herman when he replaced Gene Ammons in his band. Kenya Moore, 1993 Miss USA Naima Mora, American fashion model, America's Next Top Model Winner (4th Season) J. Moss aka James Moss, grammy award winning, American gospel singer-songwriter, composer, arranger, and record producer Greg Phillinganes, (1974) session keyboardist Della Reese, comedian, actress, later famous for playing Tess, the leading role on the television show Touched by an Angel Frank Rosolino,[37] was an American jazz trombonist. Diana Ross, singer, actress-Graduated 1962, one full semester ahead of her classmates. Ross' major as listed in the Cass Tech Triangle Yearbook was "Home economics." Ross studied costume design as her curriculum path. 2007 Kennedy Center Honors recipient. Donald Sinta, is an American classical saxophonist, educator, and administrator. In 1969 he was the first elected chair of the World Saxophone Congress. Cornelius Smith Jr., actor, 2010 NAACP Image Award winner for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series Lucky Thompson,[36] was a United States jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist. Lily Tomlin, comedian, actress. 2014 Kennedy Center Honors recipient. Winner of two Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, 5 Emmy Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award. Jack White, acclaimed musician and member of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather.[38] Gerald Wilson, influential Jazz trumpeter, Big Band leader and composer.

Sadly, not much reporting on Africa, and no Central Asia. Africans have a great variety of local/national beers...wait, not great variety...one national beer per country in a few different "flavors" (or absences thereof), but that's still 53 countries. SAB has bought up a few, and Guiness is still big business throughout much of the SubSaharan continent. I wonder why the map doesn't have much reporting. Beer is surely big business in Africa, and growing, as opposed to parts of the world where it's shrinking, craft brew faddishness aside.

Anyone remember this pop group? Hot stuff...for a hot minute.

Anyone know anything about Jayn Pettingill as a possible inheritor to the Parlocha thing? He seemed to be grooming her as successor? http://jaynpettingill.com/ I'm in Los Angeles this week. Parlocha programs still run on KKJZ here. Perhaps not surprising, since his programs used to run something like 8 or 10 hours a day, in the past. Big programming gap to fill. His stuff was the only thing I could listen to on KKJZ (at least during the hours I could be listening). David Benoit?

Quality absolutely remains a mixed-bag. But even in 1960 we had "Lady Sings the Blues" I'd have to concede that I'm a poor judge of whether or not we live in an era of great jazz. I'm not able to buy current recordings*, and I know that what I hear on the radio isn't indicative of anything. Concerts I can attend are so hit-or-miss that I wouldn't extrapolate. Books have become "where I get my jollies". * I travel perpetually; my computer allows neither downloading nor streaming.

I just finished biographies of Herbie Nichols and Richard Twardzik (both good, by the way). Between those two, yet another fictional treatment of Wardell Gray's mysterious death. Not long ago, a fourth and fifth Bud Powell biography (unless I've lost count). I find it hard to imagine these being published before the age of self-publication/vanity press/short run books. I'm really enjoying this. Jazz is, of course, just one beneficiary. I've got other interests in the non-fiction, niche realm. Long term, I've got two books I'm working on but won't finish until after I retire (and it's likely I'll only finis one). Neither is likely to be commercially viable. E-books aside, I feel like I'm living in a golden age.

You're still a youngster. Still a spring chicken! Have a great one, Rooster_Ties!

Art was a really good friend of mine, 30+ years. Many great hours/days/years spent listening to "beboppers" at his home and from the portable turntable in the back of this his panel truck at the Berkeley Flea. Sadly, he passed away last November 29th at 85 (I believe). He never seemed anywhere near that old - in body, mind or spirit. RIP, Art.

Rick Ballard ruined my life. Okay, I'm kidding. But, back in the 70s/early 80s, two things happened: (1) I was a broke and (2) Rick Ballard Imports became a tremendous source for imported LPs. All those little gold labels still in my collection. Once he opened his first retail place in industrial Oakland, I'd drop by and he'd have a list of recordings recently obtained with "my name on it". I've gotten over it and still visit when I get to the Bay Area. Great guy. Similar but (way) different: RIP Tom Madden, another Bay Area jazz retail legend.

I'd met him as an "intern" at KJAZ and through mutual friendships with James Moody. For the past 15 years, traveling constantly and working 100-hour weeks, I was a frequent all-night listener, if he was broadcast in the area. I'm glad I had the opportunity to thank him on a recent visit to Alameda.