BeBop

I've got five Zunes, including one HD. Love 'em. Hold out for a better price, though, unless you're in a hurry. WalMart had 32GB HDs for $169 a couple of weeks ago. I paid $100 more, buying mine as a pre-release order. But no regrets.

40 percent off tomorrow, but, again, in-store only. For me, a book would be the greater temptation (than a CD, since their selection has long been pathetic.)

http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/50main20101124.html Hope this works. Posted with cell phone

Wait, this Friday (Black Friday) the special is Simon and Garfunkel. Can I start boycott on Saturday instead? And yesterday was Judas Priest! Where were you yesterday, man?!

Various listings from all over: Bank Club - 2025 E Charleston - Jazz - (702) 474-9262 BJ's Lounge - 218 E Tropicana - Jazz every Thursday 7pm - (702) 896-5854 Casbar Lounge at Sahara Hotel - 2535 Las Vegas Blvd S - Rotating live music of R&B, soul and jazz groups - (702) 737-2111 The Cellar Lounge - 3601 W Sahara - Live blues and jazz Thursday thru Sundays - (702) 362-6268 Firefly - 3900 Paradise Blvd. Ste A - Latin, Brazilian Jazz, Salsa, Latin House, 10:30pm nightly - (702) 369-3971 Jazz Lounge at Como's Steakhouse - Lake Las Vegas Resort MonteLago Village 10 Via Brianza - Live blues and jazz a few nights a week - (702) 567-9950 Jazzed Cafe - 8615 W Sahara Ave - Soft music by local quintets - (702) 233-2859 La Playa Lounge at Harrah's Hotel - 3475 Las Vegas Blvd S - A wide variety of bands performing Latin, jazz, pop and more - (702) 369-5000 Murphy's Pub - 3985 E Sunset Rd - Monday big bands, Tuesday open mike, Wednesday jazz, Thursday karaoke and weekend rock - (702) 458-5516 Napolean's Lounge at Paris Las Vegas Hotel - 3655 Las Vegas Blvd S - Live jazz, cigars and champagne - (702) 946-7000 Pepper's Lounge - 2929 E Desert Inn Rd - Big Band/Jazz - (702) 731-3234 Sunset Brewing Company - Sunset Station, 1301 W Sunset Rd, Henderson - Handcrafted beer, cigar bar and live jazz Wed thru Sat - (702) 547-7777 Capozzoli's Ristorante - 3353 S Maryland Pkwy - Open mike, big band and pop highlight this east side eatery - (702) 731-5311 Skinny Dugan's Pub - 4127 West Charleston - Various Depending on night life, Big Band, 50's, 60's - (702) 877-0522 Decent venue/concert list Green Valley Ranch ResortThe Lon Bronson All Star BandSecond and Fourth Thursday of the monthDoors open at 8pmAdmission is free Somewhat old new article Another A bit more from the Sun Ultimately, not much here, once you've weeded out the stale and misleading.

The pianist? Sure, she plays okay.

Rooster, Man, I found the coolest... Wait. I can't tell you. What happens in Vegas... Actually, I'm here twice a year for a week at a time. 99.7 percent work. City Center is the big thing now. Mostly not gambling. But still tourist-focused. (I visited for work.) The Downtown casino scene is always kind of a kick, if you take it for what it is. They try very hard - maybe too hard - the compete with the Strip, which benefits from constant "revitalization", while Downtown just plods along. Easy to convince yourself it's still 1966 walking around there. Yeah, '66. I spend my time - such as it is - in the suburbs. Not because there's anything going on in the area, but 'cause it's cheaper. Pretty much a continuous stip mall with all the same store you've got at home. If you're sadistic (or, in my case, masochistic), you can tour the new homes, reduced from $479,000 to $99,950. The cultural hub seems to be UNLV. Main campus is just a mile or so off the Strip. Theater, music events and such. There are about eleventeen free weekly (or monthly) newspapers, worth a quick peruse: Weekly, Seven, Citywise (?), David et cetera. That's probably where you'll fine something off-beat. Hey, I met Louis Bellson in an embroidery shop after seeing a notice in The Sun.

If they've got what you want in their 2,000 CD inventory, I think this is still a pretty good/better deal. What is this sale, 1.5 years old now?

I'm there, that is to say "here", now. The Southpoint is on the Strip - kinda... Waaaaay South of anything except the M Resort, which might as well be in another State. But anyway, the jazz website is http://www.vegasjazz.org. I haven't become aware of any big bands in the casinos (fond memories of Don Menza and Lon Bronson(?)). UNLV puts of jazz features from time to time. I saw a stale ad for a concert earlier this month that looked interesting (George Garzone or someone.) Walt Boenig has a big band I've seen advertised, but haven't heard. Another site http://www.jazzlasvegas.com announces Boney James, Keiko Matsui, Hiroshima, so you know where their ears are at. Big B's Records is gone, as are four of the six Record Citys that existed just a few years ago. There's a Zia on Eastern (branch of Phoenix-area chain) that has started getting a little inventory. KUNV 91.5 jazz radio. Not bad. Sorry, not much help. But not much to report either.

Donald Elfman Producer Nesuhi Ertegun Project Supervisor Arnold Fishkind Bass Peter Ind Bass Billy Bauer Guitar Lee Konitz Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor) Sal Mosca Piano Dick Scott Drums Kary's Trance (Konitz) 6:09 Everything Happens to Me (Adair, Dennis) 4:31 Sweet and Lovely (Arnheim, Lemare, Tobias) 4:03 Cork 'N' Bib (Konitz) 5:30 All of Me (Marks, Simons) 5:11 Star Eyes (DePaul, Raye) 5:22 Nesuhi's Instant (Ind) 5:09 (Back Home Again In) Indiana (Hanley, MacDonald) 5:18 ***** I'd forgotten this gem. Well, not "forgotten", but it was on an MP3 player I hadn't carried in many, many years (Creative Labs Nomad, an iPod predecessor, IIRC). Of all the wonderfulness on this album, I've got to start with Konitz's tenor playing. More than a dollop of Pres, but a heaping helping of Lee on top. More than once, I said to myself "Hey, he's quoting or paraphrasing one of MY favorite licks on this standard"...only to realize that I'd forgotten where I got it. And while I can't point to a specific example, Konitz's improvisations seem to draw both generally (tone, feeling, spirit) from Pres, but perhaps more literally in a few places. Mosca is just an understated master soloist and accompanist. I really like Ind too. (Side note: I've got - somewhere - a play-along LP with just Ind doing the backing. I'm not much on the MMO thing, but love this one. So, for now, this one's on "repeat".

Ending a three-week stay in New York City. After a rough start and a bit of rain, it's turned quite nice (aside from yesterday's mid-day wind storm). Rather hate to move on...to Las Vegas and St. George UT.

Sub Morgan for Hubbard, and the band becomes Indestructible!

I won't advance this group as my favorite Messengers - or even top five - but any love out there for "In This Korner" with: Dennis Irwin Valery Ponomarev David Schnitter Bobby Watson James Williams Maybe I'm just biased by having been there for the recording...or portions thereof.

Careful with the Mankunku: his output varied considerably over the years, becoming "poppish" at points. Look for the Yakhal'Inkomo album as one of the best.

I'm trying to be more extroverted (as the old joke goes) by staring at OTHER PEOPLE'S shoes.

Winston Mankunku Yakhal'Inkomo: Yakhal'Inkomo, Dedication, Doodlin', Bessie's Blues. Spring: Spring, Before the Rain and After, Look Up, The Birds, You Don't Know What Love Is. Mankunku Quartet: Winston "Mankunku" Ngozi: tenor saxophone; Lionel Pillay: piano; Agrippa Magwaza: bass; Early Mabuza: drums. Chris Schilder Quintet: Chris Schilder: piano; Winston "Maknunku" Ngozi: tenor saxophone; Garry Kriel: guitar; Phillip Schilder: bass; Gilbert Matthews: drums. One of my favorites. A bit of Shepp, some Trane and - listen for it - Tubby Hayes.

Many good iterations, but forced - gun to head - to pick one, it'd be 1954: Art Blakey Quintet: Art Blakey - drums Clifford Brown - trumpet Lou Donaldson - saxophone (alto) Curley Russell - bass Horace Silver - piano

I hope it's a great one!

Jazzbo's thinking aligns perfectly with mine. I really enjoy improvising over these changes, and it's usually with Pres' versions in mind. They'll leave you hearing the song in a new way.

Nothing very revelatory or deep, but... For a quarter century beginning in the mid-1970s, reedman and composer Henry Threadgill was a dominant force on the jazz and contemporary-classical music scenes. He led a variety of ensembles with increasingly idiosyncratic names like Air, the Henry Threadgill Sextett, the Very Very Circus, Make a Move and Zooid. These groups pushed the boundaries of both jazz and new music, yet they also trafficked in familiar elements like tangos, marches and fanfares. It was easy to become a Henry Threadgill fan without being a lover of jazz or new-music. continued

For anyone who hasn't seen it, AM New York is a free paper handed out on the street. It's mainly to get adverts into the hands of people who otherwise (1) get their news on the web, (2) don't read the news, and/or don't think the news has a positive monetary value. Seems to me - generalizing - that probably would be the iPod/younger generation.

Maintaining a CD (or vinyl) collection in New York City takes a special kind of person. We’ve got limited space in our apartments, moving it is a nightmare and finding a good record store has become quite a chore. But even in the age of digital downloads some remain dedicated to the round discs. We spoke with four New Yorkers about their devotion to the CD. Article

The idealized answer is a good recording of someone that you've heard live. Better yet, as Mr. Nessa suggests, a few recordings of varying density (solo piano, quartet, big band...) One recording that has always sounded "natural" to me is Getz/Gilberto. I know it well only in its LP form, so I can't speak for the CD.

Better late than never. Happy fog-bound, Chevelle-driving, beer-chugging, mall-hanging, South Valley birthday.