BruceH

Probably 2not. Are you talking 2day or 2morrow? (Got to play some Wiley 2night.)

My impression is that his stuff was commercially successful for a time, but then that time passed and Esquivel was relegated to the pop-culture dust bin. Kind of a fad, in other words. I personally like his stuff, got a couple of CD's back in the day, but only listen to it in limited doses and at widely spaced intervals. I guess that much as I like the idea of Ellington-on-mescalin crossed with early Pere Ubu in the abstract, when I listen to it, the music (though fun as hell) can't ultimately shake the deadly clinging taint of "novelty music." (In other words, he's more Raymond Scott than Duke Ellington. Not that there's anything wrong with that....)

Congratulations Ed! Best wishes for a great future together.

Kind of Redundant

Can't think of any right now, but I'm sure there are some... Wait, A Wizard, A True Star wan't perfectly square, was it?

Dude, you are blowin' ma mind.

Mode For Joe, anyone?

It sprang immediately to my mind, too! (I was turned on to this great album by a tape cassette from Kalo in the 90's. Thanks pal! ) Also, it's probably been mentioned already (but deserves multiple mentions), the 1961 Benny Carter album Further Definitions with a four-saxophone frontline: Benny Carter & Phil Woods, altos; Coleman Hawkins & Charlie Rouse, tenors. The arrangements and playing are a wonderful melding of big-band and bop.

Going to a Japanese restaurant tonight. (Yum.)

I've got the same except for the gold CD. And frankly, I prefer the old LP with the uncorrected speed. That's the sound I've been used to since 1979. Ever since first hearing about this incorrect pitch question I've found it hard to believe that Miles Davis would let all those years go by without kicking up a big stink if the pitch was really such an important issue. But I had to have SOME digital version of the album, so I figured it might as well be one with the correct front cover. (Remember the earlier CD edition with the ugly Columbia masterworks blue-border and the 70's space-cadet photo of Davis inside the border? That was kind of like re-issuing Rubber Soul with a picture of Abbey Road-era Beatles on the cover. And, gee, it's only one of the most---some would say THE most---famous jazz albums of all time, so what the fuck, who'll notice?)

What happens if you play Kind of Blue and Costello's "Almost Blue" at the same time?

I agree. In fact, I saw both Phil Woods and Bud Shank live at Yoshi's 3 or 4 years ago and Phil was a little on the boring side while Bud was, well, on fire! Shank played with such energy and the audience responded in kind. It was amazing!

I am (as you probably know) in 100% agreement. I've long thought that the semi-inexplicable veneration of "Castle" was due to it winning a Hugo. Dick certainly wrote at least a dozen more interesting novels, but a relatively humdrum alternate history novel? The fans go wild! And, finally, a quiver of interest in "It Happened Here"----way to go Kalo!!! More than I've ever been able to inspire. (Apparently not enough alternate-history fans frequent the film thread.)

Finally saw it Sunday night. Well, it sure was long. The damn thing seemed to go on forever. And so....serious..... Say what you will, though, it was far, far better than any of the Burton Batman movies. Some points: 1) The "Batman low-voice" that Bale used was ludicrous. Half the time I couldn't understand him, the other half I marveled that he sounded like Clint Eastwood run through a sub-woofer or somedamnthing. I know this was started by that (quite excellent) Batman cartoon series from the early 90's, where the voice-actor did Batman's voice low and intimidating, and Bruce Wayne's light and friendly. THERE it was clever and worked. But what works on a cartoon often comes off silly in live action, and I thought it just didn't work here. 2) The action scenes were often pummeling and hard to follow, which was disappointing. 3) Nolan should have been docked 30% of his pay every time he used that fast "wrap-around" camera technique. That's where the camera revolves around the people it's filming. That went from annoying to revolting real fast. I agree with Lon and RDK that not enough attention has been given to the screenplay, particularly how well the Joker role was written. Yes, Ledger's performance was remarkable, but I was most impressed with the WRITING of the Joker character, which was spot-on. Nice, too, that they didn't give the Joker any backstory, thank God. Every time he says how he got "these scars" he tells a different story. Overall, though, probably the best "comic-book movie" yet.

Ah, the good old days.

Plus, making the husband a closeted gay guy seemed a bit much.

You are so right. And it's one of my favorite Charlie Rouse non-Monk sideman dates.

I've always really liked his work as sideman on the Duke Jordan album Flight To Jordan.

Who'd have thought, back in the 1970's, that Philip K. Dick would be so popular on the big screen? Back then, reading his novels and short stories was almost an underground thing.

Kind of too much.

Halle-frickin-lujah!!!!! They sure took their sweet time on that one.

My God, what terrible news. Very, very sorry to hear this. It's been a bad weekend. RIP

Sixteen RPM?

That the HELL? WAY too young to go! I wasn't a big fan either, but I also liked him in the Ocean's films. Too bad. RIP

Been watching Foyle's War lately, on DVD. Just finished the first season and started on the second. Great show. (My wife's really into it too.)