Patrick

Lon, is jazz now a "job"?

1. Anyone have info regarding expected release dates for these? 2. Is this a good point of entry for Muhal? I own none of his recordings (at least as leader). Have read a few enthusiastic reviews for Blu Blu Blu, but have not successfully tracked it down.

Pittsburgh remains misspelled.

Arguably an upgrade from the dynamic Aaron Cunningham. Nice to see Tribe beat Verlander, but they are not going anywhere, despite the trade for Ubaldo which supposedly imbued a sense of "urgency". Maybe Carmona/Hernandez will surprise in a few weeks. Not holding breath.

you've lost that lovin' feelin'...

Indians did not sweep Angels. Weaver beat Ubaldo 3-0 in the series opener. Happy for the Tribe overachieving, but it's been with a lot of smoke and mirrors--Damon, Duncan, Kotchman, and Cunningham manning first base and left field is just atrocious. Is there a less useful combo for those two (easy to fill) positions starting for a team with much promise for success? [This is not equivalent to having Paul Sorrento play first when the lineup included Belle, Lofton, Ramirez, Thome, Murray, Alomar Jr, etc. by a long shot] Absent the back end of the bullpen (Pistano and Perez) which has been exemplary, the pitching is also fairly dreadful. A few good players/stories including Justin Masterson (despite the record) and Jason Kipnis (should have made the All-Star team), but not enough to succeed outside the dreadful AL Central. I think the Tigers get rolling fairly soon. In Cleveland, hopefully the mirrors remain shiny...

It never made sense for Thome to return to the National League, even to rejoin father figure Charlie Manuel.

Yep. That was the documentary title.

While channel surfing a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across an interesting documentary about the making of Graceland on A&E. The doc includes footage from back in the day (including at some recording sessions) as well as Paul returning to South Africa 25 years later, meeting various musicians, visiting with anti-apartheid activists. Includes some footage/discussion of Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela. The film ends with bits and pieces of a reunion performance. Agreed that concerns about Paul's actions seem a bit silly now. I also pull that album out on occasion. Before a big exam in grad school (...way back in the day), I would sing along with "I Know What I Know" before heading out to take the test (i.e. it is now officially time to stop worrying about the material). Bouncy beat put a smile on my face (at least temporarily). I purchased the ordinary CD as part of a largish order from CDNow (remember them?). Don't think I need anything more.

The first baseball card set that I built (via 10 cent and 25 cent packs at the drugstore and grocery) was the 1976 Topps set. Pedro Borbon was the last card I needed for that one. Stalked that card for a long time--lot of cardboard-tasting gum consumed along the way.

Sad news. Great player. Fun to watch. I'll confess to annoying my spouse by often saying "Ow!" when Junior got recognized for a good play. Are there really 8 members of the 1994 Chargers that are no longer with us? Anyone know the other names? That is shocking. 1994 was not that long ago.

I've never previously considered attending, figuring (perhaps incorrectly) that it was largely about vinyl and/or collectables--two categories that I'm not too interested in. I checked the website and saw that two nearby shops were participating, and that one of them featured an in-store performance by the one and only Colin Hay, former frontman of Men at Work. After thinking about it for a bit, I decided it was raining and a tad bit cold out for April in DC, so I stayed home and worked on a tall stack of unopened previous purchases (including a few items from said independent shops).

Perfect game in Chicago (on the South Side). Pitcher appeared to get bailed out a bit on the last pitch of the game.

...and Don Cornelius

And Omar Vizquel made the Blue Jays roster at age 44.

Caught the first set of the Cookers at the Kennedy Center last night, and spoke to David for a few minutes afterward. Victor Lewis subbed for Billy Hart who had other commitments. They played Capra Black, Sweet Rita Suite Part 2, Croquet Ballet, Temptations (new composition by Cecil McBee), perhaps another tune, and closed with The Core. Great ensemble playing by a bunch of all-stars. They are headed to Europe (details at David's website) for a few weeks before hitting the studio.

Fun set. Good crowd there. Gotta ask, are beards de rigueur for Richmond jazzers (...at least among men)?

Chucho Valdes and the Afro-Cuban Messengers last night at George Mason University. Fun set that included a nice version of "Birdland" (...which I do not recall hearing played live since I played it in high school marching band in the early 80's).

Heading over momentarily. Which musician is Impossible's brother?

Yes, these have been a great addition to the holiday mix for awhile. Anyone got suggestions for artwork to attach to the "album" of organissimo holiday tunes?

Nicholas Payton was the guest on the November 4 podcast of Jason Crane's The Jazz Session. Social media and Bitches, among other things, are discussed. The podcast includes some (slightly) longer musical excerpts. I don't think I'll be tracking it down, but probably more interesting/useful than another Louis tribute album. And when you're done with that podcast (...perhaps before you even start it), click on the Wadada Leo Smith podcast from September.

I'm looking to purchase a few Criterion blu-rays for Christmas gifts (perhaps Kurosawa or Kubrick). Any tips on where they can be purchased most affordably? I've looked a bit at the big e-tailers and am wondering if there are any smaller specialty shops that offer better pricing. Thanks for any tips.

Thanks for posting that. He's an excellent writer; I admire his big ears and and his analyses. I enjoy his writing more than his playing. I just told my wife that this afternoon. Another thank-you for the link. The story about Iverson's confusion when playing "Blue in Green" with Haden and Motian is priceless. I happened to catch Ethan's "Do the Math" trio with Corcoran Holt (b) and Steve Williams (d) on the day before Thanksgiving. I had not heard the news of Paul's passing until Ethan mentioned it just before a moving solo performance of "Byablue" to close out his last set.

Is this Ascension tribute any worse than the Miles Davis Experience?

artwork for the trombonist on your gift list: bonerama