HutchFan

Thanks for the heads-up on this, Larry. I'll check it out.

Not necessarily perverse. But certainly ironic.

Bev, I hear you! Many people deny themselves all sorts of experience because they think certain types of music -- including jazz! -- are only for cognoscenti, people who have special training or abilities. That's a shame. People mistakenly think that it's an intellectual exercise, and that keeps them away. From my point of view, the best music -- whether it's classical or jazz or whatever -- is powerful because it's visceral and immediate and personal. It always speaks first and foremost to our feelings. It reminds me of a quote by Hermann Scherchen: "Music does not have to be understood. It has to be listened to."

I agree with both of you. I MUCH prefer Pepper's music from the latter part of his career.

Brahms - Piano works, Opp. 76, 116, 117 / Dmitri Alexeev (EMI Classics) Beautiful.

I was only eight years old in 1976, so I don't have many musical memories of my own at that point. But my father was a big music-lover back then. He'd come home from work, put a record on the turntable, ease into the couch, and listen. If he was home, music was always playing -- so I have vivid childhood memories of his music. Some of my dad's favorites were Santana, Steely Dan, the Allman Brothers Band, and Hall & Oates. (I didn't realize it at the time, but I first time I ever heard Wayne Shorter was on a Steely Dan record. And the first time I heard Joe Farrell was on Abandoned Luncheonette.) I do remember having a K-Tel LP of my own that included "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart and "Dreamboat Annie" by Heart. Still love those songs. Music aside, I associate '76 with Jimmy Carter. I guess that was inescapable, seeing as how I grew up in Georgia. I remember seeing his smiling peanut caricature EVERYWHERE. One family friend even had a smiling peanut on their toilet seat lid!

Sibelius - Complete Symphonies; Orchestra Works / Sir John Barbirolli, Hallé Orchestra Disc 1 - Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4

Best of luck to you in your new home, Allen.

I met Marc Cary once. He was a super-friendly guy, very gracious. Jimmy Owens was a trip. After playing his ass off in an after-hours jam session, he was nothing but smiles and laughter while hanging out afterwards. Dave Liebman is great too. Down to earth as could be.

Yes! Excellent pianist. I always enjoyed his work with Gerald Wilson's big band.

Good news. Thanks for the heads-up.

This Monterose record has been reissued in Japan. It came out just two days ago. See here. This Progressive reissue also caught my eye: Billy Hart, Walter Bishop, Jr., George Mraz - The Trio Anyone have any thoughts about these two records? I haven't heard either of them.

Wow. Great interview!

Yes!!! I really enjoy Lieb's take on "Lonely Woman" on this CD too:

Very cool! Thanks for the heads-up, Jeff. I'm not certain that I'll be able to make it -- May 21 is my wife's birthday -- but I'm going to try to be there.

Franz Schubert - Complete Songs, Vol. 21 / Edith Mathis (sop), Graham Johnson (p) (Hyperion) Lieder composed by Schubert during the years 1817 and 1818

Sorry again Ken. I just got my wires crossed. I'm not as young as I used to be, so I'm easily confused!!! BTW: The show in Athens was terrific. I'm excited that I get to see & hear them again tonight!

Hmm. I had a very different take on Dilsey's section. I wouldn't characterize it as Disney-like or Pollyannaish. After the unremitting bleakness of all that comes before, there's finally a character who recognizes that other people exist. All of the preceding characters live in a solipsistic world. Dilsey doesn't. Even though she's on the lowest rung of the social hierarchy, she's the only one who's admirable. Her hope in something greater may be foolish, but at least she's fighting for meaning. I think that gives her far more dimension and humanity than the others, all of whom are already defeated. Then again, one of my beefs with Faulkner is that all of his characters are close variations on the exact same character. They're all "Faulkner characters," rather than the myriad types of human beings that one recognizes in the world. For what it's worth...

For anyone who lives in or near Atlanta: The artists who will be performing at the Atlanta Jazz Festival have been announced. Looks like Benny Golson is the closer on Sunday night. The festival takes place in Piedmont Park. There's no cost to attend. The main site for the festival is here.

About 100 pages into this: The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty – by Caroline Alexander Picked this book up because I greatly enjoyed Alexander's The Endurance. Like that book, The Bounty is a very entertaining mixture of adventure and history.

Good deal, Ken. Maybe I'll see you there.

FYI to all who live in metro Atlanta: Dave Liebman's new group, Expansions, will be playing in Athens at Hendershot's Coffee House & Bar on Tuesday, 04/19. Details here. Two days later, on Thursday, 04/21, they'll be playing at the Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth. Details here. I will definitely be at the performance in Duluth. I may go to the show in Athens too, depending on my work schedule. I'm looking forward to hearing Lieb again.

That's a lovely remembrance, paul.

Out April 15 on the Intuition label: Looking forward to this.