robviti

my apologies in advance: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseacti...d=769834745&n=2

i'm not sure there's anything sudden about it, nor do i think there's any real sense of satisfaction in the hearts of his family. here's my thinking: the incident occured a week ago. there has been an investigation that included eyewitness accounts. perhaps the family is just trying to come to grips with what must be a terribly difficult situation by focusing on their loved one who is clinging to life, rather than on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. i think i'll do the same and bow out of any further discussion, debate, or speculation. in no way is this meant as a criticism of anyone who has posted in this thread. it's just a personal decision.

There's also a quote from his agent, who said Ruiz was found with his Rolex watch, cash and credit cards still on him. So if it was an attack, it was a senseless one (not that any assault makes any real sense). I'm particularly saddened by the news because I was very much looking forward to seeing him perform in massachusetts just two weeks from now.

Hilton Ruiz’s injuries resulted from fall ‘It kind of looks like he tripped or fell’ says attorney Mary E. Howell Updated: 10:17 p.m. ET May 25, 2006 NEW ORLEANS - The injuries that left jazz pianist and composer Hilton Ruiz comatose in a New Orleans hospital were caused by a fall, not an attack, a representative for his family said Thursday. “It kind of looks like he tripped or fell, and fell down and hit the curb” face-first, attorney Mary E. Howell said. Ruiz’s agent earlier this week questioned whether the injuries could have been caused by an attack. But Howell and a police spokesman said, based on witness accounts, that Ruiz fell around 5 a.m. last Friday. Officials “are very comfortable that what happened is what was originally reported, which was that he was not a victim of a crime,” Howell said. “He suffered and had an accident. It was a tragic accident.” Ruiz, whose 54th birthday is May 29, has been comatose since he arrived at the hospital. His medical problems include not only the injuries but a heart attack suffered on the way. His agent, Joel Chriss, said Wednesday that Ruiz had a broken skull and many broken bones in his face, and also had a heart attack in the ambulance that picked him up on Bourbon Street. The lack of injuries elsewhere made doctors suspect that Ruiz’s injuries were not accidental, he said Wednesday. Capt. John Bryson, head of the department’s public information office, said earlier Thursday that because Ruiz was picked up on a medical call rather than as a crime victim, police could say only that he had fallen. “It’s horrible because it’s a tragic fall. And it happens,” he said. Ruiz, of Teaneck, N.J., has been described as one of the most versatile musicians in jazz, playing bop, Afro-Cuban, stride and many other styles. He came to New Orleans on Thursday with Marco Matute, a producer for the M27 World label, to shoot video to go along with a Hurricane Katrina benefit CD of New Orleans music, Howell said. © 2006 The Associated Press.

if for no other reason than i can't stand the new york daily news: Jazz pianist is in local hospital It's not known how he became injured Wednesday, May 24, 2006 By Bob Ussery Staff writer, The Times-Picayune Internationally known jazz pianist and composer Hilton Ruiz was in critical condition Tuesday night in the intensive care unit of East Jefferson General Hospital amid unconfirmed rumors he was injured on or near Bourbon Street. Ruiz's wife, Aida, said Tuesday her Manhattan-born husband, who lives in New Jersey, came to New Orleans on Thursday. She said she could not provide further details, but their daughter was preparing a news release. New Orleans police information officers said they were aware of Ruiz's condition only through the inquiries they received from news organizations. Police spokespersons Bambi Hall and Garry Flot said they were not immediately able to locate records of any incident involving Ruiz. Valerie Englade, spokeswoman for East Jefferson hospital, said confidentiality regulations prevented her from saying when he was admitted to the hospital. Aida Ruiz, who was at East Jefferson on Tuesday, said her husband is internationally renowned and has won numerous awards, including the Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to the community in 2002. "He is just loved by the world," she said. "People love the way he plays the piano." She said in addition to producing many successful instrumental records, her husband is a composer and arranger. She said he was a prodigy who played his first concert as a child on the piano at Carnegie Hall. In addition to Alfro-Cuban jazz, she said, Ruiz plays "every style you can think of: be-bop, boogie-woogie, blues." The Web site hiltonruizmusiccorporation.com said Ruiz has performed on more than 500 recordings, including 30 as leader. He has worked with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Dizzy Gillespie, Abbey Lincoln, David "Fathead" Newman, Chico Freeman, Bill Cosby, Marion Brown, Ray Barretto, Dave Valentin and Geovanni Hidalgo, the Web site said. He also composed music for movies.

thanks for the heads up, john. i took advantage of the "buy four, get three free" offer. btw, i also like your cd reviews on amazon.

And very small you are ...

joel dorn. 32 jazz. nuff said.

i usually get my criss cross cds from buy.com. 12.98, with free shipping on orders over $25. in addition, you can frequently find coupons online that bring the price down even lower.

while we're on the subject, let's not forget this offensive bit o' quackery:

thanks, but i need more than just speakers (cd/mp3, receiver, etc.).

right now, i have a small office that needs a new, inexpensive sound system (hopefully i'll be moving on in a few months to someplace bigger and better). i was wondering if anyone owns or has heard one of teac's ultra thin mini stereo systems. the current model is the MC-DX20B, which i found for under $120: and here's an earlier model, the CDX9. i can get a refurbished one for $90. i'm not looking for audiophile quality sound from such a small, inexpensive rig. on the other hand, i don't want something that sounds like crap. any thoughts?

not to detract from anderson's accomplishments, but he was only one of four men who played clarabell on televsion. the first was bob keeshan, who later went on to become captain kangaroo. then there was henry mclaughlin, who was replaced by bobby nickelson. anderson was the last to play the honking, seltzer-squirting clown.

you could use to lose a few posts, ya big fatty! I'm afraid of becoming a newbie. i think you'll probably need some of this stuff to become a newbie again.

you could use to lose a few posts, ya big fatty!

since this was available as a japanese import, perhaps mr. tanno can find you a copy. you can email him at hiroshi@earlyrecords.com.

follow this link to the amg listing for murphy's album midnight mood. this 1967 recording appears to have been reissued as an import in 1995. there are used copies available from some amazon marketplace sellers for under $9 here: amazon

I believe Griff appears on three tracks: Fair Weather, Hotel 49, & Blue Thoughts.

i've been enjoying the "young pianists orgy" during the past few days. it ends at 1pm est today.

i know mark and jazzkrow are in nyc this week, but how about you other guys that attended the symphony hall concert? how was it?

i guess this one is a true "hard-to-find" item. this was my second unsuccessful attempt to find a copy of this title on the board and on the net. so, i thought i'd let you all to know that i received a cdr of this recording from jack wilkins himself. what a great guy, and a great guitar player!

i hope someone gives him the opportunity to record the big band. i've seen them perform twice in the past year or so, and i'd love to hear a well-rehearsed recording that brings out the intricacies of his wonderful compositions and arrangements.

recently, i've been enjoying the 24bit remasters of some great black lion titles that were reissued on the 1201 music label a few years ago. many of these reissues are available from cybermusicsurplus.com, the clearance site for music distributed by allegro. currently, they cost only $5.50 each, with free shipping on orders over $50. here are some of the titles they have: stitt, sonny - autumn in new york gordon, dexter - body and soul chaloff, serge - fable of mable webster, ben - gone with the wind sun ra janus konitz, lee - lee konitz at storyville pettiford, oscar - montmartre blues sims, zoot/brookmeyer, bob - morning fun byas, don - night in tunisia, a gray, wardell - one for prez smith, willie "the lion" - pork and beans green, grant - reaching out brand, dollar - reflections bechet, sidney - sidney bechet at storyville sun ra - standards grappelli, stephane - stardust art ensemble of chicago - the spiritual webster, ben - there is no greater love hines, earl - tour de force

i usually refrain from commenting on things psychiatric on the board because everyone has their own opinion, and my clinical expertise is not what's usually needed. however, your statements are so blatantly wrong and offensive to individuals who are dealing with major mental illness, that i felt the need/right to respond. this will be my last post on the subject, so here it goes: simplify? narrow categorization? i don't see how clarifying an incorrect diagnosis does that. your label of biploar disorder is no broader or more complex. and an attack on the field of psychology and psychiatry is just a play to the crowd. why don't you tell it to tom crusie. i'm sure he'll listen. no, i'm not bipolar. for that matter, i'm not schizophrenic or agoraphobic, and i'm not a survivor of incest or a host of other experiences that can contribute to emotional disturbance. yet that hasn't prevented me from correctly diagnosing, and in many cases, successfully treating people who are/have, with empathy. prozac and other ssri's are antidepressants. although they are often (but not always) used in treating bipolar disorder, they are prescribed in conjunction with a mood stabilizer. again, complaining about the excessive use of a medication has no place in our disagreement. by the way are you a scientologist? that might explain your ranting. harrell took the drug stelazine for many years after his first psychotic break around the age of 18 (a very common experience for those who later become schizophrenic). then he switched to zyprexa. several years ago, he started taking seroquel. these are all antipsychotic medications, the first line of defense in treating the main symptoms of schizophrenia. it would not surprise me to learn that he also takes an antidepressant, as many people with a severe, chronic mental illness develop depressive features. i have seen no evidence that he takes a mood stabilizer, which would indicate that he experiences labile mood states (the hallmark of bipolar disorder). btw, someone with severe mania might sometimes be prescribed an antipsychotic agent in conjunction with a mood stabilizer, but never alone. congratulations! you must be quite proud of the fact that you can properly diagnosis a complex, chronic mental illness by simply watching someone on stage. i guess i'm a dolt. i had to go to college, graduate school, and spent 20 years in the field to achieve the same level of success as you. all sarcasm aside, i have no doubt you feel a great amount of care and respect for tom harrell. that's obvious by the passionate language you use in your argument. perhaps you felt my correction was a personal attack against him, or even against yourself. if that's so, i'm sorry. that was not my intention. however, your insistence that "most people with this condition accomplish nothing with their lives" is more disrespectful than anything i might have said. finally, if you still feel you're right and i'm wrong on this subject, why don't you do a google search. harrell's schizophrenia is well-documented. if you do a similar search using the key words "tom harrell" and "bipolar," i believe you will get nothing that supports your claim.