JSngry

Congrats to Mr. Woods for being able to have a retirement on what appears to be his terms under conditions that appear to equally not be. That's its own kind of win, and in the grand scheme of things, perhaps the biggest triumph of all.

James P. Mister B. Matthew Gee

Phil Woods Jeremy Irons Putter Smith

Can't break that hundred.

I was content with it ending how it did.

John Birch Society John Betsch Society Society's Child

Narcos, a Netflix original "based on" Pablo Escobar and the US/Columbian govt interactions in and around all that. 10 episodes, Brenda started watching early this AM, by the time I woke up she was on, like Episode3 and we both decided to ride it all the way to the end in one sitting. Probably not a "great" show, but really well executed, imo. Plus, I tend to always get into those things where the gangster starts out doing bad for good reasons and then inevitably pivots into just doing bad, period, but still having that Righteous Indignation Card to play when it fits. The ongoing practical uses of a finer-tuned sense of what is what when it is are obvious. This is definitely one of those things, and oh, yeah, at one point, the Columbian president does chide the US's pique at them refusing the US's offer for "resources" to combat Escobar by pointing out that perhaps the US's resources might be better targeted domestically, since it is the exploding demand that is driving the exploding supply. Touche, check, and mate, although, you can't much make a series out of just that, can you.

Right, but...he was in Ayler's world before the impulse! period as well....I wonder if he would have written any sketches out for Ayler to use with his working bands, or for copyright purposes. That stuff is indeed based on sounds, but there's pitches in nearly all the heads, starting & arrival pitches. It can be transcribed using standard pitch and less standard rhythmic notation. Not sure what call (no pun intended) there would have been for that type of thing, though. Has anybody looked at Ayler's LOC copyright submissions? Are there any?

Geez, Ted, I hope you don't get some crappy re-channeled job, uh...did I promise that? The Kenton WSS was apparently a bit of a hit on release, think it won a Grammy? I know I've said a lot of harsh things about Kenton over the years, but I've come to a bit of a peace with him, and have come to appreciate, and even have some affection/enthusiasm for significantly more of his output than before. But this album ain't one of them. For my tastes, it's the definitive example of trying to make the source something other than what it is, and I don't think this is material that stands up to that. It's pretty much as "driving" and "exciting" in its original state as it can stand up to being. However, lest I be suspected of poop-stomping or some such, the Mellophonium Band period was a generally fruitful on for the Kenton Organization. Adventures In Jazz is a truly great one, and if you can get into that band's mathematically-precise concept on ballads (and I have come to enjoy it as being the thing that it is), so is Sophisticated Approach. And although I'm still not a "fan" of Johnny Richards at all, his Adventures In Time is sooooo loony and HUGE, and - key, perhaps, not really charged with a "theme" other than time signatures, it's either have you laughing out loud at the sheer audacity of it all, or running as far away as fast as you can. Laughing comes much easier to me than does running, so... For the same reasons as with Kenton's version, the famed Buddy Rich WSS medley has never been anything I look forward to hearing, and not just because it ends up in that long drum solo. I like that band a lot, and I can't help but love Buddy in an arm's (or three) length a manner, but again, too much of something that was already verging on too much is not gonna end up improving it. Just my opinion. I'm in the middle of a Brubeck revisit, and geez, that guy was just so quirky (I'm through looking for better words to describe him, and I say it with affection) that I kinda like that clip of "Maria", although I don't know that I'd buy the record on its own. What I like about it is that he's not so much concerned with adjusting the weight of the song as he is the shape of it, and that's a whole 'nother mindset. You can change shape by changing weight or by redistributing it, and it seems to me that Brubeck is redistributing it, which works for me. As for Wet Side Story itself, maybe it's fatigue, maybe it's just time working its judgement, I don't know, but...I've had enough, and am willing to guesstimate that all the fuss has been generated more by the cultural climate from which it emerged and thrived than it is anything particularly eternally invigorating about the work itself. But I could be wrong. and Ted, if you DO get a crappy re-channeling job, send me a PM, please. I ain't paying your bill, but there are probably other remediations available.

I know, right?

Here's Eddie Costa & Quill (on clarinet) on "Maria"...but the real meat for me is the writing. Of course, YouTube video is never anything but a muddied inference of the real thing, but still, you can hear that the inner voices are really working some magic. Writing is half the game, executing the parts to make everything speak like this is the other, and for my money,, hey aces on all counts here.

It's a Gene Quill Opportunity as well, which means more to others than it does to be, but still, mention should be made. What really wowed me the last time I listened to it, though, was the scoring and its execution and its recording. As you say, not at all "jazzed up", and exquisitely executed in every regard.

I'd sure like to see Snoopy as Paul Desmond. Take Joe Cool, lose the shades, replace them with horn-rims, put the Desmond face on there, tilt the head, and make the horn smaller. And then find some lost recording of Desmond playing "Christmas Time Is Here" to play behind the image. How is that not Parallel Jazz Universe Perfection? Paul, oh Paul, where are you Paul?

Paula Poundstone Paula Prentiss Pancrates

B.M. O'Toole Dawncracker O'Reiley Budbutt O'Shennessey

Sorry if not clearly spoken, probably wasn't. Comes down to this - I find West Side story to he a pretty heavy, bulky piece of score anyways, all those deliberately angsty tritones...not a really "light" score to begin with, nor particularly "tuneful... Just saying that the "jazz versions of WSS" I've heard just don't work, for me because of the songs themselves, they work in the context of the show, but outside of their native settings...not so much. 'the big exemption for me is the Manny Albam record of the WSS songs. Albam's scores expertly stretch the instrumentation to a point where they can maintain their own orchestration's natural density and at the same time sustain the weight (at times, ponderous weight) of the songs. It's not a well-known record afaik, but it's worth checking out. It's a medium sized ensemble exquisitely record and uber-expertly played. you can hear the stress points in the music in the instrumentation and you can hear the sensibility as well, how the players all play their part into the overall fabric so that the overall fabric will be stronger than the sum of its parts. It's really a delightfully expert record in every regard. The inner parts reach up, down, and around the lead and bottom parts, and the top and bottom parts offer them perfect landing spots. That's all getting kind of flighty, so just let it suffice that if you want to hear an amazingly aware ensemble playing in top ensemble form, with recording that captures every aspect of that ensemble's doings, then that is one to get. The Bill Barron thing, hey, they set out to make a doctor's office record of WSS jazzykindamusic, and the succeeded quite well. Other than that, though West Side Story and ""jazz" have not gotten along, at least not in a way that I've found inviting and/or pleasurable.

That's good to know, Dave. Thanks.

In all fairness, I'd blame West Side Story itself as much as anything. The only "jazz version of" that one I've heard that down's really fall down of its own accord is Manny Albam's, and that has as much to do with the remarkable transparency of the recording which reveals the remarkable ensemble blend of the ensemble as it does anything. Oh, Bill Barron's as well. But that one's slight just because they made it so.

Helen Forrest Helen Twelvetrees Stumpy Brown

Ok then. That was a while ago, though, very different global dynamics in play now, so...afaic, posters start their own threads, and if it becomes an ownership decision, so be it. Gotta respect that. Either way, no harm, no foul, proceed as desired until otherwise shown. I would, however, suggest that a generic thread would be far less useful than a targeted one. In other words, ask waht (fill in the blanks) are you listening to now, rather than just hey dooodz, whazzup? type thing. Personally, I enjoy the dialogues about items that ensure about what somebody is listening to, but that doesn't happen very much, it seems, which is perhaps the inevitable outcome (and contrary to the implicit intent) of the generic thread. Like MomClems said the other day, it's where dialogue goes to die, or something like that. He's got a point, although whether or not it's relevant to the board dynamic...I don't know. But we can certainly see!

That's old school all the way. Love it.

Oh hell, that's no problem at all! I'm getting self-conscious about people coming into the house and looking at it like it's a trophy wall or something. My wife, otoh, likes it to look like a "presentation" or something, she want to be proud of it. I'm kinda like, no, it's not really THAT, it's just a lot of stuff put in a place where it will fit, in a more or less organized manner. She "lets" me have it out in the open, so I "let" her have it as organized as I can make it. Bottom line- jury still out. But the space-saving angle is definitely a selling point afaic, I got stuff in almost every room of the house in some form or fashion.

That "Jim" wasn't me, was it? Hope not? If so, sorry.

Found this online http://deus62.com/linkto/0155.pdf , neither of the tenor possibilities are who I'd hoped they'd be, but no matter, it's still good,. But best surprise = Wayne Bennett!!! However...could that Willie Smith be the alto player doubling on tenor? Or another guy? Radio Recorders was a very busy L.A. studio for all kinds of music. RCA used them, so maybe that's what I'm hearing...or maybe not! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Recorders (S)Amos Milburn (vcl, p), Willie Smith (ts), Bill Hill (probably ts), Leroy Robinson (as, bari), Wayne Bennett (g), Leonard Sonny Williams (b), Eldeen McIntosh (d), Maxwell Davis (musical director).Radio Recorders, LA January 30, 1952RR1839-6 Flying Home 3125, (J)TOCP

You're making it sound mighty tempting, especially with digipacks as landmarks, that would certainly help.