JSngry

Well, yeah, there you go, exactly. Cecil and retreat do not exist in the same universe.

What does a multitude sound like, anyway? Do I want to listen to a French choir comprised of 37% hardcore rednecks singing Swahilli text being conducted by Bobby McFerrin on a recording produced by Shinichi Osawa? Well, yeah, maybe I do. But not without an awareness and appreciation of what it is I'd be hearing - and not hearing - by doing so, as well as what claims are being made by and for all concerned. Otherwise, everybody's just getting pimped for ego gratification. And not just that, but the resulting product would likely suck because of that exact reasons. But it might sell like a redhot motherfucker precisely because of so. And then everybody feels better by changing nothing except what they think they feel, as opposed to what they know, and what they don't know, and what they really feel when they're trying their best to not feel it. The only way that "universal humanity" can come to exist is by recognizing that there is no such thing. If you can see it, it's not there. So stop looking, and let it be there. "Universal" and "self" consciously co-existing, fully aware of each other? Probably not? World gone wrong if thought to be so. But feeling good!

I was hoping it would be a radioactive Hershey's Kiss. That would explain a lot!

What does a multitude sound like, anyway? Do I want to listen to a French choir comprised of 37% hardcore rednecks singing Swahilli text being conducted by Bobby McFerrin on a recording produced by Shinichi Osawa? Well, yeah, maybe I do. But not without an awareness and appreciation of what it is I'd be hearing - and not hearing - by doing so, as well as what claims are being made by and for all concerned. Otherwise, everybody's just getting pimped for ego gratification.

Branford is saying that the Europeans need to feel that the music is something they too can do, not that Europeans have a hard time grasping the full humanity of black people as being something to not be judged in terms of how white people feel about everything. Subtle but meaningful difference, in my mind. Branford would probably get to that if he got pushed into it, but it's not his opening statement. Cecil, otoh, wants to save everybody the time and trouble of waiting for it to get to that point. Branford might be right for "the times", but Cecil is probably right for all times (unless and until all these times change to some other times). Perhaps relevant quote from James Baldwin: http://books.google....trinsic&f=false If "they" "reject" (or at least don't rush to embrace) "us", why...how can that be? Do they not see how worthy we are? Do they think that they are better than us? Everything gets viewed through the lens of "me/us" being the center of everybody's universe. The assumption is that it is true for me, therefore it is true for all. The notion that one can be basically different without surrendering full/essential equality of legitimacy is still a difficult one to grasp in a lot of places, and not just in the area of race.

Looking at their catalog, I'm pretty sure they're not licensing through what by American standards (and I know, doesn't apply in Eurospainope, etc.,) would be considered "legitimate channels". Too many live bootlegs and other anomalies for that. For example: Somewhere, I seem to remember something about Pujol having a Barcelona connection, family, business, both? Not that he's the only one who does (or has done) things like this.

Ok, Phillies got an everyday third baseman now.

Cecil's talking about face-to-face every second of every day real life and using music to make his point (and his music). The people he's trying to make his point to can't handle/get to that whatsoever, so they keep trying to turn it back into just a music thing. "We've suffered too, so we can relate, therefore we can play, just like you! Yes we CAN has jazz!!!! Why you so ANGRY?!?!?!?!" That is so not the point. Branford seems to have taken the bait (and chased it down with the Kool-Aid) and is making it more or less just about the music. Fail, Marsailis. (and considering where the discussion has devolved to everywhere, Fail, humans). Take care of life, and the music will take care of itself. Otherwise, no.

Ameron International International Sweethearts Of Rhythm A Sweet Tart Sweetheart

It's a good record.

Ah, you got one! Yeah, if anybody knows a guy in the UK named Duane Hobden that sells on MusicStack, tell him that he rocks. Totally. I've left positive feedback, but that doesn't do justice. I kinda "asked a lot of questions" before committing to order and he was quite prompt and polite in every way It was damn near real-time communication. Then I ordered (my Wednesday, his Thursday afternoon), and he got the thing out the next day and it got here this past Wednesday, perfectly packed w/no excess yet fully protected, exactly as described. I've never bought through MusicStack before, and I understand it's a bit of a laissez-faire thing (even more than eBay, or so I've heard), but this guy had excellent feedback, and I see why. Duane Hobden, if you're out there, you RULE.

The Situation (who in my estimation is in no way groovy) Harpers Bizzare Camille and Kennerly

Not just that..but take notes, and compile a dictionary as you go along. After soon enough, new language. New language, new sounds, new sounds, new life. Or at least different. Either way - best...Christmas....EVER!!!!

Gary Bias - East 101 I mostly knew Gary Bias from his few appearances with Billy Higgins in the late 1970s, found this one on nimbus, figured, ok, let's see what's up here? First thing I hear is a continuation of the LA "Black" alto sound, which if Bias was working w/Tapscott may well have come through Arthur Blythe, and which I think probably comes out of Sonny Criss (or might go further back than that, I don't know. Second thing, there's that great "populist" feel to the playing here that was so prevalent throughout the 70s as the impact of the Nationalist Movement began to penetrate into the more "mainstream" population. Still jazz, unmistakable jazz, and/but it feels like the whole idea is to play for people, not at them. It's meaty (enough) music, meaty and welcoming. Sure, that's not the only way to go, but it's nothing to shy away from either, not if you can do it honestly. Third thing - there's electric bass on one cut, played by Ricky Minor, who I only know as the current Tonight Show bandleader, a kind of "in the background" guy compared to his predecessors. Who's Ricky Minor, anyway?, I occasionally wonder for a few seconds before wandering off to other thoughts. Well, whoever he is, he was around to play with Gary Bias on a 1981 Nimbus date. And then - whatever happened to Gary Bias, anyway? Billy Higgins, this side, hadn't really heard of him anywhere/anything else, so let's look at Google. Come to find out, he's doing well for himself, having been playing the Earth Wind & Fire gig since 1987, although his Wikkipedia entry is apparently totally unaware of the album under question here, or of anything that might have led up to or resulted from that. It is aware of one or two "smooth jazz" albums he's since made, though, which I have not heard, but might be willing to listen to for a few seconds, just to see if the guy's playing the game or getting gamed by the playing. Most interesting, though is the tidbit that he "won a Grammy Award in 1987 in the Best Rhythm & Blues Song category for co-writing the song "Sweet Love" with Anita Baker and Louis A. Johnson." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Bias So, there he is, Gary Bias. I figured that he had just sorta stayed local and semi-vanished, come to find out he's probably got large bank and is definitely a successful businessman in terms of his musical career. Selling out, or buying in? And is it anybody's business but his own? I think not!

Maybe my favorite post-Fantasy Mongo album, that one is. Forgot that Carter was on it, will have to (gladly) relisten. Have a hard time getting to the band side, though, the percussion side (Side One) is so mesmerizing. Right up there with Patato & Totico imho. But the way the side ends with that groovy full-band version of "Para Ti", yeah, just play that one side over and over and over and over and...never make it to Side Two. Although, I guess if you have it on CD, that's not a problem.

Found a cheap copy, had to buy it for the cover...besides the obvious weirdness, it's seeing a photo of Getz playing a metal Link (type of mouthpiece) that really trips me out.

Brenda Starr Brenda K. Starr Kay Starr

More random remnants of history on the back cover - he previous owner(s?) gave "Summit Ridge Drive" three circled "X"s to the left of the title, "Cherokee" three to the right. And in faded ink of a totally different variety, wrote "Johnny Beecher is Plas Johnson". Gotta say, I really like this record. Definitely aimed at the MOR market, but contrast and compare these soulful and nuanced straight-ish readings of the melodies with all the rigid robots that have made what they thought were the same type records as long as they have been making these type records. This is masterful saxophone playing, period, and brings more than a little artistry into the marketplace to claim a rightful piece of the action. This is another one of those things that if it were that easy to do it, everybody would. And everybody doesn't.

Opera will never let you have control. Look at Pavarotti. That guy was a slave. Not even James Brown could free him.

Ok, here's genius: No idea how a sealed copy of this ended up at a Half-Price for $2.99, but oh well!

Want to like this more than I do,,,maybe I should burn it to CD and put it in the car, or rip it to the iPod and give it an in-motion listening. Right now the whole thing seems like a project that's progressed to the point where now it's time for the "genius" to be added, somebody/something to tighten up all the loose ends, bring everything into focus, trim the excess fat and fry up the remainder into a nice crispy treat, but it sounds like it got released before they got that far. So as it stands, plenty of energy, plenty of nice "parts", but no real coherent statement ever gets made. It's like getting your pupils dilated for an eye exam, everything's all blurry, and then they show you a kaleidescope. So all you got is a blurry mess of unspecified niceness. Whatchu supposed to do with THAT? Produced by Herb Alpert, so this lack of concision and focus suggests that maybe there was no "genius" to be brought in past the ones that they thought they already had. But they thought wrong.

Piece Of Tail Piece Of Ass Pizza Express

Isabell Brasseur Don Savage and Tiddles Tiddler The Story Telling Fish