JSngry

Life is a competitive sport, Jim. I just want somebody who declares a winner to tell me what the rules are, and to show me how they apply equally to and in balanced consideration of all contestants. Then again, you don't get that in life anywhere else, why should you in music, eh? Life is a competitive sport, Jim. I just want somebody who declares a winner to tell me what the rules are, and to show me how they apply equally to and in balanced consideration of all contestants. Then again, you don't get that in life anywhere else, why should you in music, eh?

Definitely something to file under Be Careful What You Ask For... Then again, it's all old music by now, so I really don't see why at this stage of the game the Fiskers are intrinsically more "essential"/"important"/"interesting"/whatever than Bitches Brew. Methinks the math doth protest too much... Why? I mean really - why? What does "greater than" really mean as a quantifiable quality?

Thanks, and if you want to get "technical" about it, it's really not written to played on a tenor...the fingerings and the necessary inflections don't yield as readily as they do for an alto...you could change the key, but...no.

To say nothing of expensive...

My opinion about "Blood Count" is based on my perception of it as being intended as an orchestral piece, not a "song" open for interpretation. Of course, there have been some fine interpretations of it as a "song", but none have captured the full...essence of the piece, which is programmatic like a mofo...you can hear Strayhorn working his way through all the stages of grief, ending in a final "giving up the ghost". And lord have mercy, Hodges isn't just reading the melody, he's giving voice, damn near literally, to all this, as is the band. Truly, I think it's one of the most...yeah, astounding contemplations of mortality and its impending final resolution as we've had, ever. I can't help but feel that other perfomances of it as a "song", nice, even beautiful, as they might be, just don't go there, not even a little bit, and I wonder why people would even try to do it. Then again, I've tried playing the tune myself, the temptation is real, it's such a powerful piece, but geez, it only took a few attempts before I came to the conclusion that there are plenty of other "gorgeous songs" to play, so...let's just leave this one be as it is. It's one of those few things in music that I gotta hold as "sacred", if you know what I mean. My choice, of course, and my opinion, only.

Can't say that I see any sense in anybody else trying to play this one, not really, not as long as that recording can be heard.

I enjoy interesting harmonic choices, regardless of the context. Not everybody does - or can - make them. Certainly not the only - or even the main - thing I look for in music, but if it's there, I'll take it, and then proceed accordingly.

Just want to say what a pleasure it is to see this year's Rangers do what they've done how they've done it. Both me and my son (who I made sure got to see Nolan Ryan pitch live and in person, even if I wasn't sure he'd remember it, but he does) were a little moist-eyed. Rangers vs. Yankees gonna be what it gonna be, but so is Rangers finally getting done what many of us thought we'd never live to see. Sure there's more, and sure there's better, but this right here, all by itself, this is....very nice.

Percy Faith Hope Lange Charity Valentine

and 33 Jazz...

I suggest depression, adultery, alcoholism, and trying to write a novel that never comes, at least until grandchildren enter the picture. Then you can find redemption in the healing power of love and the eternal renewal of life. Then the novel comes, and then the Hollywood Feelgood Hit Of The Year, and then living happily ever after. Sometimes you just gotta ride this stuff out.

Clarence Henry Clarence Carter Clarence Coleman

Andy Panda Andy Devine Andy Brown

The Complete Earl Coleman

God, I miss that guy. Heard him a few times, never knew him, but still...just knowing that such a spirit was alive and walking the earth gave me joy. I look at so many of the sprints walking the earth today and...any number of thousands - millions - of them combined do not contain the truth & beauty & wisdom & all the other ingredients for joy as did the one Lester Bowie. At some rapidly approaching point, that will no longer matter. But that doesn't make it any less true. If anything, it makes it all the more true. Keep it alive, by any means necessary.

The key change is a big deal, I think. Lower key, fatter sound. And Tina no longer soars over, but takes over. Fascinating.

Hay-I'm just saying that you seldom see a Spector record reproduced live. The reasons are obvious, but the results (in these two cases anyway) are pretty cool.

As they don't ban sex while driving, I don't care.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbzhrjz_gVc&feature=related

Yeah, you miss Hal Blaine (a lot) and Tina (a lot, but not quite as much), but still...one of the purpose of those records was to create a sound that NOT be replicated live, and no, they didn't do that here, but...that's a lot of sound for a mid-60d pop record, even live. Especially live...

What really interests me about this particular clip is how Ike (who was apparently paid well to stay out of the way during the creation of the original) has now snatched the song back from Spector and pretty much eradicated the need to associate it with anything "Wall Of Soun"-y, and how Tina takes the lower key and totally fills up the vocal.

At the same time?

Me.

http://www.life.com/image/ugc1034992/in-gallery/41172/steve-mcqueen-20-never-seen-photos

Up. Not letting this one sink without a trace just yet.