JSngry

YES! I didn't think that I liked Whitney Houston at all until I heard "Exhale." That is such a beautiful and powerful track! I had no idea that she had that in her. If only she would do more of it! My God, to think of all that wasted potential. ← Yeah, that's the song where it sounded logical that she was Cissy Houston's daughter and had grown up singing in church.

Well, I look at it like when you're 18 or so, even 22 or so, it's easy to be blinded by the glitz and stuff, and yeah, fall victim to industry pressures of all sorts. But geez, these ladies are all old enough to be grown up and to have figured some stuff out on their own by now. If they haven't, I figure it's just because they don't want to bad enough (for whatever reasons), and that I just can't feel any sympathy for. We all have to accept responsibility for our work eventually. Even Divas. It's like I used to work with a local a female R&B singer who was, like 28 or 29, and was still making extra money by turning tricks (and she made lots of money, because she had a "high-dollar" body). The bass player in her band said to me one night, "Gee I feel sorry for *****, how she still thinks the only way she can be somebody is with her body". I told him - look, man, the woman's damn near 30 and has made the kind of money that a lot of women her age only dream about. If she wanted a different life for herself by now, she'd be working on getting one. Until she does, no "symapthy" from me. Nobody's keeping her where she is except herself. That's pretty much how I feel about the whole thing - these women have achieved a stature in the industry such that if they really wanted to do something better, outsized fame and fortune be damned, they'd find a way to do it.

Just finished burning 35 sets, so that part's on track.

I'm more than happy to blame the producer, but otoh, the talent we're talking about here is such that any producer in his right commercial mind ain't gonna make them do anything too much differently than what they're gonna do anyway. I mean, most of these women, Whitney especially, have it in them somewhere to make really stirring music that goes for more than the superficial thrills. I mean, Whitney's thing on "Exhale" was riveting precisely because she underplayed her surface and bulked up on her content. A GREAT record, that was, one of the best female pop/R&B vocal records of the last 20 years, imo. And it sold just dandy. But what and who else in the name-brand arena has tried to mine that territory on a consistent basis? Nobody that I know of, and frankly, I think it's because the artists involved are too damn wrapped up in the whole Diva mentality, not just in their showbiz life, but in their musical/personal life as well. They're so out of touch with their roots that they think it's all about them and their "specialness". Well hey ladies, take a lesson from all the true greats - let your public face be as glitzy as you want it to be, but when it comes time to sing, deal with the music as something other than a means of self-glorification. True glory is bestowed by others as a result of your efforts. It's not something you create for yourself. Ego is cool, but not when it has no limits.

Now being counted in - 35 - RDK

Obsession with style and ignorance of substance, that's what it is more often than not.

That's musicaconcarne@yahoo.com Sunday, July 3 is the deadline.

Wait a minute, Mr. Postman... 34 - Randy Hersom

Luther was a baaaaadddd mutha.... He'll be missed.

I listened to WUSF's jazz programming for the year-and-a-half I lived in Tampa. A nice mix of mainstream styles with very little fluff. And yeah, as a listener, I very much enjoy knowing that there's a live person plaing the records, and I have been known to call in a show to get information, make a request and/or dedication (yes, you can make a dedication on jazz radio!), or just feel the dj out to see what tricks he/she might have up their sleeve, musically speaking. It's a good thing. So, one guy is going to be doing the station's entire jazz show programming? It's going to be his call, every single last tune that does or doesn't get played? Geez, I don't care how hip he might be, that's just can't be too much good of a thing...

I'd just like to put it on record that brownie is a truly GREAT human being.

Yeah, I got a pre-release e-mail about this and was all set to order immediately until I saw the $40.00 (sic) price tag. Gulp... I'm still a heavy Threadgill fan, so I'm not saying I'm not gonna buy it, but I'm gonna have to be feeling JUST right when I do.

Always borrowing yours?

Well, he plays with good time on steel drums, that much I do know.

Preliminary distribution lists sent. Any problems or what not, please notify me ASAP. Nate D. - appreciate your volunteering, but since you're the only Canadian signed up (so far), I'll cover you myself. Any last-minute additions from Canada, they're yours! So far, all's on track. Keep yer fingerz crossed...

I ordered the Aretha/Curtis. Not just are there unreleased cuts, it seems that the shows have been restored to complete and sequential form. Ain't no way I'm missing this one!

Add Thursdays to that lineup. the same guy who does Wednesdays also does Thursdays. His show is called "The Jazz Connection", and I think it's a different guy than who used to do it. I caught a little bit last night, and there' was a little less funk/smooth than the old guy used to play.

The LP definitely had an introduction to "Maiden Voyage", so I would suspect that it's the same one.

I will, soon as you send me an e-mail w/your address.

Different world, different music.

I'll bring the sides!

What role does this Jerry Roche have with Mosaic?

Well, if the station's sole objective was to get and keep listeners, that kind of shit would've been fixed a looooong time ago, right? Make all DJs take a Jazz For Dummies class or something before being allowed on air, right? But that's not the objective....