JSngry

Vera goes back quite a way, parterning with the late Judy Clay on Atlantic (Atco?) as the first ongoing interracial/intergender singing team. I think he comes to jazz more from the R&B angle, but the era of R&B he's into the deepest was one were it and jazz were next door neighbors who often had property disputes, if you know what I mean. The first Billy & The Beaters album, the one that spawned "At This Moment" features some really great horn writing, as well as a more than decent cover of T-Bone Walker's "Strollin' With Bones". Might be up your alley, Dan. I know it is mine. I accidentally stumbled onto the band in 1982 through a blues bassist I worked with in Albuquerque who was always buying off the wall indie stuff that nobody else was into. One listen to this, and I dug it. We went on to cover about half the album, and transcribing the horn charts proved both a challenge and a pleasure. I don't know how hip Billy Vera really is, and I don't think I'd want him writing liner notes to A LOVE SUPREME or such, but the niche he occupies seems to be one that he comes by honestly and occupies authoritatively. Check out his website for more info/detail: http://www.billyvera.com

Well, your father must sound like my father did. I AM adopted, you know...

Not really sure what the formula is, but if the NFC wins the Super Bowl, don't the AFC "almost rans" move down a notch in the "second, third, fourth, etc. best team in football" rankings? Of course, if the AFC wins, "as you were", as the say in the military. Really,though, the loser of the Super Bowl has to be considered the "second best" team in football, right? Then again, that's what's killing sports today - all them damn statisitics!

I was definitely going to buy this one eventually. (yeah, "definitely eventually") Wonder if (and/or what) the "problem" is with Verve, and what that means for other Verve-based things like the Eldridge & the Mulligan CJB set?

So what I am I now, the freakin' "voice of reason"? We must be livin' in the last days...

So THAT'S what Deep means by "dildies"!

Well, if it's the former (it doesn't communicate to anyone else but the person who made it), there's a good chance that it really is self-indulgent, but there's also the chance that what's going on is either so "advanced" or otherwise "different" that it'll take time for people to figure it out. Don't know that I could call that "self-indulgent", at least not in a perjorative sense. But if the music communicates with a group of people, even a small one, why is that "self-indulgent"? There's certain music(s) that attract a minescule audience, but it's often enough an audience that feels the music sincerely, and that goes for the players who make the music as well. Lots of people, massive quantities of people in fact, might not like it, and may even outright hate it. But is being true to yourself as a listener and/or a musician being "self-indulgent", or is it just being who and/or what you really are? The tricky part is that there's always the posers and pretentious sorts who will attach themselves to such "minority" music as an affectation. But - there are those who aren't like that. Then again, you find that across the spectrum of humanity, right? I definitely agree that there is such a thing as "self-indulgence" in music. I'm just not so sure that it's as easily and accurately identified as some would have us believe. Like all things that are in the eye of the beholder, what you want to see is usually what you get!

And if you don't come here solely to spam, then welcome! Sorry, left that part out. My bad.

Part of our ongoing policy of preemptive stikes, I suppose.' Seriously, I like Norah, and am looking forward to hearing her new album, but if you are expecting to find a love-fest for all things Norah here at Organissimo, you might want to adjust those expectaions slightly downward... And if you come here solely to spam, please fuck off.

Just got mine. I'll listen at work tonight and post tomorrow.

Didn't save it, but it boiled down to Cater royally fucked the music up, and he knew better. Shame on him, and shame on Blue Note for allowing such an abomination to be released! That's a case of somebody not putting forth a sincere and/or serious effort, which is, I think totally different than the examples given here so far. I'd be more than a little leary of labeling somebody's work "self-indulgent" everytime they go for soemthing a little different, difficult, ambitious. Of course sometimes it is, but the knee-jerk reaction I see often enough of labeling something, anything, that doesn't offer itself up to "fans" as a warm, moist, friendly hole for the listener to frolic in without any questions being asked as "self-indulgent" runs the serious risk of asking the artist to serve up plate after heaping plate of the same old shit, with only superficial differences in seasoning to differentiate one serving from the next (and some folks are VERY creative when it comes to serving the same old shit disguised as something different!). If that's what the artist wants to do, fine. But if it's not, it's very VERY easy to fall into the trap of giving the people what they want with the only personal satisfaction coming from how many different ways you can serve it up. This breeds cynicism and resentment towards the audience, which is something I've seen happen more times than you might imagine, if only "behind the scenes". Don't believe everything you read, or everything people tell you to your face. I'd much rather somebody go where they want to go, and if it fails, so be it. And if nobody buys it or digs it, well, so be that as well. That's the price you pay to be free. Better that than having to feel trapped by other peoples' lack of imagination or personal adventurousness. Not that anybody in this thread is that type of fan, I doubt it very seriously. But we all know the "type", right?. Even that's cool, really, as long as the cry of "self-indulgent" isn't the reflexive reaction to everything that doesn't register with them on first listen. Common ground should be found and celebrated willingly and joyously, not under duress from market pressures and fan expectations. And certain types of audiences should consider the possibility that their "demands" for certain expectations to be met everytime out of the box are at least as, if not more, self-indulgent than a musician wanting to explore differnt territories. Servitude & service share a common root, but they are not the same word, dig?

I think Mingus might have still been on medication when this was recorded. That, and the then-newness of the group (still to undergo some more changes before settling into the classic Adams-Walrath front line) make for a session that,although perfectly fine, lacks, imo, that little something "extra" that a really great Mingus date has. Not really unfocused, just not fully focused by Mingus-ian standards. The diverse compositional input perhaps works against that full focus, although I played "Opus Four" in one of my bands back in the early '80s. It's a good side though, for sure. And it was his return to Atlantic, the label I think most of us (?) reflexively associate him being with.

So everybody have a good day. We're all another day older anyway.

Now THAT'S what I call a dream vacation!

Don't forget to see Wrigley or Comiskey - but not both. You can't do both, it's against the rules.

Like I said earlier...

"Sure, everybody looks at them now. But what if she got her head lopped off? Whose breasts would they look at THEN? It's not like everybody's looking for the next Venus DeMilo..." "Hmmmm, that gives me an idea... Time to call Carlos..." "Oh Jayne...Jayne darling...What kind of car do you drive? And when will you be going to New Orleans?"

Green Bay did everything it took to win in regulation except keep the ball out of McNabb's hands one last time. Fatal mistake, that (and, of course, Favre's brain favrt in OT). But I think w/the way their running game was going that punting on 4th down was not the best choice. Same with those piddlyass pass plays on 3rd down earlier on. I'm watching all this go down thinking that the Pack was setting themselves up for an ass-biting further on up the road, and sure enough... Give it up for McNabb - he had a rough game up until crunch time, and then he responded magnificently and found a way. Of such things are true champions (of character) made, not rings and trophies.

There have been some good'uns so far, eh?

Is a psedonym a possibility?

Super Bowl won't be at home. Hey man, we earned homefield advantage. We all knew the rules going in. 14-2 ought to earn you something. Won't argue that. CAN'T argue that. But I'd still like to see them get through a playoff series playing on the road. Just because...

I'd like to see the Pats get through an entire playoff series w/o getting to play every game in Foxboro. Not saying they couldn't do it, just that I'd like to see it.

Indeed, welcome, and Happy Birthday!

Merry Birthday! wait a sec...

I could easily fall in love with a woman of such wit, intellegence, patience, and hipness. To say nothing of one that hasa darn near perfect tolerance for caca del torro of the benign variety. I could fall in love with such a woman faster than it takes for Lee Young to lose the tempo. I could, but my wife would kill me... Happy Birthday, Patricia. Stay as sweet (and everything else) as you are.