JSngry

And jsut now i was told that the product is indeed in the warehouse, but is still being collated for shipment next week.

I always wonder how much true it is to define strength by the things you feel threatened by. Seems like that's a falsity of deceipt.

Hey, I did project for arranging class, write a basic hed-solo-head chart for sax section of the tune of your choice. My choice as "Played Twice" and I used Monk's exact voicing.Recorded it (one unmistakeably good thing about the "lab band" environment was that it was understood that if you were doing projects for arranging class, you would have bands/players at your disposal, no questions asked except which band you could get) and took it in. The instructor's first response was, "Jesus Jim, why do you like UGLY music so much?" This guy was a huge Gene Perling devotee, as was I (with the Hi-Los's anyway), but TBH, he totally closed my ears and heart to all Singers Unlimited for decades upon decades, because, you know, who need that, that's for those type people, not for me. And you know, a hardened heart is not good for you any more than is a hard head. Lesson finally learned - you can't define your own sense of beauty by somebody else's sense of ugly.

I was told last week that they were already in place and would begin shipping this week...but long weekend and unusual circumstances, ok.

Who, then, was teasing whom?

Actually, a somewhat meaningful record, except for when Jon Faddis solos, which is on every cut and in no predictable order. But is there meaningfulness in imperfection, annoyance even? Perhaps there is. But I'd have liked this pretty good record into damn good status if Jon Faddis was not on it, at least not playing like this.

In retrospect, I get that there's all kinds of fine lines being walked, not the least of which is the sheer terror of career survival in a brand-world that is all about product. But still, there were better ways/angles from which to steer the conversation into one of esthetics and THEN pivot to, hey, you know, I get it, but this is not the place for it, this is not what we do here, ok? Then again, I was, like, 19 and the director couldn't have been over...26 or so, young married guy trying to keep a gig and get his career thing together. Neither one of us probably knew shit about where the other was coming from, to be honest. He ended up being a nice enough guy and we had a good band, fun to play in, just not that, not there, Fair enough. I'd be lying if i said it didn't leave a bruise or two, but c'est la vie, right? Life will always bruise you, that's just how it works. But that's all hindsight now, so...fuck the police anyway!

similar story, first year in a Lab Banc at NT and I'm in the "jazz tenor" chair. We're reading down some really dumb chart, just a really basic blues in Bb, and I started my 2nd chorus by playing "Giant Steps" more or less verbatim, for levity, but also because I had done this before on my own time and knew there were just enough common tones along the way that it didn't sound totally wrong...a bit jarring, maybe, and that was the point. But not totally wrong. But I guess the director didn't hear it that way, because the band was stopped immediately and I received a rather searing dressing down about all sorts of things, including(but not limited to) the importances of: taking life seriously and not being a joker of always playing the changes correctly (because that's the only way to show that you really know what you're doing), recognizing the significance - the HONOR - of being in an NTSU Lab Band respecting the aspirations of my fellow band members at all times (which is good advice, really, just not appropriate to the immediate situation) ALWAYS bringing a positive and serious disposition to EVERY aspect of EVERY performance for the rest of my life (again, not bad advice overall) So, you know, I kinda listened and said, ok, but dude, it fits, it fits if you want it to fit, doesn't it? JUST...NEVER DO THAT AGAIN IN MY BAND so...fuck the police. There are other tales to tell, but they are not worth telling, because after that first encounter, the pigs had me marked, and vice-versa.

Eager to read this, but wondering how sad a tale it will be?

Herd immunity? Like what I have when I'm not buying the latest Woody Herman Mosaic?

See, instead of a university practice room, you shoulda been down in the hood hanging out in a pool hall with that Lou Reed stuff, then you'd have that story to tell. We too often allow the wrong people to feel important at all the wrong times. We all need to be humbled and wizened, but you can't let just any dickhead in search of a degree do it. You gotta defend yourself at all times and at any cost. Off The Pigs!

and yes, it does all sound the same. But oh well about that!

His eyes were grey and cloudy...

And let's also say that when you see a "big name" on only some of the album, it's because that's all the "leader" could afford to hire them for - and the "big name" was only into the "project" for that amount of both money and time. Mercenary work by any other name is called "yeah, I can help you out".

He did! I can honestly say that I did more than link to them, I freaking imprinted on the Decca 10", thanks to a band director who once he realized that he was going to have a "stage band" with enough people in it who wanted to know about shit, brought a handful of his records up for general consumption. Not all lasted forever (sorry My Fair Lady/Previn/MAnne/Brown) but enough did, and the ones that stuck really stuck. For real, to me, this is one of the great(er) jazz records ever, not a bad, false, or misleading note on it by anybody. I kept waiting for a JATP record that did this, and I am still waiting. Just a damn good record.

At once I can hear everything everybody has said about Jamal, positive and negative, and totally get all of it. All I can say is, I like him because at the end of the records, it's a net plus, damn near always. On these records in particular, where you get two versions of "Poinciana", neither like the other, in fact, two or three more that different from alike would not be a problem.

I couldn't breathe.

Black Music Matters.

He died, you know. Self-inflicted mental wounds. In some circles (corners, actually), rumor has it that he faked his own death. But until you see him in the flesh, actually playing...don't believe them rumors.

Let's just say that NWA didn't invent the phrase.

YES!

I note that nobody is saying that he "needs" a fundraiser, just that they are supporting him at this time. Having said that, yes it does, and it may be that the support now is to prevent against him actually needing one going forth.

Sonny Truitt

Sonny Cox