robertoart

Phil Spector. What a low down prick. 'Be My Baby' is grand though. And the rest.

I've got lots of albums with stamps. One I really like is my Blue Note/Liberty pressing of Idle Moments. It is stamped with the name 'Jack Winter', who I believe was a Jazz DJ. Next to the Duke Pearson track Nomad he has written in pen - "(and some of Jeanine) This is like a piece of history owning this, and probably the closest I will get to a near mint NY/ear mono or stereo.

he did these surgeries while he was still a "young man". Yes, I didn't realise. He must have been only in his late 40's early 50's when he started having work done. This is from 1998ish. Compared to this from the late seventies/earlyeighties I guess. BTW anyone know who is in the photo with George. It sure surprised me

There are plenty of Scottish Jews. I knew a guy whose ancestry was Scottish Jewish, and he said, "I'm doubly cheap." Which reminds me of a Scottish condom joke... Can we have a rubber stamp made of that? No, the way it was relayed to me, by my bemused cousin, was that he was a regular garden variety Scot of the Billy Connolly ilk. If you had known the family, the fact that a Scottish convert oversaw the Jewish funeral would be the case for great mirth.

Early days. Overtaking the Aussies ie scheduled for around mid-week. I think our Olympic talking heads are expecting it. They are already rehearsing our excuses. Along the lines of 'Great Britain has modelled their preparation for these games on the Australian model. They have sunk lots of money into ensuring success, they have stolen our intellectual property...etc.etc.etc." The excuses will be just like The Ashes, when the ball starts swinging and our middle order collapses There is already a national outrage under way because our 4×100 relay team missed out on Gold.

GB is a Jehovah's Witness. Are Jehovah's Witnesses permitted to have plastic surgery? I know there is something in their faith about not having blood transfusions. Wonder if that extends to cosmetic surgery?

I went to a Jewish funeral and the Rabbi (if that's the right term), was actually a convert. He was from a Scottish background - and had embraced the Jewish faith. Is he actually a Jew more so than someone with a Jewish socialisation and cultural heritage who is a non-believer? I don't think so. Many people from non Jewish backgrounds embrace Judaism - but I wouldn't consider them Jewish as such, and I doubt Jews would either.

Yes it is. He lets George borrow it when he does his impromptu straight ahead gigs.

I suppose he just wanted to keep up with the Jones's, and not loose his 'marketability'. Maybe he thinks an old looking white haired pop/soulman isn't going to keep packing them in the aisles. More of a reflection on the world as it is - as much as it is on GB unfortunately.

Would love to see this band live. There are some great youtube clips of Coryell's various organ trio configurations from the last decade or so. He has so much range and reference in his playing that it can be a bit distracting at times. But the Organ trio format really pulls it all together. Absolutely brilliant and shamefully neglected Jazz musician.

Although not a Jew, it was explained to me by Jewish people that there are the 'tribe' of Jews across the diaspora, and then there are the 'believing' or religious Jews. Neither being mutually exclusive. Cultural experience and identity takes on many forms that clearly transcends the exclusivity of 'belief'. I always thought Jews make as good a Atheist's as anyone else

Already controversy re-ticketing. It seems the best seats in the house for all events have gone to VIP's and corporates, who as usual don't turn up. Resulting in what looks like badly attended events. People beginning to complain that thousands are missing out on watching the games. I bet they'll all come out for the 'marquee event' finals though. Macca didn't do Her Majesty at the opening ceremony

Gold US-1 Aust-1 GB -0 Any Chinese forum members? You have bragging rights

Joking about the womens basketballer, but not about Grandma Moses. Was hoping the US women's basketball team was fielding some grandma's this year. Then the Australian team might have a chance of beating them for gold. Interesting paintings though. These are primitive or naive, not naturalist however. BTW I reckon you could take her in the third. If she gave you too much trouble, just hit her over the head with that jazzbox you're wielding in your avatar.

Who's Grandma Moses? Is she a women's basketball player?

Yep, it's underway already. The Australian commentators generously patronising the economic minnow nations.

Well I woke up at 7.00am and rushed to the TV set to catch whatever was left of the opening ceremony...and what do I see...Johnny Rotten gobbing on me from a giant screen. It's just not cricket What a strange phenomena these opening ceremonies have become. I blame Andrew Lloyd Webber, I really do.

If you happened to be a fan of the jazz organ sound in 1965, you knew exactly what to expect when you stepped into a club - greasy blues, ballads and jazz warhorses played at racecar tempos. Larry Young's Unity changed that. In one elegant stroke. All by itself. Embracing modal harmony and the freer, more open structures/language favored by the rising crew of post-bop musicians, Young expanded commonly held notions of what was possible on the instrument; his brisk, restless, masterfully syncopated performances on this album brought the organ into the modern post-bop conversation.

Definitely watching the second plane hit as it happened. On a lighter note, watching as a kid (on Australian television), Evel Knievel trying to jump the Snake River Canyon in a rocket. He didn't make it and I thought he died. Then it turned out he was OK

Do you have any inside information How are they going to portray your National story

before all his plastic surgery! ugh! Every time I see images of people with as much plastic surgery as George Benson, I think.....gee that must hurt.

All life in Australia as we know it stops as of tomorrow morning. We are a nation defined by our sporting culture. Nothing else matters to Australia or Australians for the next two weeks except Gold, Gold, Gold. All that will preoccupy the country will be in comparing our medals tally against the USA. All media commentary will focus on how well we do for such a small nation. We will monitor every minute detail of London's Olympics to keep alive the consensus that Sydney delivered the best Olympics ever. I am not being cynical or sardonic. This is really how it is. Personally, I look forward to re-acquanting my interest in things I never think about - but for every four years, ie., rhythmic gymnastics, triple jumping, long distance running, pole vaulting high-board diving and the 1500 metre freestyle swimming final. And will watch with interest the emergence of people I've never heard of before, who become National heroes. This happens in Australia on a daily basis during the games. I suppose in the States, it is big enough for anyone to escape the games saturation if they want? Sorry UK forum members, I guess you're trapped

I feel older every minute. My hips, my knees, my back...

Ha. Yes. Apart from the feat of getting through 12 minutes of a McCartney 'Classical piece", Fixing A Hole was what I was actually thinking. But funnily, when I typed 'wandering' into my post, I thought I better check the spelling - so I typed it into google (as I usually do if I don't have a spell checker), and the google search option prompter had as first option..... wait for it ......'wandering jews' I thought that was funny, considering the topic of the thread and Pete C's earlier post

I watched the live broadcast on PBS. For about 12 minutes... I bet your mind started wandering......