RonF

Fresh Air runs at 6 PM out here....just wrapped up. Good interview Chris! Fascinating! Only problem was - it was too damned short!

I wonder if anyone, but particularly from the Chicago area, has heard Jackie Allen. Her new cd on A440 Music Group The Men In My Life is excellent. A fresh contemporary sound but she can really deliver a song and tell a story with the best of them. John Moulder is her guitarist and does some incredible work. Chicago's Kurt Elling sings duet on one track and Orbert Davis plays wonderful trumpet. The "men" are those whose musical performances helped shape her musical direction. Songs range from Paul Simon's Still Crazy to Chick Corea's Spain to Jobim's Dindi to Sting's Tea in The Sahara. Worth a listen!

I agree about the impressive musician line-up. Scofield usually plays with the best. I'm just tired of the direction John's been pursuing for the last several projects. I've heard that jazz radio is getting a little disenchanted with it too.

Sounds like a horrible time! Welcome back.

Poor weizen's waging a conservative war practically all by himself. Catesta usually rides shotgun but he's been AWOL, hasn't he?

A brief change of topic. Chris, what's up these days with The Story of Jazz? Still available on VHS? How about DVD?

Way to go Templejazz. How does that old line go? I know you're going to make MILLIONS.................... ........of fries. Good luck!

I agree. The Latin feel is there on several tracks. Tastey percussion and lots of B3! B)

Incredible! The intimidator! I'll bet they stopped making noise. B)

Hey davef, I don't want to sound uncivil but I got dibs on the letter F around here.

One more reason why MaxJazz has become such a fine label....bringing Jessica Williams into the spotlight. Finally getting the recognition she deserves. I really like Alone, Moose. A lot! And, you would also enjoy This Side Up, her trio release on MaxJazz last year - with Ray Drummond and Victor Lewis. It has 8 of her wonderful compositions plus a killer version of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's Theme For The Eulipians. B)

Ed, Dianne and her quartet was in our area last year and mezmorized the audience. She's received some bad raps in recent years because of her song selection and musical direction but The Calling, Trib to Sarah is superb. And so is The Grand Encounter. On the heels of two grammys in a row for best female jazz vocal performance, she was also named creative chair for the Los Angeles Philmarmonic last year. One of my favorite jazz singers. She has a new cd coming out in August I believe.

This made me laugh outloud. Our girls are in college now but, man, do I remember trying to listen to music when they were younger. Thanks for the memory, Bruce. I just got the new SD cd. Have heard only one track. More later.

Lynne Arriale

Sammy. Is that YOU?

Either you work for Sosa, the Cubs or David Letterman. Not sure which. No, I don't work for Sammy, the Cubs, or Letterman. I did live in Chicago for 14 years, so am part of that suffering breed known as Cub Fans. Really, I don't see what's so funny. Check the stats. Since Sammy was beaned, his numbers have been way down. I'm sure that concerned him enough to try something he might otherwise not have done. Corked bat or not, a player still has to hit those 90 mile an hour+ fastballs, and major league curve balls. Sammy has hit 500+ -- that's no fluke. How many have you hit, Ron? I don't condone what he did, just offered what I think might be a reason for him trying it. I apologize for being facetious. It just seems preposterous to me that a corked bat would be a considered remedy for a slump. A slump is a batter's temporary inability to make contact with the ball. How would cork make that task any easier? I have no idea why Sosa's numbers are down. It happens with all hitters. I used to swing a pretty mean stick in high school, thank you very much. B)

So who examined the 75-80 bats from the dugout? Major League Baseball did. The organization that looks the other way at the suggestion of steroid testing. The organization that will do damned near anything to keep cheating and juicing undercover in order to increase revenue and "protect" America's Pastime. Maybe someone else should take a look. Baseball has become a bad joke.

Either you work for Sosa, the Cubs or David Letterman. Not sure which.

Way to go, Joe! B)

Sammy says he was accidentally using a "practice bat" that he uses during BP to wow the crowds. Huh?

One of baseball's greatest home-run hitters was ejected Tuesday -- for a corked bat. The Cubs' Sammy Sosa was tossed when umpires found the illegal cork in his shattered bat in the first inning against Tampa Bay. If being pumped full of steroids enough to look like the incredible hulk isn't enough - he needs cork in his bat, too?

Jim, Your words are exactly on point. I think the whole album is superb. You speak correctly about a certain serenity in her playing - all I would add is the word cerebral but not in a pretentious way. While I'm not all that familiar with her work with Harper, the work on Journey certainly displays a "distinct voice" and a confidence that comes across rock solid. Francesca's the real deal.

Now that's what you call critical acclaim. Nice going Chris. I have to pick this one up too.

Now them there's fightin' words!