RDK

Bertrand, Part of the problem, i think, is that I don't find the statement - 'All of a sudden, Ray breaks into Thelonious Monk. There's no rhyme or reason to Thelonious Monk. People thought Monk was mad'. - necessarily that "dismissive" of Monk. A lot of people - even jazz people - did think that Monk's music was mad. I happen to love it; some don't. I disagree with the "no rhyme or reason" part, but don't forget that Hackford was doing an interview about Ray Charles - and more specifically about the movie - and that the Monk line was merely a brief digression - a sound bite if you will - used to covey the idea that Ray (at least) had a respect for such "crazy" jazz cats as Monk. Without knowing the quote in context - and even then, Hackford may not have been quoted fully - I don't see it as a diss of Monk. In fact, when I first read it in your above post I interpreted it much differently, thinking that Hackford was almost boasting that Ray could play Monk. I don't mean to be an apologist for Hackford - he's made some good films and some bad films - but he's known in Hollywood to be rather passionate and knowledgable about music. That doesn't mean he's right about jazz, of course, but to say that he "clearly has no understanding of music" is plain wrong imo. Among his feature films (good or bad) are The Idolmaker (about 50s R&R), La Bamba (Ritchie Valens biopic), and the Chuck Berry doc Hail Hail Rock N Roll.

Yeah, you and, uh, maybe five or six others!

You mean he didn't start out making bongs like every other kid in high school ceramics class?

By all acounts, it was the drummer who started the wrong tape/sync track... Does this surprise you, Jim? Didn't you see that long thread on drummer jokes?

100% I'm sure that's why Mike shut that thread down and I don't blame him for it.

So Hackford doesn't like Monk - big fucking deal. That's hardly a reason to stay away from a film that has nothing to do with Monk... Jamie Fox is wonderful in the film; easily the best part of it. Overall, the film is a mixed bag. I found it very enjoyable/entertaining - with that music, how could it not be? - but dramatically it's very uneven. Honestly, I simply don't believe that Ray's story was so unique, unusual, or enlightening to provide the basis for a truly great movie. So, for drama, it relies on the tried-and-true celebrity biopic cliches (whether true/accurate or not): rags-to-riches background, physical disability, marital strife due to being on the road, drug addiction, personal demons, etc. Ray's heroin addiction played a much bigger role in the story than I would have expected, but then there wasn't much else to generate dramatic conflict. It ends up being about that and, of course, about the music - and the music scenes shine imo. For us jazz fans, Fathead Newman plays a pretty significant role and Quincy Jones makes a couple of appearances. Among the supporting characters are Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertigan and Jerry Wexler, which was pretty cool for a record geek like me. I wasn't around in the 1950's, but the film seems to capture the period very well. If you're a music fan who digs Ray Charles, I think you'll enjoy the film. How accurate is it? If you're looking for historical accuracy read a book or spin some vinyl.

It's sorta like when we hear about a Blue Note CD going out-of-print. It may have been sitting in the racks of Tower Records for years, it was a session we never really cared about and had no intention of purchasing. But then we get that e-mail from True Blue announcing its cut status and...

"Sellout?" Nah. It's so beyond sellout that it's positively genius!

And here I thought this thread was gonna be about Miles playing funk...

Well, after reading all the posts now, you guys weren't as helpful as I thought you'd be, A few additional comments... 1. There's no way this sounds like MJQ to me. Don't know who it is as I don't recognize that really percussive tone to the vibes. 3. Listening to this again, it still sounds like Larry Young to me, but it's much too modern a recording. (But what the hell do I know?) But I know I have this and heard it only recently. I'll have to do a bit of digging... 7. I'm surprised at some of the negative reactions to this track. I love this and could listen to it all day long. The human voice is perhaps the most expressive and emotional instrument in all of jazz, so I'm always shocked when people dismiss vocal tracks so quickly. Besides that, this track is mad fun! Some of you guys take your jazz far too seriously. You gotta loosen up and have some fun!

I've been listening all week, but finally had a chance to compose some thoughts. There's some real familiar stuff on here, but I'm drawing a lot of blanks - more than usual this week - on names and titles. Overall, Mike, I'm very pleased with both of these discs. It's clear that you like your jazz - or at least much of it - fun and upbeat. This first disc was a blast to listen to, and the second one is even groovier. I'm very curious what others have to say. As for me... Disc 1 1. Interesting. Very percussive sound to the vibes (and to the piano). I’m digging this - a nice way to open the disc. The playing sounds both old (50s) and more modern. 2. Funky modern scat! I’m sure many will object to this one, but this is a blast. Loads of fun, with the e-bass blending nicely with the vocal gymnastics. No idea who it is. Bobby McFerrin’s more talented older brother? Love that false ending! 3. This sounds so darn familiar, I’m sure I have this. Larry Young? Elvin? Is it from Unity or Into Somethin’ (but that sure doesn’t sound like Sam Rivers)? I can’t keep anything straight these days. But no, as the track continues it starts to sound more contemporary than that. Hmm. The more I listen to this the more uncertain I am… 4. Not as familiar as track 3, but I may have this as well. Like the Latin beat going on underneath. 5. Now’s the Time? Confirmation? (Or at least one of those Bird titles that I’m always confusing.) Not my favorite track here overall, but I’m digging that drumming. Elvin again? I dunno, but it seems to have that polyrhythmic thing going on. 6. Oh gosh, I know this one of course but for the life of me can’t come up with the title. I know this performance, too, I’m pretty sure. Lovely solo piano piece. 7. Delightful - I love this! I’d say Sheila Jordan and Harvie Swartz – I know they’ve recorded a lot of duets like this – but it doesn’t really sound like Sheila. 8. Okay, but no specific comments. 9. Again, okay, but this one doesn’t really jump out at me. The playing’s okay, but the track is bit too modern-sounding and “electronic” for my tastes without offering anything new. 10. Hell yeah! Never heard this vocal version of The Sidewinder, but I dig it. Jon Hendricks or a disciple? I’m not too familiar with Hendrick’s sound, but this is certainly up his alley. It sounds, though, like a more recent recording. 11. It’s not jazz if it doesn’t swing! No seriously, I don’t hate this sort of stuff, but I have to be in the mood for it. Harp? Alice Coltrane? Not bad, but a little goes a long way. Love the atmosphere of such things, but like much of ECM’s output I get tired of it fast. I listen to a good amount of this sort of spacey and atmospheric jazz, but overall it strikes me as too cerebral and not much fun. Works better as background music. 12. Sounds more like Sarah Vaughan, whom I generally don’t care for all that much. This is obviously similar to track 7, but the flip side of the coin: more serious and somber than lively and fun. No problem, there’s room for both, but I like the other one better.

Good idea, Kevin. I know we have many of them posted here and some of us have some of them stored on our computers, but perhaps we can make a dedicated threat (not unlike this one) that organizes the lists better. Does anyone know which ones (of those once available) are missing?

You think that's funny? You oughta hear Charlie Parker explain baseball!

Oh, I have what I like to call the "collectors gene." I've always had it. Thank god my wife doesn't; she doesn't care about collecting/accumulating anything at all. As a kid I collected stamps. For most of my life I collected comic books. Still have thousands of them, but though I still read a few I haven't really collected them in years. I collect records and CDs, of course - who here doesn't? - though I suppose one can make a semantic distinction between actually "collecting" music and simply having a lot of it. I've never been much of a completist, so I don't really collect any particular artists in the sense that I long to have everything by them. I've collected books in the past, mostly by a few specific writers - Harlan Ellison, Stephen King - but for the most part I buy books to read and not "collect" per se. I also - and most visibly if you ever get the chance to see my house - collect certain old toys, mostly sci-fi, monster, comic book, and pop-culture related stuff from the mid-1960's to the early 1970's, the pleasures of my childhood and all that. So I've got lots of G.I. Joe, Captain Action, and Major Matt Mason action figures, as well as later stuff like some Star Wars shit. I on-again-off-again collect old Hot Wheels cars, old Marvelmania premiums, TV memorabilia, and cereal box characters. Whatever catches my fancy, triggered by memories or internet searches, or whatever I might stumble upon at the flea market. Ebay is my friend.

Mine layer, but here's Tom Waits growing up on "Kentucky Avenue." His story's more interesting than mine. (Don't mean to be glib, but I think Waits has written several of the most evocative soings about childhood that I've ever heard.) Eddie Graces buick got 4 bullet holes in the side Charlie Delisle sittin at the top of an avocado tree Mrs Storm'll stab you with a steak knife if you step on her lawn I got a half pack of lucky strikes man come along with me Lets fill our pockets with macadamia nuts Then go over to Bobby Goodmansons and jump off the roof Hilda plays strip poker and her mamas across the street Joey Navinski says she put her tongue in his mouth Dicky Faulkner's got a switchblade and some gooseneck risers That eucalyptus is a hunchback there's a wind up from the south Let me tie you up with kite string and i'll show you the scabs on my knee Watch out for the broken glass, put your shoes and socks on and come along with me Let's follow that fire truck I think your house is burnin down Then go down to the hobo jungle and kill some rattle snakes with a trowel We'll break all the windows in the old Anderson place and steal a bunch of boysenberrys and smear em on our face I'll get a dollar from my mama's purse and buy that skull and crossbones ring and you can wear it around your neck on an old piece of string Then we'll spit on Ronnie Arnold and flip him the bird and slash the tires on the school bus now don't say a word I'll take a rusty nail and scratch your initials on my arm and i'll show you how to sneak up on the roof of the drugstore Take the spokes from your wheelchair and a magpies wings and tie em to your shoulders and your feet I'll steal a hacksaw from my dad and cut the braces off your legs and we'll bury them tonight in the cornfield Put a church key in your pocket we'll hop that freight train in the hall and we'll slide down the drain all the way to New Orleans in the fall

Ohhhh, Ray, you shoulda taken disc TWO!! Actually, I'm serious. B-) return trip tomorrow! B-)

Just listened to a good chunk of disc 1 on a drive down to San Diego. I'll post my guesses and thoughts later, but just wanted to say that disc 1 is loads of fun and mad groovy! Many thanks Mike!

Like "The Nearness of You," this song just kills me when played on the trombone. My favorite version might be the one Johnny Hodges cut for Granz in the early 50s, with Lawrence Brown on 'bone. I think it's on the first Mosaic box.

Cannonball's "Sermonette" Also the "spirituals" session on the first Jack Teagarden Mosaic is a favorite of mine.

"Louis (Armstrong) and the Good Book"

One day in class the teacher brought a bag full of fruit. "Now class, I'm going to reach into the bag and describe a piece of fruit, and you tell what fruit I'm talking about. Okay, first: it's round, plumb and red." Of course, Johnny raised his hand high, but the teacher, wisely ignored him and picked Deborah, who promptly answered: "An apple." "No Deborah, it's a beet, but I like your thinking. Now for the second. It's soft, fuzzy, and colored red and brownish." Well, Johnny is hopping up and down in his seat trying to get the teacher to call on him. But she skips him again and calls on Billy. "Is it a peach?" "No, Billy, I'm afraid it's a potato. But I like your thinking. Here's another: it's long, yellow, and fairly hard." By now Johnny is about to explode as he waves his hand frantically. The teacher skips him again and calls on Sally. "A banana," she says. "No," the teacher replies, "it's a squash, but I like your thinking." Johnny is kind of irritated now, so he speaks up loudly. "Hey, I've got one for you teacher; let me put my hand in my pocket. Okay, I've got it it's round, hard, and it got a head on it." "Johnny!" she cries. "That's disgusting!" "Nope," answers Johnny, "it's a quarter, but I like the way your thinking!"

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_10864...ws.quirkies.bad Good and plenty indeed!

Since when won't Lou play the West Coast? Saw him last year at the Jazz Bakery in L.A.

A truly funny guy, up to the end. Even mourning his death it's impossible not to laugh at his legacy... Upon entering the hospital a few weeks back for his surgery, he said something to the effect of: "If all goes well I'll be out in a few weeks; if not, I'll be out in a few hours." R.I.P.