Big Wheel

I wish we could see how Head Hunters was made. Listening to the way everything is layered, it's SO hard for me to imagine that most of that stuff (especially Chameleon and Sly) was laid down together with the whole band in a relatively low number of takes. Does anyone know how it was done?

This is what's come to frustrate me about seeing him live, I think. He does the same 7 or 8 tunes every time, it seems, and so much time passes between shows that I can never tell how each arrangement is different. Cammack and Muhammad have been with him so long that they probably can handle any curveballs thrown their way, but to one who doesn't have too many records of his, it just looks like they've rehearsed the shit out of it and are just executing arrangements that have already been well-scripted.

Well, shrugs did get married fairly recently, I believe. I imagine that could be playing a part--although probably not enough of one to explain why he hasn't followed through with his ebay transactions. Shrdlu's wife passed away at some point (he mentioned it here) and I wouldn't be surprised if that has something to do with his hiatus.

Ok, back on track. Tonight I had to throw something together for a couple of surprise guests: Appetizer: a sort of bruschetta with watercress, tuna packed in oil, and grated romano cheese atop toasted baguette slices Grandma's zucchini soup recipe Mixed greens with oil and vinegar This fish recipe, minus olives, which I didn't have Some Brazilian pastries I picked up earlier for dessert!

This strikes me as a little bit like asking Louis Armstrong in 1945 what he thought of bebop. In 1945 probably nobody who was an established jazz player could even agree on what the hell "bebop" was.

Ahmad Jamal is perhaps the one pianist--maybe the one artist--I never miss when he's in town. I caught him tonight at the Regattabar with longtime collaborator James Cammack on bass and Idris Muhammad on drums. My reaction to the show was sort of conflicted, but that's for another day. The one thing that really strikes me about Jamal's playing is how different his style is now, compared to how he was playing in the 1950s. The basic touch and rhythmic feel is still there, but his style totally changed--wide open, much more orchestral and dramatic, using way more technique, incorporating modalism, etc. (Chucho Valdes and Jacky Terrasson, to my ears, definitely seem to have paid a lot of attention to later-period Jamal.) Harmonically speaking, it really seems like a lot of McCoy Tyner (and to a lesser extent, perhaps, Herbie Hancock) seeped into Jamal at some point. Or do I have it ass backwards? Were these tendencies already in Jamal's playing before Tyner and Hancock ever hit the scene?

I'm not so sure of this. I mean, yeah, Fantasy used the words "Legends of Acid Jazz" in their marketing for a bunch of soul jazz titles. But Verve also did a "Roots of Acid Jazz" series--the music inside was regarded as the forerunner to this acid jazz thing, whatever it is. To me they both seem like they're going after a demographic of younger people who actually think of a very different style when they hear the words "acid jazz"--and that style is actually pretty distant from jazz and much closer to the funkier varieties of modern electronic dance music (I hate to call it "electronica," but the two definitely seem to have similar fan bases, based on what I've seen in record stores that cater to DJs of this kind of thing).

Agreed. Maybe Al (JC) has an idea...guess he's still at sea for awhile, though.

Is shrugs out of the navy for good? I wonder if he had to deploy in a hurry or something.

Don't feel too bad--Bergonzi is the OTHER Boston tenor guru for local students (maybe Bill Pierce comes in third). In fact, Garzone and Bergonzi occasionally combine their bands to form a group they call Gargonz.

Sorry, googled it and that guy (Federico Britos Ruiz) is much older.

What's the name of the guy who plays on the Charlie Haden "Nocturne" album? Could it be him?

He plays less than a mile from me every Monday with The Fringe. I need to check him out one of these days!

One caveat about alldirect, though, is that a LOT of jazz discs are out of stock. My last order was about half OJCs and I had to really hunt to find ones that I liked and were in stock. I dunno if this is the result of there being massive deletions in the OJC catalog, or just a slowness on Fantasy's part to send them more copies of the less popular titles.

I've started with alldirect--but only do big orders, as you get free shipping when you order over $100. Only check Overstock once in a very great while but there doesn't seem to be much of interest for cheap there anymore. Will also buy from Dusty Groove when they have things on clearance.

Did you actually see the title before it was changed? I would have edited it also, were I in Jim's shoes.

One thing some people don't realize about chiles is that they can burn even more on the way out then they do on the way in...have had a few painful experiences, though none recently. Might be going to the East Coast Grill's "Hotter Than Hell Night" next week--it's their semi-annual tradition of making food that's just too spicy to be edible. Am a little worried, though, that I won't be able to handle it and will thus be flushing some CD money down the crapper.

Haha--they're mean little bastards, aren't they? I've definitely made the mistake of touching my eyes and nose after handling Thai chiles, which are almost as hot. Ouch! A couple of years ago in college I popped a whole one in my mouth at dinner to impress some friends. I can take most chiles, so I figured this couldn't be much worse. It was one of the strangest feelings I've ever experienced--within about 15 seconds my scalp was tingling so much it actually felt as if I was wearing a hat. I turned beet red and started sweating really profusely. The only word one of my roommates could muster to describe the way I looked was "unhealthy."

BTW, if you decide to vote again, you can vote for my old high school friend and one of the great drummers of his generation, Obed Calvaire. (Someday I'll make a killing licensing the crappy demo I did with him on drums. )

Been doing a lot of cooking lately. Tonight's recipe: Pasta with squid, tomatoes and capers 1 lb cleaned squid, bodies and tentacles separated but kept intact 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 (1 1/2-inch) fresh red or green Thai or serrano chile, halved crosswise 1/2 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 1/3 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup raisins 1/4 cup drained bottled capers, rinsed, patted dry, and coarsely chopped 1/2 lb campanelle (small bell-shaped pasta) or fusilli pasta 1/2 cup loosely packed torn fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted 1 (1- by 1/2-inch) strip fresh lemon zest, finely chopped If squid are large, halve ring of tentacles, then cut longer tentacles, if attached, crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Pull off flaps from squid bodies and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bodies crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings. Pat squid dry. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté garlic and chile, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add squid and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes and wine and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes. Add raisins and capers and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Cook pasta in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Add pasta to tomato mixture with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and cook over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in basil, pine nuts, zest, and salt and pepper to taste. If pasta looks dry, moisten with more cooking water. Divide pasta among 4 plates, then drizzle each serving with some of remaining 3 tablespoons oil. ------------------------------ I left out the raisins, and didn't have any basil or lemon. It came out damn good regardless, and was even better with a bottle of organic white wine. Plus there was enough left for lunch tomorrow!

The man is earning his keep, then!

As an improviser? I confess that I know him a lot better as a sideman than as a leader...he's at his most adventurous on: Empyrean Isles Contours Speak No Evil As well as Free Jazz and Ascension, though I'm not as familiar with those two.

As a writer, especially in the '60s, maybe. As an improviser, no way.

The split infinitive proscription is poo-poohed by many grammarians. It grew out of a 19th-century attempt to force English to obey the rules of Latin grammar, despite the two being nothing alike as far as infinitives are concerned.

This recipe turned out DAMN good, by the way. I must have gotten lucky and timed it just right. Crispy skin (not for long after I tipped the chicken in the juices by accident), only a tiny hint of the heat of the chiles, and tender meat. It doesn't taste like Coke at all. This one is a definite keeper!