Guy Berger

Rabbits aren't rodents! Guy

The capybara is nothing.

Happy birthday Wayne! Guy

Not hamster, but rather guinea pig. The local name is "cuy". It's tasty! Guy

I saw this movie tonight. To be honest, it was a wasted opportunity -- given the premise, you could do much crazier shit than having snakes biting people in sensitive areas. On the other hand, Samuel L Jackson's classic line was as great as predicted. Guy

I'd be surprised if Eicher hasn't suggested it. Guy

Did you like his group w/Steve Coleman? Guy

Didn't they know it's available on the Mosaic Select? Guy

I'll eat my earlier words. I didn't think interplanetary politics would allow this, but it did! Guy

There is another MJQ thread here. My question: I've always been somewhat puzzled by the emphasis on the MJQ's tux-wearing. I mean, it's a historically interesting quirk, but it occasionally seems like people use it to judge the music (for better or for worse). Maybe I'm wrong. Guy

Subscriptions and ad revenues. Guy

I'll be going with a friend or two on Thursday, September 7th. I hope to see skeith, David (7/4) and MD655321 there! Guy

Enjoy -- this is a wonderful album. Guy

Isn't this on the trading circuit? You could probably get it for free. I'm sure the music is great. Guy

The extra material is very worthy. Guy

The Karlsruhe concert is one of the best gigs from the 1967 European tour because of the performance length, which isn't matched on any other recording. It includes new (Agitation, Footprints, Masqualero, Riot, Gingerbread Boy) and old (Round Midnight, No Blues, On Green Dolphin Street, I Fall in Love too Easily, Walkin'). I haven't seen the video. Guy

I like the Holland quintet and have seen them live a few times, but I'm not in a rush to pick this new one up. Guy

I think "Mademoiselle Mabry" is one of Miles's best compositions; it's also one of the best recorded performances of his career. The genius of the composition is the long ostinato repeated over and over by Chick Corea and Dave Holland. It has such strong melodic and rhythmic content that it guides the solos by Miles, Wayne Shorter and Chick. It also frees up Tony Williams to play a colourist's role, not playing time but rather commenting on the music in infinitely interesting ways. Miles takes a nice, long, bluesy solo. I'm not sure if there's any overarching "story" to his improvisation. Instead, it stays quite close to the ostinato while finding interesting variations in each repetition. He pauses between phrases, letting the ostinato fill in the melodic gaps. Wayne's solo is a real beauty. He takes more chances than Miles does in venturing away from the underlying theme. (Tony also plays more actively in this section.) But the general strategy is the same. There are times when it's almost like Wayne is accompanying Chick and Dave. Chick's solo is unusual because he normally doesn't sound this bluesy. At this point the ostinato is so ingrained in our ears from earlier repetitions that we don't notice Dave is the only one repeating it. One of the most heated sections of the performance happens from about 14:15 to 14:25, with Chick's playing reaching its peak and shimmering cymbals by Tony. Then starting around 15:05 Chick starts playing very closely to the melody. Miles comes back in near the end to take it back home. There's an analysis of the form's structure in the In a Silent Way Sessions box. I don't know of any other performances besides this one. Too bad!

I don't watch much TV. I do use my TV to watch DVDs quite a bit. Occasionally I'll watch the Daily Show or the Colbert Report. More rarely I'll watch cable news, though I'm pretty selective. I do watch sports, particularly during the NBA playoffs and to a lesser degree during the MLB or NFL playoffs. Guy

Woah, a good Maureen Dowd article... Guy

Stinson subbed for Ron Carter at a Berkeley concert in April 1967. This was a great gig though the sound isn't that great. I think Wayne is talking about a '68 concert. Guy

Nice long interview with Motian -- the good news is that there's a new trio album coming out in the near future! Guy

Larry, thanks for posting that article. It offers a lot of insight into one of the great jazz artists. Guy

I haven't heard the Bud & Chet album in question, but this comparison doesn't sound too promising. Guy

Why does Hollywood keep re-making old TV shows and Movies? Why do jazz musicians keep revisting the standards? This isn't quite the same as playing any old standard. This is about reworking one of the most revered albums of all time. Expectations are a bit higher. Guy