Guy Berger

This was an article in (I believe) The New Republic by British journalist Johann Hari. Worth reading, a real eye-opener, and itself a nod to a classic Harper's article written by PJ O'Rourke in the 80s. O'Rourke went on a "peace cruise" up the Volga with a bunch of leftists, with hilarious results. I'm surprised this thread hasn't been moved to the politics forum yet. Guy

I'm with Jim here. I'm not a huge fan (probably a generational thing) but he always struck me as a guy who was capable of self-criticism. As far as the Vidal-Buckley debates -- I've seen the famous incident. But I think Buckley was probably right that Vidal was the wrong guy to represent "the other side". Guy

I don't think the statement in bold is true.

...I'm speechless. ... The two suites you mentioned are both wonderful. The Far East Suite is a magnificent work period -- among the best stuff I have heard under Duke's name, from ANY period. Afro-Eurasian Eclipse isn't as consistently brilliant, but it does include some stuff that is just fantastic. Highly recommended. The Latin American Suite I like as well, but it is somewhat monochromatic. Guy

Watch the movie -- Terry Gilliam at his best! Guy

Because aside from their annual residency at the Village Vanguard and the occasional album, the group is no longer a "going concern". Guy

Well... unlike other people here I dig what I've heard from his NPR Americana style. I'd rather listen to Nashville than Have a Little Faith (which I also like). The version of "Live to Tell" is just great.

Yeah -- the thesis certainly isn't new. But this paper is probably one of the first to tackle this question with analytical rigor. I have some thoughts on this but probably will not post them until the weekend. Guy

If you go to www.nber.org you can download a copy of an earlier draft of this paper. Looks very intriguing though from reading only the abstract I am inclined to believe that there is no causal link and that the correlation is driven by other factors.

I thought you were kidding... but wow. A screenplay draft.

Anybody else read Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink?

I think this is in fact the most likely explanation. According to the blog you link to, the authors themselves say they find no causal relationship between the two. Yeah, but... institutions don't exist independently of their environment. Payday lending isn't an important difference between Mass. and Miss., but the conditions that create a high demand for it are. Guy

I remember this from the last time somebody posted it. Hilarious. Almost enough to redeem Kenny G, as long as I never have to listen to him again.

Late -- I will probably take some grief for saying this, but I have V Ashkenazy's performance of the sonatas and really like them. I am not familiar with any other versions. Guy

I hear this a lot, and understand the point, but please, let us remember this - more than just "listening" to Coltrane, he traveled with him & played beside him night after night for more than a handful of gigs. He got it about as up close & personal & intensely & viscerally as you can get it. This cannot be emphasized enough! I know what you are getting at BUT -- the two hadn't played together (aside from maybe a sit-in or two) for almost three years when this recording was made, and the Cannonball recordings in the intervening time don't show the stylistic link nearly as much as this one or its successors do. Guy

In anticipation of Blue Note's impending demise (at least in terms of CD issuance) I snapped up a bunch of Cannonball stuff. Man, this is a great recording and much better (IMHO) than the near-contemporaneous Jazz Workshop Revisited. There's a real edge to Cannonball's playing here (he's clearly been listening to Coltrane); I like his earlier playing, but maybe it was lacking a certain gravitas or depth that appears more regularly from this point onward. And Yusef Lateef is just awesome -- a guy who I'm embarrassed to say I have generally overlooked in the past. Next up: Fiddler on the Roof, Money in the Pocket, and Cannonball Plays Zawinul. Guy

This is a solid date... I wouldn't call it great. Very "cookie-cutter" late 60s hard bop. Guy

Yeah, JQA has no place on that list. I think Harry Truman would have been worthy of consideration as well. And Jackson should have clearly been #1. Guy

I had the misfortune of listening to some of this nonsense at the airport today. Parties at Jose Canseco's house, Roger Clemens's nanny... a sad testament to the sorry state of our government that our representatives are wasting their time on this trivial non-story. Guy

Agreed, DS9 was pretty freaking great, especially after Worf joined the crew. I lost interest after Jadzia died, though. I think the 7th season was fantastic, especially near the end. Guy

I've been watching the 8th season. In general not as inspired as the best moments from the 4th, 5th or 7th seasons, but with plenty of enjoyable moments. That said, no apologies or excuses need to be made for "The Yadda Yadda", an incredible episode by any standard. I should've known it was a Peter Mehlman. Guy