Free For All

Referring to Louis Armstrong, didn't Dizzy once say "No him, no me!"? Did I get that right?

I just had a bout with these the other day. But that's another story.

Yes, and he plays in major keys as well. What about Barbara Dennerlein? Hank Marr?

I've been doing hardly any gigging. That's why I can go to the gym so much.

Thanks for the support guys. I offer my support in return. I'm doing strength training too. It's actually not too bad- some of the ab exercises are a little rough, but it's all slowly improving. The holidays weren't all that bad for me food-wise. I don't do a lot of parties, and since both my parents have passed on, the holidays (which have become less of a sentimental event for me) consist of a little time with the in-laws and most of the time off hanging out at home- Mrs. FFA and I catch up on movies and otherwise just enjoy a little downtime. Not yet. More like a firm pudding.

I was talking to my trainer yesterday (I'm hanging in there- down 25 pounds to date) and we were talking about weight gain after quitting smoking, which was part of my problem. I didn't realize that smoking accelerated the metabolism as well as acting as an appetite supressant, so it makes sense that one would have a tendency to gain weight after quitting. I guess I'd assumed the problem was an oral fixation that replaced cigs with food, but there seems to be more to it than just mental issues. I mentioned before about how much I've been enjoying using the elliptical as the main device for my cardio, but I've discovered that the body adapts and the challenge diminishes, followed by diminishing benefits. My dramatic beginnings have tapered off a bit and I've had to move to some other machines. The ones currently kicking my ass are the Stairmaster and rowing machine. I'm focusing now more on getting the heart rate up to the desired level for 40 minutes or so- before I was going more for quantity than quality (obsessing on the calorie consumption), which worked for a while. Changing my goal a bit has gotten me back on track and the weight loss has resumed. It's funny, after the first of the year you see all sorts of new faces at the gym, obviously due to newly made resolutions. The place was packed most of this month, but the folks who work there say this always happens and will eventually taper off as people's resolve diminishes. They come, they go. My resolve is strong.

I think it's a valid practice, but shouldn't necessarily be done "on a whim" by just anyone. It frequently is done in conjunction with other dietary considerations/practices, and you might want to consult some kind of experienced specialist in the area (notwithstanding the experts here ). Perhaps starting in smaller increments of time before committing to the longer duration. Joe's post seems to make more sense to me.

The slower tempo is precisely what I like about this version. Lee really has time to build some great melodic ideas and he plays several great bridges! The slower tempo also allows the rhythm section to double up the feel (as they do during the piano solo). It certainly has its own merits.

Cruella Deville Jack DeJohnette Billy Dee Williams

At all??? Welcome to my world, Joe.

A personal favorite.

I always thought it was "wussy" (combination of wimp/pussy), the plural being "wussies". Judges?

Wow! Looks like an explosion at the Scrabble factory.

They transcend categorization.

I think the other KC guys are probably more familiar with him than I am, I'm still relatively new to KC. I've only heard him a couple times and he sounded very good. I don't know much more about him, sorry.

Berigan, the extreme graphics on your avatar/signature are givin' me the heebie-jeebies. It's even worse than when Chuck listens to Cannonball!!

Happy birthday! You two have a whopping 2 posts between you! And yet you were compelled to share your birthdates, so your anonymity has been compromised! Did you think we would not notice?? Don't be strangers, jump right in, the water's freezing!

Did you order the life-size inflatable version or the dashboard bobble-head?

So will there be a sudden death overtime?

The story of a jazz musician's strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk.

Yes, I've heard the audio from that gig and it's very good. I hope it comes out soon.

Chris Elliott Chris Connor Mike Connors

Wow, everything showed up within about a one hour period! From Mosaic (Basie), from the Bastids (Chet Baker Koln concert, Miles Den Haag concert) and from BMG (Lou Rawls Live). Lots of listening to do!