Free For All

I heard Robert Glasper with drummer Chris Dave, bassist Derrick Hodge and Casey Benjamin on saxophones (and vocorder- shades of Herbie's Sunlight record!) tonight at a local club. Very interesting quartet.

Wish I could, it sounds like fun. I'll be interested to hear how many of the bands had the same LA players in them. I'm sure many will be doing double, triple, quadruple etc. duty.

I've seen his passing mentioned elsewhere- sounds like it might be true, unfortunately.

I'm stoked particularly for the Lunceford & Tolliver.

I checked all my resources and couldn't find a lead sheet. Time to transcribe!

Happy Birthday B!

3/14/15 will be the big one. Mmmmmmm..............pie!

I normally wouldn't seek medical advice on a jazz board, but what with all the travelers we have here.... I just returned from a trip on Saturday and my left ear never adjusted to the altitude change. I'm sure the situation was aggravated by a bad cold. It's driving me crazy- it doesn't hurt (just some pressure), but just won't pop (playing my instrument is difficult). Any suggestions/remedies would be appreciated. I've tried yawning, chewing gum. Someone suggested using a nasal decongestant spray might help. It doesn't seem necessary to go to the doctor yet, unless it doesn't get any better.

Before and after photos- unbelievable! I've seen numerous videos of the tsunami washing away villages. Just incredible. I can't imagine what it must have been like to watch from the high ground as your town was erased from existence.

I just ordered this from Amazon. I'm not sure if it has been discussed here already, but I thought it looked interesting. Opinions?

Sad news on a day with too much sad news. RIP

Some startling info I heard- this event moved the mainland of Japan 8 feet, and shifted the earth on its axis by about 4 inches. Holy crap.

Jimmy Cobb came to FSU last week. In addition to presenting a clinic he played with a student combo as well as the faculty group. The man is amazing- at the age of 82 he's still swinging his ass off. The way he plays the ride cymbal is like no one else. It was fascinating to hear him talk about some of the sessions he played on- the Blackhawk, Someday My Prince Will Come, Full House, Smokin' at the Half Note, Cannonball & Coltrane and of course KOB, among others. When he rehearsed with the students he didn't read any music but would just listen to the tune a couple times and find his groove. The student group was playing the Joe Hen tune Shade of Jade (which he was unfamiliar with, not an easy tune)and after a couple listens he found the perfect thing to play. A real pro, and a real gentleman. The man's discography is ridiculous. His longevity in jazz is not unlike Roy Haynes'. What an honor to have had the opportunity to meet and play with him! EDIT: Also, it was great to thank him for one of my favorite moments in jazz- on the Miles '58 sessions, on Stella, where he & PC go into that amazing medium walking groove on the second chorus for Trane's solo. Sublime.

Brutal! Awesome! That must've taken Agg 3-4 hours! Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! Much appreciated!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Bi Gal!

Larry called it!

It is.

That one isn't similar to Butch's Blues either.

Other than the fact that they are both blues in the key of F I don't hear much in common between the two melodies.

Happy Birthday Nojjjjy!

Same goes for us. We in the San Joaquin Valley don't get the snow like many folks here do, but the winters can get pretty cold at night. It's the AC bills that kill us with the legendary summer heat we get around these parts. So, our gas and electricity are both on a level paying plan. That was weird seeing that post from six years ago. Back when there was a "we" in KC. A lifetime ago! Here in north Florida I hardly use any heat in the winter, but the hot steamy summers result in some killer utility bills.

I'm basing this generalization on my experience with my students (most of whom are jazz majors, so I expect them to be more of the "hard core obsessives" of which you speak). They bring in a recording they've been checking out and I'll ask them who's on bass, drums etc. If they don't know I have them look it up. I think it's important for them to study the details of the music and be able to tell the difference between, say, Elvin Jones/Tony Williams/Billy Higgins/Art Blakey, etc. As far as listening to an entire record, that's how I discovered many tunes I might not have otherwise. I originally purchased Speak No Evil for the title cut, but then discovered Wildflower and Infant Eyes, which have become favorite tunes from the record. Yes, the shrinking attention span has become quite an issue, especially as it applies in the area of learning to play, which is a process where improvement is gradual and requires long hours of "shedding". No shortcuts there.

How are things going, Jim? Is it time to raise some $$?