Free For All

Here's my Zoot story- In 1984 I had just joined Woody's band and on the itinerary was a trip to Europe. This would be MY first time out of the country, and (if that wasn't enough) the plan was to takes some extra guests along. The guests were Sal Nistico, Bill Perkins, Billy Mitchell and Zoot Sims. And dammit, they're all gone now. If I remember, Billy Mitchell replaced someone else who had to cancel at the last minute. The reason I mention that is that although he did spend some time on the band, he wasn't quite the household name (as far as Woody alumni) as the others. I was pretty green at that time and hadn't heard of him before, and needless to say was very impressed. It was great getting to travel with and listen to those guys- the time on the bus and in the airport was as funny and inspiring as the time on the bandstand! Zoot had a wonderful dry sense of humor. I would LOVE to have been around during the Jim and Andy's days. As you might imagine, playing tunes like Four Brothers with those guys was a trip. And of course we played Caldonia (REAL fast) so Sal could do his thing. I developed an appreciation for Zoot (as well as his soulmate Al Cohn, who also deserves his own thread) through my association with the Herd. All those guys mentioned above- I had certainly heard their names, but I wasn't all that familiar with their playing at that stage in my musical development. I became better educated, needless to say, and am now a believer and fan. In addition to those recordings already mentioned, a few others I like: Waiting Game (w/Gary McFarland charts) The Bossa Nova Sessions (w/Jim Hall) Hawthorne Nights (Bill Holman charts and Frank Rosolino) I Wish I Were Twins (Zoot and Jimmy Rowles always hooked up great) Zoot and the Gershwin Bros. And no question about it, "Zoot" is the greatest jazz name ever.

Nah..........too "Pulitzer".

I'm smellin' an endorsement here. I can just see the ad in downbeat- "Jim A. uses the Schick Quattro- no more blood on the keys baby!" Plus a big ol' Schick sticker on the Leslie. How tasteful.

Was it the studio one with the Oliver Nelson arrangements? That would account for one of the two LPs. I think it was called Monk's Blues. The other might have been that session from 12/30/63 at Lincoln Center- the band w/ Thad, Eddie Bert, Phil Woods, Nick Travis et al. Released as a CD two-fer; Monk Big Band and Quartet in Concert. Those are both Columbia releases and therefore would have made a logical pairing for an LP two-fer (with the big band cuts only from the live session).

I had to "train" my dad in living-alone skills after my mom passed away in '94. He was from that generation where the men didn't really do a lot of "housework" kind of stuff. I'm probably the last one who's qualified to coach anyone on neatness skills, but my dad made me look like Felix Unger. Mountians of laundry, bills and dirty dishes. He did manage to get it together somewhat. It's good that you're helping him in this way, Tom. Plus it gives you something to do with your waiting time. I hope the situation resolves soon. At the very least, know this- you're a good son, and it sounds like your wife is supportive. These kind of "gauntlets" can really define/strengthen relationships. Losing my mom was the worst thing I've ever experienced, as it is for most. I think of her each day, and the painful aspect of it lessens a bit with time, but never goes away, and I'm actually grateful for that. I don't want her memory to fade. I don't mean to get ahead of the situation and I certainly hope your mom recovers, but I'm sure you've been thinking about all scenarios. Hang in there, and realize that you're never alone. You know, it's a credit to this board that you feel confident in sharing extremely personal feelings here. How nice to be able to come to a place like this for comfort. Way to go, guys.

And this surprised you?

Congrats, conn. I think the Carolina kicker who kicked off after the last score was responsible for the biggest gaff. Kicking it out of bounds in that situation was really a mistake. Who know, the Pats might have scored anyway, but this guy handed it to 'em on a silver platter. Put any team on the 40 yard line and the odds are good that they will at least get a field goal. First 25 minutes= deathly dull Remainder of game= excellent, one of the better Super Bowls I've seen. Janet Jackson= desperate for attention. I tuned out for the half time festivities, but thanks to Mule for providing the video still. Did anyone else think the commercials were only fair this year? My favorite was the Bud Light farting horse. Rusty's been eating Beefarinos again.

I heard this group last night in KC at the UMKC Jazz Festival. Brian Lynch, Mario Rivera (bari), Edsel Gomez (piano), Robbie Ameen (drums), bass player and percussionist whose names escape me at the moment. The material consisted of Miles tunes dressed up in authentic latin grooves- they played Seven Steps, Freddie Freeloader, Blue In Green, Petit Machins, So What, Flamenco Sketches et al. It seemed to work better than you might think. Nice arrangements, burnin' grooves and great solos. Format-wise, it was a lot of head-solos-trade-head-out, but there were a couple cool ensemble moments, like on Freddie where they all played Miles' KOB solo in its entirety. Those guys (Conrad and Brian) have really honed their latin chops playing with Eddie Palmieri's band. They play hard for a long time and still manage to maintain good control of their sounds which, as any brass players who've played latin gigs know, is a big challenge for that kind of music. I continue to grow more impressed with Brian Lynch each time I hear him. I've known Conrad for a while and know how nuts his playing is. They've got a CD coming out soon. They're on a short tour, mostly midwest cities, so watch for them. Well worth checking out. What did you think Spontooneus?

I'm sure Passing Ships was high on many lists, but Rooster knowingly limited the parameters to material recorded in the last five years. This is an impressive list actually, including many things I'd forgotten about. I spend so much time thinking about the reissues, I tend to overlook all the great new music BN's been producing. Bravo.

S'okay, I'll just delete my thread since this one is getting some action now. I was fortunate enough to know Frank well and played on several of his recordings-he also recorded one of my compositions on one. I also taught/played w/him at many jazz camps and enjoyed his great sense of humor as well as his musicianship. He was a good friend to many and the occasions when all the players would assemble for a "Tooth" recording project were very special. This happened way too soon. There was a lot of music left in him. BTW, he passed away Friday morning. He was 56.

Matthew, I started a thread on this topic a couple of days ago in this (Artists)category. I guess it kind of eventually got buried because there were no responses. I guess there aren't too many on the board who knew him. Anyway, did you know Frank?

Thinkin' good thoughts for ya, buddy. Keep us posted when it's convenient.

I don't get it. When I go out for drug and alcohol binge, I grab a shower and fix up a bit first. Clean underwear too. Just in case, like Mom always said.

Hard to pick just one, but some nominees........besides Symbols of Light........ Jason Moran Black Stars Bob Belden Black Dahlia Tribalistas Bill Charlap Written in The Stars

Of course.......I forgot about those. .....and I even own 'em all. DUH!

I don't even see how it would be anatomically possible. That'd be like trying to put a marshmallow in a piggy bank. Or so I hear. "Here kitty kitty..............................."

Absolutely. It's a must-have for Lee completists (and I suspect there are quite a few on this board) and an enjoyable listen. That being said, I must say it's not my favorite late Lee......I kinda like "Last Session", although it's a completely different vibe musically. The brass section on "Intensity" is a little different too.....it certainly is "intense" but I'm not sure if it totally works for me. It IS great to hear Lee w/organ though- I wish he'd had more opportunities to record w/one. Besides this one, the Jimmy Smith sessions and Mothership w/Larry Young was there anything else recorded with organ? Hey, this sounds like a Rooster post now.

I don't know why, conn, but the non-sequitur aspect of those two sentences struck me as funny.

Maybe we should ask Swinging Swede just how he came to choose that name. No pun intended.

I just picked this one up and have been enjoying it quite a bit. Nice interplay, some unique variations/interpretations on standards. I'm a fan of both Frahm and Mehldau though- each posesses a fairly extensive vocabulary (musically and otherwise). Doesn't Frahm post over at AAJ sometimes? Anyway, I give it a

I recommend Wainwright's Poses, Muskrat. I don't claim to be an expert on pop stuff, but I really like this recording. The title tune is just as hip as Douglas's cover, IMHO. Check it out. Very creative stuff, well executed.

Regarding some non-jazz music........ I remember discovering Bjork's Vespertine recording through recommendations from either this or the old BNBB. I really enjoyed that one and still listen to it from time to time. How's the Vespertine DVD? Anyway, recently I was listening to Dave Douglas' The Infinite - I've always really dug the first cut, Rufus Wainwright's "Poses". I hadn't been aware of RW before and was curious to hear what had inspired Dave Douglas so I picked up RW's Poses. Once again, I really like what I heard! His tunes are very engaging (I got one stuck in my head for a couple days......) and contain interesting melodies, lyrics and, lo and behold, INTERESTING HARMONY! Something rare in popular music. Plus he's got a very listenable voice. I perceived influences including John Lennon (and Beatles in general), Steely Dan, Queen and even Broadway-type music. There seem to be other influences as well, like a Randy Newman-type sense of humor. There are also some great arrangements (effective use of strings and other oddball instruments) and some nice dense textures. Definitely not jazz, but a very enjoyable detour from the usual listening habits. I tend to put all music into two categories, anyway (good and bad). It's a lot of fun to listen to, and it's good traveling music too. Anyone else like his stuff? Anything else of his I should check out?

Randy- As far as who's playing where, I don't know. As far as clubs to try to visit, I'd recommend the Green Mill and the Jazz Showcase as two places to definitely check out. And don't forget Jazz Record Mart......if you can sneak out for a minute...... Dave Douglas at the Green Mill? Sounds like a plan to me. Randy, if you've never been there it's a smoky and often noisy place, but a great vibe and much history. The staff do attempt to "shush' the audience there, god bless 'em, but often to little or no avail. The best listening is early in the gig. The Showcase OTOH is quieter and smoke-free. But no Dave Douglas. Judy Roberts is excellent, however- probably more of a "romantic" vibe at the Showcase, if that's what you're looking for. Have a great time! And happy birthday to Margaret!

Interesting point, and reflective of our own experience living with Eastern Time. After living in Central time most of my life, I spent a couple years in Ohio and it was strange getting used to the Eastern time schedule. News coming on at 6:30, late news at 11:00- it definitely affected our routine- eating later, staying up later. I kept thinking "do people who have to get up at 6 to go to work stay up this late?". I much prefer the Central time routine.

As I mentioned elsewhere, I recently bought my first new car. As we were shopping around I noticed an interesting new safety feature (in addition to side air bags) that I hadn't been aware of. It seems that all new vehicles have these collapsible motor mounts so when you (God forbid) get into a head-on the engine drops and goes down and back instead of straight back into the driver/passenger compartment. The problem that needs to be addressed (and I think it is) is these super high SUVs hitting a lower passenger car. The bumpers don't line up at all, and who do you think will lose that contest? I just love getting behind someone driving something like a Ford Exploder while on the phone. Now that's scary.