GA Russell

Free agency begins tomorrow at noon eastern. https://www.cfl.ca/fa19/ ***** Here is a list (with links in red) of guys who have already signed with the NFL. https://3downnation.com/cfl-pending-free-agent-list/ ***** Delvin Breaux has signed with the Ticats. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/11/ticats-agree-to-terms-on-multi-year-extension-with-db-delvin-breaux/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/11/ticats-sign-db-delvin-breaux-three-year-deal/ ***** Simoni Lawrence has also signed with the Ticats. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/11/ticats-re-sign-linebacker-simoni-lawrence-fans-rejoice/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/11/ticats-ink-simoni-lawrence-two-year-deal/ ***** Edmonton President Len Rhodes will not seek another term. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/11/with-mike-reilly-set-to-leave-esks-president-len-rhodes-finds-the-door/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/11/esks-president-len-rhodes-not-seek-another-term/ ***** safeties https://3downnation.com/2019/02/10/cfl-free-agent-rankings-safeties/ ***** league-wide free agency preview https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/11/preview-breaking-nine-teams-ahead-free-agency/

Larry Grenadier solo performances: March 15 New York, NY Zürcher Gallery March 22 Knoxville, TN Big Ears Festival

ECM Larry Grenadier The Gleaners Larry Grenadier: double bass Release date: February 15, 2019 ECM 2560 B0029681-02 UPC: 6025 675 7841 3 Larry Grenadier solo performances: March 15 New York, NY Zürcher Gallery March 22 Knoxville, TN Big Ears Festival Over the decades, ECM has released a line of inventive albums showcasing solo double bass by such virtuosos of the instrument as Dave Holland, Barre Phillips and Miroslav Vitous. Now the label presentsThe Gleaners, the first album of solo bass by Larry Grenadier. As one of the most admired, accomplished bassists working in jazz today, Grenadier has been praised as “a deeply intuitive” musician by The New York Times and as an instrumentalist with a “fluid sense of melody” by Bass Player magazine. His personal tone has made him a bassist of choice for such artists as Paul Motian and Pat Metheny, not to mention some 25 years of deep, ongoing work in pianist Brad Mehldau’s widely influential trio. For ECM, Grenadier has featured on two albums as part of the cooperative trio Fly (alongside Mark Turner and Jeff Ballard), as well as three records led by guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel.The Gleaners includes a brace of originals by Grenadier, along with distinctive interpretations of numbers by George Gershwin, John Coltrane and Motian. There’s also a pair of pieces written especially for Grenadier by Muthspiel, plus an instrumental interpretation of “Gone Like the Season Does,” a song by the bassist’s wife, and frequent collaborator, singer Rebecca Martin. Grenadier recorded The Gleaners at Avatar Studios in New York City with Manfred Eicher as producer and James Farber as engineer. Grenadier and Eicher mixed the album at Studios La Buissonne in the South of France. In his liner note, Grenadier wrote: “The process for making this record began with a look inward, an excavation into the core elements of who I am as a bass player. It was a search for a center of sound and timbre, for the threads of harmony and rhythm that formulate the crux of a musical identity.” Reflecting on the gestation of his first solo album, he talks further: “For years, I had been satisfied by collaborating with other artists, feeling that I had room for my own voice in the music. But Manfred planted the seed of making a solo album, and I cultivated it as an artistic challenge. Manfred is a former bassist, so he understands the instrument and its history, both in jazz and classical. Few people truly know how to treat the double-bass sonically in the studio, but Manfred concentrates on bringing out its special qualities. In making The Gleaners, he was vital in the editing and the mix, really helping me shape the album.” Those previous ECM albums of solo bass by Holland, Phillips and Vitous were key inspirations for Grenadier. “But other instrumentalists playing solo were also a big influence, such as Sonny Rollins,” he says. “I looked to them to help answer the question: How do you develop something solo over a long span with cohesion and clarity? Joe Henderson also used to play these substantial solo intros before tunes like Monk’s ‘Ask Me Now’ that were inspiring. There were other things, too, when it came to solo string playing. I’ve always loved solo cello music from Bach and beyond, and Manfred introduced me to violist Kim Kashkashian’s solo Hindemith recordings, which I fell for. As all those influences swirled in my head, I began thinking about a solo album conceptually, how to make it interesting over 45 minutes or so – and not just to other bass players. I experimented with various tunings and scordatura, like the 17th- and 18th-century violinists used, to get a full range of sounds – and that gave the instrument a whole new vibration for me, a feeling of real sonic potential to explore.” Grenadier’s title of The Gleaners was inspired by a documentary film from 2000, The Gleaners and I, by the French director Agnès Varda, who was in turn influenced by the 19th-century painting by Millet calledThe Gleaners, of women harvesting in a field. “For me, as a musician, you glean things from the people you play with and the music you listen to, but it takes work to get the most out of everything, to harvest the things you can use yourself,” Grenadier says. “I’ve always felt something like that as an artistic credo – working to get to the good stuff. Even in the middle of a gig with, say, Brad Mehldau – just trying to be truly in the moment, alive to the best of what’s happening.” Richly conceived, beautifully played and recorded with a sensuous blend of warmth and detail, The Gleaners includes seven original pieces by Grenadier – starting with the deeply melodic arco opener “Oceanic.” Next comes the grooving pizzicato homage “Pettiford,” about which Grenadier says: “That track is my tribute to Oscar Pettiford, one of the first jazz bass players I really dug, when I was a teenager. My piece is based on the chord changes of his tune ‘Laverne’s Walk.’ I’ve also played ‘Pettiford’ in a trio version with Fly.” The album’s other originals range from the arco lyricism of “Vineland” and “The Gleaners” to the pensive pizzicato of “Lovelair” and “Woebegone” (with the latter capped by some artfully overdubbed arco). The interpretations on The Gleaners include touchstones for Grenadier: “Another musical hero of mine has always been Miles Davis, for his sound and the way he thought about music, as well as the bands he put together. I love the Miles and Gil Evans version of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, so including ‘My Man’s Gone Now’ is my nod to that inspiration.” The Gleaners also includes a medley of Coltrane’s “Compassion” and Motian’s “The Owl of Cranston.” Grenadier says: “‘Compassion’ comes from Coltrane’s Meditations suite, an important piece of music for me. It flows into Motian’s ‘Owl of Cranston,’ which I used to play with Paul. His tunes are just fabulous – they’re so melodic, but the flow of the rhythm, often out of tempo, is the thing. I love Paul’s approach to composition and his approach to music in general – his influence is so strong among my generation. I got to spend more than a decade with him onstage and in the studio, which meant that I could absorb this long history of music, from his days with Bill Evans and then Keith Jarrett to his albums as a leader on ECM and that great trio with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano. Throughout all that he did, there is this open approach, where you hear time beyond strict metronomic time, free but with a flow. He could play so loose because he was so rooted in the tradition. As he might say, to play out you have to be able to playin. The great musicians I’ve played alongside – from Joe Henderson and Paul Motian to Brad Mehldau and Pat Metheny – all teach the same thing: know your instrument really well, listen closely and be open to the moment and its possibilities.” Born in 1966, Grenadier grew up in San Francisco, his family a musical one. At age 10, he began learning the trumpet, which was father’s instrument. His dad taught him how to read music, and he was soon given his first electric bass, which enabled him to play cover tunes in a trio with his two brothers. After being introduced to jazz at home, Grenadier had his passion for the music stoked at age 12 by witnessing a live performance by bass kingpin Ray Brown. That pivotal event led him to explore the work of such bass greats as Pettiford, Charles Mingus, Paul Chambers and Wilbur Ware. “The more I got into jazz, the more I gravitated toward the upright bass as my main instrument,” Grenadier recalls. “I was drawn to the acoustic instrument’s subtlety and its physicality. I liked how the double-bass produces its sound naturally. The instrument still holds mystery for me – I remain fascinated by it all these years later.” About his prime influences as a bassist, Grenadier runs down those players and qualities that have meant the most to him: Brown (“such a huge beat, such clarity of sound – what he played on bass offered so much information that you had to pay attention to it”); Pettiford (“for his clarity, melodicism, swing-to-bop values, the way he dug chamber music, too”); Mingus (“huge technical ability on the bass, along with his incredible composing and bandleading”); and Scott LaFaro (“his incredible technique and his individuality – he was sui generis, like Jaco Pastorius”). Along with those figures, and Holland and Vitous, Grenadier’s key bass influences also include Charlie Haden, Eddie Gomez, George Mraz and Marc Johnson. “All these players have been about developing a distinctive voice on the bass, with the technique to convey their ideas with real lucidity,” he says. “Obviously, Charlie was a very different player than someone like Miroslav, but they both rank as advanced speakers on their instrument. It’s about pushing yourself technically so that you can get across what you’re trying to express.” The art of music “remains a learning experience for me, above all,” Grenadier concludes. “I’m always working on the technical aspects of my playing, but at the same time, I know that what happens onstage isn’t all about that. The level of intuition that exists in music, especially in jazz, is a constant reminder to me of what humans are capable of, both in music and beyond. I always want to keep a bit of that mystery at play in the music, so as not to over-intellectualize the magic. That’s why I think you have to balance a studied approach to how music works with a primal, instinctual understanding of the way music feels. Having access to technique is essential for being able to communicate and express yourself musically. But, ultimately, music is about emotion. The most vital quality in making music at a heightened level is empathy, the ability to listen and feel.”

secondary https://3downnation.com/2019/02/09/cfl-free-agent-rankings-cornerbacks-halfbacks/ ***** BC has signed Bryan Burnham. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/10/b-c-lions-re-sign-all-star-receiver-bryan-burnham-sources/

This might be interesting to some people. Acrobat has released a box of the Top 100 on Feb. 3, 1959 ($20.91). https://www.oldies.com/product-view/57965R.html

TTK, if your mom would give me a kiss on the cheek, that would be enough!

We had a '61 Rambler station wagon! After six years the transmission blew out, and the mechanic said it wasn't worth fixing. I thought that was odd because New Orleans is very flat.

The Kindle eBook version of this is on sale today for $1.20. https://www.amazon.com/They-All-Sang-Adventures-Eclectic-ebook/dp/B0041FJ7YK/

Gary Robinson has died. RIP. https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/09/lions-mourn-loss-gary-robinson/ **** SAM linebackers https://3downnation.com/2019/02/09/cfl-free-agent-rankings-strong-side-linebackers/

ECM David Torn / Tim Berne / Ches Smith - Sun of Goldfinger release date: March 1, 2019 Tim Berne: alto saxophone Ches Smith: drums, electronics, tanbou David Torn: electric guitar, live-looping, electronics Sun of Goldfinger on tour: March 12th San Francisco, CA (Freight and Salvage) March 13th Los Angeles, CA (Zebulon) March 14th Portland, OR (Holocene) March 15th Seattle, WA (Royal Room) March 16th Denver, CO (workshop) March 17th Denver, CO (Dazzle) March 18th Minneapolis, MN Icehouse March 19th Madison, WI (Arts and Literature Laboratory) March 20th Pittsburgh, PA (Spirit) March 21st NY, NY (Nublu) March 24th Knoxville, TN (Big Ears Festival) April 18th Boston, MA (Regatta Bar) April 19th Portland, ME (Space Gallery) April 20th Newburgh, NY (Atlas) Additional artists on "Spartan, Before It Hit": Craig Taborn: electronics, piano; Mike Bagetta: guitar; Ryan Ferreira: guitar Scorchio String Quartet: Martha Mooke: director / viola Amy Kimball: violin: Rachel Golub: violin Leah Coloff: cello Guitarist-composer David Torn, a longstanding ECM artist, has enjoyed a particularly fruitful 21st-century with the label, releasing two albums under his own name - the solo only sky and quartet disc prezens - in addition to producing widely lauded records by Tim Berne and Michael Formanek. With Sun of Goldfinger, Torn returns in a trio alongside the alto saxophonist Berne and percussionist Ches Smith (a member of Berne's Snakeoil band who made his ECM leader debut in 2016 with The Bell). The Torn/Berne/Smith trio, also dubbed Sun of Goldfinger, features alone on two of this album's three intense tracks of 20-plus minutes; the vast sonic tapestries of "Eye Meddle" and "Soften the Blow" - each spontaneous group compositions - belie the fact that only a trio is weaving them, with live electronics by Torn and Smith expanding the aural envelope. The third track, the Torn composition "Spartan, Before It Hit," showcases an extended ensemble with two extra guitars, keyboards and a string quartet; it's an otherworldly creation, ranging from hovering atmospherics to dark-hued lyricism to storming, sky-rending grandeur. The words of LondonJazz, reviewing Sun of Goldfinger live, also suit the band's debut on record: "This is dangerous music - at times angry, at others blissed-out and illuminating - with its thunderous rumblings... delivering not so much a wash of sound, more a tidal wave."

During the last decade, Big Ears has emerged as the United States’ preeminent festival for exploratory music. This year, the festival honors a visionary international institution that has always operated with the same outlook—ECM Records, the border-erasing label launched by producer Manfred Eicher that has now spent half a century tirelessly pursuing new frontiers and standards of excellence in jazz and classical music. 20 concerts will feature legendary artists, a new generation of torch-bearing talents, and musicians who probe the outer limits of form and genre – all culled from ECM’s 50 year roster. Big Ears 2019 will pull ECM’s influence across genre and generation into one long weekend, putting it into conversation with the rest of modern music throughout the entire festival. Featuring THE ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO AVISHAI COHEN QUARTET BILL FRISELL & THOMAS MORGAN CARLA BLEY TRIOS WITH ANDY SHEPPARD AND STEVE SWALLOW DAVID TORN DEJOHNETTE COLTRANE GARRISON KIM KASHKASHIAN KIM KASHKASHIAN AND ROBERT LEVIN LARRY GRENADIER MATHIAS EICK QUINTET MEREDITH MONK & VOCAL ENSEMBLE CELLULAR SONGS NIK BÄRTSCH’S RONIN RALPH TOWNER SHAI MAESTRO ST. JOHN’S CHOIR: ARVO PÄRT’S PASSIO SUN OF GOLDFINGER (DAVID TORN, TIM BERNE, CHES SMITH) TIM BERNE'S SNAKEOIL VIJAY IYER AND CRAIG TABORN WADADA LEO SMITH’S NDA, PERFORMING “DIVINE LOVE” WITH BOBBY NAUGHTON AND DWIGHT ANDREWS FOR TICKETS CLICK HERE © 2019 ECM Records US, A Division of Verve Music Group. All rights reserved. ECM David Torn / Tim Berne / Ches Smith - Sun of Goldfinger release date: March 1, 2019 Tim Berne: alto saxophone Ches Smith: drums, electronics, tanbou David Torn: electric guitar, live-looping, electronics Sun of Goldfinger on tour: March 12th San Francisco, CA (Freight and Salvage) March 13th Los Angeles, CA (Zebulon) March 14th Portland, OR (Holocene) March 15th Seattle, WA (Royal Room) March 16th Denver, CO (workshop) March 17th Denver, CO (Dazzle) March 18th Minneapolis, MN Icehouse March 19th Madison, WI (Arts and Literature Laboratory) March 20th Pittsburgh, PA (Spirit) March 21st NY, NY (Nublu) March 24th Knoxville, TN (Big Ears Festival) April 18th Boston, MA (Regatta Bar) April 19th Portland, ME (Space Gallery) April 20th Newburgh, NY (Atlas)

The XFL has hired Bob Stoops to be the GM and HC of its Dallas team. https://www.xfl.com/articles/bobstoops ***** The AAF starts tonight. https://aaf.com/phoenix--hotshots-game-preview-stallions https://aaf.com/legends-vs-apollos-week-1-preview

More on free agents... East https://www.cfl.ca/thewaggle#FAEast West https://www.cfl.ca/thewaggle#FAWest linebackers https://3downnation.com/2019/02/08/cfl-free-agent-rankings-linebackers-2/ defensive ends https://3downnation.com/2019/02/06/cfl-free-agent-rankings-defensive-ends/ Riders https://3downnation.com/2019/02/07/stay-or-go-examining-the-riders-potential-free-agents/ Ticats https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/07/locked-ticats-offence-intact-ahead-free-agency/ ***** Marcus Brady will be the Indianapolis QB coach this year. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/07/former-cfl-qb-marcus-brady-elevated-to-quarterbacks-coach-with-indianapolis-colts/ ***** The Riders have promoted Jason Shivers to be their new DC. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/08/jason-shivers-to-be-named-riders-defensive-coordinator/ https://3downnation.com/2019/02/08/by-hiring-shivers-the-riders-continue-their-march-towards-continuity/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/08/riders-name-shivers-defensive-coordinator/ ***** Tiquan Underwood will be an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/06/former-ticats-and-alouettes-receiver-tiquan-underwood-hired-as-miami-dolphins-coach/ ***** Jacques Chapdelaine will be the Argos' OC. https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/07/argos-announce-2019-coaching-staff-including-chapdelaine/ ***** 2/6 checking down https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/06/checking-jacques-chapdelaine-argo-bound/

This is Wirecutter's favorite micro SD card. Samsung 32GB 95MB/s (U1) MicroSD EVO Select Memory Card with Adapter (MB-ME32GA/AM) - $7.99 prime https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWN9Q99/

Sun Records from oldies.com. All are $4.98. Warren Smith - Ubangi Stomp https://www.oldies.com/product-view/60142.html ***** Roy Orbison - Ooby Dooby https://www.oldies.com/product-view/60092.html ***** The Definitive Hits - Volume 1 https://www.oldies.com/product-view/64922.html ***** The Definitive Hits - Volume 2 https://www.oldies.com/product-view/64932.html ***** Spotlite On Sun Records - Volume 1 https://www.oldies.com/product-view/58092.html

Ah. Be sure to let us know when it's over!!!

Mine is still scheduled for Feb. 15, unchanged from when I placed the order. PS - Bob, what March shenanigans are you referring to?

Thanks, Roger! I'll be saving up for that.

The New Seekers - The Albums 1970-73 (9 albums) - 21.49 GBP https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JNPVQR3/

free agents... in general https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/05/ferguson-setting-stage-free-agent-frenzy/ ***** receivers https://www.cfl.ca/2019/01/25/position-strength-elite-receivers-headline-2019-fa-class/ ***** Jonathan Rose will return to Ottawa. https://www.cfl.ca/2019/01/25/position-strength-elite-receivers-headline-2019-fa-class/ https://3downnation.com/2019/02/05/redblacks-re-sign-db-jonathan-rose-who-will-likely-serve-suspension-in-2019/ ***** Abdul Kanneh will return to Toronto. https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/01/argos-extend-db-kanneh-ol-sackey-2019/ ***** Mike Reilly possibilities https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/01/team-team-look-mike-reilly-sweepstakes/

Ralph Alessi Imaginary Friends Ralph Alessi trumpet; Ravi Coltrane tenor and sopranino saxophones; Andy Milne piano; Drew Gress double bass; Mark Ferber drums Trumpeter Ralph Alessi’s first two ECM albums as a leader justly earned him high praise. Here the trumpeter fronts a longtime working quintet in its first recording since 2010 featuring kindred spirits Ravi Coltrane and Andy Milne and a stellar rhythm section. The nine Alessi compositions include an irresistible highlight in “Iram Issela,” with its rich seam of bittersweet melody and exceptional soloing by Coltrane setting the scene for an album of quicksilver beauty. LISTEN / BUY Joe Lovano Trio Tapestry Joe Lovano tenor saxophone, tarogato, gongs; Marilyn Crispell piano; Carmen Castaldi drums, percussion The great saxophonist Joe Lovano makes his leader debut here, introducing a wonderful new group and music of flowing lyricism, delicate texture, and inspired interplay. Lovano and pianist Marilyn Crispell are in accord at an advanced level inside its structures. Lovano: “We play together like an orchestra, creating an amazing tapestry. I brought in the material, but there’s an equal weight of contribution, creating music within the music, and harmonizing it in a really special way.” LISTEN / BUY IN PRE-ORDER © *2018 ECM Records US, A Division of Verve Music Group. All rights reserved.

Kwaku Boateng has agreed to return to the Eskimos. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/01/eskimos-extension-for-dl-kwaku-boateng-proves-draft-slide-was-a-fluke/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/01/eskimos-sign-boateng-two-year-extension/ ***** The Alouettes have revealed their new uniforms. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/02/the-montreal-alouettes-new-look-is-fantastic-and-long-overdue/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/01/31/oleary-boivin-sees-als-rebrand-connection-montreal/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/01/new-identity-montreal-alouettes-unveil-new-logo-uniforms/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/01/check-alouettes-awesome-new-threads/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/02/future-air-bowman-models-als-gear/ ***** It looks like Jacques Chapdelaine will be the Argos' new OC. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/03/argos-to-name-jacques-chapdelaine-offensive-coordinator-report/ ***** more free agent analyses... offensive tackles https://3downnation.com/2019/02/01/cfl-free-agent-rankings-offensive-tackles/ centres and guards https://3downnation.com/2019/02/02/cfl-free-agent-rankings-centres-and-guards/ https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/01/position-strength-o-linemen-lifeblood-cfl-free-agency/ defensive tackles https://3downnation.com/2019/02/03/cfl-free-agent-rankings-defensive-tackles/ ***** Jordan Williams-Lambert is going to the Chicago Bears. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/04/riders-losing-receiver-jordan-williams-lambert-to-the-nfl-unexpected/ ***** Josh Smith analyzes the Ticats. https://3downnation.com/2019/02/04/what-all-the-recent-re-signings-means-for-the-ticats/ ***** Kevin Glenn is still playing, but his two backups with the 2007 Bombers - Kliff Kingsbury and Zac Taylor - are now head coaches in the NFL. https://www.cfl.ca/2019/02/04/bombers-95th-grey-cup-now-nfl-head-coaches/ https://3downnation.com/2019/02/04/the-3-guys-that-backed-up-kevin-glenn-in-2007-are-all-coaching-and-hes-still-playing-11-years-later/

ECM Areni Agbabian - Bloom Please note: release date: April 12, 2019 Areni Agbabian: voice, piano; Nicolas Stocker: percussion Improvising vocalist, folk singer, storyteller, pianist: on her ECM debut Areni Agbabian focuses the range of her skills in music that casts a quiet spell. A sparse music in which voice, piano and the subtle percussion of Nicolas Stocker (last heard on ECM with Nik Bärtsch's Mobile ensemble), continually shade into silence.  The California-born Agbabian, who came to international attention with the groups of Tigran Hamasyan, draws deeply upon her Armenian heritage, reinterpreting sacred hymns, a traditional tale, a folk melody transcribed by Komitas and more, and interspersing these elements among her own evocative compositions. Bloom was recorded in Lugano in October 2016 and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Not Now ***** Not Now ***** One Day ***** Not Now ***** One Day ***** Goldies ***** Reel to Reel ***** Big 3 ***** Big 3 ***** One Day ***** One Day ***** Reel to Reel ***** Big 3 ***** Not Now ***** Demon/Edsel ***** Chestnut ***** DOL / Vinylogy ***** The Intense Media ***** Dynamic Nostalgia ***** Enlightenment ***** Acrobat ***** Acrobat ***** The Intense Media ***** One Day ***** So these are typical box sets I receive emails about every day. In regard to the sound, which of these labels (if any) have a good reputation? Which (besides Not Now) have a poor reputation?

Steve and Hans, I am well aware that Bear Family and Ace (and Charly?) obtain access to the original sources. Nevertheless, I think that it is appropriate to refer to labels which seem to specialize in pre-1963 music as PD labels, because the music is in the public domain. But no need to quibble here about that. I am only concerned about which labels have the reputation of routinely puttying out good quality CDs of '50s music (and which labels to avoid for reason of their poor work product).