GA Russell

A lot of news while the board was down! Let's get started. The Redblacks have signed this year's Hec Crighton winner Ed Ilnicki. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/redblacks-sign-2017-hec-crighton-tropy-winner/#comments ***** The Als announced their coaching staff. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/mike-sherman-names-six-assistant-coaches-to-alouettes-staff/#comments ***** The Argos have signed Tracy Ham's son Caleb. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/argos-sign-son-of-canadian-football-hall-of-famer-tracy-ham/#comments ***** Adam Bighill will return to New Orleans. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/former-cfl-all-star-lb-adam-bighill-signs-future-contract-with-saints/#comments ***** Darian Durant wasn't out of work long. He signed with the Bombers. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/17/darian-durant-in-no-hurry-to-make-a-decision-on-next-destination/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/18/3downnation-podcast-durants-next-play-will-freeman-good-johnny-bad/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/20/darian-durant-agrees-to-terms-with-bombers/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/20/kevin-glenn-chirps-bombers-sign-darian-durant/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/21/durant-ready-new-role-blue-bombers/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/21/durant-great-addition-bombers-still-work/#comments ***** BC has signed Uzooma Okeke to scout the southeast US. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/18/lions-hire-former-alouettes-scout-uzooma-okeke/#comments ***** The Als released Sam Giguere. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/19/alouettes-released-canadian-receiver-sam-giguere-two-weeks-ago/#comments ***** The Riders hired Travis Moore to be their new receivers coach. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/19/riders-hire-travis-moore-receivers-coach/#comments ***** The Als were said to be the only team not to have scouts at the East-West Shrine Game and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, both they denied the report. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/19/no-alouettes-scouts-two-u-s-star-games-report/#comments ***** The Als released Keith Shologan. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/19/alouettes-quietly-released-canadian-defensive-lineman-keith-shologan/#comments ***** Jerry Keeling has died. RIP. I had his bubble gum card in 1964. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/20/former-stampeder-quarterback-jerry-keeling-dead-78/#comments ***** Duron Carter turned down two NFL offers (from Arizona and Baltimore), and re-signed with the Riders. http://www.3downnation.com/2017/12/11/duron-carter-goes-through-first-nfl-workout-in-off-season/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/20/riders-receiver-duron-carter-chirps-former-team-calls-alouettes-old/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/27/riders-receiver-duron-carter-delivers-cryptic-tweet-christmas-day/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/10/riders-duron-carter-turned-down-contract-offers-from-two-nfl-teams/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/11/riders-chris-jones-going-to-find-out-duron-carters-plans-for-2018/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/22/duron-carter-signs-extension-riders/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/22/despite-bumps-road-carter-riders-make-work/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/22/duron-carter-chooses-riders-over-nfl-opportunities/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/23/davis-nobody-commandeers-the-spotlight-like-duron-carter/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/23/riders-duron-carter-favours-canadian-culture/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/26/contract-details-duron-carter-gets-pay-raise-riders/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/26/bombers-db-tj-heath-duron-carters-raise-ive-locked-many-times/#comments

I have asked my contact if this will be recorded for release, and she replied that she had not yet heard.

ECM Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette - After The Fall release date : March 2, 2018 Keith Jarrett: piano; Gary Peacock: double bass; Jack DeJohnette: drums The group colloquially known as "the Standards trio" has made many outstanding recordings, and After The Fall must rank with the very best of them. "I was amazed to hear how well the music worked," writes Keith Jarrett in his liner note. "For me, it's not only a historical document, but a truly great concert." This performance - in Newark, New Jersey in November 1998 - marked Jarrett's return to the stage after a two-year hiatus. Joined by improvising partners Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, he glides and soars through classics of the Great American Songbook including "The Masquerade Is Over", "Autumn Leaves", "When I Fall In Love" and "I'll See You Again". There are also breath-taking accounts of hallowed bebop tunes including Charlie Parker's "Scrapple From The Apple", Bud Powell's "Bouncin' With Bud", Sonny Rollins's "Doxy", plus a rare, energetic exploration of Coltrane's "Moment's Notice". ECM Shinya Fukumori Trio - For 2 Akis release date: February 16, 2018 Matthieu Bordenave: tenor saxophone; Walter Lang: piano; Shinya Fukumori: drums An ECM debut for a unique Japanese-French-German trio, with a lyrical sound of its own. Drummer-leader Shinya Fukumori, also the principal composer for the band, is an imaginative melodist at several levels, and the attention to timbre and detail and space which distinguishes his drumming is also reflected in the color-fields of his free-floating ballads. The spaciousness of the music leaves room for expression to tenorist Matthieu Bordenave and pianist Walter Lang. Bordenave has a deceptively fragile tenor tone, of considerable emotional impact, and Lang, one of Lee Konitz's chosen duo partners in recent years, is a subtle player, patiently shoring up the whole context. Together, the members of this Munich-based band have created something new and fresh. For 2 Akis was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in the South of France in March 2017, and produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM Andy Sheppard Quartet - Romaria release date: February 16, 2018 Andy Sheppard: tenor and soprano saxophones; Eivind Aarset: guitar Michel Benita: double bass; Sebastian Rochford: drums Andy Sheppard's quartet extends the musical explorations begun on the 2015 release Surrounded By Sea, an album praised by Télérama for its "poignant serenity." In this new program of compositions by Sheppard (plus the title track by Brazilian singer-songwriter Renato Teixeira), the drones and washes of Eivind Aarset's guitar and electronics - aided by the generous acoustics of Lugano's Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI - help to establish a climate in which improvisation can take place. There's a highly atmospheric, ambient drift to the music which Sheppard clearly finds liberating, as do Michel Benita and Seb Rochford, free to move in and out of conventional rhythm section roles and to make impassioned statements of their own. Romaria was recorded in April 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM Nicolas Masson Quartet- Travelers release date: February 16, 2018 Nicolas Masson: tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet; Colin Vallon: piano; Patrice Moret: double bass; Lionel Friedli: drums After two ECM albums with the cooperative trio Third Reel, Swiss reedman Nicolas Masson presents a quartet for which he is the sole composer. The group has existed for a decade with unchanged personnel, touring as Nicolas Masson's Parallels, and the leader's writing for it always encourages creative responses from the players. Amid the changing musical landscapes in which these travelers move, you will encounter some of Colin Vallon's prettiest ballad playing, richly melodic bass from Patrice Moret, and subtle drum commentary from Lionel Friedli. Plus, of course, plenty of Masson's pure-toned saxophone and elegant clarinet. Travelers was recorded at Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano in April 2017, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Monday, March 26, 7:30PM R O U L E T T E 509 Atlantic Ave/3rd Avenue, Brooklyn Joey Baron (drums), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Nels Cline (guitar), Marc Copland (piano), Jack DeJohnette (drums), Eliane Elias (piano), Peter Erskine (drums), Mark Feldman (violin), Bill Frisell (guitar), Drew Gress (double bass), Marc Johnson (double bass), Dave Liebman (saxophones), Joe Lovano (saxophones), Thomas Morgan (double bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums), John Scofield (guitar), Ralph Towner (guitar), and special guests One of the most influential guitarists to earn initial renown in the mid-1970s, John Abercrombie continued to make exceptional music as he grew and explored, ever-honing his approach across the decades. As NPR declared, he was “an intrepid and deeply lyrical guitarist who made a formative contribution to jazz-rock before refining a judicious, poetic iteration of post-bop.” Like his breakthrough LP as a leader – the aptly titled Timeless of 1975 – John’s final album, Up and Coming, was released by ECM Records, in January 2017. In between came dozens of albums primarily for ECM as a leader, co-leader and key sideman, an evergreen body of work that helped define the label and will continue to confirm his stature as an innovative, individual artist who inspired his great colleagues as well as multiple generations of guitarists. Nels Cline, one of those guitarists shaped by recordings, performances and conversations from across John’s long career, said in an appreciation published in Premier Guitar: “It’s so hard to imagine our collective musical life without him.” Cline will join a dream lineup of John’s dear friends and close collaborators to pay tribute to the beloved guitarist’s life and music in an evening-length event underscoring his legacy and influences. Along with his career as a performer, composer and recording artist, John was also a teacher, lecturer and mentor at Purchase College of the State University of New York. Tickets $40 Advance | $45 Doors $60 Advance VIP Seating includes ECM CD $20 Student (must present valid student ID at the door) All proceeds from the concert will go to the John Abercrombie Jazz Scholarship Fund. Tax deductible donations to benefit the John Abercrombie Jazz Scholarship Fund Charitable Trust, a 501c3 non-profit organization providing tuition assistance for jazz students in need, will be accepted at the venue. Copyright © 2018 ECM Records. 1755 Broadway, Floor 3. New York, NY 10019. All rights reserved.

ECM Andy Sheppard Quartet Romaria Andy Sheppard: tenor and soprano saxophones Eivind Aarset: guitar Michel Benita: double bass Sebastian Rochford: drums Release: February 16, 2017 ECM 2577 B0027932-02 UPC CD: 6025 578 6980 4 UPC LP 180g: 6025 673 0185 1 Romaria is the latest chapter in a musical story that began with saxophonist Andy Sheppard’s free-flowing Trio Libero recording with bassist Michel Benita and drummer Sebastian Rochford back in 2011. The creative understanding between the three highly-individual protagonists was unmissable. For the subsequent album Surrounded by Sea, recorded in 2014, Eivind Aarset was added on guitar and electronics, bringing the group to quartet size and broadening its work method. As Sheppard explained to UK website Jazz Views, “I wanted to take what I was doing with Trio Libero and add the harmonies that I can hear in my head when playing with just bass and drums. Eivind is an amazing ‘orchestral’ voice with exquisite taste – the perfect choice for this role.” In an interview with Jazzwise magazine, Sheppard went further: “The sound-world that I have with this quartet is my dream band.” US magazine Jazz Times called the quartet’s music “impressionistic yet suffused with piercing emotional clarity,” a description also applicable for Romaria. In this new program of compositions by Andy Sheppard (plus the title track by Brazilian singer-songwriter Renato Teixeira) the drones and washes of Eivind Aarset’s guitar and electronics once again help to establish a climate in which improvisation can take place. There’s a highly atmospheric, ambient drift to the music which Sheppard clearly finds liberating, as do Michel Benita and Seb Rochford, free to move in and out of conventional rhythm section roles and to make impassioned statements of their own. And there is also drive: rubato and propulsive elements can co-exist and overlap in Sheppard’s musical universe, see for instance “Thirteen,” “They Came From The North” and “All Becomes Again”, all distinguished by dynamic interaction. “I wanted to continue the atmosphere of Surrounded by Sea,” says Andy Sheppard, “and write music which would bring out the wonderful musicality of Eivind, Seb and Michel and also make the core a little more robust, with more of an emphasis on groove and energy than the last album.” The opening and closing tracks were originally two versions of a slowly-unfolding ballad entitled “Forever and a Day”, both featuring gentle saxophone by the leader and melodic bass from Michel Benita against minimalistic drums and Aarset’s halo of sounds: “Manfred’s inspired idea of using both takes to open and close the session made me retitle the music accordingly.” “With Every Flower That Falls” belongs to a suite of music that Sheppard was commissioned to write as a “live score” to accompany a screening of Fritz Lang’s prophetic science-fiction classicMetropolis at the Bristol International Jazz Festival (where it was performed with a ten piece ensemble with Sheppard, Aarset and Michele Rabbia among the soloists). Title track “Romaria” was recommended to Andy Sheppard by his wife Sara: “She suggested I explore it, and played me the wonderful version by Ellis Regina, which of course I fell in love with immediately. For me, it also ties in with our recent relocation to Portugal, land of sunshine and saudades, two things that I hope the listener will find on this recording…” * Andy Sheppard’s first leader date for ECM was the 2008 recording Movements In Colour(where Eivind Aarset was one of the featured guitarists). In addition to the aforementioned Trio Libero album Sheppard can also be heard with Carla Bley and Steve Swallow on Trios(recorded 2012) and Andando el Tiempo (2015) and on ten of Carla Bley’s albums on the ECM distributed WATT label, beginning with Fleur Carnivore in 1988. Sheppard has written music for ensembles of every size including his Saxophone Massive project with up to 200 players, and been featured as soloist with great jazz composers and arrangers including George Russell and Gil Evans. Andy Sheppard and Michel Benita have been crossing paths since the 1980s. In 2008 Sheppard, Benita and Sebastian Rochford came together in a project at the Coutances Jazz Festival in northern France. It was here that Sheppard first glimpsed the potential of this particular musical combination. Seb Rochford, whose interest in jazz was first sparked by witnessing an Andy Sheppard concert in Aberdeen, has meanwhile made his own distinctive contributions to the genre with his bands including Polar Bear. Rochford’s resumé has embraced work with everyone from Brian Eno to Herbie Hancock, from Patti Smith to Matana Roberts. Each quartet member is also a bandleader in his own right, and Michel Benita, French bassist born in Algiers, recorded the album River Silver with his Ethics band (featuring Eivind Aarset, Matthieu Michel, and koto player Mieko Miyazaki) for ECM in 2015. Benita has played with numerous jazz musicians including Dewey Redman, Archie Shepp, Lee Konitz, Kenny Wheeler, Joe Lovano, Steve Kuhn, Michel Portal and many more. Eivind Aarset’s ECM album Dream Logic was released in 2012. It was followed by Atmosphèreswith an improvising quartet with Tigran Hamasyan, Arve Henriksen and Jan Bang. Other ECM appearances include Nils Petter Molvӕr’s influential Khmer and Solid Ether, Small Labyrinthswith Marilyn Mazur’s Future Song, Arild Andersen’s Electra, John Hassell’s Last Night The Moon Came…, Ketil Bjørnstad’s La Notte, and Food’s Mercurial Balm. Romaria was recorded at Lugano’s Auditorio Stelio Molo in April 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM Shinya Fukumori Trio For 2 Akis Matthieu Bordenave: tenor saxophone Walter Lang: piano Shinya Fukumori: drums Release date: February 16, 2018 ECM 2574 B0027936-02 UPC: 6025 578 8817 1 For 2 Akis is the ECM debut for a Japanese-French-German trio with a lyrical sound of its own. Drummer-leader Shinya Fukumori, also the principal composer for the band, is an imaginative melodist at several levels, and the attention to timbre and detail and space which distinguishes his drumming is also reflected in the color-fields of his free-floating ballads, and his adaptations and arrangements of Japanese songs. The spaciousness of the music leaves room for expression to tenorist Matthieu Bordenave and pianist Walter Lang. Bordenave has a deceptively fragile tenor tone, of considerable emotional impact, and Lang is a very subtle player, patiently shoring up the whole context. Together the three players have created something special and new. Shinya Fukumori, born in Osaka in 1984, played violin, piano and guitar before taking up drums at 15. Two years later he moved to the US, studying at Brookhaven College and the University of Texas at Arlington, completing his formal musical education at Boston’s Berklee College. After playing a great deal of in-the-tradition jazz and powering a number of big bands, he says that he found himself yearning for “something more floating. I wanted more dialogues.” Exposure to Keith Jarrett’s My Song album led to an interest in ECM’s recordings and in diverse European approaches to improvisational music-making. He cites Ketil Bjørnstad’s The Sea and Eberhard Weber’s Silent Feet as particular inspirations. Determining that he would one day record for ECM and work with Manfred Eicher, he decided to move to Munich “without knowing anyone at all in Europe” at that time. To prepare for the move he went back to Osaka for a while, where he was encouraged by the “two Akis” of the title track, both of them at Interplay 8, a jazz club with a long history, which once provided support for the young Yosuke Yamashita when few others were listening. Shinya Fukumori: “They believed in me and my music, and took care of me until I left for Europe. ‘For 2 Akis’ was one of the first rubato-type compositions I wrote, and among the first pieces that the trio played together. We feel it really represents the group.” It was also in Osaka that Shinya first heard Walter Lang, when the Swabian pianist was there with his own trio. “Walter is somewhat known in Japan, and so I went to his concert, and fell in love with the simple but strong and unique melodies in his playing.” At a jam session in Munich, Shinya got to play with French saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave: “I loved his tone, and we’ve developed a really close connection in the music. His approach and playing are like floating on a river. Both Walter and Matthieu really appreciate Japanese culture, and with their support I feel very confident in the music.” Each of the musicians contributes fine-spun pieces to the trio repertoire, and on For 2 AkisShinya has also brought in Japanese pieces of the Shōwa era (1926-89) which have a special resonance for him: “One of the most important music forms of this period is Shōwa Kayō, the folk/pop music of the Shōwa era. After World War II, when the country was very poor, people would sing folk songs - sometimes to forget about their situation, or to cry over it. Music was a way to escape from the reality, but at the same time to be aware of it. Although the sound is completely different, the way the music has influenced the people is equivalent, in my mind, to American blues. The folk songs of the period are usually very sad and nostalgic, and the music still touches our hearts. My parents and grandparents sang these songs. So I basically grew up listening to Shōwa Kayō. “I always wanted to create music using Shōwa elements, so I started arranging Shōwa folk songs for the trio in the style of European improvisational music with my own voice. It’s worked out well, and leaves so much space in the music…” The album begins and ends with Kenji Miyazawa’s “Hoshi Meguri No Uta” (“The Star-Circling Song”). Poet, author, farmer, and cellist Miyazawa (1896-1933), perhaps best-known for his surreal children’s books, wrote few songs. This one says Shinya “has an atmosphere of mystical space. I feel close to his works and the world he creates in his writings and music.” One of the much-loved songs of the Shōwa period is “Ai San San” written by Kei Ogura (born 1944) and made famous by legendary diva Hibari Misora (1937-89). Matthieu Bordenave wrings a lot of feeling from its melody in the trio’s interpretation. For Western jazz listeners the most familiar song here may be “Kojo No Tsuki” by Rentaro Taki: Thelonious Monk performed this piece (as “Japanese Folk Song”) on his Straight, No Chaseralbum. Shinya: “Every Japanese child learns this song at school. The melody of the song is very Japanese, so it stands out and still sounds very authentic even though I have re-harmonized it and arranged it.” Shinya Fukumori incorporates the piece into his “Light Suite” here, and it segues into his own compositions. The other “cover version” here, “Mangetsu No Yube” (“Full Moon Night”), written by Tagashi Nakagawa and Hiroshi Yamaguchi after the Great Hanshin earthquake of 1995, is a song of hope for dark times. “It’s important for me to play the song to remember,” says Shinya. “Plus, I just want to play the music because it’s a beautiful song.” The Shinya Fukumori Trio is a Munich-based band - actually the first Munich-based jazz group on ECM since the Mal Waldron Trio of the early 1970s – and all three of its members are leaders in their own right, active on the local scene as well as internationally. Walter Lang has extensive experience of playing duos with Lee Konitz (which led last autumn to Konitz guesting with Matthieu Bordenave’s quartet, with Shinya on drums). Bordenave, furthermore, leads the group Grand Angle with Peter Omara, Henning Sieverts and Shinya Fukumori, and plays duos with guitarist Geoff Goodman. For 2 Akis was recorded at Studios La Buissonne in the South of France in March 2017, and produced by Manfred Eicher. The trio is playing in both Europe and Japan in the coming months. ECM Nicolas Masson Travelers Nicolas Masson: tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet Colin Vallon: piano Patrice Moret: double bass Lionel Friedli: drums Release date: February 16, 2018 ECM 2578 B0027934-02 UPC: 6025 670 5808 3 After two well-received ECM albums in the cooperative trio Third Reel, leading Swiss reedman Nicolas Masson now presents his own quartet, with Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret and Lionel Friedli. The group has existed for twelve years already, touring as Nicolas Masson’s Parallels, with unchanged personnel and metamorphosing musical influences and priorities. It’s a group of friends, firstly, Masson emphasises. All compositions are by the leader but, as he says, “what’s special about the band, I believe, is the alchemy between the four of us, what happens when we play together.” Masson’s thoughtful writing for the group does not seek to draw attention to itself, but it continues to encourage fresh responses from the players: “For the quartet I like to have the possibility of writing the simplest melody as a unique starting point for improvisations or more complex rhythmic, harmonic and contrapuntal structures to play on.” Characteristically, at least two of the quartet members adhere to the compositional structure at any given time while the others are free to roam around it or to go exploring. Pianist Colin Vallon and bassist Patrice Moret, play differently here. ECM listeners will know these musicians from Vallon’s own trio and from Elina Duni’s group. Masson’s concept prompts more soloistic activity, and there is a special pleasure in the interplay between piano and saxophone here, as on the title track. In the mutating landscapes which these travellers negotiate you will also find some of Vallon’s prettiest ballad playing (see “Almost Forty”, for instance), richly melodic bass from Moret, and always alert and detailed drumming from Lionel Friedli, whose tom-toms, gongs and metals get a powerful feature on “The Deep.” Constant factors through the album – and throughout the history of the band – are Masson’s lean-toned saxophone and elegant clarinet. Nonetheless, twelve years is a long time in the life of an improvising group and much has changed along the way. When Nicolas Masson started the band he was inspired, he says, by Tim Berne’s writing, and juxtaposing that influence with ideas from rock, while also looking to Miles Davis’s sixties quintet as an optimum model for a balance of improvisation and composition. In the early days, when the group’s music was more groove and ostinato-driven, Vallon played just Fender Rhodes in the line-up, and textures were thicker and heavier (the 2009 album Thirty Six Ghosts documents the period). Masson subsequently fine-tuned his writing in concurrent projects, including a quartet with Ben Monder, Patrice Moret and Ted Poor, and the aforementioned Third Reel: “Recording the two ECM albums with Third Reel inspired me to think a lot about musical expression and aesthetics. I was trying to find a way to simplify or clarify the written material to communicate on a deeper level.” Contemporary composition had long been an interest; now, Masson also listened to earlier music of the classical tradition, including baroque music, for lyrical inspiration and formal concepts. “I wanted a more singing, melodic approach and operas and arias by Handel, Telemann and Purcell helped me to renew my approach to saxophone playing and offered new inspirations in writing, too. I was also hearing something more organic and natural.” Hence the drift to acoustic instruments. Masson’s artistic growth has been stimulated by some important encounters. At the age of 20 he met Cecil Taylor, J.R. Mitchell and Fred Hopkins in New York, which led to studies with Frank Lowe and Makanda Ken McIntyre. At the end of the 1990s, he returned to the US to study with Chris Potter and Rich Perry. He has played with Ben Monder, Kenny Wheeler, Josh Roseman, Otomo Yoshihide, Clarence Penn, Kris Davis, Thomas Morgan, Scott DuBois, Gerald Cleaver, Tom Arthurs, Samuel Blaser, Manuel Mengis, Susanne Abbuehl, and many others. Of his tunes on Travelers, Masson says, “I wrote each song in relation to someone I’ve known. These pieces are not musical portraits of these people, but a reaction to their specific energy…” Music is paralleled in significance in Masson’s life by photography and the two arts have had a kind of symbiotic relationship for him. Working at the opera house in Geneva as a stage photographer was once a means to pay for studies at the city’s Conservatoire Populaire de Musique (where master-class teachers included Lee Konitz, Dave Douglas and Misha Mengelberg). Today he feels that his photography and music “feed off each other. Taking pictures helps me to understand what I react to, what inspires me, what energies I’m drawn to…The pieces that I write for the quartet are related to the experiences, impressions and moods I try to channel using music and photography.” A number of ECM covers and booklets have featured Masson’s images in recent years, in styles from landscapes and abstract pictures to musician portraits. Examples include Heinz Holliger’s Aschenmusik, the Colin Vallon Trio’s Le Vent and Danse, Elina Duni’s Dallëndyshe, Third Reel’s Many More Days, and now Travelers. Travelers was recorded at Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano in April 2017, and produced by Manfred Eicher. ECM Norma Winstone Descansado Songs for Films Norma Winstone: voice Klaus Gesing: bass clarinet, soprano saxophone Glauco Venier: piano Helge Andreas Norbakken: percussion Mario Brunello: violoncello, violoncello piccolo Release date: February 16, 2018 ECM 2567 B0027937-02 UPC: 6025 578 6989 7 For its fourth ECM album, a creative journey into the world of film music, Norma Winstone’s trio with Klaus Gesing and Glauco Venier is augmented by guests Helge Andreas Norbakken and Mario Brunello. Together they explore music written by Nino Rota, Michel Legrand, William Walton, Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone, Armando Trovajoli, Rodrigo Leão, Luis Bacalov and Dario Marianelli for the movies of Scorsese, Godard, Wenders, Jewison, Zeffirelli, Olivier and more. Descansado, named after Trovajoli’s regretful-yet-buoyant tune for Vittorio De Sica’s 1963 filmYesterday, Today and Tomorrow, is an album that works on several levels. Thoroughly involving as a set of graceful songs, it also invites the listener to reflect on the creative relationships between directors and composers, and the many ways in which music so often subtly contributes to the emotional tone of a film. Some of the pieces here count as classics of the film song genre, among them Nina Rota’s “What Is A Youth” and Michel Legrand’s “His Eyes, Her Eyes”, transformed in the performances by Winstone and company. For six of the songs Norma has written new words. As well as being one of the great contemporary jazz singers, Winstone has long been a sensitive lyricist, and her song texts often capture a moment or a mood in a way that might well be described as filmic. And so it is here, with her stories of love and loss conveyed through a look, a gesture or a touch. In their fresh arrangements, Venier and Gesing expand upon both the atmosphere of the film in question and the feeling embodied in Norma’s lyrics. William Walton’s “Touch Her Soft Lips And Part”, originally written for Laurence Olivier’s version of Shakespeare’s Henry V, is a piece that John Taylor (with Kenny Wheeler one of the album’s dedicatees) used to play (Taylor’s interpretation of the tune can be heard on As It Is by the Peter Erskine Trio). Norma’s words for it encompass more than a film’s scene: “All of his magic/Still lives in her mind/All the sounds and images/Slowly rewind.” Mario Brunello’s cello underscores the song’s sentiment. Sometimes, following her own instincts, Winstone finds new associations for a well-known melody, and Bernard Herrmann’s theme for Scorsese’s Taxi Driver becomes melancholy rather than ominous as Norma sketches another picture of mean streets: “The siren’s lullaby/Goes on into the night/Relentless and mournful, it never ends.” Italian cellist Mario Brunello, whose own recordings have encompassed music from Bach to Ligeti, works a wide scope of music on this album, too, even conjuring a sense of the English countryside on the folk-flavored theme of “Meryton Townhall” from Joe Wright’s film based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Here, and on themes for Wim Wenders’s Lisbon Story and Jean-Luc Godard’s Vivre sa vie(added spontaneously to the program in the course of the recording session) Norma uses her voice wordlessly, as a pure instrument, as she did back in the 1970s when she made her ECM debut in the Azimuth trio with Kenny Wheeler and John Taylor. In fact, from the beginning of her life in jazz, Norma Winstone has wanted to be part of the ensemble, rather than a frontwoman – interweaving improvised lines with her partners and participating in the blossoming harmony. When singing texts, she draws her fellow musicians ever deeper into the storylines sketched by the lyrics, until the plot is illuminated from multiple perspectives. On Descansado this is true for the guest musicians as well as for Gesing and Venier, who have worked with Norma for more than fifteen years: their first trio album was Chamber Music, recorded for Universal in 2002, followed by the Grammy nominated Distances (2007), Stories Yet To Tell (2009) and Dance Without Answer (2012). Norma’s other ECM albums include Somewhere Called Home (recorded in 1986 with John Taylor and Tony Coe), and five albums with Azimuth, recorded between 1979 and 1994. She can also be heard on Kenny Wheeler’s Music for Large and Small Ensembles (1990) and Eberhard Weber’s Fluid Rustle(1979). Pianist Glauco Venier recorded his solo album Miniatures for ECM in 2013. Saxophonist and clarinettist Klaus Gesing has played with Anouar Brahem’s ensembles since 2008, and appears on the albums The Astounding Eyes of Rita (2008) and Souvenance (2014). And percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken has contributed to ECM recordings with Jon Balke’s Magnetic North, Batagraf and Siwan ensembles, as well as projects with Jon Hassell, Miki N’Doye and Mathias Eick (including the forthcoming albumRavensburg). Descansado – Songs for Films was recorded at ArteSuono Studio in Udine, Italy, in March 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher. Norma Winstone, Glauco Venier, Klaus Gesing and Helge Andreas Norbakken play the music ofDescansado at a special release concert in the Stadttheater in Landsberg am Lech, Germany, on February 18.

LOL! I think Garbareck would cause fewer problems in the locker room than Manziel!

It's great to see the board and you guys back up! I have some news to post in the New Releases and CFL threads.

Happy Birthday Clunky!

This is a vocalist's album, but he gives the band members plenty of time in the forefront. This is not a mainstream jazz album. It reminds me of the music I heard in the early days of underground FM radio. I think it is fair to say that all of the songs are mellow.

Petty's family thinks he died from a drug overdose. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/01/19/rock-legend-tom-petty-may-have-died-because-accidental-drug-overdose-family-members-say.html

ECM Norma Winstone - Descansado - Songs for Films release date: February 16, 2018 Norma Winstone: voice; Klaus Gesing: bass clarinet, soprano saxophone; Glauco Venier: piano; Helge Andreas Norbakken: percussion: Mario Brunnello: violoncello, violoncello piccolo A creative journey into the world of cinema with new arrangements - by Klaus Gesing and Glauco Venier - of music by Nino Rota, Michel Legrand, William Walton, Bernard Herrmann, and Ennio Morricone for the movies of Scorsese, Godard, Wenders, Jewison, Zeffirelli, Olivier and more. Several of the arrangements incorporate new words by Norma Winstone who, in addition to being one of the great jazz singers, has long been a sensitive lyricist. For this project, her acclaimed trio with Gesing and Venier is augmented by two special guests: Norwegian improvising percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken and Italian classical cellist Mario Brunello. Norbakken is well-known to ECM listeners for his recordings with Jon Balke, Mathias Eick and Jon Hassell, while Brunello is highly regarded in classical and contemporary music circles for his interpretive versatility. "Descansado - Songs for Films" was recorded at ArteSuono Studio in Udine, Italy, in March 2017 and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Happy Birthday Vaj!

Let's follow up with some previously mentioned quarterbacks. Zach Collaros http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/new-riders-qb-zach-collaros-tremendous-opportunity/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/pick-traded-riders-darian-durant-turns-zach-collaros/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/riders-zach-collaros-expected-renegotiate-contract/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/kent-austin-couple-other-teams-also-involved-in-zach-collaros-trade-discussions/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/riders-have-already-started-discussions-about-renegotiating-zach-collaros-contract/#comments http://159.203.52.247/2018/01/03/davis-collaros-good-get-riders-returns-form/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/zach-collaros-familiar-with-riders-chris-jones/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/milton-ticats-zach-collaros-represents/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/dyakowski-welcomes-collaros-calls-ridernation-cult-good-way/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/chris-jones-zach-collaros-hes-just-really-really-fine-football-player/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/04/milton-collaros-departure-leaves-melancholic-aftertaste/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/07/zach-collaros-trade-win-riders-ticats/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/08/zach-collaros-trade-makes-riders-better/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/08/zach-collaros-touching-down-in-riderville-on-tuesday/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/09/davis-collaros-equipped-to-handle-riders-fishbowl/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/09/zach-collaros-felt-like-a-kid-on-his-first-day-of-school-in-riderville/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/11/riders-coaches-tasked-with-getting-zach-collaros-back-to-mop-form-chris-jones/#comments ***** Darian Durant http://3downnation.com/2017/12/23/alouettes-qb-darian-durant-large-bonus-due-january/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/alouettes-gm-kavis-reed-durant-dont-regrets/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/eight-possible-landing-spots-darian-durant/#comments ***** James Franklin http://3downnation.com/2018/01/05/argos-officially-sign-qb-james-franklin/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/05/new-argos-qb-james-franklin-willing-patient-ricky-ray-returns/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/05/qb-james-franklin-says-riders-werent-radar/#comments ***** Josh Freeman http://3downnation.com/2018/01/09/alouettes-re-add-qb-josh-freeman-neg-list/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/13/quarterback-josh-freeman-signs-two-year-deal-alouettes/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/14/freeman-manziel-will-avoid-montreals-night-life-sutton/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/14/alouettes-fans-dont-know-expect-enigma-freeman/#comments ***** Kevin Glenn http://3downnation.com/2018/01/11/eskimos-spoken-former-riders-qb-kevin-glenn/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/15/kevin-glenn-was-surprised-by-riders-release/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/edmonton-sun-nails-front-page-kevin-glenn-signs-eskimos/#comments ***** Johnny Manziel http://3downnation.com/2018/01/13/cfl-personnel-men-question-johnny-manziels-demands/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/14/manziel-fatigue-shows-downside-making-neg-lists-public/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/16/bo-levi-mitchell-on-johnny-manziel-contract-demands-its-questionable/#comments

Yes Joe, I was going to say the same thing. I went there in 1970, and as I recall there was a blackboard which said, "Requests $5.00. Saints $10.00."

Thanks guys! I appreciate your kind words. In the upper left corner you will see a tab called "browse." Then below "browse" you will see from left to right "forums," "blogs" and "calendar." Click on "calendar," and you will be taken to the calendar which lists "birthdays."

Kevin Glenn has signed with the Eskimos. As a result, he becomes the first player to have been the property of all nine teams! http://3downnation.com/2018/01/15/eskimos-sign-quarterback-kevin-glenn/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/15/kevin-glenn-player-cfl-rights-held-nine-teams-joining-eskimos/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/15/glenn-first-cfl-player-to-have-rights-held-by-all-nine-teams-after-joining-esks/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/15/kevin-glenn-happy-to-make-history-and-hopefully-jeopardy-by-joining-eskimos/#comments https://www.cfl.ca/2018/01/15/oleary-glenns-story-setting-memorable-finish/ https://www.cfl.ca/2018/01/15/esks-strike-deal-veteran-kevin-glenn/ ***** The Als have released Darian Durant. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/15/darian-durant-released-by-alouettes/#comments https://www.cfl.ca/2018/01/15/alouettes-release-darian-durant-one-season/ ***** The Als traded Brandon Rutley to the Lions for a neg list name. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/15/lions-trade-for-alouettes-rb-brandon-rutley/ https://www.cfl.ca/2018/01/15/lions-acquire-rb-rutley-trade-als/

Let's take a look at what some college players have been up to since the Vanier Cup. http://3downnation.com/2017/12/09/west-coast-shocker-former-ticats-and-mcmaster-coach-accepts-job-at-ubc/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/09/stiff-armed-off-riders-neg-list-heisman-winner-traded-saskatchewan-toronto/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/10/walk-heisman-winner-remarkable-journey-baker-mayfield/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/11/heisman-winner-baker-mayfield-unconventional-nfl-prospect/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/14/krown-countdown-u-selects-top-2017-canadian-ncaa-football-player/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/14/krown-countdown-u-ptaszek-heads-west-top-ncaa-canadian/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/15/plenty-of-canadian-content-in-u-s-college-bowl-games/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/17/canadian-receiver-justin-mcinnis-has-big-game-for-arkansas-state-in-bowl-loss/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/18/regina-born-qb-leads-west-florida-impressive-season/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/22/canadian-qb-nathan-rourke-leads-ohio-bahamas-bowl-uab/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/22/canadian-qb-nathan-rourke-throws-two-touchdowns-in-ohio-bowl-win/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/22/canadian-receiver-mark-chapman-plays-well-central-michigan-bowl-loss/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/23/bombers-neg-list-qb-looks-for-second-straight-birmingham-bowl-win/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/24/bombers-neg-list-qb-quinton-flowers-propels-usf-past-texas-tech/#comments http://159.203.52.247/2017/12/25/jeff-tedford-orlondo-steinauer-guide-fresno-state-to-hawaii-bowl-win/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/29/alouettes-neg-list-qb-leads-tcu-to-comeback-win-in-alamo-bowl/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/29/eight-canadian-prospects-invited-college-gridiron-showcase/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/29/riders-neg-list-qb-trace-mcsorley-guides-penn-state-fiesta-bowl/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/29/b-c-lions-neg-list-qb-2016-heisman-winner-lamar-jackson-in-bowl-action/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/30/eskimos-neg-list-qb-j-t-barrett-sets-big-ten-record-in-cotton-bowl-victory/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/31/penn-state-improves-7-0-fiesta-bowl-behind-riders-neg-list-qb-trace-mcsorley/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/31/former-riders-assistant-coach-paul-chryst-guides-wisconsin-orange-bowl-win/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/31/heisman-trophy-winning-and-b-c-lions-neg-list-qb-lamar-jackson-plays-possible-final-college-game/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/01/argo-neg-lister-baker-mayfield-falls-short-college-playoffs/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/02/lions-neg-list-qb-helps-alabama-get-to-american-college-football-championship-game/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/10/college-gridiron-showcase-expanding-adds-more-north-american-flavour/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/10/ticats-edge-riders-adding-alabama-qb-neg-list/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/12/canadian-trey-rutherford-accepts-nflpa-collegiate-bowl-invite/#comments

Dan Gurney passed away today at 87. He was my favorite racer when I was a youngster. RIP. http://autoweek.com/article/racing/dan-gurney-1931-2018?utm_source=BreakingNews20180114&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=headline-top&utm_content=body&utm_campaign=awbreakingnews

Joe, was the slow instrumental My Funny Valentine?

A number of guys have worked out with NFL teams. http://3downnation.com/2017/12/15/defending-super-bowl-champion-patriots-workout-three-cfl-players/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/15/cfl-all-star-defensive-back-to-workout-for-chicago-bears/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/18/chicago-bears-workout-argos-grey-cup-mvp/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/19/philadelphia-eagles-workout-two-defenders-from-alberta-cfl-teams/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/19/brandon-zylstra-worked-detroit-lions-nfl-tour-continues/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/22/buffalo-bills-hold-cfl-themed-workout/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/12/26/canadian-qb-brandon-bridge-leaves-impression-on-ny-giants/#comments ***** And we see a few signing NFL contracts. Bo Lokombo http://3downnation.com/2018/01/02/canada-linebacker-bo-lokombo-signs-futures-contract-with-san-francisco-49ers/#comments Brandon Zylstra http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/cfls-leading-receiver-brandon-zylstra-sign-vikings-report/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/04/duron-carter-says-zylstra-got-short-changed-by-nfl-backs-cfl-talent/#comments Elie Bouka http://159.203.52.247/2018/01/03/riders-release-canadian-db-elie-bouka-pursue-nfl-opportunities/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/canada-db-elie-bouka-released-riders-signs-philadelphia-eagles/#comments Jonathon Mincy http://3downnation.com/2018/01/10/alouettes-cover-man-jonathon-mincy-signs-with-chicago-bears/#comments

RareNoiseRecords Presents Jamie Saft's First Solo Album in 25 Years as a Recording Artist SOLO A GENOVA CD, VINYL AND MULTIPLE DIGITAL FORMATS AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE ON JANUARY 26, 2018 AND THROUGH WWW.RARENOISERECORDS.COM. Thursday, January 25, 8PM - CD Release Event The Owl Music Parlor, Brooklyn ABOUT THE LABEL - RareNoiseRecords was founded in 2008 by two Italians, entrepreneur Giacomo Bruzzo and music producer Eraldo Bernocchi. Located in London, the label's mission is to detect and amplify contemporary trends in progressive music, by highlighting their relation to the history of the art-form, while choosing not to be bound by pre-conceptions of genre. It seeks to become a guiding light for all those enamored by exciting, adventurous and progressive sounds. For further information and to listen to excerpts, please go to www.rarenoiserecords.com. New York, January 13, 2018 - One of the most prolific artists on the RareNoise roster, pianist Jamie Saft has appeared on recordings by such groups as Metallic Taste of Blood, Slobber Pup, Plymouth, Red Hill, The Spanish Donkey and Berserk! as well as on collaborations with Steve Swallow and Bobby Previte (New Standard / Loneliness Road), which also featured Iggy Pop, Bill Brovold (Serenity Knolls), Roswell Rudd (Strength & Power) and his own New Zion album (Sunshine Seas). His sprawling discography, which includes prodigious sideman work with John Zorn, numbers over 160 albums. And yet, over all those sessions he has never recorded a solo piano album. "I've incorporated some solo piano pieces into other records of mine before, but this is something unique for me," says the ubiquitous keyboardist. "This is my first proper full length solo piano album in 25 years of making records." Solo a Genova is Saft's highly emotive take on jazz standards and other uniquely American compositions. "I first conceived of this recital of music back in 2007," he explains. "I was asked by my good friend Giuseppe Vigna to give a solo piano recital in Florence, Italy. At that moment in time, the United States was in a rough patch politically, so I wanted to present American music as an example of positive, forward thinking art - art that made a difference in the world, art that resisted hatred and negativity, art that promoted a positive path forward for mankind. I chose songs from artists that were dear to me: Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Joni Mitchell, Curtis Mayfield, Charles Ives. Who better to represent the transformative powers of music than these brilliant writers? Recorded at the beautiful Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova, Italy in an acoustically marvellous space, Solo a Genova showcases Saft on a 9-foot Steinway Model D piano in the service of these beguiling tunes. "My primary influences for solo piano are actually the very same influences for playing the piano in any situation: Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk and Garth Hudson of The Band. Each has a uniquely personal approach to solo piano stylings. Each of these masters incorporates the entire history of modern music within their piano worlds. Their music IS American classical music." The album opens with a pure expression of happiness on Curtis Mayfield's "The Makings Of You" and is followed by an interpretation of Jimmy Jam-Terry Lewis' "Human" which melds beautifully to Saft's own "Gates." Says Saft, "Those are both brilliant examples of the complexities of human beings. Each of these tunes is trance-like and transformative and swiftly transports the listener. The harmonic approaches of each of these songs is deeply fundamental and helps propel the message of the song perfectly. Saft takes Coltrane's meditative ballad "Naima" to some new places in an expressive solo interpretation. As he explains, "'Naima' is of primary importance in my musical development. I've been working on that tune for more than 30 years. There's an entire universe of harmonic possibilities proposed within this piece. Coltrane spent years pushing the boundaries of modern music within this one piece of music, so certainly my interpretation is deeply personal. His highly impressionistic take on ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" is imbued with daring improvisations and dramatic twists. "That was improvised entirely in the moment," he explains. "I always try to take a radically different approach to covering something like a piece by ZZ Top each time I perform it. Some pieces of music require a simple, straight-forward rendering. This piece begged for something deeper. ZZ Top's music for me has always been about resonances. Power chords on the guitar sustain in truly unique ways. I've tried to look for these same resonances inside this giant concert Steinway Model D piano: literally inside the piano! This arrangement just happened this way. This was the beginning of the second half of the concert portion of the evening, so I really tried to transform this piece into something with a more classical approach. He next turns in a faithful rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed." Says Saft, "With this Stevie Wonder's song there is such a strong and deep architecture already in place, so I felt no need to transform this piece at all. I wanted to retain all the positivity and hopefulness of the original so there was really nothing to change. It's just a respectful and humble performance of a great masterpiece of modern popular music." "Po' Boy," a later period Bob Dylan tune, speaks of another time and place both lyrically and musically. "This is a perfect vehicle for me to try and relax into some nice stride styles with a big nod to Thelonious Monk in my approach. A simple song can often have complex structures hidden within it. 'Po' Boy' is a great example of this. Little twists and odd numbers of beats can be found within this piece. It creates a sonic world that is both relaxed, familiar, and yet not really at rest at all. It's also the rare piece of music written in C Major that resonates with me." Two Saft originals, "The New Standard" and "Pinkus," are both very soulful expressions that were previously recorded by the keyboardist - "The New Standard" is the title track from a recent RareNoise album he made with Steve Swallow and Bobby Previte while "Pinkus" appears on his New Zion Trio album Chaliwa as well as on Loneliness Road. Saft's rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Blue Room Motel" is even more melancholy than the original. "That tune, for me, has always been the essential expression of the traveling musician's path," he says. "It's the ultimate elucidation of the melancholic path. In fact, the word 'Hejira,' the album from which it originates, is said by Joni to mean 'leaving the dream no blame.' Shifting gears, Saft next tackles Charles Ives' "The Housatonic at Stockbridge." Says the pianist, "I've worked on that piece for decades and still have barely scratched the surface. As a student of the great composer and clarinetist Joe Maneri in the late 1980's in Boston, I was tasked with learning to sing and accompany myself on classical 'lieder' - things like Schumann and Schubert. I attempted to learn to sing and accompany myself on these composers but their music didn't really speak to me in the same way as Ives' did. So I began trying to accomplish this play and sing idea with Ives' music instead. Ives' harmonic explorations were revolutionary. He incorporated 12-tone serialist concepts in his music years before Schoenberg. Ives explored microtones, harmonic dissonances, rhythmic confusion and multiple musical threads coexisting together on the same plane. Ives' nod towards aleatory music pre-dated John Cage by decades. He stands as one of the greatest composers of all time, in my opinion. His music is steeped in European classical forms but with a deep understanding of a uniquely American perspective on sound manipulation. Presented here in my solo piano version, I tried to draw out the essential harmonic and melodic paths of this piece while improvising within Ives' harmonic world". Saft delivers a precious version of "Blue In Green," the gentle Bill Evans composition which appeared on the 1959 Miles Davis classic, Kind of Blue. "'Blue In Green', like 'Naima,' was one of the first pieces of music I learned from the jazz universe," The final piece on Solo a Genova is an interpretation of an early Bob Dylan tune, "Restless Farewell." Says Saft, a noted Dylanphile, "This tune absolutely looks to higher states of consciousness. It speaks of a man looking back and taking stock of his life. Bob Dylan lovingly sang this song to Frank Sinatra on Sinatra's 80th birthday. The rare, emotional outpouring and transformative power of Saft's piano is in evidence throughout Solo a Genova, his brilliant solo piano debut. TRACKS 1. The Makings Of You 2. Human Gates 3. Naima 4. Sharp Dressed 5. Overjoyed 6. Po' Boy 7. The New Standard 8. Blue Motel Room 9. The Housatonic At Stockbridge 10. Blue In Green 11. Restless Farewell

The Als have signed 29-year-old QB Josh Freeman. Freeman was Tampa Bay's first round pick (#17 overall) in the 2009 draft. He started 59 games. https://www.cfl.ca/2018/01/12/als-ink-former-nfl-first-rounder-qb-josh-freeman/ http://3downnation.com/2018/01/12/alouettes-close-to-a-deal-with-qb-josh-freeman/#comments ***** The Als have given Darian Durant a non-negotiable offer. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/10/alouettes-give-darian-durant-take-it-or-leave-it-option/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/11/kavis-reed-discussing-darian-durant-bonus-wants-younger-starting-qb-manziel/#comments ***** Here's more on Johnny Manziel. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/11/johnny-manziel-sees-comeback-marketing-opportunity/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/12/former-browns-teammates-on-johnny-manziels-time-in-cleveland/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/08/riders-derek-dennis-johnny-manziel-put-a-bigger-target-on-his-back/#comments

Monk (complete) - $37.49 prime https://www.amazon.com/Monk-Complete-Tony-Shalhoub/dp/B01IP2X73G

Thanks John!

Here are the league's official free agent track and a discussion about the top free agents. https://www.cfl.ca/fa18/ https://www.cfl.ca/2018/01/08/great-debate-top-pending-free-agent/ ***** Khari Jones will be the Als' new OC. Rich Stubler will also be on board. Jones was hired after Buck Pierce, George Cortez and Tommy Condell turned the Als down. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/03/new-alouettes-coaching-staff-features-plenty-cfl-experience/#comments http://159.203.52.247/2018/01/03/alouettes-offered-oc-job-bombers-qb-coach-buck-pierce/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/04/two-other-coaches-turned-down-alouettes-offensive-coordinator-job/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/05/khari-jones-there-are-no-decisions-that-have-been-made-about-als-qb/#comments ***** Chris Getzlaf has retired. http://3downnation.com/2018/01/04/long-time-riders-receiver-chris-getzlaf-retires-cfl/#comments http://3downnation.com/2018/01/06/3downnation-green-cast-zach-collaros-kevin-glenn-chris-getzlaf/#comments