GA Russell

I read The Glory of Their Times five years ago and enjoyed it very much. I can also recommend Pitching in a Pinch by Christy Mathewson.

With Rader I always think of Jim Bouton's story about the birthday cake.

My picks for the CFL Awards... Player - Reilly Defense - Singleton Canadian - Harris O-Lineman - McEwen Rookie - Wilder Special Teams - Finch Coach - Dickenson

Week 20 results Hamilton 33....Montreal 0 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2448/montreal-alouettes-vs-hamilton-tiger-cats/ ***** Winnipeg 23...Calgary 5 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2449/winnipeg-blue-bombers-vs-calgary-stampeders/ Calgary started Canadian Andrew Buckley at QB. With their win, the Bombers clinched second place. ***** Edmonton 28....Sask 13 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2450/edmonton-eskimos-vs-saskatchewan-roughriders/ With their win, the Eskimos clinched third place. ***** Toronto 40....BC 13 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2451/toronto-argonauts-vs-bc-lions/ With their win, the Argos clinched first place. ***** Here are the 2017 final standings. https://www.cfl.ca/standings/ ***** And here are the 2017 final stats. https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2017-CFL-Statistics-to-Week-20-Final.pdf ***** final Power Rankings https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/07/argos-rise-final-nissan-titan-power-rankings/ http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-power-rankings-end-of-season-2017-1.4390429 http://www.tsn.ca/stampeders-finish-no-1-in-cfl-power-rankings-1.909878 http://3downnation.com/2017/11/06/3down-power-rankings-muddied-at-the-top/#comments ***** The leaqgue announced this week its 2017 All-Star teams. http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/star-quarterbacks-ricky-ray-mike-reilly-lead-cfl-star-teams/ http://3downnation.com/2017/11/08/cfl-names-divisional-stars/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/08/star-quarterbacks-ricky-ray-mike-reilly-lead-cfl-star-teams/#comments ***** Semi-Finals picks https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/08/weekly-predictor-nye-makes-semi-final-picks/ http://thegruelingtruth.net/podcast/2017-cfl-playoffs-rwb-podcast/ https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/10/prediction-time-cfl-ca-writers-make-semi-final-picks/ https://www.getmoresports.com/cfl-betting-divisional-semifinals-betting-picks/ ***** Semi-Finals game notes https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/10/cfl-ca-game-notes-look-division-semi-finals/ ***** Semi-Finals checking down https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/09/checking-will-nichols-start-bombers-semi-final/ ***** The league has also announced the finalists for the CFL Awards. https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/09/simply-best-shaw-cfl-award-nominees-announced/ http://3downnation.com/2017/11/09/ray-reilly-square-off-cfl-outstanding-player-award/#comments

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Amy London Will Release Bridges on November 17 Vocalist Revisits the First Decade of her Career with a 15 Song Retrospective Fred Hersch, Darmon Meader, Harvie S, Victor Lewis, Bob Mintzer and Dr. Lonnie Smith Are Among the Stellar Cast of Collaborators Sometimes you must look back in order to move forward. With the November 17 release of Bridges, vocalist Amy London is doing just that, allowing 15 tracks of previously recorded music to finally see the light of day. While most recently recognized for her work with critically acclaimed group The Royal Bopsters, Amy’s career began in the early 1980s after she first arrived in New York City. Within a short time, the Cincinnati native found herself working with the likes of Fred Hersch, Bob Mintzer, Cyro Baptista, and two-time gold record trumpeter Tom Browne, with whom she toured in 1982. Determined to launch a solo recording career, Amy recorded the bulk of the album’s fifteen songs – 14 classics and 1 original – with Fred Hersch in his home studio in 1987. After an awkward meeting with Concord’s Carl Jefferson didn’t result in a deal and as her ensemble work became increasingly successful, Amy literally put Bridges on the shelf, where it has remained for the past twenty five years. During that time, she did achieve her dream of a solo recording career with the release of two albums on Motema, When I Look in Your Eyes (2007) and Let’s Fly (2010). But the music sitting on the shelf in her bedroom closet, the music that is now featured on Bridges, would not be stilled. Not while she recorded with New York Voices as the fifth singer on their CD,Visions Within (MSR), not while she was cast as the lead singer in the Angel City 4, the vocalese group that was the musical engine of Cy Coleman’s six-time Tony-winning and Grammy-nominated Broadway hit, City of Angels (CBS), not while she helped develop the vocal program at The New School, and not while she raised two daughters. “I would often listen to these recordings and think, ‘These should be out in the world,” says Amy. “Thanks to the magic of Dave Kowalski, who sent me to West West Side Studios, my two-inch masters, that were on the brink of disintegration, were baked and brought back to life digitally. Dave was then able to open them up and remix them.” The album opens with Hersch’s arrangement of title track on which he also contributes vocals. Drummer Victor Lewis, Harvie S on bass, Bob Mintzer on tenor sax, and Cyro Baptista on percussion comprise the ensemble that supports Amy as she moves through the subsequent seven songs, all from that 1987 recording session, including Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale,” and Oscar Brown’s “Strong Man.” Amy’s own composition, “This Time,” rounds out this first grouping of tracks. “When I was on the road with Tom Browne, I was influenced by his crossover jazz style and wrote 'This Time' on the tour bus," recollects Amy. “Ipredominantly write vocalese lyrics, so it was unique for me to write both melody and lyrics. I showed it to Fred, who wrote this arrangement with all the key changes on the Bob Mintzer solo.” Amy says that the chronology of the three recording sessions as they appear onBridges is less important than the fact that the album represents the best of the early recordings she made since first arriving in NYC. “During the time that I was in City of Angels, I fell in love with bebop,” Amy remembers. “That was the musical progression that’s represented on Bridges’ second five tracks, which were recorded in 1990, when Amy returned to the studio to work with Yaron Gershovsky (who’s been the musical director of Manhattan Transfer for 40 years). For these sessions Amy recruited pianist Peter Madsen (Stan Getz, Stanley Turrentine, Benny Golson, George Coleman, Oscar Brown Jr., Ravi Coltrane), bassist Dean Johnson (Gerry Mulligan), drummer Eliot Zigmund (Bill Evans, Michael Petruccianni) and trumpeter Byron Stripling (Count Basie, Carla Bley, Joe Henderson) to join her and New York Voices leader Darmon Meader on five additional tracks, including a striking interpretation of Langston Hughes’ poetry on Madsen’s “Dream,” and Amy’s vocalese rendering of Gigi Gryce's solo from Oscar Pettiford’s “Bohemia After Dark.” Before the two sessions detailed above, in 1984, after her international tour with Tom Browne and a subsequent tour with Charles Aznavour, Amy was invited to perform with Hammond B-3 hero Dr. Lonnie Smith at several gigs. She then invited him, along with Browne’s main tenor sax-man Bobby Franceschini (Mike Stern), guitarist Jack Wilkins (Buddy Rich, Jack DeJohnette), and bassist Harvie S and drummer Akira Tana – who had performed with Amy in Aznavour’s band – for a session that resulted in the two tracks - “You’ve Changed” and “Naima” - that round out this career retrospective. To Amy, the music here represents the varied facets of what she brings to her work as a musician, not simply as a vocalist. Bridges confirms that singers can not only hold their own among a strong cadre of instrumentalists, but that they do, in fact, contribute equally to the final product, whether it be a live performance or dusty tapes on a closet shelf. “Bridges represents a 'bridge' to my early work as a young jazz singer in NYC, when I was still transitioning from the influence of Laura Nyro and Motown Girl Groups into my lifelong love for bebop singing ala Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. These 15 sides represent my early ideas, and I am so thrilled that I was able to collaborate with these excellent jazz musicians, who took my arranging ideas, added their own, and helped bring Bridges to fruition. As a vocal jazz educator, I have taught hundreds of singers how to be arrangers, and to have faith that the music they hear can be transferred onto the bandstand, and communicated to the band and ultimately end up on recordings.”

Happy Birthday 2017 Paul!

Happy Birthday 2017 Neal!

Happy Birthday 2017 Porcy!

I've played this every day this week. It's right up my alley. Forty years ago I would have thought that it was too bland; but I guess my metabolism has changed!

I didn't know Ellis played for the Yankees. I only remember him with the Pirates.

Week 20 game notes https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/02/cfl-ca-game-notes-look-week-20/ ***** Week 20 checking down https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/02/checking-plenty-movement-week-20/ ***** Week 20 picks http://3downnation.com/2017/11/03/week-20-picks-eskimos-feeling-a-home-playoff-game/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/03/slam-dunk-picks-eskimos-stacking-green-for-bettors/#comments

Week 20 Power Rankings http://3downnation.com/2017/10/30/3down-power-rankings-new-no-1-emerges-as-playoffs-near/#comments http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/cfl/news/week-20-cfl-rankings-edmonton-eskimos-calgary-stampeders-canadian-football-league-playoffs/1dlybka9vu2qt13uke7u934a7q http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-power-rankings-week-20-1.4379228 https://www.cfl.ca/2017/10/31/nissan-titan-power-rankings-new-no-1-town-2/ http://thegruelingtruth.net/football/cfl/weekly-cfl-power-rankings-2017-last/ http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/cfl-power-rankings-week-20-eskimos-retake-top-spot/ ***** early Week 20 picks http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/cfl/news/week-20-cfl-picks-edmonton-eskimos-calgary-stampeders-hamilton-tiger-cats/3xbzcabmpl3v1jlehmekhx78x https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/02/cfl-ca-writers-make-week-20-picks/ https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/01/weekly-predictor-stamps-really-lose-3-row/ ***** And so the Redblacks have finished at 8-9-1. You will recall that that was their record last year when they became the first team ever to finish first with a losing record. It could happen again. This is the final week of the regular season, and only one team (Calgary) knows where it will finish. I don't recall that happening before. Here are the scenarios. https://www.cfl.ca/2017/10/29/playoff-scenarios-week-20/

That's it.

The league announced the team award winners today. https://www.cfl.ca/2017/11/01/cfl-announces-2017-team-award-winners/ http://3downnation.com/2017/11/01/2017-cfl-team-award-winners/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/01/breaking-down-the-b-c-lions-team-award-winners/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/01/reeilly-ray-named-team-finalists-cfl-outstanding-player-awards/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/01/singleton-snags-triple-honours-stamps/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/01/mike-reilly-beats-out-brandon-zylstra-for-eskimos-mop-award/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/01/stampeders-linebacker-singleton-earns-league-high-three-top-player-nominations/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/11/01/3downnation-podcast-cfl-award-winners-coaching-hot-stove/#comments

Anouar Brahem oud | Dave Holland double bass Jack DeJohnette drums, percussion | Django Bates piano “Blue Maqams ..will not only go down as one of the year's best ECM releases; it's a classic-in-the-making that should ultimately be considered one of the label's very best recordings in its nearly fifty-year history.” –John Kelman, allaboutjazzcom “… a program that features traditional music from Arab culture as well as more modern jazz elements. Each musician shines here. Holland uncorks a sturdy solo on “Bom Dia Rio,” a composition dating back to 1990. DeJohnette masterfully uses his cymbals as the main percussive voice on much of “Unexpected Outcome” and on parts of “La Nuit.” Bates’ beautiful playing on “The Recovered Road To Al-Sham” will certainly win him new fans and send them searching for his leader albums.” –Bobby Reed, DownBeat (Editor’s Choice) “Blue Maqams is lovely. It's a nearly perfect illustration of balance between cultural and musical inquiry, underscored by the confidence and near symbiotic communication of this gifted ensemble. This is an exceptional outing, even for an artist as accomplished and creative as Brahem. “ –Thom Jurek, All Music © 2017 ECM | ECM Records USA | 1755 Broadway, 3rd floor | New York NY 10011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Kh985eJGU

Jim, I'm not aware of anyone in the league who has a 'fro. For a number of years, many of the black guys have worn braids. The last word I've seen is that no one in the league expects Kaepernick to sign with a CFL team. http://3downnation.com/2017/09/15/alouettes-put-qb-colin-kaepernick-on-negotiation-list/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/26/alouettes-gm-kavis-reed-contacts-qb-colin-kaepernick/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/28/nfl-source-on-colin-kaepernick-to-the-cfl-zero-percent-chance-he-comes-up/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/28/alouettes-gm-kavis-reed-still-waiting-hear-back-kaepernick-camp/#comments ***** However, Johnny Manziel's agent has formally requested that Hamilton offer Manziel a contract. It is widely believed that Manziel will play in the CFL next year. http://3downnation.com/2016/08/26/espn-orridge-create-manziel-size-mess-cfl/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/07/18/3down-podcast-whataboutkaren-johnny-manziel-ticats-tensions/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/14/ticats-granted-extension-multiple-teams-express-interest-manziel/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/15/johnny-football-talk-not-focus-ticats-get-set-riders/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/16/time-stop-talking-johnny-manziel/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/17/cfl-extends-deadline-ticats-offer-johnny-manziel-contract/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/27/commissioner-decides-keep-johnny-manziel-cfl-least-next-season/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/27/johnny-manziel-says-hes-ready-play-today-despite-cfls-decision/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/27/league-fumbles-johnny-manizel-decision/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/27/cfls-johnny-manziel-ruling-good-ticats/#comments http://3downnation.com/2017/09/27/3downnation-podcast-johnny-manziel-pause-button/#comments

Nope!

The Dave Clark 5 had two hit singles called "Everybody Knows."

I would put higher... R. Roland Kirk Gerry Mulligan Michael Brecker Al Cohn Paul Desmond Wayne Shorter I would put lower... Dexter Gordon Hank Mobley Johnny Griffin Jackie McLean Sonny Stitt Hank Crawford Albert Ayler Earl Bostic

Happy Birthday 2017 Greg!

Happy Birthday 2017 Patrick!

Week 19 results (tonight) BC 36....Winnipeg 27 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2446/bc-lions-vs-winnipeg-blue-bombers/ ***** Edmonton 29....Calgary 20 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2447/calgary-stampeders-vs-edmonton-eskimos/ ***** All the Bombers needed to clinch second was for them to win or the Eskimos to lose. Neither happened.

Week 19 results (last night) Ottawa 41....Hamilton 36 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2444/hamilton-tiger-cats-vs-ottawa-redblacks/ ***** Sask 37....Montreal 12 https://www.cfl.ca/games/2445/montreal-alouettes-vs-saskatchewan-roughriders/ ***** If the Bombers win tonight, they will clinch second place. https://www.cfl.ca/2017/10/27/playoff-scenarios-2017-week-19/

Happy Birthday 2017 Guy!