GA Russell

AVISHAI COHEN (trumpet) | JASON LINDNER (piano) | TAL MASCHIACH (bass) JUSTIN BROWN (drums through 5/1), NASHEET WAITS (drums 5/2-end) 4/26-27 New York, NY (Jazz Standard) 4/28 Cambridge, MA (Regattabar) 4/29 Chicago, IL (Constellation) 4/30 Milwaukee, WI (Live at The Back Room/Artist Series at the Pabst) 5/2 Santa Cruz, CA (Kuumbwa) 5/3 Los Angeles, CA (Blue Whale) 5/4 Oakland, CA (Yoshi’s) 5/5 - Portland, OR (Jimmy Mak's) 5/6 - Monmouth, OR (Western Oregon University) 5/7 - Vancouver, BC (Norman Rothstein Theatre) ©2016 ECM | 1755 Broadway, Floor 3, New York, NY 10019

John Hodge has suggested another six records he thinks will never be broken. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/19/six-more-cfl-records-that-will-never-be-broken/#comments ***** Tyron Brackenridge retired today. http://www.tsn.ca/ex-roughrider-s-brackenridge-retires-at-31-1.475467 ***** Dan LeFevour has signed with Tampa Bay. http://www.tsn.ca/buccaneers-sign-ex-cfl-qb-lefevour-1.474784

I moved to downtown Raleigh almost six years ago, but for the prior ten years I lived in the county to the east. Our local high school was Smithfield-Selma. Bing has alerted me to the fact that their JROTC had built an indoor shooting range, and for some reason the wires have picked it up! http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/04/20/north-carolina-high-school-reportedly-opens-indoor-shooting-range.html http://bearingarms.com/north-carolina-high-school-opens-indoor-gun-range/ http://www.wral.com/johnston-high-school-opens-indoor-shooting-range/15651461/ http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/31775423/nc-high-school-opens-indoor-shooting-range http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/04/19/high-school-opens-indoor-shooting-range.html

Here is the end of an Irish footrace which is something to see. http://www.businessinsider.com/college-track-and-field-race-comeback-university-college-cork-2016-4

Happy Birthday, Ag! Glad it's been good.

Happy Birthday Flurin!

Thomas DeMarco has signed with Edmonton. Earlier in the week, the team extended Mike Reilly's contract through 2018. http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-sign-free-agent-qb-demarco-1.473030 ***** Here is a list of the league's quarterback salaries. http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-sign-qb-reilly-to-contract-extension-1.471943

Happy Birthday 2016 flat5!

I'm enjoying it too.

Count Basie - Complete Live at the Crescendo 1958 (5 CDs) - $16.55 + $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BMPJ4BW/

Marc Trestman is selling his home in North Raleigh (where Bob Young used to live) for $799,900. Any takers? http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2016/04/11/ravens-offensive-coordinator-marc-trestman-selling-800k-home-in-raleigh/?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite ***** The teams will have new adidas uniforms this year. The Bombers announced that they are returning to royal blue. http://www.thesnap.ca/jersey-teaser-bombers-return-royal-blue-2016/ http://3downnation.com/2016/04/14/15823/#comments

With 4:04 to go in the half, the Warriors are up by 20, 61-41.

The Argos announced their staff today, with Rich Stubler returning to Toronto as DC, and Marcus Brady and Jordan Younger returning from last year (among others), and Kit Lathrop coming from Calgary. http://www.tsn.ca/argonauts-announce-coaching-staff-for-2016-1.470981 ***** Today's Checking Down http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/13/checking-coach-calvillo-leads-playbook-overhaul/ ***** The Bombers announced today that their operating profit last year was C$4.4 million. That's in addition to the C$7.1 million they made off the Grey Cup. http://www.bluebombers.com/2016/04/13/wfc-posts-operating-profit-of-4-4-million-in-2015/

Let's catch up on the past ten days. Mark Fulton says that defense does not necessarily win championships. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/03/15734/#comments ***** The Ticats need a new kicker. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/01/15727/#comments http://3downnation.com/2016/04/09/15778/#comments ***** This post and the one above discuss the Ticats' plan to switch to e-tickets. Some fans are unhappy. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/07/ticats-fans-outraged-over-teams-move-to-e-tickets/#comments ***** Ben Heenan has decided to retire. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/07/canadian-ol-ben-heenan-announces-retirement-from-football/#comments http://www.tsn.ca/former-roughrider-ol-heenan-retires-1.466639 http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/08/former-rider-first-overall-pick-ben-heenan-retires/ ***** Austin Collie has decided to retire. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/06/15781/#comments http://www.tsn.ca/lions-collie-intends-to-retire-1.466040 http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/06/lions-announce-austin-collie-intends-retire/ ***** The Board of Governors officially approved the changes the Rules Committee proposed. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/07/cfl-board-of-governors-approves-replay-expanaion/#comments http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/07/cflboard-of-governors-approves-rule-changes-for-2016/ ***** The Ticats' OC Tommy Condell has abruptly resigned for family reasons. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/11/15803/#comments http://3downnation.com/2016/04/11/tommy-condells-departure-means-ticats/#comments http://www.tsn.ca/ticats-oc-condell-resigns-for-family-reasons-1.469727 http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/11/ticats-face-change-offence-oc-condell-resigns/ ***** John Hodge has listed six records he believes will never be broken. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/12/_-cfl-records-that-will-never-be-broken/#comments ***** The Bombers hired Glen Young to be their LB coach. http://3downnation.com/2016/04/04/bombers-tab-glen-young-as-linebacker-coach/#comments ***** Bombers draft pick Andy Mulumba has signed with Kansas City. http://www.tsn.ca/lb-mulumba-signs-with-chiefs-1.464933 ***** Bryant Turner has signed with BC. http://www.tsn.ca/lions-sign-former-all-star-dt-turner-1.465764 http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/06/lions-sign-bryant-turner-jr/ ***** The Bombers' profit from hosting last year's Grey Cup was C$7.1 million. http://www.tsn.ca/bombers-generate-7-1m-from-grey-cup-1.469643 http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/11/bombers-announce-7-1-million-of-net-profits-from-103rd-grey-cup/ ***** The Bombers signed Jerrel Jernigan after four seasons with the New York Giants. http://www.tsn.ca/bombers-add-receiver-jernigan-1.470513 ***** The Eskimos have hired Demetrious Maxie and former Montreal and Chicago coach Carson Walch to be assistant coaches. http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-finalize-maas-coaching-staff-1.470718 ***** Last week's Checking Down http://www.cfl.ca/2016/03/30/checking-osheas-bombers-new-home-matt-walter/ This week's Checking Down http://www.cfl.ca/2016/04/06/checking-mini-camp-season-set-kick-off/

Are the Warriors playing the same number of games that the Bulls played when they set the record?

There were two political songs of my youth that I liked.

RIP. I'm sure I bought an album he was on in the early '80s, but I can't think of what it was. His Wikipedia page doesn't list his albums as a sideman.

Happy Birthday Evan!

The Man from UNCLE (complete, 4 seasons) - $54.99 prime http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-From-U-N-C-L-E-Collection/dp/B00MWD1ZMK ***** Maverick - season 3 - $19.99 http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-The-Complete-Third-Season/dp/B00FNRA0KA/

Did anyone get this? Recommended? RARE NOISE RECORDS PROUDLY PRESENTS Machine Language THE LAST ALBUM BY Bob Belden's Animation FEATURING Bill Laswell on electric bass & Kurt Elling on spoken word AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE TODAY AND THROUGH WWW.RARENOISERECORDS.COM AS CD DIGIPACK, DOUBLE VINYL 180 GRAMS AND MULTIPLE DIGITAL FORMATS. Bob Belden Sax / Flute Peter Clagett Trumpet Roberto Verastegui Keyboards Bill Laswell Electric Bass Matt Young Drums Kurt Elling Narrator ABOUT THE LABEL - RareNoiseRecords was founded in late 2008 by two Italians, guitarist/arranger/ producer Eraldo Bernocchi and all-round music nut Giacomo Bruzzo. Located in London, the label was created to present a platform to musicians and listeners alike who think beyond musical boundaries of genre. For further information and to listen please go to www.rarenoiserecords.com. New York - Recorded over three days in the autumn of 2014 at Bill Laswell's Orange Studios in New Jersey, mixed by James Dellatacoma and mastered by Mike Fossenkemper, Machine Language is the last and possibly most ambitious work by American composer, orchestrator, arranger, saxophonist and all-round conceptualizer Bob Belden with his historical group Animation. Belden died on May 20th this year. Machine Language is a cyberpunk "opera," an attempt to answer the question: "Can a machine have an imagination?" In order to realize his vision, Bob Belden enlisted Bill Laswell on electric bass and renowned jazz singer Kurt Elling, who acts as narrator. As for the previous album by Animation, Transparent Heart, also released on RareNoiseRecords in 2012, the lineup also comprises Peter Clagett on electrified trumpet, Roberto Verastegui on keyboards and Matt Young on drums. Machine Language draws inspiration from multiple literary sources (e.g. Philip K. Dick, Iain M. Banks), visual sources (Kubrick's "2001 Space Odyssey") and musical sources (Miles Davis' "Get Up With It," "Big Fun" and "In A Silent Way"). Belden's work translates them into a musical weave - electric Jazz, ambient sound, drum'n bass grooves, accompanied with a text addressing the evolution and relationship between the human mind ("The Human Machine") and the emergent artificial mind ("The Pure Machine"). The arc of the album is developed over 12 compositions, beginning with "Child's Dream" and ending with "Machine's Dream." The dialectic remains unresolved; in Belden's world, the only constant is the universal power of imagination, which transcends all distinctions. TRACKS 1. A Child's Dream 2. Machine Language 3. Eternality 4. Consistent Imperfection 5. Soul Of A Machine 6. Genesis Code 7. Evolved Virtual Entity 8. DisappearAnnihilation 9. The Evolution Of Machine Culture 10. Dark Matter 11. TechnoMelancolia 12. A Machine's Dream Bob Belden's Animation performed in Tehran, Iran, this year as the first U.S. band since 1979. Among other distinguished publications, the CHICAGO TRIBUNE and NEW YORK TIMES reported extensively. R.I.P. Bob Belden.

WorldService Project Delivers Punk-Jazz Manifesto On RareNoise Debut For King & Country CD, VINYL AND MULTIPLE DIGITAL FORMATS AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE ON APRIL 29, 2016 AND THROUGH WWW.RARENOISERECORDS.COM. Dave Morecroft keyboards, vocals Tim Ower saxophone Raphael Clarkson trombone, vocals Arthur O'Hara bass Harry Pope drums New York, April 8, 2016 - Following in the tradition of such renegade composers as Frank Zappa, Charles Mingus, Igor Stravinsky and Harrison Bertwhistle, Dave Morecroft seeks a spot in the musical firmament that is decidedly left of center. And as keyboardist and principal composer for the edgy London-based avant-funk-jazz quintet WorldService Project, he is striking a blow upside the head of musical complacency. On For King & Country, the group's RareNoise debut and third release overall, the powerhouse aggregation cuts across stylistic boundaries with impunity and a decided 'punk-jazz' attitude. As Morecroft explains, "Punk-jazz for me is more a reflection of rebellion. Maybe it's jazz but it's played with an 'f-you' to the establishment/systems that dictate what jazz is supposed to mean or be." The album will be released on April 29th and will be available on CD, vinyl and digital download. He further describes the do-or-die presence that the band adopts onstage. "WorldService Project is a very intense, high-energy live show. We throw ourselves into it and hope to come out alive at the other end. And if you're not bleeding by the end of it, you haven't tried hard enough." That killer instinct is conveyed from track to track on For King & Country (the title itself is a kind of ironic nod to the band's British ancestry). From the prog-rockish tumult of the opener "Flick the Beanstalk" to the moody closer "Requiem for a Worm," WorldService Project carries a pronounced crunch while injecting daring improvisations and myriad punk-jazz expressions into the mix. Joining Morecroft on this follow-up to 2012's Fire In A Pet Shop are tenor sax burner Tim Ower, trombonist Raphael Clarkson, bassist Arthur O'Hara and drummer Harry Pope. Says Morecroft of this audacious WSP outing, "I wanted For King & Country to be an epic listen, that from moment to moment it could rage intensely, pull at heartstrings, flip in double somersaults around the room or sardonically sneer at the establishment. It is an incredibly personal record for me (much more than any other) with true heartbreak, anger, loss, disillusionment, ecstasy and piss-taking a-plenty! But at its heart (I hope), purity of gesture, intensity and sincerity." The slamming odd-metered piece "Fuming Duck," for instance, is indeed an epic listen. Underscored by O'Hara's fuzz bass lines melding with Clarkson's electric trombone for an uncommonly heavy bottom end, it hits as hard as King Crimson's "Red" while suggesting something far jazzier. Pope's monstrous drum solo over the band ostinato at the end of this raging piece is an adrenalized highlight. Likewise, "Murano Faro" slowly builds from something dreamy and distant to a throbbing crescendo with Clarkson's trombone wailing over the top in half-time. "Son of Haugesund" is a blast of intensity to match anything on Led Zeppelin III while the frantic, tempo-shifting "Go Down Ho'Ses" carries the zany energy of a ska band conducted by Frank Zappa. Ower's passionate sax solos on this unhinged number and on the dramatic "Chamonix" are both exceptional. And on "Mr. Giggles," at once humorous and scary, Morecroft unveils the cartoonish vocals of the title character (a sinister clown alter ego that he introduced on Fire In A Pet Shop) against a clamorous undercurrent. The closer, "Requiem For A Worm," opens on a restful, introspective note with Ower blowing breathy tones against a gentle backdrop. Midway through, the mood shifts as the piece gradually builds to a slamming, fuzz-laden crescendo of epic proportions. TRACKS 1. Flick The Beanstalk 2. Fuming Duck 3. Murano Faro 4. Son Of Haugesund 5. Go Down Ho'Ses 6. Chamonix 7. Mr Giggles 8. Requiem For A Worm WorldService Project @ Jazz Freedom Festival (Shunde, China)

Jamie Saft's New Zion Returns With Spellbinding Release Sunshine Seas Featuring Brazilian Percussionist CYRO BAPTISTA Saft is Inviting the Spirits of the Amazonian Jungle and Southern Seas to his Already Delicious Banquet of Reggae and Ultimate Chillout. CD RELEASE EVENT AT THE OWL MUSIC PARLOR IN BROOKLYN ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016 HTTP://THEOWL.NYC CD, VINYL AND MULTIPLE DIGITAL FORMATS AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE ON APRIL 29, 2016 AND THROUGH WWW.RARENOISERECORDS.COM. CD PERSONNEL Jamie Saft all keyboards, guitars, electric bass Cyro Baptista percussion, vocals Brad Jones acoustic bass Craig Santiago drums Vanessa Saft vocals on "Sunshine Seas" 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 please go to www.rarenoiserecords.com. New York, April 8, 2016 - In recent years, Jamie Saft's signature musician-polymath touch has graced numerous recordings released by RareNoise, spanning a high dimensional manifold of genres, from the microtonal metal of Slobber Pup's Black Aces, Pole Axe and The Spanish Donkey's Raoul to the pure analog acoustic piano trio sounds of Saft/Swallow/Previte's The New Standard to the lysergic free rock of Plymouth, to recent collaborations with masters Roswell Rudd and Wadada Leo Smith. With Sunshine Seas, the New Zion Trio's latest project (and RareNoise debut), Saft further builds on the success of New Zion's first two releases "Fight Against Babylon" and "CHALIWA" (Veal Records). Saft not only supplies all the piano and an assortment of vintage keyboards and synths, he also plays all the electric bass and guitar parts on this heavy Dub influenced recording. Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, a longtimeolleague of Saft's, adds his signature percussive flavors and ebullient presence on such mesmerizing dub groove tracks as the opening "BrazilJah" and the beguiling "Chalice Pipe", which has Baptista on vocals and cuica and Saft comping in a gentle bossa nova vein on acoustic guitar. The darkly insinuating "Onda" features Baptista's massive ceramic drum work and has him singing in Portuguese about waves on the beach in a flow metaphor which deftly captures the feeling of this evocative track. The heavy dub track "Ranking" is a prime showcase for Cyro's mastery of the jaw harp (or Jew's harp). © Eleonora Alberto "I've been extremely fortunate to know and work with Cyro Baptista for well over 20 years," says Saft. "We've played on countless John Zorn sessions and performed together all over the world. We are both core members of Zorn's bands Electric Masada and The Dreamers. I was fortunate to produce two of Cyro's fantastic albums, Beat The Donkey and Love the Donkey. He and I have toured together for decades and I consider him a close friend. I'm honored to work with and learn from a master like Cyro. As a musician, he brings a breadth of knowledge of not just Brazilian music but musics of the world. Cyro is also a brilliant improviser at the highest level. He brings a beautiful feeling of true positivity and light, qualities which are crucial to New Zion. He not only broadens our musical palate, he lifts us up to higher heights with his shining brilliance. A perfect addition to the New Zion sound." Saft's wife Vanessa adds alluring vocals on the lovely title track Sunshine Seas. "Vanessa really captured the breezy, sunny tone and feeling of this tune with her lyrics and sound," says Saft. "I am thrilled to have her join us for this. In the past she has also contributed vocals to albums by John Zorn and Cyro Baptista, including a feature on 'Ama' from Beat the Donkey. Additionally, she has contributed consistently deep and insightful lyrics to many of my albums, including Breadcrumb Sins and Black Shabbis (both on Zorn's Tzadik label)." Brad Jones anchors three tracks -- "Chalice Pipe," "Sunshine Seas" and "Lamb's Bread" -- with deep upright bass grooves. And drummer Craig Santiago supplies the all-important one-drop, Rockers, and Steppers grooves to fuel this potent session. Saft credits co-producer Christian Castagno with realizing the deep Dub mixes throughout Sunshine Seas. "Chris and I produced and made records together in the 1990s under the name Ohm Boy & Key Command (Chris being Ohm Boy and I being Key Command). Chris moved to the jungle in Colombia a number of years ago and this album sees our triumphant return to co-production. Chris was instrumental in teaching me dub and electronic music engineering techniques in the recording studio over so many marathon all-night sessions in the 90s in Brooklyn. Together we workshopped all manner of forward-thinking progressive styles of Reggae, Dub, hip-hop, electronic music, microtonal dance music and beyond. We developed a unique style of feeding off one and other's musical energies that propelled us to completing scores of records on the highest level. For this recording I prepared the tracks with all necessary musical elements and Chris deftly knocked the dubs right out the box." Saft explains that his affinity for Jamaican music took hold decades ago. "Reggae and dub music have been an essential part of my musical direction since I was a youth. Growing up in the New York City area, we listened to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Stevie Wonder and Bunny Wailer. I later became obsessed with King Tubby's sound and his disciple Scientist. These were producers who used the recording studio and mixing console as a musical instrument. The greatest dub producers and artists shape the sound of their work by using the audio gear as musical devices to shape the tone. Delays, reverbs, modulation devices, compression and saturation devices: these are all tools in the toolbox of the greatest dub artists. Additionally, I feel extremely fortunate to have worked with many true masters of Reggae music, including the living legends Bad Brains. Having the opportunity to learn with true masters like Darryl Jenifer and Dr. Know of Bad Brains has deeply informed how I think about and shape music every single day." He adds that his interest in Jamaican music has informed his spiritual path. "Rastafari and the mystical paths of Reggae music are deeply connected with Kabbalah and the trance-like states of Jewish Mysticism. I also deeply believe that the greatest improvised music traverses those same mystical realms. I have always sought the spiritual through music. Reggae and dub look to the very same transcendent meditative states. I've put together New Zion as a vehicle through which we can all access these higher states of consciousness through the power of music. Reggae music and Dub are crucial to this path for me." Recorded at Saft's Catskills studio Potterville International Sound, Sunshine Seas stands as a crowning achievement in the career of this multi-faceted musician-composer-producer. TRACKS 1. BrazilJah 2. Chalice Pipe 3. Mystics 4. Sunshine Seas 5. Growing Grow 6. Onda 7. Ranking 8. Lamb's Bread 9. Samba Jahmekya

Happy Birthday 2016 Alison!

Spin Cycle, Co-Led by Drummer Scott Neumann & Saxophonist Tom Christensen, Releases Self-Titled Debut CD On Their Sound Footing Records May 6 Quartet Also Includes Guitarist Pete McCann, Bassist Phil Palombi CD Release Show at Smalls, NYC, May 6 Followed by Dates in Ontario (The Jazz Room, Waterloo, June 25; The Rex, Toronto, June 26) & Rochester, NY (Rochester Jazz Festival, June 27) April 7, 2016 With its strong melodies, tight rhythms, intriguing textures, and sophisticated interplay, Spin Cycle has got everything covered. What makes the band special is how everything fits together -- or, by intention, doesn't. For listeners and band members alike, every tune is an adventure. Spin Cycle is the new quartet co-led by drummer Scott Neumann and tenor saxophonist Tom Christensen -- and also featuring fellow veterans of the New York jazz scene Pete McCann on guitar and bassist Phil Palombi -- whose self-titled debut CD will be released by the leaders' Sound Footing Records on May 6. Spin Cycle boasts six compositions by Christensen, a consummate multi-instrumentalist who mostly plays tenor saxophone here, and four by Neumann. Having performed in all kinds of settings including the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Jazz Mandolin Project, the Gil Evans Project, Madeleine Peyroux's touring group, Broadway pit bands -- and Cheap Trick -- the co-leaders know how to dig deep, swing hard, and put a shine on a ballad. After finishing a CD of his own in 2013 with Michael Blake and Mark Helias [the Neu3 Trio's Blessed], Neumann "got the thought of collaborating on an ongoing basis with musicians I liked and respected -- with friends who would get along sharing business responsibilities as well as creative ones. "I naturally thought of Tom. In addition to playing together, and playing with many of the same musicians, we've spent a lot of time backpacking and hiking together. He had tunes, I had tunes. They went well together because we share a lot of the same musical influences." Once they decided on the format of the band, getting McCann on board was the next step. Neumann has played with the Wisconsin native for more than 30 years, going back to their days at North Texas State (now the University of North Texas). And Christensen had played with the guitarist in Maria Schneider's big band. Palombi, a gifted bassist with whom Neumann had played in trumpeter Bill Mobley's big band during their four-year run at Smoke, was the final inspired piece to fall into place. Spin Cycle outdoors: saxophonist Tom Christensen, drummer Scott Neumann, guitarist Pete McCann, bassist Phil Palombi. Spin Cycle is bookended by lighthearted tunes inspired by the composers' daughters. Neumann's "Rainbow Shoelaces" features a simple melody and funky B section. Christensen's "Hamsters, Hamsters" is a straight-ahead, uptempo minor blues. The title track, written for this session by Christensen, shows off a deeper and more complex side of the band via its intricate and varied cycle of chord changes. Neumann's "Crystalline," which features McCann on nylon-string guitar, is distinguished by its lingering over-the-top melody. And then there's the punk rock-like composition, "Smart Aleck," with its bellicose guitar opening and other aggressive effects. "This lineup gives us a lot of room to try out different things," says the drummer. Born in 1962 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Scott Neumann started on the drums as a youngster and was exposed to what we now call classic rock by his older brother. Scott eventually found his way to the jazz-rock fusion of bands including Weather Report and Return to Forever. Neumann went on to blossom in the esteemed music program at North Texas State and moved to New York in 1988. He's been a busy player on the New York scene ever since, playing with such luminaries as Kenny Barron and Ben Allison and accruing impressive credits as a vocal accompanist (for Ann Hampton Callaway, among others), Broadway musician (he made Swing! swing), and instructor (he directs the drum studies program at Lehigh University). Tom Christensen was born in 1961 in Ventura, California. Like Neumann, he was drawn to rock early on; he became interested in jazz-rock fusion and straight-ahead jazz while attending high school in the Napa Valley. Frequenting clubs in nearby San Francisco, he heard such legends as Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, and Art Blakey and had the opportunity to take private lessons from tenor saxophone great Joe Henderson. Christensen attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, studying classical music as well as jazz on both undergraduate and graduate levels. Since moving to the New York City area in 1989, he has established himself as a go-to player in jazz and commercial settings. For eight years, he was a member of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, appearing on five of their albums. He also has played on recordings by Joe Lovano, Don Sebesky, and the David Liebman Big Band. Christensen, who is on the faculty of the Fieldston School in New York, first recorded as a leader in 2000 (Gualala). Spin Cycle will be performing a CD release show at Smalls in New York on Friday 5/6, as well as a mini-tour taking them to the Jazz Room in Waterloo, Ontario, 6/25; the Rex in Toronto. 6/26; and the Rochester (NY) Jazz Festival, 6/27. "After playing with Scott for many years around New York," says Christensen, "I'm really excited about our new band Spin Cycle. We are both committed to the band and its musical vision. This is the first in what will be a long line of great recordings." Scott Neumann & Tom Christensen: Spin Cycle EPK Listen: soundcloud.com/spin-cycle-3 Web Sites: spincyclemusic.org, scottneumannmusic.com, tomchristensenmusic.com

Monk (complete, 8 seasons) - $52.99 http://www.amazon.com/Monk-The-Complete-Series/dp/B00IRHL59I ***** McMillan & Wife (complete, 6 seasons) - $39.99 http://www.amazon.com/McMillan-Wife-The-Complete-Series/dp/B008X8U83K/ ***** Father Dowling Mysteries (complete, 10 discs) - $31.90 http://www.amazon.com/Father-Dowling-Mysteries-Complete-Series/dp/B00AMU8K8C/ ***** Highway to Heaven (complete, 5 seasons) - $27.99 http://www.amazon.com/Highway-Heaven-The-Complete-Series/dp/B00M4KXLCI/ ***** The Avengers (Complete Emma Peel) - $23.44 http://www.amazon.com/The-Avengers-Complete-Emma-Megaset/dp/B00E5G03I4/ ***** Dick Van Dyke Show (complete, blu-ray) - $66.66 http://www.amazon.com/The-Dick-Van-Dyke-Show/dp/B008MIYKB2 A remastered version of this set is now out. $137.99 http://www.amazon.com/Dick-Van-Dyke-Show-Remastered/dp/B013HS2AFY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8