GA Russell

Happy Birthday flat5!

Remember when Baltimore won the Grey Cup in '95? I've just read that an American team has won the Grey Cup more recently than a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup. I had no idea!

Here's a perfect article for a hot stove league - a list of the best draft picks, according to where they went in the draft! http://bluebombertalk.com/2015/04/15/the-greatest-cfl-draft-picks-of-all-time-from-no-1-to-no-64/

Howie Schumm, who was a linebacker for the Eskimos throughout the '60s, has died at 75. http://esks.com/article/eskimos-mourn-the-passing-of-howie-schumm

Romby Bryant has retired. http://cfl.ca/article/final-stamp-romby-bryant-retires-a-stampeder http://www.tsn.ca/bryant-signs-one-day-deal-to-retire-with-stampeders-1.255717

Drummer Dan Brubeck Honors His Parents' Music (& Debuts on CD as a Leader) With "Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave & Iola Brubeck," To Be Released by Blue Forest Records April 28 2-CD Set Was Recorded August 2013 Live at the Cellar, Vancouver, BC With Brubeck's Quartet: Saxophonist Steve Kaldestad, Pianist Tony Foster, & Bassist/Vocalist Adam Thomas April 8, 2015 On his brilliantly realized new album Celebrating the Music and Lyrics of Dave & Iola Brubeck, drummer Dan Brubeck introduces his parents' remarkable and surprisingly little-known songbook. The second youngest of Dave and Iola Brubeck's six children, Dan has an extensive history of performing and recording alongside his famous pianist father Dave Brubeck and had long wanted to explore some of the songs and textual settings that his parents collaborated on over the years. The 2-CD set, which happens to be Dan's recording debut as a leader, will be released by Blue Forest Records on April 28. "Some of these songs could be classified as 'standards,'" he notes, "but most people have never heard them with Iola's lyrics. Many of these songs have rarely been heard at all." "In Your Sweet Way" is the track that opens the album, and as with many of the pieces that follow, Iola wrote the lyrics specifically for a jazz legend (Carmen McRae). Iola, who died last year at the age of 90, contributed incisive insider commentary about the songs for the album's liner notes. Dave Brubeck passed in 2012 at the age of 91. The opportunity to pursue the project arose unexpectedly with some of the finest jazz players in the Vancouver, BC area, including saxophonist Steve Kaldestad, pianist Tony Foster, and bassist/vocalist Adam Thomas. "These are the guys who had good chemistry and we stuck together," says Brubeck, 59, a longtime resident of British Columbia. L. to r.: Tony Foster, Steve Kaldestad, Adam Thomas, Dan Brubeck (Grant Simmons). Brubeck made the serendipitous discovery that his bassist was the perfect vocalist for this material. "He was completely in tune," Dan says of hearing Thomas's singing for the first time, "phrasing beautifully with a soulful sweetness, all while swinging his ass off on bass. When the quartet had a gig we just set up mics in the Cellar, which is tiny and intimate. I was just amazed when I listened back to what we got." Thomas's most impressive feat is the easygoing authority he brings to interpreting songs the Brubecks created with Louis Armstrong in mind. He swings joyfully on "Since Love Had Its Way," and wrings every wistful drop from the masterpiece "Summer Song," an intoxicating draught of song that has unaccountably remained uncovered until this year (both songs were introduced by Satchmo in the Brubecks' politically astute jazz musical The Real Ambassadors). Adding to the poignancy of "Summer Song" is the fact that the chorus serves as Dave and Iola's epitaph. "I don't think anyone's done it besides Louis until now," Dan says. "For them that song had a lot of special meaning. I think Carmen was supposed to sing it but Louis heard it and that was that." The quartet doesn't avoid the best-known numbers, offering memorable versions of the oft-interpreted "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and Paul Desmond and Iola Brubeck's enduring hit "Take Five." But digging deep into the catalog yields one unexpected gem after another. Thomas hits just the right plaintive tone on the minor blues "Lord, Lord," a piece from Brubeck's suite The Gates of Justice. And "Strange Meadowlark" is another superlative piece that, like "Summer Song," could easily become a standard (it's got a good start with recordings by Carmen McRae, Frederica von Stade, and Hilary Cole). Born in Oakland on May 4, 1955, Dan Brubeck was a highly energetic child who found his calling at the trap set. Mentored by two consummate polyrhythmic masters, Joe Morello and Alan Dawson (at the Berklee College of Music), he was working professionally before he finished his teens. Over the years Dan was featured on nearly a dozen albums with his father, and toured widely with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, including many appearances with the world's leading orchestras. He's been an integral part of the various Brubeck bands, including the Darius Brubeck Ensemble, Two Generations of Brubeck, and the New Brubeck Quartet. He's toured internationally and recorded three widely played albums with his electric jazz group, The Dolphins, and co-led the Brubeck LaVerne Trio with his brother Chris and pianist Andy LaVerne. Dan has also toured with acts ranging from The Band and David Benoit to Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond, and has recorded with jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell, singer/songwriter Livingston Taylor, jazz/pop singer Michael Franks, and pioneering blues guitarist Roy Buchanan. Dan continues to perform and record with his siblings -- Chris Brubeck, a bassist, trombonist, and noted composer, in the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, and pianist/composer Darius Brubeck in Brubecks Play Brubeck -- when he's not playing with his Vancouver band. The Dan Brubeck Quartet will be appearing at the following venues, with additional dates in the works: 8/1 Kaslo (BC) Jazz Festival, 7pm; 8/15 The Red Deer Symphony Orchestra's Evening of Jazz at The Lake, Red Deer, Alberta; 9/18 Jazz n Caz, Cazenovia (NY) College Jazz Festival; 9/19 Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs, NY; 9/20 Weir Farm, Wilton, CT. Photo of Dan Brubeck by Colbert Photography Web Site: danbrubeck.com

I have come across another Skye twofer: Gary McFarland - America the Beautiful + Does the Sun Really Shine on the Moon? - $4.97 + $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00093RNVM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=RVSBV717YT9&coliid=I12BSCMKBQO5X9

It has been nearly three weeks since my last post, so let's catch up. Here is the current status of the free agents. http://www.tsn.ca/2015-cfl-free-agent-tracker-1.155639 ***** The Eskimos released Joe Burnett, and the Stampeders signed him. http://www.tsn.ca/eskimos-release-db-burnett-1.246565 http://www.tsn.ca/stampeders-add-db-burnett-1.253167 ***** Riders CEO Jim Hopson has retired. http://cfl.ca/article/riders-hopson-bids-farewell-thanks-fans ***** The Rules Committee suggested a number of rules changes, which as expected the Board of Governors has approved. http://cfl.ca/article/shell-offensive-pass-interference-now-reviewable http://cfl.ca/article/major-rule-changes-approved-by-cfl-governors http://cfl.ca/article/qa-esks-gm-hervey-talks-about-rule-changes http://www.tsn.ca/cfl-rules-committee-pitches-major-changes-1.241162 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl-converts-pushed-back-20-yards-1.251292 http://www.tsn.ca/more-rule-changes-we-ve-seen-plenty-1.238790 You can read about the new freedoms the offense will have. I think that what most people will notice are the changes for the convert. If the team wants to go for two points, the line of scrimmage will be the three. If it wants to kick the one point, the line of scrimmage will be the 25. ***** April 3 Checking Down - notes about each team http://cfl.ca/article/checking-down-lulays-arm-a-topic-of-discussion ***** The Bombers announced a profit of $3.9 million for 2014, which is $1 million more than 2013. http://cfl.ca/article/bombers-reveal-1-million-profit-increase-in-2014 http://www.tsn.ca/blue-bombers-post-3-9-million-profit-1.251130 ***** April 10 Checking Down - notes about each team http://cfl.ca/article/checking-down-minicamps-kackert-and-more

Happy Birthday 2015, Evan!

Happy Birthday save!

Sanford & Son is now $22.96.

Happy Birthday 2015 Alison!

Kolchak: The Night Stalker (all 20 original episodes) - $22.97 http://smile.amazon.com/Kolchak-Night-Stalker-Darrin-McGavin/dp/B000ATQYWY/ref=sr_1_25?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1428308185&sr=1-25 ***** Sledge Hammer! (complete series) - $13.49 http://smile.amazon.com/Sledge-Hammer-Complete-David-Rasche/dp/B005NKIPUO/ref=sr_1_57?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1428308399&sr=1-57 ***** Sanford & Son (complete series) - $29.94 http://smile.amazon.com/Sanford-Son-Complete-Slim-Packaging/dp/B001DSNEME/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1428308828&sr=1-2

Happy Birthday Allen!

Happy Easter everyone!

Happy Birthday 2015 jazzkrow!

Eddie LeBaron has passed away at 85. RIP. I lived in Washington when I first collected bubble gum cards in 1959. LeBaron was the Redskins' quarterback, and I got his card! After that season, he told George Preston Marshall that he was ready to go home to Texas, and that he would either retire to practice law or play for the new expansion team, the Dallas Cowboys. So Marshall traded him to Dallas. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/eddie-lebaron-the-diminutive-little-general-of-1950s-redskins-dies-at-85/2015/04/02/6be944ca-d940-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html

Green Acres - Season 1 - $9.96 http://www.amazon.com/Green-Acres-Season-Eddie-Albert/dp/B0000V4906?SubscriptionId=AKIAJ7T5BOVUVRD2EFYQ&tag=camelalerts-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0000V4906

Happy Birthday 2015 Claude!

I have been listening to this album, and only this album, every day for the past 13 days. I'll be surprised if it's not my pick for Album of the Year in December.

According to Amazon, I got the monochrome Saint set in mid-May 2010, and the color set about a month later. Nope, you beat me by a mile. I ordered my b/w set March 25, 2013.

I forgot to mention that a couple of days after Pi Day, there was a Letter to the Editor of the Wall St. Journal which pointed out... Pi is 3.14159. If you are going to stop with four places after the decimal point, you should round off the final number, which in this case would make it 3.1416. So we'll have the Pi Day of the Century to celebrate next year too!

Dave, I have a new resolution starting Easter (this Sunday) to watch one great movie each month. I think my first will be Divorce Italian Style. By the way, my records show that I purchased the b/w Saint box for the same price as yours. I wonder if we bought ours within a few days of each other.

Heineken was imported into the US by Van Munching & Co. Van Munching & Co. was mentioned at the end of every radio and TV commercial. Van Munching's contract expired in (I think) in '95. My experience was that everyone thought that Heineken was a good European beer. I never heard anything bad about Heineken until after Van Munching lost its exclusive to import and distribute it. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/04/obituaries/leo-van-munching-88-heineken-beer-trader.html http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-04-08/news/9001290347_1_heineken-beer-importer-munching

Not jazz, but... Brook Benton - Best of (with AutoRip) - $3.99 http://www.amazon.com/Best-Brook-Benton-Millennium-Collection/dp/B00004X0A2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1427909420&sr=1-1&keywords=brook+benton