GA Russell

An American named Jason Holmes will make his debut Saturday for St. Kilda. If I read this right, the only other American to play in the AFL moved with his family to Australia when he was five years old. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/american-saint-jason-holmes-to-debut-this-weekend-20150820-gj3d4j.html

Week 9 game notes http://cfl.ca/article/cflca-game-notes-a-look-at-week-9 ***** The Bombers announced that they have indeed signed Jasper Simmons. http://cfl.ca/article/bombers-ink-linebacker-jasper-simmons ***** John Hodge Week 9 picks http://3downnation.com/2015/08/20/week-nine-cfl-picks/#comments ***** Justin Dunk Week 9 picks http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/week-9-cfl-picks-lions-will-feast-on-cato-als/ ***** Mike Beamish Week 9 picks and 8/20 power rankings http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Week+Picks+power+rankings/11304636/story.html ***** Dan Ralph Week 9 picks http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/cfls-top-defences-to-take-centre-stage-in-hamilton-edmonton-contest/article26028332/ ***** CJOB Week 9 picks http://www.cjob.com/2015/08/19/the-680-cjob-football-panel/

"Cheerin' Up the Universe,"New CD by Trumpeter/Vocalist Bob Merrill,Due for September 4 Release byAccurate Records Merrill's 4th CD as a LeaderIncludes Support from John Medeski, Drew Zingg,Nicki Parrott, George Schuller, Russ Gershon,& Special Guests Harry Allen (Tenor Sax),Roswell Rudd (Trombone),Gabrielle Agachiko (Vocal) August 19, 2015 Trumpeter/vocalist Bob Merrill has had an amazingly varied career in and around music -- mentored by his late father-in-law Joe Bushkin, Jaki Byard, and Red Rodney; starting and operating Hip Pocket Recording Studios in New York City; and recording as a leader himself. Cheerin' Up the Universe, his new CD and fourth to date, is being released September 4 by Accurate Records, which has also reissued two of Merrill's earlier albums (Catch As Catch Can, Got a Bran' New Suit). In the great tradition of trumpeter-singers, going back to Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, and Louis Prima, Merrill is both a carefree entertainer who wants to lift up his audience and a serious artist who pays the deepest respect to jazz tradition with his mastery of forms. On previous albums, the New York-based artist mined the jazz mainstream, sometimes with a stylish Rat Pack-era sound, sometimes with a deeper blend of late swing and hard bop -- and always, says Accurate Records honcho Russ Gershon, who has known Merrill since they were classmates at Harvard, with real jazz and real blues feeling. "He has a passionate attachment to the real thing," said Gershon, leader of Either/Orchestra, who lends his saxophone skills to the album. Backed by such one-of-a-kind guest players as trombone great Roswell Rudd and keyboardist John Medeski, Merrill indulges himself-and anyone who has grown up loving the likes of James Taylor ("The Secret o' Life"), Steely Dan ("IGY [What a Beautiful World]"), Burt Bacharach ("I Say a Little Prayer"), and Stevie Wonder ("Overjoyed") -- by applying his personal touch to a selection of pop hits that in spirit and title promote happiness. For a little icing on the cake, he covers Pharrell's inescapable "Happy," with the lyrical bassist Nicki Parrott harmonizing and a touch of Lee Morgan's infectious "Sidewinder" informing the bridge. The title track, a fetching Merrill original, aims to cheer up the universe "one star at a time." L. to r.: Bob Merrill, Russ Gershon, Roswell Rudd. Merrill has deep history with the musicians on the date: guitarist Drew Zingg was a grade school classmate; his friendship with drummer George Schuller dates back to boarding school; keyboardist/arranger John Van Eps first connected with Merrill at the New England Conservatory. John Medeski, who contributes to four tracks on piano and two on organ, met Merrill in 1989, when the keyboardist was hired, at Gershon's suggestion, for a gig in Cambridge. "Russ also suggested some bass players who were all booked," Merrill explains. "But my last call was to Chris Wood, who was free. It was on that gig that Medeski met Wood, and they later added Martin -- the rest is history." Bob Merrill has had similar encounters with kismet throughout his life, which began in 1958 in Manhattan. He grew up in the Upper East Side building where Benny Goodman lived, and once he'd heard Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing," young Bob was hooked on jazz. After his head was turned by Doc Severinsen's trumpet playing during a Tonight Show taping his father took him to, Bob devoted himself to the horn. He took lessons and played gigs with local trumpet guru Felix Sangenito and also studied with William Vacchiano, first trumpet chair at the New York Philharmonic. While attending Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, he jammed with saxophonist Thomas Chapin. Accepted at Harvard, Merrill deferred for a year to study jazz at the New England Conservatory of Music, where his teachers included George Russell and Jaki Byard. He formed a group with drummer George Schuller, son of the late Gunther Schuller, then president of NEC. Merrill began singing, he says, when he played wedding gigs and discovered that attractive women on the dance floor turned to hear what someone on stage was singing more than they ever turned to hear what someone was playing. His relaxed vocals add an important dimension to his art. He modestly says that his understated style is a concession to his vocal limitations. But with his Mel Tormé-influenced smoothness and Kurt Elling-like articulation, he is an appealing and distinctive interpreter of the Great American Songbook. After marrying Christina Bushkin in 1991, Merrill coaxed her father, the fabled swing pianist Joe Bushkin, out of retirement. One of their first gigs was a memorable run at Tavern on the Green in Central Park with a group featuring bass immortal Milt Hinton, who credited Bushkin for bringing him to New York in the early '50s for an extended run at the Embers with Jo Jones. Merrill produced CD reissues of Joe Bushkin's classic LPs, and they played the jazz festival circuit until the pianist's death in 2004. The release of Cheerin' Up the Universe opens a new chapter in Merrill's musical life. "We now embark on the process of cheering up the universe in various venues, until we reach Pluto," says Bob. He'll be appearing in support of the new album at the following: 9/17 Caffe Vivaldi, NYC; 9/24 Oak Room Tavern, Sea Cliff, NY; 10/22 Treme, Islip, NY. Additional dates are in the works. Web Site: bobmerrill.netFollow: Like:

Jamie Nye Week 9 picks http://cfl.ca/article/weekly-predictor-can-alouettes-pull-out-win-at-bc-place ***** 8/19 Checking Down http://cfl.ca/article/checking-down-whats-going-on-in-week-9 As you can see, the Riders released Geoff Tisdale, and the Redblacks released Anthony Alix. ***** The Argos have put Ricky Ray on the six-week injured list again. http://www.tsn.ca/argos-return-qb-ray-to-six-game-injured-list-1.347438 ***** TSN is reporting that Jasper Simmons has agreed to sign with the Bombers. http://www.tsn.ca/report-bombers-simmons-agree-to-deal-1.347801

Malcolm Kelly 8/18 power rankings http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-power-rankings-week-8-1.3194999 ***** cfl.ca 8/18 power rankings http://cfl.ca/article/nissan-titan-power-rankings-which-team-is-tops ***** oddsshark 8/16 power rankings http://www.oddsshark.com/cfl/power-rankings You will note that this website for gamblers ranks the winless Riders sixth! ***** Following up on yesterday's "insults on Twitter" news, the Stamps today released Jasper Simmons. http://www.tsn.ca/stamps-release-simmons-after-agent-s-twitter-rant-1.347245 http://3downnation.com/2015/08/18/did-both-teams-lose-the-pricesimmons-trade/#comments ***** The possibility of the Toronto Blue Jays making the baseball playoffs places the Argos' home schedule in jeopardy. http://www.tsn.ca/jays-playoff-run-could-leave-argos-homeless-1.347170 http://3downnation.com/2015/08/18/baseballs-playoff-schedule-poses-potential-problem-for-argos/#comments ***** Calgary will be getting a new stadium. http://cfl.ca/article/calgary-announces-plans-for-new-stadium ***** Not that any of you should care, but the American Legion World Series championship game will be tonight at 7:00 pm eastern, and will be shown on ESPNU. One of the teams is my high school alma mater (Jesuit High School of New Orleans), known in Legion ball as the Retif Oilers. http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index#type/upcoming/

My best wishes to you, Tim.

Happy Birthday 2015 Laurie!

Week 8 review http://cfl.ca/article/cfl-replay-looking-back-at-week-8 ***** Week 8 Plays of the Week http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/114685/autostart/true ***** Jonathan Crompton has returned to practice. Should Tom Higgins give him the starter's job back? http://www.tsn.ca/hash-marks-als-crompton-returns-to-practice-1.346472 ***** Insults flew on Twitter Saturday! The fans' comments on this article are interesting too. http://www.tsn.ca/twitter-spat-erupts-between-former-stamps-teammates-1.346565 ***** Chris Schultz Week 9 picks http://www.tsn.ca/talent/week-9-picks-expect-big-things-from-the-road-teams-1.346866

Hamilton 52....BC 22 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/bc-lions-hamilton-tiger-cats-20150815/Stats http://cfl.ca/article/tiger-cats-always-fresh-at-tim-hortons-field http://3downnation.com/2015/08/15/no-mercy-ticats-destroy-lions-52-22/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/08/16/make-it-10-ticats-maul-lions-52-22/#comments Brandon Banks scored 2 TDs. http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/114631 ***** Calgary 48....Ottawa 3 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/ottawa-redblacks-calgary-stampeders-20150815/Stats http://cfl.ca/article/stamps-gallop-over-redblacks-to-victory http://3downnation.com/2015/08/16/all-three-phases-clicking-as-stampeders-rout-redblacks/#comments ***** Solomon Elimimian tore his Achilles tendon last night. He will be placed on the six-game injured list. http://www.tsn.ca/lions-elimimian-suffers-torn-achilles-1.346390 ***** I forgot to mention that Chad Kackert played Friday night for the first time in almost two years.

When was this concert? Was he still playing with Mitch and Noel?

Michael, I too enjoyed that book! I reviewed it May 25. Toward the end I came to the conclusion that she is a nut, but I still think that her ideas are good.

Toronto 27....Winnipeg 20 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/game/toronto-argonauts-winnipeg-blue-bombers-20150814/Stats http://www.cfl.ca/article/argonauts-use-fourth-quarter-surge-to-down-blue-bombers Fun game. See-saw battle. The Bombers enjoyed a 20-14 lead five minutes into the fourth quarter. Then the Argos' AJ Jefferson returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown. The convert gave the Argos the lead 21-20. The Argos scored another TD with less than five minutes to go to ice the game. Robert Marve had a pretty good game. It's been amazing to me how many young QB's have been forced to start this year, and have looked pretty good. Marve is the fourteenth QB to start a game this year.

Michael Sam has left the Als. He played only one game (last week), and failed to make a tackle. http://cfl.ca/article/michael-sam-announces-he-is-stepping-away

Edmonton 15....Montreal 12 http://cfl.ca/statistics/statsGame/id/12905 http://www.cfl.ca/article/shaws-game-winner-boots-eskimos-over-alouttes http://www.tsn.ca/shaw-hits-late-fg-as-eskimos-stun-alouettes-1.345367 For the most part, a defensive struggle. Cato was sacked eight times, including three by Odell Willis. Grant Shaw has been hot all year, but tonight he missed three field goals badly. But he won it with a good kick on the last play of the game.

Brandon Bridge crossbar trick shot http://www.tsn.ca/tnf-trick-shots-the-pin-point-crossbar-1.345042 ***** Dan Ralph Week 8 picks http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/lulay-bc-lions-look-to-hand-hamilton-ticats-their-first-home-loss/article25946648/ ***** John Hodge Week 8 picks http://3downnation.com/2015/08/13/week-eight-cfl-picks/#comments

cfl.ca 8/11 power rankings http://www.cfl.ca/article/nissan-titan-power-rankings-ticats-reclaim-top-spot ***** Malcolm Kelly 8/11 power rankings http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-power-rankings-week-7-1.3187101 ***** Scott Cullen 8/12 power rankings http://www.tsn.ca/tiger-cats-take-top-spot-in-cfl-rankings-1.344180 ***** The Bombers believe that Drew Willy will be out the next six to eight weeks. http://cfl.ca/article/willy-sidelined-6-8-weeks-with-injured-right-knee ***** 8/12 Checking Down http://cfl.ca/article/checking-down-key-injuries-could-affect-week-8 Week 8 game notes http://cfl.ca/article/cflca-game-notes-a-look-at-week-8 ***** More on Angelo Mosca. http://3downnation.com/2015/08/10/ticats-to-retire-angelo-moscas-no-68/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/08/12/angelo-mosca-passes-knowledge-wisdom-to-players/#comments ***** Boris Bede has been getting the job done, so the Als have released Sean Whyte. http://3downnation.com/2015/08/12/alouettes-hope-white-not-whyte-is-the-key-to-victory/#comments ***** Jamie Nye Week 8 picks http://cfl.ca/article/weekly-predictor-can-lions-beat-ticats-at-thf ***** Chris Schultz Week 8 picks http://www.tsn.ca/week-8-picks-ticats-dominant-at-home-1.344389 ***** Mike Beamish Week 8 picks and 8/12 power rankings http://www.canada.com/sports/football/cfl/This+Week+Picks+power+rankings/11285568/story.html ***** Justin Dunk Week 8 picks http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/week-8-cfl-picks-eskimos-could-falter-in-monteal/ ***** CJOB Week 8 picks http://www.cjob.com/2015/08/12/680-cjob-panel-predictions-for-cfl-week-eight/

Week 7 review http://www.cfl.ca/article/cfl-replay-looking-back-at-week-7 ***** The Ticats will retire Angelo Mosca's number 68 August 27. I had his bubble gum card in 1959. http://www.cfl.ca/article/ticats-to-retire-angelo-moscas-number-68 ***** Two offensive linemen scored last week, so here is an item about recent such events. http://www.thesnap.ca/big-men-softer-hands-a-history-of-big-men-touchdowns-in-the-cfl/ ***** Week 7 Plays of the Week http://www.cfl.ca/video/index/id/114281

Keyboardist/Composer Michael Gallant's"Live Plus One"To Be Released October 9 Follow-Up to Gallant's Acclaimed 2013 Debut "Completely"Features His Working Trio ofDmitry Ishenko, Electric Bass, & Rob Mitzner, Drums,Plus Special GuestPepe Gonzalez, Acoustic Bass East & West Coast Dates ScheduledIn Support of the CD Release Gallant's Music Also to Be Featured In Major Hollywood Film August 12, 2015 With his well-received 2013 debut Completely, keyboardist/composer Michael Gallant emerged as a stylistically omnivorous musical force, "an artist unafraid and bending the tradition," in the words of one critic. Gallant continues to explore his disruptive musical proclivities on his sophomore release, Live Plus One, due out October 9 from his Gallant Music label. Recorded live and almost exclusively at Levine Music in Washington, DC, where Gallant studied piano as a teenager, Live Plus One first came together when the school invited him to perform as part of an alumni concert series in 2014. With his Nord Electro 3HP keyboard tucked underneath the keybed of a Steinway Model D, Gallant delivered a sumptuously inventive set with his working trio: electric bassist Dmitry Ishenko and drummer Rob Mitzner, a longtime friend and once-again bandmate from Gallant's days growing up in the DC area. The ensemble performed a kinetic program of Gallant originals, joined on five tracks by veteran DC acoustic bassist Pepe Gonzalez (the "plus one"), whom Gallant has considered a mentor since his teenage years. "When I work with this trio," says Gallant, "I want to combine the sophistication and rigor of the pianists I love -- people like McCoy, Herbie, Duke, and Bill Evans -- with the raw energy of the grunge rock acts that I grew up with. Melding those influences is a big reason why I play the Nord and piano at the same time. I love how those sounds can melt and fuse with each other, like two sides of the same voice." L. to r.: Michael Gallant, Dmitry Ishenko, Rob Mitzner. Co-produced by Gallant and his wife and frequent musical collaborator Rachel Rossos, the album opens with "Returned," a quietly captivating piece that combines the lush chords of a rock anthem with the soaring harmonies of a Romantic concerto. "Completely," the album's centerpiece, is fueled by a powerful rock riff that embodies the "edge, rawness, and rage" of Gallant's grunge roots "with more delicate, soaring harmonies and melodies." "Greens" is an altered blues that develops fierce momentum; the passionate "Sandra and Michel" was inspired by the legendary Dominican pianist Michel Camilo and his wife; "The Real Maria" is a piece of buoyantly grooving piano funk that pays tribute to his influential piano teacher Maria Rodriguez. "Love You Better," a solo stride-piano and dissonance-infused excursion recorded live at Musideum in Toronto, is the album's closer. Recently, Gallant was commissioned to compose, perform (leading a quartet), produce, and record original jazz for use in the Hollywood film About Ray, a transgender-themed drama starring Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon, and Naomi Watts. Fanning plays a New York City teen transitioning from female to male; Watts is her single mother and Sarandon, a lesbian jazz manager/grandmother. The film is due for a 9/18 release by the Weinstein Company. A noted music journalist, Gallant spent almost a decade as a writer, and eventually Senior Editor at Keyboard magazine, interviewing artists ranging from Dave Brubeck and Billy Joel to will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, and many more. Often, his interviews would evolve into four-hand jams at the piano. Born in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1980, Michael Gallant attended Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. The son of a musical family, he began piano lessons at age five, but it wasn't until he began studying with Maria Rodriguez at Levine Music that jazz became a true focus. "I had always appreciated jazz and knew who Duke Ellington was, but she was the one who got me into improvised music and taught me the blues," Gallant says. He attended Columbia University, where a spontaneously chosen class on Japanese doomsday cults inspired him to earn an undergraduate degree in anthropology. "Being interested in pretty much everything, music and beyond, is a big part of my personality," Gallant says. Gallant's work at Keyboard began shortly after he earned his degree in 2003 and continues to date. He resigned his full-time editorship in 2009 to run Gallant Music LLC, a company through which he has composed theme music for the world's first iPad interactive graphic novel, scored the award-winning indie feature drama Remedy, and released albums by both the Michael Gallant Trio and Aurical, Gallant's singer/songwriter project with Rossos; the latter group made its Lincoln Center debut in 2013. Still an avid journalist, Gallant's writing clients include the National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of State, and DownBeat. As a studio musician, Gallant contributed to the album Winds of Samsara by Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman, a project that won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. "Jazz is the best label for what we do, but it's only part of the picture," Gallant says of his trio. "There was such a great vibe in that room when we recorded live at Levine, playing for my friends and family in my hometown. It was wonderful to be able to capture that in a project that I'm really proud of." Fall 2015 Performances by Michael Gallant (more to be announced): Thurs 9/24 (6pm), Hopewell Valley Vineyards, Pennington, NJ(duo performance with James Popik, g) Tues 9/29 (8pm), Monthly Residency at Tomi Jazz, 239 E. 53rd Street, NYC(with Dmitry Ishenko, eb; Rob Mitzner, d) Sat 10/10 (8pm), The Record Collector, Bordentown, NJ(with Dmitry Ishenko, eb; Rob Mitzner, d) Fri 10/16 (9:30pm), Kuumbwa Jazz, Santa Cruz, CA Fri 10/23 (8pm), The Sound Room, Oakland, CA Fri 11/6 (8pm), Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center, Middletown, CT(with Dmitry Ishenko, eb; Rob Mitzner, d) Photos: Logan GrendelWeb Site: gallantmusic.comFollow: Like: View:

Tonight's Eskimos-Als game will be on ESPN2 starting at 7: 30 pm eastern. Let's see how much we can catch up on before the kickoff. ***** First, last week's other three games. Ottawa 26.....Montreal 23 http://cfl.ca/statistics/statsGame/id/12899 http://www.cfl.ca/article/ottawa-surges-back-in-fourth-for-victory http://3downnation.com/2015/08/08/redblacks-ko-cato/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/08/09/redblacks-deliver-capital-punishment-to-the-alouettes/#comments Lots of fun! The Als took the lead late in the game, but the Redblacks came back to win it. ***** Toronto 30....Sask 26 http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/statsGame/id/12901 http://www.cfl.ca/article/recap-argonauts-rally-in-fourth-to-beat-roughriders http://3downnation.com/2015/08/09/argos-show-up-just-in-time-to-take-down-riders/#comments http://3downnation.com/2015/08/09/saskatchewans-passive-defence-submarines-rookie-qb/#comments Brett Smith had a good game, but the Argos won the fourth quarter 14-3. ***** Hamilton 38....Winnipeg 8 http://www.cfl.ca/statistics/statsGame/id/12903 http://www.cfl.ca/article/collaros-dominant-ticats-feast-on-bombers http://3downnation.com/2015/08/10/blue-bombed-hamilton-blasts-winnipeg-38-8/#comments The Ticats led 21-0 less than 8 minutes into the game. After that, the teams played evenly. Drew Willy was hurt in the second half, and was replaced by Robert Marve, who will start this week. http://www.tsn.ca/bombers-go-with-qb-marve-against-argos-1.344642

Happy Birthday 2015 kinuta!

Steve Smith announced yesterday that this would be his last year. Here is an interesting article suggesting that he deserves to be elected to the Hall of Fame. http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/174021/making-the-hall-of-fame-case-for-steve-smith

Can any of you New Yorkers tell me if the Jets' quarterback Geno Smith is any good? He will be out ten weeks with a broken jaw because a teammate (now released) sucker punched him. http://nypost.com/2015/08/11/jets-qb-geno-smith-breaks-jaw-on-sucker-punch-by-teammate/

Happy Birthday 2015 Mark!

This came out Friday, and I see that it is already up on Spotify.

Laurie Pepper announced Friday her new release of The Late Show - Art Pepper, Hampton Hawes, Joe Mondragon and Larry Bunker recorded live at The Surf Club 2/12/52. $4.50 for the download. http://artpepper.bandcamp.com/album/repo-vol-2-reclaimed-art-pepper You will note that Laurie plans to release next spring a CD of Art previously unreleased, recorded live with Warne Marsh.