GA Russell

Happy Birthday Justin!

RIP. It's not widely known here in the US, although perhaps everyone in the UK is aware of it...Bruce played bass on Manfred Mann's 1966 hit Pretty Flamingo. A photo of that group, including Bruce and Henry Lowther, was used for the cover of the See for Miles mid-'80s LP called Soul of Mann. Is there a specific Jack Bruce album that can be called "jazz" rather than "jazz-influenced"? I'd like a recommendation or two!

Happy Birthday 2014 spinlps!

I start each day with coffee at McDonald's. McDonald's is currently doing its annual Monopoly contest. So far I have won two Quarter-Pounders with Cheese and one month of Hulu Plus for free. Does anyone have any experience and opinions regarding Hulu Plus? Is it worth the bother? Thanks!

Lowell Ullrich Week 18 picks http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/10/24/the-picks-week-18-in-the-cfl/ ***** cfl.ca Week 18 preview http://cfl.ca/article/2014-cflca-game-notes-a-look-at-week-18

Mike Beamish Week 18 picks and power rankings http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/football/lions/Week+Picks+power+rankings/10319210/story.html

Week 18 picks... Gregg Xenakes http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4732823 Dan Ralph http://www.thestar.com/sports/football/2014/10/22/cfl_picks_week_18_lions_looking_to_pounce_on_a_playoff_spot.html ***** cfl.ca MOP Watch http://cfl.ca/article/mop-watch-week-17-stock-analysis ***** Simeon Rottier is out for the year. http://cfl.ca/article/esks-lineman-rottier-done-for-season ***** cfl.ca stats analysis http://www.cfl.ca/article/on-pace-a-look-at-2014s-top-performers ***** I didn't know it, but Aaron Rodger's younger brother Jordan is also a quarterback, and he is #5 on BC's depth chart. http://cfl.ca/article/jordan-rodgers-looking-to-make-his-mark-in-the-cfl

cfl.ca power rankings http://cfl.ca/article/pintys-power-rankings-alberta-reigns-supreme ***** Malcolm Kelly power rankings http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/football/opinion/2014/10/cfl-power-rankings-week-17-3.html ***** The Ticats have signed Nic Grigsby. http://www.tsn.ca/rb-grigsby-signs-with-tiger-cats-shortly-after-release-by-bombers-1.112149 ***** The Riders have released Will Ford. http://cfl.ca/article/down-to-two-riders-release-member-of-running-back-trio http://www.tsn.ca/roughriders-release-rb-ford-two-others-1.112277

Happy Birthday 2014 Matthew!

Looks very appealling!

This looks different! M.O.D. Technologies TO RELEASE COLLABORATION OF THREE OUTSTANDING MUSICAL VOICES JON BATISTE, CHAD SMITH, BILL LASWELL THE PROCESS WITH TUNDE ADEBIMPE (TV on the Radio), KILLAH PRIEST (Wu-Tang Clan), GARRISON HAWK, TOSHINORI KONDO, PETER APFELBAUM, DOMINIC JAMES AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE NOVEMBER 4, 2014 AND THROUGH WWW.MOD-TECHNOLOGIES.COM Jon Batiste piano, electric piano, hammond organ, electronic keyboards, harmonaboard, percussion Chad Smith drums, percussion Bill Laswell basses, guitar, electronics Tunde Adebimpe vocals Killah Priest vocals Garrison Hawk vocals Toshinori Kondo trumpet Peter Apfelbaum flute, tenor & soprano saxophone Dominic James guitar New York, October 21, 2014 - Transformative pianist and uplifting young visionary from New York City via New Orleans - Jon Batiste, Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer - Chad Smith and legendary bassist / producer - Bill Laswell, detonate avant-funk, African styles, electric Miles Davis, Meters, Mutant Hip Hop, Ginger Baker...and more, on their album called The Process.A sonic / musical assault...featuring Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Killah Priest (Wu-Tang Clan) and others. "I wanted to take a risk and be inspired by other musicians who feel the same. There was no music written before we got to the studio. Whatever comes into your head. Grab a rhythm and run with it. Jon and I had an unspoken musical telepathy from the very first time we jammed at the church in Harlem. He's the main inspiration for me wanting to do this. Bill is kind of a mad scientist, his work speaks for itself...and it has been cool to see how he works. This is very different from the Peppers. The basic recording and music was done in short 3-day sessions. Everyone was out of their musical comfort zones. That was Bill's idea, and it was challenging not to fall back and go for what you know. I tried not to play grooves I've done before. I know Jon was stretching as well. This project was an exercise in growth and trust." - Chad Smith, The Red Hot Chili Peppers "This recording experience and meeting of musicians from fairly diverse backgrounds and histories began as an idea. The original idea was to film unfamiliar musicians playing together in a room with no preconceived direction. Over time it began to transform into making a record. Here were Chad Smith, the versatile drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, full of raw energy and surprises with a natural feel, rock solid time sense, and sense of humor; and Jon Batiste, a young virtuoso piano prodigy with a wide harmonic sensibility, great phrasing and a tight rhythmic flow. A son of New Orleans and the renowned Batiste family. Beginning by exploring each other's musicianship, laying out fundamental structures and patterns, morphing them into new and alternate shapes fused together to form constructs - then adding new sounds, words and first-rate musicians to the growing core. I kept saying: it's a Process, it takes time...The result is strikingly unique." - Bill Laswell, Bassist / Producer TRACKS B1 (1:38) Drop Away (5:07) Timeline (4:36) Haunted (5:33) B2 (3:46) Turn on the Light / Ascent (7:06) Black Arc (4:12) Spiral (4:37) B3 (2:00) Time Falls (3:29) The Drift (7:04) Produced and arranged by Bill Laswell with Jay Bulger, Chad Smith & Jon Batiste. The Process is not a band name but a project / album title. ABOUT THE LABEL - M.O.D. Technologies - revealing light on the development of new sound experiences in material culture. A multi-directional music / sound / information system. Initiated in 2010 by bassist / producer Bill Laswell and Giacomo Bruzzo, co-founder of the progressive / future music label Rare Noise.M.O.D. - A futuristic hybrid of music exploration - dub / dub step / reggae / world / africa / drum'n'bass / mutant hip hop / avant metal / experimental / vocal music / instrumental / DJ culture and much more. M.O.D. resumes and continues the legacy of AXIOM, the timeless imprint established in 1989 by Bill Laswell with Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records. http://www.mod-technologies.com Please visit the official Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/TheProcessOfficial

I'm bumping this to remind those interested that the show is tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to it.

Happy Birthday 2014 David! #50!

I'm really enjoying this one. I don't hear anything startlingly new and unique. This guy is just really good! I do think that he is more strongly influenced by Bill Evans than most others. Of course, a lot of pianists have been influenced by Bill Evans.

Plays of the Week video http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/104851 (I'd rank that Chad Owens one-handed grab a lot higher up the list!) ***** cfl.ca Week 17 recap http://cfl.ca/article/cfl-replay-a-look-back-at-week-17 ***** Chris Schultz Week 18 picks http://www.tsn.ca/risky-business-week-18-predictions-in-the-cfl-1.111417

Jeff, I saw a 4.5 lb. (!) bag of Brach's Original Candy Corn at Sam's today for $7 and change.

cfl.ca Week 17 preview http://cfl.ca/article/2014-cflca-game-notes-a-look-at-week-17 ***** Ticats 16....Redblacks 6 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4731737 http://cfl.ca/article/bouncing-back-ticat-ground-redblacks-at-home This was a snoozer, except for the fact that the Redblacks kept it close for most of the game. ***** Als 20...Argos 12 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4731937 http://cfl.ca/article/crompton-credits-d-with-huge-road-win The Argos didn't show much in another fairly boring game. ***** Stamps 33....Bombers 23 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4732008 Drew Willy was out, so the Bombers started Brian Brohm (whom I had never heard of before). The first half was pretty grim, and at the half the Stampeders led 16-6. Then Brohm broke his thumb, and he was replaced by the third stringer Robert Marve (whom I also had never heard of before). Marve was sharp, and he led the Bombers to within three points, 26-23. But the Stamps held on to win. With the win, the Stamps clinched first place in the West. Good video. http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/104751 ***** Eskimos 24....Riders 19 http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4732242 http://cfl.ca/article/edmonton-spoils-kerry-josephs-return-in-regina This was a much better game than I expected. Kerry Joseph played the whole game for the Riders, and he had a very good first half. The Riders led 13-4 at the break. But the Eskimos obtained the momentum when Kendial Lawrence ran the second half kickoff back 96 yards for the TD, and Edmonton scored 20 straight points to put the game away. Adarius Bowman set the Edmonton team record for passes caught in a season. With the loss, the Riders were eliminated from contention for second place in the West. Good video. http://cfl.ca/video/index/id/104807

Apparently I was wrong, but I thought that "chyron" had to do with the optical trick used daily by TV weathermen, where they face a blue screen, and a second camera superimposes a map. Nowadays, this is used on pro baseball telecasts. There appears to be a billboard behind the left-handed batter, when in fact it is a blue panel.

Perhaps it is related to the objections some people have to the new school lunches which Michelle Obama has promoted.

Here's an update from a couple of days ago regarding Young's Pono project. The big news is that Universal, Sony and Warner have all signed on. http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/neil-young-readies-pono-store-says-partnerships-with-lincoln-tesla-in-works/ar-BB9f4Eg

I like this album! The orchestra has a smooth sound, and the arrangements are interesting. Apparently there is another guy with the same name who is on Spotify, but this Jason Jackson is not.

I see that the World Series earthquake was 25 years ago today. Sure doesn't seem like it.

Thanks, guys!

Happy Birthday 2014 Leeway!

I am looking at two Monk Columbia releases: Live at the Jazz Workshop - Complete http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000056KDD/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3PGK7W8CFAIS0 Big Band & Quartet in Concert http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012GMXME/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_7?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=APZB0IDP1EYQW Has anyone heard either of these, and have an opinion? I suspect that they are overrated by the Amazon reviewers, but maybe not. Thanks!