GA Russell

I see that Uppity is now up on Spotify.

The Riders have signed Renauld Williams, and released Joe Lobendahn. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=419071

I loved Shapiro's Back to basics, so I am really looking forward to this one. "Piano Bar After Hours," 4th CD by Boston-Based Vocalist Jan Shapiro, To Be Released April 9 By Shapiro's Singing Empress Label Longtime Berklee Vocal Professor Teams Up with Six Favorite Pianists for a Series of Intimate Duos March 25, 2013 Jazz vocalist and longtime Berklee College vocal professor Jan Shapiro chose to focus on the challenging -- and revealing -- duo format for Piano Bar After Hours, her fourth CD and her first since 2007's Back to Basics. Shapiro tapped six of her favorite pianists, with whom she'd worked in various settings through the years, to accompany her on the new disc, which will be released by her Singing Empress label on April 9. Before arriving at Berklee 28 years ago, Shapiro spent more than a decade on the road singing with bands five nights a week on the hotel circuit, from St. Louis and Chicago to such points east as Atlanta, New York City, and Washington, DC. By the early Eighties, however, changes in the economy had forced many of the venues at which she worked to employ her with a full band only on weekends. On weeknights, it was just Shapiro and a pianist. That familiar setting is revisited on Piano Bar After Hours, with Shapiro applying her glowing, pitch-perfect three-octave soprano to a thoughtfully chosen program of jazz and American Songbook standards ("If I Were a Bell," "They Say It's Wonderful," Horace Silver's "Doodlin'," "Times Lie") and pop songs of more recent vintage ("Lost Up in Loving You," Rickie Lee Jones's "Company"). Ten of the 11 tracks are voice-and-piano collaborations, as pianists Daniela Schachter, Bob Winter, Tim Ray, Russell Hoffman, John Harrison III, and Adriana Balic take turns supporting Shapiro. For the 1984 Al Jarreau song "Tell Me," she and Balic were joined by Joey Blake on vocal bass and Bob Stoloff on vocal percussion. Both men have taught at Berklee and have worked with vocal innovator Bobby McFerrin. Born in St. Louis and raised in tiny nearby Festus, Jan Shapiro attended the St. Louis Institute of Music and later enrolled at Howard University, earning a music degree cum laude. She completed her studies there while performing five nights a week at a Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC. "I was trained in traditional classical technique," Shapiro says of the influence of her classical music training at Howard. "It was invaluable, but since I'd always had classical training, I sometimes wondered if too much classical training would be difficult to transfer to pop and jazz styles. As it turned out, it was! If you have a Julie Andrews-type voice, as I do, how do you sing pop or jazz? It's a different aspect of your instrument, and the timbre and delivery of singing jazz is completely different." "I don't know what category to put me in," she says of her unique style. "I'm not like the expected jazz singer, who would have a lower timbre and hold everything straight. I don't sound just like anyone." After moving to Boston, Shapiro earned a master's in education at Cambridge College, and received an NEA grant, which she used to research early jazz singers and the Boswell Sisters. She became acting vocal chair at Berklee College of Music in the summer of 1996, and by January 1997 she was appointed head of the department -- the first female chairperson in Berklee's Performance Division. Shapiro served as chair until 2010 and remains a full professor at Berklee, currently teaching a class in vocal history; she also has 25 private students. "As a teacher, my philosophy has been 'not everyone will be a star,'" says Jan, "'but there are practical things you can learn about your instrument.' I want to make sure that singers become empowered by good musicianship as well as excellent vocal craft." On Piano Bar After Hours, Shapiro practices what she preaches through her breathtaking combination of flawless technique and depth of feeling. Web Site: www.janshapiro.com Like:

Region 2 (UK & Europe and those of us with region-free players) The Saint: The Complete Monochrome Series - 33.00 GBP http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000GUK3SS/ref=ox_ya_os_product Without the VAT and including shipping, mine cost $48.43, which is about 40% off what it has been going for for the past eight months.

Of course. I had the first Dreams album in 1971, I think.

At MobileRead.com, the blame is given to Sonny Bono and the Disney Corporation.

Jim, I've never heard of them before, and they sound very appealling. Did Abercrombie join them right after leaving Dreams?

Maverick: The Complete First Season - $15.69 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007AAF3FK/ref=ox_ya_os_product ***** The WHA Chronicles (3 discs) - $17.00 http://www.amazon.com/WHA-Chronicles-n/dp/B00169JF32/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1JBDY13A1PN02

I received a press release today for the new Joe Locke album Lay Down My heart, but the server wouldn't take it, even after I deleted the two jpegs.

I see that Doug Ramsey today discusses this album on his Rifftides blog. http://www.artsjournal.com/rifftides/2013/03/recent-listening-carey-mingus-ellington.html

The league announced yesterday that it is renewing its TV deal with TSN through 2018, reportedly at double the fee. No word on the availability for American fans. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/dowbiggin-cfl-scores-touchdown-with-big-tsn-deal/article10151768/ http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=418717 ***** The Rules Committee has approved video review of missed field goals and converts. I don't recall a Rules Committee recommendation ever being turned down by the Board. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=418837

Here's a fun list of kitchen gadgets which the author thinks are ridiculous, but some of them I think are pretty neat! http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/03/22/15-ridiculous-kitchen-gadgets-that-dont-need/?intcmp=features

The Argos have signed former Ticat free agent Jonathan Hood, a defensive back. Considering how bad the Hamilton defense was last year, I'm not sure what promise he offers. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=418629

Great! The next time I get a press release I'll try to post the whole thing. Thanks Jim!

Happy Birthday RT!

Malachi Throne was a favorite of mine because I loved his voice. You will remember him best as Alexander Mundy's boss Noah on It Takes a thief. I remember in the 70s when he did voice-over work for the TV ads of Kaufman's Department Store in Pittsburgh. I could tell right away that it was him. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-passings-20130317,0,3760897.story

Jim, in 1969 I got Bruno Carr's autograph! Fifteen years ago I visited a store in Atlanta that sold Linn sound systems. Their thousand dollar turntable made late-1950s LPs sound terrific!

Guy, I don't see two images of Ella in that photo. Isn't the person on the right the man she loves?

Happy Birthday 2013 Conrad!

The Stampeders' Marc Calixte has retired. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=417971

I listened to Rabo de Nube yesterday for the first time in a long while, and enjoyed it more than ever.

Wes Welker has left the Patriots, and signed with the Broncos. http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/2013/03/13/wes-welker-leaves-patriots-signs-with-broncos/kW5jYv6kx2iAIhRDIAGciK/story.html?comments=all

I'm opening mine up Easter Sunday as a present from the Easter bunny.

Thanks, Mike!

The Ticats have retained Eric Tillman as a consultant. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=417669 ***** The league has fined the Eskimos for tampering regarding their signing of Odell Willis. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=417530 ***** The Bombers have signed Bob Cameron's son Brett to be a punter. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=417515 ***** For the second time in four years, Vancouver will host the 2014 Grey Cup. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=417601 ***** Here is more on Kevin Eiben's retiring. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=417511