GA Russell

Thriller: The Complete Series - $52.49 http://www.amazon.com/Thriller-Complete-Boris-Karloff/dp/B003NOGNQU/ref=xs_gb_A1U8VYGUVCNA3E?pf_rd_p=441937901&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=20&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0DR4W1JVGSNXV416X9N9

Obby Kahn announced his retirement today. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=394191 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/winnipegs-obby-kahn-calls-it-quits/article2413611/

Jason Clermont announced his retirement today. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/roughriders-jason-clermont-retires/article2413185/ http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=394132

Here's an article listing the Canadians who could get picked in the NFL draft. As mentioned in the post #1106 link, this greatly alters the CFL draft, because the guy will be lost to the CFL for three years while he kicks around the NFL trying to land a job. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/canadians-could-make-mark-in-nfl-draft/article2413173/

The Bombers announced today that they will return to their helmet logo look they used from the 60s through 1994. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=394094 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/football/blue-bombers-unveil-new-logo/article2412433/

Chris Ethridge of The Flying Burrito Brothers has died of pancreatic cancer. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/04/chris-ethridge-founding-member-of-flying-burrito-brothers-dies-at-65.html

This one is head and shoulders above most of the promo CDs I receive. I'm enjoying it. Saxophone Virtuoso Hailey Niswanger Releases Much-Anticipated 2nd CD, "The Keeper," On Her Calmit Productions Label April 24 Powerhouse Follow-Up to 2009's "Confeddie" Features 8 Vibrant Originals & 3 Jazz Classics With Her First-Rate Quartet Plus Guest Trumpeter Darren Barrett April 9, 2012 Hailey Niswanger created an indelible impression in the jazz world with the release of her 2009 debut, Confeddie. Then 19, the saxophonist was even the subject of an enthusiastic Wall Street Journal profile by veteran jazz critic Nat Hentoff. The headline read: "This Teenager Has Got It." Now 22, freshly graduated from the Berklee College of Music and newly residing in New York City, the alto and soprano saxophone dynamo is preparing to release her second CD, The Keeper (Calmit Productions), on April 24. Unlike many of her jazz musician contemporaries, Niswanger (pronounced "NICE-wonger") unabashedly embraces the deep traditions of jazz. "Today you see a lot of artists mixing and mashing genres, but I want to stay true to jazz, I want to honor it," says Niswanger, a native of Houston who was raised in Portland, Oregon. "While I listen to all kinds of music -- classical, jazz, R&B, hip-hop -- I want to be known primarily as a jazz artist." The Keeper certainly backs up that aim. The CD includes eight engaging Niswanger compositions, reflecting a wealth of modern and contemporary jazz moods, as well as classics by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Cole Porter. Her colleagues on the session are pianist Takeshi Ohbayashi, bassist Max Moran, and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr., plus, on three selections, guest trumpeter Darren Barrett. These inventive musicians are all associates from her days at Berklee, where she completed her B.Mus. in Jazz Performance late last year. The time-shifting title track (and the album itself) is dedicated to Jeff Cumpston, her high school band director who died in a traffic accident in Zimbabwe, where he taught elementary school. The percolating "Straight Up," which reveals, as elsewhere, what an amazingly mature player Niswanger is on both alto and soprano, was written for onetime Eddie Harris trumpeter Thara Memory, an afterschool arts program instructor during her high school days. "He changed my life, speaking exactly what he felt about my playing, my behavior, everything," says the composer. The sweetly-swinging "Norman," which showcases Niswanger's rich alto sound, is for 94-year-old Portland resident Norman Leyden, who has been an influence since the saxophonist was 10; "'B' Happy," a potent blues written for two beloved childhood toys, spotlights the crisp work of drummer Whitfield -- to whom the buoyant waltz, "Balance," is dedicated. Speaking of pianist Ohbayashi, she could be describing the contributions of all her bandmates: "No matter what direction I decide to go in, I know he's going to pull through brilliantly." He does, and they do. Hailey Niswanger began her musical life with piano at age 5, then took up clarinet at age 8 and saxophone at age 10. She also played accordion for several years. "I was playing all the time," she says. After graduating from Portland's West Linn High School in 2008, she entered Berklee. There she was named a member of the inaugural class (as were her bandmates Ohbayashi and Whitfield) of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, under the artistic direction of Danilo Perez. In 2009, Niswanger became the alto saxophonist in Boston's eclectic Either/Orchestra, a position previously held by Miguel Zenon and Jaleel Shaw. The first female member of the band in its 25-year history, Hailey remained with E/O until early 2012, when she moved to Brooklyn to focus on recording and developing the next phase of what is sure to be a brilliant career. Hailey Niswanger will be performing with Esperanza Spalding's band (subbing for Tia Fuller) on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Thurs. 4/12. Hailey and her band will be opening for the Bad Plus at the Blue Note, NYC, on Wed. 4/25 (6:30 pm). She's also looking forward to an appearance at the Saratoga (NY) Jazz Festival, Sat. 6/30 (12:15 pm), with other dates to be announced very soon. Photography by Kaitlin Dale . www.haileyniswanger.com Follow: YouTube: Hailey performs "Straight Up" at the Kauai Red Clay Jazz Festival

"All Our Reasons", due for release March 16, along with an Anders Jormin title. There'll be a giveaway for All Our Reasons at AAJ later this month or early next month. Billy Hart's All Our Reasons surprises me. I thought that it would be fairly mainstream, or as mainstream as ECM gets. But instead it is quite ECM-ish. I'll need to listen to it more to decide how much I like it.

The XM channels are/have been free on Sirius this week, and last night I was listening to the end of the Florida-New Jersey game. New Jersey had an empty net. Florida got a breakaway, and the guy was hooked from behind. Florida was awarded the goal. I was unaware of that rule, and had never seen/heard that play before. I thought that Florida would be given a penalty shot.

RIP. My first jazz concert was Mongo's band with Hubert Laws in 1967. Maybe Rodgers Grant was on piano.

Is the one on the left a woman?

Happy Birthday 2012 Mark!

It now looks like the Bombers' new stadium won't be ready until Sept. 9. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=393772

Is Record Store Day only about vinyl? Here's an article about it from tomorrow's Globe & Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/remember-vinyl-lps-record-store-day-may-help/article2408378/

That's great, Pete. I'll remember that Handy for the next time.

sonnymax, you're the man! I just wanted to make sure that this didn't go unnoticed.

Pete, that's what it was, Crowd Scene. I've already downloaded it without shopping around!

This is from mobileread.com: Open any Amazon MP3 page Click the link under the buy button that says "Redeem a gift card or promotion code & view balance" Enter Code: MOMROCKS Click Apply Expires at 11:59 p.m PST on April 22, 2012. I'm going to get that Mal Waldron that somebody (Shawn?) got last time. Good luck!

Now here's something you don't see every day, Chauncey. http://www.news.com.au/business/worker-injured-during-sex-gets-compo/story-e6frfm1i-1226333292525

The Riders have signed a 32 year old quarterback I've never heard of before named JT O'Sullivan. He spent nine years in the NFL, and was the 49ers starting QB in 2008. http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=393638

Happy Birthday 2012 Ag!

sonnymax, if we ignored you, we wouldn't see our free Amazon mp3 credits!

Well, I don't like the looks of it. But if EMI is wasting away and cannot continue on its own, it would seem like only Sony/BMG, WEA and Universal would be big enough to take EMI in. And if Sony and Universal split the company, isn't that better than the whole thing going to one firm?

Happy Birthday Flurin!

Thanks, Quincy! But even those expensive things in a house shouldn't cost $2 million. Those $2 million homes cost that much because of the location - the land, right? I guess the dealer jacks up the price when he's told that price is no object.