GA Russell

The league's Scouting Bureau has released its final rankings of the top 15 prospects for this year's draft. Number one is OL Scott Mitchell from Rice. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/feature/?id=35048 http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=360920

I think the OP is a legitimate question. Nowadays, not only are the majors not recording jazz, but there aren't that many minor jazz labels either. It seems like a lot of musicians are issuing their own records. I would rephrase the question, "What can those of us who play improvisational music do to make it more popular?" I would first ask myself, Who are the potential audience that matters? 1) Well, I think improvisational music is sophisticated, so I would go after sophisticated people. When I say sophisticated, I don't mean stuffy. I mean folks who take quality seriously. 2) Are we talking about getting paid for the gig? If so, what are people willing to pay for? I would say that most people pay for a good time. So I would ask myself, Is my music anybody's idea of a good time? I suggested earlier that jazz needs more songs with good melodies. I think that most people like good melodies. In fact, I would be surprised if I played music without good melodies and many people liked it anyway. Many people also like to dance. This suggests to me that songs with good rhythms will sell tickets. As Count Basie said, pat your foot music. Swing. People enjoy performers who are apparently enjoying themselves. This suggests to me that the musicians should show a little personality, and show the audience that they are glad to be there, and that they are damn glad that the audience paid money for tickets to come watch and listen. 3) If you want to be liked by the audience, you have to like them first. Speak to them. Be likeable. That's Wynton's biggest asset. 4) Finally, to return to the point about having a good time, if you want the paying audience to be happy, play some happy music every once in a while! Herbie Mann and Roland Kirk were great at that.

Happy Birthday 2011 Allen!

Moose, I used to be active with a cigar smokers club, and I suspect that these were people from that club. But I have no way of knowing without asking each one. So I've de-friended the people I'm not sure of, and kept everyone whom I knew. This way I'll be more comfortable about who gets a message about what I post.

Thanks Jeff! I'll give it a try.

When I first signed up with Facebook last year, a number of people asked to be my friend and I clicked on Yes. Unfortunately I don't know who these people are, and now I would be more comfortable if they were taken off my list. Can I de-friend someone without his knowing it? In any case, how do I do it?

Edmonton has signed Jamie Boreham. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=360824

Remember when David Letterman was on NBC he had a deal called "Brush with Greatness", when members of the audience would tell how they met somebody famous once? Well now another classmate of mine has made the Associated Press! (Sue Richard) And this link too is about the NFL lockout. http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/04/04/judge-combines-requests-halt-nfl-lockout/

Happy Birthday 2011 jazzkrow!

The Nightfly is my second favorite rock album. No guilty pleasure about it!

I think I noticed just the other day that the price had risen to $24.99, but today I see that a market seller has it for $18.41.

Thanks Mike! Great idea!

Happy Birthday 2011 Claude!

Well, very little of the new jazz I've heard for the past ten years has had much melody. There's been a lot of sound colors, but not much Jon Hendricks could write lyrics for. It has occurred to me that this new jazz, while not free, is different from that of previous eras, and should have its own name. I think of it as "post-mainstream", and I'm sure that people close to the scene could come up with a better name than that. We have had eras of dixieland, swing, bop, cool, mainstream and free, and now we are in a different era that needs its own name. But in answer to your question, I would say simply "more melody".

Earlier this week the Riders released Marcus Adams. http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfl/news/news.aspx?id=4392606

The Riders have signed Dario Romero. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=360382

At that time (1969), a local (DC) record store filed its jazz music by label rather than by artist. In those days when I thought of Vortex I thought of Steve Marcus first, but anyway I was there to buy Joan's Bones. So I say to the manager, "Can you show me where the Vortex records are?", and he responds, "Tones for Joan's Bones!"

Andre Talbot has retired. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=360279

Happy Birthday 2011 Kyo!

My first thought was Typee by Herman Melville.

My understanding is that the sales pitch is the same as lala's - you can listen to your music from whatever computer or smartphone you have handy.

Sam Rivers - Sizzle I am not aware of it having been issued on CD. Amazon has a used LP available for $89.99.

Chuck, I have no problem with The Wall St. Journal requiring that its readers pay, and erecting an effective firewall to ensure that they do. But in the case of the Times, their "firewall" is not a serious attempt. No one has a duty to enable java on his computer, and the Times' "firewall" only works if you have your java enabled. It appears to me that the Times wants to have it both ways - They want to be widely read on the internet, and they also want to make money from subscriptions. The WSJ has chosen to collect subscription money rather than be widely read. It seems to me that the Times needs to decide which it wants, and I think it's silly for Sulzberger to suggest that anyone without java enabled is like a guy who grabs a copy of the paper and runs without paying for it.

Yeah, it was Punch Sulzberger who said that. But there's a big difference, I think. With the paper, you are stealing what you did not have possession of. But with the internet, the NYT is sending to your computer the complete article, and in addition a cover that you did not want. By disabling your own java on your own computer, you are reading what the NYT voluntarily sent you.

The Bombers have traded Stephen Jyles to the Argos for their first pick (fourth overall). Considering how injury-prone Buck Pierce is, I don't understand why they would trade Jyles. http://www.tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=360142