GA Russell

I wouldn't want to be married to Edie either.

In regard to "adult music", Sue Raney recorded some albums now owned by EMI (some released on CD in England) that I would like to hear.

Schottenheimer fired by Chargers president Associated Press SAN DIEGO — Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer was fired Monday night in a shocking move by team president Dean Spanos, who cited a "dysfunctional situation" between the coach and general manager A.J. Smith. Less than a month after San Diego's NFL-best 14-2 season was wrecked in a playoff loss to New England, Spanos cited the exodus of both coordinators and other assistants in firing Schottenheimer, who had a year left on his contact. "The process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager," Spanos said in a statement. "In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation." The firing was first reported by ESPN. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, following offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and two other assistants out of town for better jobs. Although Schottenheimer said last week that change was inevitable, Smith sounded concerned, saying, "Both in the same year — Wow." Tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski became Cleveland's offensive coordinator, and linebackers coach Greg Manusky was hired as San Francisco's defensive coordinator. Running backs coach Clarence Shelmon, who's never been a coordinator, was promoted to replace Cameron. Shelmon accepted only a one-year contract due to Schottenheimer's lame-duck status. Schottenheimer declined the team's offer of a $4.5 million, one-year extension through 2008, which came with a club-option $1 million buyout. Schottenheimer has been at odds with Smith since the 2005 season, apparently over personnel decisions by the GM.

Three years ago I reviewed for AAJ an album by Tim Collins, a vibist who was a recent graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. The album was a tape of his senior recital. Great stuff! (Available at CDBaby.) Last May Collins recorded an album with a 28 year old keyboard player named Matthias Bublath. Bublath received his Bachelor's from Berklee and his Master's from Manhattan. He has studied with Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen and Dave Liebman among others. In 1999 he gave a solo recital at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2002 he received the Charles Mingus Award for composition. Late last year I received an email from Bublath saying that Collins had recommended that he contact me to offer a copy of his new CD for review. I'm always happy to hear what the young cats based in New York City are doing, so I agreed. The album is just called Matthias Bublath Band. There are ten tracks, totalling 56 minutes. Nine of the ten songs are originals. The tenth is The Girl From Ipanema. None of the songs sound like each other. Bublath shows imagination in his composing. The first five are by what is called the "Piano Trio" (with bass and drums). One is with an electric piano, and has a good Les McCann circa 1970 feeling. Ipanema is played without bounce, and with different chords from what Jobim wrote (which makes it interesting), but the melody is played straight. Bublath is not particularly light fingered, and reminds me a little of Taylor Eigsti. I find with the Piano Trio that his compositions are more appealling than his playing. The second five are by the "Hammond B3 Band" (with trumpet, vibes and drums). These are a cut above the first five. Bublath is an excellent organist. None of the five cuts are greasy; this is mainstream 21st century jazz. Trumpeter Takuya Kuroda stands out here. I feel that vibist Tim Collins is underutilized on four of the tracks, but on the best track of the CD he is allowed to stretch out. The five organ tracks make the album worth hearing. The CD is available from CDBaby and Bublath's website http://www.matthiasbublath.com The website also has clips to listen to. If you are interested in young players who sell their ware at CDBaby (And if you're not, what are you doing at the Organissimo website?), I can recommend this!

I use a folding chair at my computer. I spend more time in my La-Z-Boy recliner, listening to music, reading and smoking cigars!

This won two Grammy's tonight: for Instrumental Arrangement and Jazz Instrumental Album. As I said above, this isn't a bad album, but I wouldn't have given it any awards either.

Coffee is my favorite flavor, and my favorite (not too weak like most of them, but not too strong either) is the house brand put out by Publix, a supermarket chain based in Florida that has expanded into Georgia and I believe other Southern states.

The Roughriders cut Kerry Joseph's salary from $350,000. to $225,000. today. They had inherited his contract from the Ottawa Renegades. I don't dislike the guy, but I think that he is the most overrated player in the league. He always throws the ball into the ground. He is a halfback who can throw, not a quarterback who can run. Last year the Riders' payroll was $4.7 million, and this year the salary cap is $4.05 million; so a change had to be made. The salary cap only covers the players, and does not include the coaches. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home ***** Ticats QB Jason Maas has had surgery on his throwing shoulder. I guess that confirms that he was injured all year. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/200...578607-sun.html

Happy Birthday!

Amen! Once upon a time this may have been reasonable. But now with coaches making millions of dollars I think it is unconscionable.

I'm not very excited about anything in my queue this month. That's why I invited the group to choose my next selection in the Horace Silver thread. In fact, I'm more excited about the seven I ordered from the Jazz Heritage Society (see that thread) than anything in my queue. I have decided to bump to the top Donald Fagen - The Nightfly. I got the LP of this over twenty years ago. It's been packed away for a long time. I made a cassette copy to listen to in the car, but I have had a CD player in the car for the past two years. This is one of the few rock albums I've liked since I was in school, if you can call it rock. I'll look forward to playing the CD.

I've been waiting for an Ahmad Jamal box ever since the first deal with Universal. I hope it won't be too big.

Thanks for posting that mjzee! What is the news organization that was taken from?

Thanks for posting those, alocis!

The Trevis Smith case made the top of the Drudge Report today. He was found guilty, and faces a lifetime in jail. http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/02/08/0...2.a0ag0uh1.html

Remember Turner Gill with Montreal? He's now the head coach at the University of Buffalo. Today he hired Danny Barrett as his quarterbacks coach. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

Dare I suggest jazz for the Super Bowl?

The Eskimos signed Kamau Peterson today. I've never liked him. He drops the ball too much, no matter how many TDs he scores. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home ***** Ron Lancaster has accepted the community relations position offered to him by the Ticats. It looks like he may be the color commentator on the radio broadcasts. http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsFootball/home

The Four Freshmen and Five Guitars (Pausa) Walter Bishop, Jr. - Soul Village (Muse, with liner notes by Bret Primack!)

I had the pleasure of reviewing this for AAJ in October of 2003. I like it a lot, and still play it every few months. In preparation for the review, I spoke with him by phone when he was at a gig between sets, and we discussed the songs. He had just graduated from college, and this is a tape of his senior recital. I was sent a promo of his latest recording which I have been meaning to get to. This will motivate me to listen to it in the next couple of weeks.

By the way, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joe about 1969 for my college radio station, when he was still with Cannonball's band. He was very nice, and not at all egotistical.

I remember a quote from Orrin Keepnews: Joe Zawinul is the best motherfucking pianist in the world. If you don't believe me, just ask him.

I have the 32Jazz issue of this. I found it in a bin at Borders for I think four bucks. Didn't open it up till May of '05. I got it because I like the playing of that era of Chick Corea and Walter Booker. I don't find Chick's playing very interesting here, compared to what he was doing elsewhere. Nothing wrong with it, but not up to his standards IMO. I think the star of the show is John Gilmore. It really makes clear his influence on Coltrane. I'd like to hear more Gilmore outside of the Arkestra.

I've never seen "get unlimited $0.99" before.

I wonder what's going on at CD Universe. First they offer this with a measley 25 cent pre-order discount. Today I see that they are offering the new Brad Shepik at no pre-order discount. Why do you think that is?