Tom Storer

Love that butterfly chair! We had a couple just like that when I was a little kid in the 60's. I wonder if you can still get them.

I've used up my monthly total, so I have to wait a couple of weeks. It wouldn't make any sense at all for this to be a North America-only deal, but I've had it happen often enough that something I want is not available for European subscribers that I'm biting my nails.

The bassist for a popular New Orleans/Chicago style "trad" band used to post over at that other message board. Can't think of the names right now. Anyway, this was a knowledgeable guy whose point of view as I understood it was that (with exceptions, clearly) bebop marked the end of lyricism in jazz. He felt that the harmonic complexity of bop led to widespread "running of the changes" that was (is) less creative and interesting, while simultaneously longer-winded, than shorter, simpler solos built on melodies and personal sound. He was a big Charlie Parker fan, too, so he wasn't just being a moldy fig, but he felt that for every great bop player there were a thousand dull copycats. I think he has a point, although greatly exaggerated. There are times when bop doesn't do it for me and I want something quirkier, whether pre-bop or post-bop. EDIT: what the hell? I'm being stalked!

Mmm. Freddie Mercury before Van Morrison? Robert Plant before Johnny Cash? Bono before Joni Mitchell? Bono before anybody? Kurt Cobain before Toots Hibbert? Rod Stewart at all? Hard to take seriously.

Ouch.

I saw Garrett maybe ten years ago or more, with Reginald Veal and Tain Watts, and it was like Jim described, "people/groove music and deeply intense saxophone." They were grooving very hard and there was no faking (not that I could tell, anyway). Loved it. This would have been pre-"Happy People," I think. Subsequent records have not lived up to that night.

I just saw it and enjoyed it as I do most Bond films, as light entertainment. Sometimes I see 'em, sometimes I don't. All the car chase, boat chase, and, this time, plane chase sequences benefit from improved technology. I confess I was slightly disappointed by the outrunning-the-ball-of-flame scene: in every Bond film I can remember there's a scene in which there's a huge explosion, and Bond literally outruns the expanding ball of flame from the explosion--racing flatfooted down a corridor or passway, looking over his shoulder repeatedly as it gains on him slightly, and then leaping into a car or boat and gunning off in the nick of time as the building finally explodes for good. This time we saw what's-his-name, the bad guy, partially outrunning a ball of flame as the hotel in the desert obligingly explodes section by section at the end, but not for long. I hate the idea that balls of flame might lose their magical slowness in Bond films.

They made Togo into an island?? Must have been quite a feat of engineering.

Thanks for your review, Alexander. I have little knowledge of the comic book universe and have not heard the term "reboot" applied to them but I can guess what it means: basically starting over with different premises, rendering the history of a continuing character/story irrelevant to the new version (but retaining enough for it to be recognizable). Is that right? I think the reason for "rebooting" is to be able to get out of situations that have been done to death for years and years and open up new possibilities for character and story development. It's a commercial necessity. The reason it can work is that older fans drop off anyway and newer fans aren't as committed to the older version.

There's a guy over on that other message board who is a pro square dance caller in... California, I think. SquaredancecallingSteve, he calls himself. He puts together dances using a wide variety of music, from jazz to hiphop to blues to whatever else he can find. It sounds fascinating.

Commemorative coins are not something that have any interest for me. But if you're upset because some dodo might think they'll make a mint by buying hundreds and selling them later because they're "collectable," well, hell... are you suggesting giving a sucker an even break?

Damn right I do! What's even better is that it was my idea. I knew she would love it. It was a birthday present. Two years of Thursday night sessions of "le rock" etc. etc. in a drafty gymnasium full of people of widely varying age and agility. (There was one old man, very elegantly dressed, who was a superb tango dancer. He came to the classes for company and would thrill all the women by expertly tangoing them around the room.) We're thinking we'll take it up again next year sometime. It's great exercise!

Fart jokes! Nothing like 'em!

I can't say I danced the Madison with true conviction. No Olympus for me.

It doesn't get anywhere near as cold in Paris in January as it does in Manhattan (at least not usually--all it takes is to make a declaration like that for there to be a record-breaking cold spell). It can be pretty gray and dreary, though--maybe not great for picture-taking unless you like moody gray cityscapes (but then it can be sunny too, and nowhere is prettier than Paris in the sun). Museums are open; streets are not unwalkable in winter; and awesome food is available throughout the year. The only reason to wait for April would be warmer weather, leaves on trees, and more tourists.

That's the band I saw in Paris. Henderson introduced himself as Stan Getz but I don't think anyone was fooled.

I never really warmed up to Renee Rosnes' music, not sure why. But Peter Washington and Lewis Nash are tops at what they do, and I did see Rosnes when she was in Henderson's "all-girl" rhythm section, so I'll look for this. Thanks for the tip, Jim.

My wife and I used to take ballroom dancing classes here in France. The Madison is one of the stock dances they teach. I think every teacher uses a slightly different version of the steps, but it's all the same idea. People in a line kick, hop, step, swing their arms, whatever, then turn 90° and repeat with variations. It goes on until you get sick of it, which is pretty quickly in my experience.

Ouch, ouch, ouch. Hoping for the best possible recovery.

I'm told that as recently as June he appeared in good health and gave no indication that he was ill.

"That's not the change we need!"

I remember that thread, where you and Jim heatedly disputed Max Roach and Tony Williams' later work. I remember being confused at the time by your quite personal definition of horizontality vs. verticality. If this quote from that thread is anything to go by: --then it's mostly a description of rhythmic phrasing, no? Which is what confuses, since "vertical" is often used to refer to harmony, versus "horizontal" to refer to line and melody. With regard to the blues, you said that you think jazz players play horizontally whereas the blues is vertical, which, going by your definition above, would mean jazz players are more metronomic. Are you thinking of jazz players stringing together long lines of eighth-notes, whereas blues players have more idiosyncratic phrasing?

They have a beautiful duo record by Bill Charlap and Warren Vaché called "2gether".

2 out of 12. I should move out of the cloisters.

I was once at a concert by the Mingus Big Band and a fellow who came to buy a ticket was bewildered to learn that Mingus was not in the band because he was dead. I don't count incorrect pronunciation as ignorance, especially abroad, but the French have a charming habit of pronouncing Dizzy Gillespie's name "Deedzy Jeelepsie." They also pronounce Bechet "Bay-shett" because they assume the last syllable should be pronounced English-style.