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Robert J

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  2. Maynard Ferguson has passed

    in Artists

    Posted

    Here is the statement released by Maynard's management.

    LEGENDARY MUSICIAN MAYNARD FERGUSON DIES

    Grammy Nominated Trumpeter Known for "Gonna Fly Now"

    Theme To Movie "ROCKY" was 78

    Ojai, CA (August 24, 2006) - Walter "Maynard" Ferguson, one of the most influential musicians and band leaders in the history of Jazz, passed away August 23rd at 9:00 pm Pacific Time at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California. He was 78 years old. His death was the result of kidney and liver failure brought on by an abdominal infection. Mr. Ferguson's four daughters, Kim, Lisa, Corby, and Wilder were at his side when he passed away after this brief illness. He spoke by phone with his friend and manager Steve Schankman from St. Louis, longtime tour manager Ed Sargent, and friend, and fellow trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.

    Mr. Ferguson had recently returned home to California from New York after several sold out performances in July at the famed Blue Note Club plus. During this time, Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau band also recorded a new album at Bennett Studios in Englewood, New Jersey.

    Maynard Ferguson, born May 4th 1928 in Montreal, started his career at the age of 13 when he performed as a featured soloist with the Canadian Broadcasting Company Orchestra. He played with some of the great Big Band Leaders of the 1940's including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Barnett, Jimmy Dorsey and Stan Kenton. In 1945, at age 17, Ferguson became the leader of his own Big Band. The 78-year old musical phenomenon went on to record more than 60 albums, receiving numerous honors and awards including the GRAMMY® nomination for "Gonna Fly Now." In 2005, Ferguson was awarded Canada's highest civilian honor, the "Order of Canada" from the Right Honorable Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. In addition to those accolades, Ferguson has been the recipient of DownBeat Magazine's prestigious "DownBeat" Award.

    "The Boss," as Ferguson is known, has been performing for packed houses for decades. His recent DVD release, "Live at The Top," captures one of his most memorable performances, a concert held at the Plaza Hotel in Rochester New York in 1975, with Ferguson performing alongside fellow music pioneers Stan Mark, Ernie Garside and Bruce Johnston. Most recently, Ferguson and Big Bop Nouveau Band had been touring the United States. He was preparing for a Fall Tour beginning mid-September in Tokyo, Japan. He had also been invited to play for the King of Thailand's 80th birthday in January.

    Mr. Ferguson's body will be cremated in his hometown of Ojai, California. Memorial contributions can be made to the Maynard Ferguson Music Scholarship Fund at University of Missouri - St. Louis, which was established by Steve Schankman at Maynard's 75th birthday celebration. Mr. Schankman and the Ferguson family are planning a memorial concert to take place in St. Louis which will feature many of the band's alumni as and friends who Mr. Ferguson performed with during his more than 60-year musical career.

    Mr. Ferguson's latest, and last, recording will be released later this year as a legacy to the life of Maynard Ferguson.

  6. Yngwie Malmsteen guitar videos...

    in Musician's Forum

    Posted

    I'm sorry, but do I really have to watch this? :lol: I mean, I still have some sort of standards. Running out of the room...

    I thought they were very funny...did you actually watch them?

    Sorry, I didn't realise this was going to be a spoof. Great stuff indeed!

    Yeah, I think I could have lost some folks there...try this too: there's a whole series of them. John Petrucci Psycho Exercises 2

    I also avoided it yesterday - thanks for the clarification! :rofl:

  9. Youtube.com

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted · Edited by Robert J

    Whoa - the uploader for the 2 above has a crop more. I've seen him play in Toronto - horn player Bob Erwig with the Climax Jazz Band. He's just posted these in the past few days - virtually no views yet.

    Blue Monk

    Kansas City Blues - Jimmy Rushing, Count Basie

    Check out Webster and Hawkins!

    Ain't Misbehavin' - Dick Wellstood

    Louis Bellson drums, Ray Brown bass, Herb Ellis guitar, Oscar Peterson piano with Zoot Sims and Eddy Lockjaw Davis saxes and Clark Terry and Roy Eldridge on trumpet. Man this is rare - live in Toronto !

    Blues in Bb

  14. Microphones for podcasts

    in Audio Talk

    Posted

    I am in e-marketing for a large corp, and my small team just recorded our first podcast. It is basically a q&a for corporate listeners, no music.

    However, we had to work with some of the IT people on this, and though we used a good AV person in the firm, our first recording was not the best. It was partly the room ambient noise (and a couple of passing fire trucks), but also the miking.

    I wasn't present, so I am told these things. They used some tabletop mike (I'll find out which one), so there was some volume issues for the interviewer and the interviewee. Also the vibration from the table they set it on. This can be corrected too.

    They are considering lapel mikes for the next go, but I'd like to do it right. I know that Blue has that USB Snowball, which is supposed to be good for podcasting, but their own forum shows that the users feel otherwise. We do have a budget for $300 - $500 that I could use to buy one or 2 mikes. We also will re-record the questions after the initial recording, so it is not esentially that the interviewer sounds good on the first take - just the subject.

    Any suggestions are appreciated.

  16. How's the weather?

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    only $250 to get my AC unit fixxed.....

    :tdown

    Phew!

    MG

    You're lucky. Mine broke down during last week's heat wave. It was 28C in the friggin house! My family and I slept in the basement for 3 days until a repair man could come. Turns out it wasn't the AC, but the blower fan in the furnace. Parts + Labour = $650! :angry: (not to mention the extra beer money to cool down)

  17. Tony Monaco - organist

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted

    He's playing at a jazz fest in my small town, for free.

    I've not attended the Oakville Jazz fest in a few years, as it seems to have lost its direction and programming punch. I think Ted O'Reilley who posts here, and saxophonist Jim Galloway had something to do with it before. In the late 90s I saw for free: Joe Lovano, Jimmy Smith, Monty Alexander and Ramsey Lewis.

    Anyhow, I'll check out Tony on Saturday for sure.

    http://www.oakvillejazz.com/2006-schedule.htm

  19. Sonic Youth tour

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted

    I bet you drove in slowly-expanding circles.

    "Why should I pay, when if I apply myself, maybe I could get it for free"

    ("The Parking Space")

    My philosophy as well! As for last night, the venue is near some dance clubs by the lake. Parking was $20. A nice 5 minute walk back from Small Street underneath an overpass, netted me some exercise and peace of mind. Even the scalper commended my thriftyness.

  23. Sonic Youth tour

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted

    A friend said they hardly played any "old" tunes at their gig here.

    Other than the one's I mentioned, that would be correct. No Dirty! Though they started to do "Nic Fit" at the encore, but shelved it. There was also "Schizophrenia" from Sister. I stopped buying CDs after the "Experimental Jet-set..." disc.

    I was suprised there was many people in their 20s there. I mean, there's no airplay in Toronto for Rather Ripped, so maybe the legend?

  24. Sonic Youth tour

    in Live Shows & Festivals

    Posted · Edited by Robert J

    Nice evening. It was in a venue they've performed at before in Toronto, probably 1000 -1200 people. It was not sold out. The Go Team! was the opener, but I missed them somewhat intentionally in my never-ending quest for free parking in downtown Toronto. (Which of course I did find, 6 streets away.)

    They opened with Teen Age Riot from Daydream Nation - a good move, as well as Eric's Trip a few later. The new stuff is not bad, and they played the whole album. I heard only samples of the Rather Ripped on the net, so I don't know all of the titles yet. Of course, I wanted selections from Dirty, but I can't pretend that 14 years have not passed. I think the new pop stuff isn't bad, just the lyrics have no urgency. During one of the lamer ones I felt I was listening to a bar band because Kim didn't really seem connected to the lyrics. However most of those tunes were saved by great instrumentals halfway through.

    They also had an extra bass player - former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold. This allowed more singing from Kim, in addition to her penchant for being a whirling Dervish. Also, she can be a sloppy bass player, so this guy helped the bottom end immensely. Still, Kim Gordon is a goddess at 53, and she can still delivers a potent sound from her voice.

    There was also some classic feedback noodling too. Each tune would bring out a different guitar from the techies (for both Lee and Thurston) because they have their special tunings. Of course, very loud, and of course, I had earplugs (just as in 92 when I saw them last - I am slightly deaf in my right ear due to a My Bloody Valentine concert and one of Steve Albini's bands in the late 80s/early 90s :crazy: ). Those with bleeding ears and no earplugs started exiting the floor leaving me room to get more of a "safe" auditory assault about 6 people in.

    I always love when Lee Renaldo sings, plus his tunes are always perfect. I also realized that seeing him and Thurston on their guitars, they really don't do alot of "soloing". What I mean is, the leads are really them doing their chord patterns with their tuned guitars, in unison through feedback, so what sounds like solos are really well crafted and timed chord clusters. I also now know how Thurston gets the sound on Eric's Trip (drum stick is the left fretted hand).

    I even got back home to Oakville - 45 kms away - by midnight!

    Sonic Youth is one of the few (non-jazz) bands I enjoy seeing live, along with Mike Watt, the Pixies, Bob Mould and Fugazi.

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