Chalupa

This was posted by the Jazz Bridge Fan Page on Facebook just a little while ago... Got a call...one of the greatest drummers, George "Butch" Ballard... played with Duke Ellington.. Count Basie and other greats... he was in his 90's... passed last night? Info still sketchy... as soon as I know more... will share. He told me once that Duke wrote Caravan just for him. He's with Ms. Jessie and God now! Hope this info is somehow wrong but fear the worst. What a loss. The last musician who could say they played AND recorded with Duke, Pops and Count Basie. Oh and he got his start playing with Fats Waller. He would have turned 93 in December. Thanks for the all of the great music, the awesome stories, and for being a shining light to so many. Much respect to you.

Part 2

Thanks. I didn't see that the first time I read the article. http://www.sociofocus.com/2011/09/23/arthur-blind-blakes-death-certificate-finally-found/

1971 was a good year but IMHO, it doesn't measure up to the greatness they achieved in the two-three years immediately preceding/following it. Agree w/ the rest of your points. My only complaints about Brent are his cheesy songs and his midi explorations the last two or three years in the band. He was a master on the Hammond. It was a real shame that he died just when he finally seemed to be settling into his role in the band. I think the shows from '89-90(and the Hornsby shows from '90-91) were their last gasp before Jerry died. I can't listen to anything they did w/ Vince. Well, very little anyways.

Really like the first three albums they did for IRS and pretty much stopped listening to them after that. I have to thank them for turning me onto Big Star.

Will the Buddy Bolden wax cylinders be next?? http://www.sociofocus.com/2011/09/22/finding-arthur-blind-blakes-grave/

Congrats to the Phillies as they become the first team in the MLB to qualify for the playoffs. Thanks to Roy Halladay who threw a complete game shut out of the Houston Astros.

Michael Chapman - The Resurrection and Revenge of the Clayton Peacock (Ecstatic Peace) Group Ongaku - Music of Group Ongaku (Seer Sound Archive) Mountains - Air Museum (Thrill Jockey) Sunlore - s/t (Tequila Sunrise) tUnE - yArDs - Whokill (4AD) Charlie Nothing - The Psychedelic Saxaphone of... (Nothing records) Pearls and Brass - The Indian Tower (Drag City) VA - Fanafody (Mississippi Records) Serpent Throne - Ride Satan Ride (Modus Operandi) Serpent Throne - The Battle of Old Crow (Modus Operandi) VA - Street Musicians of Yogyakarta (Mississippi Records) Mahmoud Ahmed - Jeguol Naw Betwa (Mississippi Records) Sorry Bamba - Volume One 1970-1979 ((Thrill Jockey)

Whoopdeedoo! Stay classy Mets fan.

The Phillies are now the first team in the majors this season to record 40,50,60,70,80, and now 90 wins.

Amazingly I will defend the normally execrable West. From the MLB.com report: Clearly it was a case of fan interference on a potential home run ball and absolutely falls under the rules as they currently exist. Think about it in an only slightly different situation: Asshat in the Phillies shirt deflects the ball into the stands, and the call is "home run". They shouldn't take a look at that and determine that it was fan interference instead? That was the Jeffrey Maier playoff game, and while it took them ten years, its infamy was a big reason why "fan interference" was written into the rules as something that can be reviewed. Good on you, Country Joe! Yeah I get all that. Ultimately West made the correct call in ruling fan interference - clearly the fan interfered with the catch - but it was the result of West misinterpreting the rules. The Maier case is different b/c in that case the umps ruled that Jeter hit a homer which, in the opinion of many, was aided by fan interference. My problem is that West used instant replay for a non-instant replay situation. Instant replay, as it stands now, can only be used in cases of home run calls. West used the review to see if the fan had interfered, not with a potential homer, but with a catch. This wasn't a question of a fan aiding/denying a home run to Pence a la Jeter. The play in question was ruled a double. Manuel didn't ask for a home run review. McKeon sure as hell didn't ask for a review to see if it was a homer. He protested b/c he thought the fans had interfered with the catch - which the umps can't review. West was ready to resume the game and only when McKeon came out and started bitching that he decided to take a look.

I'm starting to think this is going to be the Rangers year. I don't see anyone in the AL beating them. The Phillies and maybe the Braves might beat them but it will be a 7 game series if they do.

MLB expands use of instant replay a.k.a. Cowboy Joe West strikes again. This afternoon Phillies slugger Hunter Pence hit a fly ball to the right field wall which a fan clearly interfered with. However, it was ruled a double by the umps on the field. Marlins manager Jack McKeon protested that the fan interfered so Cowboy Joe took the umps inside to look at the replay. After review West ruled that the fan had interfered and that Pence was now out. Now Cowboy Joe got that part of the call right - the fan clearly interfered w/ the Marlins player that was attempting to make the catch. However, he misapplied the instant replay rule. It can only be used on home run calls and since the play in question was ruled a double on the field there should have been no review.

With their win tonight over the Marlins the Philadelphia Phillies are now a franchise record 42 games over .500 - that's first time in 118 128 years they have accomplished that feat.

September 1st - time for Magic Numbers... http://www.mlbmagicnumbers.com/ Red Sox - 27 Tigers - 22 Rangers - 23 Phillies - 21 Brewers - 18 Diamondbacks - 20 Wild Card Yankees - 21 Braves - 19

R.I.P. and thanks for the music.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/08/28/2011-08-28_fox_weather_reporter_tucker_barnes_gets_covered_in_sewage_reporting_on_hurricane.html In North Jersey this afternoon.....

Interesting observation. Both of those composer's music were featured in festivals this past April here in Philly.

Serpent Throne - White Summer/Black Winter (Prophase) Pigeons - Si Faustine (Olde English Spelling Bee) The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues (Secretly Canadian) The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian) The War on Drugs - Future Weather (Secretly Canadian) Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts (Matador) Purling Hiss - Lounge Lizards (Mexican Summer) Metal Moutains - Golden Trees (Amish Records) Sun Ra Arkestra - The Soul Vibrations of Man (Saturn,RE 180G) Love Cry Want - S/T (Weird Forrest,RE)

Does your copy have Talkin' John Birch Society Blues??

Oswalt tonight. 8 shut out innings and 9 strike outs. I'll take it.

Shit I just had a nice post about the Nationals go into the either but i wanted to say that If they get Prince Fielder or Pujols this off season they could be a very dangerous team next season. Assuming Harper and Strasburg live up to the hype and Werth bounces back they will have a chance to do some real damage. Zimmerman is a very good hitter and his defense had vastly improved. Rest of the infield is very solid. Don't know much about their bullpen but Clippard is outstanding. Watching the Phillies/Nationals in D.C. is like a home game for the Phillies tonight. Reminds me of when the Mets used to come to town pre-2005. Tonight's crowd in D.C. is the largest in team history and I would say 2/3 of them are Phillies fans.

J.H., I haven't been following the Phillies closely enough--how are Oswalt and Hamels doing, health-wise and otherwise? Any vulnerabilities that concern you as the team heads towards the playoffs? Good question. Oswalt is still getting his strength back after missing almost 2 months. He is the big question mark for the Phils' staff. He will need back surgery after the season. Sadly he's become the forgotten man in the rotation. However, if he can regain his early season form - and it's starting to look like that could happen - look out. I think if the season ended today the Phillies rotation would be Doc, Hamels, Worley, and Cliff. Hamels has been the #2 pitcher on the staff this season but strained his shoulder sometime in his past two starts. He had an MRI on Monday - no structural damage but some inflammation - and he's skipping his next start as a precaution. I think he'll be fine. Hitting wise, the main vulnerability for the Phillies is that they have a lefty heavy line up that does very poorly vs. left handed pitching. Overall they don't hit off speed pitchers(whether lefty or right) very well. Then there are some major concerns w/ Planco. He's battling a sports hernia and said he will have surgery after the season. The Phils truly miss his bat. For the season he's batting about 40 points lower then his usual average. Ibanez is another question mark. He's very streaky. John Mayberry's bat might force Cholly to platoon the both of them in LF. Lastly, the bench is bit thin. They could really use another lefty bat off the bench. Ross Gload was filling this role admirably before he got injured. He really should be on the DL right now. There has been some talk of picking up Thome in a waiver trade. I'd liked to see them get Matsui. Otherwise, they look pretty good. Utley is healthy and playing great. Pence has been as good to better than advertised. Victorino is having another great season. Rollins and Howard are starting to heat up. The starting pitching has the lowest era in the majors. The bullpen has been a big surprise. The two biggest surprises have been two rookies named Michael Stutes and Antonio Bastardo. Stutes has been very good and Bastardo has been lights out. Look for him to take over the closer's role from Ryan Madson when he signs elsewhere after this season. Despite last night's blemish Madson has been great. Only two blown saves this year. After missing the first 2.5 months of the season Bradley Thomas Lidge has been unexpectedly great. Oh shit forgot to mention Vance "The Vanimal" Worley. The rookie took over for the injured Joe Blanton and has been outstanding as the 5th starter going 8-1 w/ a 2.76 ERA. Cholly is another question mark. From all accounts he's real player's manager. Brain McCann and Thome love him because of his loyalty to his players. But sometimes his loyalty gets in the way. He should have benched Ibanez earlier this season but he stuck with him even as his avg. dipped below .160 at one point in June. He's also been accused of over using his starters too. Doc, Lee, and Hamels are, depending what day it is, 1,2,3 in innings pitched this season. Earlier this week Cholly left Doc in to start the 9th when he was @ 105 pitches. He hadn't used his bullpen in 3 days and Bastardo was ready to come in but he stayed w/ Doc. That decision came back to bite him in the ass. Last night he brought Madson in for the 3rd night in a row(when he had other options) and he got pounded. Some people say that it was no coincidence that Jimy Williams was the bench manager in 2008 when the won the whole thing. So if they can stay healthy and catch a break or two I like their chances. But as we've said many times before in this folder - October is a crap shoot. Winning a 100+ games is great and all but it don't mean a thing if you ain't got no ring.

Jesus H. Christ. Madson just surrendered a walk off grand slam. That is what happens when you use your closer 3 days in a row. 38 pitches tonight alone.

Does anyone want to win the NL West?