Lazaro Vega

That Dizzy Gillespie like suite starting with Things To Come was impressive, though the parts were different than Diz's - the rhythms played in the trumpet unisons were sped up, the line slicked up some, but, man, they played well together. So that was Irby on alto in the Johnny Hodges-like role?

Scrolling, using scrolls to read, went out with moveable type. Thanks to the internet for bringing it back. The journalistic pyramid has been around for a long time -- who what where when -- with the lead in the first sentence. The front loading of information in that clear simple language Hemmingway made art with. I recall reading Larry Kart in column inches and was just amazed at how good he was at that type of writing (usually not realizing how good it was until well into the 5th or 6th paragraph and going like, hey, this flows). If you can make short and sweet read like butter than you're a word cook. Cookin'... (edit for "you're" )

Extraordinary. Looking through those and wondering if I'm seeing telegraph poles in some of the cities.....

As Nessa explained to me, the second version of "Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City" features original music by Roscoe Mitchell played by the orchestra, with text by Jarman.

Tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake the multi-dimensional musical world of Joseph Jarman, including much by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, his duos with Anthony Braxton, the trio Equal Interest, his composition "Non-Cognitive Aspects of the City" played by symphony orchestra...Out on Blue Lake at 12 a.m. presents Cecil Taylor and Tony Oxley live at the Village Vanguard in 2008. 10 p.m. -3 a.m. http://www.bluelake.org/radio

That Signal to Noise interview IS good -- the writer clearly describes what it's like to hang out with Margaret and Henry, to decipher Henry's verbal ideas and he uses much the same analogy as I did in describing Henry's music as on or off. Alan, your question is more difficult because I didn't hear him live in the 1960's, and he isn't in general playing straight ahead or groove based music nowadays. He does go after things that he nails, that move through scales and hit particular rhythms within the world he's improvising in at a given moment, and he'll also smear and circle and smudge at sounds as part of his improvisations. I mean, people today will come back and say, after hearing Eddie Lockjaw Davis play with Basie, "Sorry folks, I trascribed this and he's playing outside of the changes" as if that's the end of the musical value of Jaw's solo. So, a loaded question. I hear the depth and freedom, and I've heard the precision, though I've also heard sounds that happen at the "right" point in the music, though they are not precise in a conventional musical way.

Had the pleasure of bringing Kalaparush and The Light to Grand Rapids Kendall School of Art and Design, a coffeehouse concert, on April 1, 2004; and that trio appeared live from the studios of Blue Lake Public Radio the first night we offered a web stream, March 3, 2005. If any one is interested I'm sure he could use a gig.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/859622--jazz-master-henry-grimes-makes-up-for-lost-time

Though after the first question was thinking about some of Sonny's great tunes. Yes he blows more than he writes, but he's written several classics.

I was there.

An important member of the Seattle jazz community according to John Ewing who's members took lessons from Caliman, as did Thomas Marriott. Recently ran across Caliman while reading about Horace Tapscott's Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra. Glad he was able to share some of that life wisdom with many during his final years, and happy Origin records was dedicated to recording him frequently.

Margaret said, "Hi" and congratulations, Chuck. Jim, when Henry and Roy were at the station in 2006, Henry making his public debut on violin, they warmed up in the sound check playing "The Shadow of Your Smile," Henry walking a nice bass line, Roy playing the melody, a 1/2 chorus or something on the changes just to get levels. Then when we went to air, Henry played "zoop" on the violin and Roy played "zeep" on the trumpet and it was in perfect counterpoint moving away from a tonal center that wasn't declared until Henry's first gesture on the violin. That blew my mind pretty good. Because the sounds were more refined that zoop and zeep -- they had contours and character that were graceful and controlled. Though improvised, nothing was approximate. So I was trying to get back to that this week, to discuss it. Henry basically said the music is always. When you're playing it, you're stepping into something that's already going, and when you stop, you've only stepped out of it. But the music is still going on. And that's exactly what it sounded like when he and Roy were playing, because in a mili-second they were way past "on" and deep into some detailed conversation that was long past pleasantries and introduction and exposition, even, and already at the give and take at an important conceptual level of discussion. The idea was, seemingly, already stated and they were now, in the blink of an eye, weighing in on its merits, problems, exhalations and nightmares. Roscoe might call that "The Flow of Things." Henry said he got his first true contact with this notion while working with Sonny Rollins.

That looks like a great day! Congratulations to the family.

Seemed in good spirits. I tried to ask him about the difference in articulation of stringed instruments in jazz vs horns, pianos, etc. in that you have a loud/soft articulation and most horns will articulate soft/loud. That's in swing playing at least. But the conversation just got away from me. In the end, though, Henry picked up his violin and said, "I want to try something on what you were asking me" and went to town. He asked me how I liked it, which was a first, too. I got to play my trumpet for him some (before we went on the air) and we talked about improvisation. When I heard him in the station with Roy Campbell they were playing free, yet seemed to have an agreed upon in the moment center of sound. So I was trying to get into that with Henry. He basically said you have to play around the center. I was like, "The circle of 4ths?" He said that was part of it. "And the major and minor and modal scales?" That too. He said, with emphasis, "then be ready." Henry was in Chicago, by the way, then came by Blue Lake on his way to the Guelph Jazz Fest. Then a few dates in Buffalo and some stellar hits back in New York with Marilyn Crispell and Andrew Cyrille.

Please join Blue Lake Public Radio tonight from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. edt for a special live performance by Renaissance man Henry Grimes -- solo bass, violin and poetry -- followed by four hours of Jazz From Blue Lake via www.bluelake.org/radio This is Henry Grimes third appearance from Blue Lake's studios. Tonight we'll receive help from John Erskine of the Hope College Sound and Recording Lab and his friend Jean Yves Munch (a relative of the composer).

http://www.freep.com/article/20100907/ENT04/9070437/1320/Listeners-agree-Quantity-quality-of-music-tops http://www.freep.com/article/20100905/ENT04/100905024/1320/Maria-Schneider-her-band-soar-at-jazz-fest http://www.freep.com/article/20100904/ENT04/100904002/1035/ent/Jazz-festival-kicks-off-with-hot-cool-opening-night-in-downtown-Detroit

How's the festival going?

Max Harrison sure had it in for how hiding the lyrical beauty of Paul Desmond in plain sight of the Dave Brubeck Quartet diminished the alto saxophonist's reputation. Maybe. For sure Desmond said he practically put ear muffs on not to fall to the siren song of Charlie Parker. We'll hear Desmond within and without Brubeck's band tonight, 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. edt on Jazz From Blue Lake, http://www.bluelake.org/radio

Always thought Armstrong's "My Life In New Orleans" would make a good film where the "lead" "character" would be the city of N.O. as much as the actor playing Armstrong.

Cool, hope you enjoyed it. We had a good on-line audience last night.

Tonight on Jazz From Blue Lake the great Count Basie. 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. et via www.bluelake.org/radio Early hits, Spirituals to Swing, Jones-Smith Inc., with Joe Williams, April in Paris and E=MC2, Basie in New Orleans 1969 and a sampling of the Pablo sides.

And the Hemmingway duos in morning and evening "versions."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100822/ENT04/8220326/1322/Pianist-Mulgrew-Miller-celebrates-jazz-icons&template=fullarticle

An e-mail came in from Tom Abbs saying he's leaving the company. The Spirit Box came in today. What a package.