ghost of miles

Mostly the Art Pepper Promise Kept box-set, but that was more than enough! Having lunch in another hour or so with our mutual friend Mr. McGerr. Thanks so much, Bill! Hey, I am really looking forward to that Tubby Hayes box set!

OTOH somehow I had never seen this photo until now--an 11-year-old Gerrit Cole holding up this sign at the 2001 World Series: OTOH again, he's gonna sign with the team that offers him the most money. Patrick Corbin was a longstanding Yankee fan and he still signed with the Nats in a nanosecond when they offered him an extra year and $20-$40 million more than NY did. Plus Cole already passed once on the Yankees when they drafted him out of high school--even his late-adolescent self was already making decisions based on what would be best for him in the long run, as opposed to the team he loved as a kid. It's a business, etc etc. One thing that might tip him towards NY is the likelihood that they'll be a perennial playoff contender, whereas the Angels, even with Joe Maddon at the helm and Cole in the rotation, might still be straining to get beyond 85 wins. What are the plans for Ohtani? Are they going to try to use him as a starting pitcher as well as DH again, now that he's far enough removed from his TJS?

I will not be stunned if Cole ends up signing with the Angels over the Yankees, because I think Moreno is desperate enough to outbid the Yankees no matter what the price—and NY will bow out IMO if negotiations get into 8+ years/north of $300 million territory.

Much gratitude, y’all. After 16 years this remains by far my favorite online place and digital home-away-from-home.

So glad you enjoyed it, mjazzg. Bummed that I couldn’t really fit certain albums like Marion Brown’s Afternoon Of A Georgia Faun into the show and could give them only a fleeting mention... but hopefully the notion that early ECM (and later, too) is more diverse than some might think came through.

That is a heckuva huge contract for a guy who’ll be turning 32 about halfway through next season. Also ups the ante for Cole, who’s two years younger.

Night Lights show up for online listening: ECM: Birth Of A Label

A new Night Lights for the week just ending is now up for online listening: ECM: Birth Of A Label Much appreciation to the posters who commented in my previous thread about this era.

Thanks for sharing!

New one out this week:

Just out!

This just in: Yankees reportedly offer Cole 7-year/$245 million deal Curious to see if Angels or Dodgers offer longer contract with slightly less AAV.

I'm definitely feeling better about NY's pitching in general with Blake in place. So much underperformance in recent years from the rotation, with the Sonny Gray debacle the worst of all. Larry Rothschild hasn't stayed unemployed, though; he's now landed with the Padres. Some speculation, probably justified, that the Yankees pursued Blake partly in order to make a stronger case to Cole for signing with them. Btw apparently Dodgers are in on trying to lure Cole to their organization as well.

Yes! Just got into this early-70s Rod Stewart material a couple of years ago after a couple of friends raved about it to me. This 3-CD set seemed like the best compilation or anthology that covered it.

I’d obviously love to see the Yankees sign Cole, but I’m already happy about the new pitching coach hire that was announced last month: Yankees hire Matt Blake as new pitching coach I also think that Cole is by no means in the bag for NY. The Angels seem to have an open-wallet determination to sign him as well. What about Strasburg? CW seems to be that he’ll reup with the Nats after having opted out.

Birthday present from my girlfriend:

Ain't it great? And to our EU friends, enjoy the sanity of your health-care system:

He passed away on November 29, according to Nate Chinen's obit at WBGO: Newark Jazz Elder Buddy Terry Has Died

Heard that the Wilpons are selling the Mets as well?!

Reports that Zack Wheeler has signed with the Phillies for 5 years/$100-$118 million. Cole Hamels also signing with the Braves for 1 yr/$18 million.

Jim Snidero, Dave Stryker, and Todd Coolman right now—free gig at an IU School of Music classroom. Steve Houghton was supposed to be on drums but there’s a student subbing for him.

Been meaning to revisit that one (the first Mosaic I ever purchased). Always a lot to chew on in this one: