ghost of miles

May you have a day worthy of a deep and life-affirming CTI groove!

Wasn't sure if this had been posted already or not: Sonny Rollins receiving National Medal of Arts The ceremony will be webcast at 1:45 p.m. EST today.

A teaching moment with Tony Soprano.

Thanks for posting that, David. I knew about a possible Coleman Hawkins Select with his RCA recordings from the late 1930s onwards, but I'm glad they changed their mind and are now planning a big set that will include 1920s to mid-1940s Sony and BMG-owned dates and several sessions that are now in the public domain. Good news about a big set with the Jimmie Lunceford Decca sides too, especially for those who don't have the OOP French Masters of Jazz CDs which cover the same era (and more). Has there been public mention already of the Lunceford Decca set? I thought that there had been, which is why I described that item as an update.

I've posted some Mosaic news on the Night Lights site that may be of interest to youse guys.

We re-aired Black Vocal Harmony Groups of the 1930s and 40s last week, and it remains archived for online listening.

Dave, I came across that link myself not too long ago. It's a day's work to look into, but it certainly does make a compelling case that the last scene in the finale is a hit on Tony. And if that's what Chase is telling us, it's yet another reason why I doubt we'll ever see a Sopranos movie (that and Gandolfini's ongoing reluctance to participate in such a project). I suppose they could try to do some kind of prequel (will become more difficult as actors and actresses age), or go with the notion that Tony was indeed hit in the last scene but somehow survived...but I actually hope that they don't try to make any kind of movie and simply let the series rest on the legacy of its 86 episodes.

Gandolfini also played Bear, the stuntman/muscle in the film adaptation of Elmore Leonard's Get Shorty: Get Shorty clip Came out around the same time as Le Nouveau Monde, I think.

I think this came up in a baseball thread within the past year or two, but since we're on the topic of Winfield and the Padres--the classic Jerry Coleman call:

This one's for you, Matthew: Ozzie Smith 1978 ...and this one's for me and Dave : The flip

From the Jazz Programmers' Listserv:

Best b-day wishes and thanks for your valuable contributions to the board.

Thanks for all that you contribute here, Hans.

Thanks, Matthew, I will check that out--interested in it for all kinds of reasons. Right now: ...and about to start the Scott LaFaro biography as well.

We're re-airing Tom Wilson and the Transition Records Story this week; it remains archived for online listening.

NY Times obit.

This week's Night Lights show, a career-spanning tribute to James Moody, is now posted for online listening: Blues For Moody: A Musical Remembrance Of James Moody

Best wishes for a full and timely recovery, Bill. I feel your pain--had a bicycle accident several years ago that put my right arm and hand out of commission for several weeks, and doing some of the simplest things became laborious for this non-leftie. (Almost made myself into one, though!)

More fuel for the fire: More than 400 Super Bowl ticket-holders denied admittance Christine Aguilera screws up national anthem and... Super Bowl flyover during national anthem cost taxpayers $450,000, but was not seen or heard by fans at game...because the roof was closed. Evidently it was done for the benefit of the game's many TV viewers. Oh, and yes, don't forget the Kenny G as prison warden ad!

Too many "ifs," Dan. While I agree that Jeter is likely to have a bit of a bounceback this year, I'm much more ambivalent about Hughes, A.J., and A-Rod (who had a decent year in terms of power and RBIs, but not so much otherwise). I wish some of our young arms in the farm system were further along, but IMO only Nova has a real shot at sticking as a 4th or 5th starter this coming season. NY will still be a good team, but quite likely an 85-90-wins good team, which will get them coffee and a third-place finish in the AL East. (Hell, maybe even fourth-place!) But no self-pity on this end. Dave's jokey remark aside, I've never felt any sense of entitlement about the Yankees and postseason appearances, and I'll still enjoy the season (if nothing else, it will certainly start with a low level of expectation!). We will indeed have a very strong 1-2 knockout punch out of the pen (and grateful that Joe Girardi will no longer be tempted to pitch Mo more than an inning... I don't think he has the gas for much more than 3 outs anymore), but the rotation is a huge problem & not easily solvable at this point. I have thought, "Man, Dan must really be enjoying this offseason!" One of the best for Boston in my memory, and certainly one of the worst for New York. Jeter alienated, Lee signing elsewhere, Pettitte not coming back... and a lot of low-risk bets placed on low-return players. Not getting to see Pettitte pitch again probably bums me out more than anything else, but at least he went out at a high level of performance. So, Boston...if youse guys stay healthy, think you have a shot at NY '98/Seattle '01 W-L numbers? I'll be pulling for the Yanks as always to go all the way, but if that doesn't come to pass (and I highly, highly doubt that it will), then I'll hope for a Boston-Philly series, which would be a clash of epic proportions, methinks.

Dave, I think we've just become a longshot to even nab a wildcard slot... 2011 could end up looking a lot like 2008. What a motley crew we have competing for the back end of the rotation! (Not to mention that we're also hoping our #3 starter returns to .500 "form") Still really looking forward to the start of the season, even though it will be very, very strange to not have Andy Pettitte suiting up. I was just perusing Pettitte's lifetime postseason line--it's the equivalent of a full season in the old every-fourth-day/game scheme of rotations: GS: 42 W-L: 19-10 ERA: 3.83 IP: 263 H: 271 SO: 172 BB: 73 NY Times: After 16 Seasons, Goodbye to a Gamer

Not sure about that, but they are putting out a Bitches Brew Live release next week.

Pettitte's WS 2009 Game 6 start. Breaks my heart to see him go...baseball goes on, but what a blessing this guy was for the Yankees--so likable, so classy, and so clutch. His retirement begins the ending of an era for NY fans.

Pettitte's retiring, according to ESPN. I don't mind the blow to the Yankees' playoff chances so much; the last 15 years, as I've said before, have been a great run. But I will miss getting to see him take a lap around the MLB for one last season. He's the first of the Core 4 to go. Thanks for the greatness, Mr. Pettitte.

Dusty Groove's been stocking Golden Boy of late. I got a copy about a week ago and have listened to it three times so far...still can't bring myself to file it away yet. I think umum_cypher's comment about it being Blakey's best non-BN date of the period is spot-on, and I can certainly understand why David was inspired to do this tribute performance.