ghost of miles

I'd like to read Szwed's Miles bio myself--thanks for reminding me of it.

A quick list I put together yesterday: Favorite jazz books of 2009 I focused only on books that came out last year, but would enjoy hearing simply what some of your favorite reads were last year, regardless of when they were actually published.

I think his Gershwin album just got reissued for a reasonable price. If you can find the 1950s SKYLARK, that's a good one as well. Here's an ancient Night Lights show I devoted to Paris (the second one I ever taped, so apologies for raw/semi-pro delivery and/or narrative flow). Paris had just passed away not long before I recorded it: Charlie Parker's Favorite Singer: Jackie Paris

Not even that indeed. Cashman offered him a 2-year, $14 million dollar deal a couple of weeks ago...he and Boras came back with 2 years and 20 million and Cashman said forget it, we're signing Nick Johnson. Rumor now is that Cashman wouldn't be willing to offer more than 1 year and 6 million. Some talk that the Braves might have some interest, but I have to think that JD is kicking himself for turning down Cashman's original offer; I can't really see anybody else offering him that much. Plus, Damon's game is tailor made for the new Yankee Stadium. Yeah, Boras didn't do either Damon or Beltre any favors this off season. Speculation continues to percolate that Damon will return to the Yanks, but that's all it is at this point--speculation. A reporter talked with Damon a couple of days ago, and it sounds like Damon still wants 10 million a year. No way IMO that NY brings him back at that level, even for a 1-year deal, and no way that anybody else will give him that kind of money.

The Vitous and Kuhn are two faves of mine that easily could have made my list. Haven't heard the most recent Potter, but I'll seek it out, as well as that Grant Stewart.

Here's my late-breaking list.

My brother's gonna be bummin'... GB sure made a hell of a comeback, though.

Not even that indeed. Cashman offered him a 2-year, $14 million dollar deal a couple of weeks ago...he and Boras came back with 2 years and 20 million and Cashman said forget it, we're signing Nick Johnson. Rumor now is that Cashman wouldn't be willing to offer more than 1 year and 6 million. Some talk that the Braves might have some interest, but I have to think that JD is kicking himself for turning down Cashman's original offer; I can't really see anybody else offering him that much.

Delmark just put out this CD: Any thoughts about it? Haven't heard it yet--it came the other day as part of a Delmark package. I'll definitely post something as soon as I give it a listen.

Delmark just put out this CD:

I can't wait! Boston and Seattle have done a lot to strengthen themselves in the off-season. I think the Yanks have improved themselves as well, though the left-field question is still out there (and it doesn't look like Johnny Damon will be coming back, which Pinstripe Alley tends to think is probably a good thing, overall...but I like what Damon brings to the team and still hope he comes back for 1-2 more years).

All the best, Nate--very grateful for your contributions to the board.

Great find, Chewy, and thanks so much for posting an image of the cover, Chris.

There is hope for humanity yet.

Norm, hey, thanks so much for telling me about hearing that--you were probably tuned into WHRV. They licensed a holiday Afterglow program I did that we had put up on the Public Radio Exchange, and yes, it is indeed archived...here you go: Holidays on Film Really glad you caught it! Here's the link to the Afterglow website--it's a jazz/ballads/American-popular-song program, generally more vocal-and-mood-based than Night Lights: Afterglow

Joe, very sorry to hear this. I have a 92-yr-old grandmother who's in very good health, and it's become too easy to think of her as indestructible, when I know that it will ultimately be quite the opposite. Thoughts and prayers for your family, and my gratitude to your mother for giving us you.

Fellow Dick van Dyke fans--Amazon's currently selling the DVD sets for $19.99 a season. I bit on Seasons 1 & 2 a few days ago, and just ordered season 4 (threw an Art Farmer Cd in as well to get free shipping). Wondering how I might be able to finangle/justify Season 5 whiled I'm at it... The DvD Show sets seem to come with a decent amount of extras as well. Season 1 includes the 1960 pilot, carrying the different title Head of the Family and with a very different cast, most prominently Carl Reiner himself playing Rob Petrie. There's a mini-doc about the pilot as well, but I haven't watched it yet. Thanks for the heads up! I opted to get the complete series, it was cheaper (74 bucks) than buying each of the five seasons separately. Nice looking set, lots of extras. Would've gone for the complete set myself if I didn't already have season 3. (Though come to think of it, if I'd really been bold, it still would've been cheaper to buy the whole set than seasons 1, 2, 4 and 5. Ah, well! I have to hold off on season 5 as it is, to keep some semblance of sanity within my early-2010 budget.) I think I'm going to go through all of the seasons in order, and have watched the first two episodes of season 1 over the past two nights. Amazing how relatively comfortable the cast was from the beginning; so many shows take the first season just to find their stride.

Fellow Dick van Dyke fans--Amazon's currently selling the DVD sets for $19.99 a season. I bit on Seasons 1 & 2 a few days ago, and just ordered season 4 (threw an Art Farmer Cd in as well to get free shipping). Wondering how I might be able to finangle/justify Season 5 whiled I'm at it... The DvD Show sets seem to come with a decent amount of extras as well. Season 1 includes the 1960 pilot, carrying the different title Head of the Family and with a very different cast, most prominently Carl Reiner himself playing Rob Petrie. There's a mini-doc about the pilot as well, but I haven't watched it yet.

Not live, but I tweeted and Facebooked a Night Lights show from the archives this a.m.: The New Year's Eve Jam ...a somewhat Beat-hepcat-oriented affair, with Slim Gaillard, Lenny Bruce, Ken Nordine, Charlie Parker, Harry the Hipster Gibson, etc.

Glad you dug it, Big Al--we got a lot of good responses to this one, but a Big Al thumbs-up carries extra weight with me.

I played that album to death in 1991! I don't know if you ever heard of The Coral - another Liverpudlian group (they seem to have disappeared after about 2004). I always felt they were cut from the same cloth, right down to their singer being a dead ringer for Lee Mavers. I've heard of them, but I haven't actually heard them--thanks, rdavenport, I'll check 'em out. A lot of that La's stuff from 1987-90 just strikes me as pop genius.

Not a jazz track, but an indie pop-rock one--a lost song by the La's (UK group that recorded one legendary album): I Am the Key

I'm hoping to go on New Year's Day next Friday--pretty much chained to work till then. From what I'm reading, it sounds like Downey & Law's performances will make it worth it, whatever one might think of everything else about the film.

Don Pullen, Mosaic Select disc 3.

Glad to be alive, bummed tonight thinking about those who are no longer here, grateful for all of those who still are.