ghost of miles

Hmm... they're getting some coverage at the end of today's "All Things Considered." Are they kind of Vandermark-ish?

Some earlier discussion here.

Jim, I'll raise your "probable minority" one and add that you write every day--right here on Organissimo. And quite well, too. Seems as if there are three schools of thought: (1) Learn the rules before you break them. (2) Learn the rules. Period. (3) Don't learn the rules at all; you're much more likely to be innovative that way. I probably buy into (1) and am willing to give (3) some time... though it can lead to a lot of untalented obnoxiousness. (And I await my Organissimo colleagues' hepping me to (4), (5), and more. ) And those who set a new style often spawn a bevy of bad imitators. Still, I love and admire Henry Miller, Selby Jr., and some Kerouac and Ellroy just as much as I love and admire stodgier, more stylistically correct folks... and what about Joyce, who overthrew just about everything in Finnegans Wake? Granted, I can read it only a few pages at a time... but it's beautiful, in a mad sort of way. Which is often the way that things are beautiful.

Thanks for the comments, DatDere and Kinuta--glad you guys like the show. The "Jazz Goes to the Cold War" program will air tonight; we did have it online, but then decided we shouldn't be posting before broadcast (some uncertainty about whether or not that's allowed). It will post to the archives Monday afternoon, per the old routine. Tonight it's on at 11:05 p.m. (9:05 California time, 12:05 a.m. NYC time) on WFIU. Next week: "Jazz Cameos," as alluded to above.

Larry, Is that the case with "If a body meet a body comin' through the rye?" That's the song a kid is singing which Holden Caulfield mis-hears in CATCHER IN THE RYE. I mostly remember transistor radios circa 1970... first song I remember hearing from a couple years later (Jim Croce's "Bad Bad Leroy Brown"). And Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World," one that I liked a lot. My mother playing the piano and singing... and our singing in a first-grade music class, songs that I've long forgotten (one with a verse of "On my bike I go riding along, on a clear or cloudy day"). Also, for some odd reason, the Rolling Stones' "As Tears Go By"... I remember that one making an impression early on.

Old broads. Out here they smoke Mores.

and re-reading Erenberg's SWINGIN' THE DREAM: BIG BAND JAZZ AND THE RE-BIRTH OF AMERICAN CULTURE.

Yup. Geez, Berigan, I'm a Christian and a Democrat. So are some others around this joint... better re-calibrate the ol' thinkin' cap, my man.

He did--Walk With Music, written with Johnny Mercer in 1940--and it flopped.

I love the LOAs too, and the Civil Rights volumes are high on my "to-get" list. Will second MusicalMarine's picks (though I don't yet have the WWII titles); the Hammetts and Crime Novels are great as well. Some other faves: John Dos Passos, U.S.A. (I've gotten the two recent DPs but haven't read them yet) Flannery O'Connor. In a big way; one of the best in the series. The Melville Tales with PIERRE and "Benito Cereno" in it. James Baldwin, both EARLY NOVELS AND STORIES and COLLECTED ESSAYS. W.E.B. Du Bois, WRITINGS. The Emerson volume of essays. Both Hurstons. Sinclair Lewis, MAIN STREET AND BABBITT. Richard Wright, EARLY WORKS. A bunch of others that I have but haven't read yet... yeah, it's a great series.

Hey Dan, that's very, very cool of you. Looking forward to hearing them.

Jesus.. here's another one: Frisell/Haden "Satellite" Click on the "Discs" link and choose the Petra Haden/Bill Frisell title--there's a full-length sample there of their cover of "Satellite." (Petra, btw, is Charlie's daughter.) Man, listening to it got me upset about his death all over again... it's beautiful. So Mehldau, Peyroux, and Frisell have now covered ES tunes--I hope that trend continues.

I would suggest Pat Ewing Jr., as he just transferred from IU to Georgetown... but I think that's IU's gain and Georgetown's loss... whomever we choose, perhaps we should enlist this gentleman's assistance?

Hey all, I just set up a brief interview with Randy Carmichael, Hoagy's son, for this afternoon... he's in B-town for a performance and a landmark project dedicated to his dad. Any questions you want me to throw his way?

I'll be pretty peeved too if SON OF A GUNN has indeed gotten the axe. Picked up a bunch of Fantasy titles last year... looks like I'd better move soon on the ones that are still on my list.

Belated but by no means belittled... happy b-day, Aggie!

Belated birthday greetings from Bloomington, Alon!

Have a hip/hep/happy Hoosier holiday!!! See you soon, I hope.

Excellent news!

Mine too, Ubu--a nice little gem, that Gruntz is.

OK, here's an interesting one--I was looking up some info about the 1937 Paramount short "Record Making With Duke Ellington" in Stratemann's DAY BY DAY AND FILM BY FILM and came across this aside: In 1963, this commercial recording of "Daybreak Express" served as inspiration and background music to D.A. Pennebaker's first film, a six minute short entitled "Daybreak Express", which, in increasingly abstract images, gives an impression of an early morning ride into New York along the since demolished elevated railway, the "Third Avenue El". With its parallel rhythm of images and music, this little film is justifiably regarded as one of the most imaginative uses of Ellington's music for background purposes. Sounds like something I'd really like to see. Puzzled by the "since demolished" passage, though; wasn't the El torn down in 1953? Were parts of it still standing in 1963? Or is Stratemann's wording simply confusing me--and Pennebaker's film was a cinematic reconstruction of the already-gone El?

Lots of Ellington (hmmm, that definitely happens on more than Sundays). Definitely a tendency towards early jazz and big-band on Sunday a.m.--with room for the occasional rocking-out a la Kinks or some such.

I like it too, Harold. Alexander & John L with earlier comments.

Working on my big-band class and viewing a DVD that a friend loaned to me--DUKE ELLINGTON IN HOLLYWOOD (IDEM Home Video). An hour-long compilation that includes "Black and Tan," a clip from "Check and Double Check," "Symphony in Black," "Belle of the Nineties," and other material (no "Murder at the Vanities," however): Duke Ellington in Hollywood Watching "Symphony in Black" all the way through again, I'm struck once more by what a remarkable piece it was for its time. Work, love, religion, and dance in the African-American community all expressed in one short nine-minute movement... it really does foreshadow Jump for Joy and Black, Brown and Beige, as others have pointed out. There's a quiet but powerful air of protest to it.

Count Basie, THE COUNT BASIE STORY (via BMG for 50% off & free shipping) Duke Ellington, V. 3 and V. 4[b/] (the Circle 1943 recordings) Some Clarke-Boland big-band titles Duke Ellington, TREASURY SHOWS V. 7