ghost of miles

Kimbrough posts here on occasion, and I did a Night Lights program with him last autumn on the Herbie Nichols Project. My sense is that while these guys still enjoy performing Nichols' music (and indeed, most of it never recorded by Nichols himself), they would rather be promoting and playing their own work these days. The HNP has been mildly successful, enough so that promoters often ask if the "group" can be included as part of a performance package. Frank could probably elaborate much more (and more accurately) than I can; I'm just saying that I don't think they're exploiting or milking the HNP concept. I do think that single-artist tribute CDs have been done to death (please, no more Billie Holiday salutes!).

yeah, so long ago you could drink legally at 18! When's your birthday again, bub? A sawbuck says you're usin' a walker before me! (Shakes cane at B.) The earth's crust was still cooling when you were born, bub! I was born, much, much later in 1967.....the way my back feels somedays, I bet I do use a walker before you! I got a "cooled crust" for ya, pal... Given that I'm all of 14 months ahead of you, I guess you'll be respecting your elders in all matters from now on... all, I say!

Yanks bailed out the Big Unit and Rivera didn't blow a save for a change.

Interesting that I never really caught the Beatles-circa-'65 influence on "Thoughts and Words" before. Must not have been listening very hard!

Been listening today to the awesome YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY, which brought me back to this thread. In the meantime a Gene Clark comp has come out, though I find it a tad disappointing; still might be a good pickup for someone interested in his work with the Byrds: Set You Free This Time I think "Mind Gardens" is pretty cool, actually... and "C.T.A.-102" would've been a decent Byrds tune if they hadn't put in that crappy "alien-speak" part.

Re: Grant and Hepburn, I knew that there was an attempt to cast Grant for ROMAN HOLIDAY... but just came across a reference to an attempt to cast him for SABRINA as well! (In place of Bogart.) Hmmm.... I love Grant and Hepburn's chemistry in CHARADE, but I'm sort of glad that Gregory Peck got the role in ROMAN HOLIDAY (one of my alltime fave flicks). And, while Bogart's chemistry with Hepburn (or lack thereof) in SABRINA doesn't particularly impress me, his chemistry (antagonistic, that is) with William Holden is great!

This week on Night Lights it's a salute to warmer weather with "Let's Spring One," with music from Ike Quebec, Thelonious Monk & Milt Jackson, Anita O'Day, Nat King Cole, Charlie Parker, June Christy, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and more. The program airs Saturday night at 11:05 p.m. (9:05 California time, 12:05 a.m. New York City time) on WFIU. It will be posted Monday afternoon in the Night Lights archives. Starting next Monday, Night Lights programs will be posted to the archives in advance of their airing. Therefore, two programs will be posted this Monday: "Let's Spring One" and "Jazz Goes to the Cold War." More details on that show come Monday!

yeah, so long ago you could drink legally at 18! When's your birthday again, bub? A sawbuck says you're usin' a walker before me! (Shakes cane at B.)

Up for broadcast in a couple of minutes.

Rachel and sheldonm, you should hustle him down to the Chatterbox... I never used to get carded there! (Ah, but that was a long time ago... )

A long walk along the canal... all the way down to the dark woods of Holcomb Gardens... Look out! B-)

No. And she is my favorite jazz singer. Both times I've tuned in I've heard lots of talk-talk and no music. I have a higher appetite for good jazz talk than the radio "average" that we're told we should observe (70-30 music-to-talk ratio), but nope... the only WKCR festival for which I've been grateful was the Grimes 100-hour deal. Very cool, and I am grateful for WKCR, but... I rarely listen. Some folks love 'em (the festivals), and I respect that. I also have respect for WBGO, but frankly, when it comes to Internet listening I'm more drawn to WGBH out of Boston... they seem to find a nice balance between WBGO's increasing commercial slickness (whenever I've tuned in recently, anyway) and WKCR's over-the-top academic-cram delivery.

I imagine the NY Review of Books will do right by him when they come out with something. Thanks for posting the Kazin piece, Larry. Haven't read much of his criticism, but greatly enjoyed STARTING OUT IN THE THIRTIES. (The section with Otis Ferguson--o great lost writer of that decade!--coming to Kazin's parent's place for dinner is worth it alone.)

Sad to say that I've read only the novella SEIZE THE DAY; I have an Everyman hardback of AUGIE as well the LOA of the first three novels, plus paperbacks of HUMBOLDT'S GIFT and HERZOG... gotta get around to reading them one of these days.

COOL STRUTTIN'?

Also an interview with our own Chris Albertson.

Tonight on The Big Bands I'll inaugurate a new monthly feature called "Big Band Jukebox," in which you'll hear hits and B-side obscurities from the 1930-1955 era. The first program's highlights include an early live performance by Jimmy Dorsey of "Besame Mucho," with Bob Eberly and Kitty Kallen on vocals, as well as "Tangerine" and the World War II lament "They're Either Too Young or Too Old"; hits from Count Basie's often-overlooked late-1940s RCA Victor band (with future Ellingtonian tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves of Newport '56 fame soloing), charting ballads from Billy Eckstine's bebop band (an ensemble with a decidedly uncommercial reputation), and tracks from "sweet" big bands led by fellow North Carolina grads Hal Kemp and Kay Kyser. "Big Band Jukebox" airs Friday, April 8 at 9 p.m. (7 p.m. California time, 10 p.m. NYC time) on WFIU. Next week on The Big Bands: "Georgie Auld 1940-1945." Music from tenor saxophonist Georgie Auld, who took over Artie Shaw's big band in late 1939 and led several big bands of his own throughout the 1940s.

What if they drag him downtown to go cage-dancing at Tiki Bob's?

Basher? Wasn't that one of Santa's reindeer?

After listening to it again, I should add that I'd forgotten how much Walter Davis Jr. and Billy Higgins contribute to my enjoyment of this record--in fact, this might be my favorite Walter Davis Jr. sideman date. Edit: just saw Chuck's note about the rhythm section above. Oh yeah! Herbie Lewis ain't slouchin' much here either.

Got all of these initially for Joe Gordon and have come to appreciate them for far more than just his stellar presence.

76. A couple of small but important changes and I'd be at 90. Say, what's this new saying I hear? "70 is the new 40?" Whazzat? OK--swell by me, if that means "40 is the new 25." B-)

DESTINATION OUT was my first Jackie record (and one I'll be picking for AOTW when the choice cycles round to me again circa 2009 or so ); LET FREEDOM RING was my second. Both changed my life back in 1995. I'm not kidding! When it comes to jazz, Jackie is one of my patron saints... and his reading of "I'll Keep Loving You" is a heartbreaker whether you know of his friendship with Bud or not. "Omega" is a struttin' badass of a tune... damn, I'm just going to have to go and throw this one on. Sorry, Dexter, disc 2 of the Mosaic will just have to wait!

Memo/aside to sheldonm: If, by some chance, the joint does happen to be filled with small-headed Hoosiers, let me know and I'll drive up pronto. I have a large head and can use it to block Charlie's view.

... when he finds out that "Uncle Chuck's" rap about "small-headed Hoosiers" is a crazy Michigan myth!