ghost of miles

Did you know that the model for the cover of this Bill Evans album was Nico--later of Velvet Underground fame?

Jon, Thanks for the tip. It's been several years since I pulled out the Stuff Smith--will go back and take a look at those notes.

Yes, indeed... also if you're a fan of tenor saxophonist/arranger/composer Maxwell Davis (who was all over the Charles Brown Mosaic as well).

Beware, however, of "warm welcomes" of the Nessa variety!

This week on Night Lights it's "Why Don't You Do Right," a program devoted to Una Mae Carlisle and Lil Green. Both were popular jazz-and-blues singer-songwriters in the 1940s; both spawned hits for Peggy Lee; and both are largely forgotten today. Carlisle, a teenage piano-playing protege of Fats Waller, wrote and recorded the hits "I See a Million People" and "Walkin' By the River." We'll hear recordings she made between 1938 and 1947, including one with Lester Young, a circa-1940 pro-neutrality song with the unlikely title of "Blitzkrieg Baby." Lil Green was a popular blues artist who made many recordings with her partner, Big Bill Broonzy; one of them, a recording of Horace McCoy's "Why Don't You Do Right," had a big impact on the young Peggy Lee, who recorded it with Benny Goodman's big band. (She also recorded Carlisle's "I See a Million People.") The program airs on WFIU Saturday night at 11:05 (8:05 California time, 10:05 Chicago time); you can listen live, or in the Night Lights archives, where it will be posted by Monday afternoon. Next week: "Mary Lou's Mass." Sacred jazz from Mary Lou Williams' MUSIC FOR PEACE and BLACK CHRIST OF THE ANDES for Easter weekend.

This description? Forget that thing. Life's too short to keep some rusting ammo box from the HMS Prince of Wales on these shelves. That booklet looks like some 60's-era 'Guide to NATO Ground Forces Equipment Identification' booklet that was issued to Warsaw Pact troops.

Yeah, man!

Great news about the Quebec 45s and the Ervin! I've wanted the Quebec in particular for many moons... I have the Don Cherry Mosaic, but I'm happy too for all the people who are excited about WHERE IS BROOKLYN?

I completely missed this news... heard about it this morning from a friend of mine who works at a health-food co-op here (one of the joys of living in Bloomington--you walk into the downtown grocery store and can talk jazz with the guy behind the counter). Very sad to hear of this... somebody at AAJ said that he was also on Tom Waits' SWORDFISHTROMBONES.

Thanks for listening, Roz. I really hope I can get these archived soon!

Well, or for a few who actually did... I remember several of us, freshman year in high school (when it came out) in a rather stoned state, trying to find the backward masking where it allegedly said, "Congratulations! You have discovered the meaning of THE WALL." What a way to kill an afternoon, eh?

They were broadcasts that Ellington did for the Treasury Department in 1945 (continuing into 1946, I think) encouraging people to buy war bonds (later re-titled "Victory Bonds" after Japan surrendered. I remember a song, sung by Ray Nance, about " shhh....loose lips sink ships" on those broadcasts.

Interesting. Personally, I'd say these days I prefer AAJ for the simple reason that there far too many threads ABOUT organissimo AT organissimo. I went to AAJ yesterday to ESCAPE the hubbub around here. You too?! Yes, for once the... well, let's just say it had a certain perverse appeal yesterday that it doesn't usually have. (Not to knock AAJ! I post over there from time to time, and Bev's points about musical taste there are well-taken.)

You have been much missed, Hans.

When will it be "up for pre-ordering?" B-)

Because if someone pisses off a friend of mine, I take it personally. And if someone I like is upset, I take his or her emotional state seriously. I don't simply blow it off and suggest that they either get over it or try to be more unemotional. It's the making light of how others feel that drives me nuts. And I believe that's what deus was trying to get across to some of you folks. Not everyone can be as even-tempered and mellow as you apparently are. Some are more emotional, or, maybe to be fair, less in control of their emotions. But somehow it's OK to call someone a fucking idiot, tell him to fuck off, compare him to all kinds of shit, and that's nothing to condemn or worry about? You don't think he might have feelings too? He's not a fucking Wankyjazz troll! Seems to me like this whole discussion is about treating one another with dignity, humanity, and respect. I see very precious fucking little of it... Why don't y'all try a little constructive criticism instead of all the shit-throwing that's going on? I read your post and I realised what I was doing here. You and people like Africabrass, Jazz Kat etc are very brave people, brave because you are prepared to 'swim against the tide', with all the consequences that this brings. Che. All I'd say is throw out some olive branches... be less aggressive yourself in how you respond to folks... and deal with the fact that this is a tightknit, long-running community that feels very protective because most of us realize what a unique and special place it is. Get the lay of the land, treat it with respect, and eventually that respect will be given back to you.

They were broadcasts that Ellington did for the Treasury Department in 1945 (continuing into 1946, I think) encouraging people to buy war bonds (later re-titled "Victory Bonds" after Japan surrendered. There are a number of tunes that Ellington rarely performed after 1945 (such as "Blutopia"), some pop songs of the day, and a fair amount of Ducal songbook staples. Lots of performances of The Black, Brown and Beige Suite... and peppered with Duke pitching for war bonds. Many of the shows were done on the road (I'm particularly taken with V. 6, which contains a broadcast from Evansville, Indiana). The liner notes are generally pretty good, done by several longtime Duke connoisseurs. You can find them online for $20-$21 (including shipping) or order them directly from Storyville.

Wise words, AB. I should just take a break from this. I like far too many of the people here and hate being at such odds... think I'll thrash around in some jazz 'n fluff threads for awhile.

Because if someone pisses off a friend of mine, I take it personally. And if someone I like is upset, I take his or her emotional state seriously. I don't simply blow it off and suggest that they either get over it or try to be more unemotional. It's the making light of how others feel that drives me nuts. And I believe that's what deus was trying to get across to some of you folks. Not everyone can be as even-tempered and mellow as you apparently are. Some are more emotional, or, maybe to be fair, less in control of their emotions. But somehow it's OK to call someone a fucking idiot, tell him to fuck off, compare him to all kinds of shit, and that's nothing to condemn or worry about? You don't think he might have feelings too? He's not a fucking Wankyjazz troll! Seems to me like this whole discussion is about treating one another with dignity, humanity, and respect. I see very precious fucking little of it... Why don't y'all try a little constructive criticism instead of all the shit-throwing that's going on?

Or most depressing. Man.

THANK YOU. WTF, people??? I got into it with Che the first weekend he showed up. Maybe he needs to work on his Internet manners, or how he behaves initially on a board that's as tight and long-running (counting the old BNBB) as this one is... man, I know I'm risking honking off a lot of longtime friends and friendly acquaintances, but I just don't get the mob mentality that's taken off here.

Well, now that Aric's gone, thank God we've got a new scapegoat in Che. Just for a little clarification, Brownie left because of Aric's being banned--afaik it had nothing to do with Che. Swim back up the thread a little and look at his last post.

Between the Bars has been my favorite. I heard she was on public radio denying any Holliday influence or any attempt to imitate Holliday. Bull, says I. --eric That's why she covers "No More" on her new CD, huh?!

There's plenty of room for cultural-studies approaches in jazz history, and to knock it is just as negligent as it is to knock the incorporation of technical analysis IMO. The music isn't made in a vacuum, and the social and economic forces that influence its making are sometimes profound indeed. The book is cited so much that it's rather a tired example at this point, but Scott Deveaux's THE BIRTH OF BEBOP seems to capture the elusive balance that some of us seek--a blend of history, musicology, cultural analysis, and true love for the music (Deveaux plays himself). In fact, I'd say the books I've liked best in recent years were written by authors who play jazz themselves and who also have a background in modern cultural studies. They seem best-equipped to write about the music. However, I completely understand the desire of some to completely avoid that aspect of things; it's not part of why they enjoy jazz, and that's totally cool.

Bringing this back up to echo Lon & Brownie's thoughts and to urge anybody who likes or loves Ellington to check this series out. V. 11 should be out next month. From April through October of this year I'll be devoting one big-band show a month to these broadcasts. As Lon pointed out, they've supplemented the shows (which originally came out on LP in the 1980s) with 1943 and '45 broadcasts from the Hurricane, etc.