ghost of miles

Re-posting this here, just in case it got lost in "Misc. Music."--or perhaps I'm the only one who's interested! Ah, well, "0 replies" threads keep ya humble:

Saw this posted over at AAJ this a.m.:

Doesn't he actually hate jazz? I think I read that somewhere once... I really liked THE BIG NOWHERE and somewhat LA CONFIDENTIAL, but I started WHITE JAZZ three times before I was able to finish it... his post-LA CONF amphetamine style too often turns into "Jack be nimble..." or "See Spot run..." cadences. Thought he came back up to speed (so to speak) in AMERICAN TABLOID and then faltered again badly in COLD SIX THOUSAND. As memoirs go, MY DARK PLACES is a pretty good one, though, with some of his more annoying narrative tendencies held in check.

Brandon, Check out Larry Kart's piece on Kerouac in his new book. Although Kerouac used pseudonymns, the jazz musicians were often based directly on real-life figures. Been awhile since I read Ellroy's THE BIG NOWHERE, but some of the Central Ave L.A. musicians may have been mentioned in that one. Basie gets mentioned in the work of both David Goodis and Chester Himes... great topic. I've got a Night Lights program slated for this summer that deals with this very subject.

The Alarm? There's a band I haven't thought about (or heard) in many years (although they had some kind of comeback hit under another name not too long ago, didn't they?). People always slagged them off as U2-meets-the-Clash. I had their first EP and didn't mind DEDICATION, but lost track after that.

Great coincidence... I was just checking on the DVD availability of Scorsese's NEW YORK, NEW YORK, because I'd like to show a clip or two from it in my forthcoming big-band class; and, lo and behold, it just came out a week or two ago! New York, New York I know this film has a rap for being too lengthy, having a flimsy storyline, etc.; but it really is in some ways a very good representation of the big-band era (and it had significant help from Georgie Auld and Ralph Burns). The DVD is midprice--if you're at all a Scorsese and/or big-band fan, I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

Thanks for the tip, Daniel... I'll advise the webmaster to tweak that when I e-mail him later today. The playlist is already up on the WFIU site; everything came off the Mosaic, but in some instances I listed an individual CD if it is, or has recently been, in-print.

You're right about "King Joe," Brownie. I've heard it only once, and it didn't really come off--fascinating as a historical artifact, though, with its convergence of Basie, Robeson, Wright, and Louis (as subject matter).

Che, If you haven't read it already, you might be interested in a book called THE CULTURAL FRONT, by Michael Denning. He's a leftwing historian who's written some other good things as well; this particular book focuses on the intersection of radical politics and music, theater, and literature in the 1930s and 40s. SING FOR YOUR SUPPER is mentioned in there, as is MEET THE PEOPLE and Ellington's JUMP FOR JOY. The funny thing about "Ballad for Americans" is that it was written so inclusively that even the Republican Party embraced it, adopting it as their song for the 1940 campaign. They had a bunch of Boy Scouts sing it at the convention... different times, eh?

Re-posting what I said in the "What are you listening to?" thread: One of my favorite Robesons is the 1940 recording of the Popular Front anthem "Ballad for Americans." It's available on a Vanguard CD that primarily features his late-1950s "comeback" recordings. There was a good full-length bio of Robeson in the late 1980s, and an author duo published V. 1 of a projected two-volume bio in 2001 that took his life up to around 1940. Hopefully V. 2 will appear in the next couple of years. Another interesting Robeson/jazz trivia note: he sings on a Count Basie track called "King Joe," an ode to boxer Joe Louis.

Thanks, Patrick! The program is one hour long. (Almost, anyway; we're trying to make it 59:00 and syndication-friendly.) I'm hoping the webmaster will have the Jazztet show up in the archives by Monday afternoon.

Chandra, Shameless plug here, but I've already got a Lil Green/Una Mae Carlisle Night Lights program on tap for March. Will post a link to it here in the "Jazz Radio" forum when it airs; it will also be archived. In any event, that might give you a chance to hear half-a-dozen or so of her songs at full length.

Full confession: I was asked to MC for a Peter Cincotti show here in Bloomington last fall, and have long wanted to post my thoughts on the experience here. I have never particularly warmed to his work, though I can understand the radio appeal of his rather slick rendition of "St. Louis Blues." Basically, Jim Sangrey's observations are right on target--a competent piano player with a hell of a lot of poise. The guy truly seems born to the stage, and entertainer is the word that comes immediately to mind. OTOH, I'm not uttering it here as an insult (nor implying that anybody else is). I was on the side of the stage all night, and I have to admit that I enjoyed the experience, partially because I've rarely seen an audience at a "jazz" (or quasi-jazz) concert have that much fun. Some of this, I'm sure, resulted from the preponderance of young women in the audience who have a thing for Cincotti (and most of his own songwriting, as he jokingly confessed, revolves around a young guy who wants to get laid). The Cincotti performance never came close to emanating an iota of the transcendental feelings I've had seeing Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson, David Young, or any number of other jazz musicians; but I still went home thinking, "There should be a place for an 'entertainment' element in jazz, and aficionados like me shouldn't be so quick to sneer at it." Sure, it's very easy to cross the line to a point where the Cincottis and Connicks are sucking up most or all of the concert dollars, radio play, etc., and more talented artists suffer as a result; but I wish there wasn't such a disconnect between jazz as entertainment and jazz as an art music. And I certainly don't subscribe to the "it all went wrong with bop" school of thought, either. Just seems like it's a music ultimately meant to include, not exclude (even if various strains at times have, for one reason or another, adapted exclusionary tactics).

Yes, yes, I know--I do not know what you mean by Weizen.

On second thought, I'll grab him and you tickle him with a feather. When does he get stuffed in the box? When he stops thrashing around. Hey Hey Brothers. The children of thr revolution are free B-) Che. No problem. You're not getting charged for this... Wake up brother. Che. You're actually Weizen, aren't you?

Allen, PM'd you re: several of these. Edit: oops, missed the e-mail address note. I'll send you a message there.

On second thought, I'll grab him and you tickle him with a feather.

SACD? Che. Audio format much favored by a "late" poster here.

He's a regular Max Roach, that Catesta!

Wonder what his thoughts are on SACD?

In the short time I have been involved with this board, I have a sense that there are a few posters, that have opinions on almost any subject and 1000's and 1000's of post later, they still have the same views and opinions. I have no idea what you mean by the term 'game'. Che I find your post disingenuous.

Not my concern if you don't appreciate the Marx Brothers, friar. To each his own... just trying to lighten the thread a bit.

More like the Marx Brothers, I'd say. B-)

I have no idea what you are referring to. The tone of your posts is aggressive. Che. You dig up a thread that hasn't been posted in for 18 days solely to imply that we're gloating over some stats and say my tone is aggressive? Look, I'm sorry... I hope that you hang around, truly, but you've been trying to pick fights with posters here all day long, and it's getting to be quite boring. I've run out of diplomatic steam... hope to encounter you again on a music thread sometime. I am still discovering this board, I have been involved for a few days, I discovered the thread whilst I was looking 'around'. You have been here much longer, posted many more replies and seem to know what is going on. In the short time I have been involved wioth the board I have already met some people that I find thoughtful and respectful, Africabrass is one of them ( sorry to mention you name B-) I have not the slightest intention to 'pick a fight', there is no possible reason why I would do this. I have many ideas and thoughts, and as I mentioned on another thread, I find the ideas that people have and my responces to be a way of relaxing from a very stressed world. Che. Well, cool. This is generally about as relaxed a place as you're going to find... like many things, people will get out of it what they put into it. And most folks here are always ready to smoke a peace pipe--and what they get out of that most certainly depends on what they put into it!

It seems that you have posted many posts, and you are most active in the politics section, i guess you have a lot of opinions. Che. Thanks for your "analysis."