ghost of miles

Also from the CNN article: The energy crisis in Texas raises also questions about the nature of the state's deregulated and decentralized electric grid. Unlike other states, Texas has made a conscious decision to isolate its grid from the rest of the country. That means that when things are running smoothly, Texas can't export excess power to neighboring states. And in the current crisis, it can't import power either. "When it comes to electricity, what happens in Texas stays in Texas," Cohan said. "That has really come back to bite us."

A classic! Many years since I read it... I'd like to revisit it at some point.

I've been a Roses fan since first hearing them in late 1989 (the Roses tribe on the U.S. side never grew that large and certainly never came anywhere near close to the mania the band enjoyed in the UK, though) and even got to see them in Manchester in 2016 (staying with board member BillF!). Though the group's again gone dormant, I've checked in occasionally on a couple of online forums, and Ian's Twitter missives have been much discussed & not well-received. Not that it matters, because they clearly had trouble gelling creatively in terms of new work when they were reunited, but his rants have pretty much put me off ever wanting the band to reincarnate again. But Brown's statements don't color their past music for me at all. At their peak they made some of the most transcendental pop music I've ever heard in my life. In the jazz Twitterverse, there was also a great deal of disappointment recently when Cassandra Wilson revealed herself to be a full-on Trumper (seemingly of the QAnon variety).

My girlfriend and I are planning to watch this. What happened to Fred Hampton is enraging, and Jsngry's comments are right on the mark.

Re Ellingtonia from this era, don’t overlook Mosaic’s Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions box. The entire run of discs 9 and 10 comes from Ellington sidemen—Cootie Williams’ big band plus dates led by Rex Stewart, Sonny Greer, Louis Bellson, and multi-instrumentalist Murray McEachern, who did a trombone stint with Duke. The Capitol box is a real treasure trove.

I have such mixed feelings about this. I love Lee and also think that the previous 3-CD Lighthouse set that Blue Note put out in the late 1990s serves as an excellent representation of this band and period. I’m sure I’ll ultimately end up opting for this new collection, but only because I’m still a CD guy... the vinyl price would definitely be prohibitive for me.

The Benny Carter big-band sides from this set. Mel Powell sessions on tap after that.

❤️❤️❤️ It’s a great late-period JJ record... I just spun “El Camino Real” from it a couple of weeks ago on a Thursday afternoon show, a day when I always feature past and present-day Indiana jazz artists. Right now:

I'd been thinking about re-airing this show in June for what would have been Chick's 80th birthday... but upping today in memoriam instead. Matrix: The Emergence Of Chick Corea

Very enjoyable--thanks much, James! As jazztrain noted, great to see Booker Little (and George Coleman! only musician still alive from both episodes that were shown, I think?)--also Mary McCall. I liked the visual backdrops that the show used, too... all of this makes me want to dig deeper into James' book. Bobby Troup "It's no coincidence that Julie London is on this show..."

Just got a text from a friend that seems confirmed by reports on social media that Chick Corea has died. Chick Corea has died at 79

This is my favorite of the three Wounded Bird Kenyatta reissues I picked up recently. In fact, pretty much ready to listen to it again right away:

Yep--came out this past year: Stars Of Jazz:  A Complete History Of The Innovative TV Series 1956-58

I've got it!

Wow--thanks for the heads-up on this! I think I can make it home from work in time to settle in for viewing.

One more go-around this past week for Trane '63: A Classic, A Challenge, A Change

Revisiting this excellent collection of 1960s UK garage rock:

On to a new breakfast book after finishing Rick Perlstein’s Reaganland, which concludes his comprehensive quartet that chronicles the birth of modern-day American conservatism across the 1960s and 70s. For some reason I seem to favor history books over my granola and fruit, so on now to a general overview of a subject that fascinated me as a kid—an obsession taking hold with me again in light of both recent events and longstanding cultural trends: ... and hoping to soon crack this one, which I bought a couple of years ago:

That's a beautiful record. I recently watched a documentary about her that retraced her and her partner's gypsy-like journey across the UK that inspired the album. Right now--really digging this! (As I figured I would--the era and genre right in my generational wheelhouse)

Not jazz, but definitely the best thing I've heard (for the first time) this week--from Strum and Thrum, a collection of 1980s underground American jangle pop:

2007 Mosaic Contemporary reissue: