ghost of miles

News came last night while the board was still down: Novelist John le Carre dead at 89 My appreciation for him had only grown in recent years, and there are a number of his books I’ve yet to read. Grateful that he lived long enough to write so many.

Sage advice that I shall follow! Thanks to all for the birthday wishes... hoping for better times for all in the year to come.

In the same vein:

This hits my sweet spot:

Good set, great price!

Continuing my 1-2 albums per week pace through the Herbie Hancock Columbia box:

Knockout performance by Coleman on “Body and Soul,” and really digging Albert Dailey’s playing on this date as well.

Listening right now and enjoying—can second the comments about the packaging and playing above. Surprised that the CD is only 46 minutes long, though. Was that all that Feldman and Weeds thought was worthy of release, or all that they had in terms of tape? If so, understandable... I just hope it wasn’t a matter of discarding usable performances because of the accompanying single-LP vinyl release.

Yeah, one look at the lineup was enough to sell me... plus I remembered previous quite-positive discussion of this record, either here or elsewhere. Really glad I got it!

Happy birthday right back at ya! My grandmother and one of my best friends in grade school also were born on December 10. Sagittarius, baby!!!

Many thanks, Dmitry! Good Lord, I'm actually old enough now to qualify for "senior discounts" at certain establishments. NOOOOOOOOO......

Part of a recent purchase at my local record store--hello, Michael Weiss!

My copy of that arrived in the mail just as I was leaving for work! Hoping to listen to it later tonight.

Playing some Jimmy Smith on the show this afternoon in honor of his birthday, so revisiting this set for the first time in many years:

... an album I’ve revisited every few years since its autumn 1986 release. Still shimmers with children-of-the-Velvets influence and quietly churning lyricism. This song sounds like a bridge from early-80s Rain Parade paisley underground to late 80s/early 90s My Bloody Valentine shoegaze (a term that seems to have historically superseded the contemporaneous “dream pop“ moniker when I was a wee lad):

It’s Zev Feldman’s Resonance, and he explains in the booklet how he obtained that DSM portrait for the cover.

Something old, something new: ... and Immanuel Wilkins’ Blue Note debut Omega:

Another show up in honor of today’s Brubeck centennial (and we’re re-airing it this week as well): Jazz Impressions of Brubeck

Up for the centennial: Playland At The Beach: Dave Brubeck's Early Octet And Trio

Great read, highly recommended (so to speak ) for anybody with a love of this movie:

JazzTimes article about the collaboration that only fleetingly came to pass: The Ballad of Miles Davis and Prince ... also includes this pleasing passage: Eventually the subject turned to other trumpeters. “I knew there were musicians that Miles loved to put down,” Leeds says, so he threw out Lester Bowie’s name, figuring Miles would have little time for the Art Ensemble of Chicago mainstay. Instead, he got this rejoinder: “Eric, why the fuck wouldn’t I love Lester Bowie?”

Yes, thanks—that is definitely the post from Chris that I remembered, including the detail about Billie’s make-your-own-recording of “Come All Ye Faithful.”