seeline

I'd also hazard a guess that access to public libraries (or lack of access, or lack of their existence) plays a big part in this as well.

From what little I know about the book market in Brazil, books are luxury items for most people who live there. I'd think that these stats (re. number of books/titles in print) would be interesting if compared with literacy rates for various continents and individual countries. As far as loading up on books when in the UK, I've done that, too - there are so many in-print titles that are completely n/a here, except (maybe) as high-priced imports.

I noticed that, too... A disclaimer and/or explanation would be very helpful things, especially given the fact that lots of Mosaic sets are sold to people in other countries who simply do not have the background (let alone context) to be able to get the subtle and not-so-subtle stuff that's going on in this song, with Mercer performing it, etc. etc. etc. And what might be perfectly obvious to some who post here is more than likely to be opaque at best to most other people who might encounter this song and others like it. Edited to add: forgot to check the dates for this thread before I posted - and i have no desire to drag up a discussion that's better left alone...

I've got a mild case of tinnitus, probably brought on as a side effect of a drug that I was given several years ago, during a nasty ear/sinus infection. The only time I'm really aware of it is in the winter, when the windows are closed... so far, no need for fans. But it sure would be nice to have it be gone for good.

I would agree about her being (maybe) "too much of a blues sage," but still - some of her later playing (like "Baby Man," on Free Spirits) just amazes me. She was able to do so much with so little, in that case - it's a very haunting piece. I also have to wonder how much of the "blues sage" thing was her idea, vs. that of Peter O'Brien, you know? Agreed completely on her charts, including the stuff she did for BG. (I wish my copy of Undercurrent Blues was *not* in storage.) randyhersom, agreed on Zoning. It's a great album! I guess I was trying too hard to be middle-of-the road in my recs.

I bought Douglas' Soul on Soul, thinking it was a straightforward MLW tribute. It's not that, but still - very good.

I love her small group and solo work... Live at the Cookery [should be on Emusic.com] Nite Life - solo, not the best recording quality, but really beautiful music. My Mama Pinned a Rose On Me If you check any large online store, you should be able to find a number of other late-career live albums. I like them all. I'm also partial to her earlier work as an arranger.

Agreed, HP. funny how most accounts of classical music actually celebrate the "one-offs," like Chopin and Ives - Bach, for that matter! It's "great man"-focused, but with a twist. If you take that approach to jazz, people like Giuffre come out (I think) on the same level as Monk and other musicians whose work is unique. (Not that there are many of them - I think the opposite is true, and that the uniqueness has much to do with the intensely personal approach that some take.) True of other genres as well.

When I 1st saw that Paulo Moura/R. Rabello album, I knew nothing about Brazilian music, except for some passing familiarity with bossa nova. Moura and Raphael were coming from different places 9various types of samba + choro), where the use of guitars and woodwinds in arrangements isn't at all unusual. So I had nothing to gain - and lots to lose - by passing it up. I didn't buy the CD that day, but a few months later, it was spinning away in my player. I was sorry that I'd waited!

Exactly! I remember the 1st time i encountered what I thought was an "odd" combination in Brazilian music - a clarinet/guitar duo album by Paulo Moura and the late Raphael Rabello. The idea of those 2 instruments together was baffling to me, until I listened to the CD. (I don't think this pairing would be thought of as strange in Brazil, but I would have to ask around to be sure.) Either way, it's a marvelous album. on Bud Shank getting intrigued by S. African kwela music!

My mom used to play Kenton LPs when I was growing up, and I really hated them. But when I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 19, 20, maybe 21, I was listening to some of her big band comps and found some really beautiful, understated pieces that featured Kenton's piano. The difference was so striking! So now I have a bit of a soft spot for him.

I hear you. I think you're right about this, though only some of the covers hit me that way. If anything, a lot of them strike me as too stiff, not wild and wooly enough.

I think "Ngoni Ba" is the name of the group on the record... please correct me if I'm wrong!

Some of the CDs in that set are very good, but others... you can hear better examples on other labels, especially Institut du Monde Arabe. (distributed in the US by Harmonia Mundi.) I'd post a link, but unfortunately, there isn't one available. Auvidis and Inedit have some wonderful releases of music from various parts of the Muslim world, too.

I mentioned "Da Butt" before - here's the original video.

I think we're stuck on semantics at this point! I've certainly given you plenty of examples to back up what I've been saying, though I have to wonder how "serious" anyone could be about a Spice Girls cover, or - for that matter - the opening of BF's version of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," or... Suppose we shake on it? Edited to add: I grew up listening to (and loving) a lot of R&B and soul. That's one of the reasons Brass Fantasy appeals to me. (And one of the reasons why I wish I had seen them live!) I will say though, that sometimes I like the concept better than the execution (studio vs. live). As for being "serious about music," I am, too. Very. But there's such a thing as being too serious about it. (I think.) I see a lot of people arguing for the "seriousness" of jazz, in a way that seems to rob the process of music-making of joy and fun and - life. That's something I'm quite seriously against, but the only thing I can do about it is to make sure that my own stuff doesn't get too serious for its own good. (Which means that I need to beware of taking myself too seriously!) - Add: I'm nobody in particular, not recorded, etc. So maybe you could take this as thoughts of a "no-name," eh?

I rest my case, with quote. (Link.)

Or not, Chuck. I think he was having fun with those cover photos, with the album title, and with some of the material that's on it. But then, I think I should have a blast when I'm playing music (as in, musical instruments). If playing becomes tedious over time, something's not working right. And if dance music isn't supposed to be fun, why play it? Can you honestly say that Lester's version of "It's Howdy Doody Time" was meant to make listeners feel as sober as the proverbial judge? I really doubt it! Edited to add: I wasn't talking about parodies, except for (maybe) "It's Howdy Doody Time." Brass Fantasy reminds me of the "show bands" that a lot of black colleges have - it's fun music, fun staging, and the arrangements and playing are usually killin.'

Although I never met Lester Bowie, it seems to me that there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor in BF and in his small-group dates as a leader. am not convinced that having a sense of humor about something and loving it are mutually exclusive. But maybe I'm prejudiced because I lived in the D.C. area when "Da Butt" was a huge local hit and was played constantly. Edited to add: Maybe i took his album title too seriously?

What do you mean by humor? Their covers of pop songs (like "The Great Pretender" and "Da Butt") were meant to be funny, but somehow I think that worked better live. * They even covered the Howdy Doody theme song! Edited to add: well, OK, I'm misremembering - this is on an ECM that's credited to Lester Bowie only, but I bet BF did it, too.

I wish i'd been able to hear them live - the humor must have worked so much better onstage than it does in their studio recordings.

My .02-worth: Great band, but too jokey at times. You might want to look at some of their ECM releases, though - some good pieces by the likes of Steve Turre showed up on some of those albums. (Sorry, I'm blanking on titles right now!) I spent a fair amount of $$ buying BF Japanese import discs back in the 90s and on the whole, wish I hadn't. But Steve Turre's small esemble dates for DIW (with Lester Bowie) are very nice.

She's lovely! all best wishes for your new cat - or maybe that will be "cats"? I know what you mean about cats having their own ideas - I have a rabbit who lives indoors with me. She is a very independent creature! (They can be wonderful house pets if spayed/neutered; are very clean and can be easily trained to use a litter box, too.)