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Noj

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Posts posted by Noj

  4. Hip Hip Turntablism and Jazz Education

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    Oddly enough, the notion of turntablism as an accepted instrument seems contrary to what this art is all about. Is there enough vinyl to churn out classroom after classroom of aspiring DJs? Perhaps there is enough artistic merit to the techniques of mixing, scratching, and transforming to support turntablism in this way, but watering down this field might be problematic...?

  5. Race and Racial Interaction, in America and beyond

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    My old high school history teacher, Mr. Dave Thomson, is an amazing intellect. He had memorized an anecdote for seemingly every moment in history, and had studied history so thoroughly that he could identify inaccuracies in our textbooks and provide details unavailable in the textbooks (our textbooks were actually pretty good). Dave's class was an every day lecture, like a college course. Tests were on a weekly basis in an essay/multiple choice format, with homework that consisted of essay questions and a long essay, typed, due every week. It was a challenging course, but each and every student got a 4 or above on the advanced placement test for US History. I got a 5 out of 5.

    Dave Thomson made the class succeed by being demanding, by commanding respect, and indeed by earning respect with his fascinating lectures. He pounded home the lessons of US History and addressed the racial issues firmly and head on. Dave knew details of the horrors of slavery and the atrocities committed against Native Americans, as well as struggles other ethnicities faced as America developed. Dave was not afraid to paint pictures of historical figures or events that weren't as pretty as the textbook. Dave knew so much about all of American history it was incredible. He was never afraid to criticize America, but did so in a constructive manner.

    Dave was one of the few teachers I had in public school that really made an impact on me. Even at the time I had the perspective to think of another teacher or two, "This professor should be ashamed of his/herself." Dave Thomson, underpaid, no question.

  10. Recent pick ups

    in Miscellaneous Music

    Posted

    These are the ones that still say "new" to me from the shelf:

    Herbie Hancock Empyrean Isles, Mwandishi

    Horace Silver Song For My Father, Cape Verdean Blues, Jody Grind, Blowin' The Blues Away

    Wayne Shorter Juju, Speak No Evil

    Stanley Turrentine & The Three Sounds Complete Blue Hour

    Grant Green Green Street, Idle Moments

    Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Live At Birdland 1&2

    Sonny Clark Cool Struttin'

    Dorothy Ashby Afro Harpin'

    Ronnie Foster Sweet Revival

    Eddie Gale Black Rhythm Happening

    Candido Beautiful

    Lou Donaldson Good Gracious

    Cinematic Orchestra Every Day

    The Curtom Story Curtis Mayfield's School Of 20th Century Soul

    Mickey & The Soul Generation Complete Iron Leg

    Frank Zappa Hot Rats

    Primo's Bakery

    N.E.R.D. In Search Of...

    Talib Kweli Quality

    Cee-LoCee-Lo Green And His Perfect Imperfections

    Syl Johnson Chicago Twinight Soul

    Lightnin' Rod Hustler's Convention

    Lee Fields Let's Get A Groove On

    Yusef Lateef Cry! Tender, Eastern Sounds, Other Sounds

    Trudy Pitts & Pat Martino, Don Patterson & Booker Ervin, Sonny Stitt & Don Patterson, Sonny Stitt, Johnny Hammond Smith, Shirley Scott, Sonny Phillips, Rusty Bryant, Jack McDuff, Billy Butler, Houston Person, Willis Jackson, Melvin Sparks, Leon Spencer, Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones, Gene Ammons Legends Of Acid Jazz

    Woody Shaw Blackstone Legacy

    Joe Farrell Skateboard Park

    Booker T. & The MGs Melting Pot

    Gary Bartz NTU Troop Live(?)

    Hampton Hawes Northern Windows Plus

    Mike Clark/Bernard Purdie Master Drummers Comps

    Larry Young Young Blues, Testifying

    Lucky Thompson Lucky Strikes

    Ted Dunbar Rare Moment

    Duke Pearson Dedication!

    Pat Martino East!, Strings, El Hombre

    :rsmile: :rhappy: :rsmile:

  13. Dr. Lonnie Smith - Boogaloo to Beck

    in New Releases

    Posted

    Got "Boogaloo to Beck" the other day. There's no way I can believe that this was Lonnie's idea for an album. His playing seems totally uninspired. The material isn't strong enough to do anything with. Even Lonnie, who could hang on a "I" chord all day long and have fun with it, just can't get much going on any of the cuts.

    Lonnie's ALWAYS fun to listen to. He's such a master. Why can't someone just let Lonnie do his thing on an album of material of his own choosing? Unless Lonnie's just trying to connect to younger "groove" audience, I don't see any motivation for this outside of the fact that someone came up with the idea, paid him nicely to do it, and then proceeded.

    Having bashed the concept, I have to admit I DO like the album...why...? BECAUSE LONNIE SMITH IS PLAYING AN ORGAN ON IT!!!!! 'nuff said. ;)

    p.s...fathead's barely on this thing, and when he is, it's like he's about to take a nap with lonnie while they dream of playing a charlie parker song. B)

    Ouch! A scathing review. :unsure:

  16. Race and Racial Interaction, in America and beyond

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    ...And I've also been thinking about what Noj said about there being more of a class bias than a racial one....

    What I was saying is the problem can be addressed entirely in terms of finance without involving race whatsoever. We don't have poor black Americans and poor white Americans and poor Mexican Americans, etc. We have poor Americans. If the poorest ones happen to be black, by all means help them in a proportionate manner.

  21. Album of the week: John Coltrane - Olé

    in Album Of The Week

    Posted

    As a side note, did you know Eric had an alias on the original LP? If anyone knows the alias he used, you win a free subscription to the new, revised BNBB, whenever (if ever) it re-launches.  :rolleyes:

    I was going to make a joke about the alias. I was going to mention that George Lane fellow and how much Eric Dolphy ripped off his style.

    :P:D:lol::D:P

    Why would an artist do this alias thing? Contractual reasons?

    Are there other examples of this? :unsure:

  22. Race and Racial Interaction, in America and beyond

    in Miscellaneous - Non-Political

    Posted

    It is the gray matter that matters, know what I mean? :rsmile:

    ...It is also luck: did you grow up with good friends?

    I am generally against laws which offer advantages to the disadvantaged. I am opposed to affirmative action, for example. To me these laws just foster a culture of underachievement. We should have a social safety net for sure, but we should not encourage low standards.

    It's not what you know, it's who you know. So true! And no one gets anywhere without motivation, you're right.

    Instead of affirmative action I would support measures to raise the bar of education and accelerate learning in public schools. I think our children will perform at the level we set the bar. They're sponges, they just need to more to soak up and proper motivation. I would also support measures which would raise the bar on what is expected of teachers. I think curriculum should be FAR more challenging and LESS repetitive.

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