fasstrack

It's OK. I prolly wouldn't have gotten anywhere when she was sentient. Like I said, though, the Fass motor purrs along and moves forward and it's tough to kill dreams. Maybe I could hit on Madonna? I could always feign interest in the Kabbalah......

A totally unique pianist and a lovely, sensitive man, Chris has been in under the weather in NY. Let's send some good vibes his way. He turns 80 in September. We shouldn't forget the treasures still among us.

Probably just in time for me leaving the joint. What was that about musicians and timing?

Man, who is the doll in that picture? Can you see your way clear to making her my present? Probably she's dead. But hey, necrophilia? Like Voltaire I'll try anything once

Yo. When are we gonna hook up, you damn......GUITAR PLAYER you? Hope it's soon Thanks for your wishes and this happenin' joint to all you Organissimo knuckleros.

today (right now). My motor's purring, my dreams are alive, and I'll kick anyone's ass unarmed and under 4'6". I'm happy to be part of this community. Thanks for engaging this knucklehead and his phoney-baloney musings.

Anyone here read Manchild in the Promised Land? I have around 60 times since it came out when I was a kid in the Bronze Age. Remember Brown talking about how Johnny D., the pimp and gangster in his bulding taught him about 'gittin' over'?..........

Oh, the humanity----of that mixed metaphor. Remember Mad Magazine's 'Horrifying Cliches'? Blathering a Hindenburg is a good candidate

What a brilliant yet simple observation! Now if only I put it into action.......

It all just reminds me that I wouldn't give old Stanley the fucking time of day. If he sat next to me at the bar, I'd grab my drink and sit in the next room. I don't know, man. Maybe it's my penchant for self-criticism or guilt, and I wouldn't tell you how to live---but I think it's easier to call other people out than look in the mirror. It's even easier to talk shit than play good, as is evidenced by all the wanking opinionating (including my own dumbass chimings in) on the Intraweb. Besides, the fact that we're all giving Stanley the time of day is proof positive that, like it or not, he gets under our skin. That makes him the winner at this game and a master puppeteer.

I (among other Minor Men) flushed the quarry out. He spelled my name right, too. I think I went too far in responding to old Stanley and apologized. When we call people out or call them names we're really doing it to ourselves. I'm not sure whether I find that observation about this race of knuckleheads sad or funny. Tragicomic, I guess.

Aw, I think I'll bust out crying. And the problem with two channels would be? It never fails to amaze me how sheep-like people are when a new and 'improved' product is marketing super-sized then media served. I called Mac Mall and asked for computer speakers. As in two. You see, I have two ears at last count. I was sent something called a 5.1 system which had 5, count 'em 5 speakers, and enough wires to make Medusa work harder. I simply could not put it together properly. (truth in posting: I am a techno-moron, slobbering on myself even as I write this) Sent it back (the first of 2 times Mac Mall f'ed up a simple order), went to CompUSA and spent $20 on speakers including subwoofer that are just peachy keen. What is this obsession about 'new, improved technology'? What am I missing here?

You might want to check out Ludmila Ulehla's Contemporary Harmony (Advance Music). She was a legendary instructor at Manhattan School of Music here in NYC. She remains universally praised as a brilliant musician and teacher. My teacher, the late John Foca was a theory major and swore by her. I have it, BTW, and it too remains uncracked. I also would recommend getting perspective from direct usage of such harmony from scores by 20th Century composers, especially Bartok and Berg. Certainly there are others. Off topic alert: (If you are offended by off-topic remarks remain in your homes and hide all Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters recordings for the next several seconds) I did get some good use out of Cecil Forsyth's Orchestration; The Gil Evans Collection concert scores (especially "Jambangle" which I marked to a fare-thee-well); Inside the Score; and some romantic, impressionist, and 20th Century piano music. (I start to lose interest at Ligati and thereafter). And a lot of comics and Mad magazines.

I'm so lazy. Whip me. Hurt me. Make me write bad checks

At 18 I approached Mr. Lateef with a youthful question and received a most wise and thoughtful response, though he was getting ready to go to work at the Vanguard. 32 years hence I caught up with him at the 2004 IAJE conference here in NY. We had a minute to talk and I reminded him of his long-forgotten kindness. He said something like 'that's beautiful, bless you, brother' and smiled broadly. I think he is a great man and wonderful artist. He must be 80 or damn close. Long may you live Yusef Lateef, and salaam.

Yes. And it looks excellent. Now ask me if I ever cracked it

WRONG! .... Scully and I are like brothers and have a few occasional misunderstandings.. We've been friends now 16 years.. He actually invited me to kayak with him and his family next week.. Tell him his favorite Christ-killing guitar player, Joel Fass, said hello. And put some weight on his end of the kayak.

Since I had no takers I kept it (not unlike a person who can't get laid and cuts losses by declaring celibacy). The good news: It's a wonderful book. R.J. Smith is a conversational writer, a rare gift for a historian. This book is full of love for its subject and fleshes it out in little vignettes, oral histories, and themes developed and enlarged over its expanse. I could not recommend it more highly.

I love wasting time. If I didn't I'd be a MF player/composer with international acclaim, hot-and-cold running women, 15 CDs and counting and 4 Grammies who never even thinks about shit like this, instead of the fool I am who makes the Internet his personal Eugene O'Neill novel. And this just in: if my grandmother had wheels she'd be a trolley....

Update: post 7,000 (OK, I exaggerate, but only a little) and still one Stanley Crouch MIA. MF's harder to smoke out than Osama Bin Laden. I guess one's illusions are a grand hiding place.....

I basically love Kenny. He has balls, conviction, a great rude sound, and is totally confident in what he's doing. He got the rhythm and gone. He can be a bit self-indugent for me, especially on some live things I have, but that's a general complaint I have about a lot of soloists and jazz these days in general. Also some of his tunes I thought could've perhaps used a bit more thought and honing before being documented, but then again they worked pretty good as solo vehicles. I loved his solo on Mack the Knife and some of his other leader efforts, and dug his work with Roy Haynes. He's a MF, like Mulgrew Miller, one of the young guys hyped in the 80s that actually deserved it.

I don't think you really do. if you did, you'd post there periodically, continually egging him on until he re-emerged. as it is, you posted once and withdrew the bulk of it when you messed it up in editing. if you actually want a piece of him, go and get it. Right. And you'll hold my coat, I guess. So good of you to be concerned about my welfare, Internet habits, and to know the inner workings of my brain so intimately. FYI I didn't withdraw anything. Somehow the thing got cut into 1/4 when I corrected it for spelling. Not that I owe you an explanation. I mean, have we met, dude? See what I mean? This is turning into a sideshow here now. And I'm gonna end my part in it. People bickering here about what supposedly went on there. Brilliant. Jim, and the rest, I hear you. If you don't want this here I won't bring it here. I was having a little fun. But I would love to dress down that stuffed shirt. He'll get his either way. It's really not my problem.

I recognize that lady with the paper. BTW It's nice to see Geoge W. to her left on guitar making himself useful. Always new that boy would amount to sumphin'

it's interesting how since the Major Man himself split for the bunker or Fortress of Solitude everyone is contenting themselves with the sideshow. Who cares? I wanna piece of Stanley. I don't mean Kowalski, people.... I would like to know what makes him tick, examine his innards and see what's there. It may be that he's a sensitive soul who wants to uplift us after all, a true Millsian altruist, no buffoon, humble as a true Christrian (as opposed to a true Christiern) and the rest is an incredibly effective act. Count De Monay.....