fasstrack

nah, i don't seem to have sleep apnia...

There is another thread here where people declare that Ron is a jerk. I searched so that I could put a link to the above comments, but was unable to find it. Can anyone help?

Thank you!

And to everyone else who commented on Mr. Carter's behavior: I was Ron's student at CCNY in the late '80s. I took Rhythm Seminar and was in his ensemble. I was intimidated at first by his manner, which I thought was stiff and off-putting. But in time I came to realize that I was the one with the problem, being immature and egotistical, though I was already 32. Ron was understanding and very much on my side, a fact I came to realize after the fact. Once he told Lewis Nash to play double-time at a certain rehearsal #. At the next rehearsal there was a different drummer. I was sitting next to Mr. Carter on the sidelines and with my big mouth I reminded him that he had wanted to have double-time at letter B. I was speaking out of turn, and he would have been right to tell me to shut up or otherwise put me in my place. Instead all he did was turn to me and rejoin 'he plays different'. All in all, I learned a lot from Ron Carter about how to rehearse a band, how to slow down the tempo to get the details, and how to adjust to different musicians' capabilities. This stood me in good stead as a bandleader. Ron Carter is one of the more intelligent and articulate people I've known in the music business. He has his ways, for sure. I'm glad I ran into him, and I hope I get a chance to work with him sometime. He is jazz history. And I aced the class!

I made the mistake of trying to hang out with a certain troubled musician (who wound up dying horribly a few years later). His life was going down the tubes, and he was looking for a whipping boy. I had gotten on his nerves, and was elected. He unleashed a verbal a ssault on me that was stunning in the backyard of the Jazz Cultural Theater. I learned that night not to f with certain people no matter how much you may admire their music. Most lessons in life worth learning are hard learned, I find...

Isn't he the guy who wrote lyrics to Alec Wilder's songs?

I don't know. What are the symptoms?

FWIW I love Stevie Wonder's beautiful melodies (especially those from the '70s), and perform them regularly. I am planning to record Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer as a guitar solo next Monday. His melodies and changes give one plenty of meat to improvise on. I heard Talking Book at 17, around the same time I discovered Charlie Christian. They are both part of my consciousness. My other favorites by him: Where Were You When I Needed You?, Visions, Lookin' For Another Pure Love, You and I, Isn't She Lovely?---Many others. Been playing them for years, and aim to continue doing so...

As Miles Davis said 'All musicians should on one certain day bow down to Duke Ellington'. Happy birthday, Maestro!

I was serious about the dignity he sat there and played with. I was quoting another trombonist whose name I can't recall now. That's what all my jazz heroes did (though I am not at all against entertaining. It's important to reach people, also get them to like you). But part of the beauty of jazz is that you trust the listener to get it without bells, whistles, a bandstand looking like mission control, dancing monkeys, etc.

I do like my doctor. She's good people. I have been seeing her for 11 years, and do not have to pay on my plan, so it's worth taking advantage of. I mentioned that I had quit all prescription drugs cold turkey recently. I went to see her yesterday because I was peeing constantly. (Blood tests showed me to be pre-diabetic, and I feared I had full-blown diabetes---which turned out not to be the case). She told me to go back on the drug Tamulosin, and I heeded her advice. I don't know what she would recomend for insommnia. You can bet it will be a drug. That's her and other doctors' training. That's what they know, and drug companies are constantly wooing them with fat paydays for going along. I tried Ambien before, but it had a near-hallucinatory effect. I took Lorazepam for years and became hooked. I won't go back, just straight ahead. All of a sudden the quote option doesn't work, so: Jazzbo: It's worth a shot. As I said, I trust her. She ain't bad for a 'cookbook' practitioner. If it keeps up I'll consult her, thanks. JSngry:

I do like my doctor. She's good people. I have been seeing her for 11 years, and do not have to pay on my plan, so it's worth taking advantage of. I mentioned that I had quit all prescription drugs cold turkey recently. I went to see her yesterday because I was peeing constantly. (Blood tests showed me to be pre-diabetic, and I feared I had full-blown diabetes---which turned out not to be the case). She told me to go back on the drug Tamulosin, and I heeded her advice. I don't know what she would recommend for insommnia. You can bet it will be a drug. That's her and other doctors' training. That's what they know, and drug companies are constantly wooing them with fat paydays for going along. I tried Ambien before, but it had a near-hallucinatory effect. I took Lorazepam for years and became hooked. I won't go back, just straight ahead.

It's her, actually. I will next time. What she will doubtless offer is drugs again, though, and I don't want to go that route at all...I do get 5 or 6 hours sleep a night or sometimes more, albeit choppy. It's better than some people do...

I just saw my doctor yesterday, but we had other things to talk about. Thanks for asking...

I am still waking up after a few hours sleep, despite ingesting a plethora of herbs plus Melatonin. Sometimes I get back to sleep (as last night), but it's very choppy, and I don't feel rested the next day. Last week I had to cancel a regular appointment for the first time because I was just wasted from not sleeping enough. Sigh. I wonder what to try next, or if anything will ever work...

I deleted what I wrote. I don't want to be involved with negative energy anymore. It's easy to give an opinion, hard to play well. I'd rather do that, and give my opinions musically. OK?

I'll probably be going with my guitar tomorrow night if I'm feeling up to it...

Pick up Hot House magazine at any club. They give all the listings of clubs all over town and in the tri-state area... Better yet:http://hothousejazz.com/

Is this movie worth seeing, or is it dreck? I've been burned every time I've seen a jazz biopic. Every time...

Sad.

He's one of the greatest guys around

The guitarist Gene Bertoncini, aged 79, plays every Thursday evening from 8-11 PM at Ryan's Daughter in NYC. Ryan's Daughter is on the Upper East Side, E85th Street between 1st and 2nd Aves (closer to 1st, on the South side of the street). I went two Thursdays ago, and it happened to be a birthday celebration for Gene's 79th. Several guitarists (Paul Meyers, Freddie Bryant, Ed Laub, Roni Ben-Hur, Pedro Rodriguez, moi) were called to the stand to sit in. Ron Carter also came and played. Gene is a wonderful guy, and has people participate in his gig every week, accompanying and bringing them all the way out. I will be going with guitar this Thursday (tomorrow night). Maybe I'll see some members there. I hope so... Joel

For all interested, you can listen (for 2 weeks from Sunday) to the interview here: http://wfdu2.streamrewind.com/bookmarks/listen/144429/jersey-bounce (Live interview and 2 tracks from my forthcoming CD: Just Me and the Kingpin). You have to FF to when I come on at around 9:20 AM. Thank you for your support, Joel

I feel bad for my friend guitarist Saul Rubin. Almost as soon as he got the gig Sonny stopped performing. Life ain't fair sometimes... I wish Sonny Rollins all the luck in the world. He's a great man.

I find that the herbs don't work at all. I think a lot of this is expectation and belief. If you believe something will work, the placebo effect kicks in. I also tried meditating with Zen Buddhists, only to ask myself in the middle 'who am I kidding?'. Now it's red wine and watching comedians on youtube. You gotta keep trying...