Hardbopjazz

I caught the first set Friday night, and I have to say it was one of the best shows I have ever been to. I would not miss him on Saturday or Sunday.

I remeber this show as small child. Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dead at 83 By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press Writer 44 minutes ago LOS ANGELES - Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. He was 83. His publicist, Jerry Digney, told The Associated Press he died at his home. Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of television stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos. "You might say, in a way, I was cloning BTC (Bozo the Clown) before anybody else out there got around to cloning DNA," Harmon told the AP in a 1996 interview. "Bozo is a combination of the wonderful wisdom of the adult and the childlike ways in all of us," Harmon said. Pinto Colvig, who also provided the voice for Walt Disney's Goofy, originated Bozo the Clown when Capitol Records introduced a series of children's records in 1946. Harmon would later meet his alter ego while answering a casting call to make personal appearances as a clown to promote the records. He got that job and eventually bought the rights to Bozo. Along the way, he embellished Bozo's distinctive look: the orange-tufted hair, the bulbous nose, the outlandish red, white and blue costume. "I felt if I could plant my size 83AAA shoes on this planet, (people) would never be able to forget those footprints," he said. Susan Harmon, his wife of 29 years, indicated Harmon was the perfect fit for Bozo. "He was the most optimistic man I ever met. He always saw a bright side; he always had something good to say about everybody. He was the love of my life," she said Thursday. The business — combining animation, licensing of the character, and personal appearances — made millions, as Harmon trained more than 200 Bozos over the years to represent him in local markets. "I'm looking for that sparkle in the eyes, that emotion, feeling, directness, warmth. That is so important," he said of his criteria for becoming a Bozo. The Chicago version of Bozo ran on WGN-TV in Chicago for 40 years and was seen in many other cities after cable television transformed WGN into a superstation. Bozo — portrayed in Chicago for many years by Bob Bell — was so popular that the waiting list for tickets to a TV show eventually stretched to a decade, prompting the station to stop taking reservations for 10 years. On the day in 1990 when WGN started taking reservations again, it took just five hours to book the show for five more years. The phone company reported more than 27 million phone call attempts had been made. By the time the show bowed out in Chicago, in 2001, it was the last locally produced version. Harmon said at the time that he hoped to develop a new cable or network show, as well as a Bozo feature film. He became caught up in a minor controversy in 2004 when the International Clown Hall of Fame in Milwaukee took down a plaque honoring him as Bozo and formally endorsed Colvig for creating the role. Harmon denied ever misrepresenting Bozo's history. He said he was claiming credit only for what he added to the character — "What I sound like, what I look like, what I walk like" — and what he did to popularize Bozo. "Isn't it a shame the credit that was given to me for the work I have done, they arbitrarily take it down, like I didn't do anything for the last 52 years," he told the AP at the time. Harmon protected Bozo's reputation with a vengeance, while embracing those who poked good-natured fun at the clown. As Bozo's influence spread through popular culture, his very name became a synonym for clownish behavior. "It takes a lot of effort and energy to keep a character that old fresh so kids today still know about him and want to buy the products," Karen Raugust, executive editor of The Licensing Letter, a New York-based trade publication, said in 1996. A normal character runs its course in three to five years, Raugust said. "Harmon's is a classic character. It's been around 50 years." On New Year's Day 1996, Harmon dressed up as Bozo for the first time in 10 years, appearing in the Rose Parade in Pasadena. The crowd reaction, he recalled, "was deafening." "They kept yelling, `Bozo, Bozo, love you, love you.' I shed more crocodile tears for five miles in four hours than I realized I had," he said. "I still get goose bumps." Born in Toledo, Ohio, Harmon became interested in theater while studying at the University of Southern California. "Bozo is a star, an entertainer, bigger than life," Harmon once said. "People see him as Mr. Bozo, somebody you can relate to, touch and laugh with." Besides his wife, Harmon is survived by his son, Jeff Harmon, and daughters Lori Harmon, Marci Breth-Carabet and Leslie Breth. ___ Associated Press writers Polly Anderson in New York and Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this story.

Last night, July 2, I went to the Jazz Standard and caught a set by Edmar Castañeda. He plays the harp. I never thought the harp would work in jazz. Boy was I ever wrong! He blew me away. The band consisted of Edmar on harp, Marshall Gilkes on trombone and David Sillman on drums. A lot of free style jazz and some standards. Has anyone heard of him. He also played the Blue Note last month in NY.

I saw Slide on Sunday June 29th at the Blue Note in NY. He looked well. The band played for almost 90 minutes a set.

He holds his sax like a golf club.

We all have recieved junk e-mail, but this is the topper. Sent by: Friends of the Arts Reply to the sender Come experience the Rhythm and Romance of Kenny G on Saturday July 12 at Planting Fields Arboretum. Tickets are available for purchase through the FOTA Box Office (516)922-0061 or Ticketmaster (631)888-900. Pavilion Reserved Seating - $60(A) $45(B) General Admission Lawn Seating - $35 And remember children under 12 are free on the lawn with a paying adult. ...And dont miss Rick Springfield Saturday July 26, 2008. This e-mail was sent from Friends of the Arts Immediate removal with PatronMail® SecureUnsubscribe. To forward this e-mail to a friend or colleague, use this link. To change your e-mail address or update preferences, use this link.

Both sets Saturday were cookin'. Michael was tearing the piano up left to right. I hope to hear more of this group. Someone should get these 4 into a studio, they were that good.

RIP Mr. Diddley.

Does anyone remember the Monk Blindfold Test that was posted here a few years back. I tried to track down that thread.

I am all set to see either Friday night's show or Saturday. I can't wait.

Come on, with acts like deep purple, Joan Baez, N.E.R.D and others like these, how can it be called a jazz festival? Sure Herbie Hancock will be there. He'll most likely play tunes from his Grammy wining CD, which isn’t jazz. It’s sad man! There are a number of jazz artists who would play there if asked. The only real jazz arists playing the festival are Herbie Hancock (maybe) James Moody Marcus Miller Abdullah Ibrahim The Crusaders (if they will play the music that is on the Mosaic release)

I thought it was Grimes. This is from 1972. Wasn't Grimes out of the music busniess at that time?

I know the quality of the image is not that great.

It is a duo of Erroll Graner and a unknown bass player. Any idea who he is?

Happy Birthday Johhny.

Thanks for the music Jimmy. You'll live on through that. RIP.

Just suppose that one of these are really legit. “Damn, I can’t seem to give away any of this money”

Thanks. I still wish I knew all the musicians. There were 15 players plus Jimmy.

I just caught the first set of the Jimmy Heath's Bing Band at thr Iridium. This band was on fire. My problem, Jimmy didn't introduce all the band memebrs. The flyer at the Iridium didn't list any of the musicians. Did anyone catch this band? I was wondering if anyone knew who was in the band.

Here's one that I bet many think Reid Miles did. It sure looks like one.

I was talking to someone that saw Keith Jarrett back in the early 80's. He was tell me how Jarrett was angry at someone in the audience for coughing and even told the guy to leave. The other musician that pops into my mine is Buddy Rich. Any others?

Dizzy's Club Coca Cola is having a 90th birthday bash for her. It has been sold out shortly after it was announced.

The Ruttles.

I only wish this was a true aritcle. If it is, wow, I had jazz wrong all my life. Nope. Even Charlie Parker was a Kenny G fan. Read the interview in the "Peoria Herald", dated 10/28/06, written by Max Vintage and published in rec.music.bluenote: "Charlie Parker was a KennyG fan!" KennyG, saxophone genius and all-time jazz great, recently came through Peoria to play a series of sold-out concerts for his adoring fans. He graciously agreed to an interview. I meet "the G-man" as all jazz musicians call him, in his posh dressing room. Kenny, ponytail bouncing and flashing in the light, explained the history of jazz and his place in it. "You see," he said, pouring himself some organic beet juice, "most music has vocals. But jazz music doesn't have vocals. It's what we call 'instrumental.' That's why it's jazz," because there isn't any singing." Wow--to have a master of jazz explain the genre was a rare treat. "Is all instrumental music jazz," I asked? "Almost all," said Kenny. "jazz has to have a solo in it. If it has a solo in it, and no vocals, then it's jazz. Or if I play a solo in it, then it becomes jazz. Because I'm a jazz musician. That's it--jazz is when there's no vocals and I play a solo." I asked the G-man how he knows what to play in his solo. "The melody," said G: "I play the melody, the part that the singer would sing if there was a singer, which there isn't, because it's jazz. I play the melody and then I play some of my much beloved the world over licks." He picked up his saxophone and demonstrated. "Charlie Parker gave me this sax," the G-man continued; "he was a really good sax player from back in the past, when they didn't understand about jazz being simply the melody plus licks. So he never made any money or sold 200 billion albums like me. But one day he was walking along the street and he heard me playing-I was six at the time. He rushed into the house and said 'here is the future of jazz.' He gave me his sax right then and there and never played again." "Parker didn't understand that the key to jazz is just playing the melody plus some licks. He thought you were supposed to play something original, something 'challenging,' something people have not heard 1000 times before. So he really didn't play jazz. Jazz is soothing, familiar, comfortable, and bland-that's what people want. That's why jazz is such universally beloved music. You hear it in elevators, hotel lobbies, supermarket aisles, playing in the background at the dentist's waiting rooms-if you're on hold, and you here music with no vocals and instruments play the melody and some licks, it's jazz. Probably it's me, and then it's definitely jazz." At that moment a stagehand walked by and said "Ask him how he met Bird when bird died the year before he was born." I looked at the G-man. "Critics," he said. "I've heard it all before. They're jealous of my success. A real jazz musician, like me, plays from the heart. The heart, and the wallet-I play from the wallet too. And the wallet says 'play the melody, G, and then your licks.' Charlie Parker never made any money, because he didn't understand about the wallet. The wallet is a part of you-it's just as important to me as my heart. In fact, I can't tell the difference any more. Critics are just jealous of my success. They can't play from the wallet." I thanked G for clearing it all up. Next time I see a guy in a club, trying something new, taking chances, moving away from the melody, I'll remind him of the G-Man's advice. "Find the wallet, my son. And call it jazz."