[Roscoe Mitchell]

Sal:

I have Nine to Get Ready. It's ok. I don't listen to it a lot. It's not as "important" as Sound (I'm being a bit facetious) and it's not as fun as Snurdy McGurdy on Nessa Records. It's probably better than ok, but I just haven't listened to it in a while. If you PM and remind me, I'll try to bring it to the Jazz Showcase on Sunday for Alexander/Mabern.

Eric

[Violent Drawings Lead to Felony Charges]

What this country has is a severe shortage of common sense. Principals and school boards enact "zero tolerance" policies that are absurd (mostly to pat themselves on the back and say they are doing something about crime in school) and only back down when confronted by the media. At the same time, there are situations like the one in Berwyn in the Chicago region where a teacher had several reprimands for touching students inappropriately and they don't report this to the police. Now it turns out that 10 or more students have been molested by this teacher.

My impression of principals, formed in high school, is that they are inflexible authoritians who are nonetheless cowards when it comes to possible lawsuits. I see no reason to think any different now. If anything, the situation is much worse than when I was in high school.

[Least Favorite Albums]

Not really a fan of Byrd's New Perspective either. I'm also not crazy about Hill's Lift Every Voice, though I like it better than Perspective. (I guess it's 1969 and 1970, so just outside the frame as well.) There is something about wordless vocal parts (at least that's how I remember them) that I don't care for. For instance, I can't stand Thomas Bruckner, who often performs and records with Roscoe Mitchell. His presence completely ruined a recent performance for me. Similarly, I have learned to pass on Meredith Monk recordings.

Anyway, I do like Whistle Stop and Unit Structures of the ones mentioned above.

One other dog record just outside the parameters is Lou Donaldson Live at the Scorpion Club recorded live in 1970. Really almost nothing happening on this one.

Edit: Oh - it's Scorpion Live at the Cadillac Club.

[American Idol]

There is a lot of cruelty inherent in this show, and I don't care for that. I really wish they hadn't added the shows featuring the worst performances last season, since it just encouraged people to ASPIRE to be the next Hung just for exposure's sake. Still, it is pretty amazing that people get on and are sure they can sing when they can't. I have the self-awareness to know I would be awful trying to sing on stage. All things considered it is better than Fear Factor, and ultimately they are producing a few pop wonders who can actually sing rather than sing to a backing track. Still, I am glad that it appears the reality fad has peaked. Most of the new reality shows are getting very poor ratings.

[Ellington Indigos]

This may have been discussed a long-time ago, but anyway we all know that the Columbia CD 1989 issue of Indigos was pretty bad, only including the alternative take of Autumn Leaves and not the original. I do hope that we see this get a better US re-issue now that they have done Blues in Orbit and some other great re-issues.

Anyway, I had an opportunity to pick up the LP version fairly cheaply and did a burn for comparison's sake. My question is that The Sky Fell Down is mentioned prominently in the notes on the back cover (and is one of the tracks not included in the re-issue) but it is apparently not on this LP. Only eight tracks are listed on the LP and Sky Fell Down isn't there. Perhaps it is combined with another song, but I don't think so. Are the stereo and mono releases of this album that different to the point of different tracks? If so, I do hope that if Columbia re-issues this we get both versions.

[When did you first discover Mosaic?]

I found out about Mosaic when someone told me about the Andrew Hill set. Unfortunately it was OOP at the time (probably missed it by about a year before I got serious about collecting). I didn't see it show up too often on Ebay, and I started gathering up the OOP or import Hill and Hutcherson CDs via Ebay, only to later have to pass on several opportunities for the set (including some here). Oh well.

The first Mosaic I ever purchased was the Mobley set, though curiously it was the one I left in wrap the longest.

[2005 Connoisseurs]

It seems pretty well established that Mosaic is going to do a Select of Hutcherson's 70s work, so I would be surprised by a Conn

[Eric Alexander/Harold Mabern in Chicago]

Ok, well I will try to make that one. Sal and I have missed each other a few times, even though on at least one occasion we've both been at the same show.

[Spamalot coming to Broadway]

Well, we did brave the weather and went to see Eric Idle's new show Spamalot. We wondering if people would stay home since it was so hard to drive or even find a cab, but the theatre was pretty full. This is the last weekend of it's Chicago tryout, and it is heading to Broadway. My understanding is that the original run is already sold out, though it will probably be extended, since it is quite clear this will be a hit on about the same scale as the Producers. I broke down and went through the ticket brokers (legal scalpers), but it was worth it.

Here's some info. Spamalot Webpage

If you are a Python fan, you will enjoy it. No question.

Some parts are lifted directly from Holy Grail, but there is far more music, including many numbers that spoof Broadway conventions. The best is a song called "Where is the song that goes like this?" but there is another good song by the female lead called "What happened to my part?"

I can go into more details, but I would recommend it if you can find a way to go. I assume at some point it will do regional touring. We were lucky that the original cast was all there and not taking a break to save up energy for the last couple of Chicago performances. Tim Curry was great, as were Hank Azaria and David Hyde Pierce. I knew Curry could sing, but didn't know about the other two.

[NE Blizzard of 2005 (Part I?)]

I live near Lake Michigan and we got about a foot of snow, not quite as much if you lived further west. The most annoying thing was the snow kept falling all day, and there weren't nearly enough plows out. At least I get to take CTA and not have to worry about driving. But I had to travel north to shovel the sidewalks near my building, and I'll have to do it again tomorrow.

I was pretty surprised at how badly the merchants on Clark St. had shoveled the snow off in front of their stores, and far more places were closed than I expected. Seriously, this is Chicago, this happens nearly every winter.

Many years back I lived in the Portugeuse part of Newark. We got hit with a blizzard/ice storm you wouldn't believe. The whole state pretty much shut down (was this 93 ?) but the Portugeuse merchants had everything cleared off and open for business the next day. That's the way to do it.

[Eric Alexander/Harold Mabern in Chicago]

I haven't been able to make much live jazz recently, but I am hoping to make it to see this group at the Jazz Showcase, mostly to see Harold Mabern. I have most of his recordings on DIW, as well as the Prestige two-fers Wailin and A Few Miles from Memphis.

Feb3 - Feb. 6

ERIC ALEXANDER / HAROLD MABERN QUARTET WITH DENNIS CARROL (B) GEORGE FLUDAS (D)

Mostly likely I would make the Thursday show or the Sunday matinee. Let me know if interested.

[Larry Kart's jazz book]

Wow, this thread has gotten pretty far off track. I still haven't picked up the book but I probably will soon thanks to a Borders coupon. I did want to mention there is a very long and very positive review of the book in this week's Chicago Reader. I don't believe this is on-line (in the free section), but I didn't really look that hard. If it isn't on-line now, then in about a week, you can check the archive and order the article (for about $1).

[Oh never mind....]

I think you missed this line:

... like most reed musicians he is adept on the saxophone and his banjo

Yes, that ever popular triple threat -- clarinet, saxophone and banjo. I think there's a bootleg out there where Eric Dolphy and Buddy Collette trade 4s while switching instruments, finally culminating in DUELING BANJOs.

[French Movie Soundtrack reissues]

I did pick up the Smith at Dusty Groove. Not sure about the others, but am considering one or two. One of the CDs available is the soundtrack to Tati's Traffic. Any thoughts on that one? The film is definitely not his best, but I don't recall the soundtrack offhand.

[?Question for Chicagoans?]

The Showcase schedule for the next few months is posted over in Live Shows. The Empty Bottle is where most of the free jazz is. Vandermark seems to be playing there every other day some weeks (good or bad, depending on your tastes). Hothouse is a relatively new club in the South Loop. I like going there when I get a chance. The Velvet Lounge is on the South Side. It is a bar owned by Fred Anderson, who often joins the jams. This may be the one Freeman is at weekly, or it might be another one. Of course, the Jazz Record Mart often has a free in-store performance on the weekend. I've never made it to Andy's, so I can't speak to that. In a couple of weeks, I'll see what I can add.

[NBA 2004-2005]

How about some love for the Bulls? 7 wins in a row, including two come from behind victories against the Knicks. Last year's team would definitely have folded. I am astonished, but they are better than mediocre and actually have flashes of goodness. They should make the playoffs and maybe even get past the first round. And assuming that most the very young players return, they have a decent core to keep building upon.

[Clutterers Anonymous Quiz]

Yes to almost all above. Recently I did build two more bookcases -- one for books and one for CDs. I have managed to get all the CDs off the floor, so that was an accomplishment, but still stacks of paper everywhere.

The problem is that I do often go through old files or whatever, but I don't know what I will want later on. And it is often over a year since I used it, but now I need it (so the advice to throw out anything you don't use in a year isn't very helpful). The worst is that I started backing things up digitally, then discovered that the CD I burned didn't work (either the master or the backup). Well, fortunately I hadn't yet thrown out the material I was backing up, so this only further confirms my packrat tendencies.

I think I should declare my home office an archive and apply for preservation funds.

[Great Finds (CD version)]

Ok, hopefully I'll get my CDs through Walmart (currently they only ship to the US).

One was Clark Terry's Daylight Express, which seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.

Second was John Lewis with Sacha Distel on Afternoon in Paris, which also seems to be OOP. Dusty Groove thinks it will get some of these in, but who knows. I thought I might as well liberate a copy from Walmart.

A completely different kind of find just turned up. The Borders on North Michigan Ave. in Chicago has the Duke Ellington Complete RCA box (the 24 CD box) locked behind glass. I was awfully surprised to see one, since I thought they had all vanished. I got one a while back, but somebody out there must want one. I suspect they would ship it anywhere in the US and maybe Canada. Or maybe if I get a 20% off coupon, I'd pick it up and send it off to Ebay. But I'm giving you all a week or so head's up if you really, really want it.

[Great Finds (CD version)]

Just found Wilen's New York Romance for $8 at a fairly lousy used CD store (the jazz section is nearly all Kenny G, Harry Connick, Jr., Chet Baker Sings, etc.) Not a supa supa rare CD, but not easy to come by.

Down in Hyde Park last week, I found the following:

Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims $12 (TOJC)

Walter Davis Davis Cup $12 (TOJC)

Fred Jackson Hootin and Tootin $15

Not steals, but these are pretty seriously OOP, so I was happy to pay up.

Based on another thread, I discovered that Walmart actually has quite a few OOP CDs (not surprisingly they have no idea the value of what's in stock). If my orders go through, I'll come back and tip you off. One that I don't need from them is Elvin Jones Dear John C for $14, which seems reasonable.

[10 Organ Records You Must Own To Post Here]

I really don't have much by McDuff, but I do enjoy Down Home Style, which I picked up a while ago.

[New Year's Resolutions]

I used to resolve to be more patient, but that never worked out too well. I don't even bother anymore.

I do resolve to go to the gym more, and hopefully in the process lose some weight.

Turn my dissertation into a book (or at the least have it under contract by the end of the year)

Give as much to charity as I spend on CDs and DVDs. Books don't count, since they are part of my "job." This one will probably be the toughest to keep, though I am doing ok so far ...

[2004/05 Bowl Games]

I know I should feel bad for Michigan, but I don't. 

Is it that Michigan State - University of Michigan rivalry? It reminds me of a much more intense version of the U.C.L.A. - U.S.C. rivalry that raged, at least when I was a kid.

My take is that there some great rivalries in the Big 10, but that for Michigan, they focus more on the MI-Ohio State rivalry, and Michigan State feels left out, like a kid brother. (They think MI-Michigan State should be the real rivalry.) Of course, I went to Michigan, so I know which one really counts.

I didn't watch the game, but Michigan seems to be well on its way of continuing its tradition of making it to the Rose Bowl, then choking. I can only recall actually watching them win once, though they must have done a bit better than that.

[East meets west]

Bumping this up. I just purchased the LP re-issue of East Meets West (not as good a deal as our friend ericaffron unfortunately). Anyway, I am enjoying this. It's quite short, and I paired it with Cannonball's Accent on Africa (another really unusual set) on a CDR. I think I'll have another spin to focus on the "Western" musicians, Golson, Griffin and Morgan, and to see what they are doing.

Edit: Dusty Groove had at least one more copy of East Meets West for under $10 (can't recall which pressing) if anyone is interested.

I didn't care as much for Jazz Sahara, though I'll listen to it again soon. I thought Griffin kind of disappeared on most of the music. I do like the Prestige Two-fer Jazz Sounds of Africa which collects The Music of Ahmed Abdul-Malik and Sounds of Africa. I think I was probably turned onto this in the first place by an earlier thread.

[What vinyl are you spinning right now??]

Woody Shaw -- Stepping Stones

[Hank Jones Meets Cheick Tidiane Seck]

Apparently it also goes by the title Sarala and is not that rare, so no need to take orders. I'd still like to know if it is worth acquiring out though. Thanks.

Sarala on Half.com