Mark Stryker

Explain the Cardinal hatred to me. Tony "Genius" LaRussa is gone. Is it a style or arrogance? Is it based on the INF fly call by the ump (there's been little mention of the timeout-strikeout-HR-next-pitch except by Chipper post game). Is it just the winning a WS from the wild card position last year and winning another title too soon too? Is it that they have the most titles by a NL team, thus are Yankees Senior Circuit? I'm genuinely curious as other than from Cub fans I'm not well acquainted with Cardinal-hatred from a national perspective. I do understand getting screwed by the umps because of Denkinger, or the team that broke your heart being hated. Well, I am a "recovered" Cubs fan, so my Cardinal hatred was nurtured from the time I was about 13. The most NL titles is a factor, the entitlement of fans too. Now, having said all that, I kind of liked some things about LaRussa and I was on some level just making a joke using the Cardinals to piggyback on Jim's post. My only truly unconditional hatred is for the Yankees ...

You know, one of the great things about baseball is the way it unites us as a people. For instance, those of us on this board may have wildly different opinions about the ultimate aesthetic value of Wynton Marsalis, Keith Jarrett, David Murrary, Joshua Redman, Sonny Stitt, Fred Hersch, Eric Alexander and God knows who else. But at least we can all come together in mutual hatred of the Cardinals and Yankees.

Larry -- thanks for fuller explanation, though I remain unconvinced and agree with Big Wheel's 2:46 a.m. post. Allen -- suggest rereading Ross' piece, especially the last three paragraphs as they relate to Wagner's influence on Hitler and the historical record. No one is arguing that Hitler didn't love Wagner, but to draw a direct line between Wagner and the Holocaust is in effect to argue "No Wagner=no Holocaust." Is that your position? I don't believe that for a minute. There was virulent anti-semitism in Germany before Wagner and the intellectual justification that evolved for Nazism came from many sources.

I corrected the spellings above (a result of haste) -- thanks for the professional copy editing. This line confused me: "That Wagnerism in one form or another cast a very wide social net in the late 19th Century is obvious, but I think that the breadth of his musical and social influence ought not to be used, a I think Alex Ross did by citing Herzl, to suggest that Wagner himself, in this one particular area of his thought, necessarily was a figure of comparable (i.e. comparable to his influence) breadth, complexity, or, if you will, diffuseness." Can you clarify? Finally, I would say that as a Jew myself I also worked through these issues in a personal way. I avoided the music for a long time for reasons more political than not, but found eventually as I was learning the classical canon, that I had gone backward from the late 20th Century and forward from the 17th Century and suddenly there was this gigantic hole with a "W" on it in between the two stands of history and the only way to link them up was to deal with Wagner. Interestingly, in my house, my wife (a gentile, though she would prefer "heathen") can't listen to Wagner because of the anti-semitism and all the rest; but I can and do listen, though not all that often, but that's a matter of taste -- I prefer the Italians. To clarify my use of the word hypocrite -- I am not calling any individual in Israel who prefers not to hear Wagner a hypocrite; but I do think it's hypocritical for a society -- or at the least disengenuous -- to draw such arbitrary and inconsistent lines when it comes to the ban. We can't hear the music in the concert hall, but it's ok on the radio and TV? And by what logic is "Ride of the Valkyries" offensive when an orchestra plays it live but it's not offensive when heard as a cell phone ring?

I read the final citation less as an attempted definitive last word on the issue than a final ironic confirmation of how ellusive the meaning of Wagner remains and as a comment on the reductive cliches that inform too much discussion around a figure comprised of so many complexities and contradictions. I completely understand that there are some in Israel (or anywhere) for whom Wagner has horrific allusions and they should not have to listen to the music if they don't want to. But I do find the ban on his music in Israel laced with so many inconsistencies and hypocracies that it doesn't make sense.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/09/the-case-for-wagner-in-israel.html I thought this was a compelling piece and spot-on. For what it's worth, I interviewed Barenboim in late 2001 shortly after the incident mentioned in Ross' piece. Here's a little bit more about it drawn from my own story from Barenboim's perspective. Israel Festival officials in Jerusalem asked Barenboim not to play Wagner with the Berlin Staatskapelle orchestra. Depending upon whom you believe, Barenboim may or may not have acquiesced. But he surprised everyone at the end of the concert by asking the audience directly if it wanted to hear Wagner. After a contentious half-hour debate -- during which about 50 people left out of 1,000 -- the orchestra played the "Prelude and Liebestod" from "Tristan und Isolde." "We finished, and the whole audience gave us a standing ovation," says Barenboim. "I left the stage feeling that everything had been very harmonious." But Barenboim's actions ignited a firestorm the next day, drawing condemnations and accusations of insensitivity from festival officials and politicians. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said it was "perhaps too early" to play the music, given its Nazi entanglements. Barenboim vehemently cites the democratic ideal of free expression and notes that patrons were warned in advance and had the option of leaving. He also points out that Wagner's operas are heard on the radio in Israel and that some cell phones are programmed to play Wagner tunes when they ring.

FWIW, my twin brother studied with Danko at Eastman within the last 10-13 years and says Scientology never came up in any conversation or any context, even casually. My brother was not aware of any previous connection to Scientology, not that he (Danko) might not have been into it at some point. Coda 1: I've always really liked Danko's work. In addition to several of the Steeplchase records with Rich Perry that Larry alludes to, I can recommend the duet record with Kirk Lightsey, "Shorter By Two" (Wayne Shorter rep) http://www.amazon.com/Shorter-By-Two-Harold-Danko/dp/B0000035XG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348601968&sr=8-1&keywords=harold+danko+and+kirk+lightsey He also sounds good on the late '70s Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Quartet date on Artist House -- though the real reason to get this is Thad, who sounds fantastic. So original, so fresh, so alive, so witty. Coda 2. Konitz addresses Scientology in the "Conversations" book, starting on page 1997 http://books.google.com/books?id=pc4CsgVHLw0C&pg=PA197&lpg=PA197&dq=konitz+and+scientology&source=bl&ots=g54RIIclgv&sig=ArE12xM8_ei94m2dRQ2YT8pMWGA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jA1iUObjJ4mo0AGIq4DgDA&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=konitz%20and%20scientology&f=false

Dixon left after the 5th season, replaced by Kenneth Washington who played a different character, Army Air Corp Sergeant Richard Baker. Details at wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogan's_Heroes#Staff_Sergeant_Kinchloe

I saw this as a kid on TV and never forgot it. God bless, youtube. Interesting that they get all the lingo right, though Hogan plays 8 bars up front rather than four. Bob Crane could clearly plays drums and I assume the scene was written to allow him a chance to play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeGxE5K9djs

Whoa, that is one cool factoid! Never realized this before.

Thanks for posting. Have never seen this poem before. What book or collection is it from? (I moderated a panel a few years ago in Detroit that Spellman was on -- very smart man. )

I love this record -- one of my favorites of all-time. But I wouldn't link the aesthetic or the sound with '70s soul-jazz at all. The first side is quintessential progressive BN -- a cousin to records being led by Herbie, Wayne, JoeHen, Rivers, Jackie, LaRoca, etc. --codifying what became the contemporary post-bop mainstream in terms of a language rooted in the tradition but pushing ahead --open harmonic structures that mix modal ideas with sophisticated harmony, a looser approach to rhythm, highly interactive rhythm sections, soloists aware of the avant-garde and incomporating some ideas without abandoning swing, blues, etc. Related: Herbie and Hutcherson -- one of the great hookups. Looking for ways of playing free within structure ...

That's probably what I remembered. I suspect it'll come back to me out of the recesses of the brain folds. When it does I'll let you know. I even told some people in back of me the name of the tune on Sunday. Boy am I glad I bought a vip pass for Sunday after the horror of trying to hear Corea & Burton at that stage the night before. I should have just stayed at the Goldings-Bernstein-Stewart gig, which I left after 2 tunes. On Sunday I had 5th row center seats for the Shorter tribute and the Shorter quartet. Donny McCaslin was by far the surprise highlight of the big band set. Putting a Chick and Gary duo on the big stage to close a big night was, I think, a rookie mistake by new artistic director Chris Collins who, in fact, did an exceptionally good job in most respects. But Chick/Gary was too intimate for the number of people who would not be able get into the "bowl" on a busy Saturday night. In that particular time slot and location you need something with more volume and pop.

I recognized the melody of the tune at the time but could not place the title. I asked Geoff Keezer who I was standing next to what it was and he couldn't place it either. It wasn't "Once in a While," though, curiously, that's the ballad Sonny Rollins played Friday night. Hope you had a great time. I think this is the best jazz festival in the country. I'll post links to my other reviews sometime today, and if I find out the name of the tune, I'll post.

Thanks. Those records are on my radar but didn't have room to mention everything. When I expand this piece for my book, they'll be a more thorough look at the discography ...

Lnng profile in today's paper. Don't get thrown by the embedded videos -- story keeps going just below them. http://www.freep.com/article/20120826/ENT04/308260081/Legendary-jazz-trumpeter-Marcus-Belgrave-has-the-music-in-him?odyssey=nav|head

Other than as part of the Mosaic Select box, has Curtis Amy's "Way Down" (Pacific Jazz ST-46), recorded 1/29/62 and 2/5/62 ever been issued on CD?

Isn't "I was young and stupid" the opening line of the lyric on "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love." No, wait, it's "I was young and carefree."

Thanks all. Best chat board in all of Internet-dom ...

Gang, Can anyone tell what the original issue of this recording was called? Assume it's "Pre-Bird" but have seen enough other references that I want to be sure. Thanks. Charles Mingus - Gunther Schuller Orchestra Marcus Belgrave, Ted Curson, Hobart Dotson, Clark Terry, Richard Williams (tp) Eddie Bert, Charles Greenlee, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Knepper (tb) Don Butterfield (tu) Robert DiDomenica (fl) Harry Shulman (ob) John LaPorta (as, cl) Eric Dolphy (as, bcl, fl) Bill Barron, Joe Farrell (ts) Yusef Lateef (ts, fl) Danny Bank (bars) Charles McCracken (vlc) Roland Hanna (p) Charles Mingus (b, arr) Dannie Richmond (d) Sticks Evans, Max Roach, George Scott (per) Gunther Schuller (cond) NYC, May 24, 1960 20093 Half-Mast Inhibition Mercury MG 20627 20094 Mingus Fingus, No. 2 - 20095 Bemoanable Lady - 20096 Yusef Isef Too unissued * Mercury MG 20627, SR 60627, (J) PHCE 6006 Charles Mingus - Pre-Bird = Limelight LM 82015, LS 86015 Charles Mingus - Mingus Revisited

Don't have time today for a full Weather Report discussion but thought I'd add that in a fire, the two records I'm grabbing first are "Mysterious Traveller" and "Sweetnighter." Never saw the band live, but would have really liked to have heard them in late '72 and '73 -- sometimes the transitions are more thrilling than perhaps the more aesthetically consistent, polished poles on either side.

Hey, some good early Marcus Belgrave on there ...

Concord reissued the four Ray Charles jazz albums issued on Impulse, Tangerine and Crossover as a 2 CD set a couple of years ago and this is what the personnel for Jazz II says: Ray Charles - Leader, piano and the Ray Charles orchestra, including: Johnny Coles, Blue Mitchell (tpt) James Clay, Andrew Ennis, David Newman, Don Wilkerson (ts) Leroy Cooper (bars) Edgar Willis (b) Ernest Ely (d) Arrangements by: Alf Clausen (#2,5) Teddy Edwards (#4,7) Jimmy Heath (#6) Roger Neumann (#1,3) I've always thought I could hear Teddy Edwards on his two tunes. MG Thanks. Seems to be some confusion among some sources. This site offers a "correction" according to a trombonist on the date: http://raycharlesvideomuseum.blogspot.com/2010/02/jazz-number-ii.html I just picked up the LP yesterday and have not been able to listen yet, but I got it because I had seen a discography that said Marcus Belgrave was on it. I'm seeing Marcus later today and will ask him about it. I'll also have a chance to listen in a bit and check the aural evidence. Thank you Mark - that's a much more persuasive personnel list than what Concord published. If you do see Marcus, ask him if he remembers if Teddy Edwards played. MG Well, my ears told me Marcus is playing at least some of the trumpet solos, and he confirmed today that he's on the record, though he doesn't think he played all of the solos. I had brought it along to have him listen to identify certain things more specifically, but his turntable wasn't working so that will have to wait. In any case, it appears that the personnel listed on the website is correct, though I didn't go through it man by man with him. He did say that he does not believe that Teddy Edwards played at all on the session. The record was made in 1971 either right before or right after a tour that Marcus had rejoined for (as he did from time to time, for a short run of gigs, or a special festival reunion or maybe a TV spot or something similar.)

Hmm. Never noticed that before but then I haven't studied those records in depth and know the music only casually. But I'll ask Marcus Belgrave about this when I have the chance. Well, according to Marcus, he was aware that the band played sharp in relation to the piano but it wasn't anything they consciously decided to do. He more or less thinks it was just an outgrowth of some of the lead players in the group and where they put the pitch and then everybody went with it. Once it ended up being part of the sound of the band, it kinda stuck. He did say, there was a point when the band was pretty loose about pitch and ensemble but he started bringing a tape recorder around to gigs and when the cats started hearing the nightly gig tapes, they tightened up quickly. As I think about it, I wonder if the fact that the band typically played a 30-40 minute set before Ray would come out. Since that would have been without piano, perhaps that accounts for the pitch not centering on the piano as a guide. Marcus also said, Ray in those days typically started his part of the show by playing alto ...

Concord reissued the four Ray Charles jazz albums issued on Impulse, Tangerine and Crossover as a 2 CD set a couple of years ago and this is what the personnel for Jazz II says: Ray Charles - Leader, piano and the Ray Charles orchestra, including: Johnny Coles, Blue Mitchell (tpt) James Clay, Andrew Ennis, David Newman, Don Wilkerson (ts) Leroy Cooper (bars) Edgar Willis (b) Ernest Ely (d) Arrangements by: Alf Clausen (#2,5) Teddy Edwards (#4,7) Jimmy Heath (#6) Roger Neumann (#1,3) I've always thought I could hear Teddy Edwards on his two tunes. MG Thanks. Seems to be some confusion among some sources. This site offers a "correction" according to a trombonist on the date: http://raycharlesvideomuseum.blogspot.com/2010/02/jazz-number-ii.html I just picked up the LP yesterday and have not been able to listen yet, but I got it because I had seen a discography that said Marcus Belgrave was on it. I'm seeing Marcus later today and will ask him about it. I'll also have a chance to listen in a bit and check the aural evidence.