Pete C

If you get depressed by other people's success you need to either: a) Stop seeking "success" as in fame or monetary reward (you're already a success in the most important sense) b) Take up Zen Buddhism or something like it* or C) all of the above I used to want to be famous, and got pissed off at undeserved "success." Now I don't want to be famous and I don't give a shit about anybody else's success (except to be happy when friends and those I admire achieve it). *I'm not a Buddhist, but one might call me a Zen atheist.

I can't think of a better scat singer currently working.

If one is ever in Philly, check out the Sendak collection at the Rosenbach Museum. They also have his friend Marianne Moore's Greenwich Village living room reconstructed in the museum.

So, when's the main hinting event?

So, I just listened to this, and I'd say it's superior to Teddy's studio recordings. All the voice, all the energy.

Good Will Hunting Hunter S. Thompson Ron Hunt

Actually, her name is Ana Isabel Ordonez, but her business is called Ruby Flower Productions.

I'm pretty sure the noise was a combination of warring factions. FWIW, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Coltrane

Ross Russell Busty Russell Jane Russell

Yeah, I have those two too. Some of you may remember that Horst Jankowski had a cheesy mid-'60s instrumental hit, "A Walk in the Black Forest." I was not previously aware of the Jazz Unlimited/Storyville connection. Of course, some of credit for the super-charged atmosphere of the Paris set can go to the warring Parisians in the house.

Barnett Newman Newman Kramer

Time to listen to some James P. john-SON.

Can I assume his first name is pronounced SEE-mone. Guys, I don't know where you get this sort of information from. i-VA-nov is not impossible theoretically, but would be a very unusual last name in Russia. John gets it straight from the source.

I always say NAB-a-tov, but I'll bet it's properly pronounced na-BA-tov.

Fishbone

Is that another one of your out of the blue conjectures, or do you have evidence? When I saw Ornette's wacky interview I'm sure he was just being Ornette, not putting on the interviewer.

Chico Buarque rarely performs, especially since he became a novelist too, and I don't remember him ever coming to NYC since I was aware of him. But I was lucky to catch him in London, at the Albert Hall in 1999. He was part of a big benefit show for Brazilian street kids that featured Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Chico, Gal Costa, Elza Soares and Virginia Rodrigues, along with 2 London-based samba groups and Georgie Fame! And the night before I saw John Hurt do Krapp's Last Tape. Amazingly, this Telegraph review of the concert doesn't even mention Chico: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4718941/Sultry-and-satisfying.html

Society's Child Janice Ian Ian Fleming

Emma Lazarus Lazarus The Grateful Dead

Jackson do Pandeiro Jackson Town Girl Robert Nighthawk

Beryl Booker Booker Ervin Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Not to mention the early '50s. http://obscureblackhistory.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/brown-blondes-of-show-business/

I think that's the best choice. Some beautiful songs. I've been a voracious listener of Brazilian music for 30 years, and am studying Portuguese in preparation for a November trip to Brazil. In the last 8 years I've been getting a lot into the post-Ben funk from some of the Trama Records artists, and artists in the same circle, like Wilson Simoninha, Max de Castro, Paula Lima, Toni Garrido. And Seu Jorge is probably one of the hottest guys in Brazil and internationally these days. I also love Maria Rita's albums--she's doing a Mother's Day free concert in Rio of her mother's (Elis Regina) repertoire. I think a lot of the Brazilian funk artists as well as singers like Joyce show up at the Jazz Cafe in London from time to time. Anybody in the UK should know about this year's Back2Black festival: http://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=13328

I'd say there are two essential Chico Buarque albums to start with, though there are many more good ones. Construcao, which is one of his most adventurous, and Meus Caros Amigos, which has a number of his best known songs, great melodies (but unfortunately is hard to find). Also check out the Lumiar songbooks for lots of great singers doing his material. I'm not as big on Lobo, so no suggestions, though Chico & he did several projects together. Well, just realized that I was responding to a 4-year-old query. Has Alaide Costa been mentioned? I put her in the same class as Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Amalia Rodrigues & Cesaria Evora, if you know what I mean...

Willie and the Poor Boys Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys Jake and the Family Jewels