Kevin Bresnahan

I think a lot of the confusion over Billy Harper still being a member of The Cookers stemmed from the fact that many (most?) of the band pictures used on Facebook were older ones from when Billy was a member. I know that I was surprised when I saw one of them, thinking, "Billy's back with the band"? If you saw any of the initial posts, Billy simply clarified that he was no longer a member of the band. When he kept getting called out it by several people, he then posted his thoughts on it. I don't think he planned to get so involved in this but people wouldn't leave him out.

I'm hearing that The Cookers cancelled as well. It sounds like most artists are bailing.

Posted over on the Steve Hoffman forums: Downbeat Magazine, 1966 In a surprise move, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson abruptly quit the Horace Silver Quintet in the midst of the group's performance before a Saturday night crowd at San Francisco's Jazz Workshop on April 2, 1966. Silver told Down Beat that the tenorist's reported reason for leaving was that drummer Roger Humphries' playing "was thwarting his solos." The pianist's group finished the Saturday night and played the following afternoon and evening performances as a quartet. Altoist Frank Strozier, who was "borrowed" from the Shelly Manne group in Los Angeles, substituted for Henderson through Silver's April 10 closing. The pianist, who said he did not plan to bring union charges against Henderson, indicated he would add a new sideman upon returning to New York City. Silver said he had no intimation Henderson was planning to leave, though the tenor saxophonist had asked the leader for a three-month leave of absence to form a recording group some months earlier. At that time, Silver refused on the grounds that by the time a replacement was taught the group's library, Henderson would be due to return. Asked then if he wished to leave, Henderson elected to remain.

I've played that one 4 or 5 times this year. It's a favorite in our house as is Nat King Cole's "A Christmas Song". I have both of these titles audiophile SACDs .

I'm giving this one another spin before the holiday season moves onto next year...

The OJC CD of "Olio" is going for crazy money these days. It's good but not that good.

I was all set to pick this up but then saw that there were no Christmas songs played that night.

Cued up for Christmas Eve eve dinner... Disc 2 of

I just learned from a Jim Alfredson Facebbok post that George Howard passed away at the age of 100. Jim brought George into his home studio in 2017 to record "How It's Done", Howard's first recording - undertaken at the age of 92! It is a great CD and I'm glad Jim convinced George to do it. Lansing's City Pulse did a story on the session: https://lansingcitypulse.com/stories/oh-yeah-george,2650 Here's George's obit: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/george-howard-obituary?id=60161751 I'm going to give this CD a spin again. discogs link: https://www.discogs.com/release/34602784-George-Howard-How-Its-Done

Violinist Michael Urbaniak has died two days after a fall. He was 82. https://tvpworld.com/90673082/a-huge-loss-polish-jazz-legend-michal-urbaniak-dies-aged-82

Next up is a long time favorite in our house - The Carpenters "Christmas Portrait - The Special Edition". I've never managed to find a copy of the early version of this CD released in Germany in 1985 with the music as originally released before Richard Carpenter re-mixed them.

My daughter's favorite Christmas artist is playing now... Her version of "Grown Up Christmas List" is probably the best one out there.

I saw Jane Monheit perform her Christmas show at Jimmy's in Portsmouth, NH last night. She did a nice job. I finally broke down and bought the download of Joey D's Christmas release. Good stuff.

It's time to lock this before it gets too political.

Which is why Jim A. is pretty much OK with it being closed. You know that he hates doing that here.