Kevin Bresnahan

Being retired has the added advantage of allowing you to travel and see weekday shows. In the past, if I wanted to drive down to New York City to see a show, I'd have to do it on a weekend, when the hotel prices are much higher. Now, I can head down on a Tuesday, see a few shows and head back Thursday.

It's funny you mention listening booths... Stereo Jacks' Jack Woker @Stereojack used to play records I was thinking about buying if I asked nicely enough. Usually, I only asked to see if a scratch was audible, but I seem to remember a couple of times when Jack said, "Put it on and see for yourself", if he recommended something & I wasn't sure.

I would never go there. The fun of looking through the used record bins is finding something you didn't know existed. On top of that, condition is key. A record store can have a title I've wanted for years but if it's in terrible condition, I'm not buying it. Many years ago, there was a record store in Massachusetts that wouldn't let you look at the condition of their records. If they saw you sliding a record out of the sleeve, they would kick you out. I was in that store for about 2 minutes before I saw them kick someone out. I walked out right behind him.

When you go to check out, you have to check a box agreeing to this... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I agree to the following policy DINNER POLICY: I understand that all 7 p.m. & 9 p.m. shows at Smoke are dinner shows. Dinner shows require a minimum purchase of at least one entree per person, which will be billed to me at the end of the performance. Each ticket is valid for one show only. All attendees must exit promptly upon the conclusion of the music set. I acknowledge that the minimum purchase during 10:30 p.m. sets is $20 per person. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I used to do that when I went to Smoke but since they became a "Supper Club", you have to buy an entree at the 7:00 or 9:00 sets. Apparently, some artists do a 10:30 set that doesn't require the purchase of an entree but Branford Marsalis isn't doing a 10:30 set.

On Facebook, Cary Baker is friends with Scott Yanow & I'm friends with Scott, so I asked him to ask Cary. I feel like I'm playing the Kevin Bacon game.

It is a great club to catch a show but since the renovation, it has gotten very expensive. Post-renovation, they've re-dubbed themselves as a "supper club" and they require each patron to order an entree. A cheeseburger is one of their cheaper entrees at $32. This entree requirement is even in effect for the 9:00 shows, which really doesn't work for me. I can't eat that late at night or I don't sleep well. BTW, I looked into going to one of those Branford Marsalis shows but the tickets are $125/person. So if I wanted to bring my wife for a set, I am looking at ~$400 for one set. That's just too much. But, to be honest, as expensive as Smoke has become, I live near an even more expensive Jazz club in Portsmouth, NH - Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club. Maybe expensive Jazz clubs is a new thing?

I saw Dawson quite a bit and I never saw him play the vibes live. He was quite a tasteful drummer. You knew you were in for a good night of Jazz when you saw him in the drum chair.

I saw the lineup for this date and thought, "Wow, this is going to be great". But it wasn't really that great. I was pretty disappointed, to be honest.

I was lucky to have attended several concerts with Greg & Phil up on the stage. Great shows, even with Phil operating a little hindered due to his emphysema that required oxygen while playing.

This is Jim’s wife posting on his Facebook page.., >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Dear all, I can not begin to express how touched and overwhelmed I have been by the love, energy and prayers you sent my way and all of the Rotondi family and close friends. We are all absolutely devastated and broken-hearted. I have been unable to reply to the hundreds of posts, pictures and messages you sent but rest assured I am and will be reading each and every one of them. They sure help me go through this awful and atrocely unexpected turmoil. Many of you are wondering how Jim passed and I feel I do owe the truth to his friends and fans. Jim collapsed in my arms in our home in France on Sunday early in the evening. He had a massive heart attack and eventually died at the hospital a few hours later. He was never alone and surrounded by love and incredibly competent and benevolent doctors. We started our life together as people do in movies : Jim was a traveling musician with an already well-established international career as a jazz soloist, I was a woman in my 20s born and bred in Central France fresh off college listening to rock and roll. We had nothing in common but it was love at first sight and we could never leave each other’s side. I just knew he was a precious soul from the first minute I met him. We surfed through the ocean of life together for 22 years, went through wonderful moments as well as hard losses but we were strong together and that’s all that mattered. And just like in movies, we ended our life together on this earth saying “I love you ” in an ambulance… Jim offered me an extraordinary life, a life like they show only in movies…full of surprises, travels, I grew up with him, he introduced me to a wonderful world, filled with people and musicians extraordinaires. I owe him absolutely everything. He supported me in each and everything. He was a driving force, a tremendously hard-working musician, a mentor to many, a faithful friend, a stunning composer, a wonderful husband. I never heard him say anything negative about anyone, he always focused on the positive, he was such a classy person with a sharp sense of humor. I could go on and on and on… The only thing I will not forgive him about is that he left us way too soon and left this incredible void. Jim’s heart failed him and he left me, and many of you, with a broken heart. Thank you all for your love and support, they mean the world to me, Julie

They should just call releases like this, “Gotta Claim The Copyright”. 😀😀

I am on vacation down in Delaware so I posted this from my cell phone and missed that I didn’t use quotes. I edited this to reflect Julie’s Facebook post. I never thought anyone would quote my post that way.

Announced by his wife Julie on Facebook: “Dear all, this is with immense sadness that I have to tell you all that Jim passed away last night. He was the love of my life and his music the love of many of you. Please send light his way, his wife Julie.” He was only 61. I have seen Jim play live probably more than any other trumpeter. He was a good guy to chat with too. I'm going to miss seeing & hearing him up on that stage.

They actually record at Mezzrow? I went there for the first time in April and I couldn't believe how tiny that place is. I bet the seating in the tiny area where the band plays seats about 35 tightly-packed people. I had to stand out in the back for a couple of shows because I didn't get there early enough. This is the hall leading to that room and it's where I had to stand for a few shows.

Well, at least I'm testing negative but man, did I feel terrible last night. This cough just won't go away. Does Covid rebound 6 weeks later?

I believe Blue Note owns a share of the company. At this point, I imagine Scott Wenzel & Fred Putsey are running it after Michael passed away but I have no idea what was done regarding corporate ownership. Maybe Michael's wife Lisa owns it now?

7 new alternate takes and one previously unissued tune, titled "Photon In A Paper World" from the "Spiral" session.

It took almost 6 weeks, but my cough is almost gone. Still get a bit at night but nothing like it was a few weeks ago. I just went to a wedding last weekend. I hope no one there had it.

That's a rather dumb idea for a series then. This is a CD. If they want "original" then it has to be an LP release. Once you talk about a CD reissue, all efforts at being original are moot.

I've been using this website for about 6 months now and it's been working OK for me. https://imgur.com/upload

I don't know what Kellogg's cards were like in the mid-80s. Most of mine were from the late 60s to early 70s and they all had that 3D simulating ribbed plastic coat. I used to eat a ton of Raison Bran during the baseball season back then. I can't believe the money these things are going for today. There's a cracked 1974 Nolan Ryan card on eBay that is listed for $630. Wow. I'm sure I had one of those.

My Facebook friend, flutist Jamie Baum, posted that pianist Richie Beirach is having medical issues that are preventing him from playing/working. She linked to a Go Fund Me page that is raising funds to help him get by & pay off his medical bills. I'm a bit surprised to read that he has such large medical bills. I've read that he lives in Germany these days and for some reason, I have been under the impression that Germany has socialized medicine that would prevent this from happening. Live & learn.

Any Kellogg card must be valuable because they never stayed in any sort of mint condition. They had a thick plastic coat to give it a 3D affect and that plastic always curled with age and eventually cracked and fell off. I tried keeping one flat using a book and years later when I opened the book to check on it, it wasn't curled, but it was still cracked. I used to have several whole series of those Kellogg cards from my youth but I got rid of them a long time ago. Me & my brother actually sold our whole baseball card collection when the market peaked about 20 years ago. I certainly don't miss storing those huge boxes whenever I moved.

I wonder why Verve reissued this and dropped the extra track ("I Remember Clifford") found on the first CD release from Germany. That is the one I have.