mjzee

Sonny Rollins: No Problem Easy Living Old Flames Here's To The People Love At First Sight Don't Ask Global Warming Dancing In The Dark Falling in Love With Jazz Sunny Days Starry Nights Don't Stop The Carnival The Solo Album Jazzstars in Concert Maceo Parker - Roots and Grooves

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_9858899 Area has rich musical tradition By Ray Hogan Staff Writer Stamford Advocate Article Launched:07/12/2008 02:41:42 AM EDT When Roy Haynes headlines the Norwalk Jazz Festival in Veterans Memorial Park today, audience members will experience a living legend with a historic link to the music that few living musicians possess. The drummer's career has placed him with some of the music's greatest innovators during periods of crucial growth in jazz. From Lester Young's cool swing in the 1940s to Charlie Parker's hand in inventing bebop in the 1950s to John Coltrane's spiritual explorations in the 1960s, Haynes' resume traces the history of modern jazz. That he remains a powerhouse drummer at 83 serves as an exclamation point to a blessed career. After attracting just 550 people to last year's inaugural festival, organizers have been beating the drum to draw a larger crowd today. The future of jazz in the area may not entirely be at stake, but the past is certainly hard to live up to. Though many of the giants of jazz are gone, the music continues as a living history and tradition. Two Stamford men have placed themselves in the middle of jazz music's ongoing evolution. Perhaps fittingly, they have been friends since childhood. Drummer Joe Corsello has a full resume dating to the 1970s that includes stints with Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, Gerry Mulligan and Marian McPartland. His career was balanced with 22 years as a Stamford police officer beginning in 1980. Michael Cuscuna, a former producer, radio show host and journalist, co-founded Mosaic Records, the premier reissue label for jazz collections, specializing in complete box sets of renowned and overlooked artists. He founded the company in 1980 and it has been operated out of the same Waterside location since 1989. He was a primary source on Ken Burns' "Jazz" PBS series in 2001. Corsello and Cuscuna frequented New York City clubs together as students, at a time when an 18-year-old drinking age meant 15-year-olds were allowed to enter. "It was easy, safe and cheap to get into New York," Cuscuna said. "I used to see Coltrane 10, 11, 12 times a year. With Coltrane, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison, the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. It was as great as any experience in life has been." Cuscuna's first exposure to the music came as a young drummer. He bought Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa records for the drum solos but began to appreciate the rest of the music. Corsello's father, Tony, a guitarist in the Sammy Kaye Orchestra, took him to Rich's Three Gables (now Seaside Tavern) to see Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Burrell. Corsello took jazz courses at Rippowam High School and went on to attend the Berklee College of Music. "Jazz gave us a passion that shaped us for what we were going to do with our lives," Cuscuna said. "My wife is an artist, and we both knew at 12 what was driving us and what we were going to do with our lives." Cuscuna fondly remembers hanging out at Economy Music at the end of Summer Street. "They had sheet music, records," he said. "We'd spend hours there talking about records. There was that kind of scene." Southwestern Fairfield County has never been a jazz hotbed - its proximity to New York, the jazz capital of the world, won't allow it. "The problem with Stamford as a city - and some of this has been overcome - is that everyone hops in a car or hops on a train to see the real thing," Cuscuna said. "The availability of so much in New York means nothing will ever really get going." However, the Stamford-Norwalk area plays into jazz history more than one might expect. Benny Goodman lived in Stamford and is buried at Long Ridge Union Cemetery. Hard-bop pianist Horace Silver was born in Norwalk. Cool pianist Dave Brubeck has long called Wilton home. Guitarist John Scofield was born in Wilton. Saxophonist Gerry Mulligan died at his Rowayton home in 1996. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson and his family hosted benefit jazz concerts in Stamford and Norwalk for almost 40 years beginning in 1963. At those concerts, starting as a teenager, Corsello provided the beat for Gillespie, Bill Evans, Ella Fitzgerald and Silver. "I don't know if something like that will happen again," said Corsello, who will perform today in Norwalk as part of the Ralph Lalama Quartet with Nicole Pasternak. "It's so tough today. They can have a high school band, and the kids and their parents don't even support it." Along with Haynes, Sonny Rollins is another of the music's living legends. Referred to as "The Titan of Tenor" and "Saxophone Colossus," Rollins solidified his status by the end of the 1950s and hasn't been too hampered by age. In 2006, Corsello was attending a jazz conference in New York where Rollins was a keynote speaker. Corsello's brother, Richard, has been Rollins' recording engineer for 30 years. Richard told Joe to say hello to Rollins and let his brother know they were recording a new CD in midtown Manhattan. The conversation led to Corsello auditioning for Rollins' band. Three days of rehearsal were held at the Carriage House recording studio in Stamford, and Corsello and Rollins bonded while the latter was staying at a Greenwich hotel. Corsello wound up playing on "Serenade," a tune Rollins wanted to dedicate to the late drummer Elvin Jones, on Rollins' most recent disc "Sonny, Please." "He is just an amazing individual," Corsello said. "When we're getting driven to a gig, he's snapping his fingers, writing a tune in his head. He never repeats himself. When the public goes to see him, it's like going to see Brubeck. They want to experience the person." Corsello was playing with Lee's 40-piece orchestra at a New York hotel in the early 1970s when Goodman was in the audience. A few days later, Corsello received a call from Goodman's secretary. His first gig was in Rochester, N.Y., and Corsello remembers wondering if "The King of Swing" could still draw an audience. Not only was the show sold out, 500 chairs were added to accommodate the overflow crowd. Corsello also recalls the intimidation of joining a band that included saxophonist Zoot Sims, bassist Slam Stewart and guitarist Bucky Pizarrelli. Having backed some of the music's immortals since his teenage years, Corsello has 40 professional years of perspective. He wonders about the future of jazz. "As a musician, you talk to the real masters about what the music was like then and the opportunities to play. They aren't there anymore," he said. "We would go to Birdland as little kids. There's nobody coming up right now. There's not another or a new Bill Evans or John Coltrane or Sonny Rollins, someone who can draw 10,000 to a concert. I don't know who is going to replace them." Cuscuna said he isn't as concerned. As a record man who weathered one storm only to see the compact disc reinvent the industry in ways no one expected (many people bought everything they owned on LP or cassette in CD form), he believes the music will always rebound. "There's a lot of great musicians and live music is healthy," Cuscuna said. "If your willing to travel, there's enough work around the globe. I'm not worried about recorded music, either. It will be replaced. Some of this will be better. The musicians will control their own destiny. You can sell 1,000 records off the bandstand and make more than selling 12,000 through a retail outlet." Mosaic Records was created after an attempt by Cuscuna and his late partner, Charlie Lourie, to buy Blue Note Records in the early 1980s. "One small part I wanted to do of the catalog exploitation was box sets," Cuscuna said. "I realized this could happen on its own. The whole idea was to make a limited edition, so for some people it would have an urgency and collector's value." The idea was for the box sets to present previously unissued material to paint as complete a recorded picture of an artist during a particular time period as possible. The first release was "The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Thelonious Monk" in the summer of 1982. Though Cuscuna said he and Lourie lived off their savings and credit cards during the first few years, Mosaic grew to be regarded as the premier boutique reissue label for jazz. Artists such as Lester Young, Sarah Vaughan, Django Reinhardt, Charlie Parker and Hank Mobley (among many others, including lesser-known artists) would subsequently get the Mosaic treatment in collections ranging from four to nine CDs. In time, Mosaic added its "Select" series, which would pare down the box sets to three CDs and individual CDs. "We have two types of customer: the hardcore collector and the person just getting into jazz who trusts our editorial selection," Cuscuna said. "They are probably the best demographics to have. . . . We'll always make a gourmet meal of the of the scraps of the major labels." Cuscuna said he believes musicianship among the current generation is strong, but what the music lacks is the outsized personas he encountered in the 1960s and 1970s, musicians such as Dexter Gordon with whom he became good friends. "There's a definite lack of personality," he said. "You go to a festival and none of the young musicians are at the hotel bar."

I've recommended this elsewhere on this board: What a strange, grooving record! A trio of Dizzy, Pretty Purdie, and Toots Thielemans (on guitar only). I don't have anything like it in my collection. Very enjoyable. Lorne Lofsky has a nice trio date, produced by Oscar Peterson (who doesn't play): One of my favorite Joe Turners; one side blues, the other covers like "I Left My Heart in San Francisco": The 3 records made from Milt Jackson & Monty Alexander's date at Ronnie Scott's (of which this is one): And a great, driving Joe Pass set:

Woody Allen made some hilarious albums in the early '60's for Colpix, collected here: There was a huge run of Redd Foxx lps on Laff (?), along with other black comedians such as Moms Mabley and Pigmeat Markham, that I'd see in the back bins of my local record store, usually with the admonition "Adults Only!" Once Sanford & Son hit, he went mainstream on Atlantic: And how about Steve Martin? These lps were HUGE...the first two especially. They sold like rock lps: Robin Williams had a best-seller too, from his Mork & Mindy days: That was probably the last generation that really sold comedy records, because then the VCR came along. The next big hit that I remember, Eddie Murphy - Delirious, sold more on video than on LP or cassette.

Through Thursday, 7/17: Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall for $5, from Amazon: Monk & Coltrane at Carnegie

Warne Marsh "Tenor Gladness" There was also a Pony Poindexter.

Speaking of Robert Palmer, has anyone heard his band The Insect Trust? More info here.

Claire Martin - He Never Mentioned Love Stuff Smith - Live at the Montmartre Herb Ellis - Texas Swings Warne Marsh Lee Konitz Quintet - Live at the Club Montmartre vol. 1, vol. 2 Jimmy Gourley - The Left Bank of New York Charlie Rouse - Soul Mates

Two more who can go on the "Other Side" are Tal Farlow and Blossom Dearie. I think where Granz got "adventurous" was in presentation: I'm thinking of things like "The Jazz Scene" and the various Ella songbooks. These were pricy, and appealed to the upscale consumer. And Granz was key in repositioning jazz as something for connoisseurs. I always find it fascinating that when he signed Bird, he vowed to move him away from blues-based tunes, when that was obviously Bird's soul. But I think Granz saw it as not upscale enough, not as appealing as, say, a Gershwin tune.

I bought 2 Circuit City booster packs: Art Pepper - The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions Duke Ellington - Fargo 1940 Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington - The Stockholm Concert 1966 Jim Hall - Jazzpar Quartet + 4

I don't have time to read all 9 pages of this thread that seems to have sprung up like a mushroom, so forgive me if I repeat what others may have posted. 1) Lyrics are overrated. I prefer listening to jazz because it's instrumental, and I can think while I listen, while lyrics jam up my head. Also, most lyricists these days are callow youths (from my perspective), who have nothing really new to tell me. Finally, my politics have changed, I've gotten more conservative, and most ranting political songs turn me off. Example: I was considering downloading Norah Jones's last album (Amazon had it for like $2.99), but the feedback indicated that many songs were political. Who needs that? I didn't buy it. 2) We don't have time to study albums any more; we're working. I love Capt. Beefheart, but I don't know if I'd love him if I first heard him today - I don't have the time to devote to listen to him, and put together what he was presenting. 3) At the end of a hard day, I don't want to listen to some jangly-ass piece of shit. 4) It's still very pleasant to relisten to music from my youth - I still get something out of it. I enjoy listening to the Grateful Dead - that's my music. So sue me.

John Fahey - Death Chants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes John Fahey Vol. 4 - The Great San Bernardino Birthday Party John Fahey Vol. 6 - Days Have Gone By John Fahey - The Legend of Blind Joe Death John Fahey - Old Fashioned Love John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death John Fahey - The Voice of the Turtle John Fahey Vol. 3 - The Dance of Death & Other Plantation Favorites John Fahey - The Yellow Princess Ingrid Michaelson - Girls & Boys Leo Kottke - 6 & 12 String Guitar Kottke, Fahey & Lang John Patton - Soul Connection Alvin Queen - Jammin' Uptown John McLaughlin - Floating Point Art Pepper - Intensity Barry Harris - For The Moment Hank Jones - Compassion

The quintet sides on "The Washington Concerts" (Blue Note). Jaw-dropping in terms of speed and ingenuity.

Up.

From the Wall St Journal: Alison Krauss And Robert Plant, Together It's a pairing that works a lot better than you might expect By JIM FUSILLI June 14, 2008; Page W16 ROANOKE, Va. -- At first blush, Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant and bluegrass singer and fiddler Alison Krauss seem an unlikely pair, but they share territory on the pop landscape. Witness Ms. Krauss's faithful version of Mr. Plant's "Big Log" on her brother Viktor's album "Far From Enough" or her forays into pop with her band Union Station. Then there are the mellow, velvety smooth folk-based songs on Mr. Plant's solo recordings or the folky side of Zeppelin, a band formed by Delta and Chicago blues. The best evidence of their commonality is the Plant-Krauss 2007 collaboration, "Raising Sand" (Rounder), produced by T-Bone Burnett. The million-selling album comprises country-flavored rock and rockabilly from the 1950s, with a touch of Kurt Weill's Weimar Republic-era arrangements here and there, all enveloped by Mr. Burnett's shimmering, atmospheric production. The disc provided most, but by no means all, of the material for Mr. Plant and Ms. Krauss's current U.S. tour, which resumed here on June 2 after the troupe spent early May in Europe. In concert, the music was a little bit looser and by turns quiet and tranquil, pounding and aggressive as the singers and their five-piece backing band tossed bluegrass numbers and several reworked Led Zeppelin songs into the mix. The singers' versatility was matched by the band's, which featured Mr. Burnett on guitar, Stuart Duncan on all sorts of stringed instruments, Dennis Crouch on upright bass and Jay Bellerose on drums; all of these musicians played on "Raising Sand." Nashville's Buddy Miller was also on guitar, succeeding the album's Marc Ribot, and Mr. Miller's presence deepened the country twang. But with the exception of Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bellerose, rarely did the musicians play the same instruments in consecutive songs, nor were they always on stage at the same time. When Ms. Krauss sang the bluegrass gospel song "Green Pastures," she was accompanied only by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Duncan on guitar. She began "Down to the River to Pray" as a solo a cappella number; soon she was joined by Messrs. Plant, Miller and Duncan singing low harmonies. "Leave My Woman Alone" was built on Ms. Krauss's fiddle and Mr. Duncan's mandolin, and the two played fiddle as Mr. Plant offered a decidedly country version of his solo hit "In the Mood." Fronting the band when Ms. Krauss departed, Mr. Plant bridged the U.S. and the U.K. with "Fortune Teller," previously recorded by the Rolling Stones and the Who but written by New Orleans' Allen Toussaint. Both vocalists were in extraordinary voice -- perhaps not a surprise given how distinctive and commanding they usually are. But they blended so well together, whether they were singing a tight, controlled Everly Brothers-style harmony in "Rich Woman," the night's opener, or letting loose during a soaring reimagining of Zeppelin's "Black Country Woman" that seemed to rattle the bunker-like Roanoke Civic Center. Though there are no Zeppelin songs and only one composition by Mr. Plant and his Zeppelin partner Jimmy Page on "Raising Sand," the band's material was a focal point of the concert -- and yet another opportunity to celebrate versatility. "Black Dog" arose from an interpretation of its guitar lick by Mr. Duncan on banjo, and Mr. Plant and Ms. Krauss gave it a sly, understated reading: Though they've been playing this version for months -- you can find a performance on You Tube -- they still seem delighted by the audacity of the re-creation. Later, they let their voices fly during "Battle of Evermore," with Mr. Miller adding a gorgeous third harmony. "When the Levee Breaks," which Zeppelin reinvented 42 years after Memphis Minnie's version in 1929, served as a fitting conclusion to the two-hour show, with strands of country and rock flavoring the blues. They paid tribute to Bo Diddley, who died earlier in the day, by playing his "Who Do You Love," Mr. Plant alternating the vocal with a piercing harmonica solo. Mr. Burnett's penchant for reverb and tremolo, his and Mr. Miller's chugging guitars, and Mr. Bellerose's use of maracas, toms and sticks on the drums' rims created a pretty fair facsimile of the Bo Diddley sound and a rebuke to those who attempted to define the late musician in their eulogies by a single rhythmic pattern. From beneath a cascading mane, the 59-year-old Mr. Plant was in a playful spirit throughout the evening, joking through song introductions and smiling and glancing out of the corner of a twinkling eye at the reserved Ms. Krauss, who did her best to avoid his distractions. Calling her "the most gifted musician I know," he made it clear he relished the chance to perform at her side, all but laughing in joy after a song in which their vocals intertwined. As for Ms. Krauss, who is 36 years old, her voice is so pure and potent that she can control a down-tempo number by holding a crystalline note and letting it build in volume, seemingly without effort. If the evening's version of Tom Waits's "Trampled Rose" was maudlin to the point of overbearing, Ms. Krauss wasn't to blame. She sang it with disarming power. Which isn't to say that Mr. Plant was outclassed. The duo's version of Doc Watson's "Your Long Journey" was a lovely bluegrass prayer, and in "Killing the Blues" their voices formed a flawless two-part harmony. Despite an evening's worth of resourcefulness and invention, the most magical moments were when the singers sang, together and without reservation.

Thanks. That would make all of these illegal bootlegs, since it's all still copywrited material. But what an odd selection of songs... I wonder what was the thought process behind these. Also, if you're just trying to rip off Fahey, why stuff these discs with 70+ minutes of music?

Yeah -- I noticed the low volume when listening online. I wondered if it was just those clips or if it was the actual volume on disc. I wonder if they were concerned about dynamic range, et al. I know there's been a lot of negative buzz about "hot mastering" and jacked-up signals, digital clipping, etc, etc. It must have been done for a reason. If not, I'd imagine a producer would have cought that. I haven't heard the Chu set, but it struck me throughout the Al Cohn/Joe Newman set that the mastering level is markedly lower. Is this an RCA thing? My impression is that they've always had a weird approach towards remastering - their Horowitz CDs sound distant and cold. Same for the Ellington Blanton/Webster set.

Does anyone have info on these 3 Fahey albums currently available on eMusic? Americana Masters, vol. 1 Americana Masters, vol. 2 Americana Masters, vol. 3 On one of those no-name labels, but they don't seem to be taken from existing albums. Outtakes? Legit or not? Who knows? They look good, though...

Not sure that the reference to his being Jewish is correct. In Phil Lesh's autobiography, "Searching For The Sound," p. 143, he writes: "It didn't seem too much of a reach, therefore, when Mickey introduced us to his father, Lenny Hart, to hire him as our manager; they'd been in business together just before Mick joined the band, partners in a drum store in San Carlos. If Lenny regretted the loss of his son and partner to rock 'n' roll, he didn't show it, and Mickey seemed genuinely glad to have him around, recommending him to us as someone who knew about business. When the drum store closed, he'd become a Bible-thumping evangelist preacher; he cam on to us as if he were doing God a favor by helping us hapless hippies hang on to our ill-gotten gains, and that should have raised some hackles on our necks. Since Lenny was Mickey's father, and a religious man, we assumed he'd be honest - and hoped he could control our spending better than Rock had."

Yeah, I think I'm finally done. I feel like such a glutton... Red Garland: When There Are Grey Skies, The Nearness of You, Blues In The Night, Revisited, At The Prelude, Plus Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Soul Burnin', Red in Blues-Ville, All Kinds of Weather, Manteca, Crossings, Red Alone Zoot Sims: Suddenly It's Spring, The Swinger, Basie and Zoot, Hawthorne Nights, w/Joe Pass, Live at Falcon Lair, Quartets, Somebody Loves Me, Either Way, Jazz In Paris Mississippi John Hurt - 1928 Sessions (Yazoo) Charlie Hunter Trio - Mistico Tommy Flanagan and Hank Jones - Our Delights Joe Pass & Jimmy Rowles - Checkmate Bob Dylan - I Will Not Go Down Under The Ground - Let Me Die In My Footsteps (track) on Broadside Ballads, vol 1 Modern Jazz Quartet - 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival Drake/Gahnold/Parker - The Last Dances Dave McKenna - No Bass Hit John McLaughlin - My Goals Beyond Bill Evans - Moonbeams Taylor Swift Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars - Sunday Jazz at the Lighthouse, vol. 2 Cecil Payne - Chick Boom, Cerupa Jerome Richardson- Midnight Oil Al Cohn: Night Flight To Dakar, No Problem, America, Play It Now, Broadway Al Cohn and Barry Harris - The Complete, vol. 1 Milt Jackson: It Don't Mean A Thing If You Can't Tap Your Foot To It, Jackson Johnson Brown, The Big 3, Bag's Bag, Centerpiece, Mostly Duke, Big Mouth, The Milt Jackson Big 4 1975, Soul Believer, The Harem, & Count Basie 1, & Count Basie 2, The Ellington Album, Quadrant, Two Of The Few, Feelings, Night Mist John Coltrane: Lush Life, Dakar, The Last Trane, Wheelin' & Dealin', Cattin' with Coltrane & Quinichette Elliot Lawrence Band Plays Gerry Mulligan Arrangements Earl Hines - Live Aalborg Denmark 1965 Gerry Mulligan - Walk On The Water Coleman Hawkins - Jamestown, NY 1958 Davitt Sigerson - It's A Big Country (song) Yazoo compilations - Alabama Blues, Jackson Blues, Georgia Blues Mal Waldron - The Quest Bennie Green - Glidin' Along Lee Konitz - Satori Bud Powell - Bouncing With Bud Arnett Cobb - The Wild Man From Texas Houston Person and Etta Jones - Don't Misunderstand Brunswick Finger Lickin' Soul Vol. 2 Moondog - H'art Songs, In Europe Benny Carter - Jazz Giant Art Farmer, Donald Byrd - Three Trumpets Stacey Kent - In Love Again, The Boy Next Door The Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies Thelonious Monk: Monk's Music, Misterioso, Alone in San Francisco, Monk In France, In Italy, At The Blackhawk, Live at 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival Ornette Coleman - Town Hall 1962 Ray Bryant - Hot Turkey Sun Ra - Angels and Demons At Play Nubians of Plutonia Hank Jones/The Great Jazz Trio - 'S Wonderful, KJLH - Objects Appear Closer Wynton Kelly - Kelly Great Martin Taylor - Sketches Herb Ellis/Joe Pass - Seven Come Eleven, Two For The Road Ben Webster - At Ronnie Scott 1964 Kenny Burrell - Blue Muse The Bad Plus - Motel Sonny Clark - Oakland, 1955 Bob Brookmeyer - Out of This World David Fathead Newman - Diamondhead, Blue Head Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars - In The Solo Spotlight Pat Martino - El Hombre Pepper Adams - The Adams Effect Charlie Parker - Boston, 1952, Montreal, 1953 Rosemary Clooney - Sings Ballads Art Pepper - Smack Up Lee Morgan - Expoobident Tommy Flanagan - Nights at the Vanguard Red Mitchell & Warne Marsh - Big Two Vol. 1, Big Two Vol. 2 Ben Webster: Wayfaring Webster, Confluence, Ben and Buck, w/Dexter Gordon - Baden 1972, Ben & Teddy The Jones Boys Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost (discs 1 - 7 + disc 11) Joe Pass - Virtuoso #4, Virtuoso #3 John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death Sonny Rollins - G-Man Cannonball Adderley - Radio Nights, Quintet Plus Charlie Rouse - Social Call Barry Harris: Chasin' The Bird, Newer Than New, Listen To..., Luminescence, The Bird of Red and Gold

I think Chick Corea is a part-owner of Concord; he owns the Stretch label (distributed by Concord).

Yes, as many as you want. Check out the emu message board for more info. It's a beautiful thing! Thanks muchly.

The Circuit City booster packs worked! The signs said $14.95, but they scanned as $4.95 at the register. Thanks for the tip! Anyone know if you can apply more than one card to any one account?

Anyone know about this one? Annie Ross - A Handful of Songs I'm an Annie Ross fan, but know her voice went downhill after awhile.

The Harkleroad book and the booklet to Grow Fins, taken together, are revelatory. They do pinpoint a certain cult aspect to the house/group that created Trout Mask. Lots of putdowns. From the Harkleroad book (p. 41): "When we weren't rehearsing, Don would subject us to long sessions of being 'brainwashed.'" Something must have been in the air there, since they lived not far from the Mansons. It's all mysterious and fascinating. None of this would be interesting if it weren't for the end product, Trout Mask Replica, which I still consider amazing. Beefheart's talents are debatable, but I don't buy into that he was untalented. He had a sound, and it's no coincidence that his subsequent groups still sounded like him. It's obvious that John French was the straw boss. He forced the band to practice so intently, to get those sounds, and to play so precisely. The question that hovers in the air is "Why?" Why did they play that music, why did they devote so much time of their lives, why did they align themselves so with the Captain? Harkleroad doesn't have an answer. The closest he comes to is this (p. 39): "As time went on, it was clear the Trout Mask Replica material was pushing all the parameters. Certainly, it changed my feelings about music in a real positive way. Those tunes became really magical to my ears - they felt like a part of me. It was all so new and I felt I was participating in something that defied description. I remember wondering how I could possibly describe this to someone, 'What the hell do you call this?'" In other words, he was participating in a magical experience. It must have been somewhat similar to playing in the Coltrane group that did Live In Japan. "What the hell do you call this?" I don't think you can take that achievement away from Don. Say what you may, none of the subsequent efforts from Mallard, John French, etc., captured the magic again.