John Litweiler

Yes, the Showcase, Green Mill, and other clubs will be open. Umbrella and AACM musicians will surely be offering late sets, too. After the Velvet closed musicians were playing in a big space at Milwakee Ave. and Diversey, a few doors south of Elastic.

Yes, The first performances are from the 1970s, including one w/the Art Ensemble of Chicago on Atlantic. He's composed variations of Nonaah for lots of wind and string quartets and for an orchestra too. The Nessa CD with alto-sax quartet and solo is great.

Allen beat me to it. Haven't smoked anything for a year - 3 cigarettes last year - half a package the year before - started smoking 55 years ago and have been tapering off during the 21st century. I hope I've quit.

It's true I was impaired by lack of cash when I had to write a check in a supermarket line. Still, the vehemence I read here is startling.

Musically Jodie was no shrinking violet, yet as forceful as he often was (for ex. in the Bird Lives session) he was basically a sweetly (in the best sense of the word) lyrical artist. He certainly gave a lot of joy over the years.

There's a Jodie Christian solo and trio CD that's quite good: Jodie Christian / Experience, on Delmark. Here's an interview he gave in 2002: http://jazztimes.com/articles/19751-jodie-christian-perfect-accompaniment

Yes, and I paid more than $7. Still the best bargain of the year so far. Beautiful melodic improvising by all three saxophonists.

Since "avant garde" is almost always misused by now, the vague "modern" sometimes serves as a substitute, maybe. Actually "modern" seems to work best w/a modifier attached, for ex. "post-WW2 modern jazz," "Django's later, modern style." Still, I don't say "modern" very often any more.

It didn't do Sanabia any good today. White Sox sweep a series for maybe the 1st time this season. Will this season become another 1983?

Birthday joys to you, Jim, and multiple thanks for your organism.

I listened to the first hour. First impression: lots of pre-Trane-influenced Pepper and Art seems to be the one encouraging sax duets. Marsh less prominent and there's one good Buddy Collette clarinet solo in a pre-bop style. Not well-recorded, a certain amount of jam-session chaos, unwelcome fade-ins and fade-outs, equal time to piano, guitar, and electric bass solos. There's a whole lot of pleasure here.

According to Rust (1970 editiion) Victor issued this take of Ham Gravy by Thomas Morris The Baron Lee track apparently is the Mills Blue Rhythm Band with a Billy Banks vocal. The Leon Rene and Wilton Crawley were apparently never issued and the Wilton Crawley is not listed - the master no. suggests he was acc. by Eddie Heywood and Eddie Lang. Everything else are alternate takes. How completist a collector are you?

i'm afraid the most outdated thing around here is me

It would be great if there were more pieces from this concert on the CD.

Yes, and you can squeeze a blues singer's lemon til the juice runs down his leg.

Does "mini LP" mean they'e 45 rpm LPs like the Elvin Jones Quartet w/Pepper and Roland Hanna?

This is true: A friend was to teach a course in 18th century French literature one year. I suggested that he make the students study 17th century French philosophers as a prerequisite. That way he could put Descartes before the course.

MG, I believe GHB under various disguises has been around as long as Delmar/Delmark. George Buck and Bob Koester have done tons of good in the world, too, and it's too bad Buck isn't the broadcasting tycoon of Atlanta, instead of Ted Turner. Koester is a complicated man who drove me nuts when I worked for him and who has been a generous friend ever since. What's more, every conversation with him is an education. He was the trad jazz lover who gave Joe Segal the chance to record bop musicians and Chuck Nessa the chance to record Jarman and Mitchell for Delmark, and encouraged at least 1-2 blues record companies to start too. He gave some music scribes and disk jockeys their starts, including J.B. Figi and the O'Neils of Living Blues magazine He hired various AACM and Umbrella Music musicians to work in his store and let Big Joe Williams sleep on the store's basement sofa whenever Joe came to Chicago (in return Joe once cleaned up the store's toilet, which had been an object of creeping eldritch horrors to shock Lovecraft). Koester even came to hear and even enjoy some free-jazz concerts. He used to show old movies from his collection to neighbors every Friday night and he still has an annual show of jazz films in his store. Of course Colinmce is right: Koester is in the right place/time, takes the right advice even when he isn't familiar with the music, and comes out with valuable albums. A lot of us are quite indebted to him.

Thanks, Allen. In the late 1970s Dicky Wells and Earle Warren played in Chicago together, and Wells was so creative still. A rather rougher attack, if I recall aright, but original and melodic. I didn't keep up with the later recordings, but the Paris album and some big-band solos are favorites, especially Basie's "Panassie Stomp." There's an even more spectacular version of that one in the Savory collection in the Harlem Jazz Museum (everybody takes 3-chorus solos). Larry is so right. Nowadays most everyone, including (maybe especially) most people my age, seem to think of pre-bebop music as early jazz. Like J.B. Figi, I was raised to believe that trombone was supposed to be played like Kid Ory and Charlie Green played it.

Be merry!

Yes.

Our White Sox have won 3 in a row this week -- came from behind 3 times! Hitters are starting to hit and if John Danks, when he returns, can just avoid those big innings the second time through the batting order, our pitching should be just fine.

Moholo is a good suggestion. But how about Stan Tracey and Clark Tracey for p. and d.? Could be volcanic.

I wish you lots of good music to celebrate with. And lots more birthdays.

Fair enough. I've known homeless drunks who mourn police.