Leeway

A picture is worth a thousand words sometimes . I hear what you are saying but getting any newspaper to do anything on jazz that isn't the product of some PR flack is rather difficult these days. We've already been treated to some flip dismissals of jazz by newspaper columnists recently. I was actually rather surprised that they would even take on this subject, especially in its less that glorious aspects. I get it, I'm not trying to endorse Lavender-Bey, but just trying to show people who like jazz that the underbelly of the music can be pretty challenging and downright dismal. I'm sure Butch suffered through "the life" as well. Sometimes I think we forget, the people who live this music, they become "invisible men," and so I though this glimpse worth taking a look at.

Like Rodney Dangerfield, it seems as if Paradoxical Frog gets no respect. I do like this group quite a bit, maybe because it was in this ensemble that I first saw Laubrock, really dug her playing, and so perhaps spread my positive reaction to the group. However, I've been listening to the group over the last 5 years or so, live and on record, and I'm always entertained and even edified by their playing. One of the things I like about them is that each of the musicians has been growing and developing individually, as well as collectively. I like seeing that growth sort of take place right before my eyes (and ears). Having said that, I would now have to say that PF is my second favorite Laubrock ensemble, behind Laubrock-Rainey Duo. Incredible communication and a steady flow of interesting musical ideas. It's great to watch them in concert. I do like Anti-House, it's a heavyweight group. Still have yet to see Sleepthief but I like the discs.

I haven't listened to the second set yet, but did have a chance to listen to the first set. Tony was definitely and consistently hitting the ball into the 400 foot section of the ballpark. The group was really focused and playing strong. I've been speculating that the change from Parker to Formanek caused a dynamic shift in the trio. With William there, the energy is spread all around. Formanek provides a nice fat supportive bass sound but is content with letting the "front line" of Nasheet and Tony provide the fireworks, which they obligingly do.

Laubrock and Rainey are teaming up with Ab Baars and Ig Hennemann for a European tour. The group concept has really stoked my interest. With luck a CD might come out of these performances. Perch,Hen,Brock & Rain european tour November 2014 Perch, Hen, Brock & Rain with Ab Baars (cl,ts,shakuhachi), Ig Henneman (viola), Ingrid Laubrock (ts), Tom Rainey (d) (* are IL/TR duo concerts 11/02 Tampere Jazz Happening (FI) 11/04 Lokal Harmonie, Harmoniestr. 41, Rurhort, 47119 Duisburg, (DE) 11/05 Arnhem (NL), venue tba 11/06 Tivoli/Vredenburg,Vredenburgkade 11,3511 WC Utrecht, (NL) 11/07 Bimhuis,Piet Heinkade 3, Amsterdam (NL) 11/09 Music Unlimited Festival, Alter Schlachthof, Dragonerstraße 22, 4600 Wels (A) 11/10 A38 Ship, Petőfi bridge, Buda side, Budapest (HU) 11/11 Blue Tomato, Wurmsergasse 21, 1150 Vienna (A) 11/12 Alchemia, Estery 5, 31-000 Krakow, (PL) 11/13 Unijazz, Jindřišská 5,110 00,Prague 11/14 Aufsturz, Oranienburger Str. 67, Berlin (DE) 11/16 Loft, Wissmannstr. 30, 50823 Köln (DE) * (Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey Duo) 11/17 Galerie A4, Angerzellgasse 4, 6020 Innsbruck (A) * (Ingrid Laubrock/Tom Rainey Duo) 11/19 Women In Motion Festival, Stockwerk, Jakominiplatz 18, 8010 Graz (A)

That's true, but what's wrong with considering this guy's life?

From this weekend's Washington Post. (The post is behind a paywall but I think you get a limited number of free views). Trying to make a living playing jazz in DC: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/for-dcs-older-jazz-artists-scarcity-of-gigs-is-a-hard-reality/2014/10/23/6c395f3e-4983-11e4-a046-120a8a855cca_story.html?hpid=z4

Jazzbo Nessa Pete Rose

Lainie Kazan Alfred Kazin Jacques Barzun

I was given an Amazon gift certificate so I used it to order the Tapscott yesterday from Amazon. Not going to wait on this one.

Teresa Heinz Mr. Bean The Fairly Young Bean

Christopher Hitchens Skitch Henderson Mitch Miller

Linda Lovelace Marilyn Chambers Seka

Jimmy the Greek Zorba the Greek El Greco

Thanks Jim, I should have thought of plugging that sentence into Google. Google conquers the world and all that. ( Maybe I was secretly plugging for "lercaated" ).

Warre's Wilbur Ware Warne Marsh

Carl Ruggles Ruggles of Red Gap Bill Ruger

I'm in the middle of Henry James' novel, The Princess Casamassima (perhaps not the best place to be). Last night I came across the word "lercaated." I've never heard of the word, and the dictionary yields no clue. The word appears in a sentence spoken by a French exile to the ostensible hero: "Remember my child, I am incapable of drawing aside any veil you may have preferred to drop over your lercaated personality." I have two thoughts: 1) it's a printer's error for "lacerated" or 2) it is some sort of hybrid French-ism. Neither thought seems entirely satisfactory. I don't have alternate editions of the novel to check text (I'm using Penguin Modern Classic pb edition; it's in Chapter 21). Maybe someone else knows this word?

That's funny! I guess in that way, the novel works. Reading Drabble's "Jerusalem the Golden," I also found it hard to be sympathetic to the heroine. The question I'm still uncertain of, is whether Drabble too found her unsympathetic, and was treating her ironically, of if she identified with the heroine, and meant for the heroine to be taken on her own terms. Maybe it's not an either/or. I have "The Waterfall" hanging about, so will eventually see if there is the shock of recognition. Read it recently. Thanks for your thought-provoking comments. Yes, all sorts of interesting questions arise. How far is the book autobiographical is another one that occurred to me. Perhaps I'll look into that sometime. It could be, and it would lead one to think that the author's attitude toward her self (or younger self) was itself ambivalent. The perspective seems unresolved.

Biggy Smalls Big Daddy Big Brother

Relative Pitch-- great for NY scene.

I think they've been practicing since then

King Vidor Gore Vidal Al Gore

I'll go for the two McPhees.

I shot an email to Firehouse 12 asking, but so far have not heard anything.

Amelia Earhart Dale Earnhardt Junior