Leeway

had that many moons ago. good memories. now off to hear roscoe and mike reed. i hate that cover. Pseudo-Magritte I suppose. I wish I was off to see Roscoe and Mike Reed!

Lon Chaney Dick Cheney Dr. Strangelove

DASHES TO DASHES: Boots Brown- Mats Gustafsson (as), Johan Berthling (b), Magnus Broo (tp), David Stackenas (g). Hapner LP. I didn't realize it when I picked it up at the Swedish Azz show, but the vinyl is a cool chocolate brown color. But to be perfectly blunt about the music, I found it rather a bore. It's Mat in quiet mode, so if you like that kind of thing, this might work for you. I kept thinking of paint drying.

Thank you. I did want to add a few more notes. Regarding identity, Spark seemed to lose interest in the Jewish part of her identity after "The Mandelbaum Gate," and more especially after her conversion. I find that rather interesting. As for her conversion to Roman Catholicism, she seems never to have become more than a nominal Catholic. Her Catholicism appeared quite idiosyncratic; token conformance with basic rules and disagreement with many tenets of the modern Church. It certainly did not make her a more loving, faithful or charitable person (one can say the same for other famous converts like Waugh and Greene). However it did provide a vital intellectual and spiritual (maybe theological might be better) context in her fiction, an aspect which I had not really appreciated. I find it interesting that Spark and Lessing share an African background. I believe Spark showed up in Africa about the time Lessing was leaving, but for both, Africa seemed to have been a formative experience. There is only the barest mention of Lessing in Stannard's book, but I think there was more to the relationship. I wish he had explored that. Similarly, Stannard does note that Spark had a friendship with Iris Murdoch. That really interests me, but Stannard doesn't provide much to go on. Stannard's biography of Evelyn Waugh appears to have been much better received; anyone read that? Spark has got me interested again in Waugh. I have read nearly all of Waugh's novels, most of them many years ago, and number him among my very favorite writers. (Spark doesn't make that grade!) I've also read a biography of Waugh, but don't recall who wrote it. It was a single volume, so couldn't have been Stannard. Handful of Dust is my favorite Waugh novel. I really like the early Waugh: Decline and Fall, Vile Bodies, Black Mischief, A Handful of Dust, Scoop. Just listing these now makes me think that some of these are fairly close to Spark in style and manner; they have that savage wit. I might reread The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold just to compare it to The Comforters. Waugh seemed to think there was a similarity. I was never a fan of the Brideshead books; rather humorless. I might pull down a couple of Graham Greene novels too, see about connections. I have Norman Sherry's 3 volume bio of Greene (picked up at a library sale), which I hear is a hoot. Didn't Sherry come to detest Greene, or vice versa? Anyway, it stands intimidatingly on the shelf. I found two more Spark books in my "book room" - Loitering with Intent and Aiding and Abetting. Plus there are a few Murdochs I haven't go to yet. So many books.........

I wanted to replay these recent arrivals to try to get a firmer perspective on them: LIVE IN LISBON - Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio & Peter Evans. NoBusiness LP. When I first listened to this LP, I tended to focus on Peter Evans, not surprisingly since he is in top form here. Amado did not break through to me on that first listen. The problem is that Evans buzzes around Amado like a maddened hornet buzzing around the head of a hapless picnicker. A couple of times, Amado tries to close the distance with Evans, then decides to go with the ground game; a fairly sensible decision. Amado is fine, I just don't think he does anything that stands out. MALUS - Nate Wooley, Hugo Antunes, Chris Corsano. NoBusiness. "Malus" failed to knock me out on first or second listen. On this go-round, my reaction was the same. A good record, but for some reason it never quite gets off the ground. It almost comes off like a lower-case performance. There's a dark and doleful atmosphere throughout. Biggest surprise--I'm really tempted to say disappointment--is Corsano. Probably the flattest performance I've heard from him.

Thank you. I did want to add a few more notes. Regarding identity, Spark seemed to lose interest in the Jewish part of her identity after "The Mandelbaum Gate," and more especially after her conversion. I find that rather interesting. As for her conversion to Roman Catholicism, she seems never to have become more than a nominal Catholic. Her Catholicism appeared quite idiosyncratic; token conformance with basic rules and disagreement with many tenets of the modern Church. It certainly did not make her a more loving, faithful or charitable person (one can say the same for other famous converts like Waugh and Greene). However it did provide a vital intellectual and spiritual (maybe theological might be better) context in her fiction, an aspect which I had not really appreciated. I find it interesting that Spark and Lessing share an African background. I believe Spark showed up in Africa about the time Lessing was leaving, but for both, Africa seemed to have been a formative experience. There is only the barest mention of Lessing in Stannard's book, but I think there was more to the relationship. I wish he had explored that. Similarly, Stannard does note that Spark had a friendship with Iris Murdoch. That really interests me, but Stannard doesn't provide much to go on. Stannard's biography of Evelyn Waugh appears to have been much better received; anyone read that? Spark has got me interested again in Waugh.

The Bone People Re. John Boehner Bonnard

Just finished it. Not bad as a novel, and the Spark biography shows how it came out of her situation and preoccupations at the time. What has been your favorite Spark novel so far? I figure she is someone I will get around to, but I have quite a few others ahead of her in the queue (Dorris Lessing being one). I've read six and my favorite is Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, so no surprises there. BillF, kudos to you on taking on "The Comforters." Question: who are the "comforters" and who is being comforted? Does the biography address that? I would agree with BillF that "The Prime of Jean Brodie" is her best work. Following, in my order of preference, are: "The Girls of Slender Means" "The Ballad of Peckham Rye" "Memento Mori" "A Far Cry from Kensington" (1988, but hearkens back to her early work; indeed, if one did not know the dates of publication, one would likely think it was among that first group of novels. Just finished Far Cry - very readable and thanks for your recommendation, Leeway. I can distinguish it from the early Sparks, though. In those there's a density of nuanced language so typical of literary writing of that era, which I don't find in the much more recent Far Cry. Interesting, good point. Glad you liked the book. I haven't tried Spark's non-fiction, although being this far into the oeuvre, I guess I should. Not just the essays but also the book on Masefield (an author once highly esteemed and very collectible on the rare book market during his time, now largely forgotten), as well as her other miscellany writings. Not sure I have time for all that unless it proves unusually engrossing. Anyway, will add the essays to the list. Right now I'm reading the Stannard biography of Spark; very readable and seems even-handed. Glad you're enjoying the Stannard biography. I certainly did. At first his tendency to write in metaphor irritated me, as did his numerous half-hidden literary quotes, but I soon settled into it. As for "even-handed", I found I had to read through his constant excusing of Spark to make my own judgments on her behavior. Let's admit it, she must have been a dreadful woman! SO, just finished: To start on a positive note, I found the book useful in sorting out the manifold details of Spark's life. Along the way, I took note of a number of authors and books I'd like to follow up on. The critical reactions to Spark's works, and Stannard's own summing up of the works, also were helpful. On a less positive note, although Stannard supposedly had a free hand in the writing, it appeared to me that he pulled his punches quite often. I also suspect that material involving Spark's husband and son were left out. The husband is hardly mentioned after he returns to England, and the son is typically (but not always) seen through Spark's extremely jaundiced perspective. Stannard's style surprisingly is not very good. One of his habits, leaving the conjunction out in his sentences, and relying on comma splices, really started to bother me. Occasionally, he slips into celebrity rag mode, like "Hollywood Star" or similar. I guess Spark's indulgence in "la dolce vita" encourages this style. I thought of the movie, "The Great Beauty," when I was reading about Spark's life in Rome. Which brings us to Spark herself. I had Bill F's "dreadful woman" phrase in my head as I read. Did it amount to that? The words "betray," "dismiss," and "discard" appear many times throughout the book. Ved Mehta said she went through people like Kleenex. Someone bothered her: dismissed! No longer useful: discarded! Someone might betray? Betray them first! Old friend? Worst of all! (they tie you to the past). She shared a trait with her hero, John Henry Cardinal Newman towards other people: "cruelly dismissive." Agents, publishers, editors? Discard! Her husband: dismissed! Her son: discarded! Her mother? Dismissed! She was like a tinpot dictator who can only accept fawning admiration. When she came into the money, she lived lavishly but, although Stannard avoids saying it, vulgarly. Racing all over Europe, England, and New York, she seemed more in flight from something than going anywhere. She was tight-fisted with her own family. She kept them at arm's length. Her treatment of her son, whom she abandoned at age 6, is reprehensible. Writing him into various novels as the bad son maybe even more reprehensible. She seems utterly devoid of family feeling. They would only hold her back. She was ruthlessly ambitious (discard! dismiss!). What she did have was talent. Wrote over 20 interesting novels. I think they are still worth reading.

Jumpin Jack Flash Sir Harry Flashman Zippy the Pinhead

It's like I was saying the other day. Whatever happened to comedy that mocks the powerful? The classic definition of the purpose of satire is: To afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted. Afflicting the afflicted is a no-go. So, yes, afflicting the powerful is a good thing; however it's also dangerous to these Grub Street types so they go for lower-hanging fruit. One not likely to bite back (to mix my metaphors).

The Yardbirds Jason Yarde Yeardley Smith

Syd Barrett Syd Vicious Johnny Rotten

I'm hopeful that at least some of these musicians will make it to DC or Baltimore. There seems to be an informal circuit from NYC to Firehouse 12, Ars Nova in Philadelphia, and then either The Windup Space in Baltimore or Transparent Productions/Bohemian Caverns in DC (and sometimes both on succeeding nights). For instance, the Ingrid Laubrock Quintet will be at Bohemian Caverns on Sept. 7th.

Howie Long Dr. John John John

That whole "It's in Detroit" thing bothers me for its implications, but to answer your question, at least from my POV, Chicago strikes me as having just a bit more interesting line-up. Of course, your taste may say otherwise. Detroit's show is nothing to apologize for though. I've heard good things about both in the past as great hangs.

More on the CT front. What a beautiful spirit Cecil has: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/13/nyregion/man-accused-of-stealing-prize-money-from-jazz-genius.html?_r=0 His opinion of Mr. Muir now? “Nothing. Does not exist,” he said. “What is painful in your life if you have friends? That’s what friends are for. How unhappy he must be, but that’s on him.”

Francis Scott Keyes James Ivory Joe Strummer

Winnie the Pooh J-B Lully Napster

Shocking and depressing.

ESOTERIC CIRCLE - Jan Garbarek (ts), Terje Rypdal (g), Arlld Anderson (b), Jon Christensen (d). Arista Freedom. Recorded Oslo 1969 This album has more personalities than Sybil, but most are interesting.

Steve: Certainly I add Malaby & Dunmall to my great saxophonist list.... "Leeway - you forgot your guy that is playing tonight with Golia and Laubrock." Do you mean Neuringer? No, I'm not ready to put him in that class, although I love his skills, fearlessness, and stone-killer instincts on the sax. In the course of a set, I think he would stand up to the three I mentioned and acquit himself quite well. But the body of work is not there yet, and that will be the ultimate test. Thinking about this, for me the top three are easy, it's 4-10 that might prove hard.

I would have sprung for that but already have the first two (Parker and Butcher). Would like the other two eventually. I'm a huge Butcher fan but nobody else seems to be, or at least not hearing about it. Getting in to more John Butcher has long been on my to do list. I've been truly knocked out by what i've heard of him, and i'm not just saying that. I had a solo disc of his, Fixations (14), which i truly loved, but it was second hand and had some horrific skip-causing scratches on it that ultimately led me to throw it out (thinking i'd get a new copy some day but never did). He'd be pretty high up on any 'guys you dig but are drastically under-represented in your collection' list for me. "FIXATIONS" is amazing. That's the one that got me into Butcher. I pretty much picked up all the Emanems after that. He also has several quite good ones on Clean Feed that you can usually pick up during one of the CF sales. The disc on Relative Pitch is really good, the "Way Out Northwest" group. He's amassed a fairly substantial discography, so many more to check out if so inclined. Best part about Butcher is that he keeps evolving and developing and exploring new avenues. Saw him in concert a couple of times and he impressed me, especially a show in Baltimore at High Zero Festival. For me, there are 3 great saxophonists playing right now: Evan Parker, John Butcher and Urs Leimgruber. I'll leave it there.

Jack DeJohnette (d, p, melodica), David Murray (ts, bcl), Arthur Blythe (as), Peter Warren (b, cello). ECM, 1979.

I would have sprung for that but already have the first two (Parker and Butcher). Would like the other two eventually. I'm a huge Butcher fan but nobody else seems to be, or at least not hearing about it.

Lassie Doris Lessing Laocoon