Elissa

Well I know it's a bit spendy, but THE PERFECT XMAS GIFT! Plus my book Spirit and Time is included, an oral history of jazz drums. I edit the magazine in there which among other things includes my interview w Billy Hart and Victor Lewis on Tony Williams. So skip lunch for a week and land one of these babies. You'll be happy you did for the Topps trading cards alone. XXOXE

Ace of Spades

Dropped in to the Zinc for the Orrin Evans jam session again last night. Did I mention that I love Orrin Evans? The bass player (same as last week) is the wonderful Alex Hernandez. Tommy Campbell's moved back from Europe and he was in the house. Frank Lacy dropped by, and my favorite jazz guitarist, Saul Rubin was there, and Eric Lewis was back. Orrin though, Orrin.

Orrin Evans, one of the my favorite pianists in town, hosts a jam session Tuesday nights at the Zinc bar with his own killing band. I especially liked the bass player, whose name I forgot. Eric Lewis was there, reminding us all that yes he still can play jazz, Joel Harris, Gerry Gibbs, Jeff Watts (whose band is at the Zinc tonight) and who I may go see. The occasional horn player went on a bit too long, though not badly. Orrin himself I find hugely creative and swinging and invariably beautiful.

both films extraordinary too

Just polishing off the Tiger's Wife, which is as good as everyone's said. Also over the last week quite enjoyed Blood, Bones and Butter and The Believers, and would recommend both.

Love these rekkids, not least for its gorgeous Very Thought of Youse

Read a few of these, awfully good aren't they. Very romantic, the Polish resistance. Just saw the new Peter Weir film, The Way Back, tonight about a number of fellows, some Poles among them, who escaped from the Gulags in Siberia and WALKED to India. Astounding cinematography even if a lil predictable. It was in a double bill with the new Mike Leigh, Another Year, which I loved. I'm reading Robt Gottlieb's new bio of Sarah Bernhardt now, which is a great read - a christmas gift I've almost polished off.

Yeah you guys have lost me here. Roy Haynes is fucking off the charts and last I saw him he was making the Dizzy Club swing so hard I thought it might launch right out over Central Park, and his playing was totally minimal! They (with Jaleel Shaw) played a version of My Heart Belongs to Daddy that I will never forget, and Steve Reich couldn't have played less

i've noticed that musical fiends tend to be less egomaniacal than musical friends

When Allen Lowe was last here he played with the Search and Destroy fellas, who are holding a benefit tomorrow that looks pretty cool. From the email they just sent:

extinguished my acct there - very liberating. eta: guess i'll just have to brag to you guys that i sat next to albee at the pinter plays i saw tonight...

Thank youse!!!! So far it has been a lovely one indeed. My husband woke me up with a big hot cuppa Joe and several gifts, not least among them the Antonia Fraser memoir about her marriage with (my most beloved) Harold Pinter and a Ray Charles and Betty Carter cd, which I've long wanted but been unable to find. How romantic is that? Tonight I think we're going to see the brilliant Mark Rylance in La Bete. Either that or the Pinter double bill, or Michael Shannon in the new Craig Wright play. Your wishes are very kind and greatly appreciated.

Saul Rubin's organized a preeeety cool fest this weekend. Headed over to the opening party in a while. Artists include: Young Russian genius Ilya Lushtak John Hart Ron Affif Dida Pelled Peter Bernstein Bucky Pizzarelli Joe Cohn Gene Bertoncini Ed Cherry Gilad Hekselman Say hi if you do drop in.