minew

Brown has set up shop here in New Orleans for the last year or so with a regular gig at jazz-hot-spot-turned-tourist-club Snug Harbor. In the front bar, you can sus out the show on the tv monitor and sound system. I was lured there by the Anderson CD but on the night I went Brown was doing just straight-ahead with some smoothish stuff mixed in (complete with Brown-induced audience clap-alongs). I declined to pay the cover.

As usual, Crazy Jazz lists the new crowns: http://www.crazyjazz.co.uk/penguin/penguincrowns.htm And now also lists the "Core" http://www.crazyjazz.co.uk/penguin/penguincore.htm More fodder for debate and discussion, I'm sure.

Dude, they never claimed the BMT was low in fat. It's got all kinds of sausagey meats in it. Not much room to wiggle there. Even without the mayo/cheese/etc it'd still be fattening. If you go for a veggie, turkey, or roast beef (without mayo or pickles) you'll be in pretty good shape, even with the cheese. Needles to say, I do this relatively often. B-) You mean sausagey "meats", don't you. To help get yourself off all the crap, read Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation." It explains how tired old dairy cattle are ground up and mixed with beef fat imported from Australia all for your quarter pounder. Yum. And there's more. Like the explanation of how all the ecoli tainted shit (i.e., manure) gets mixed up in there, too. The turd sandwich may have gotten himself elected, but it's also what's for dinner.

"Ball of Fire"

Keep hearing the 'single' from this CD on the radio. Rather infectious. Does the rest of the CD hold up?

Heard his "3 is the Magic Number" from the Iridium CD Friday on the radio. Occasionally hear one of his cuts - no mistaking the distinctive voice -and think, 'I should pick up some Bob Dorough." Is the Iridium CD a good place to start. Where else?

Saw the Frontline, too, and was struck by how much of the US consumer goods market that China already owns. And it's getting bigger. We are financing the explosive growth of the Chinese economy. Are we sure we want to do this? Japan turned out to be a paper tiger but there's nothing paper about the dragon. Is Wal-Mart the real Manchurian Candidate?

Even if I weren't a pacifist who believes violence begets violence (and no, imprisonment does not beget imprisonment) I just couldn't hit my kids. Period.

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=online&s=bennett101904

Each entry now begins with a short bio, rather than diving headlong into the reviews. Views of individual recordings definitely change from edition to edition. See Bobby Hutcherson's 'Dialogue', for example. It's also interesting, in the case of contemporary artists, to notice changing evaluations of evolving careers. Some don't turn out like their first one or two releases might have indicated.

Not to worry. First we packed the bongs, then we packed the cds.

Thanx. The worst we felt here was ass pain from sitting in traffic. Friends in Pensacola were not so lucky. While posting, I heard a news story, unrelated, about how almost all bicycle U-locks can be easily opened with a plastic Bic ball point pen. The locks are basically useless now.

Normally my attitude, too, however this time I had to consider the toddler and pregnant wife.

What would you take? Space is definitely limited. Had to flee Ivan from N.O. to Houston this week. Faced with and early Tuesday A.M. decision, I chose to take that which would be hardest to replace which ended up being 'Free'(labels like Nessa, Eremite, FMP, AUM, Leo, Hat, etc.) and Trad (labels like Frog, Retrieval, Timeless, (old) JSP, etc.). How would you decide? BTW, crazy shit about those bike locks and the pens, huh?

Real bad news.

I was lucky enough to see Lacy twice in the last few years: once with the trio and once with the "Beat Suite" outfit. Both unforgettable performances. I happened to be at the Velvet Lounge last night (in Chicago) when the news was announced. Despite a pretty solid performance (Sticks and Stones) the atmosphere was seriously (and uncharacteristically) glum all night.

I, too, dig Jack. Also dug Bobby's other sidekick, Jackie. Could do without Bobby, Emeril, or any other food channel star. Dig Chris Kimball, though.

Anyone know how much research has been done on the role of environmental (in the broadest sense) factors in ADD/ADHD? E.g., the recent AAP recommendations about TV and kids under 2 come to mind. Also, has anyone tried to determine whether these disorders are proliferating or just their diagnoses?

Coincidentally, this is National Bike To Work Week. I bike to work every day. If you live within 10 miles of your work, you can probably bike to work. Save money, get exercise, get out of traffic, preserve the environment, do a few wheelies, and feel totally superior to the car people. Do it!

Heard two different explanations for this when the Tentet came to New Orleans. First, the concert promoter/producer apologetically explained to me that MW had left the group in Athens due to a "personal emergency". (Through the college I work at I was a co-sponosor of the shows here so she may have felt an "excuse" was necessary.) At the Tentet show, Brotzmann himself had no interest in explaining anything. At the beginning of the second set he simply said, and I quote: "Some of you are wondering why we are 9 and not 10. Our friend Mars Williams left us in Athens for whatever reason....so you have to be satisfied with what you have." Not really enlightening but a satisfactory (and classic PB) explanation nonetheless.

Roswell Rudd and Archie Shepp sold out two shows in New Orleans.

I'm paying way less than I should be. Acc. to TurboTax, my effective tax rate was 1.6%. I don't know how they run a country on that, much less two.

Can't help but feel that KV gets a few extra zaps b/c of the McArthur - which is a little ironic b/c, whether or not you think he deserved it, he turned almost all of it right back into musical projects like the Tentet. I like Ken's playing and almost all of his projects, some more enthusiastically than others. I'm especially fond of the Tentet, DKV, and the V5. While his soloing may not be as innovative and far-ranging as that of some of his partners, he's adept at creating a wide range of textures and sound fields, which is part of what this music is all about. I'm impressed at his ability to "channel" Ayler on one tune and Giuffre on the next. His dedications, I think, are all about his openess about and enthusiasm for his many influences. BTW, I feel like his best horn might be his bari, with the tenor just behind. I think there's a little intended irony in the whole "Free Jazz Classics" thing as if to say, "If we're canonizing jazz musicians, then I'd like to canonize Don Cherry, Roscoe Mitchell, et al." I certainly don't see anything wrong with using their "compositions" as departure points for totally new improvisations. I had the pleasure of meeting Ken last week on his just-completed Tentet tour. He did a workshop on campus (with Nilssen-Love) for us to help faciltate university funding for the Tentet gig. He played and spoke intermittently, highlighting different approches to free jazz over the last 40 years. He talked a lot about his influences, as expected, ranging from Nelson Riddle to James Brown to Evan Parker. Seemed like a great guy. I helped him haul his and Paal's shit in and out of a beat-up van they were using on their Southern tour. After seeing the Tentet, a project he's basically responsible for, that night, I certainly don't have any doubts that he's doing great things for this music

Coltrane Live in Japan (4CD)

Will do. BTW, they're on to Austin in a few days. Not too late to find that cheap fare on Orbitz!