duaneiac

Other than her cover of The Beatles' "Help!" (which I never really cared for), this album holds up pretty well. I forgot how much the title track wants/tries to be a jazz song. And at least at the clubs I went to back in the day, a high point of the night would be when the DJ played the dance mix of "Let's Stay Together".

A documentary about the week in Feb. of 1968 when Johnny Carson invited Harry Belafonte to "guest host" The Tonight Show. So in 1968, for the first time ever, a black talk show host was able to bring black guests talking about black topics into white (and black) homes. Mr. Belafonte had say-so in the guest list that week and called in a lot of his friends including MLK, Aretha, Paul Newman, Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier, Petula Clark, Dionne Warwick, The Smothers Brothers, Buffy Sainte Marie and more. Joan Walsh wrote about that week of tV in an article for The Nation back in 2017.

Even though I knew this day was coming, this one really hurts. Hall of Famer Bob Gibson, the dominating St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who won a record seven consecutive World Series starts and set a modern standard for excellence when he finished the 1968 season with a 1.12 ERA, died Friday. He was 84. He had long been ill with pancreatic cancer in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Gibson’s death came on the 52nd anniversary of perhaps his most overpowering performance, when he struck out a World Series record 17 batters in Game 1 of the 1968 World Series against Detroit. One of baseball’s most uncompromising competitors, the two-time Cy Young Award winner spent his entire 17-year career with St. Louis and was named the World Series MVP in their 1964 and ’67 championship seasons. The Cards came up just short in 1968, but Gibson was voted the National League’s MVP and shut down opponents so well that baseball changed the rules for fear it would happen again. Gibson died less than a month after the death of a longtime teammate, Hall of Fame outfielder Lou Brock. Rest in Peace, Mr. Gibson. https://www.yahoo.com/news/bob-gibson-legendary-cardinal-second-132452822.html

I just got this one and I can give it a hearty ! The disc/program opens with a 9 minute Duke Ellington solo piano version of "New World A-Comin'"! I was completely satisfied with my purchase after that one track -- money well spent! The program is sort of a modified Sacred Concert, with "In The Beginning God" as its centerpiece, but then there is the inclusion of the always fascinating "La Plus Belle Africaine" as an encore. To top it all off, "Come Easter" was a new number written for this concert, played here and then never again, so if you absolutely HAVE to hear everything Ellington ever wrote, here's one more for ya (psssst - - it's not that memorable). Good solo spots throughout the concert for Gonsalves, Hodges, Carney, Brown and others and the sound is perfectly fine for a vintage live recording. I found this music "inspiring" and believe me brother, given all that 2020 has thrown at us, that was a rare and welcome treat indeed.

Well, I can give you one composer credit: "Nessun Dorma" is by Giacomo Puccini

At least Mr. Shorter would be more experienced with a weather report!

Did some one at "Brubeck Editions" do all -- and I mean all -- the necessary due diligence with regards to Sony/Columbia or are we about to see this project get Palo Altoed?

I don't care how good the music may be -- I would simply refuse to have an album cover that ugly in my collection! I love this disc! My recent playing: because it's always "Saturday Night In The Cosmos" somewhere.

I listened to Dr. John's Duke Elegant CD recently and was pleased to see the inclusion of "The Flaming Sword" on that disc. While it is not exactly an obscure tune, it's not one that has been frequently covered by others and should perhaps be better known. The original is such a delight. To me it is like a funhouse ride, with new delights around every corner. A grin appears on my face at the beginning when the band lays down that Latin rhythm and my smile just grows and grows throughout the song right until the end when Duke holds that final note. The section work is superb. And here is Dr. John's version. Very different, but still very groovy.

It is an interesting disc. I think the title kind of overreaches. A lot of the music here is unusual, but I would not necessarily term it "incredibly strange". Artists represented here include Les Baxter, Jean Jacques Perrey, Ken Nordine and Eden Ahbez. They also published two companion books. These have interviews with recording artists like Yma Sumac, Les Baxter, Ken Nordine, Robert Moog and Eartha Kitt.

I read this one a few years back. It seemed good for what it is, a fairly brief biography. I only wish it had been a longer work with more in-depth, first-hand interviews and research by the author. Cannonball Adderley certainly deserves a painstakingly researched biography, but I don't think many publishers would agree with my sentiment.

Disc 1 of 2.

Pre-ordered this set due for a 10/23 release -- CROOKED PIECE OF TIME: THE ATLANTIC & ASYLUM ALBUMS is a limited edition, 7-CD boxed set that includes every studio album John Prine recorded between his debut in 1971 and 1980, presented in mini-LP sleeves: John Prine (1971), Diamonds In The Rough (1972), Sweet Revenge (1973), Common Sense (1975), Bruised Orange (1978), Pink Cadillac (1979) and Storm Windows (1980). The clamshell box also contains poster inserts and a 20-page booklet with new liner notes written by acclaimed music journalist David Fricke. The cover painting, commissioned especially for the set, is by artist Joshua Petker and is based on a photo of Prine taken by Jim Shea. Taking its name from a song on Bruised Orange, CROOKED PIECE OF TIME represents an essential and timeless American songbook and includes tracks that have become modern-day folk and country standards like: “Hello In There,” “Sam Stone,” “Illegal Smile,” “Angel From Montgomery,” “Paradise” and “That’s The Way The World Goes Round.” The expansive collection also contains favorites like: “Far From Me,” “Dear Abby,” “Christmas In Prison,” “Fish and Whistle” and “Automobile.”

This exactly. Plus, let's face it, the jazz audience generally tends to show a lot of grey hair. Even if clubs were to reopen at partial capacity with social distancing guidelines in place, how long would it take their formerly loyal older patrons to feel safe and comfortable about returning? Honestly, it's going to take me a while. And if enough clubs are able to open up around the country, how many musicians are going to be eager to go out on the road again? With a pandemic still at concerning levels, would you want to have to risk your life going from airport to air flight to airport to shuttle ride to hotel to shuttle ride to performance venue to reverse sequence and repeat night after night? Would we really want our jazz favorites to have to risk their lives like that? I'm sure a lot of them really need the cash right now. But with venues opening at partial capacity, will they be able to offer sufficient money to make it worthwhile for the musicians? Lots of questions no one can answer yet.

I'm equally sure a lot of people are wishing that the bumbling president who has ground everything to a near halt in their country will soon close his final term in office.