RainyDay

I think it's unfortunate that folks on one board trash another. And I've seen it happen on all three that I have had any involvement with. It feels so high school. Folks here trashed AAJ when Mike became annoyed with "O" folks going to AAJ only when this site crashed. Folks at JC think theirs are the most sophisticated in musical tastes. I see all of that talk as just trash talk and something that belongs on a sports website. As for politics at this site, I would say the opinions are not only informed, discussions are actually civilized, for the most part. When some knuckledragger (and I don't know who that would be here, thankfully) starts calling any one of the half dozen or so women who post here the "c" word or the "b" word, I'm outta here. I won't make any dramatic exit speeches either, I'll just be gone. As I've said elsewhere, the internet is not a place where I go to act out my alter ego. This is real life to me and what I don't stand for in real life, I don't stand for on the internet. Bottom line, I'm here because I'm a jazz fan. And because the world is going to hell in a hand basket, I feel the need to talk about that too. Ciao, baby.

The board absolutely welcomes female participation. Just some folks seem to prefer it in the form of bumping, grinding, and showing off hooties and extraordinarily limited wardrobes. I can only speak for myself, of course, (as a 30-something, workin-class-rooted, urban, overeducated, underpaid, mongrel American usually identified as white (though I'm Native American enough for some scholarships, I hear) and self-identified as essentially Irish-American, though I don't look it) anyhow, speaking from that very complicated position, I really do lament the cavemanesque unsubtlety of some of the sexual stuff here. But I don't think it should be interpreted as hostility to women so much as lack of taste and discernment, and, let me assure you, it's not just women who cringe sometimes. --eric Here's to cringing, then. I'm glad I have some company.

Okay, I'm chiming in again but I have to mention Kenny Barron. I've seen him a few times but the best was a couple summers ago in SF at a small community theater in the Mission District. He talked about his musical roots and influences and played in the styles of his heroes and mentors. He talked about how Dizzy loved to play the piano and after sets when they were jamming and fooling around, Diz would kick Barron off the piano so he could play. It was an exceptional afternoon. Another time some years ago, he played a duet with Bobby Hutcherson at this tiny little Oakland venue, that no longer exists, near Jack London Square . Those two guys had a blast that night. It was small and intimate. It was the first time I'd ever seen Barron. He is one of my favorites. Such an elegant style.

How could you forget it, considering the charming people you met that night. Well, okay, that too.

Let's see, I'm female, middle aged, middle class, black...oh, well. I might add however, the recent appearance of bumping grinding, big chested, and now naked women makes me realize how this site isn't exactly a place that welcomes female participation. And no one answered the question posed on another thread, but why WOULD a man want to be indentified with an avatar of a female posing in a provocative way? I could understand if it was a photo of a female jazz musician on stage or a record cover, since this is a jazz site. In my experience, men who engage in posting risque photos of women, among other similar classy behavior, are announcing that they have manhood and maturity issues. If you are fifteen, you wouldn't understand that. If you are over 30, you should consider therapy.

Okay, I'll stop chiming in but I keep reading more names I'd forgotten. Back when UC Berkeley had a jazz festival, I had a chance to see (and meet) some wonderful artists.

Oh, yessss, Ornette on November 8, 2002. It was a dark and stormy night I remember well.

I guesss it depends on how you define great. I can't believe I only saw Miles once. One measly time. Miles Mingus Pharoah Sanders McCoy Herbie Ron Carter Freddie Elvin Betty Carter Joe Zawinal Wayne Shorter Yusef Lateef Ahmad Jamal Shirley Horn Jon Hendricks Sarah Vaughan Count Basie Bobby Hutcherson Joe Henderson Brian Blade Kenny Garrett Ray Brown Gato Barbieri Eddie Palmieri I THINK I saw Tito but I can't remember where Sun Ra Roland Kirk George Shearing Prince Lasha Sonny Fortune Art Ensemble of Chicago I THINK Cannonball or maybe I just wish

Yup. The beating of the Korean man didn't even make sense. But I was glad to see Tony S. shake the snot out of AJ. Spoiled little slacker. I also noted how the counselor was pulling strings for AJ. I loved the reference to AJ as "Fredo."

Dunno. Yoshi's discontinued their Sunday afternoon 2 PM family set the first of this year. Currently, they have 7 PM and 9 PM sets on Sundays. Maybe they are bringing back the 2 Sunday PM set and axing the 7 PM set? The 2 PM set was a great bargain for families and a chance to see some of the musicians interacting with the kids. I went with and without kids and usually enjoyed it. Only thing is, some artists get into education mode and don't play as much, which some folks (adults sans kids) find annoying. I dig listening to artists talk about what they do. If they leave Oakland, it will really break my heart.

Does anyone subscribe to Rolling Stone or Motor Trend? There's an insert that is supposedly an excerpt from a new book by Rowland Samuel called "Men of Metal." It's about giant humanoid robots made from parts of the British Mini Cooper automobile. These giant robots have been reportedly seen roaming the Oxford countryside at night a la Big Foot. Except these robots help wayward motorists. The excerpt has photos and diagrams. It's apparently a big promotional hoax for the Mini. Samuel Rowland doesn't exist. They've gone to great trouble to create web links to the mad Oxford scientist who supposedly built these things http://www.r50rd.co.uk/research/internal/v2i/engin/ and there is even a link to the book publisher Casson Publishing, which also doesn't exist. Clever yet pretty lame. A tiny car so powerful it can run a 12-foot robot. Whaaaaa? Time for the annual massacre of chocolate bunnies.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...1448EDT0586.DTL You can't make this stuff up. As reported in today's SF Chronicle:

Apparently there was an item in the SF Weekly that Yoshi's will be breaking ground for a SF club this summer. They plan to keep both clubs operating for the short run. I wish them well. I won't be spending that kind of time or cash in SF. Part of why I go as often as I do is that it is so convenient.

Missed Ms. Carter. I've only been Yoshi's three times this year. Just been busy doing other stuff. I really wanted to see Billy Cobham but was under the weather.

The boss is taking us out for drinks tonight. We are unbelievably busy and working in a totally chaotic environment. Going to spend Sunday with family. They go to church, I show up for dinner. It's an all day family get together and I'm really looking forward to it. May squeeze in a massage on Sunday morning if my masseuse is free. Clean house on Saturday. I have a full scale dust bunny riot in my house.

I still haven't made it the Jazz House. How is it? Good sound? Good crowd?

I haven't heard anything off the Clapton record but it's been getting better reviews than the Aerosmith record.

I exchange e-mails with a local columnist here and on one occasion I let him know I posted one of his columns at Jazz Corner, of course identifying the author and the paper. He said I was free to post any of his work as I saw fit. If it was a problem, I'm sure he would have said. so. Unless he doesn't care if it's a problem and that's also a distinct possibility with this guy. B)

I heard a selection from this record over the weekend and it's now on the buy list. Don't buy many records anymore and buy very little rock but this sounds pretty good. Good old raunchy rock 'n blues.

I have an early book of his photographs somewhere around here. Wasn't that a terrific photography exhibit? There's also a documentary that's been floating around on cable about his life., can't recall the title now.

I went to Yoshi's last month to a sold out show. Yoshi's e-mail machine is going full tilt either because business is really good or slacking off, don't know. Haven't been to any SF Jazz stuff in a year so I don't know how it's doing but I haven't heard that it's doing poorly from friends who go. I'm going to assume (yes I know) that jazz is doing at least okay in the East Bay because more little clubs are popping up and more restaurants are featuring jazz on weekends and for Sunday jams. Reminds me of how things were in the 1970's and 1980's. SF Jazz concerts tend to be pretty staid affairs. The only concert I can recall where the SF audience went a little nuts was Ahmad Jamal a couple years ago. Yoshi's usually has a pretty responsive crowd. Usually quiet when they are supposed to be but some nights there's way more chatter than necessary. At Yoshi's, someone in the audience will ask you to be quiet if you keep talking. One night, a guy actually brought in his laptop in the middle of a set, turned the thing on and the YELLOW light from the screen was just a little distracting and annoying. Before you could say "what's your problem" a staffer had scurried over to tell him to turn the damn thing off. I don't love concerts because of the distance, literally and figuratively, between the artists and the audience. I prefer clubs as long as they aren't a place where people go to socialize and not listen. Audiences don't have to be quiet, shouting, clapping, calling out is cool, non stop talking is not cool, which includes explaining every note to your girlfriend--not cool. Maybe this is a guy thing. The exception is outdoor concerts. Something about being outside that loosens everybody up. More distractions and more talking but somehow it isn't as annoying as an indoor show. It's hard to be bothered by someone talking, at say, Monterey when it looks like that United jet is going to land on the stage.

You referred to the cover as a frat boy fantasy and I don't get what you are referring to. The CD jacket cover with he and Gordon Parks?

I think I mentioned this on another thread somewhere a couple weeks ago, but has anyone heard this? Any opinions? I was out looking for Dennis Gonzalez's Desert Wind and found Half Past Autumn Suite instead. Some very good stuff on this record. I've heard Mayfield perform live with Los Hombres Calientes and was very impressed with his chops. Later, I read about his solo projects and this one was mentioned as one of his better efforts. It's an interesting recording. Yesterday, I played it three times straight through and liked it more each time. It has a very different energy level and unique voice from what I typially hear. A little out, mostly in. Mostly high energy, up tempo. Anybody have any opinions of his playing in general?

I read a review of and heard a couple of clips from this record. It sounds pretty good but I'm a big Aerosmith fan. Anybody heard any of it yet? Opinions?

I think Rolling Stone gave it a big thumbs down. She's going to be on Good Morning America tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.