patricia

Yes. I'll edit. I got it right in the short bio I posted on the "Olive Branch" thread.

We all put off things that we should do, assuming that we will have time. When something like this happens, we are reminded that we are not even guaranteed tomorrow. So sad. And no, John was certainly not a wimpy drummer. He also was talented, beyond "just" being a drummer. He was also a composer and totally devoted to bringing joy and passion to those who heard him. I first heard his work in the late sixties, early seventies, when he was associated with The Guess Who?, a phenominally successful Canadian Band and of course, Joni Mitchell. I was facinated by the fact that he never allowed himself to be pidgeonholed in one genre and so was well known by anyone who listens to good music. He will be missed.

Harold, I thought the same thing. These days, pneumonia only seems to be the complication that is the final blow that kills someone already weakened by a more serious, terminal disease. By itself, it's curable. Makes me wonder if John was already sick.

Yes, way too young. When people who are around our age die, no matter what that age is, it reminds us of our own mortality. RIP John, too soon gone.

I'm sorry to hear that. Joni Mitchell will have to close a chapter of her life, sadly. It's hard to believe that people still die of pneumonia these days. I'll step away from my "only nicknamed artists" just this once and talk about JOHN GUERIN, a drummer of some note. I knew of him, because of his work on this side of the line, with The Guess Who? and, of course his association, musically and personally, with our Joni Mitchell. But, he was much more than that. He recorded behind many many artists, of varying genres, from Frank Sinatra and Thelonious Monk, through Zappa and The Byrds. He is one of the most recorded drummers of all time. He was the drummer on the soundtrack on Clint Eastwood's "Bird". Joni Mitchell's "The Hissing Of Summer Lawns", is John's composition and is beautiful. He also did work on other recording projects, such as those of O.C. Smith, Keith Carradine's "I'm Easy" and Terry Garthwaite. He was awarded the NARAS M.V.P. for four years and also wrote a drum book, "Jazz+Rock=John Guerin" In recent years he has played behind Oscar Peterson, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, k.d. lang, Ray Charles and Sonny Rollins, as well as producing a series of Jazz CD's for Japan. His current work included being a Clinician for the D.W. Drum Company as well as appearing with the trios of Roger Kellaway and Mike Melvoin. RIP JOHN GUERIN. Too Soon. Too Soon.

Oh yeah, the covers. That is a big part of vinyl's appeal to me. I probably can't tell the difference, for the most part, in the sound. There is more room for the cover art on an LP and the liner notes seem to be, though maybe it's just me, more extensive. I've often thought that it is a shame that many people don't even take the little booklet out of their CD's and read it. Considering the work that goes into creating the cover notes, that's a shame. On an LP, they're right there on the cover. I don't think that the notes on the covers of LP's are necessarily better, but taking the booklet out of a CD seems to be too much of an effort for some people. Too bad for them.

Thank you you lovely patricia, you. I'm raising my fourth cup of strong, black coffee towards the Frozen North. FYI, word on the street is that soon there won't be no more corks but only screwtops. Something about cork shortage, which I probably helped create. Sacriledge!!! As far as I'm concerned, the infidels who are advancing that atrocity are the children of parents who never,ever married. It took me forever to be able to extract the cork, without rendering it into several chunks which plunged back into the bottle. If this obscenity becomes reality, my hard-won skill will be as useful as being an expert butter-churner. Damn!! A cup of coffee, thick and strong enough to walk a good-sized mouse across, is raised to the South-western coast. Of course my s.b.coffee has a drop of Tullamore Dew in it to ward off evil spirits. Irrelevant sidebar: my son in NYC sent me a 5 cd set of early Charles Brown for my b'dy. He may not be jazz but he is the epitome of smooth. That's great!!! Just when we think our kids don't know how to make us smile, they do something like that. My youngest, although she scoffs, for the most part, at my passion for jazz on vinyl, nonetheless gave me a gift certificate for my favourite vintage vinyl emporium. Can't wait to go and add to my growing collection. They have a fabulous selection and I have my eye on some Herman, Jimmy Smith and Oscar Peterson, as well as some other gems. The gift certificate may be only the beginning in financing that risky trip downtown.

Thank you you lovely patricia, you. I'm raising my fourth cup of strong, black coffee towards the Frozen North. FYI, word on the street is that soon there won't be no more corks but only screwtops. Something about cork shortage, which I probably helped create. Sacriledge!!! As far as I'm concerned, the infidels who are advancing that atrocity are the children of parents who never,ever married. It took me forever to be able to extract the cork, without rendering it into several chunks which plunged back into the bottle. If this obscenity becomes reality, my hard-won skill will be as useful as being an expert butter-churner. Damn!! A cup of coffee, thick and strong enough to walk a good-sized mouse across, is raised to the South-western coast.

Hey Clint!!! You're lookin' good, for a guy in his very, very late forties. I had a nice glass of wine which came in, not a screw-top bottle or a box, but a bottle with a cork and raised my glass to the South-west, in your honour.

You have six months, less seven days to go until the "wet season", so hang in there. Canada may very well be relatively insignificant, politically and militarily. We're peace-keepers, not invaders. We also have large supplies of oil, right around where I live which the U.S. covets. Of course there won't be a war. Our leaders will just give it away, so intent are they not to offend the militarily superior big dog to the south of us. BUT, you forget that your natural gas comes from Canada, at least on the West coast. Putting that aside, the points you've made are, for the most part valid. The path all of our leaders, throughout the last several decades, since the invention of the internal combustion engine have somehow taken the position that petroleum is a renewable resource. As well, the petroleum producers have a vested interest in discouraging, if not outright blocking the acceptance of an engine which uses an alternate fuel. Inventors have developed some alternates, but seem to hit a blank wall, when it comes to having their inventions generally accepted and encouraged by all of our governments, as well as a public stuck with what already exists and is familiar to them. While it's true that I will be dead by the time that the fuel for conventional cars is gone, my children and my grandchildren will have a hell-damner of a problem, which could have been avoided, if not for greed. This war is not about humanitarianism, it is about money and power, or, as you say, being CONQUERERS. How many innocent lives being ruined, or snuffed out will that cost to facilitate huge gains for the few?? Progress?? I don't think so.

Check out Clint's avatar, Patty. May I say, in my typically elegant, decorous and restrained way.............MY MY, WOW???????? As for remembering the last time I answered in the negative to a gentleman's request, well, it's easier to remember the last time I said "yes". I say "I'm flattered, but no" much more often.

Happy Birthday Clint and also to the guy in the iron suit. There's another happy birthday greeting to Clint on the preceding page, but, not to repeat myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLINT!!!! Is today Ray Bolger's natal day?? Admirable restraint to not break out the champagne on one's birthday. If ever there was an occasion, that's the occasion.

Thanks for the Groove recs. Love "After Hours" by almost anyone. Great tune. Moody. Sexy. And, I can only imagine what Groove will do with it and the others.

I didn't vote "no" because I own a target pistol and a hunting rifle inherited from my father. I can accurately use both, but have never had to to defend myself, nor do I anticipate ever having to defend myself with a gun. I'm not afraid of them, but I am afraid of those who think that having a loaded gun in the house will keep them safe. They are more likely to have the gun stolen and used by somebody else, or for a member of their family killed accidentaly by carelessly stored guns. My rifle is kept unloaded and stored, the bullets somewhere else in the house. The most valuable thing I ever learned was the devastating damage a gun can do.

Terrific!!! Congratulations Scott and Ms Scott!! Beautiful name.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! You look fabulous for your age, and I mean that.

Rah! Rah! for the shoes. It's always the shoes that make the entire 'look' come together. What types of shoes are you considering? If I could afford them, Manolos, but I'll have to settle for a very nice pump by a company called "Prevata", Italian I think. Snakeskin beauties. Three and a half inch heels. Supremely crippling after a couple of hours. BUT they make my legs look like they go right up to my neck!!!!

I'm embarrassed to admit that I thought the same thing. Now, that's a potential tailoring challenge! Just saw this snake on the news. It's as long as a schoolbus and as big around as I am. Holy Man!! Hide Spot!!!

Jazzbo, there you go. Back at ya!!!

Sheldonn, Your problem is that you have no vices you can resolve to quit. I'm almost annoyed at you for being as near-perfect as it's possible for a human to be. Exercising more is always good and losing a little more weight, if that's what you want, would be good too, just to show yourself you can. The site you mentioned sounds interesting, so good luck on setting it up. I guess the thing is to choose something that is actually within the realm of possibility. If we, again, choose goals impossible to achieve, here we'll be next year, still smoking, drinking too much, being a jerk to all and sundry and failing at our annual resolution to improve. Let's pick stuff we can actually do and then do that.. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I have modest resolutions this year. Finish a photography project that has been stalled for a couple of months, involving jazz groups in their natural habitat [local clubs] in available light. Embark on an odyssey in search of meaningless sex, spanning the continent. [planning the odyssey will take months. I hate to have the wrong stuff with me when I travel.] Stop the step-down stop-smoking regime I have been using to quit cigarettes. My plan involves one skinny tipped cigar, a la Clint Eastwood in the spaghetti westerns in the evening, with a glass of red wine. It stopped my smoking cigarettes, but now my apartment smells like a low-class saloon. Wear more stylish shoes. I've been wearing unattractive comfortable shoes and I feel I've let down my fellow ladies, whose legs look better than mine do, even though they're not. One must suffer for beauty. Get rid of that ridiculously expensive sequinned tube-top that I have never worn. It looked really good on, in the store, but not so good in real life. OK, I admit it. It was a mistake. To Good Will it goes. Be nicer to my friends and walk away from those who contribute nothing but negative vibes and quit thinking that they're going to change into nice people. Limit my drinking to parties, dances, weddings and other social functions.

I received no music this year. However, I was gifted with a voucher for the used vinyl emporium at which I score my growing collection of classic jazz records by my youngest daughter. She was raised right. Can't wait to go and peruse the shelves.

Well, all those items invoke a general sense of "drilling" in their own unique ways, and what better way to celebrate the gift of the Creator than to engage in creative acts, pro- or otherwise? I've never looked at it that way before. That's almost spiritual. Puts the fight I saw at a sale at a department store, just before Christmas, over the last power-washer into perspective. Creativity and spirituality takes many forms and far be it for me to scoff at it's many manifestations.............I guess.

"Black Christmas", with, I think Margot Kidder is along the same lines as "Silent Night Deadly Night" and always seemed to be a strange way to celebrate the birth of the Savior. But, when I think about it, not much stranger than celebrating the birth of the Savior with the gifting of someone with a posthole auger, or a thousand-bit screwdriver, or a table-saw or a set of questionable lingerie. We all express our spirituality in our own unique way.

I would like to add my Holiday Wishes to all my fellow posters here, on Organissimo. Being able to interact with a diverse group of people as passionate about jazz as I am has been and continues to be one of the most enjoyable things I do. Although I may never meet most of you, I consider all of you my friends and look forward to the coming New Year, learning more about JAZZ and exchanging ideas with all of you. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO JOHNNY AND TO EVERYONE!!