fasstrack

WRONG! .... Scully and I are like brothers and have a few occasional misunderstandings.. We've been friends now 16 years.. He actually invited me to kayak with him and his family next week.. Tell him his favorite Christ-killing guitar player, Joel Fass, said hello. And put some weight on his end of the kayak.

Since I had no takers I kept it (not unlike a person who can't get laid and cuts losses by declaring celibacy). The good news: It's a wonderful book. R.J. Smith is a conversational writer, a rare gift for a historian. This book is full of love for its subject and fleshes it out in little vignettes, oral histories, and themes developed and enlarged over its expanse. I could not recommend it more highly.

I love wasting time. If I didn't I'd be a MF player/composer with international acclaim, hot-and-cold running women, 15 CDs and counting and 4 Grammies who never even thinks about shit like this, instead of the fool I am who makes the Internet his personal Eugene O'Neill novel. And this just in: if my grandmother had wheels she'd be a trolley....

Update: post 7,000 (OK, I exaggerate, but only a little) and still one Stanley Crouch MIA. MF's harder to smoke out than Osama Bin Laden. I guess one's illusions are a grand hiding place.....

I basically love Kenny. He has balls, conviction, a great rude sound, and is totally confident in what he's doing. He got the rhythm and gone. He can be a bit self-indugent for me, especially on some live things I have, but that's a general complaint I have about a lot of soloists and jazz these days in general. Also some of his tunes I thought could've perhaps used a bit more thought and honing before being documented, but then again they worked pretty good as solo vehicles. I loved his solo on Mack the Knife and some of his other leader efforts, and dug his work with Roy Haynes. He's a MF, like Mulgrew Miller, one of the young guys hyped in the 80s that actually deserved it.

I don't think you really do. if you did, you'd post there periodically, continually egging him on until he re-emerged. as it is, you posted once and withdrew the bulk of it when you messed it up in editing. if you actually want a piece of him, go and get it. Right. And you'll hold my coat, I guess. So good of you to be concerned about my welfare, Internet habits, and to know the inner workings of my brain so intimately. FYI I didn't withdraw anything. Somehow the thing got cut into 1/4 when I corrected it for spelling. Not that I owe you an explanation. I mean, have we met, dude? See what I mean? This is turning into a sideshow here now. And I'm gonna end my part in it. People bickering here about what supposedly went on there. Brilliant. Jim, and the rest, I hear you. If you don't want this here I won't bring it here. I was having a little fun. But I would love to dress down that stuffed shirt. He'll get his either way. It's really not my problem.

I recognize that lady with the paper. BTW It's nice to see Geoge W. to her left on guitar making himself useful. Always new that boy would amount to sumphin'

it's interesting how since the Major Man himself split for the bunker or Fortress of Solitude everyone is contenting themselves with the sideshow. Who cares? I wanna piece of Stanley. I don't mean Kowalski, people.... I would like to know what makes him tick, examine his innards and see what's there. It may be that he's a sensitive soul who wants to uplift us after all, a true Millsian altruist, no buffoon, humble as a true Christrian (as opposed to a true Christiern) and the rest is an incredibly effective act. Count De Monay.....

I went and did it. I challenged him to debate. I hope some of y'all will get my back after he kills any hope of a career. Seriously, he likely won't notice or deign to respond. Too bad the whole thing didn't get on. A corker, and well-deserved.

Mr. Apple, meet Mr. Orange. Viva la difference..... I particularly enjoy Hamp's duet w/Charlie Haden from around '76: As Long as There's Music. I love all his stuff, though. Swung his balls off, creativity to burn (literally), sure knew the blues, and didn't stay married to the past but kept listening and absorbing. I've long loved Evans but have lately fallen out of love or at least the mood. I'm sure I'll get in it again. He was beauty itself and raised the bar on so many levels and not just for pianists.

I play organ/keys in Root Doctor as well as being the organist in organissimo. I'm a busy man! GregN is the guitarist in Root Doctor. Got it. One final question, though: Who is Harry Kellerman, and why is he saying all these terrible things about me? Wooooooooo woooooo wooooooo Ooohhh, wiseguy? Calling Dr. Moe, etc.

To show you how out of it I am i never heard of Mike Ricci before. I found this board because Lazaro mentioned it. I lile it here. I asked Jim privately BTW. I don't wanna make trouble here. I dealt with Ms. Gilbert when I posted a report on John Hicks' service at St. Mark's church in Harlem on a few websites including hers and this one. I don't hang there and waste too much time on the web as it is (don't take that the wrong way. Love yiz, but I do waste too much time on the web and in general). Anyway, Lois received what I wrote and myself warmly and we emailed each other for a minute. She was nice to me indeed. I don't know that I want to throw wood on the fire at her joint to get better known by calling Stanley out. If she's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf as y'all say it's not my place to roil the political waters, though I myself am not afraid. I should be afraid, because I'm actually still trying to have a career at this music thing, dumb as I am. A little crazy, I guess . But ultimately irritating Crouch ain't what I want or need my claim to fame to be. I'd rather keep chipping away at art and stand or fall on my own bottom like every other tub. Including Stanley. But the guy does get on my nerves. Guess Zappa was right: 'Shut up and play yer guitar', write sone music the world can use more than more finger-pointing and dick-waving. And don't waste time or get into trouble 'tilting at windbags'.

I'm confused now (as opposed to? ). Which of you two knuckleheads is in Root Doctor, or is it both? "Calling Dr. Moe, Dr. Larry, Dr. Curly. Calling......." Wooo Wooo Wooo

Don't feel bad. Root Doctor sells more because we have a great singer and people can relate easier to the music. So far, on the two gigs, I think organissimo has sold maybe 5 discs. So, whatcha gonna do? We're still having a blast!

I'm serious, guy. I'd debate him publicly or in email. He needs a musician that knows where at least some of the bones are buried and actually has similar views to take some of the stuffing out of him. I'll even take on the seeming African-American self-loathing that oozes from his utterings, as I've been practically raised by black people and learned everything of use in jazz from them. Mostly I want to call his ass out for his sudden 'seeing the light' of musical/political conservativism rather like magic in the Reagan?Marsalis 80s, the JAMF climber. I'd LOVE to take that MF apart publicly. STANLEY..... STANLEY I'm calling out to you, dude. Hollah!

What happens to a dream deferred? Ya know Jim, maybe it's my Jewish guilt kicking in (I mean, shit, it's been 6 whole minutes...) but perhaps Old Stanley can be persuded to come on here and speak for himself. I'd gladly debate him and it doesn't seem gentlemanly to be talking behind his cyber-back, despite his alleged and real crimes. This is a jazz-savvy crew and perhaps he'd actually discuss rather than deficate his royal poop over us. I'd enjoy whipping his ass myself. Plus I write pretty well and can actually play a musicial instrument with a jazz band. Administrator? Care to invite Mr. Crouch? You can say it was at the behest of Mr. Joel Fass

Yeah, I saw yiz guys names when I was there. We didn't do anything far out, just tried to sneak some of my tunes in and other things I liked. They didn't hate us but it was obvious that Ellington and standards would go over better, and we love those so shifted and had a ball. Like I said, at Gull's Landing we played for ourselves and still took requests. I'm too stupid, old, tired, and Jewish to know how to post analog pics on the web. Otherwise I'd be delighted. The one of me on Scully's bike should be in the Hall of Fame (well Shame, anyway). It's going on my CD so I can announce to the public what all my friends know: I'm outta my frickin' gourd.

I dunno, Nancy's chads seem to be hanging nicely.....

He was cool to me. He didn't owe me or my guys anything, but went on Lazaro's say-so. I didn't say he was perfect and hardly know him. There were some minor misunderstandings re transportation and such, but in the end he put us up in his house for a night with full refrigerator privileges. Shit, I even double-dipped the ham. Anyway, just to say it was nice to sample that part of the country for a bit and hang with Lazaro, etc. I'd love to come back and for more than a week. I know what I saw of Scully. He broke his ass transporting and setting up equipment every night after his day gig with only his girlfriend getting his back. But maybe you know something I don't.... I was just having fun. Scully is cool. He gets things done. He just called me today, right after I made that post...I was worried he was lurking here. If you are Scully, I love you! Randy, doesn't but I do. It is a fun tour for sure. I think we sold around 100 cds total that week and saw some pretty cool sites. If you get to go again, make sure you get the Gyro at the Baldwin Fish Mart. Awesome eats. g I have three hilarious pictures from that week, all posed, two involving Tim: 1. Me on Scully's Harley, and that is one MFing pip of a pic. 2. me playing and oblivious to the drummer, Rudy Petchauer, getting ready to hack me with an axe from the deck of a 100-tear-old boat called the SS City of Milwaukee. 3. Scully strangling me. I sold about two demo CDs at $9 per. I'm not sure whether to say 'fuck you' or can i borrow a fin ....

File under True Confessions of a soon-to-be-former Internet Blabbermouth I started my Internet sojourn by jumping into the cold waters of Branford Marsalis' wacky forum. (Please, I pray this doesn't turn into a weenie roast of Bran. I happen to think he's a great guy). I came on strong as I am wont to do, opting to take the wind out of the balloon of an Internet bully but also an intelligent person and good musician who still baits me three years hence but I mostly ignore all but his most egregious statements now. A lot of the regulars ganged up on me, or so it seemed. There was one who was particularly viscious (I can't spell that word for shit) and I was among his favorite targets because I let him get uinder my skin. In retrospect I was a complaining drama queen myself and certain people professed to not being able to stand me. Branford himself told me 'democracy is a bitch. Either participate or don't'. In the end his board was brought down by assholes who turned his very egalitarianism on his head by stealing identities of musicians with some kind of name and posting hateful racist rhetoric. It's a shame, too, because he himself is fun to debate, funny as hell, and I enjoyed reading him even when I thought what he said was out to lunch occasionally. The cat is a thinker and I respect that. I like his work, too. Anyway, I did make some friends there, Lazaro among them. So like life, the Web is what you make it. You wanna brawl, brawl. Wanna make friends/contacts it's there too. I've done my share of shit talking on the IntraWeb and like Mae West am no angel. But as I age I see that it's easier to talk shit, or even opine passionately than play good or find the good in others' playing or people generally. The best opinion or answer to those you disagree with is playing your ass off. It seems that though I ain't shit compared to my heroes my guitar playing doesn't seem to insult anyone. My words, on the other hand, are subject to things I would rather not waste energy on. I'd like to speak better through music. I think it can be a great teacher of the art of living.

He was cool to me. He didn't owe me or my guys anything, but went on Lazaro's say-so. I didn't say he was perfect and hardly know him. There were some minor misunderstandings re transportation and such, but in the end he put us up in his house for a night with full refrigerator privileges. Shit, I even double-dipped the ham. Anyway, just to say it was nice to sample that part of the country for a bit and hang with Lazaro, etc. I'd love to come back and for more than a week. I know what I saw of Scully. He broke his ass transporting and setting up equipment every night after his day gig with only his girlfriend getting his back. But maybe you know something I don't....

Ha ha. That is frickin' hilarious. I just started that book after an Internet friend recommended it---and others on that board started calling me Ignatius J. Fass. The first few pages had me as in stitches as those great bards Moe, Larry, and Curly. As far as Crouch goes, this is hardly brilliant but if we ignore him he might go away, or at least continue his preachments to the other converted geniuses of his crypto-fascist, (I always wanted to say cryto-fascist! ) self-important ilk......He talks about winning a war of some sort. Gee, dumbass me, here I always thought of music as a way of spreading joy and making friends. Anyway, it's all been said and he laps up the attention. The 'minor men' comment coupled with the disingenuous this-is-a-one-time-response-and-aren't-you-lucky-I'm-deigning-to' barely conceals the greed of one of the world's great attention-cravers. Solution: ignore him. Fair disclosure: I should take my own advice, as the shadow his intimidating ass casts over too much of the jazz establishment is troubling to me indeed. Ridiculous, since I have no dealings with him, being a 'minor man'. I really should do my thing and not even notice him since he's not reviewing me and never slapped any of my buddies that I know of. I guess we think too much, being sensitive and all. But it bothers the dickens out of me that musicians, frankly including myself, fear speaking out against this deluded windbag for fear of committing career suicide. I actually agree with some of his print statements and am hardly that different in my own tastes but reserve the right to resent his self-importance and elitism, plus do not feel at all turned on by his pretentious and over-ripe prose. Somebody send that gasbag mothafucka a copy of anything by Hemingway. ASAP. Critics have always been here and someone once said he's travelled the world and never seen a single statue of a critic, but many of musicians. The real question perhaps should be why do we musicians let these fuckers get under our skin? Spell the cats' names right, Stanley, and get the name of the joint and starting time right and we'll take it from there. Astute jazz listeners can hear and imagine and don't need a goddamn thing explained to them or embroidered in my book. I've been corrected by passers-by when I played a melody wrong. Apropos of nothing but wanting to say it I have a lot of admiration for Nat Hentoff, but more for his fierce First Amendment defense in print. FWIW He would be the first to defend Stanley if censured.

I don't undersatand this anti-Gordon Jenkins backlash. What's that about, guys? No, the strings were neither saccharine to me nor overbearing. Once upon a Time, When the Wind was Green, and It Was a Very Good Year from September of my Years never fail to move me. The strings are not only a frame, they are the perfect counter voice to Sinatra on that record. When they're under him, they're under him and when they soar they soar---and provide emotional crests of their own as thrilling as the singer's. I'm a hard-working composer and I'd be more than proud to write a chart even in the same ballpark as It was a Very Good Year. Jenkins vs. Riddle? What's the point? both great writers, viva la difference. Oh, and you may have heard: he wrote a few little things like Goodbye and This is all I Ask.....

Well put. I can relate and not just where Mr. Sinatra is concerned. As far as names, we need not go there. Romanticism of assholes (or saints) is, like unrequited love, a bore.