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Fassbinder's Veronika Voss - starts out more or less Sunset Blvd. but then add morphine addicts. I think it's fair to say it ends as a neo-noir. I'm struggling to think if there is a single Fassbinder film that has a happy ending. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul has a somewhat ambiguous ending that could be taken as positive. And that's as close as he gets to an uplifting film, I think...

Stumbled across this series of live recordings from Finnish Radio (the series is called Jazz-Liisa). It looks like there are 15 in the series, and the entire series is up on Bandcamp: https://jazzliisa.bandcamp.com/music All except #1 (Unisono Quartet) and #13 (Eero Koivistoinen) appear to be available on Apple Music (at least in Canada). Interestingly, I have one CD by Eero Koivistoinen (Wahoo), though I haven't pulled it out in a very long time. I'll try to track it down soon.

In addition to Allison Au at the Rex, I stayed for the main attraction, who was Andrew Rathbun and a small group backing him. I had never heard of him, but he has a ton of recordings on Steeplechase. It was entertaining though not exactly revelatory... Apparently, he's from Toronto, lived in NYC for some time and now is in Michigan, teaching at Western Michigan University. Almost my life in reverse. 😉

He's pretty solid. I generally manage to see him a few times/year. I've managed to see Neil Swainson a lot more than that.

Saw Coleman with the remains of the Bad Plus a few weeks back, playing Jarrett's music from his American Quartet days. Overall, an enjoyable concert. This may be the first time I've seen Coleman live. I'll be heading over to the Rex to catch Allison Au play on Friday and probably the set afterwards, depending on how tired I am. The following week it's Kirk MacDonald and Pat LaBarbera doing their annual Coltrane tribute at the Jazz Bistro with Neil Swainson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. Terry actually sat in once with Coltrane, though he was hardly a regular...

I passed on the last time Herbie came through town, but I am leaning toward going this time. It's possible I've already sat too long on ordering tickets. Anyway, any feedback on his current touring group and repertoire and whether he still breaks out the "keytar" or I guess it's the vocoder would be appreciated. I just saw a thread elsewhere that he toured for 2+ years on the exact same set list, so I wonder if this tour will be the same or something different.

Managed to see this at TIFF about a month back. Wouldn't mind if this won as a dark-horse candidate. (I didn't like One Battle After Another at all, aside from Del Toro.)

Nabokov's Ada. I thought I would get a lot further into this on a train ride but actually worked much of the time. 🫤 Maybe a bit too much in the constant linguistic games. I gather he decide to let himself go full-Joyce in this novel.

Congrats! Will give it a listen soon.

Just saw How to Make a Killing with Glen Powell and Margaret Qualley. It is indeed a remake of Kind Hearts and Coronets, which is even more obvious in the opening minutes than in the trailers (though it's pretty obvious from the trailers). With a few twists to make it a bit more interesting perhaps... I thought it was fun, though wildly implausible in many places.

I guess it depends if you count Ginger Baker as a jazz-rock drummer, but he collaborated with Fela Kuti both in Africa and Europe. https://www.openculture.com/2020/06/when-afrobeat-legend-fela-kuti-collaborated-with-cream-drummer-ginger-baker.html

Managed to get out to see Gary on Wed. night, even though the weather was pretty lousy. It was a very small crowd - maybe 20 people, but they played their hearts out anyway. Will be going back on Sat. and the vibe will surely be livelier.

Me three. I believe in Michigan (and perhaps other states) you could vote in the primary (at 17) if you would be 18 by the time of the general election. I may be misremembering of course, but I do remember that Jesse did particularly well in Michigan, winning the caucus! Now what I am having trouble tracking down is whether Michigan had a primary and a caucus even back in 1988, but I think it must have, as I voted for Jackson at a poll location and it wasn't anything like the crowded rooms of a caucus. I wouldn't have any idea how to participate in a caucus back then and certainly wouldn't have had the time. (Or maybe it was enacted just like a standard primary but they called it a caucus? That might be the most likely...) Years later, I actually saw him and David Dinkins and Mario Cuomo at a big march on Washington (Save Our Cities march, probably in 1993). RIP.

Just saw Gore Verbinski's Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die. Definitely entertaining and over the top in many places.

As mentioned before, Gary Smulyan is in Toronto, playing at the Rex with Neil Swainson and Terry Clarke. I have a spot booked for Sat., and I will probably swing by Wed. as well, though I haven't made reservations. Generally, Wed. and even Thurs. don't require them...