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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...

I didn't enjoy Rohmer's La Collectionneuse as much as I had hoped. I think this was mostly due to the power dynamics between the two fairly douchey men and the just out of high school girl.

I don't do it often, but sometimes I would swap CDs and not put it immediately back in the CD case. (I know, it's a dreadful habit...) Which means endless searching later on. 😟 There are at least 3 or 4 like that, including a very good recording of Mendelssohn's Octet. As it happens, I have also misplaced a few DVDs, though these are at least still with their cases...

Off to see Rohmer's La Collectionneuse on Sunday and then in about a week De Palma's Blow Out.

Reading some recent fiction: Russell Smith's Self Care and Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. After this, a swing through Southern literature: Faulkner's The Wild Palms and O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find.

Just saw Mike Murley with Reg Schwager & Neil Swainson at Hirut. Very nice trio work (guitar instead of piano). Will likely go tomorrow evening as well.

True, and Towner was 85.

What a rough week for guitarists! First Ralph Towner and now Ebo Taylor! https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/09/ebo-taylor-ghanaian-highlife-pioneer-dies-age-90 I don't believe I heard either of these titans live, but they left so many great albums to listen to this week and next...

Chester Himes has a whole series of detective novels, starting with A Rage in Harlem.

It sounds like the Henderson will be a 2 CD release. This is certainly intriguing: This is part of Resonance's debut launch of releases from Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase archives, marking the beginning of what will hopefully be a long line of incredible releases from the club's archives. Here's hoping that the material from Jazz Showcase sells well enough to keep bringing out these releases!

Saw this again on the big screen a couple of months back. Great stuff. One of my very favorite Brooks's films.

I received as a present the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz (on cassette no less!). The first box set I bought for myself was probably Thelonious Monk Complete Riverside Recordings.