Check out this thread from JC

[Jim Alfredson]

Turn Funny Rat into its own forum and I think we'd pick up more JC posters.

I'm not opposed to this, not because I want to necessarily pick up JC posters (although of course they are welcome here... that goes without saying I hope) but because I like the idea of bringing a wider range of music discussion to the board.

What should we call it?

[Jim Alfredson]

Mike Ricci is a good guy. Sure, he's made some flubs, but he's always been understanding. He's also a big supporter of the music.

One thing folks have to keep in mind is that AAJ is a business and as such they have to play by different rules than we do here. Frankly, my acceptance and openness can sometimes get me in trouble (and sometimes I wonder if the band's fortunes have suffered as a result... I know of at least two instances where that has happened but luckily they were nothing big... but what about the ones I don't know about?) Most people can seperate the forums from the band, but I worry about those that can't.

Anyway, everybody is entitled to his/her opinion, but I've found Ricci to be a very nice person.

[JSngry]

Turn Funny Rat into its own forum and I think we'd pick up more JC posters.

I'm not opposed to this, not because I want to necessarily pick up JC posters (although of course they are welcome here... that goes without saying I hope) but because I like the idea of bringing a wider range of music discussion to the board.

What should we call it?

Funny Rat.

[Big Al]

Turn Funny Rat into its own forum and I think we'd pick up more JC posters.

I'm not opposed to this, not because I want to necessarily pick up JC posters (although of course they are welcome here... that goes without saying I hope) but because I like the idea of bringing a wider range of music discussion to the board.

What should we call it?

Noise pollution.

Edited July 12, 2006 by Big Al

[J.A.W.]

Turn Funny Rat into its own forum and I think we'd pick up more JC posters.

I'm not opposed to this, not because I want to necessarily pick up JC posters (although of course they are welcome here... that goes without saying I hope) but because I like the idea of bringing a wider range of music discussion to the board.

What should we call it?

Why don't you ask thread starter Tony ("Chaney")?

[WD45]

Turn Funny Rat into its own forum and I think we'd pick up more JC posters.

I'm not opposed to this, not because I want to necessarily pick up JC posters (although of course they are welcome here... that goes without saying I hope) but because I like the idea of bringing a wider range of music discussion to the board.

What should we call it?

I think that is a great idea.

[sheldonm]

While the thread is not about Mike Ricci, I will go on record as one who likes the guy very much. I've had several dealing with him, talked with him on the phone many times and he has supported me on several projects in the past and current; the guy is cool in my book~~~

m~

[Jim R]

While the thread is not about Mike Ricci...

Obviously, this thread is (now) (in part) about Mike Ricci. It's also about the Funny Rat discussion, and perhaps a few other things, including JC, some of its members, and Stanley Ouch.

I've had a few minor problems with Mr. Ricci, but I do think he's really a good guy. He just doesn't have time (or doesn't wish to devote much time) to the bbs portion of AAJ, and that has caused him to be a bit less than understanding and helpful in solving bbs problems. My experiences with Lois (who had turned me off somewhat by 1999 or 2000, when I began to spend less time at JC) were similar, but I think she has less common sense than Ricci or our Mr. Alfredson.

If there's a mass exodous from JC (and I'm not saying I'm wishing for that), I hope we'll see more of Ron Thorne, Jimmy Cantiello, Steve Minkin (? is he still around?), Larry Nagel (?), and of course, steve thelil (goes without saying).

Edited July 12, 2006 by Jim R

[Hot Ptah]

I sent an email to Mike Ricci and told him about this thread. His only comment was that he has banned nine out of 9,600 members at AAJ, and two of the nine are posting on this thread.

[Jim Alfredson]

This is kind of pointless. I'm not sure why we need to bring another board's dirty laundry over here. I've banned people from here, too, with some controversy. Again, everybody is entitled to their opinion. Kevin doesn't like Ricci. Chris doesn't like Lois. So what? I'm sure there are folks on the other boards that don't like me. You can't please everyone all the time. Good thing we have choices.

Let's move on.

[J.A.W.]

I sent an email to Mike Ricci and told him about this thread. His only comment was that he has banned nine out of 9,600 members at AAJ, and two of the nine are posting on this thread.

I'm one of them

I was banned as a result of our, well, let's call it a collision. No problem.

Edited July 12, 2006 by J.A.W.

[7/4]

JC seems like a nasty place.

[Dan Gould]

I sent an email to Mike Ricci and told him about this thread. His only comment was that he has banned nine out of 9,600 members at AAJ, and two of the nine are posting on this thread.

I'm one of them

I was banned as a result of our, well, let's call it a collision. No problem.

Unless he missed me, I'm the other one.

In honor of another person banned from the Org and AAJ (DEEP):

Hans,

CLASP!

[Jazzmoose]

Hell, I've never been banned from any jazz board. I must be doing something wrong to have avoided such a fate, particularly considering my propensity for telling jokes involving minors, George Bush, and a nose picking

{The rest of this post has been censored by the moderator and the poster banned}

[The Red Menace]

Is this Mr. Crouse some sort of commissar???

[Kalo]

I'm just glad that SOMEBODY alerted me to the almost Shakespearean level of foolishness that Crouch has attained...

The man's clearly extremely intelligent and has made some valuable contributions to the discussion of jazz, but what a thin skin he has...

[7/4]

I sent an email to Mike Ricci and told him about this thread. His only comment was that he has banned nine out of 9,600 members at AAJ, and two of the nine are posting on this thread.

I'm one of them

I was banned as a result of our, well, let's call it a collision. No problem.

Unless he missed me, I'm the other one.

In honor of another person banned from the Org and AAJ (DEEP):

Hans,

CLASP!

imagine that, why would anyone ban Dan.

[Kalo]

Is this Mr. Crouse some sort of commissar???

I believe that he'd relish the opportunity...

[The Red Menace]

This just in from a somewhat befuddled defender of Mr. Crouse!!!

I'm looking forward to reading Stanley's new tomb.

Do you suppose this poster is a distant relative of Comrade Hardbop???

[JSngry]

Or Comrade Gotti...

[fasstrack]

When I read the first paragraph of SC's post, it immediately reminded me of some of the great speeches Ignatius J. Reilly gave in the book A Confederacy of Dunces.

Maybe the Swift quote is relevant here: "When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."

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.

Edited July 13, 2006 by fasstrack

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Spell the cats' names right, Stanley, and get the name of the joint and starting time right and we'll take it from there.

[connoisseur series500]

I sent an email to Mike Ricci and told him about this thread. His only comment was that he has banned nine out of 9,600 members at AAJ, and two of the nine are posting on this thread.

I'm one of them

I was banned as a result of our, well, let's call it a collision. No problem.

Unless he missed me, I'm the other one.

In honor of another person banned from the Org and AAJ (DEEP):

Hans,

CLASP!

imagine that, why would anyone ban Dan.

(Sorry, Dan, but that was good!)

Edited July 13, 2006 by connoisseur series500

[fasstrack]

JC isn't the easiest place to hang out, so I choose my battles carefully. There are a few people there that have been very nice to me (such as the oft-maligned Mr. Dolan), but there are some major jerks, too. I don't let it get to me.

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.

Edited July 13, 2006 by fasstrack

[chris olivarez]

Hell, I've never been banned from any jazz board. I must be doing something wrong to have avoided such a fate, particularly considering my propensity for telling jokes involving minors, George Bush, and a nose picking

{The rest of this post has been censored by the moderator and the poster banned}

Jazzmoose,Jazzmoose.