Archives for December 2005

In the right column, under Doug's Picks, you will find three recommended CDs, a DVD and a book. You will notice that Jim Hall is involved in two of the picks. And why not? He had a birthday this month. … [Read more...]

Quick, before it's over, let's wish the stalwart bassist and jazz anecdotist Bill Crow a happy birthday, his 78th. After he saw the lingual postings below, Bill wrote to say: And a happy Saturnalia to all! Then he followed up on the recent Rifftides ski postings (here) and (here) to reminisce about … [Read more...]

A Rifftides reader named Hatta writes from Russia about the multi-lingual Christmas greeting posted early today: Well, you should wish that for Russian readers too :-) We don't generally celebrate Christmas on December, 24, -- in Russia it is celebrated on January, 7, so you could wish us a Happy … [Read more...]

The Rifftides staff wishes you a Merry Christmas, a splendid holiday season and good listening. … [Read more...]

A most satisfying encounter in the flurry of interviews at mid-year about Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond was with Al Vuona of WICN-FM in Worcester, Massachusetts. The station has revived the program as part of its series The Public Eye. It is archived here and available for … [Read more...]

If you develop an ear for sounds that are musical it is like developing an ego. You begin to refuse sounds that are not musical and that way cut yourself off from a good deal of experience —John Cage … [Read more...]

Well, the ski trip was sogged out. When we were five minutes from the lodge at White Pass, the skies opened. If it had been a few degrees colder, we'd have had a glorious snowfall. At 36 degrees, we got what my old Oklahoma chum Charlie Manwarring called a toad stabber. We looked up at the runs and … [Read more...]

Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace, and making the soul of him who is rightly educated graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful—Plato Any … [Read more...]

As time passes and events accumulate, Katrina’s devastation of a region and disruption of lives fade into the background of the collective consciousness. But, as Russ Layne’s recent comment here reminded us, recovery is a down a long road. Trombonist Jeff Albert responds. I am a New Orleans area … [Read more...]

The person poised awkwardly in this picture is not me, but might as well be, except for one thing—he or, possibly, she is upright. The other day I spent hours on a mountain in the Cascades, falling over. It was my first lesson in cross-country skiing. That may be my instructor, Carla, watching, … [Read more...]

Rifftides reader Russ Layne writes from Chester, New York. Wow, Just read the piece on Paul Desmond and the Red Cross. The first live jazz group I ever saw, a bar mitzvah present from my mother at age 13, was The Dave Brubeck Quintet at Fordham University (splitting the bill with Jackie Mason). … [Read more...]

In April, my publisher, Malcolm Harris, and I were in Manhattan throwing a party at Elaine’s restaurant to announce the publication of my biography of Paul Desmond. Dave and Iola Brubeck were co-hosts. There was a gratifying turnout of Paul’s friends and colleagues, and of well-wishers, … [Read more...]

This morning, we're going into the Cascade mountains for cross-country skiing. It has the makings of a long day, so further blogging is unlikely. Managing a laptop on the trails is so awkward, not to mention the difficulty of finding a wireless signal or a tree with a phone jack in a national forest … [Read more...]

One of the most satisfying aspects of Rifftides during this first year has been hearing from you. It is gratifying that so many good listeners and fine musicians are on board. Today's postings all come from readers. … [Read more...]

From Kent, UK, near London, Rifftides reader Don Emanuel writes about this Ben Webster posting. It included mention of four Webster CDs. Thanks for keeping the memory of Ben Webster alive. I know it's all a matter of taste and personal preferences, but how could you miss out the album he made with … [Read more...]

Pianist Jack Reilly writes from New Jersey: One can tell it's Ben after one note out of his horn. I had the honor of touring Norway with him for three weeks in 1971. He was a quiet man before and during the gig. However, after hours he never shut up! It was always about his old boss, Duke. He … [Read more...]

Charlie and Sandi Shoemake write from Cambria, California, in response to these comments on Jake Hanna's riposte following the death of John Lennon: Whether your stance on Jake Hanna is that of being appalled like your super politically correct reader Jansen or understood as just a dark comedy aside … [Read more...]

The resignation this week of American Red Cross President Marsha Evans stirred up old complaints and doubts about the charity. The former Navy rear admiral was the fourth Red Cross head in six years to walk. The failure of the organization’s Louisiana and Mississippi chapters to get relief to the … [Read more...]

Regarding the posting about Denny Zeitlin, Rifftides reader Dave Berk writes: It was the early seventies, and the Trident was the Sausalito stop for a date, good jazz and some marvelous petrale sole. Ah, but the view...... Well, the visit with Dr. Zeitlin evokes memories of tastings above the … [Read more...]