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 his own ski adventures as a struggling youth. I empathize with your efforts on the ski slope. I grew up in Kirkland, WA, where there was rarely any snow, and on trips up to the Cascades I had to … [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 New Year for now (in Russian that's "С Новым Годом") :-) Merry Christmas! И к всему доброй ночи (And to all a good night). Greetings in all languages will be happily accepted and posted during the … [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 listening on demand. Vuona is a good listener and a shrewd questioner. We had a fine time. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “listen.” … [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 saw downhill skiers resigning from the mountain in droves. Snowboarding and cross-country would have been possible but not enjoyable. We wheeled around and headed back down Highway 410. Still it was … [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 musical innovation is full of danger to the whole state, and ought to be prohibited . . . when modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the state always change with them—Aristotle … [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 musician. I was fortunate in that I still have a home and my family are all safe. On behalf of all of the musicians down here, I'd like to thank people like Russ Layne who have gone out of their way to … [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, trying to keep a straight face. I was in condition. I’ve been working out on a Nordic Track for years. How hard could it be? Hah. But by the end of the day, I was falling less often, no more than every … [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). Anyway, as founder and executive director of … [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, musicians and assorted literati. I was disappointed that Terry Teachout couldn’t be there. He was in Washington at a meeting of the National Endowment for the Arts. Later in the week, Terry, Malcolm, I and … [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 at 4,500 feet. … [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 Tatum, in (I think) 1956 in your recommended Webster albums. I've got dozens of his albums and although Tatum appears to solo under Ben's solos, which you would think would make the recording a … [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 taught me a great lesson about improvising. He said, "Tell your story in one chorus, man. Don't play chorus after chorus"! He was reluctant and afraid to return to the States because he said all of his … [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 (which has always been part of the jazz experience) like your reader Lang, one thing remains. That is that Jake Hanna is one of our countrys finest drummers and the possessor of a wit that has been … [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 victims of hurricane Katrina again raised questions about the ability of any Red Cross president to administer effectively. With a huge board that appears incapable of organizing operations or of … [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 California Wine Merchant in the Marina, and listening to Chuck Wagner (the owner of Caymus) "pleading" for one to buy his cab for $100/box. Things are a bit different, now. Yup. Adjusted for inflation, the … [Read more...]