sounds of Zimbabwe
This I could listen to all day.
Thomas Mapfumo, “Chikonzero”
Live (studio performance), Eugene, Oregon, 2015
MVP? That’s easy—guitarist Gilbert Zvamaida. In his hands melody (or “lead”) and rhythm are one.
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the beat goes on
2,100 posts—and counting.
tenor fest
day three
Sonny Rollins Trio (with Henry Grimes, bass; Joe Harris, drums), “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (E. K. “Duke” Ellington), live, Sweden, 1959
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lagniappe
reading table
frogs sing, roosters sing
the east
turns light—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue
tenor fest
day two
Von Freeman (MCOTD Hall of Fame), live, New Apartment Lounge, Chicago
2010
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2008
*****
Von Freeman, who was considered one of the finest tenor saxophonists in jazz but attained wide fame only late in life, died on Aug. 11 in Chicago. He was 88.
—New York Times obituary, 8/18/12
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lagniappe
reading table
A wounded Deer – leaps highest –
—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), #181 (Franklin)
tenor fest
day one
Dexter Gordon (1923-1990), “Blues Up and Down” (G. Ammons, S. Stitt), live, Denmark, 1967*
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lagniappe
reading table
Withered grass,
under piling
heat waves.—Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), translated from Japanese by Lucien Stryk and Takashi Ikemoto
*****
*With Kenny Drew, piano; Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, bass; Albert “Tootie” Heath, drums.
tonight in Chicago
These folks will be at Constellation.
Tomeka Reid (cello) with Mary Halvorson (guitar), Jason Roebke (bass), and Tomas Fujiwara (drums), “Glass Light,” live, Chicago, 2014
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And these guys will be Elastic.
Dave Rempis (saxophone), Joshua Abrams (bass), Avreeayl Ra (drums), live, Chicago, 2013
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lagniappe
radio
Celebrating the birthdays of saxophonists Lester Young (August 27, 1909) and Charlie Parker (August 29, 1920), WKCR-FM (Columbia University) is featuring their music all day today (Young), all day tomorrow (Young and Parker), all day Saturday (Parker), and into Sunday morning (Parker).
like nobody else
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977), live, Paris, 1970
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lagniappe
art beat: yesterday at the Chicago Cultural Center
Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist (through 8/31)
Black Belt, 1934
sounds of summer
Paul McCartney with Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes), “Get Back,” live, Chicago (Lollapalooza), 7/31/15
Fifty years ago today the Beatles played Chicago’s Comiskey Park. I was there, with my brother Don. It was a show kids could go to: ticket prices ranged from $5.50 to $2.50.
another take
These guys I could listen to all day.
Steve Lacy Quartet (SL [1934-2004], soprano saxophone; Bobby Few, piano; Jean Jacques Avenel, bass; John Betsch, drums), “Revenue,” live, 1995
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lagniappe
reading table
Escape is such a thankful Word
—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), #1364 (Franklin)
How about a trip to Paris?
Steve Lacy Trio (SL [1934-2004], soprano saxophone; Jean Jacques Avenel, bass; John Betsch, drums), “Epistrophy” (T. Monk), “Revenue,” live, Paris (Sunset Jazz Club), 1993
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lagniappe
reading table
A gentleman of the better type is, in our opinion, only he who entertains a fair number of vain and foolish ideas about himself, and who above all imagines that his nose is better than any other good and sensible human nose whatsoever.
—Robert Walser (1878-1956), “The Walk” (translated from German by Christopher Middleton)
