Since I ran two versions of “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” some time back, it seems only fair to include one by the composer, Charlie Mingus. This set, recorded in Montreux back in 1975, catches Charlie with Don Pullen on piano, George Adams on tenor sax, Gerry Mulligan on baritone, Benny Bailey on trumpet, and Danny Richmond…
Bobby Broom plays Monk—“In Walked Bud”
Bobby on guitar with Dennis Carroll on bass and Kobie Watkins on drums. Poor picture, good sounds. For my brief review of his Monk album, go here. For more on Bobby, go here and here.
Tony versus Hannah: whom would you want to fuck?
Talk smack, Jack! Bang, you’re dead!
Glenn Greenwald, very easily upset but so often very right, goes off on an internal discussion of Newsweek dudes and dudettes about who is and who is not a terrorist, a conversation prompted, naturally, by the terrorist attack on the IRS office in Austin, Texas by murderer/terrorist Joseph Stack. Glenn calls the efforts of these…
Will there ever be an end to the making of Thelonious Monk albums?
I certainly hope not. What was once a hobby has become a bit of an obsession. I wrote a long piece last year offering brief reviews of 30 “Salute to Thelonious” albums and now I’m back with four more. The pick of the litter for me is Bobby Broom plays for Monk, featuring Bobby on…
Aaron Goldberg Trio
Aaron Goldberg , piano, Reuben Rogers, bass, Eric Harland, drums, Teatro Rossetti, Dec. 14, 2008. According to “Claptonfan1000000” the tune is “Background Music” by Wayne Marsh, a student of Lennie Tristano.
The view totally not from from Villefranche-de-Panat
OK, I blew it. I misread John Castellucci’s excellent piece, referenced below, entirely. Stupid! Mark Rudd is not hanging out in Villefranche-de-Panat. Orest Ranum is! Stupid! I’ve rewritten the piece, to conceal just how stupid I am! Sorry, but it’s my blog, and I have the right to make changes. John Castellucci, writing in the…
The strange case of Louie Freeh
I’ve been working on a novel set in Washington around the time of the 2008 primary season, and have come to do a little research on former FBI director Louis Freeh. Louie’s been back in the news, not that he wants to be, very much, representing one of his best buddies, Prince Bandar of Saudi…
Last night I had a dream
I was living with my parents on a sort of farm when a lion showed up. I ran into the house and found a .22 rifle which I loaded. Not much of a defense, but something. The lion disappeared, and then reappeared, jumping into the house through a window. As he did so, he turned…
New at Bright Lights: Fred, Charlie, Tina, Thelonious, Pannonica, Norman, and Neytiri!
In the new issue of Bright Lights Film Journal I have film reviews of Fred Astaire in Belle of New York, his not-that-good reunion with Vera-Ellen, as well as Tina Fey’s NBC mini-hit 30 Rock The Jazz Baroness, the story of jazz groupie Pannonica de Koenigswarter and her main man Thelonious Monk, book reviews of…