One Less Master

Jazz World Mourns Loss of Max Roach

Legendary jazz percussionist Max Roach is dead at 83. Having been associated with greats such as Duke Ellington and Dizzie Gillespie, the self-taught musician wowed audiences throughout the world.

When I was busy worshipping jazz trumpet players in college, I didn't pay too much attention to the non-trumpeters with a few exceptions. Max Roach was one of them. When I was soaking up Clifford's work, you just couldn't help being as blown away by the drumming as you'd be by anything Clifford did.

Currently listening: Clifford Brown/Max Roach, "If I Love Again"

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Straight Up Mountain Province!

So, who's seen this new show Human Weapon on the History Channel? You haven't? A couple of dudes travel the world, train for a bit in different styles, and then go one on one with one of the practicioners.

Check out segments from the eskrima episode.

EDIT: Duh, how about some YouTube-age?

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Soul Power

I know I've passed this video around to some, but I can't help it. I've been watching it at least every other day for the past month. It's the Tower of Power at the 2006 Montreaux Jazz Festival playing their signature tune "What Is Hip," featuring Carlos Santana on guitar. Now, Carlos isn't a funk guitarist. You'll notice he goes 8 bars trying to play in the style of the tune; it was a'ight. But then, he gives us 16 bars of pure Carlos.



Damn, this still gives me goosebumps!

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Playing Hookey

I'm playing hookey from work today. Hey, it's been a hard week. Summer's usually a cakewalk, but I've been de facto covering for my boss. Not officially, mind you. But with the boss on vacation for two weeks, all of a sudden I've supposedly turned into the answer man.

Hey, I'm not bitching. I kept trying to tell people that it's like those old Star Trek episodes where all the senior officers plus redshirt would be down on the planet, and the only one left to run the ship was Mr. Sulu whose sole job was to keep the Enterprise in orbit.

Well, Sulu's on vacation--even though I am on campus right now. I suppose I could wander into work with my umbrella, brandishing it like a sword like Sulu did in "The Naked Time."

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Aw, Crap

If you're really into 24/7 scat play, you need these.

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Drooling

Via Stickman's Escrima Blog: seminar and interview vids of Sonny Umpad.

I haven't even made it all the way through the first video because I've been replaying snippets of certain moves, in total awe of the intricacies of Sonny's techniques.

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This Is Bound to Work

China tells living Buddhas to obtain permission before they reincarnate

Jane Macartney in Beijing

Tibet’s living Buddhas have been banned from reincarnation without permission from China’s atheist leaders. The ban is included in new rules intended to assert Beijing’s authority over Tibet’s restive and deeply Buddhist people.

As Neil Gaiman said, "That trick never works."

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Battle of the Century: Olsen vs. Potter

Jimmy Olsen: Ass constantly saved by Superman.

Harry Potter: Ass constantly saved by Hermione, Dumbledore, Snape, Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, Hagrid, Dobby, Kreacher, Oliver Wood, Colin Creevey, Stan Shunpike, the bartender at the Leaky Cauldron and this guy he just met down the pub last week.

ADVANTAGE: Olsen.

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THE E HAS LANDED!

E has returned, safe and sound, to the U.S. of A. and is with friends in the City who are helping her fight the jet lag until she can come back to I-town tomorrow!!!

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There Once Was a Woman Named Venus

You scored as William Wordsworth, You’re poet is William Wordsworth. English Romantic poet and poet-laureate, whose “Lyrical Ballads” (1798), first published anonymously with contributions by his friend Coleridge, marked an important turning point in the history of English literature. Other works include “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” and “The world is too much with us”. Wordsworth's name, perhaps even more so than that of his friend Coleridge, remains to this day almost synonymous, in England, with Romanticism itself. William Wordsworth 50% Percy Shelley 44% Lord Byron 38% Samuel Taylor Coleridge 25% John Keats 25% Who is Your Romantic Poet? created with QuizFarm.com

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It IS True!

There is data to back this graph up!

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Who?

Jesus, even Time Lords have blogs.

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"Hipness is what it is"

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Some of you are looking as some of those latest acquisitions and saying, "Oh, he's finally moved into the 21st century...but wait...is that CHICAGO XI? Jeeze, that album is almost as old as he is. And, doesn't he have that one, 'cause he damn sure has all the others?" Actually, a CD copy of XI is the only one that's managed to elude me. And please, watch and listen first before you give me any of that "pussy music" stuff.

I highly recommend PROG by The Bad Plus. Any jazzers who can reinvent "Tom Sawyer" by Rush deserve respect.

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