Sitting here resting after riding up Cottonwood Pass. Was very cold and windy. Not sure how many passes I have left in me. Hard to come from the flats and rolling hills and hit the top of the Continental Divide within a week of getting here. But the good news is that I’m in great shape now…until I go back to the flats and rollers.
O, yeah, it will get brisk up there in mountain-goat country. My man Hal down Weirdcliffe way has been grousing about the “summer” weather for the better part of quite some time now, and he’s only at around 8,800 feet. Well done, Sharon.
I was late to jazz, unless you count the big-band music my parents were always playing. Sort of back-doored my way in through fusion and soul jazz, like a lot of folks, I imagine — Stanley Turrentine, The Crusaders (saw them in Oregon), Weather Report, Return to Forever, and what have you.
Then came Claude Bolling and Jean-Pierre Rampal (“Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano”), Herbie Mann (met him in Weirdcliffe), Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and shit, the hits just kept on coming.
We used to hit a little jazz club in Denver, El Chapultepec, before LoDo was LoDo. Good times.
I never embraced jazz, especially modern jazz, as a genre. But jazz guitar players have always fascinated me; they get a sound from those arch top guitars and tube amps that just grabs me. So, I started listening to Wes Montgomery, lots of George Benson, John Pizzarelli and others like them. Like this.
Nice. A real old-school flair there. Did I ever mention a cousin, Joseph Thompson, is a classical guitarist? Only the one CD out, I think, but some really beautiful work.
Larry was one of the rotating studio musicians in Steely Dan as well. I don’t remember which songs though.
Holy hell, Spyro Gyra. There’s a name I haven’t heard in eons.
Listening to Miles Davis right now. “Kind of Blue.” More of an evening sound, I think. I may need to crank up something with more of a daylight vibe to it.
Mad Blog Media 
The music is very serene.
Sitting here resting after riding up Cottonwood Pass. Was very cold and windy. Not sure how many passes I have left in me. Hard to come from the flats and rolling hills and hit the top of the Continental Divide within a week of getting here. But the good news is that I’m in great shape now…until I go back to the flats and rollers.
O, yeah, it will get brisk up there in mountain-goat country. My man Hal down Weirdcliffe way has been grousing about the “summer” weather for the better part of quite some time now, and he’s only at around 8,800 feet. Well done, Sharon.
nice.
Chet Baker one of a kind.
He was a troubled soul, Chet was. But he made beautiful music. What is it about the arts and addiction? They so often seem to go hand in hand.
That was really nice. I get hung up on the jazz guitar. That sound is hard to find.
I was late to jazz, unless you count the big-band music my parents were always playing. Sort of back-doored my way in through fusion and soul jazz, like a lot of folks, I imagine — Stanley Turrentine, The Crusaders (saw them in Oregon), Weather Report, Return to Forever, and what have you.
Then came Claude Bolling and Jean-Pierre Rampal (“Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano”), Herbie Mann (met him in Weirdcliffe), Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and shit, the hits just kept on coming.
We used to hit a little jazz club in Denver, El Chapultepec, before LoDo was LoDo. Good times.
I never embraced jazz, especially modern jazz, as a genre. But jazz guitar players have always fascinated me; they get a sound from those arch top guitars and tube amps that just grabs me. So, I started listening to Wes Montgomery, lots of George Benson, John Pizzarelli and others like them. Like this.
Nice. A real old-school flair there. Did I ever mention a cousin, Joseph Thompson, is a classical guitarist? Only the one CD out, I think, but some really beautiful work.
Wow!
Shoot, I forgot about George Benson. He could make the strings sing.
And Grover Washington Jr.! I found a couple of his albums in my vinyl collection.
Also, and too, Tom Scott and the L.A. Express. Jesus, we’re getting deep into the fusion weeds here.
Let’s not forget Spyro Gyra. And Benoit Freeman Project. Larry Carlton, too. Although the name of the group he belonged to escapes me.
Larry was one of the rotating studio musicians in Steely Dan as well. I don’t remember which songs though.
Holy hell, Spyro Gyra. There’s a name I haven’t heard in eons.
Listening to Miles Davis right now. “Kind of Blue.” More of an evening sound, I think. I may need to crank up something with more of a daylight vibe to it.
I ended up going with Steve Earle, “El Corazón.”
We went with Spryo Gyra’s Morning Dance album during lunch. Sandy loves pan music, so the title track is our favorite.
walter becker is dead
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/walter-becker-steely-dan-co-founder-dead-at-67-w500956
I saw that, Carl. Too young. Here’s the NYT’s obit.
Also, poet John Ashbery has checked out. Jeez, everyone’s hitting the door running, seems like.
‘Cept us!