A year in blogging

One year and 75 posts later I still can't come to call myself a blogger.

Fittingly, I came across this article in the (get this) print edition of the KC Star last Friday (had to go to Monterey for the digital):

Millions of abandoned blogs now littering the Internet

Seems that a lot of bloggers are turning their attention to more productive pursuits. I'd do that, too, if I had the time. Maybe tomorrow.

Latin Side of Miles and Trane

Up to Date jazzup - the list

Here's the list of tracks covered on my most recent stop-by on KCUR's Up to Date. For the first time since we started this almost-monthly feature, we got through everything.

Hear the segment (streaming) - The jazz starts about 40 minutes in. The rest of the show is pretty hot, too.

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Artist: Kerry Strayer Quartet with Gary Foster
Album: Play It Where It Lays (Rhombus Records)
Track: Blues O'Mighty

Artist: Steve Kuhn Trio (Ron Carter, Al Foster)
Album: Live at Birdland (Blue Note/EMI)
Track: Clotilde

Artist: Tia Fuller
CD: Healing Space (Mack Avenue)
Track: Fertile Ground

Artist: Frank LoCrasto
CD: When You're There (MaxJazz)
Track: Troubling Differences
23-year-old LoCrasto is one to watch. This is his debut album, but rather than stepping up with flash and blast, he gets attention with an intelligent and thematically unified offering. You might even say theme and variations.

Artist: Dan Balmer, Gary Versace, Matt Wilson
CD: Thanksgiving (Alt rnativ Ja z)
Track: Rain

Artist: Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson
CD: What's Up: The Very Tall Band - (Telarc)
Track: Squatty Roo
This CD captures the magic on display at a club date at the Blue Note in 1998. OP had only been back to performing again after a stroke in the early 90s left him paralyzed on his left side. A close listen reveals that he was not quite back to full strength. But that close listen also reveals the amazing chemistry these three giants had. Sadly, Ray Brown and Milt Jackson have passed on and Peterson only manages a few performances a year.

Not so helpful

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Recommended because you purchased or rated:
* Romeo and Juliet: BBC Dramatization (BBC Radio Presents)

And I Love You So

In 1969, Don also recorded his first album, “Tapestry”, in Berkeley, CA. The student riots were going on outside the studio door as Don was singing “And I Love You So” inside.

From About DOn page on Don McLEan's AMerican Pie.com

An Up to Date jazz up

Another spate of new jazz is on its way. The Great Kraskini and I will spin and speak to some new CDs.

The Short List:

• Frank LoCrasto - an amazingly gifted young pianist, composer, arranger
  
• Tia Fuller - Leaving Beyonce behind for the love of jazz
• Oscar Peterson, Bags and Ray Brown, too - I'm down with OP, see?
  
• Also, new local from the Kerry Streyer Quartet and loco guitar organ trio
  

When to tune in

• Friday, March 9 at 11:45 Central (or thereabouts)
  

Where to tune in

• KCUR FM 89.3 on your radio
• kcur.org on your interweb dongle

More complete list to come after the show (with links)

An Up to Date jazz up

Hello, long lost blog readers. Long time no post.

Another spate of new jazz is on its way. The Great Kraskini and I will spin and speak to some new CDs.

The Short List:

• Frank LoCrasto - an amazingly gifted young pianist, composer, arranger
  
• Tia Fuller - Leaving Beyonce behind for the love of jazz
• Oscar Peterson, Bags and Ray Brown, too - I'm down with OP, see?
  
• Also, new local from the Kerry Streyer Quartet and loco guitar organ trio
  

When to tune in

• Friday, March 9 at 11:45 Central (or thereabouts)
  

Where to tune in

• KCUR FM 89.3 on your radio
• kcur.org on your interweb dongle

There's also an "appreciation" of Andy Summers's new memoir over at the New Low Down.