h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

You wouldn't happen to like Jazz, would you...?

I definitely do, but I'm not so familiar with the works of the gentleman whose name I have twisted to my own nefarious ends. I quite like Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Danny Thomson etc. I draw the line at hard be-bop.
My previous nom-de-plume used to be deadlyvices, by the way.

I am very familiar with the works of Thelonious Sphere Monk. His flat fingered style is impossible to duplicate. See if you can find the film "Straight No Chaser". It was produced by Clint Eastwood and contains alot of footage of Thelonious along with a good explanation of who he was and why he played the way he did.

Thanks for that. I'll have a look to see if it's on video. Any jazz pianist (or any decent pianist for that matter) gets my undying admiration, as my piano playing is crap.

Have you had any luck finding any work by Thelonious? I've had the song 'In Walked Bud' in my head for three days. I can't seem to get it out.

I think Amazon do some stuff by him. But I must admit to not having had time to get around to buying it yet. Trouble with Amazon, it makes a fair old dent in one's credit card bill: currently chilling out to some wonderful Bach Transcriptions by Stokowski, again available only from them. Too many CD's and books, too little time...

Ha! So finally there are some - well, more or less - jazz fans at h2g2!!!

Theleonius Monk is worth to listen, love his play

BTW: I'm Kasia and love jazz, mostly fusion and love Joshua Redman, Mike Stern, Monk, Scofield, among many others

Now I'm looking to this weekend, cause it's the time of Warsaw Summer Jazz Days - one of Warsaw's biggest jazz festivals. Al Di Meola and Marcus Miller will be here, so methinks the weekend will be veery nice!

I like Herbie Hancock, too Do you know his CD with Wayne Shoter?? a good one

Ahhhh! Must look that one up! I've got "Quartet" on vinyl, and that's rather good, but the actual records are are bit long in the tooth for any further playing, so it will have to be bought on CD when funds allow.

Have you heard anything by "Spyrogyra"? "Catching The Sun" is just superb! It's like (dare I say this....? Oh what the hay! Of course I will!!)music to the ears (Groan now!)

Seriously good sounds, the other albums in the collection are pretty damn' good too!

Spyrogyra?? of course I know them The same as you - 'Catching the sun' is great

Few years ago, they were playing here at my place - in Warsaw, that is. I can only say: wow!

There is quite a good site of them [url removed by moderator]- only this form is allowed in here - no links, as you know Go, and have a look, it's quite interesting - for example they have informations about their tour in the nearest future

I was in Prague a few years ago and jazz was pretty big there. So we went to a jazz club, drank a lot of mulled wine, slivovitz and a very interesting green liquer called 'Becher'. My host was a Preservation-style clarinetist and didn't approve of this 'newfangled' stuff that the (very good) ensemble was playing.
In Britain, the main purpose of jazz clubs seems to be for posing. Most people seem to turn up in hats, smoke too much, and bring books to read (mostly by Camus) while the band is playing. The aim appears to be to look nonchalant and disengaged.
I much preferred the Eastern Europeans' approach to it all, which involved toe-tapping, smiling and above all, looking like it they enjoyed themselves. Hope and pray that the British style of jazz appreciation never makes its way to Warsaw.

To moderator:
Damn it! Why did you remove my above, you, you, bloody... !!! It wasn't a link as such. I hope you know the difference between a link, you.. oh well, I won't say it! A link is underlined, so one can go there directly and this wasn't the case here!!

Sorry, Felonius sometimes I'm just outraged

Well, methinks it couldn't ever happen to us, Poles We are quite enjoying jazz - one can really see this on concerts or jam sessions - thank God! Your description of the British jazz clubs with this - sorry to say - anobistic touch, remains me of the 50s with people dressed only in black and reading Sarte and de Beauvoir - What's the name in English? Existentialism?? LOL

I don't understand how someone can stay disengaged, when good music is palying - preferably jazz)

BTW, are you a north- or a south pole?

*hmmm a jazz thread*

Me?
North!

*posts to subscribe and lurk only - looking for new stuff*

Peace...
~jwf~ (blues fan)

Hi John

Long time no see!

Ruppi - you once again catch me by words!

And you know perfectly well - Polish it should have been!

Caught by words?
That's a new one on me! I've never had THAT done to me...What's it like?

(Don't worry, just me being silly!)

If you all like good music played by musicians, and I'm asuming you all do...! Come on over to the Cambridge Folk Festival one year...This year is sold out totally! It runs on the last weekend in July/first weekend in August and is a haven of all things good and wonderful in the world. It's not all "folk" music, Alexis Korner gave his last live show there back in 1983, I think it was...Whatever, it was the 19th CFF, and it's the 37th (?) this year. I lose count as I've a regular since the 13th CFF...! R&B is well represented as well...Must stop this! I'm babbling!

The website is on the Official Cambridge Folk Festival site, and is a [removed by moderator] as well (I think! I've got it on a shotcut, so I don't have to worry too much!) Go and have a look, if you can. The line up this year is WOW!!!! I'll keep up to date with you all if I can, from the Festival as they have a "cybernet cafe" actually on site!

If any of you have hotmail, drop me line to simonohowe and the rest of the usual, it'll reach me, and I should be able to reply...sometime!

Got to go...my beer's empty!

TTFN

sounds very interesting, Heliophile

well, of course the link was removed by this 1/4 intelligent thing, called moderator

I will contact you via e-mail to get more details, ok?

I'm crazy enough to have a look next year - and: I never was in Cambridge...

as for this 'catch by word' - this was - of course - a 100% translation from Polish
Sounds stupid in English, hehe

Try cam-folkfest in the UK.

If I put any more down, it will get tea-leafed and obliterated.
(Tea-leaf, rhyming slang for thief)

As a non-native english speaker, I did't recognize that 'catch by words' doesn't exist. I knew ganz genau what you meant, Kasia!

There used to be a bloody good folk festival up the road from where I lived as a child, in the small market town of Pontardawe, near Swansea, South Wales. Used to be, until the NFU and MAFF decided that it would have to be shut down this year, with the rest of the UK, to protect their power to veto cheap meat imports under the spurious pretext maintaining foot-and-mouth-free status. Be aware of the fact that the agricultural lobby in this country tolerates live music festivals only under sufferance and many will be shut with this excuse being given. I don't see why the rest of us should have to suffer a dearth of good, live music all because of farming.

Ahhhh!

That's the nice thing about The CFF......The local council actually SUPPORT it!

The fest itself is on the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall, a lovely old building with a stream and ducks. There is restricted camping allowed on the grounds, and when that's full ( usually 7 days after the tickets go on sale!!!), the Coldhams Common site is used. This is cheaper and you can park your car next to your tent (no cars are allowed on the main site, but there is free parking at the local school and there are security guards on hand 24hrs a day), the main two problems about Coldhams Common are :- 1) it's a 20 minute bus ride away from the main site, and 2) I've ALWAYS camped at Cherry Hinton since the 13th fest, which was my first one. (Makes me feel old, that!)