From our Mailbag 03/21/03 - 04/07/03



by YOU

THE WORLD - From Souzan A., New Orleans, LA,USA:

SUBJECT: great edition

that last two editions of g21 have been outstanding

thank you editor and chief

sa


You must be a quick study. I only put the newest issue up moments ago.

Thanks for your kind words. It's a sad day for me [21 March, 2003]. I was just standing in the center of this room crying about today...

RA.

a journal of
challenging thought

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From Raoul T., Santa Cruz, CA, USA:

SUBJECT: the mag life of Rod Amis

I am truly enjoying the Jordan piece. Am not finished yet, I love you for YOU, brother.

You make choices, not decisions.

Long live the G21.net!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Raoul


From Dragana V., Belgrade, SERBIA:

SUBJECT: A Most Unusual Thought

The beauty and the curse of the Cathedral of Words is that it can not be finished ever. You can build pile of words up on another pile of words and not be able to see the top of it. Finally, the builder has to take some rest and think what to do next. But then, the job isn't finished and he'll, after refreshing himself and after taking a time for himself, come back and start building it again. It is a never ending light house in the darkest night. Without this light what will happen to those lost souls frighten and abandoned at the sea?

You are saturated. Take a long rest, God knows you need it. Think. Spent some time with yourself. Rethink and make decision. And when you feel a need again, start writing. The world wouldn't be the same without you and your Cathedral.

Love,
D


From Lloyd M., Watarah North, AUSTRALIA:

SUBJECT: The Publisher's Birthday

Happy birthday Rod

You've done it again: beaten me to the next birthday by one day. I turn fifty-one on the twenty-fifth.

All the best for the next year and may the goddess of prosperity tip her bounty into both our coffers. No, I haven't dropped out of sight because I had to stop and count the money! Nothing has changed as yet for me either (but note the small gem-like flame of hope burning implicitly in that last statement!).

I've confined my writing to satirical jibes or outraged protests in letters to the editors of various local and national Australian papers: not that it's made much difference. Our Prime Minister John Howard has virtually handed over our foreign policy direction, plus our armed forces, to Shrub the Younger, despite around seventy percent of the Australian population not being at all happy about it.

I've pasted my latest letter below, which appeared the day before the big world-wide protests prior to the outbreak of the war.

May it bring a smile to your lips!

All the Best

Lloyd

ps: Mr Costello is the Deputy Prime Minister.

Letter to the Melbourne 'Age'

Sir,

What we can do with John Howard, the Gollum of Australian politics? The One Ring rests on the right hand of the Mighty One, President Bush, yet Mr Howard continues to be drawn to it irresistibly. Ruling poor little remote Australia no longer thrills him, but to be on the podium as the Mighty One steps to the lectern and calls his armies to smite left and right! What intoxication!

A solution occurs to me. There's a little man alongside the President at all times, carrying a suitcase with a button inside which the President can press to unleash nuclear Armageddon. Surely there's no Constitutional statute governing who this suitcase carrier can be? Why not give Mr Howard the job? There can be no doubts about his loyalty to the President. And I'm sure Mr Bush would let him sleep with the suitcase if he promised not to play with it.

This would solve several problems. Mr Howard would be happy. Mr Costello would finally get the Prime Ministerial guernsey and he'd be happy. And we would be spared the excruciating embarrassment of Mr Howard's recent press conferences.

Lloyd M


From Michelle R.., (No City Provided,) USA:

SUBJECT:

Your views are really a sick joke, aren't they.  Aren't you happy you live in a country that allows you to be so negative without getting shot. Michele I find your views scary and revolting


From Zilvra X., Seattle, WA, USA:

SUBJECT: Seattle, WA

There was an article on the WEB where it talked about, "despite the recent horrors of Seattle, WA, Jasper, TX, New York, NY..."

I just moved to Seattle so I don't know much about it. What happened in Seattle, WA that was so horrible?

Thank you.
Zilvra


ROD RESPONDS: Zilvra, the article you reference was referring to the murder of two Ethiopians by white supremacists in Seattle years back. Another heinous hate crime.


From Steve V., New York, NY, USA:

SUBJECT: Hampton Hawes

Hi!

A quick note: I wish to thank you for taking note of Hampton Hawes, who really was a wonderful musician. I came across him about (roughly) 15 or 16 years ago when Riverside re-issued some old sides (along with old Bill Evans sides, Cannonball, etc.). By the way, "Raise Up Off Me" is very good indeed...several years ago, I assigned it to some of my writing students. It's got some absorbing glimpses of his life in LA as a kid, learning to play piano while sitting at home (the rest of the family was at church), and so on. And it's true...Kennedy did free him, concluding that the sentence he got (for refusing identify drug suppliers) was excessive.

Ah, does not his cover of "Stella by Starlight" RULE?!! Amazing to realize that his first three trio records were all recorded in a few weeks' time (if memory serves me). They're still so fresh and enjoyable.

Cheers,
Steve V.


From Jim S., (No City Provided), USA:

SUBJECT: bob powers review

Dear Sir,

I would appreciate it if you would forward my comments to Bob Powers.

Dear Mr. Powers,

I have just read your review of my "Strings" CD and would like to make a few comments on them. I was warned by my fellow musicians in NYC that the mere mention of strings on a recording would bring comments similar to yours. As you know, nearly all recordings in the jazz idiom with strings have a easy listening, at times commercial, sound to them, and are best listened to with pedestrian jazz fans. I don't know if you read Bob Blumenthal's liner notes (I presume you know his work), but there was a different concept behind this recording, the result of which Bob states "pushes the sax-with-strings envelope".

I am presuming that you are not a musician, so I will not go too far into technical details regarding the compositions/arrangements/orchestrations, beyond the fact that I created them, which in itself is highly unusual. To state that this recording "breaks no new ground" or is something that won't offend your friends (implying vanilla, easy listening music) is simply inaccurate. It seems to me that anyone with that has seriously listened to the entire recording could not come to that conclusion.

Take "River Suite" for example, called "Extraordinary" by both Jazziz Magazine (april) and Jazzreview.com, a "Masterpiece" by the San Francisco Examiner (3/14/03) and "Dramatic" by the Washington Post (4/5/03) . The chamber qualities on "Dawn" (harmony-both abstracted and pastoral-, melody, string-saxophone interaction...) combined with a beautifully IMPROVISED cello solo ("Excellent use of cello" Washington Post) and saxophone solo over a simple quarter note backdrop, have not been used in this manner. "On the Bank" contains rubato interaction between the flute and cello, shifting time meters throughout the piece, interludes containing sting-flute interaction, ... "Torrent" is most certainly unique. Starting with pizzicato, the cello continues when the sax-rhythm section enter, which has never done before. The interlude is different, and there is an IMPROVISED violin solo.

Or the writing in the last 32 measures of "Forever Gone". No one has used this type of writing on a true jazz recording. Or the first 16 measures of "It's the talk of the town", where the strings and sax perform the melody without rhythm section in yet another unique way. Another example is "Venture", with it's viola-cello duet. The string players on this recording are possibly the hippest group of string players ever assembled on a jazz recording. This is a fact.

I'm not going to comment on my playing, being that this is more subjective. Some people like the way one guy plays, others don't. I do hope, though, that you will consider my comments regarding "Strings".

Sincerely,
Jim S


BOB RESPONDS: Dear Jim S.,

My publisher at G21: The World's Magazine forwarded your message. I thank you for taking the time to respond to my comments.

You are correct, in that I am not a musician, although I did play snare drums in my high school and college bands. I have been an avid fan of jazz since the early '50s. My tastes run for all types of music produced today, from jazz to pop to even some country (especially Delbert McClinton).

While I will never be a trained musician, I believe I speak for a wide range of listeners who enjoy today's music and find jazz from the past and the present also speaking to them.

I listened to your album four complete times. Unfortunately, my opinion didn't change. I am sorry that I disappointed you. But I stand by my comments, while at the same time wishing you good fortune with the album and your career in music.

Thanks again for taking the time to write.

Bob Powers

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