Monday iPod Random Ten and Catch-Up

Dexter Gordon - Ruby, My Dear

The Don Pullen/George Adams Quintet - Serenade to Sariah

Clifford Jordan - I'll Be Around

Duke Pearson - My Love Waits (O Meu Amor Espera)

Pepper Adams - Bloos, Blooze, Blues

Nancy Wilson - You've Changed

Ella Fitzgerald - Hurry Home

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Daahoud (alternate take)

Lou Donaldson - The Humpback

Gerry Mulligan - Prelude in E Minor

Hey, presto! Variety! Except the two vocalists back to back, but I expect the iPod can't be expected to know things like that.

Nice trip to Rochester last week. We drove down in mid-day, taking our own sweet time but just beat the major blizzard that hit the area by about fifteen minutes. Jenn's mom was not so lucky and didn't arrive til around midnight. Still, better late than in a ditch.

I was sick with the flu before we even left, so I stayed in bed on Tuesday while the girls went shopping.

Wednesday we all went to the Strong Museum of Play, reputedly the premier kids' museum in the U.S. The three of us spent four hours trying to keep up with Dee Dee, who had a blast.

Dee Dee just ran up to me in the persona of her alter-ego, Snoopy, a dog. She likes to run to us on hands and knees panting, wanting to play fetch. It's pretty funny, but with my crappy knees it makes me wince to watch her doing it.

Wednesday night Jenn and I went to the Difford show. It was a bitterly cold evening so turnout was light, but the show was very nice. A bit over-mellow, though: he's touring with himself on acoustic and vocals, a female backing vocalist and a steel guitarist. Not the kind of instrumentation that necessarily rings my bell, but they carried it off nicely, having obviously honed the act over the last year or so. They played songs I've heard too many times live and made them fresh; a pretty high compliment, I'd say.

Afterward I had to dart to the lavvy, so Jenn was alone when he came out. He approached her, said thanks for coming out and she gave him a hug. His slightly uncomfortable reaction told her he didn't quite know who she was, a fact confirmed when he sent us an e-mail the next day asking if we had been unable to make it.

More soon, including our Godfather III moment.

Sunday iPod Random Ten and More

OK, let's get the silliness out of the way first...

John Patton - Just 3/4

Bud Powell - Un Poco Loco (alternate take #2)

Dizzy Gillespie - Selections from Zodiac Suite

Bud Shank & Bob Cooper - Moonlight in Vermont

Herbie Hancock/Michael Brecker/Roy Hargrove - My Ship

Dizzy Gillespie - Cool Breeze

Sonny Rollins - Remembering Tommy

Ben Webster & Don Byas - Lullaby to Dottie Mae

Bud Shank - Valve in Head

Michael Brecker - Seven Days

120+ artists on my iPod, 530+ tracks, and 3 repeat performers. The sheer randomness of it all is dizzying (pun not intended, not actually even noticed until I had to republish to catch a spelling error).

Lots of silence lately, mostly due to lots of nothing going on, mostly. I've been down with the flu the last few days and tomorrow we leave for Rochester for a few days. Going to see Chris Difford and Granny Jackie, not in that order. The last time we saw Chris was summer of '98 when Squeeze was only holding together due to Glenn's best efforts and sticky tape. Chris wasn't a terribly happy soul at the time, so it will be nice to see him under happier circumstances. I'll up you to date when we get back Thursday.