Encores and Random thoughts

Can someone tell me why jazz  bands always get asked to do an encore in Europe but rarely in the US. It really is a good feeling (even if they are pretending in Europe, which I trust they are not)

Nels Cline’s new solo cd lays down the gauntlet. Any solo record is a devilish endeavor. Really hard to do. But he’s inspired me…someday, in the not too distant future (before 2012 I swear)

I saw an American Masters PBS special on Philip Glass- he said a wonderful thing. Something to the effect of bringing together the worlds of Ravi Shankar and Nadia Boulanger in 1967, an idea so radical that he could be (in his words) “accused of being a complete idiot.” And then he laughed and said, “well, I AM an idiot.”

In the context of a serious, loving portrait of his music it was hilarious. I realized a little more deeply just how radical that idea was in 1967. And I enjoyed the humility in his recounting of the moment…

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