Double eviction for BB: Celebrity Hijack & other

Wednesday, 4 June 2008

John Densmore's jazz education

THE GREAT jazz drummer Elvin Jones carried on a constant musical conversation with John Coltrane. It inspired me to have that kind of dialogue with Jim Morrison. Not that I was in Elvin's league, but his courage gave me the "huevos" to stop the steady rhythm on the Doors' "When the Music's Over," and just jab at my kit during Jim's rap about "What have they done to the Earth, what have they done to our fair sister, rip her and bit her, stuck her with knives in the side of the dawn, and dragged her down."

As a teenager, I saw Elvin play many times at these "sacred gin joints" (jazz clubs) in Los Angeles. I was too young to make the Central Avenue scene, but I knew it was much more than a major thoroughfare.

On an off night from the Orbit, a Santa Monica bar gig I got with my very lame fake ID from Tijuana, I stumbled into the Renaissance Club on the Sunset Strip, where Lenny Bruce had performed. It was my first time in a jazz club, and I was ushered to a table in the back behind a pole. I was one of very few white people in the place, and the Renaissance Club was intimidatingly cool. It had an attitude. I hadn't cultivated one yet.

Pretty soon I was hitting all the great haunts: The Lighthouse, the Bit, the Parisian Room and Melody Lane down on Adams Boulevard. Some teenagers were dragged to church by their parents to get a dose of religion. . . . I found it with jazz.

This music has brought me back to these clubs, only this time I'm on stage! It is with great humility that I step onto the same stages that my early mentors commanded. Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Oscar Peterson. There probably isn't a jazz musician you could name that I haven't seen play live.

The first time I saw Elvin Jones was in 1963 at Shelly's Manne-Hole, the jazz club in Hollywood. The doorman knew I was underage but let me pass because of the addiction to sound he could see in my eyes. Jones sat behind one of the greatest jazz quartets in the history of the art form, and he did it with a huge grin. The Beatles hadn't hit yet, and he was my muse.

Between sets I went to the bathroom, just because I knew it was across from the dressing room. Hearing voices and laughter, I occupied myself washing my hands, until I heard the voices drift out into the hallway. I spun around and, wiping my hands on my pants, turned the knob. John Coltrane was standing right in front of me. I quickly shunned eye contact. I noticed that everyone sort of quieted down when he passed. I then looked at Elvin's face, and he smiled at me!

Coltrane and Miles seemed to be the culmination of years of evolution from be-bop to cool to free form. They were "out there," searching for unknowns, playing in the cracks between the chord structure. It was a kind of raw spiritual anarchy . . . just the food for a hungry teenager. Besides, my parents thought it sounded "like someone stepping on a cat." That was cool with me.

Paying homage

IN THE '90s, it was the old Catalina's (on Cahuenga) where I mustered up the courage to go backstage and introduce myself to Elvin Jones. In a piece for the Utne Reader, I had described him as "blazing a new trail for all us timekeepers. He was the first to free up the job of clockwork, improvising continually, but never sacrificing a strong sense of pulse."

I'd brought my autobiography, "Riders on the Storm," as an offering and quickly said that "in here, I wrote that 'you gave me my hands.' " My worry about criticism from a practitioner of the "higher art" was quickly defused when I realized he didn't even know who the Doors were!

Elvin was extremely gracious, and over the years we became friends, me carrying his cymbal bag to his car the last few years of his life. Now playing these youthful haunts feels like "completion" because I've come full circle.

The "press roll" in the Doors' "Wild Child" is from sitting right next to Art Blakey at the Manne-Hole. The groove on "The End" is influenced by seeing Chico Hamilton down at Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse at the Sunday afternoon jazz sessions. The free-form drumming behind Jim's poetry is watching Elvin and Coltrane battle it out in "Chasin' the Trane."

Each time I humbly mount the pulpit to give the sermon with the group I founded with reedman Art Ellis, a quartet fuel-injected by two master African drummers, I hope that the knowledge I garnered from the "early years" will help me. This global village of musicians certainly does. Both genders are present here (Cristina Berio on percussion), and several shades of color (Aziz Faye and Marcel Adjibi from Africa).

It was 45 years ago that I mouthed off about being a "jazz" drummer (even before the Doors). Tribaljazz has finally given me the courage to put my sticks where my mouth has been.

John Densmore is an author, essayist and the former drummer of the Doors. His quartet Tribaljazz is scheduled to perform at 2:30 p.m. today as a part of the UCLA Jazz Fest.

Friday, 30 May 2008

K-Fed says no patch up planned with Britney

Washington (ANI): Britney Spears' ex-hubby Kevin Federline has dismissed rumours that he is trying to get back together with the fallen pop star. Recent reports claimed that the rapper was preparing to whisk off Spears on a secret Hawaiian getaway in order to rekindle their fractured relationship.

While the ex-couple is entangled in a bitter divorce and custody battle since they split in 2006 America's Star Magazine has alleged that they are set for reconciliation after spending time together over Easter.

"Kevin wants to take Britney away to see if there is anything to salvage between them. When he suggested it to her, she told him she was ready to go anytime he was," Contactmusic quoted a source, as telling the magazine.

See Also

Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Perez Hilton Releases Clothing Line

Celebrity comment blogger Perez Hilton is fix to waiver a article of clothing range through U.S. retailer Hot Theme, with the self-proclaimed 'Queen of completely Media' expression, "2008 is completely around expanding the Perez Stain."Hilton, whose real diagnose is Mario Lavendeira, made the announcement on Tues (May6) expression that his crinkle will include t-shirts, hoodies and shoes."I mouth about dress wholly the time on my web site," Lavendeira says. " I ingest a good oculus for what's hot and what's not."The freshly line will pip Hot Topic's storehouse shelves on June 6 in the U.S."I keep sightedness these lines from the likes of Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag that give me nightmares," he adds. "My brand testament be really concious of my audience."Exposure courtesy of Paperbag. Taken by Cass Hiss.

Weakling

Monday, 28 April 2008

Kristin Chenoweth to Perform Benefit Concert for 3 Angels Memorial Fund titled, 'Kristin Chenoweth, This One's Personal: A Concert to Stop ACD'

Concert and Scoop Auction to be Held on Saturday, Apr 12th at the
Helen Robert Mills Theatre in NYC

Newly York, Apr 10 -- Today, Broadway Legend, Kristin
Chenoweth, announced she will be acting a benefit concert on Saturday,
Apr 12th at the Helen Robert Mills Theatre in the Flatiron Territorial dominion of New House of York
City. The concert, titled, "Kristin Chenoweth, This One's Personal: A
Concert to Diaphragm ACD," is being hosted by the 3 Angels Memorial Fund for ACD
Enquiry. Doors open at 6:30pm for the 7:00pm preview show and at 7:30pm
for the cocktail party and 9:30pm concert.

The 3 Angels Monument Fund for ACD Research was founded by Hollywood
actress NiCole Edward Goldenberg Robinson and her married man, Craig Snyder, world Health Organization deep death year
lived through the intense tragedy of losing a baby son, Lincoln Snyder, at
septenary weeks old to a disease called ACD. This is the tierce kid Craig has
doomed to the disease, making it cipher short of a genetic mystery story.

Alveolar consonant Capillary vessel Dysplasia (ACD) is a thought to be rare genetic lung
disease that has killed every baby known to be diagnosed with it. Prior to
Lincoln's death in that location were hardly more than 114 cases documented in
medical checkup lit. ACD was believed to be linked to recessive genes establish
in both parents and Craig and his previous wife's see of losing deuce
children seemed to confirm this. Days later, Craig and NiCole were married
and, after having one healthy girl, had Capital of Nebraska. Lincoln's last has
changed what scientists thought they knew around this disease. It now
appears that ACD is caused by a dominant gene which only has to be carried
by one parent. Therefore, many more children crataegus oxycantha be dying from ACD and we
just don't have intercourse it. The only way of life to diagnose ACD is to put lung tissue paper
under a microscope. Since no pM is performed on many infants world Health Organization die,
many cases make sure been misdiagnosed. The disease is known to strike
very speedily and stool present what appears to be a "sudden baby death".
Lincoln seemed utterly healthy and then became soberly badly overnight.

Together, NiCole, Craig and friends own turned their attention to
creating a foundation and working with doctors to find the genes associated
with the ACD disease to assay save others from the saami grief. In the
short meter since setting up the foundation subsequently Lincoln's death, doctors
have made significant forward motion and believe that with more work they will be
able place the genes that drive ACD. This is the first step towards
early diagnosis and bar.

Kristin Chenoweth is a close and personal acquaintance of NiCole's from their
days together working on The West Wing. She jumped at the opportunity to
perform a concert titled, "This One's Personal."

"I was exceedingly humbled when NiCole asked me if I would be volition to
do a special concert to reinforcement the 3 Angles Initiation," said
Chenoweth. Losing a child is a heartbreaking receive for any house.
Dealing with the going of trey is inconceivable. The ACD disease of necessity to
be talked about, studied and introduced to doctors as a means of them
identifying specific cases and working towards intervention and bar.
This has become a rattling

personal cause to me and I design to sing my heart out in hopes that the
basis is able to raise enough money to stop ACD."

Several former West Fender actors, including Bradley Whitford, The Virgin
McCormack and Janel Maloney testament too be attention the event. Omar Nelson Bradley and
Madonna are preparing to open a fresh Broadway read titled "Boeing Boeing,"
which is scheduled to begin previews shortly.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the concert, please
visit hypertext transfer protocol://www.3AngelsFund.org.

Roughly 3 Angels Memorial Fund for ACD Research

The 3 Angels Memorial Fund for ACD Research is a nonprofit organization
establishment based in Arlington, VA. The mission of the foundation is to
lift cognizance for ACD and work with leadership doctors and geneticists to
study the disease and do work towards better diagnosing and bar.
Donations to the understructure are under the 501C3 tax codification and ar deductible
to the fullest extent of the natural law. To con more selective information on the
foundation and disease, please visit hypertext transfer protocol://www.3angelsfund.org.

Blaqk Audio

Thursday, 24 April 2008

MySpace launches in South Korea

Capital of South Korea -- A local variation of MySpace launched Tues in S
Dae-Han-Min-Gook, where sociable networking services enjoy huge
popularity.

"MySpace is committed to funding this by collaborating with Korea's
culture creators and IT talents," MySpace cofounder Chris DeWolfe
said.

"MySpace will be the one and only platform that provides an
opportunity for Korean users to well meet friends round the
globe, surpassing the impediment of nomenclature and culture."

A MySpace Dae-Han-Min-Gook representative said the service initially will
focus on its music and television services.

MySpace Korea's launch party Tues featured performances by local
acts that already have MySpace pages, including Tears Fruitcake,
Clazziquai, Escola Alegria and Winter Play, as well as several
local anaesthetic DJs.