fusillo

Yes Iside, I knew you wouldn't understand... OleEinar on the other hand gets these things right away. :-) Jake, I don't debate about stars, but for me, this is the best jazz ever. Oh, here are the classics: Porter, Gershwin, Berlin... Of course, Django is unbeatable, but Birèli doesn't mess around... Then again, there's always taste involved... Hi to all three of you.

@gastone.lomazzi: you said it well... If you only knew how much the "usual pests" get on my nerves... :-) @muito: Speaking of Buster: I thank you (with guilty delay) for the DVD recommendation... It was really helpful. Bye. :-)

A heartfelt thanks to all the commentators (even to those in an identity crisis) and a fraternal and reassuring hug to Lux who gets scared for so little... @Bartleboom: what do you think, the hunt for errors isn't over. :-) I just found a nice big specimen but I'm leaving it right where it is for future reference... :-) @Bonny and Contemplation: Generally, I agree with you, I don't like jazz reinterpretations of Bach's music either (I'm thinking of those by the Jaques Loussier trio) let alone rock versions. But, what can I say, these guys are talented and respectful, and in the face of talent and respect, I enjoy it. I also like their reinterpretations of Mozart, Telemann, Rossini, etc... Try clicking on the link in the fourth paragraph. If Christiane Legrand's solo doesn't move something inside you, you're hopelessly barren. :-) Speaking of collaborations, I just discovered that Ward Swingle, when he was still part of the Double Six, made an album with Dizzy Gillespie. It sounds quite tempting to me... Anyway, if anyone wants to take a listen to the reviewed album, feel free to write to me. I’ll be happy to communicate privately (I don't want to bother the editors) where to find it. Hello everyone.

You probably passed it on to me, but I don’t remember… Say hi to Fausto for me… And remember that the tobacco shop issue is still to be clarified…

Ah, I wanted to add a little something: you are absolutely right (without a doubt) about the clash between the individual and society, in fact I would say that every Buster film fundamentally speaks about this. And his expression is an incredibly effective tool for conveying the absurdity of certain "customs" (the war in "The General," the feud between rival families in "our hospitality..."). The thing is that Buster then becomes the "undisputed protagonist" of this senseless issue, and at the end of the battle of Fort Sumter, he is enlisted with the rank of lieutenant. And how proud he is of it... Of course, you might say he is proud because he can show off his nice uniform to Marion Mack, but in the meantime, he is the hero of the day, he is in uniform, and he is proud. :-) That's why I find the anti-militarist message somewhat diminished. Bye.

Hello Muitosaudosismo. Just imagine, I really enjoyed reading your notes. I know the passages from the autobiography you mention, and I have never doubted that Buster had his own ideas about war, based on his personal experience... It’s just that, well, it doesn’t seem to me that with "the general" he intended to send a pacifist or anti-militarist message, that’s all... at most, anti-militarism can be read between the lines... Regarding intellectual pretensions: I like to remember his meeting with Beckett. Alan Schneider, the director of "Film," recounts it in a nice book published by Einaudi that contains the screenplay and some Beckettian dramas. Well, according to Schneider, Buster understood very little, if anything at all, about Beckett's screenplay: he thought, among other things, that it could be turned into a film lasting at most five minutes, so much so that he even offered to add a few scenes himself... However, on set, he was extremely accommodating, tireless; he sensed that those two had an idea to realize but didn’t quite know what it was, and when the work was completed, he left satisfied but still, how to say, unaware... Well, I think this applies to "The cameraman" as well, in the sense that Buster loved playing with cinema; he used it with his square, mathematical intelligence, and for two precise purposes: engaging the audience and making them laugh... Everything else, including the reflection noted by Moravia, was a consequence, perhaps even an unexpected one... In short, to use your words, "intellectualism" was for Buster a banana peel on which he slipped while inventing his gags.:-) At least, that’s my interpretation... Regarding true or presumed modesty: I don’t know, I’ve seen some documentaries with various interviews and behind-the-scenes (in particular: "Buster Keaton rides again" filmed on the set of the charming film "The Railroader" and "Buster Keaton: A hard act to follow" by Kevin Brownlow); Buster seemed to me to be a very simple person. The same impression I had reading the autobiography and watching his films. And that makes him even dearer to me... Finally, your invitation to write more about Keaton flatters me.:-) I have already reviewed "Film" by Beckett and "The cook" by Rosco Fatty Arbuckle, but who knows what the future holds... However, if you want to review "Navigator," I’d be happy to read you... Bye.

Hello Muitosaudosismo. I was very pleased to read your notes. I know the passages from the autobiography you mentioned and I’ve never doubted that Buster had his own ideas about war, especially based on his personal experience... It’s just that, well, it doesn’t seem to me that with "the general" he intended to send a pacifist or anti-militarist message, that’s all... at most, anti-militarism can be read between the lines... Regarding intellectual pretensions: I like to remember his meeting with Beckett. Alan Schneider, the director of "Film," recounts it in a nice book published by Einaudi that contains the screenplay and some Beckettian plays. Well, Buster, according to Schneider, understood very little of Beckett's script, to say the least: he thought that a film could be made that would last at most five minutes, to the point that he offered to add some scenes himself... However, on set he was extremely accommodating, tireless; he sensed that those two had an idea to realize but didn’t quite know what it was, and, when the work was done, he left happy but still, how should I say, unaware... That’s how I see it in relation to "The cameraman": Buster loved to play with cinema, using it with his square, mathematical intelligence, and with two precise goals: engaging the audience and making them laugh... Everything else, including the reflection noted by Moravia, was a consequence, perhaps even unexpected... In short, to use your words, "intellectualism" was for Buster a banana peel on which he slipped while inventing his gags. :-). At least that’s my interpretation... As for real or presumed modesty: I don’t know, I’ve watched some documentaries with various interviews and behind-the-scenes (in particular: "Buster Keaton rides again" filmed on the set of the charming movie "The Railroader" and "Buster Keaton: A hard act to follow" by Kevin Brownlow); Buster struck me as a very simple person. The same impression I had reading the autobiography and watching his films. And that makes him even dearer to me... Finally, your invitation to write more about Keaton flatters me. :-). I’ve already reviewed Beckett’s "Film" and "The cook" by Rosco Fatty Arbuckle, but in the future, who knows... However, if you’d like to review "Navigator," I would read you with pleasure... Bye.

Well, you know, even "the makeshift script is always in a hurry" is a nice concept...

Well, then you should listen to "Dream letter live in London"... In that album, some tracks from "Goodbye and Hello" sound like those from "Happy Sad" and "Blue Afternoon"... It's a veeeery beautiful album, but I prefer Tim's folk-jazz...