Man, Moses went into it. Who is this fuck who's into Mingus? Tombstone fucker! Like Marsalisaurus Rex.

...Bob Belden

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Just finished reading your Burns series. When I originally heard of it my reaction was "Oh, another Great Dead Guys production. How sick we all are of musicians sucking off the reputations of GDG's who are denied the possibility to approve or disapprove of another production in their name.

How many Charlie Parker, Coltrane, Monk, Duke, Armstrong tributes can wesuffer?

This has gotten so out of hand I made the following suggestion to Philduring a period when the band was almost dormant. We should fake Phil's death and start the "Phil Woods Tribute Quintet" Led by a Woods clone. Phil could sit at home and collect a percentage of the band's income. Then every Easter we could have a CarnagieHall concert where we resurrect him.

In the same vein: Every once in a while my old lady Lillyan ( not a musician herself, who I go to for the bridges of every tune I can't remember) comes up with a good one.

Last summer my quintet with Jack Walrath on trumpet had just returned from a week at the Estoril festival. I had never played with Jack before and was raving to her about his playing. I mentioned that he had played for years with Mingus's band. She asked "when he was dead or alive?"

A sign of the times?

...Hal Galper

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HiYa big brother Hal,

That was a fine piece of editorial journalism by Moses. And some nice little historical tidbits of life. Yeah, I can heartily subscribe to what he's putting down. I just wonder, idly of course, how many people are pickin' it up? Thank you for sharing it with me.

...Ya know, you taught me something very important and basic about listening and watching a group or band or ensemble work together. It's all in the communication lines, both audible and with the eyes. Staying in contact with your fellow music players, much like Bob Moses just illustrated in his open letter on your website. Trust me, it has been sent on.

...Chazz

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