Start Spreadin Da Nooze...

I will be visiting the sweltering but freakingly, frigidly COOL island of Manhattan this week, taking in some jazz (Geri Allen with Reggie Workman, Oliver Lake and Andrew Cyrille at Birdland, Cindy Blackman with Antoine Roney at Jazz Standard, maybe Lewis Nash, or Al Foster....that'll be a tough decision), and Mr. Matisse at the MOMA.

I'm prepping with New York sounds. The Top Ten of New York, personally calibrated, follows. (It reads equally well backwards).

10) Garland Jeffreys, Garland Jeffreys The New York Skyline:"female, feline,feminine".

9 ) Laura Nyro New York Tendaberry You look like a city but you feel like a religion.

8 ) The Rascals, The Ultimate Rascals Life will be ecstasy.

7 ) Charles Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus A black black energy wrestles a contrabasse... and wins!

6 ) The Ramones, Acid Heads Their mature work.

5) Lou Reed, New York Duh!

4) D.D. Jackson, New York Suite Dig it! A Canadian masterpiece; on the inside looking in.

3) Talking Heads, Remain in Light Funking in the abstract

2) D'Angelo, Voodoo He sang his voice out at Madison Square Gardens and had to cancel the tour.

1) John Coltrane, Giant Steps Changed everything. Still does.