Tim Sandefur reminds us all that it was Miles Davis's birthday yesterday.

I totally forgot about it, of course. But I am a huge Miles Davis nut. I for one also like his electronic period, especially Bitches Brew. I've been assiduously collecting the Columbia box sets, but I've not yet got the Jack Johnson Sessions.

I would recommend most heartily Chronicle, which is a box set containing all of Miles Davis's Prestige recordings, including Relaxin', Cookin', and all the others. And of course the Blue Note Box Set- the Complete Miles Davis Blue Note, which includes Birth of the Cool, Miles Davis 1 & 2, and some other works as well.

In defense of Miles Davis's electronic period, I have this to say: it's totally different from anything else ever. And it's certainly an acquired taste. But I can tell you this: both Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way reward attentive repeat listeners, and make great atmospheric music. There's a searing heat in the trumpet that rises up suddenly to make simple telling points against the cool backdrop of muted rhythms.

Chesire Cat


You're an eccentric, oddball, weirdo. I love you! You tend not to worry too much about the things that happen in life because you know most of it's not going to matter in the end anyway. However, sometimes you can be a bit too weird and people just want to see the real you...

Which character from Alice In Wonderland are you?

Tried my first case last Wednesday. It was a car accident where the plaintiff tried to pass my client on the right as he was making a right-hand turn; he had swung wide left because his turn-in area was partially obstructed.

We got a defense verdict after fifty minutes.

We did not make a record on the closings, which is too bad; plaintiff's counsel crossed the line several times, using the police report (which was not admitted into evidence) and stating baldly to the jury that it was the best evidence available of what happened. I should have objected, but decided not to, since the plaintiff's case was well down the tubes by then.

It was really gratifying, and exciting, and by damn, I'm gonna do it some more. I loved it.