Scott Long

'The Workflow of Data Analysis Using Stata', by J. Scott Long, is an essential productivity tool for data analysts. Aimed at anyone who analyzes data, this book presents an effective strategy for designing and doing data-analytic projects. …

One of the most enigmatic figures in rock history, Scott Walker was known as Scotty Engel when he cut obscure flop records in the late '50s and early '60s in the teen idol vein. He then hooked up with John Maus and Gary Leeds to form the Walker Brothers. They weren't named Walker, they weren't brothers, and they weren't English, but they nevertheless became a part of the British Invasion after moving to the U.K. in 1965. They enjoyed a couple of years of massive success there (and a couple of hits in the U.S.) in a Righteous Brothers vein. As their full-throated lead singer and principal songwriter, Walker was the dominant artistic force in the group, who split in 1967. While remaining virtually unknown in his homeland, Walker launched a hugely successful solo career in Britain with a unique blend of orchestrated, almost MOR arrangements with idiosyncratic and morose lyrics. At the height of psychedelia, Walker openly looked to crooners like Sinatra, Jack Jones, and Tony Bennett for inspiration, and to Jacques Brel for much of his material. None of those balladeers, however, would have sung about the oddball subjects – prostitutes, transvestites, suicidal brooders, plagues, and Joseph Stalin – that populated Walker's songs.

Pianist/composer and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow Helen Sung celebrates the work of influential women composers on her latest album Quartet+, crafting new arrangements of tunes by Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Mary Lou Williams, Marian McPartland and Toshiko Akiyoshi while carrying the tradition forward with her own stunning new works. Co-produced by violin master Regina Carter, the album pairs Sung’s quartet with the strings of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Harlem Quartet in an inventive meld of jazz and classical influences.

The subliminal empathy shared by bassist Scott Colley, saxophonist Chris Potter, and drummer Bill Stewart is masterfully illustrated on Colley’s album, This Place. Colley’s tutelage with Charlie Haden clearly informs his knack for developing warm, simpatico lines that are nearly always melodically astute yet never showy. On originals like his hypnotic title track, Colley can create a simple bass figure that grounds and propels the gorgeous melodies of Potter and the textural and rhythmic splendor of Stewart. Colley’s most sensual performance on this date, however, is his haunting “Long Lake,” where he delivers a heartfelt counter melody beneath Potter’s raspy tenor and Stewart’s shimmering brushes…

Golden Moments covers Jill Scott's 2000-2007 studio recordings for Hidden Beach. The label, launched in 2000 with Who Is Jill Scott?, was celebrating its 15th anniversary when this anthology was released. Meanwhile, Scott was still going strong, between the second and third singles from the follow-up to her 2011 album, Light of the Sun. The compilers here could have gone the easy route and simply sequenced these songs in chronological order. Golden Moments instead takes the shape of a smartly paced overview that jumps from album to album and shifts from mood to mood.

Quatro, Scott & Powell (QSP) is a supergroup founded in the very heart of glam rock, bringing together the combined forces of three legends of rock ‘n’ roll with Suzi Quatro on vocals and bass guitar, Andy Scott of The Sweet on vocals and guitar and Don Powell from Slade on drums. "We all have similar backgrounds and come from the same ballpark where we learned our craft on the road. Back then, performing was the only way forward. We have huge respect for one another and approach our musicianship in the same way. We share an era and still continue to work and perform separately in concerts all over the world. After many enjoyable late night discussions, it felt like the right time for us to come together to 'pool' our ideas."

Trumpeter and Innovator Christian Scott delivers the final part of his 2017 Jazz Centennial trilogy with Emancipation Procrastination. This album reflects the Social and Political issues of our times, delivering healing. The title track is a beautiful mid tempo piece on which Scott and his band play haunting melodies.