Sunday Music Muse Day - Miles Brown Trio - Bill Bruford - Miciel Borstlap

This week's Sunday Music Muse Day post features two drummer i enjoy.  First, the Miles Brown Trio. I hadn't heard the leader, bassest Miles Brown, or his father Steve Brown, but I'm good friends with drummer, Rich Thompson. (I looked the group up online)So, that why I bought the CD. This is 2009 recording of original copositions and jazz standards.  There  Rich Thompson tune "More or Less" I knew from his own recording as a leader.  This is solid  jazz trio outing, worth giving it a listen.

My second selection is Bill Bruford - Michiel Borstlap - In Two Minds. I must admit this is a much more subdued outing you'd expect from the former King Crimson drummer and leader of his own jazz fusion band.  The liner notes state: "This music was recorded direct to CD...(at a concert)...Audience noise and applause has been removed...The music was improvised without proir discussion..." Sound like they were going for almost a free jazz concert. recording.  I like the results.

                                     

So that's this weeks post. Enjoy the last day  of summer and the school year begins for many. Peace.

September Birthday and Reset

This pass week I celebrated my 76th birthday...so no longer I'm 75 and still Alive, but "76" and hope I don't get sick! The guard rails are gone. Here's your friendship torture test, my self-written birthday song for jazz birthdays. ( I hope to do a better version for next year)You've been warned: For comparison, it will remind you of the scene in the movie "10" where Dudley Moore is trapped by the piano playing preacher. For added pain the lyrics are in the comments. Enjoy, and thanks for your well wishes.

Also ,it's time re-set and focus on finishing projects and work on new ones. I'm in the process of reviewing the wider media exposure I gathered with appearances on seversl podcasts, with artist profiles on several Thundercats and Disney TV Gargoyles sites. Also exhibiting and speaking at the Rochester Contemptorary Art Center, attending the RICE (Rochester Independent Comics Expo), where I sold original art. I hope I can attend next year. I've have two public event scheduled. First, a speaking and video presentation at the Strong Museum of Play, in October, and an library event at the Brighton Memorial Library in February 2027. More details soon.

Stay Posted.

Sunday Music Muse Day - RIP Gene Bertoncini

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us saddened by the news of the passing jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini.   I believed I came late to the party knowing Gene Bertoncini playing and music.  My first expose was buying  the CD by guitarist Steve Greene, who I saw at perfoeming with the group The White Hots at Jazz 90.1 event at the Artisan House. I posted about the "Gene with Greene" in February 2020 and proceeded to acquire eight more Gene Bertoncini CDs.  His name on CD becomes a "must Buy".   I'm sorry I never got to see him play live, in person, since I have several musican friends who played with, and knew him personally.  

My sincere condolences to his family and all his friends. His musical legacy will keep him in our hearts for ever.  RIP ,Gene, and thanks for the music.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Lionel Loueke, Matt Just Pavolka

Just a quick post of the Sunday Music Muse Day first Gilfema + 2. Gilfema is a jazz trio consisting of Lionel Loueke, Ferenc Nemeth, and Massimo Biolcati. The name of the group comes from the musicians' names: Gil, fe, ma. Silly me, I thought it was an African term.  In anycase, the "plus 2 " is Anat Cohen on Clarinet, and John Ellis on bass clarinet and ocarina.  This the second CD I have from the group, which I became interested in through guitarist Lionel Loueke's African unique  playing style.  It's definitely worth a listen. 

My second selection was also the result of my knowing the guitarist from other recordings, and not the leader, bassist Matt Pavolka - Disciplinary Architecture, with Ben Monder on guitar, Santiago  Leibson on Keyboards, and Allan Mednard on drums. This is definitelu a modern jazz sound, not quite hardcore Jazz fusion, but hard to hear any classic styles front and center.  Give it a try and form you own opinion.  after several listening I enjoyed it.

These are two new groups to explore.  Enjoy.

 

Thundercats Treasures Highlighted On Thundercats.org

Over at the Thundercats,org site the video from Only My Toys shows a tour of the Cat's Lair that featured a table with Thundercats treasures, all of them I designed for the series. Bravo. and thanks. https://thundercats.org/features/only-my-toys-interview/

Sunday Music Muse Day - Tom Ollendorff, Jimmy Ponder

This Sunday Music Muse Day features two CD I picked at the Hi-Fi Lounge on Monroe Ave near Twelve Corners in Brighton (Rochester) NY.  First up is Tom Ollendorff - Where in the World. The included press release flyer states this is the guitarist's third album, and first collaboration with "Blue Note artist Aaron Park, pianist.  The quartet with James Maddren on drums, and Conor Chaplin of bass. The promo goes on to state,"Ollendorff's music elegently mixes graceful themes, baroque-like etudes and fast bop swing".  I found it offers nice contemporary jazz. Well worth a listen, and I plan to seek out his other prior releases.

Next is Jimmy Ponder - Steel City Soul. Jimmy Ponder ia strait ahead jazz guitarist in the mold of Wes Montgomery, in fact like Wes, he plays the guitar with his thumb. This is a compilation CD from several Ponder albums. I don't recognize the tunes from the two vinyl albums I owned of his, but sold year ago. Unfortunately, both have not been released on CD. The album Jimmy Ponder Illusions, has his rendition of Ron Carter's Sabado Sombrero, that I feel outshines Ron's original record. Just my opinion. Hopeful some producer will re-release Illusion on CD.

So, that's this Sundday Music Muse Day selection. Hope you find music to keep you sane in these troubled times.  Stay safe, and peace.

Mr Beast and other alternate Action Figure Toy Lines.

In my role as The Serial Accumulator of toys, I was browsing the toy section at Target and came across the Mr Beast latest toy release, Mr Beast Lab Hybrids.  

I first became interested in the Mr Beast Lab Mutators action figures that came with cool "Mutation Chamber".  It reminded me of the mutation tanks in the ExoSquad animated TV series that was used to make Neo-Sapiens Creatures.  I bought a MR Beats Lab Mutation Chamber with the Iconic Panther. I actually looked better than the ExoSquad NeoCat action figure based on my original design.

I actually, totally forgot I had a Chamber in my Warrior in the Mist comic from 1972. 

It seems Mr Beast is a pretty successful media property, including animated series. I scan the QR code on the back of the MrBeast Lab Hybrids and it liked me to the animated series on Youtube. I watched the collection and found it very funny and enjoyable. 

In checking the credits, I spotted a familiar name, Henry Gilroy, one of the series' executive producer and writer.  I recently intereacted with Henry for the Kepyr Foundation Thundercats Art auction. Of course, Henry is best known for his work on many major animated series. I remember him for writing one of my favorite Dark Horse Comic stories Alien: Mondo Pest.  It's show what a small world it could be. Check out the Mr Beast animate series.  It's one of several toy related mini-series I'm cominfg across. Like the DC Metal Force that's a series of short supporting the minor toyline.

Another is an action figure toy line I found at the Dollar General store, Final Faction supported by comic and a animated series on Youtube. 

I'm also keeping an eye out of off-branks action figures like these. The package design can be more interesting than the figures. But, they're a lot cheaper than GI Joes, Star Wars, and Marvel action figures

I'll have to do a more detailed video, sometime.