Sunday, June 27, 2021

Sunday Music Muse Day - Jan Garbarek Group, Chet Baker

This Sunday Music Muse Day find us suffering warm weather, in the 90º s, but not as hot as my west coast friend with 100º + heat.  It's a perfect day to crank up the AC, grab a summer drink and listen to some cool jazz.  So, first up is Chet Baker CAREER 1952-1988. Trumpeter Chet Baker is the poster child of cool jazz of the 1950s and 60s. This 2 disc anthology of his career broken in two aspects, his trumpet playing and his singing. The CD set come with 66 page documenting Baker creative and often tragic career due to his battle with drug addition.  But the genius of the music always comes through.




By second choice is Jan Garbarek Group Photo With...("...Blue Sky. White Cloud, Wires, Windows, and a Red Roof ". is the full title, but some one have to good sense to shorten it on the cover.). A reviewer notes, "Each piece breaks a piece from the longer title and rolls it out into a photo in its own right."  Saxophonist Garbarek is a stable of ECM Records, as are the other musicians on the session, either as leaders, or sidemen. Guitarist Bill Conners was one of the main reasons I picked this up as it follows his departure from Chick Corea's Return to Forever in the late 70s to pursue a solo career and more acoustic guitar playing.  This 1978 recording sound fresh and timeless as you would expect from an  ECM recording.



So, stay cool, and enjoy the day.


Sunday, June 20, 2021

Sunday Music Muse Day - Ralph Towner & Gary Peacock, Ketil Bjornstad & David Darling

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us celebrating Father's Day, so Happy Father's Day to all, current, past, and future. I'll be spending the part of my day with two ECM releases featuring duet sessions.  First up, Guitar and bass duo, Ralph Towner and Gary Peacock A Closer View. Ralph Towner  is a go-to favorite of mine for his classical and 12-string playing and excellent compositions. His tunes can introspective and thoughtfully entertaining. Gary Peacock, on double bass,  is the perfect pairing.





The second ECM duo is Ketil Bjornstad Epigraphs, with David Daring. This piano and cello duet offer peaceful reflective tunes, originals and some from composers from the 1400s to 1600s, I assume classical composers, but with my limited knowledge, the names don't jump out at me. This a great CD to accompany a quiet evening, or peaceful afternoon book reading. 





Both these CDs are great stress relievers.  Worth giving them a try. Enjoy. 

Old Gods & New - A Companion to Jack Kirby's Fourth World by John Morrow

Happy Father's Day to all dads, present, past, and future. I'll be spending part of my Father's Day with IMOP  the father of modern comic books, Jack Kirby. Old Gods & New - A companion to Jack Kirby's FOURTH WORLD by Hohn Morrow with Jon Cooke is just what I need to dig more deeply into Kirby's FOURTH WORLD as I wasn't a consistent reader of the various series the make this post-Marvel phase of Kirby's career. I'd pick up random issues of Mister Miracle, Kamandi, Demon, and others but enough to get a complete handle on whole concept.  Just browsing through this book there is tons of information and great art I haven' seen before.  I'm looking forward to diving in.  I ordered this week ago, and it arrived this week to make a nice Father Day gift. 







Sunday, June 13, 2021

Sunday Music Muse Day - Gilfema with Lionel Loueke, Santana

On the beautiful, sunny, Sunday Music Muse Day, I've enjoyed a nice bike ride with Lisa to visit my inlaws, followed by a simple lunch at back yard picnic table.  So, that leaves time to enjoy some new tunes, and old in new packaging. First up, is Gilfema, "The name of the group comes from the musicians' names: Gil (Lionel Gilles Loueke), fe (Ferenc), ma (Massimo). They met at Berklee College of Music, coming from different backgrounds: Loueke from West Africa, Nemeth from Hungary, and Biolcati, an Italian born in Sweden." - Wikipedia.  I picked this up mainly for my interest in Lionel Loueke, the guitarist.  This 2005 release, it seems,  is just one of many I failed to come across before.  I do have several Loueke CDs, and listening to this one makes me more eager to seek out more. I love his infusion of his African roots in his playing and vocalizing. I'll have to break out of my bargain bin shopping habit and pay full price to catch up.





My next selection was a good used purchased, as I'm a sucker for the cool packaging of CD sets. Santana Dance of the Rainbow Serpent is a three CD anthology of Carlos Santana long and storied career. Since I just sold all my vinyl albums including the Santana's, this will be a nice substitute. It's curious there are no tunes  from Borboletta, my favorite album, especially the song Promise of the Fisherman, but luckily I have that CD.









All in all, a nice way to spend the rest of the day. Enjoy your's.

More Tales of Decluttering: Comic Book Covers I liked - Aliens Xenogenesis

As I catalog my comic book collection to sale in my decluttering effort, I stop to enjoy comics I mainly picked for the cover art. This mini-series of an Aliens story is one example.





More to come.



Sunday Music Muse Day - Happy Birthday John Sneider, Dave Holland

This Sunday Music Muse Day we're noting a Happy Birthday to John "The Scrapper" Sneider. Here's wishing him all the best. What better way to celebrate than playing his music.


My second selection is Dave Holland Another Land.  This is a laid back but funky trio session with Kevin Eubanks on guitar, Obed Calvaire on drums and Holland on bass, and electric bass. I don't associate Hollnad with electric bass, so that's new to me. This CD has a sparse almost "loft jazz" or "Garage Band" sound. Give it a a listen and let me know what you think.





I've sold my record collection but still have, and buy, CDs to keep the music coming.  Enjoy.


Sunday, June 6, 2021

Tales of Decluttering ; Trip to the comic shop & Starstruck

I went to the comic book shop for first time in ages for bags and backing boards, and couldn't resist this Starstruck comic just for the cover. I have original version from Dark Horse Comic. It seems new panels were added to the IDW version. There probably a trade paper book collection of this, I may have to hunt down. I've had my eye on the Starstruck Artist edition, also.