Sunday Music Muse Day - Rich Thompson, Rale Micic

Sorry, I missed last week's Sunday Music Muse Day post, the family celebration of September birthdays, fulled up the time.  Let's continue this week with The Trio United, RichThompson, Bill Grimes, and Bill Dobbins - One More Time. This s wonderful live record of three jazz musicians who are also jazz educators.  My friend drummer, Rich Thompson, and pianist Bill Dobbins, are both highly respected jazz instructors at the Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, while bassist, Bill Grimes was an instructor at the LSU School of Music. This talented trio dispels that disparaging quote by  “Those who can, do; those who can't, teach” from George Bernard's Shaw's 1903 play Man and Superman  implying that teaching is a role for people who failed to achieve their desired vocational goals.  These gentlemen obviously fill both roles very well. A plus, is that with the exception two of the 12 cuts, all the tunes are originals from trio members. I like hearing original compositions from group members.  This is well worth a listen.

My second selection is a guitarist I just discovered by chance last month, Rale Micic Only Love Will Stay.  Again, this how I build my music collection, with one chance listening leads to me buying more of a musician's work.   This session is just as enjoyable as his last.  I'll keep looking for more.

The weather has been wonderful and we got to attend some event of the annual Fringe Festival, here Rochester, NY, but I still have to catch up on my live music. Hope you do the same.

HumpDay Odds & Ends - Gargoyles Steel Clan Robot & Celestical Game Mat.

Here's a Hump Day: Odds and Ends item, a self-birthday gift of a Gargoyles' Steel Clan Robot figure. The box art is great.The little one is from the original toy releases in the 90's. It roared, but the sound chip stopped working years ago. The cool game pad was bought at a liquidation store for $2. I think it's really nice

I saw more Gargoyles figures on the store shelf.  I don't have the money or space for them, yet.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Pat Martino, Keith Jarrett & Charlie Haden

This Sunday Music Muse Day, finds the weather feeling more like fall, cooler, than end of summer. My two selections are from musicians who need no introduction from me that could do them proper justice. First, is Pat Martino with Jim Ridi Nexus.  Jim Ridi is new to me, but the liner notes state he was "a longtime member of the guitarist's quartet and valued duet partner for ten years." So, now I learned something.   I admit, I first became aware of Pat from my friend Rodney Means, who, I think, saw him play in Philadelphia.  I was more aware of him from his first guitar synthesizer albums.  I'm delighted to still find Pat Martino recordings I don't have.  This one's keeper.

Next, is Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden Jasmine. Again, I'm not a completest when it comes to collecting any musician's music, but I enjoy finding recordings I don't have, by great musicians like this duo. This a wonderfully intimate piano/bass duet session. Well worth seeking out.

So, this weekend also is the start of the pro football season, let's hope your favorite team wins.  I don't really follow football much, since my son, Devin's, football career end when he graduated U of R. I'll watch an occasional game, and the playoffs, and of course, the Super Bowl.  I have other ways to waste my time, like listen into music. Enjoy.

More browsing than shopping.

I did some toy browsing Tuesday and found these, The ThunderTank Hot Wheels was a "must buy". I won't unpack this until I find another one. The Hex Bots reminded me of the WipeOut video game racers. I'll have to figure a track for them. I didn’t buy any of other stuff. I don't like the paint on the Captain America figure, and the Gargoyles' Goliath/Demona pack is too expensive. Maybe if it goes on sale, I'll reconsider. The Darth Vader is cute, but I just don't have room for it. I'm saving the Nerf gun pics for a video project I'm planning on GunPlay: Childhood to Adult (working title).

Browsing Archimage Novelty Store, Rochester, NY

Several days ago, during lunch, I grabbed a Chicago Dog from Dogtown and I got stop into Archimage, the novelty gift shop across the Monroe Ave, and spotted some items to keep in mind for holiday shopping. The Android Jones jigsaw puzzles are a definite, even if they're 2x our 500 piece comfort zone. The poetry kits might be fun to turn into a drawing game. One team picks out a theme or scene, and the other has to draw it.