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.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Rale Micic, Gerry Gibbs and the Thrasher Band

Here's my Sunday Music Muse Day post, actually on Sunday.  First up, Rale Micic 3. This guitarist twas totally new to me.  I just picked up the CD for cheap, because it looked like a young jazz guitar trio.  It turned out to be a good CD.  It's rather low-key with almost introspective feel.  The trio consist of Rale Micic, on guitar, Scott Colley, on bass , and Gregory Hutchinson, on drums, playing mostly original tunes my Micic.  Again, none of these musicians were known to me, but that's the fun of CD collecting, finding diamonds in the rough. Looking him up on the web, he has released five albums, and has played with one of my favorite guitarists, the late John Abercrombie. So, I figure I'll keep an eye out for his other releases.

Next up, is Gerry Gibbs and the Thrasher Band Faces Unknown. I have several of drummer/leader Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio CDs, but this Thrasher Band seem to be a special group Gerry moved from San Antonio, Texas to LA, after help establish a vibrant jazz scene, and creative community in San Antonio. All the band members, except for Gibbs, are new to me, but the music is lively and interesting. Definitely worth a listen.

So, enjoy your day, and try to find some music to lift your spirits.