Sunday Music Muse Day - Let the Holidays Begin - Bob Snieder

On this Sunday Music Muse Day, we started the morning with holiday music by Bob Sneider  The Merry Gentlemen, Christmas on the Rocks CD.  A local jazz talent and treasure, Bob playing guitar and ukulele, is joined by his equally talented brother, John Sneider, on trumpet and whistle on a nice assortment of seasonal favorites.  

Lisa and I are looking forward to seeing Bob and his trio at the Little Cafe on New Year's Eve, which has become a welcomed annual event for us.  Hope everyone comes to join us, and help see the year off on a high note.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Lee Ritenour, Tal Farlow

This Sunday Music Muse Day will be a quick post.  I try to keep an open mind in my music listening, be sometimes, I must stay set in my ways.  So, concerning my first selection, Lee Ritenour Wes Bound, I was doubtful I'd enjoy this CD as, I haven't listened to a Ritenour record since his early vinyl albums, which I found too "smooth jazz" for my taste.  I respect him as a accomplished studio guitarist as a leader and sideman, but the over all smooth jazz production doesn't do it for me. I give a try for Wes Montgomery connection, but I think in comparison to Wes, it make my negative reaction strong.  I can't recommend this, UNLESS you like smooth jazz. You're welcomed to keep it next to your Kenny CDs.

I'm enjoying my second selection, Tal Farlow - Tal, I lot more than my first. I admit I may have first learned of Tal Farlow  from Guitar Player magazine in the 70s before actually seeking out his music, since he's major work was in the 1950s, of my childhood.  Tal is reissue of a classic 1958 trio release with bonus tracks of 1958 quartet recording added.  I just find this record more honest and clean,  

So, that's my spotlight for today. Enjoy.

Hump Day: Odds & Ends - Nescar Racers Toy and other items.

For last Hump Day: Odds & Ends. I’m started to dig into my basement again, so here's the start of organizing my NASCAR Racers TV series items. Here’s the loose toys, I’ll have to dig deeper to organize the art and design stuff.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Charles Lloyd, Miroslav Vitous

Today's Sunday Music Muse Day is presenting us with gloomy rainy weather, again, just right for listening to some good music. First up, Charles Lloyd Trios Sacred Thread.  It seems there are three separate "Trios" releases, this one, "Chapel", which I featured last week, and "Ocean", which I have not come across yet.  Sacred Thread features Lloyd on Tenor saxophone, alto flute, Tarogato (a Hungarian sax-like wind wood), and maracas, with Zair Hussain on tabla, percussion, and vocal, plus Julian Lage on guitar.  Although an impressive line up, I didn't enjoy this as much as the "Chapel" Trios CD.  On Sacred Thread the grouped play so softly as to be quietly distracting.  The music has a mystical feel, that's a positive. I'll have to give it more listenings, before passing any final judgement.

My slight disappointment continued with my next selection, Miroslav Vitous Music of Weather Report.  Vitous was a founding member of the legendary jazz fusion formed with Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter.  Vitous left the group when in his opinion it moved more commercial and less free-form avant garde jazz of it's roots.  Although I read reviews giving this 4/5 stars for his take on Weather Reports early tunes, I didn't  feel it lived up to the legacy of those early recording.  So that, the basic of my disappointment in this ECM CD, the playing didn't give me any new insight to the music. I plan to go back to early recording, especially the first two albums and see what I’m missing.  

                                     

These were slight disappointing, but as they say, "that's jazz". Of course, I could listen to them again a week, or year from now, change my mind. 

A happy follow up to "No Laughling" post

So as the world goes crazy over Elon Musk(rat) screwing around with Twitter, here's my personal, positive social media story. I posted a Youtude videos last year of music done with friends 37 years ago. Somehow the brother of one of them, Marie Mularczyk O'Connell, stumble on my videos this weekend and commented. I answered and ask him to show Marie the link. To my happy surprise, Marie contacted me by email and friend request on Facebook. It's wonderful to reconnect and share a memory that she can share with family and friends. Plus, she's still doing music, a folk music group, Mountain Maidens. So, the moral is social media has a positive side when used properly.

Actually, Marie's post to Facebook brought a comment by Jerry Mastriano. the bass player, so it was nice to contact with him too.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Bill Frisell, Charles Lloyd with Bill Frisell

This Sunday Music Muse Day finds us dodging a major snow storm to the west of us in the Buffalo, NY area, We're talking 6' plus of snow, and possibly more to come. Here in the Rochester area, the skies as most clear but cold. Our forecast of maybe 4" of snow hasn't panned out yet. While we wait, I'll enjoy these two CDs featuring Bill Frisell, as a leader and a sideman. First up, Bill Frisell Four, a quartet outing with Frisell on guitar, Gregory Tardy on Saxophone and Clarinet, Gerald Clayton on piano, and Jonathon Blake on drum. This is a new release this month on Blue Note Records label. A new Frisell CD is always a pleasure and it will get many of time on my player.

The second CD is Charles Lloyd Trios Chapel, with Charles Lloyd on tenor saxophone and alto flute,  Bill Frisell on guitar, and Thomas Morgan on bass.  The wonderful music present here was recorded live in a chapel, and another recent Blue Note Records release.  Charles Lloyd's liner notes states you can feel in this trio, that "3"is "the number of the divine.  I totally agree.  It's well worth a listen.

I feel for the western New Yorkers getting pounded by the snow.  We here know our time for heavy snow could be right around the corner, until then, stay warm, and stay safe.

Lincoln's Gettyburg Address - A tribute.

This is a video tribute to Lincoln's Gettyburg address. It was inspired by finding this picture book in the trash bin of a Balboa Elementary School in Glendale, Ca. I had to save it for the wonderful James Daugherty paintings. Try to forgive my narration. Also, I used an original tune, "Farewell". It's actually a rough sound sketch that I hope to develop more complete at some point. Enjoy.