Sunday Music Muse Day - Charlie Christian, Kenny Burrell.

For this fine spring Sunday Music Muse Day two jazz guitar that were included in the CD set Progressions: 100 Years of Jazz Guitar.  First, jazz guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, The Immortal Charlie Christian. It's mono recording of after hours sessions.  It has a very relaxed feel to it. 

My second selection is Kenny Burrell Blue Muse.  Kenny Burrell came into his own in the 1960s.  This CD was recorded 2002.  Burrell is still alive (91 years old) but due to poor health hasn't performed in years, to my knowledge. He certainly has earned his place in the ranks of great jazz guitarists.

Again, you can find Christian and Burrell in this collection of jazz guitar greats.

Good music will brighten up any day. enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Bob Snieder with Steward Copeland & the RPO, Rich Thompson

This Sunday Music Muse Day has me celebrating the achievements of two of our local musician friends.  First, Lisa and I attend the concert by Steward Copeland, with Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, on his The Police Deranged for Orchestra Tour.  Friend, Bob Snieder, local premiere jazz guitarist, and instructor, played guitar as part of the core trio.  Copeland's take on the music of the Police was given an added twisted by his post-Police development as a TV and movie soundtrack composer It was great seeing Bob perform with Copeland, since the Police was one of my favorite modern pop/rock band. I think they were one of the last main stream rock bands I really followed. I was also a fan of the individual members solo career projects, especially Steward Copeland's The Rhythmatist album, which featured African musician Ray Lema.  I wished I could have gotten Bob Snieder to ask Steward why the album had two different covers, the first with African warriors, and the second with Copeland holding a field microphone boom. Just curious.  I hope this concert shows up on the Jazz at the Eastman radio show.  I would be great to heard it again. 

(Photos by Rob Man)

My second friend selection is Rich Thompson Who Do You Have to Know CD that was released on Friday.  I made sure to pick up a copy at The Bop Shop Record store. Owner Tom Kohn had some readily available. This is a solid outing by leader and drummer Rich, who I'd seen play many times which group Trio East, Generations.  In fact, he played a track from the CD on the last Generation gig I attended last month.  This group maybe the first I've seen Rich with a guitarist, and organist.  I like the classic jazz feel of the music.  Definitely a nice additional to my jazz collection.

It's really an honor to have these talent gentlemen as friends.  Their dedication and contributions to Rochester Jazz in their performing and teaching through Eastman School of Music is inspiring to so many. The least I can is support their music, without reservation.

Hump Day ; Odds & Ends - My DVD lineup of Shows.

For a last Wednesday's Hump Day: Odds & Ends, here's a pic of animation DVDs of projects I’ve worked on. They'e in chronological order from left to right. I hope to do a full timeline video soon. There are several missing, either no DVD was released, like the second season of ExoSquad (but I have a bootleg copy), Firehouse Tales, and Biker Mice from Mars, or I haven’t tracked them down yet. A lot of the show episodes are on Youtube at this point.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Passing of Wayne Shorter

This Sunday Music Muse day, is a solemn one, as we mourn the passing of Wayne Shorter, the legendary jazz saxophonist, who musical legacy will live on forever.  Like many other fans, I’ve be sampling and listening to selected music from his long and celebrated career. My selections nearly scratch the surface.  I admit, I used Wayne’s stature to counter any statement that Kenny G played jazz saxophone. To his family, friends, and band mates, past and present, i add my humble condolences.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Andy Summers

It has been on personally emotional week, and freezing cold one, weather wise, so I'm using two Andy Summers  CDs to warm me spiritually. First is a release that popped up in my Facebook feed, Andy Summers Harmonic of the Night.  This is a soundtrack he produced to accompany a retrospective exhibition of his photography, held in Pavillon Populaire in Montpellier, France, in 2019. The music is spacey and atmospheric, reminding me of some of the albums he did with Robert Fripp, also the introspective soundscapes that Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal recorded for ECM Records. 

My second selection, Andy Summers Triboluminescence find Andy of various instruments. with Artyom Manukyan playing cello on one track.   The 2026 session sound les refined or focus, and more like a musician exploratory session wih the recording equipment on. As such it's not as interest the first CD, but still worth a listen.

Finally, the sun is coming and melting some of the ice covering everything.  You can hear cracking off and slipping off the roof gutters, and falling from the trees. Even with the cold snap, we're still better off than other areas of the country. Where ever you are, stay safe.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Dino Saluzzi and Anja Lechner, Al Di Meola

On this heavy hearted Sunday Muse Day, The mellow nature of my selections are comforting background music.  First up, Dino Saluzzi and Anja Lechner Ojos Negros (Black Eyes) is an 2007 ECM release featuring Saluzzi on bandoneon, (The bandoneon is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical instrument in most tango ensembles. Wikipedia), and Lechner on the violoncello (The cello or violoncello is a bowed string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C₂, G₂, D₃ and A₃. The viola's four strings are each an octave higher. Wikipedia). Yes, I had to google both of their instruments to make sure I got them right.  I love the old world sound of the bandoneon.  I have other recordings by Dino Saluzzi  and he is featured on my second selection.

My second selection is Al Di Meola World Sinfonia Heart of the Immigrants, a Mesa 1993 release. This is Di Meola's mostly  acoustic ensemble that "incorporates South American, Spanish, and Middle Eastern elements, and makes Argentine tango a very high priority" - reviewer, Alex Henderson, All Music website.  This is a music direction Di Meola pursued in his solo career after leaving Chick Corea's Return to Forever.  Dino Saluzzi plays Bandoneon on this CD.  This is fine example of the universal appeal of world music. Worth giving it a listen. 

Again, my heavy heart is lifted by the comfort music on these CDs.  I hope others can find solace in music, too.

Gibson ES-175T - Restringing and truss rod adjustment.

Although, I’ve been playing guitar since my 20’s, I still get stressed out changing guitar strings.  An added stress was I had to do a minor truss rod adjustment for a slightly bowed neck. Luckily, there are plenty of YouTube videos to show it’s a pretty sample thing to do.  One surprise was the discolored  guitar top from age, I noticed when the bridge slipped out of position.  I don’t think there much I can do about it and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.