Music Talk
It must be annoying to come back here, day after day, expecting to find a caricature of Ted Knight or something, only to find more WORDS! "Reading is work, Corbett! Pictures are entertainment!" you seem to say.
My apologies. I always have a pen and pencil at the ready - but I think the fact that all my drawing stuff is still packed and out of sight has led to a keen interest in other activities. Reading! Writing! Glass Blowing! Quantum Theory!
And Music!
Music has long been a part of my life. I've been in big bands and jazz combos, a symphony, theater pit bands . . .I even met my wife in a band!
I love listening to all types of music, but I could never enjoy my own music at the old place because I was too busy listening to everyone else's music! Downstairs, nextdoor, in the parking lot! Hip Hop! Rap! Pop! It blared from every conceivable direction! As Britney screamed at me to "hit her, baby, one more time", Kanye West waxed political about AIDS and Anthrax.
My musical tastes are eclectic, but not THAT eclectic! Tolerating all those stereos and noise at the same time drove me up the wall! I was forced to use music as a tool to drown it all out!
But this new place. .this new place is so quiet I can finally come home after work, scroll through my iPod, set a few playlists on my computer and relaaaaaaax. Imagine that - music used for good! Not evil!
Here are a few artists I've had a chance to happily reacquainted myself with:
Paolo Conte! I can't get enough of his bouncy, Muppet Show-esque piano vamps and resonating, grainy voice. Paolo always makes me happy. Even when his lyrics are poignant and affecting.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones! One of the first music albums I bought for myself was the self titled Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - followed by Flight of the Cosmic Hippo shortly after.
Each member of this group is outstanding in his field. Do yourself a favor and seek out a video of one of Victor Wooten's bass performances. The man is insanely good.
For those who are already fans - catch Bela on NPR this coming Monday.
Wanda Jackson! Every once in a while someone introduces me to an artist or group and I'm immediately ashamed that I hadn't heard about them already. Such is the case with Wanda.
With lyrics like, I never kissed a bear I never kissed a goon. . .But I can shake a chicken in the middle of the room and I drink a quart of sakey smoke dynamite. . .I chase it with tobaccy and then shoot out the light I don't know how I ever got along without her. Go forth and buy/download as much of the First Lady of Rockabilly as you can.
(Thank you, Darla - for the recommendation!)
I'm also hooked on a new internet radio station, Rockabilly Radio. Their playlist can be repetative at times - but it doesn't bother me - it's all stuff I like hearin' twice.
iTune's radio stations suck beyond belief. I'm quickly filling my roster with stations like this instead. Now if I could just get that internet service set up at the new place.
And here's a book a friend gave to me a couple weeks ago. I've picked it up nearly every night and picked through it during every free moment I have.
Jazz Anecdotes by Bill Crow. This is one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. I highly recommend it to Jazz buffs and anyone who enjoys hearing about life prior to 1960. A fantastic collections of stories, jokes and pranks from the jazz world, broken into general topics like Teaching and Learning, Stage Fright, Life on the Road, Prejudice and Discrimination and Pranks. I love this book!
And for those who still feel gypped (my apologies to anyone with gypsy heritage) because they didn't get a drawing in this post - here's a sketch of what appears to be the Wizard of Oz gang walking into a large, green. . .um. . .hallway. :)
My apologies. I always have a pen and pencil at the ready - but I think the fact that all my drawing stuff is still packed and out of sight has led to a keen interest in other activities. Reading! Writing! Glass Blowing! Quantum Theory!
And Music!
Music has long been a part of my life. I've been in big bands and jazz combos, a symphony, theater pit bands . . .I even met my wife in a band!
I love listening to all types of music, but I could never enjoy my own music at the old place because I was too busy listening to everyone else's music! Downstairs, nextdoor, in the parking lot! Hip Hop! Rap! Pop! It blared from every conceivable direction! As Britney screamed at me to "hit her, baby, one more time", Kanye West waxed political about AIDS and Anthrax.
My musical tastes are eclectic, but not THAT eclectic! Tolerating all those stereos and noise at the same time drove me up the wall! I was forced to use music as a tool to drown it all out!
But this new place. .this new place is so quiet I can finally come home after work, scroll through my iPod, set a few playlists on my computer and relaaaaaaax. Imagine that - music used for good! Not evil!
Here are a few artists I've had a chance to happily reacquainted myself with:
Paolo Conte! I can't get enough of his bouncy, Muppet Show-esque piano vamps and resonating, grainy voice. Paolo always makes me happy. Even when his lyrics are poignant and affecting.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones! One of the first music albums I bought for myself was the self titled Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - followed by Flight of the Cosmic Hippo shortly after.
Each member of this group is outstanding in his field. Do yourself a favor and seek out a video of one of Victor Wooten's bass performances. The man is insanely good.
For those who are already fans - catch Bela on NPR this coming Monday.
Wanda Jackson! Every once in a while someone introduces me to an artist or group and I'm immediately ashamed that I hadn't heard about them already. Such is the case with Wanda.
With lyrics like, I never kissed a bear I never kissed a goon. . .But I can shake a chicken in the middle of the room and I drink a quart of sakey smoke dynamite. . .I chase it with tobaccy and then shoot out the light I don't know how I ever got along without her. Go forth and buy/download as much of the First Lady of Rockabilly as you can.
(Thank you, Darla - for the recommendation!)
I'm also hooked on a new internet radio station, Rockabilly Radio. Their playlist can be repetative at times - but it doesn't bother me - it's all stuff I like hearin' twice.
iTune's radio stations suck beyond belief. I'm quickly filling my roster with stations like this instead. Now if I could just get that internet service set up at the new place.
And here's a book a friend gave to me a couple weeks ago. I've picked it up nearly every night and picked through it during every free moment I have.
Jazz Anecdotes by Bill Crow. This is one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. I highly recommend it to Jazz buffs and anyone who enjoys hearing about life prior to 1960. A fantastic collections of stories, jokes and pranks from the jazz world, broken into general topics like Teaching and Learning, Stage Fright, Life on the Road, Prejudice and Discrimination and Pranks. I love this book!
And for those who still feel gypped (my apologies to anyone with gypsy heritage) because they didn't get a drawing in this post - here's a sketch of what appears to be the Wizard of Oz gang walking into a large, green. . .um. . .hallway. :)
