Coltrane on the recorder

I can't even fathom how long it must have taken to get this right.



Maybe Steve Bates can tell us.

Grammy Fail

Now that the Grammy's are over for another year, and I have nothing against those that won, it is worth noting that there are some very special folks that never received a Grammy. I find it very hard to believe that at some point the folks listed below never were honored and the list BTW is not complete, just those that I think are some mega talents that have been sorely overlooked.

Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, The Who, The Ramones, The Beach Boys, Janis Joplin, Queen, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Diana Ross, Journey, Guns N'Roses, and Credence Clearwater just to name a few.

Seems as if someone has some 'splainin' to do. Can you think of others?

Rainy Monday

It's raining here in the Northern burbs of Atlanta and it is making for a lazy day. I don't have to go to work until 5p so I have the day to do whatever. The new beds/boxes in the greenhouse need thinning already. (I told you the proper potting soil would make a big difference.) There is also a lot of new guitar stuff to try and get under my belt as well so that will take a few hours minimum. I'm trying to do at least 2 hours a day on the guitar and it is starting to pay off. The new PRS guitar is much easier to play than the El Cheapo I had so 2 hours goes by pretty quick. I also think I am going to blow off the gym today and just be a slug.

The big annual Historical Society "Flea Fling" for the Hembree Farm preservation is coming up the 6th so I also have to start thinking about my contribution to the bake sale. I usually do a couple of batches of biscotti which go over pretty well. Last year I did cranberry/almond and chocolate but this year I think it will be pistachio and maybe apricot....we'll see. I am also on the hook to be the hot dog vendor all day so I have to gather up all the stuff for that as well. I grill them over charcoal and have grilled onions for a garnish and they seem to be popular. Before I agree to do the dogs I insist that we use all beef dogs with natural casings so at least they are a little cut above the usual offering. Nothing ruins a tube steak faster than one of those mushy skinless wieners.

Off to murder some baby pants. Everybody play nice.

In case anyone cares I found a cool German guitar site that focuses on the blues. One of the nifty things on there is a midi generator that allows you to create 12 bar backing tracks in any key and with various rhythms and stuff. Nice for practicing.

Something For A Rainy Morning

A little JS Bach in the woods. Very cool and very Japanese.

Ipod Fails Me

My trusty IPOD classic that I have had for years and years(it is first generation 40GB) has failed. Actually, it still works only the left and right buttons on the click wheel won't answer the helm so you can't select what you want to hear. The timing is atrocious since I am trying to hit the gym daily and music is a requirement for me to exercise. The fitness center does have head banging music blaring all the time but it is not my music and there is only the occasional song or artist I recognize. I did try to use my Android smart phone (Inspire) on the FM radio app but the reception in the gym was hit and miss. I checked with the Geek place up the road and they can't get the parts to repair mine as it is so old. Bye Old Friend.

Not to worry though I have just ordered a new IPOD Touch (32GB) from Amazon and it will be here tomorrow. I didn't read the specs to closely but I gather it will do more than play music.

Jackie Evancho

I happened to catch Jackie Evancho's Dream With Me concert on PBS Great Performances last night. Holy smoke! It is almost impossible to believe that voice and talent are coming out of an 11 year old girl. I can't imagine what she will be like with a few years of experience under her belt. I mean seriously...how many 11 year girls can take on Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot and actually get it right?

Pluck It

Check out Google's new thing. It is very cool and you can actually record your stuff.

Update: Google has given the Les Paul guitar doodle a permanent home.

Just A Kiss Away

Here is another one of those “songs around the world” featured in the Playing for Change documentary.  I don't usually do videos but if I remember correctly I actually did a previous Playing for Change cover of Stand By Me which also blew me away.

Being a pretty big Stones fan I never considered this particular song a good candidate for a cover since Mick and the boys completley own it but this is brilliant. Different but honest to the original. I've listened to it three of four times now and see and hear something new each time. Enjoy!

H/t to Balloon Juice who got it from Brad Delong who got it from Gizmodo.

The Big 75 for Elvis

Today would have been Elvis Presley's 75th birthday. Needless to say Madam has gone back to bed to watch Elvis movies for a while. I asked if she wanted a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich for breakfast but she declined. Maybe for lunch. If you haven't tried it, it's pretty tasty but definitely not diet food.

Happy Birthday Elvis - wherever you are.

The picture is the statue of Elvis at the Tennessee Welcome Center in Memphis.

Playing The Blues

I may have mentioned before here... that last year I picked up the guitar again after many years and set myself to learning to play the blues. I must admit that I haven't been as diligent as I should have been but I am making progress.

I was thinking today as I was trying to understand some 'theory' about the early blues men that bubbled out of the Mississippi Delta. Did these guys worry or even know anything about musical theory? Did they think about flatted fifth pentatonic scales and 7th chords versus major or did they just play from the heart? Did it just happen by accident that blues relies on the flatted fifth scale and the 7th chord because those sound the 'bluest' or did someone do it all on purpose?

I'm not sure this is really important but maybe one of you musicians out there knows more about the history of the blues than I. How much musical 'theory' do you think Robert Johnson really understood?

RIP Les Paul, 1915 - 2009

Les Paul passed away today. You can't say enough about the man who invented the solid body electric guitar and multitrack recording. He wasn't only an inventor but one of the great guitarists. He earned 36 gold records and 11 No. 1 pop hits, including "Vaya Con Dios," "How High the Moon," "Nola" and "Lover." His contribution to music is absolutely huge. Pete Townsend of The Who, Steve Howe of Yes, jazz great Al DiMeola and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page all used the Gibson Les Paul which Gibson guitars started making way back in 1952.

A Little Feel Good

Maha posted this link today commenting that it was the most awesome web video I have ever seen. I posted the same link a while back but it is worth seeing again. It made my morning a little better.
Thanks for reminding me and thanks for Mandt for the original heads up.

Stand By Me

MandT have a YouTube up from the Playing for Change project organization also known as Peace Through Music. From what I have been able to gather it was a multi year project to document music around the world as a vehicle for peace and harmony. One of the results of the effort is the song "Stand By Me" performed simultaneously by musicians from around the world and captured in the video. It is tremendous and I must admit it choked me up a little. If you aren't familiar with it go over and have a listen.

Lasting Legacy

Bo Diddley didn't get a whole lot of money for gifting rock and roll with his famous 5/4 signature beat and truth be known he didn't invent it. Blues players like Son House were using the beat at the turn of the century and they got it from their ancestors. Regardless, it is the Bo Diddley beat and if you want to experience a nice collection of covers go over to Brilliant at Breakfast where Jill has gifted us with a nice set of music that owes Bo big time.

Update: Frederick at MCCS1997 has a completely different and all Bo Diddley set for your viewing pleasure. All Bo and some great stuff.

Who Do You Love?

From CNN

The world lost a another Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer today. Bo Diddley died Monday of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida according to a family spokeswoman. He was 79 years old. Bo Diddley was born Ellas Bates McDaniel in McComb, Mississippi, Diddley's family moved to Chicago when he was 7, according to his Hall of Fame biography.

Almost more than for his music he was known for his signature beat which has influenced rock 'n' roll for decades. The rhythm on tracks such as "Who Do You Love?" and "Bo Diddley" became known as the "Bo Diddley" beat. The single "Bo Diddley" was his debut record and on the flip side was "I'm a Man".

He played violin as a child, but said he was inspired to pick up the guitar after hearing John Lee Hooker's 1949 rhythm and blues hit, "Boogie Chillen."

He was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in January 1987.

Boogie on Bo...boogie on!

27 Years Already and Still Missed

Today is the anniversary of John Lennon's murder by Mark Chapman. It happened on Dec 8, 1980. It is sobering to think that none of the kids in high school today and even a lot of the kids in college weren't alive in the same time as John Lennon. The world is a lesser place without him. We could use his spirit right now.

Clear Channel Is Protecting You

If it is good enough for the Dixie Chicks then it is good enough for Bruce Springsteen. I can't tell you how much I hate the thought of these corporate GOP cronies controlling what America hears...not from a quality musical perspective but strictly for warped political reasons. Hello people, didn't you learn anything from your feeble attempt to burn the Chicks...album of the year suckers...I guess you want Bruce to receive the same honor.
The FCC should bust Clear Channel big time but with a Bush shill in the catbird's seat there is no chance of that. Patience, Patience.

A Great Voice Gone

RIP to a great voice, Lucianno Pavarotti has passed away. While I am not his biggest fan no one can argue that his wasn't a great voice and this performance from Puccini’s Nessun Dorma (YouTube) is an example of why the world of music has suffered another great loss this year after losing Beverly Sills earlier.

While very commercial the "Three Tenors" is one of my favorite CD's and another is Pavorotti's CD of his favorite pieces from a couple of dozen operas.

Neil Young:Heart of Gold

If you missed the Neil Young concert from Ryman Auditorium tonight on HBO then I am sorry. Look for a repeat some time in the near future. Absolutely enthralling. Also on stage were his wife Pegi and EmmyLou Harris. I know not everyone is a Neil Young fan but this was some great music. It made me happy.

Sen-nen no Midori

As you can see I am not traveling this week and can spend a little time on the tubes. I also get to do some of the other things that I am deprived of while traveling like cooking, trying to educate myself on and obtain some level of skill with traditional blues on the guitar and enjoying my addiction to Japanese tea(only one of my admitted addictions BTW).

The title of this post is the name of one green tea. Shoju Sen-nen no Midori(Pine Thousand Years of Green) is a style of tea that became popular in the 12th century in Japan and is still enjoyed today. It is what is known as a Matcha tea and is made from Ken-cha tea which is shade grown. It is a powder tea and is one of the teas used in the beautiful tea ceremony. In case you are wondering about the Pine Thousand Years name. It refers to the Zen expression which means that change occurs both when you are attempting to move forward as well as when you are not attempting to move at all. It is a very important concept in Zen as well as being important in becoming a Jedi master. If you remember your Star Wars you will remember Yoda telling young Luke "Do not try, do!"

My personal favorite green tea is Gold Sen-cha. Sen-cha is the most popular type of tea in Japan. Immediately after the leaves are picked, they are steamed, rolled and dried until they become like a green needle. In the summer I take a cup of almost boiling water and steep a heaping teaspoon of leaves for about a minute. I then strain it over a big glass full of ice for a wonderful glass of iced green tea. You can put a bit of honey in it as well if straight up is too bitter for you. You will find that as you drink more the contrast of sweet, bitter and green is best without any additions. If you use fully boiling water it will make the tea more bitter as well.

Anyhow, my bread should be risen by now and ready to be formed into a loaf and it will not wait. I think a big tall glass of iced green tea is in order as well. Then maybe a little guitar practice.

If you have trouble finding quality green tea where you are(they have some good ones at Whole Foods) there is a web site where you can find the best that Japan offers and you can order it. It is Maeda-en. I recommend buying your tea loose and not in "tea bag" form. You will get a much higher quality that way. In Japanese grocery stores you will almost always find a big bin of loose Sen-cha where you can fill your own metal tea box and it is a way to guarantee you are getting the quality of tea you want.