Recently, on the facebook machine, I have been linking to videos (usually youtube) of music (usually older or lesser known, but not always) with the precursor: “I would like to remind you all that this exists.”
On a suggestion from Alastair, I have done just that.
The content on that site will usually be a video link with possibly a few sentences after it. If/when I have longer or more in depth content, I’ll post it here (to you 4 people who read this blog). In the meantime, check out This Exists to know what I’m listening to and thinking about.
So, I’ve been in New York exactly 3 weeks and I’ve already done so much. I’ve been hanging out and playing some jam sessions in Brooklyn. Everyone there sounds good. I haven’t heard a single person that sounds bad. It’s an inspiring thing. I’ve done a couple live sound assisting gigs for a HUGE (14 piece) party/wedding band. They sound awesome, and the gigs make me miss playing and singing with Groove Academy.
I’m off to see Jonathan Kreisberg tonight. There is so much good music to hear all the time here.
Since being home, I have had a good amount of free time. I’ve been practicing a good bit, working some and subbed in a gig and a rehearsal for the Nova Contemporary Jazz Orchestra. I have some Finale projects that had been put on hold that I probably should now be getting to. There’s no excuse now! Here is a video of “Architect Flagmen” that I combined with the good audio on my music page.
I just got back from spending Thanksgiving in Seattle, Washington. I stayed with my girlfriend Siri and her brother and sister-in-law. Portions of my visit were also spent with Dave Dolengewicz and Lauren Hendrix. Last Tuesday, we went to the Owl ‘N Thistle Irish Pub for a jam session. All the players there sounded great. Dave and I sat in on the last three tunes of the night. This is the kind of stuff you go to when you’re breaking into a new scene (or even after you have broken).
I just completed a two hour course to be certified to drive UNT’s 15-passenger vans. I’ll be driving alumni from Dallas’s airports into Denton. They’re going to be in town for this event, which will be an extravaganza, I’m sure. I don’t know who I’m driving. Who knows, I could be picking up Blue Lou Marini from the airport! We’ll just see.
I’ve barely had time to take care of all my life obligations, much less think of anything to write in this space. Soon I will write something worth reading.
I found this old news article saying that Don Cheadle was going to direct and star in a Miles Davis biopic called Miles. This is exciting, as I am a big Cheadle fan. The tie tying scene in Hotel Rwanda has solidified him in my mind as a ridiculously talented actor.
Additionally, I like Miles Davis (duh).
What’s curious about this is that this article is from 2006, and there’s no mention of this movie on Cheadle’s IMDb page, which has his projects up until 2010 listed. I wonder if maybe funding fell through or this movie got put on hold.
I forgot to mention in my previous post about “Rock With You” that the vocals are done by my roommate, Melissa McMillan. She is one of the lead vocalists in Groove Academy, the cover band I play in. She expressed sadness to me that she wasn’t included earlier. Sorry Melissa!
This website redesign is awesome. Big props to Q, an old friend from high school who did this. This new look may be the catalyst that restarts me working on my web presence/blogging.
So the Freddie Hubbard show I was supposed to see at the Scat Jazz Lounge tonight has been “postponed due to illness.” This is disappointing, but probably not as disappointing as seeing sick Freddie Hubbard play.
Oso Closo, a band filled mostly with friends of mine, is scheduled to be the rock band for several productions of the Who’s Tommy this September.
Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of the first Pat Metheny Group album. In response to this, I just purchased the album Fictionary, by Lyle Mays, Marc Johnson and Jack DeJohnette.
Also, I’m still listening to tons of Steely Dan, in anticipation of their Grand Prairie show next month.