Soprano Sax

Colin I really want you to listen to this example of Gerry Niewood's soprano playing.. His solo is right at the beginning so you won't have to listen to too much of the song if you don't want to! This was typical of what we heard at Civic Music a few weeks ago!

Mardi Gras

Hi Lindsay,
I'm putting this up for you!
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, 1941




Not sure I like hearing about the shooting there though!!!

New Species

Here's an amusing creature... A fish that hops along the bottom of the ocean with short stubby legs.. Again... I picked this up with a short article from the BBC.

KIND OF BLUE

This continues to be one of my favorite albums ever. I guess I'm not alone, this continues to be the best selling jazz album of all times. Maybe that explains why I can't keep a copy of it in the house!!

This program on NPR gives some really interesting background into the creation of this album. Check it out if you have time!!

Here's another program celebrating the 50th anniversary of the album in Sept. '98

Love this... flamenco sketches...

And here's some rare footage of them playing All Blues- a little different than the album version! I like the album version better, but this is still great!


What are your favorite albums?

Whistling Orangutan!

Check out this orangutan named Bonnie from a zoo in Washington DC. Yes she really whistles!! All the news agencies seem to have picked up the story - even the BBC!

Nakisha

This video was created by Nakisha who is the daughter of a friend of mine (Hetty). She has several videos on Utube, her own website and a blog about her artwork. I really like the Tarot cards she is creating. You can check these out on her blog.

In the beginning...

When my parents first got married, my dad worked on an oil lease. There were oil wells all over the neighborhood where I grew up. Later, my dad became quite a successful insurance man. I love this photo; mom and dad look so happy in it. WWII had just finished and they only knew each other a short time before my dad proposed.

Sunday Night Checkers

Does anyone besides me love a good game of checkers? When I was a kid, many a Sunday evening was spent playing checkers with my dad. He was on the road all week, and wore himself out doing things outside on weekends, but Sunday evening was often spent with fresh popped popcorn and a checker game or two. I must have picked up my musical ability and my mathematical abilities from my dad. He could also pick up an instrument and pick out a melody by ear but events in his life kept him from becoming the musician he wanted to be. He always said he was going to learn to play a keyboard in his retirement.

This photo shows my mom and dad at their 25th anniversary party. I was a college student at the time. My parents' good friends, the Colemans got the neighborhood to rally together and bring food and we actually pulled this off as a surprise.

I found this site on the Internet that lets you play checkers at various levels. I guess I'm addicted to it yet!!

No Sled is Safe....

Thought this video might make you laugh!! IS this enough to make you want to come back north and play in the snow Lindsay???

Tulip Break

Everyone knows of course, that if you go to the Netherlands to college, you have to stop for a week and take a TULIP BREAK after you've been in school for a week and a half!! Right??
AND, wouldn't we expect Holland to look a little like this during Tulip Break????

Thanks to my friend Hetty, I'm learning that it probably looks a little more like the winter scene right now. The photo shows her brother-in-law who is 70 years young and took his skates and joined many others on the frozen lakes and canals.

Some of you are probably wondering why this snowbound upstate-New Yorker is posting pictures of the Netherlands while the Sax Player who is IN the Netherlands is not posting photos from there!!! GOOD QUESTION

It seems the sax player is off gallivanting to nearby Germany and to Dublin during this much needed tulip break, and if reports are accurate, is having too much fun at the moment to post to this blog.. (Possibly he's worn out his fingers on his saxophone to the point that it's difficult to type on a key board!)

Seriously Colin, glad you were able to travel and meet up with Luke this week!!! Hope you find some Irish Jazz Lovers that let you play while you're there!!!
Mom

Adopt a Soldier

Something I just did that maybe some of you might want to do as well is to adopt a soldier. When you register through the web-site you are given the name and address of a soldier who is deployed who doesn't have someone to write to them or to send them care-packages, and has signed up because they would like to receive mail.

I think it is an excellent program, regardless of your political views, as these men and women are risking their lives whether we ask them to or not and as individuals should receive support.

http://adoptaussoldier.org/ is the website. I suggest you check it out and see for yourselves. I registered on Friday and I received my soldier today as last Friday there was a segment on them on the Today show so they have been completely inundated with requests for soldiers, and the whole thing is run by volunteers.

So, yeah, go check it out and see for yourselves.

~Lindsay

Welcome Home John T.

So GLAD you're home and on the mend!
IT'S WONDERFUL NEWS

Sad News

Two of Chuck Mangione's band members lost their lives in the recent Buffalo, NY plane crash... Coleman Mellett guitars and Gerard Niewood flutes and saxes were on the plane that went down in the Buffalo area last night. They performed in our area only a few weeks ago. This tragedy is hitting home to many in our area... So sorry to all of you affected. There are no words that can adequately communicate our sympathy for your sadness and grief.

CNN links

Also on board was Alison Des Forges, known for her work on Human Rights.



The New York Times has a nice article about these two.. Mellet taught at Eastman.

$$$$$$

Okay... I'm getting over the shock of spending $100 to ship Colin's contact lenses to the Netherlands. BUT, now I'm finding out that they couldn't be delivered on the first try BECAUSE
he didn't have the 40 euros (almost $60) to pay the UPS guys for taxes and duties of shipping goods into the Netherlands! That's right, he had to pay an additional $60 I didn't know about to receive the package! Yes, he has it now at least.
Anyone care to venture how much it would have cost to ship his saxes there???

Hawaiian Chair

Does anyone else want one of these!! Stay in shape and never leave your chair!!!
Now if I could only get in shape while I'm sleeping and eating!!!
I'm definitely amused!!!
Thanks Carrie!!!

Hot Pocket

Hey guys, here's my favorite comedian doing his famous hot pocket skit, you have to see it

I'll try to take some pictures or some video's of Groningen and post them up here soon

Foxy Friends

I copied this from a friend's blog! (Thanks Murphies) It's just too cute!

Alex Rodriguez

Here's the latest from Sports Illustrated on Alex Rodriguez. If they release his name, they should also release the other 104 athletes who tested positive. I feel like I'm reading the National Inquirer!

Birthday Torture

It's rough on the stomach but it's sure good going down!

Javon Jackson

I found this article on the Javon Jackson at NPR. (Colin's teacher freshman year.) This is the first time I've been able to hear Javon play so I'm enjoying it! I love ballads and this version of Amazing Grace is done as a ballad. It also gives the entire Javon Jackson and Les McCann concert.

JAZZ From NORWAY

Check out some of the artists here and leave some comments about their music!

Colin, I know you're interested in some avant guard and free jazz... I'm wondering what you think of some of this? I'm wondering if you're exposed to more of this style of jazz while you're in the Netherlands. I'm interested in your reactions to these albums Colin. Anyone that stops by here though - feel free to listen and leave comments!

Songs Of The Fjords: Jazz From Norway as found on NPR
I'm starting to make up for lost time at NPR. I'm listening to some really interesting music from Norway. This NPR web page gives 5 different samples of Norwegian Jazz artists. This is typically not the type of jazz that I listen to, but I'm wondering if it could become an acquired taste!


I'm going to check out more of Mathias Eick, a 28 year old trumpet player(among other things). (Dad walked in while I was listening and called it "New Age" music) I was also listening to the music he played at the North Sea Jazz festival from UTUBE at his MY SPACE Page! I'm wondering if this is considered free jazz.


When I listened to the sample of Elise (Haker Kornstad & Ingebrigt Haker Flaten), I was glad that I listened to the entire composition, but I'm not sure how the vocal part sits with me. Will need to think about that one! (Check out also Kornstad's My SPACE)

I really liked the piano stuff on Atomic.


The North Sea Jazz Festival is in Mid-July. Maybe you'll get to see it Colin! (July 10, 11, 12, 2009)
There's just so much music to explore out there!!!
ENJOY!

Buddy Holly -Peggy Sue

You might want to go to NPR and listen to this video on Peggy Sue.
(This is for Glenn and all of you Rockers who are stuck in the 50's and 60's.) It's got some great history behind the song.
You might also check out the broadcast regarding the 50th year anniversary of his death. ARE WE REALLY THAT OLD?

This Clysdale's For You

The Game

I really wanted the Cardinals to win! (I became a fan ever since watching the playoffs in New Orleans with Colin.) They came so close!! I wonder if Colin managed to stay awake for the game. It ended around 4 am in the Netherlands... A great way to start your first day of classes! MOM

Pseudo homo-erotic American tradition, I have evaded you!

I, for one, am proud to say that with the aid of msn and the internet I have watched all of the Superbowl commercials without having to actually watch the Superbowl.

I suppose being forced to sit through every home game in high school (as my colour-guard was the half-time show) lowered my tolerance for foot-ball from the ability to enjoy the occasional game to, "If the Saint's ain't playin', I don't care."

Or maybe that last bit is because I moved to New Orleans.

Regardless, I must say that I liked the one with the talking babies and the one with the three generations of Clydesdales the best. What about you guys?

~L

THE POWER OF SUGGESTION

Just imagine a gigantic chicken walking around Wegmens - promoting the demise of her fellow hens. . Some poor fellow drew the short straw and ended up passing out fliers to advertise their chicken wing bar for Super Bowl Sunday!

Well, I never thought myself overly susceptible to advertising gimmicks but sure enough - Just at game time - I found myself CRAVING over 40 varieties of chicken wings!

Then I did the unthinkable.. I hopped in my car and drove to Weggies and bought a few of each variety they had left! That stinkin' chicken got her way!! HOW SAD IS THAT!

An evening of music

The Chuck Mangione concert was sold out and well received. I was surprised to learn that he (Chuck) had played with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. I definitely like his band live better than listening to his old recordings - there was a little more room for the band members to show off while playing live! 

As I watched the concert, it occurred to me that he (Chuck) was more of a song writer, band leader than a performer, although he played that role as well. I really thought the drummer played the most important role in making his music work.

 I thought Gerard Niewood did a nice job on sax and flutes... he played a lot of soprano sax and some of the stuff he did on sorprano reminded me a little of you Colin. He also had a great sound on the flute, piccolo, and alto flute - switched between them a lot-not easy on the embouchure. Have you ever listened to him? I'm going to be checking him out!

The next concert is Eileen Ivers - celtic violin.  It makes me wish you could be here to enjoy it Lindsay.   I also wish I had your beautiful violin here so that I could fix it up and bring it to you. Violins need to be played and something tells me you also need your violin!