Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2009 in Review

Revolving trio at Armory
Gene Master Class
Super Bowl Sunday at the Armory with Gene in the audience
Project 5 at the Cargo right before Board of Health closes it
Braden Master Class
Quartets with Kris
Armory cancels on me when I book Jon Gordon
P19 at CSI - big (not huge) success, but nice review in Advance
Adam Rogers Master Class
GC Jr Master Class
Jam with Andy and Robbie (and Johnny Rog for a little bit)
"Rush and Philosophy" - sort of
Quatro gig with "Project Four-Fifths"
Summer vacation with my buds
P19 Back to the Beach gets rained out, but not for long
20,000 people when we finally play
Richmond County Fair with Project 9
"John Martinson" picnic with John Rogers, Andy and one of the best bands I've ever played with
UFO at B.B. King's
Jon Gordon Master Class
B&B in New Paltz - with pugs (foo-dogs)
"Where the Wild Things Are"
Sheryl Bailey Master Class
//webdev crashes//
Gig with Gene Bertoncini at Alor Cafe - musical highlight of my life? Probably
Goodbye Uncle Eddie
Quartet with Keith Gurland - wow!

The year at work has been as bad as I could imagine. Search committees I wanted nothing to do with, machines crashing.
Pretty depressed as the year ends - hoping for something to shake me out of it.
Events of this year took everything I had. Feeling way empty, defeated.
Really made an effort at ambition, but I don't think it agrees with me. I would have liked to have seen some small measure of success. At anything.

Reading - lots of aesthetics.

Listening - still lots of Stan Getz.
Yes. Really the year of Yes.
"Return to Forever - Returns", "Five Peace Band", Metheny-Burton Quartet were some highlights.
Boulez, Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, UFO "The Visitor", Bobby Broom
Sheryl Bailey - "A New Promise"
Corea / Burton "New Crystal Silence" is a late-in-the-year favorite

What to look forward to in the new year? Well, hopefully shaking off this funk. Some need to re-prioritize. Hopefully my fancy new elliptical will help me lose some weight.
Need to turn off the TV some more. Watching 3 hours of Family Guy every night isn't as much fun as it sounds like.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Voice

Learning to speak
Finding "your" voice
Speaking truth
Saying something valuable
Things unsaid
Singing


(idea for extended piece)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

What's New In Baltimore?

BALTIMORE MAYOR SHEILA DIXON DECLARES TODAY FRANK ZAPPA DAY

Mayor Sheila Dixon issued a proclamation today declaring December 21, 2009, as "Frank Zappa Day" in Baltimore.

Meanwhile, Baltimore's Southeast Anchor Library has been designated as the installation site for a replica of the Vilnian bust of Frank Zappa, which will allow fans, residents, and visitors to pay tribute to him in the city of his birth. Vaulternative Records released Frank Zappa's 'Philly '76' today, a thrilling double CD concert recording.

Zappa was born in Baltimore on December 21, 1940.

For full text of the mayor's proclamation, please go to:

http://www.zappa.com/whatsnew/news/baltimore.html

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Things I'd like to learn more about

Poetry
Philosophy

Both pretty general, I know.

Prokofiev - esp. orchestral and piano
Shostakovich - esp. orch and Madame Macbeth
Elliott Carter - always
Joe Henderson
Chick Corea
Wagner
opera in general
Boulez' compositions
Stan Getz - always
Miles - always
Schoenberg's chamber music
Brahms' chamber music
Freddie Green

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Goodbye, Uncle Eddie

You'll be missed, Godfather.