We did “Monk’s Blues” by Thelonius Monk at our gig this week. No Brubeck. I have played and performed Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo A La Turk” in the last few years. It’s in an odd time feel as well 2+2+2+3. You may recall I played for a short time in a group called “August Train” (reformed briefly to as “Trilogy). They did this tune, “Blue Rondo,” but changed the feel to a more easy 2+2+2+2. At the time I didn’t think much of it. Now I think I would not want to do it that way. It changed it. I think I’ve seen one of Eastwood’s documentaries on blues piano players in which he plays a bit himself. Fun stuff.

Happy Anniversary. Only a few more to fifty.

I listened to your music. I think the choreography will add to the overall impact of the piece.

i love you!
don’t suppose you ever got a chance to try to get grandpa’s computer working… did you?

x

Actually yes Mark did get it up and running while he was here. Unfortunately, he could not find any files of Dad’s memoirs.

I read this earlier. I have thought about it a little and it reminded me of a story about a University of Michigan Band member who eventually became a M.D. specializing in rheumatoid arthritis. He played in a local Jazz ensemble, but needed to have the music written out to play it. The story loses something in translation, but when I took Music theory 101 in college, I learned how to write the music and what it meant. I had always played the music, but wanted to at least have a basic skill of reading it. My experience was rudimentary, but effective. I thought that classically trained musicians were the top of the scale, but this changed as I became more aware. They seem to me at times highly skilled technicians, but without feeling or depth of music of the composer. I should stop now. Just trying to relate a little to your feelings about this.

I think I am coming to an understanding of music which requires a continuing commitment to improving one’s skills whether that is reading music, playing it well or improvising. I have known so many musicians who seem to be satisfied with expertise in one narrow corner of music. Their lack of curiosity baffles me. Maybe they play popular music well, even write it, but are not interested in learning to read it fluently or they are not interested in historical musical styles. Or maybe they have studied in colleges or universities and have technical skill playing an instrument but exhibit a lack of curiosity about how the music they perform works or its history.

I suspect one cannot cover a general field in any depth these days. It is necessary to choose your emphasis. And I think the base of skill and knowledge of context (historical or otherwise) is important to acquire and keep updating. For my part, it’s like food, poetry, art or other things in life: learning about new stuff, delving deeper into the stuff that I already like…. these are things that make life enjoyable to me.

I believe that these kind of social interaction groups are especially problematic and eventually will fade with these limiting ability to effectively control the information that you want. It is apparent to me that the FCC control of this was mitigated by Search Engine Organizations indicating that they can mitigate or Control information was a reason that the fed has stopped pursuing SEO’s. Also, I believe that this form on medium is constantly in a state of flux. I have contracted for Search Engine optimization organizations in the past and it worked beautifully. Now you can do it yourself on Google with hiring anyone. I think the medium is destined for a huge change. What that is or in what form is yet to be seen. I believe that the bombardment of information on the society is making people have to spend more time in discerning what information that they shall make knowledge. By the way this is how they control information in China through SEO and Site blocks.

I on the other hand find the medium very useful and exciting. There are presently so many ways to I find to use it.

Eileen and I were able to Skype with my daughter Sarah in England for an hour and a half yesterday. I think that’s very cool.

I constantly turn to the internet for music, books and articles. Recently I have been studying a bit of jazz pedagogy. I find it indispensable to quickly hear the music being discussed and recommended in the texts I am using. I find the music on the Freegal web site I have mentioned in previous blogs which anyone with a library card can access in Holland and other places. I download free tracks from Fregal and am happy to occasionally purchase a track at a time from Amazon.

I love reading a review of a book and being able to download an ebook of it within minutes of reading the review and not leave my living room.

An important part of education and learning is understanding how to sift through information and analysis to find pertinent accurate stuff that will inform us. This happens looking through journals and reference books as well as using the internet. The web has been since its inception a quickly moving evolving concept. Your notion that unfiltered information is drowning us seems to me to be related to the notion that we must always process our environment. A lot of people don’t do this. This is not new. Sure there’s lots more available, but I don’t think the percentage of people interested in learning, reading and thinking has changed that much.

Educated discernment (crap detection) is what I think is needed.

What do you think of Howard Rheingold’s understanding and pedagogy around information literacy (links in post above)? Have you looked at it? If so, what did you think?

I suppose this may beg the question. What is poetry? I have read most of Shakespeare’s plays and poems and I still wonder at his amazing use of words and imagery. I consider myself a somewhat half baked expert on Shakespeare. But, that aside, what is poetry? Is it meaning or imagery capped in a solitary frugal use of words? I enjoy reading it, but not sure that I could adequately define it?

I too am a fan of Shakespeare and would say everything that came from his pen is poetry. When I use the word poetry I think of it in two senses. First in reference to the use of words to create ideas and images. Ezra Pound is speaking of it in this sense when he says that “Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree” (in ABC of Reading by Pound).

I sometimes use it in a more general sense. More like “poetic.” I guess I mean something like the charm of beauty wherever it is found.

I am writing primarily to let you know that I can’t attend this evening’s performance of your group. I had thought that I would be able to, but my physical issues are getting in the way. Hope it goes well.
I think that a lot of jazz musicians have an attitude that indicates less discipline rather than more which is in my opinion what is required. I think the reason for recordings is that that may be the only time it is ever played that way. Record producers need to be exact even though they seem not to be. It comes down to being efficient with recording costs. If you create a marketable tune, then it will sell to that market. A lot of people listen to recording, but don’t actually see a group in a playing venue.
Ray

Sorry to hear you having physical issues. Hope you feel better soon. A couple thoughts. Jazz musicians at this point are often people who have studied Jazz in college. It’s pretty much impossible to study music successfully and not be disciplined. I don’t question the discipline of people who choose to study and play jazz, just the coherence of the approach and possibly the ultimate reasoning behind only practicing a limited historical art without addressing the need for music to speak directly to and from the contemporary moment.

Secondly, I think that recording is a musical art, but I think it’s a different animal. I call it “sonic sculptures.” To me this means that through the use of mixing and other recording studio techniques one can create something unique and worthwhile, in and of itself totally different from the live experience of performing or listening to music.

I am opposed to this law as well, but I realize the problem that the State of Michigan is under. This is an attempt to require communities which have their own jurisdiction responsibilities to affect responsible fiscal management. Cities like Flint (and others) have not reacted effectively to the loss of their single focused auto industry base of tax revenue. The issue then falls on the rest of the tax payers in the State. Local control or the idea of maintaining the closest possible connection with the people and their responsibilities of local jurisdiction dates back (in this area) to the Northwest Ordinance of 1785. I believe that we have failed in educating people that individual liberty is directly tied to additional responsibility, not less. There are a lot of problems here and I think that the Governor (whom I voted for) is approaching this problem in ways that appears dictatorial. I do not like his management style. He is doing this as a manager, not as a person whom I would trust. I believe that he must take this case to the people, if he is to receive popular support.

Semper Fidelis to your son and to you as a Father on this our Independence Day.

The picture that Mom thinks is of uncle Jonnie (I am pretty sure there’s no “h” in his name)… I agree with her… The person next to Dad in the picture where he is heartbreakingly young is his cousin Phil of whom you write earlier in the post.

This valley which is I believe is referred to as the Great Central Valley, is extremely important in that it grows most of the fresh vegetables and fruit that we eat in the winter months. We have been eating California for many years. How about you? I think the map is very cool. I was wondering where you found it. Oh yeah, have a great vacation in California.
Ray

I just googled topography california map to find that map to go with Muir’s prose. thanks for the vacation wishes. I think I need some r & r. Eileen and grandkids have a Disney trip planned right away….. after that I plan to do some serious goofing off….

I still remember the D as a hot dog.

x

My brother corrects my memory. It was not The Hobbit I recommended. Rather it was the Trilogy. And he also remembers that I exacted a promise that I would only give it to him if he would read it. This is why he resisted, he remembers. This seems probably likely.