Length

Some would say it's not the length that matters, but the "motion of the ocean."  Of course this has absolutely nothing to do with music...or does it?

These thoughts come about after listening through the excerpts from Ellery Eskelin's (http://elleryeskelin.blogspot.com/) new album Trio New York with Gary Versace and Gerald Cleaver.  The excerpts posted on Eskelin's blog are between about 2:30 and 3:30 (and are only excerpts of what I assume to be much longer tracks) minutes and express some great improvisations.  I've been used to lately listening to relatively short solos from Ray Brown and Bill Evans and Miles Davis and it amazes me to switch to a group that can keep things interesting throughout an entire four minute long solo.  That is one of the things that draws me to Eskelin so much.  His development of ideas and glances at tonal improvisation and melody intermingled with spurts of free playing.  There are so many levels to the improvisations of this group it's astounding.

So anyways if you haven't checked out Ellery Eskelin, a few of my favorite albums of his are Different but the Same (with Dave Liebman), Ten, and One Great Night...Live.

Life is beautiful

Life is a beautiful experience.  You have the opportunity to share it with those you love (and in some cases those you hate) and those who love you.  It is a textbook example of happiness, if happiness really does exist.  And I suppose that happiness couldn't even really exist without life, but is it really considered life you aren't happiness doesn't exist in abundance?  These two seemingly unrelated things physically take on a whole new meaning when related to each other.  They are co-dependent on one another, they exist for the other to exist and exist so that the other can exist.  There are really no other goals for human beings going through the stage of existence that we call "life."  We are all pursuing happiness in it's many forms and elusive characters; whether it be the business man looking for his next promotion or the heavy metal guitar playing booking his next gig.  The happiness of our inner self is dependent on the happiness of those around us.  To be surrounded by happy people is to live in a life of luxury.  Material wants disappear and our wants and needs transcend that of physicality in the pursuit of a much higher connection.  That is the pursuit of life: the meaningful and happiness-drench connection between the people that you love around you.

Every now and then...

Every now and then I experience something that completely uplifts me and shows me the beauty of the world and of the people that inhabit it.  There are many things in this life that I cannot hope to control or influence in any way, and over the past year I've realized that.  I've realized that I just need to go with the flow and make the best of whatever situation life puts me.  I don't believe in God (because why would I want to believe in something that supposedly governs and influences the actions of humanity when recent events have really screwed with the human race?) so I have been forced to find other motivators for such experiences.  Loneliness has taken over my emotions for the past week so what I've realized is that music is the universal language.  It is the language of every race and nationality that can be used to make unlikely connections and initiate strange acquaintances.  It is beauty like today that makes life worth living, and it's all influence by music.  Put down the weapons of war and pick up the weapons of song.  If only WWII had been a Battle of the Bands.  Music cures the soul of the weary and enlightens the heart of the dreary.  Give in to music and let go into an effortless plane of love, friendship and brotherhood.  Find beauty in the smallest things but don't forget the importance of the big things.

I'm realizing this as I listen to Sigur Ros and drinking Yunnan black tea.

Spring Break!

Lots of time to listen to music!

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Radiohead - King of Limbs
Sam Rivers - Fuchsia Swing Song
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
Bill Evans - Crosscurrents
The Claudia Quintet + Gary Versace - Royal Toast
Max Roach - Freedom Now Suite
Steve Reich - "City Life" and "It's Gonna Rain"
Milton Babbitt - Philomel
Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
Prince - The Black Album
Miles Davis Quintet - Steamin
NoFX - I Heard They Suck Live

Coming down to crunch time...

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society - "Infernal Machines"
Joe Henderson - "Black Narcissus"
Joe Henderson - "Lush Life"
Mark Taylor - "Spectre"
Miles Davis - "Bitches Brew"

re-learning how to love music

Kenny Werner - "Lawn Chair Society"
Wayne Shorter - "Speak No Evil"
Wayne Shorter - "Juju"
Cake - "Fashion Nugget"
Osvaldo Goljiov - "Oceana", "Tenebrae", "3 Songs for Soprano and Orchestra"
Lee Konitz - "Nonet"

Re-evaluating what I love about music, and why I put so much time into it.  Hopefully I come out on top of myself.

in sickness and in health

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Beethoven Symphony No. 3 Conducted by Otto Klemperer
Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye
Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
Jimmy Giuffre - The Jimmy Giuffre 3
Freddie Hubbard - Backlash
Pat Metheny - Orchestrion

enjoyed with a cup of yerba matte

i've started a listening log to sort of keep track of all of the things i'm listening to.  currently i'm keeping track of who played on what, what year it was released, by what record company, and when i listened to it.  i'm considering adding comments about each album though....