I put significant pressure on myself to get Christmas shopping well out of the way, striving to be finished before turning the calendar over to December. Why is that? Maybe it’s so I can get back to relaxing and immersing myself into my hobbies once again, as it’s been a while since I’ve last made … Continue reading Another Christmas Mixtape
Category: Jazz
When Musicians Write Back
I get such joy out of reading back issues of old magazines. This isn’t just exclusive to music magazines. I love digging through Starlog magazines to read on-set reports from movies and discovering science fiction or horror, and I occasionally enjoy combing through old sports magazines and game programs to get more historical context about … Continue reading When Musicians Write Back
Alternate Album Cover Art VIII
As one might get the idea from my ongoing Alternate Album Cover Art series (click here for the previous article of the type), I love looking at album covers! Despite the excess of these as an overall percentage of my posts on this site, something in recent weeks provoked me into covering more album covers … Continue reading Alternate Album Cover Art VIII
Record Label Close-Up: ECM Records
ECM. My instincts after years of purchasing the label’s albums was always that the E would have stood for European, and the M stood for music. While I was half-right there, I had no clue as to what the C was for. I was leaning towards “continental” as I had thought the aim of the … Continue reading Record Label Close-Up: ECM Records
Al Di Meola Stars in… “Sequencer”
Am I the only one that loves it when musicians do the acting in their own music videos? The more outlandish the concept, the better! And if the musician can’t act to save his life, then that gets the chef’s kiss from me. It really shouldn’t because that’s more along the lines of what I’d … Continue reading Al Di Meola Stars in… “Sequencer”
Alternate Album Cover Art VII
No need for a grandiose introduction on this post. Given that I’ve gone down this road six times before (see volumes I, II, III, IV, V, and VI of this series), I’ll get right to the heart of the matter and go over five additional albums and their covers, continuing to explore various ways musicians … Continue reading Alternate Album Cover Art VII
Keys To Enjoying A Concert (and Proper Etiquette)
If you’re at all like me, a new year leads to new concert experiences. As of today, I’ve got Depeche Mode, Enslaved / Insomnium, and Herbie Hancock shows marked on the calendar, and I highly anticipate seeing what other events sprout up in Toronto and the surrounding area in the coming months. While I maintain … Continue reading Keys To Enjoying A Concert (and Proper Etiquette)
Alternate Album Cover Art VI: The Undiscovered Variant
They stopped numbering Star Trek movies after the sixth one, so if I’m to continue this series I’ll need a new franchise to pay homage to in my titles. What goes beyond six movies, though? The Fast and the Furious series? I love action movies, but I’ve never been won over by Vin Diesel. I’ll … Continue reading Alternate Album Cover Art VI: The Undiscovered Variant
My Jazz Odyssey: A Musical Tribute to Baseball Cards
Baseball and Jazz. Two things I enjoy greatly, and two things Ken Burns made popular PBS documentaries for. That could be part of the reason I’m associating the two in this post, but why not? Both had musicians and athletes that brought wider public awareness of inequalities and civil rights struggles of the Black population. … Continue reading My Jazz Odyssey: A Musical Tribute to Baseball Cards
Toys That Rock!
We still can’t enjoy our favourite musicians on tour, but if you are a kid at heart like me with an active imagination, then you can simply take a tour of your room or living space and reenact the live experience. How is that, exactly? I’m a toy collector. Yes, on top of my music, … Continue reading Toys That Rock!
Music Press Photos
You know those glossy, black and white photos that celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld would sign for fans while on the road, and write quips on them as regrettable as “Nothing’s finer than being in your diner” or worse? I collect those. I’ve seen plenty of bars and dining establishments display signed pictures of musicians or … Continue reading Music Press Photos
Alternate Album Cover Art IV
There doesn’t seem like much to do as a music fan these days. Thankfully, I can still order albums over the internet, though the stacks of them flooding my modest apartment make me look much like a hoarder. Organizing music is always a good activity, especially when you find the odd record that you haven’t … Continue reading Alternate Album Cover Art IV
Armchair Maestro 