pianogonzology

Transcend. . .

2012-02-24T03:23:00.002-08:00

. . . the repression and confines of narrow thinking, be it based upon pre-scientific religious teaching or fear rooted in a tribal mentality. . .

Maryland Governor, Martin O'Malley (a Catholic visibly transcending dogma) says. . .

Maryland's legislature ". . . came together around the principle of human dignity. . . "

“I believed that in my short service to the people of this state that the consensus point on this issue could only be reached around civil unions, I was wrong. It became possible to reach a consensus on marriage equality. There’s been an evolution in the broadest sense among the people of our state. Initially, when this issue first became very visible, after Mayor Gavin Newsom conducted marriages in San Francisco [in 2004], I think initially a lot of people had a lot of fear -- and a lot of misplaced fear -- and over time I think people have come to realize that the way forward, among people of many different faiths, is always through the greater and broader respect for equal rights for all.”

“I welcome bipartisan cooperation wherever it happens.There were lots of people making lots of calls and I think that’s a good and healthy thing. There’s not a family among us that doesn’t have a friend or a relative who is gay. All of those stories come together around this issue and it transcends party.”

“I encouraged people to look at it through the eyes of children of gay and lesbian couples, and it is not right, and it is not just, that children of gay and lesbian parents should have lesser protections. It was about equal rights for all.”

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Irrespective. . .

2012-02-23T03:23:00.000-08:00

. . . of whether you interpret it as selfless or selfish (the more I think about it, the more I think it's SELFLESS and that we should all be more selfless) you gotta admit, it is jolting . . .

(From one of Frank Zappa's last interviews in 1993, from the "NBC's Today Show")

Jamie Gangel: “How does Frank Zappa want to be remembered?”
FZ: “It’s not important.”
Gangel: “Not important at all?”
FZ: “No.”
Gangel: “Want to be remembered for the music?”
FZ: “It’s not important to even be remembered. I mean, the people who worry about being remembered are guys like Reagan, Bush—these people want to be remembered. And they’ll spend a lot of money and do a lot of work to make sure that remembrance is just terrific.”
Gangel: “And for Frank Zappa?”
FZ: “I don’t care.”

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Funny or sad? . . .

2012-02-22T03:10:00.000-08:00

. . . a couple-a things. . .

1. I try not to dwell on politics in this blog, but this being a presidential election year and the existence of some tremendously and unbelievably entertaining characteristics of the republican party's candidates make it very difficult to resist. Nevertheless, I continue to strive to relate EVERYTHING to music, or a least involve a little music SOMEWHERE.

2. Watching the 'Colbear Repporr' recently, I'm not sure which made me laugh more, Colbert or his footage of Romney talking about the trees being the right height in Michigan and the little lakes in all the 'parts' of Michigan and Santorum's rant from 2008 about Satan attacking the U.S.

(from By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor)
". . . A 2008 speech by Rick Santorum at Ave Maria University is making waves this week, in large part because Santorum said Satan had his sights set on America and the country was facing spiritual warfare. The speech came at the beginning of the academic year at the Catholic university in Florida. At that point, the 2008 presidential campaign was in full swing. Then-candidate Barack Obama had recently made a statement about abortion and the issue of deciding when life began, which he said was above his pay grade.

"This is not a political war at all, this is not a culture war at all, this is a spiritual war," Santorum said, according to a recording of the speech on the university's website. "And the father of lies has his sights on what you think the father of lies, Satan, would have his sights on. A good, decent, powerful, influential country, the United States of America.". . . "

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No, it couldn't be . . .

2012-02-21T03:30:00.000-08:00

. . . could it????

(from Wikipedia.com)
Denial (also called abnegation) is a defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence. The subject may use:

simple denial: deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether
minimisation: admit the fact but deny its seriousness (a combination of denial and rationalization)
projection: admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility.

The concept of denial is particularly important to the study of addiction. The theory of denial was first researched seriously by Anna Freud. She classified denial as a mechanism of the immature mind, because it conflicts with the ability to learn from and cope with reality. Where denial occurs in mature minds, it is most often associated with death, dying and rape. More recent research has significantly expanded the scope and utility of the concept. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross used denial as the first of five stages in the psychology of a dying patient, and the idea has been extended to include the reactions of survivors to news of a death. Thus, when parents are informed of the death of a child, their first reaction is often of the form, "No! You must have the wrong house, you can't mean our child!"

(from me. . . )
Additional examples of commonly denied facts:

   * the popular conservative presidential candidate this year has little to no footing in the real social world choosing instead to prescribe to an ancient, archaic and tribal concept of religion which divides (in that anyone who disagrees with that concept is branded as 'prosecutorial') the public
   * every human being deserves respect and equal rights and protection under the law [in spite of personal social or religious bias based upon ancient. . . (see above)]
   * the current global economic conditions are a result of more than eight years of deregulation and abuse and no human being currently in office is or could possibly be capable of undoing what has taken that long to do
   * and. . . .

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Everybody digs. . .

2012-02-20T03:25:00.000-08:00

William John Evans, known as Bill Evans (August 16, 1929–September 15, 1980)

His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists. He is considered by some to be the most influential post-World War II jazz pianist. Evans had a distinct playing style in which his neck would often be stooped very low, and his face parallel to the piano.

Evans's first professional job was with sax player Herbie Fields's band, based in Chicago. During the summer of 1950, the band did a three-month tour backing Billie Holiday, including East Coast appearances at Harlem's Apollo Theater and shows in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and at Washington D.C.'s Howard Theater. In addition to Fields and Evans, the band included trumpeter Jimmy Nottingham, trombonist Frank Rosolino and bassist Jim Aton. Upon its return to Chicago, Evans and Aton worked as a duo in Chicago clubs, often backing singer Lurlean Hunter. Shortly thereafter, Evans received his draft notice and entered the U.S. Army. After his army service, Evans returned to New York and worked at nightclubs with jazz clarinetist Tony Scott and other leading players. Later, he took postgraduate studies in composition at the Mannes College of Music, where he also mentored younger music students.

Working in New York in the 1950s, Evans gained recognition as a sideman in traditional and so-called Third Stream jazz groups. During this period he had the opportunity to record in many different contexts with some of the best jazz musicians of the time. Seminal recordings made with composer/theoretician George Russell, including "Concerto for Billy the Kid" and "All About Rosie," are notable for Evans's solo work. Evans also appeared on notable albums by Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, Tony Scott, and Art Farmer. In 1956, he made his debut album, New Jazz Conceptions, featuring the original version of "Waltz for Debby," for Riverside Records. Producer Orrin Keepnews was convinced to record the reluctant Evans by a demo tape guitarist Mundell Lowe played to him over the phone.

In 1958, Evans was hired by Miles Davis, becoming the only white member of Davis's famed sextet. Though his time with the band was brief (no more than eight months), it was one of the most fruitful collaborations in the history of jazz, as Evans's introspective approach to improvisation deeply influenced Davis's style.

At the turn of the decade, Evans led a trio with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. This group was to become one of the most acclaimed piano trios — and jazz bands in general — of all time. With this group, Evans's focus settled on traditional jazz standards and original compositions, with an added emphasis on interplay among the band members that often bordered on collective improvisation, blurring the line between soloist and accompanist. The collaboration between Evans and the young LaFaro was particularly fruitful, as the two achieved a remarkable level of musical empathy. The trio recorded four albums: Portrait in Jazz (1959); and Explorations, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, and Waltz for Debby, all recorded in 1961. The last two albums are live recordings from the same recording date, and are routinely named among the greatest jazz recordings of all time. In 2005, the full sets were collected on the three-CD set The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961. There is also a lesser-known recording of this trio, Live at Birdland, taken from radio broadcasts in early 1960, though the sound quality is poor.

(from Wikipedia.com)

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Wild Woman. . .

2012-02-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

Traveling down to the Congo
Flyin' round Amazon way
Natives are playing the bongos
Listen to what they have to say
You know I'm ready for love
And I thank my lucky stars above

She's all dressed up and there's no place to go
But she's a wild woman
She's got a secret 'cause nobody knows
that she's a wild woman
She won't pretend to be something she's not
And I don't have to need her
'Cause she's something I've got

Swinging from cocoanut branches
Swim with the crocodiles too
But late at night she romances
What is a helpless boy to do
I've seen it a thousand times before
You get hit in the back with the slammin' door

She's all dressed up and there's no place to go
But she's a wild woman
She's got a secret 'cause nobody knows
that she's a wild woman
She won't pretend to be something she's not
And I don't have to need her
'Cause she's something I've got

She's just a lady and you can count on that
A little shady but she'll get up to bat
You think she's crazy but she can smell a rat

I've seen it before let me tell you
Maybe I'll see it again
Maybe I'll learn something from this
About how to lose and how to win
It's not a good thing to lose your cool
And be forced to say something out of school

She's all dressed up and there's no place to go
But she's a wild woman
She's got a secret 'cause nobody knows
that she's a wild woman
She won't pretend to be something she's not
And I don't have to need her
'Cause she's something I've got

WILD WOMAN
© 1997 Raymond M. Jozwiak

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The news. . .

2012-02-18T04:02:00.000-08:00

. . . recently contained such things as tubas . . .

. . . being stolen from southern California high schools for the black market providing the instruments to the latest craze in Latino music, space junk left over from satellites and space missions orbiting the earth and not being cleaned up and federal immigration agents are shooting each other. . .

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Pianobatics. . .

2012-02-17T03:13:00.000-08:00

. . . at his week at the Songwriters Showcase Monday February 20, 2012
by me. . .

Brewer’s Alley Songwriters Showcase
Ray Jozwiak-Gonzo Piano Provides the 30 Minute Piano Prelude to the Show
Monday, February 20, 2012 @ 7:30PM

Monday, February 20 @ 7:30PM
Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery (Songwriters Showcase-Upstairs)
124 North Market Street Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 301-631-0089 Fax: 301-631-1874
http://www.brewers-alley.com/
(For Ray's complete schedule, see http://www.rayjozwiak.com)

Also, please visit: HYPERLINK "http://www.rayjozwiak.com" http://www.rayjozwiak.com
http://pianogonzology.blogspot.com/
http://cdbaby.com/all/rjozwiak
http://www.myspace.com/gonzopiano
http://www.sonicbids.com/RayJozwiakGonzoPiano

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Is it possible. . .

2012-02-16T03:21:00.000-08:00

. . . to be hypocritical. . . for the good?

He just ain’t no youngster anymore. There are certain things in his life that were begun years ago in his youth which he must follow through to completion. In the following-through process, he must interact with a number of persons. Many of these persons are good, upstanding, honest, forthright, scrupulous, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth individuals.

But then, there are the others. "Believe me," he said, "I am not being petty, catty or gossipy." He had lived long enough and experienced a sufficient amount of humanity to recognize, and not necessarily at first sight- but after years of interacting with such individuals, personalities whose dedication to the preservation of self is so great that it consumes and underlies all their actions (and interactions) during the course of each day every day up to and surpassing good, correct and honest human behavior. And consequently, in consciously acting in the above described manner, one must apply another ‘veneer’ to ensure (they think) that the general perception of their actions is that of good, correct and honest human behavior.

He called this hypocrisy because the inherent behavior of such individuals is of such a contrary extreme from that which they attempt to display (or ‘betray’), that he could summon no better descriptor of the phenomena. But then, to them the combination of the dishonesty of their underlying actions and the dishonesty of their public personalities is probably united in their minds as normal behavior; or ‘just the way they are’.

So in reaction to the conduct of such individuals and in his pursuit of his ultimate goal, that being a ‘retirement’ of sorts from the daily routine of earning a living to the pursuit of his passion, he must undertake a similar ‘dance’. As a result of his recognition of such undesirable and undermining conduct, he finds himself absolutely loathing such personalities. Make clear that he must encounter them and interact with them on a daily basis, but he finds the experience to be an unappealing drudgery. And then, in addition to this disgusting combination of circumstances, he must ‘be nice’ in order to remain active in this professional situation and follow through on his long-terms plans.

Is he just as hypocritical?

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Conversation . . .

2012-02-15T03:07:00.000-08:00

. . . at it's intellectual best (worst?). . .

She: There
He: Me too.

She: So now we can get the day started. You go girl!
He: Did that look like a girl getting dressed with you for work this morning?

She: No, it did not. But if we can use term 'guy' in a generic sense to encompass all genders, I believe that it is not a stretch to likewise utilize the word 'girl' to capture the spirit of oneness of all humanity. See where I'm going here?
He: That's the longest text I've ever seen.

She: Respond to the merits and not the size although, size does matter.
He: I see your point but 'guys' is infused with culturally acceptable unisexuality while 'girls' is used unisexually by only drill sergeants and drag queens.

She: And Oprah. Good retort.
He: She doesn't use it unisexually 'cause no men are watching.

She: Don't you mean she does use it unisexually?
He: No. She's only talking to real girls.

She: This is getting a little too deep for me now. I was only being cute and you're being too technical. My girly brain can't take all this.
He: I probably should have said omni, not uni- sexually.

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Powerlessness

2012-02-14T03:03:00.000-08:00

. . . is power. . .

from Chris Hedges, Truthdig | Op-Ed truth-out.org

'. . .All we have, as Vaclav Havel writes, is our own powerlessness. And that powerlessness is our strength. The survival of the movement depends on embracing this powerlessness. It depends on two of our most important assets—utter and complete transparency and a rigid adherence to nonviolence, including respect for private property. This permits us, as Havel puts it in his 1978 essay “The Power of the Powerless,” to live in truth. And by living in truth we expose a corrupt corporate state that perpetrates lies and lives in deceit. Havel, who would later become the first president of the Czech Republic, in the essay writes a reflection on the mind of a greengrocer who, as instructed, puts up a poster “among the onions and carrots” that reads: “Workers of the World Unite!” The poster is displayed partly out of habit, partly because everyone else does it, and partly out of fear of the consequences for not following the rules. The greengrocer would not, Havel writes, display a poster saying: “I am afraid and therefore unquestioningly obedient.” And here is the difference between the terror of a Josef Stalin or an Adolf Hitler and the collective charade between the rulers and the ruled that by the 1970s had gripped Czechoslovakia.

Those who do not carve out spaces separate from the state and its systems of power, those who cannot find room to become autonomous, or who do not “live in truth,” inevitably become compromised. In Havel’s words, they “are the system.” The Occupy movement, by naming corporate power and refusing to compromise with it, by forming alternative systems of community and society, embodies Havel’s call to “live in truth.” It does not appeal to the systems of control, and for this reason it is a genuine threat to the corporate state.

Occupy’s most powerful asset is that it articulates this truth. And this truth is understood by the mainstream, the 99 percent. . . "

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Analysts say . . .

2012-02-13T03:24:00.000-08:00

. . . that the price of gasoline in Maryland could reach four dollars per gallon by Memorial Day.

Seems to me that whenever 'analysts' (as reported by our dear, respected media) SAY something about an increase in the price of gasoline, it comes true.

Is that particularly good ANALYSIS? Or are the 'analysts' really oil industry payees simply 'preparing' us for the inevitable?

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Granny? . . .

2012-02-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

. . . OH! You said Grammy. . .

It's that time of year to get all caught up in one of pop culture's most self-indulgent events, the Grannys . . . I mean the Grammys.

I always chuckle to myself remembering when a friend asked me why, since I am so involved in music, do I not watch American Idle. . . I mean American Idol. Groping for words, it was difficult to explain that my love of music is a love of music and not a love of pop culture. And these days, with an exponentially larger number of avenues from which to obtain music than when I was a kid, I no longer have to settle for what the corporate music monopolies offer me. . . and I don't.

Not that I'm criticizing. There's room in this big ole world for all of us with our many and varied tastes. Just understand that it is a big ole world and there's lots more from which to choose. But you have to open your eyes (or your ears) and find it.

So, Rock on Granny! (I mean Grammy)

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Consumerproduchondria. . .

2012-02-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

. . . may well be the malady from which I suffer. . .I am a consumerproduchondriac. . .

. . . a disease that is spread through the saliva of blututhious devisus (pictured above) when injected, unbeknownst to you, into your ear canal. Symptoms of the disease include the inability to make telephone contact with the person that you contact most, using the voice command feature. All functions famously until the voice tells you, "calling mobile 1" and then nothing happens.

Consumerproduchondria can also be contracted through other consumer products, as I well know, and manifests itself in that the consumer product (or some specific function thereof) will, for some odd reason, work.

You know that it is consumerproduchondria specifically when you scour the manual that accompanies your product at purchase, and there is mention of nothing remotely resembling your situation to be found. Identification of the disease becomes confirmed when you speak to a real customer service representative and they say, "I've never heard of that before."

The only remedy to this debilitating condition is a conscientious manufacturer with sympathetic customer service reps who will happily replace your item a little or no cost to you. If you cannot locate the remedy at your local pharmacy, take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

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Enough. . .

2012-02-10T03:05:00.000-08:00

. . . is enough!!!

(from the Denver Post)
". . . On Thursday, the Senate voted 96-3 in favor of new restrictions designed to keep lawmakers from trading stocks based on inside information gleaned from their legislative roles. Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall supported the bill.The measure also would ban legislators from sharing insider knowledge with others who would make trades on it. In addition, federal lawmakers would be required to disclose their trading activity. The measures also would apply to some members of the executive branch. No doubt, it's a good thing. It's also an idea that has been kicking around since 2006. But it wasn't until "60 Minutes" and others in the media recently began reporting on the issue that it was put on the fast track in Congress. . . "

(from Jack Abramoff: Members Of Congress Engaged In Insider Trading Doug Mataconis)
". . . This is the kind of thing that only serves to increase public cynicism about government, of course. It strikes me that if it’s illegal for a corporate officer to engage in stock trades based on information that comes to him based on his position, it should be illegal for a Member of Congress or a member of his staff to do this same. The legal position that the information they base their decisions on is “public” because its in Congress is a legal fiction. In reality, as noted above, these people have knowledge about the timing of legislation and hearings, and the likelihood that a particular bill with pass that an ordinary investor does not. It’s either all illegal, or not [none] of it is. . . "

Vote them ALL OUT this election!!!

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Taking ADVANTAGE . . .

2012-02-09T03:05:00.000-08:00

. . . of the system. . .

(from Factcheck.org)

Gingrich goes too far to say Obama has put more on the rolls than other presidents. We asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition service for month-by-month figures going back to January 2001. And they show that under President George W. Bush the number of recipients rose by nearly 14.7 million. Nothing before comes close to that. And under Obama, the increase so far has been 14.2 million. To be exact, the program has so far grown by 444,574 fewer recipients during Obama’s time in office than during Bush’s.

(from Reuters)

Unlike Americans who rely on a paycheck, Romney earns most of his income from investment profits, dividends and interest. The returns for 2010 and estimates for 2011 showed that he will pay a total of $6.2 million in taxes on income of $42.5 million. Romney and his wife Ann paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent in 2010 and expect to pay a 15.4 percent effective tax rate when they file their returns for 2011. Those rates are far below the top income tax rate on wages, which is 35 percent, because the U.S. tax code in recent years has favored investment income over wage income.

Let's stop folks from FREELOADING on government programs.

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To my former. . .

2012-02-08T03:04:00.000-08:00

. . . cell phone provider who wants to stick me with any nickel and dime bill they can now that I have terminated my account. . . .

Though I terminated my account on 11/13/2011, I received invoices for "Monthly Service Charges" for the period 11/11/2011 - 12/10/2011 and 12/11/2011 - 1/10/2012 during which I was provided service for only the period 11/11/2011 through 11/13/2011 on four of the five phones under this family plan. (The fifth phone had been dormant since July 2011 since my son had to contract an alternative provider as required by his new employer.)

I spoke to several of your customer service reps on 12/22/2011 culminating in my request to have the supervisor (Ram) call me, as he was unavailable and I had an appointment. Ram did not return my call that day or afterward.

In addition, no customer service rep reminded or informed me on 12/22/2011 that the fifth phone in the plan (mentioned above) must be cancelled, a courtesy, and I would hope responsibility of customer service under such circumstances.

I spoke again to customer service on 2/6/2012 at which time I was finally advised to cancel the fifth phone, which I did.

I am writing to assure you that I will pay you for service provided to me. I always paid invoices in a timely manner and did, in fact, receive very good service (as well as customer service when sought) from your firm during my contract. I am very disheartened though, at the uncooperative attitude I have received from your customer service department now that my account has been terminated.

In an effort to exhibit my good faith and hope that we can arrive at an agreement, I am enclosing a check for $14.79 which I presume will cover the period for which you did provide service (a portion of the the invoice for 11/11/2011 - 12/10/2011) up to the date That I terminated the account- 11/13/2011. [$147.90 for 30 days, pro-rated to cover 3 days]

I believe this is more than fair and correct and I do hope to receive confirmation from you of your agreement soon.

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Blues, Bop, the Beach . . .

2012-02-07T03:15:00.000-08:00

. . . and ballads. Charles Lloyd has done, and continues to do it all. Check it out.

Lloyd was born in Memphis, Tennessee. From an early age, he was immersed in that city's rich musical life and was exposed to jazz. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 9 and took lessons from pianist Phineas Newborn. One of his closest friends was trumpeter Booker Little. Lloyd became a sideman in the blues bands of B. B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Bobby "Blue" Bland and others.
In 1956 Lloyd moved to Los Angeles and earned a music degree from the University of Southern California. During this period Lloyd played in the big band of Gerald Wilson. From 1960 to 1963 Lloyd played in the band of drummer Chico Hamilton and became its musical director. Though the band was known for playing "chamber jazz" at the beginning of Lloyd's tenure, his influence as a composer and a player quickly pushed it in a more progressive post-bop direction. Lloyd's key musical partner in the band was the guitarist Gábor Szabó. In 1964 Lloyd left Hamilton's group to play with alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. During this period he recorded two albums as a leader for Columbia Records; his sidemen were other young musicians including Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Through 1966-1968 Lloyd led a quartet with pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Cecil McBee (afterwards, Ron McClure), and drummer Jack DeJohnette, that producer George Avakian signed to a contract with Atlantic Records. The quartet's music was an interesting fusion of straight-ahead post-bop, free jazz, and soul jazz. The group's music quickly caught on with both jazz fans and critics. Somewhat surprisingly, they also achieved a fair amount of crossover success with young rock fans and became the first jazz group to play in The Fillmore. The album Forest Flower became a big commercial hit, largely on the strength of the title track. Other noteworthy albums include Dream Weaver and Love-In.

In 1968, after the quartet's demise, Lloyd entered a state of semi-retirement. Despite recording several albums during the 1970s and occasionally appearing as a sideman, he practically disappeared from the jazz scene. During the 1970s Lloyd played extensively with The Beach Boys both on their studio recordings and as a member of their touring band. In the late 1970s Lloyd was a member of Celebration, a band composed of members of the Beach Boys' touring band as well as fellow Transcendental Meditation followers Mike Love and Al Jardine. Celebration released two albums.
Upon being approached by pianist Michel Petrucciani in the early 1980s, he resumed playing actively. From 1989, Lloyd toured actively and recorded for the ECM label. Although his playing had not changed much stylistically since his groundbreaking work in the 1960s, these recordings showcased his sensitivity as a ballad player. Noteworthy albums include Canto, Voice in the Night, The Water Is Wide (featuring Brad Mehldau, John Abercrombie, Larry Grenadier and Billy Higgins), Lift Every Voice (featuring Geri Allen), and the live Rabo de Nube with Jason Moran). Lloyd has shown great consistency and creativity in his period with ECM, much of his music containing a strong spiritual element, some it heavily in a "world music" vein, and some of it unusual and experimental as in the duets on Which Way is East? with his longtime friend and musical soulmate, Billy Higgins. (from Wikipedia.com)

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One last football thing. . .

2012-02-06T03:19:00.000-08:00

. . . By Howard Bess

   In recent weeks, much has been written about Tim Tebow, the quarterback of the Denver Broncos. Until this past season, Tebow had been a back-up quarterback and did not draw much public notice. When he was in college he had led the University of Florida to two national championships and won the Heisman Trophy in 2007. He was drafted by the Broncos in the late first round of the 2010 draft. Most NFL teams had passed over Tebow because there was doubt that his talents were of NFL standards. This past season, Tebow got his chance, when the Broncos started the season with a 1-4 record. Tebow started the next eight games, winning seven out of eight, and the Broncos rose to first place in their division.
   Tim Tebow started receiving a lot of attention. He received a higher that usual level of attention partly because of the way he brought his religion into the spotlight of the playing field. Tim identifies himself as a born-again Evangelical Christian, and in the best of Evangelical tradition, he wants the whole world to know that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior. After key events in a ballgame, Tebow bends down on his left knee, bows his head, and raises his right hand to his forehead. It is Tebow’s chosen way to witness to all those watching that Jesus Christ is the Lord of life.
   Because of his forthright display of his religion, he has become the idol of millions of born-again Evangelical Christians. His practice of bending knee and bowing head has become the rage in some circles and is now referred to as “Tebowing.” Many Evangelical Christians adore him, but many others have responses that range from mild discomfort to outrage.
   I can identify with Tim Tebow, because I too am a born-again Evangelical Christian. I too was an athlete. Since I was a young boy, it has been important for me to identify myself as a Christian. I too confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. After being a very successful high school football player, I enrolled at Illinois State University and became a two-way Freshman starter on a Conference Championship football team. While I was never involved in anything like Tebowing, I found ways to use my status as an athlete at a State University to let people know that Jesus is Lord. After a year at Illinois State and an Army enlistment, I returned to college at Wheaton College, a leading center of Evangelical Christianity. I played football for Wheaton for three years. The college motto “For Christ and His Kingdom” was the team motto. The team members were the finest group of teammates I ever had. The Wheaton teams on which I played were championship teams, and excellence was a part of our Christian witness. There was never a prayer to win, but we all knew that the way we played the game was a part of our witness for Christ the Lord.
   Vigorously sharing with the world that Jesus Christ is Lord is at the very heart of Evangelical Christianity. When a highly committed Evangelical Christian walks onto the football field, he does not leave his Jesus behind. From everything that I have read, Tim Tebow is a very fine young man. He lives an exemplary life. No one works harder at refining his football skills than does Tebow. He is first on the practice field and the last to leave.
   Tebow’s religious display on the playing field ought to be respected because it is a part of who he is. We do not call into question the practice of Albert Pujols making the sign of the cross as he walks to the plate. Neither should we call into question the religious display of Tim Tebow on the football field. It is as closely tied to his identity as the yarmulke worn by an Orthodox Jew. We need to be reminded that Sandy Koufax, possibly the greatest left-handed pitcher in history, refused to pitch the opening game of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur.
   There is a problem that Tim Tebow has given himself. He is making his confession of faith very public. How will he now live his life.   For the rest of his life the world will demand a life that lives up to his confession.
   Some years back, a leading American politician became the darling of Evangelical Christians. He confessed that he had been born-again. He was pro-life and opposed gay rights. He joined one of the right churches. He was a man of wealth. In the context of an important campaign, he was pressured to release information about his personal finances. He did so. According to his federal income tax return, he had not given a single penny to the church of his membership. He lived in opulence, but his record of being charitable was almost non-existent.
Jesus is quoted as saying “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.”
   From the day of the revelation of his finances, I knew that the politician was a fraud, and even worse. He had used Evangelical Christianity for political purposes.
   When Tim Tebow says “Jesus is Lord,” that means that all the millions he is making as a football player belong to Jesus. What will he do with the millions of Jesus money that is being placed under his stewardship? I want Tim Tebow to be the real thing. We need devoutly religious people in the public square. Tim Tebow is needed just now on the football field. I truly hope he will always be what he says he is.
                   THE END
The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer, Alaska. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

(Make no mistake about Howard Bess. READ Howard Bess.)

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Promises, promises. . .

2012-02-05T05:25:00.000-08:00

(based upon http://www.nytimes.com)

. . . When your political party's candidates are described as disconnected from reality by old Marxists, possibly you should reconsider? Fidel Castro said recently, the “selection of a Republican candidate for the presidency of this globalized and expansive empire is — and I mean this seriously — the greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been.” It also seems that congressmen, senators and presidents look at the world differently than business and industry leaders, and this includes members of all political parties. So says Thomas L. Friedman (author of THE WORLD IS FLAT) in the New York Times.

President Obama asked Steve Jobs last year why almost all of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products Apple sold the previous year were made overseas. Jobs replied simply, "Those jobs aren't coming back."

Politicians view, ". . . the world as blocs of voters living in specific geographies — and they see their job as maximizing the economic benefits for the voters in their geography. . . " BUT, today's CEO's, ". . . see the world as a place where their products can be made anywhere through global supply chains (often assembled with nonunion-protected labor) and sold everywhere. These C.E.O.’s rarely talk about “outsourcing” these days. Their world is now so integrated that there is no “out” and no “in” anymore. In their businesses, every product and many services now are imagined, designed, marketed and built through global supply chains that seek to access the best quality talent at the lowest cost, wherever it exists. . . "

So when you cast your next vote, remember, here's just another opportunity for a politician, who is driven by that one overpowering desire - to get elected (or re-elected), to make another promise that he cannot keep.

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Groundhog Day . . .

2012-02-04T03:39:00.000-08:00

(possibly one of the most inane occasions ever dreamed up). . . Fat Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day, Superbowl, . . .

Let's face it, human beings will use just about ANY excuse to have a party.

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Sixth, sIck or non-. . .

2012-02-03T03:18:00.000-08:00

. . . sense. . .

Call it a 'sixth sense', some kind of other-worldly wisdom, or just plain spooky, I have, numerous times in my life, had an ability to recognize exactly what I wanted. And the only reason I think this is worth mentioning, is that every time I identified such a thing, pursued it and eventually obtained it, I was always content with my decision. I don't mean chocolate candies, expensive toys, expansive mansions or excessive riches. In fact, the 'normal' material things that many of us so often crave, while some select things do appeal to me and certainly on multiple occasions I fleetingly or superficially did (and do) take a fancy to some unobtainable things, do not as a rule, consume or drive me to any great length.

This pragmatism may have been instilled in me during my formative years, being one of three children of minimally educated, blue-collar, progeny of Polish-Catholic immigrants who practiced frugality without depriving their family of necessities and not infrequently providing a number of reasonable luxuries whenever possible. It almost seems to be a combination of the all-too-common rationalization of successive generations to 'satisfice', accepting that their lot in life will be more of the same of that pursued and experienced by their parents and a drive to become upwardly mobile. I wanted to make what I perceived to be an enjoyable life for myself yet I wanted more than a high-school diploma and a labor or retail-centric job for the rest of my life. I did not envision wealth, power, large material objects, boardrooms, fancy cars and world travel for myself. I was a happy kid. I only wanted to become a happy adult and I didn't think a protraction or a continuation of life as I knew it would provide that for me.

And I have not regretted any of the major decisions I have make in my life in matters such as education, marriage, residence and piano. Yes, I said piano.

NO REGRETS © 2007 Raymond M. Jozwiak
From PUT A FINGER ON IT

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Crass, shameless commercialism. . .

2012-02-02T03:12:00.000-08:00

RAY JOZWIAK
Brings his (choose one)

a. Fractured Jazz

b. Improvisational Terror Tactics

c. Brandy-Snifter Jazz

d. Gonzo Piano

e. All of the Above

to Bread and Circuses Saturday, February 4, 2012 @ 7:30PM

Courtesy of Abigail G. Richon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bread and Circuses Bistro
27 E. Chesapeake Avenue
Towson, MD 21286
410-337-5282
http://bandcbistro.com/

(For Ray's complete schedule, see http://www.rayjozwiak.com)
Now You Can Get RAY JOZWIAK-GONZO PIANO Ringtones for your Cell Phone Absolutely Free at: HYPERLINK "http://www.myxer.com/artist/14413289/" http://www.myxer.com/artist/14413289/

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Is it me. . .

2012-01-31T19:25:00.000-08:00

. . . or did EVERYBODY think that since insider trading is ILLEGAL, that members of Congress were NOT supposed to participate and should be, been and always be under particular scrutiny to guard against such a thing happening?????

VOTE THEM ALL OUT!!!! WHO NEEDS THEM?????!!!!!

I CERTAINLY DON'T!!!!!

(from http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/30/10273245-ban-on-congressional-insider-trading-clears-key-senate-hurdle)

A ban on insider trading by members of Congress cleared a key procedural hurdle Monday in the Senate, moving toward final passage and a House vote on similar legislation later next month. A bipartisan group of senators voted 93 to 2 in favor of ending debate on the STOCK Act, a piece of legislation meant to prohibit members of Congress, their families and staff from using any information gleaned while working on the Hill to execute stock transactions. The legislation 60 votes to attain "cloture," or limit debate and move toward final passage. The bill will be debated and amendments will be attached over the next week. It's unclear when the final vote will occur.

The House version will expand certain restrictions on insider trading to White House staff and is also expected to create clear restrictions on members of Congress making land deals using insider information. The House is looking to move on that legislation within a month. "Leader Cantor plans to move an expanded version of the STOCK Act through the House in February to make it clear that those in Congress are subject to the same laws as everyone else," Laena Fallon, a spokeswoman for Cantor's office told NBC. Fervor over insider trading on Capitol Hill reached a peak last fall following the airing of a "60 Minutes" segment questioning whether lawmakers including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) made investments based on their knowledge of legislative activity to which they would be privy.

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Brilliant . . .

2012-01-31T03:06:00.000-08:00

. . . versus creative . . .

Listening to the World Cafe radio program on NPR of pre-recorded interviews with George Martin, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and playing Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

People frequently refer to artists, musical and otherwise as 'brilliant' or by some other such superlative; and that's fine, except that they and their listeners must remember that the 'brilliance' to which they refer is merely subjective.

George Martin, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr (also the late John Lennon and George Harrison) may be referred to by some as brilliant, and that's fine, but it is a superlative and it is subjective.

All these people are extremely gifted, talented and creative individuals who happened to exist at a specific period in time during which there existed one particular and specific music industry complete with technological and structural elements that were unique to that time and which all working together and interacting as a business and cultural influence produced and distributed the product that resulted from the interaction of all the aforementioned factors in one particular time and space.

It cannot be duplicated or replicated ever again.

It was indeed CREATIVE. But was it brilliant? Maybe. Maybe not. But it happened. And we have a record of the fruits of the labors of these unique creative individuals for our personal and professional gratification.

Do we still have brilliance, creativity, gifts, talents and creativity? Will we continue to recognize, appreciate and reward it? I can only hope so.

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