SkolNotes

ENTER 2020

2019-12-31T19:31:00.003-05:00

This is my third time entering a new decade as a New Yorker (I arrived in the late ‘90s). The first time was overshadowed by the fact that we were simultaneously entering a new century, which in turn was overshadowed by crossing over into a whole new millennium.

The second time around, in late 2009, had more of a sense of transition. The decade’s most defining event, 9/11, had taken place right here in NYC (which I witnessed firsthand). Its long, tragic aftermath (experienced by the whole country and indeed, the world), dominated the 00s. By decade’s end, the rise of innovative tech companies headed by idealistic, young CEOs, not to mention the election of a youthful and idealistic US President (our first “person of color”), felt like the turning of a page. Soon, we would all be better connected (via smartphones and mass-social media) in a post-racial society more reflective of the ideals the nation was founded upon. Meanwhile, truth would dominate conversations, since it could be shared so easily, and we’d all be more enlightened, entering a new, brighter phase of existence. Right?

I don’t need to tell anyone that things didn’t quite turn out that way. The faint sway of possible hope and progress that defined the beginning of the 2010s now feels as distant as an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice. Indeed, as we enter the 2020s, it feels less like we’re entering a different decade than a whole different dimension.

Which brings to mind a quick story…

As mischievous teens, my friends and I would get a kick out of a new fringe genre of shock TV. It included personalities like Morton Downey Jr and especially Wally George (whom I recommend you find more about in this excellent MEDIUM POST). There was something so cartoon-like about these OGs of outrage. One sensed that the audience was in on it, with an awareness that this was all a verbal form of TV wrestling. As the host would rail about the supposed ills of society, including marijuana (which we smoked regularly), gays and lesbians (which included friends of ours) and of course heavy metal, we’d laugh ourselves silly, cheering and chanting the host’s name right along with the crowd. Then, we’d light a joint, crack open some beers and listen to Motörhead.

Fast forward a few decades: These same types of combative right-wing talk shows – which we found to be hilarious, pure shock-value entertainment – now define modern television. Loyal audiences actually believe everything these hosts are spouting, provably false as much of it is. Moguls (ie Rupert Murdoch of Fox), fully aware of the dumbed-down disingenuousness of their messages, watch profits soar. Although these types of TV shows (and talk radio) were rising all through the Clinton years, in the 00s, they spread like wildfire, particularly with the rise of the internet and YouTube.

Therefore, it perhaps shouldn’t have been altogether surprising that during the 2010s, our entire media ecosystem would become upended by this type of programming (of TV lineups and the minds of viewers). More surprising was the White House becoming occupied by the walking definition of an angry, insult-hurling character from TV. Even more surprising is the fact that whole segments of society, from evangelicals to an entire major political party, would fall in line, worshipful, as though struck by lightning.

Thankfully, some of the forces that earlier angry cultural conservatism was rallying against – marijuana, gay rights, profanity, hard rock music etc – are no longer taboo. Unfortunately, they’ve been replaced with other target (such as immigrants and those who believe in regulating the use of AR-15s and other military weapons on the street). Meanwhile, there are issues that one cannot ignore as a grown adult (if one has a conscious). At the risk of sounding as though I’m regressing into my Berkeley roots, we’ve just had the worst decade in terms of the destruction of the planet, unjust wars, abuses by corporate and political interests, demonizing of the free press (and in the case of Saudi Arabia and Russia, murder), mass shootings, legal attacks on reproductive rights and too many other topics to name.

Whenever I speak of these issues without being told to “Stick to music.” I’ve been called a “Libtard,” a “lib” a “commie,” and much worse (sometimes by my own fans). I'm sure I'll hear about it for this post. It’s become so routine that it doesn’t phase me anymore. As we enter the 2020s, a new decade and an election year, no less, there will be much more of this. I expect it, I’m ready for it and I will not capitulate to it. I will not stoop to the level of their personal insults, but I will not shut up either. I do hope some of them realize that they're simply reacting to being challenged. I've even had some productive conversations with folks online that have often ended up with apologies from them and a "No hard feelings" or "Let's agree to disagree" from me. I’m hoping that there is positive change in the 2020s. I’m not hedging my bets, but one can hope, right?

Then again, this is a big election year. Part of who I am as a musician is being honest, even if it makes some uncomfortable. This includes my views on social and political issues but also my musical choices.

At one time, being a player equally comfortable in musical and social circles that cross boundaries was considered shocking. To be honest, the fact that I’d taken time off from metal, gone back to school, earned a music degree (in jazz), developed the ability to work with musicians who have little or nothing to with metal was shocking. Thinking about it now, it got as much pushback than my political posts today. In a weird way, the attitudes toward my diversity are a bit like those towards certain cultural issues such as marijuana (which I don't smoke but support the legalization of) – frowned upon then, totally ok now.

Now a few words on music and art. The 2010s were a great personal decade, in this respect. A few highlights:

• Performed all over the world with AST, including far reaching places like Turkey and Lithuania in 2019 and a long awaited dream: my hometown jazz venue of Yoshi’s.

• Recorded two studio albums with AST: “Veritas” (2011) and the “Conundrum” (2018), which feels like our definitive album of originals. Plus a live album "Live Unbound" (2016).

• Recorded my most ambitious instrumental album ever, “Planetary Coalition,” with over a two-dozen artists from all over the globe, and dove deep into acoustic playing while shedding light on various regions of the Earth.

• Taught at several guitar camps including Joe Satriani’s G4 Experience (with my old friend and teacher Joe Satriani + Eric Johnson, Mike Keneally and Steve Vai), Warwick Bass Camp (with Alphonso Johnson, Dennis Chambers and others), Skolnick & Broderick’s Winter Guitar Retreat (with my friend Chris Broderick), Dog Camp (with Mike Portnoy & the Winery Dogs)

• Joined Metal Allegiance, recording with and performing regularly with friends from Megadeth, Mastadon, Anthrax, Overkill and many others. Co-produced and co-wrote two albums for Nuclear Blast Records.

• Endorsed by ESP Guitars. Developed Alex Skolnick Model signature ESP and AS-1 LTD instruments.

• Endorsed by Taylor Guitars (Acoustic)

• Endorsed by Godin Guitars (Hollowbody/jazz)

• Reconnected with my old friend Stu Hamm, and did tours all over North America).

• Sat in with various artists including Living Colour, Blue Oyster Cult, Robert Randolph, G3 (Joe Satriani/John Petrucci/Phil Collen), Rodrigo Y Gabriela

• Recorded and toured with Jane Getter Premonition (with Adam Holzman, Mark Egan, Bryan Beller, Chad Wackerman, Gene Lake and more)

• Played the National Anthem at my first NBA game, Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons (2019).

• Recorded music for the NHL Winter Classic on NBC Sports (2011).

• Recorded three guitar instruction courses for TrueFire.com (2018 and 2019) with more on the way.

• Self-published a memoir, “Geek to Guitar Hero” (2013).

• Began a new writing project (guitar method book) backed by a major music publisher, TBA in 2020

• Contributed to UNBUILT magazine, with my friend Randy Blythe

• Inspired by Randy B, purchased a Leica camera (used for the photo above, NYC Subway). New Instagram page launched (@skolnickpics), website forthcoming.

• LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Recorded three Testament studio albums, “Dark Roots of Earth” (2012), “Brotherhood of the Snake” (2017) and TBA (coming 2020), plus a live album "Dark Roots of Thrash" (2014). Plus tours all over the world including most recently, Nepal and last year, Slayer’s Farewell Tour (Summer leg). The resurection/reunion period of Testament has now outlasted the original years by double. I know some still have trouble seeing me beyond that (it's ok, it's my most visible project), but it's just one of many sides. Regardless, we're alive and kicking with a new album soon and tour dates from Indonesia to Indiana.

It's interesting to think that I began this past decade without Instagram (Twitter I've been on since practically Day 1). Yet since joining, it has become a main platform, with 80+thousand followers (whom I'm grateful for - thank you!). Much of what I used to post on this blog now goes to Instagram, where there is far more reach and interaction with readers. However, it's good to be posting here again.

On a personal note, I was lucky to meet a devoted, loving partner who's been with me the majority of this decade (pics are rare..she's quite publicity shy and despises those constant "happy couple" posts" we're all bombarded with online). Another important female who came into my life: a stray kitten I agreed to look after for a few days and became my best friend. She is a happy, healthy grown cat who runs on my piano and plucks my guitars (occasional pics and vids of Lady Gizmo are on my Instagram page).

I’m incredibly blessed to be earning a living as a musician. Folks sometimes say I should have more recognition etc but I'm grateful just to be where I am in the hierarchy. Folks who are far less known than I - and whom I consider equally or more deserving - don't have a fraction of the recognition I do. No, I’m not one of the 1% or one of those rare industry-embraced, household names, but I do just fine, ends are more than met (which says quite a lot when you live in one of the most expensive cities on Earth). Besides I'd much rather be an artist some folks feel is under-recognized than one of those who is overly visible with folks scratching their heads wondering why.

Not to end on a down note but its hard not to think of those who were lost this past decade. They include musical giants who kept reinventing themselves, felt immortal and whom we were sure would live forever (Prince, David Bowie), folks who seemed to have everything but whose depths of despair were hidden (Anthony Bourdain, Chris Cornell and just two days back, twenty-six year old pop star Kelly Fraser), too many public figures to name and even folks I knew personally (the noteworthy writer and upstairs neighbor of mine, Ned Vizzini as well as my own cousin - a US Govt official within the Obama administration and widely respected advocate for public healthcare - Andrew Hyman). My good friend and former TSO bandmate David Zablidowski, better known as Dave Z, was - on the other hand - probably the happiest of anyone we knew but tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time. And just this morning, it was announced that one of my favorite musicians, who was my teacher for a time in the 00's, just passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. Vic Juris was someone known to guitarists and musicians all over the East Coast and deeply respected and admired. I'm thankful I at least got to catch up with him and hear him just last month. If anyone should have had far more recognition, it is Vic Juris.

Final thoughts: At the end of the last decade, I gave up something valuable and desired by many (a gig - probably not hard to figure out which). I was grateful for the experience but after many years it was taking far too much time and energy away from projects that truly mattered (like those listed above). Ten years have gone by and there is no question the right decision was made. The above list would be much shorter, otherwise.

In the end, what matters most is being true to yourself. If there is something you want to do or create - an album book, screenplay, podcast, documentary, website, business plan, painting or whatever - to use an old expression from Nike "Just do it!" Time is ruthless. It does not wait. And the next thing you know (that is, if we're lucky to still be here)...it'll be 2030.

Happy New Year,

AS

ONE MONTH GONE: REMEMBERING ANTHONY BOURDAIN

2018-07-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

Henry David Thoreau once said: “I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.” One would be hard pressed to find someone more emblematic of this statement than Anthony Bourdain. Many of us were reintroduced to these words of Thoreau via the film “Dead Poets Society” which starred the late Robin Williams. Sadly, the iconic actor/comedian and the chef/writer/television personality – both astronomically successful and beloved by millions - now have something else in common: both took their own lives and were among the last anyone expected would do so.

As I write these words, it has been exactly one month since we lost Bourdain. I’d hoped to pen a full tribute earlier but it has taken time to process. Although I did a quick tribute post in the immediate aftermath, with a quick follow up, I had not allowed myself to plummet more fully into the depths of sadness I, like many others, feel over this loss.

Anthony. I’ll call him that. I know his friends call him “Tony,” but I respect those who’ve genuinely earned their “Tony” privileges. While we did meet once, at a signing for his book “Medium Raw” in LA, in 2010, it was an encounter that – as these things tend to be – quick, harried and weighed down by the stares of those waiting in line for their turn to say hello. Still, I’m grateful for the moment, the photo (above) and the few words back and forth in which I was able to express how much his words meant (I remain a fan of his writing, first and foremost). I also let him know he had many fans among musicians as he signed the two books, the second copy I’d mail to my friend and fellow Bourdain enthusiast Randy Blythe (who – prior to a finding success as the vocalist of the band Lamb of God – had paid dues in several restaurant kitchens in and around Richmond, VA). And while I can’t pretend to have “known” Anthony any more than fans I’ve only met briefly at my own concerts and signings can claim to “know” me, he felt like someone I knew well. And since that fateful day of June 8, 2018, one needn’t look far to find tributes by others he affected globally, who also feel as though they’ve lost a friend.

Anthony Bourdain not only sucked the marrow out of life, he paired it with the perfect wine from a distinct vineyard of a select region.

He was an ambassador of quality. Those who've read the 1974 philosophical novel, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (Robert Pirsig), may recall this key revelation: quality is a cornerstone of virtue and, most fittingly, described in the book as a knife-edge of experience. Bourdain was the walking embodiment of this idea in every possible way. While I'm sure every fan of Anthony’s could tell a special story about what he meant to him or her, to me, he ranked far beyond others whose creative output I enjoyed. Indeed, he was one of very few highly public figures that I felt I could truly identify with.

Sure we were very different in some senses. Different generations: he was a “baby boomer” (although I’d imagine he loathed the term and its implications) who’d have recently turned sixty-two; I’m a “Gen X-er,” (a term that – come to think of it - I’m not exactly comfortable with either) just wrapping up my forties. Different weapons of expression: saucepans and cutlery for him, guitars and amps for me. Different coasts: he grew up in Jersey, I grew up in Berkeley (both of us later residing in New York). And slightly different musical tastes: The Stooges, The MC5 and other 70s punk was as much his calling card as a chef’s knife; I appreciate them but they wouldn’t be found in my “desert-island discs.” My guess is he’d feel the same about my Miles Davis and Keith Jarrett records.

At the same time, there was a similar spirit that ran parallel between us. I shared his appreciation for authenticity and zero tolerance for bullshit (although I’m a lot less brash about it). There was also a common sense of alienation from conventional society: I understood completely when he spoke of growing up as an outcast with little sense of purpose, later going through a dramatic self-reinvention driven by sheer blind faith and throwing oneself into a craft that, despite the sneers of naysayers, ends up becoming a superhero-like power, reshaping one’s life like a sculptor to clay. Of course, despite one’s hardened, chiseled exterior, the soft clay remains (which is hard not to consider in light of recent events).

While I thankfully never struggled with addiction, hard drugs and other demons he openly spoke of, I nonetheless related to his Homeric tale of finding his way out of counter-productive, impulse-driven behavior and channeling one’s energy into creative pursuits. There was also a common appreciation of great books, films and other works of art, especially those that defied expectation; if Bourdain mentioned a book or film I hadn’t heard of, it went without seeing that I needed to check it out. This was even more true of culinary knowledge (of which I was much less versed).

My introduction to Anthony Bourdain happened by accident. Sometime in the early 00s, I read Jonathan Franzen’s then current novel, “The Corrections,” and was particularly drawn to the detailed descriptions of the day to day life of one of the book’s fictional characters, Denise Lambert, a young chef at a trendy, upscale restaurant. The chef’s life seemed very relatable to that of a working musician: the intense dedication and focus, the irregular hours and the sacrifices required, all of which had been extremely well-researched by Franzen. At some point, I’d met a young chef at a New York restaurant and asked if she’d read “The Corrections.” I was curious what she thought about the character Denise and how accurate Franzen’s depiction was. She said it was very good “But..” she added: “If you liked that, than there’s a new book you must read. It’s by a real chef here in New York, but he writes like a novelist. Everyone in our industry is talking about it.” When I asked what I was called, she answered: “Kitchen Confidential.”

By now, most are familiar with "Kitchen Confidential" the memoir that interweaves Anthony’s personal story of rising through the the ranks of the restaurant world with a behind the scenes look at the late 20th Century/early 21st Century cooking industry. While the book may not have inspired me to enter the cooking world (as I’m sure it did for younger readers still figuring out what to do with their lives), it did get me to heighten my culinary senses and be more grateful for the travel that a career in music allows. I began to seek out innovative restaurants I might not have otherwise been aware of, from LOLA in Cleveland to Maido in Lima, Peru to various great street food worldwide. When in a typical American suburb on a day off, I began walking an extra half mile or so, skipping past the Panera Bread, Chipotle or other chain restaurants nearby in search of a nice family owned Thai or Vietnamese place off the beaten track.

As great as Franzen’s kitchen descriptions were, Bourdain’s tome – with play by play descriptions as experienced firsthand by the writer himself – went far beyond. There were even more parallels between the restaurant and the concert venue: In both places, the consumer is blissfully blinded from the chaos that takes place behind the scenes in order to create the experience of a meal or concert seeming effortless. In both places, the personnel might include the socially dysfunctional, the turrets-like profanity ridden, the undocumented, the tattooed, the previously indicted on a felony, and the otherwise unqualified-to-work-in-a-corporate-setting individual. And in both places, the judgments and societal expectations that permeate more typical occupations are cast aside with credentials and credibility earned through pure hard work, nothing less, nothing more.

A few years later, I looked up at an airport television screen and was shocked to see someone so refreshingly honest and void of pretense – in other words, the opposite of what constituted mainstream entertainment – hosting a show on the Travel Channel. What the hell was Bourdain doing on Cable TV?!

As it turned out, the general public would have a huge appetite for a man who could present the refinement of the world’s most expensive, Michelin starred restaurants back to back with the experience of munching into a great street taco or noodle bowl, all delivered with equal appreciation and a punk-infused directness. I admit to feeling minor twinges as I watched him morph seemingly overnight into a household name to anyone with a cable subscription. I suppose it was a bit like being a fan of “Ride the Lightning” era Metallica, still with a large cult following, and watching the “Black Album” catapult the band into the leagues of U2 and Madonna. Yet, it was some consolation that the writing on his shows - all done by Anthony himself - was very good and in league with his books (which says a lot). In addition, television provided an outlet in which to tell his stories visually, as well as verbally. He was now free to go places he couldn’t before, literally and figuratively. And as appetizing as the self-described “food porn” segments were, his shows would go on to serve a higher purpose: making the world smaller and bringing about greater understanding between people. From being a defender of immigrants in the restaurant industry long before our current draconian debacles surrounding immigration, to humanizing those in the West Bank and Gaza without casting all Israelis as blameworthy (one would be hard pressed to find as balanced a report on the Middle East from any dyed-in-the-wool world affairs correspondent) to visiting disenfranchised residents of West Virginia with no judgment despite vastly diverging cultural and political views (this episode inspired me to grab my acoustic guitar and come with a quick little ditty that’s posted here), to far too many other examples to list here, he emerged as a great equalizer, a champion for humans.

Sadly – and this is the one area I diverge from finding him relatable – the empathy he expressed for the world’s peoples did not extended to non-human creatures. Now before I go further, a brief disclaimer: I do my best to eat selectively as an omnivore with a conscience (which I realize is a contradiction in terms for some). The late conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer, whose views I certainly didn’t always share, wrote a brilliant piece for his weekly column in the Washington Post that I relate to. It includes this line: “As a moderate carnivore myself, I confess to living in Jeffersonian hypocrisy. It’s a bit late for me to live on berries and veggies.” I do have vegetarian and vegan friends I respect and admire, to whom I’d sometimes defend Bourdain’s provocative commentary about their lifestyles (which was often quoted out of context and void of the original humor). Yet, when it came to certain televised scenes, I was increasingly lost for words.

Now, I can understand not wanting to hide the grittier side of where our food comes from. I felt he did this particularly well and with his characteristic, sympathetic nuance in his follow up to “Kitchen Confidential” (“A Cook’s Tour”). But highlighting inhumane practices around the world is different. “Parts Unknown,” got to the point where so many episodes contained scenes that felt unnecessarily brutal and sadistic (the slow torture of a live screaming pig or camel or duck, for example), that it became confounding to see him as a willing and all too eager participant. That I was able to get past this and still enjoy the rest of the content on his shows, says much about how much I admired him otherwise.

These scenes became good practice for mental compartmentalization. Still, I began to wonder what was happening. Might his animal bloodlust have been indicative of something deeper going on within himself? Which brings us to his demise.

There are numerous ways us fans could have seen Anthony Bourdain leaving this Earth: being tossed from an ATV (all terrain vehicle) while crossing a dune in the Sahara Desert; trampled by a water buffalo while filming in a remote Vietnamese village; executed by rebel guerrillas after being taken hostage while dining with natives in a Latin American mountain range; bitten by a snake while filming in the Congo; complications from eating a deadly fugu (Japanese blowfish) with its poison improperly vetted; overtaken by a bomb while enjoying Lebanese cuisine in downtown Beirut (which almost happened). And so on and so forth. But taken by his own hand, alone in a cozy five-star French hotel?

Bourdain’s shocking, seemingly spur of the moment undoing will likely be grist for clinical psychological researchers for years to come (an informative conversation with one of the preeminent experts on suicide - which took place in the days that followed - can be found here at 46:00). It begs many questions: How could someone leading a life so many people would wish to lead (and were leading vicariously) suddenly end it? What was his frame of mind at that moment?? How could someone who seemed to have life all figured out – who could find so much joy in a simple bowl of noodles – leave this earth (and leave behind an eleven-year old daughter, no less)? How could he not see a way out of whatever predicament he felt he was in?

The short answer, of course, is “He was a victim of depression.” With the loss of celebrity fashion mogul Kate Spade the same week and last year”s loss of two major rock singers (Chris Cornell and Chester Benington), it has never been clearer that those who seem to have everything going on, so much to live for and success beyond their wildest dreams are not immune. I wrote about one such person whom I knew personally: a brilliant young writer, Ned Vizzini. No doubt, conditions related to depression and old addictions played a part.

Yet in Anthony’s case, it’s also hard to overlook certain other circumstances. First, something I haven’t seen mentioned in any media so far: his primary goal of recent years had been Bourdain Market, an international food court modeled after those Southeast Asia, set to open in New York (which I, along with other residents, was greatly looking forward to). After five years of planning and effort to make this destination a reality, it all fell apart. One can imagine this had to be more disappointing than he was letting on, certainly not life-ending, but a tough blow for sure.

Secondly, there was also a certain vulnerability that seemed out of the ordinary and appearing of late. Being no expert, I couldn’t say if it had to do with fallout from past addictions, or anything else. But you can really hear it in his conversation with the man who helped launch his post-cooking career (David Remnick) in this interview.

Last, and most importantly there was something else: his recent romantic relationship. When the news of his death broke, the fact that he’d seemed so in love and had been gushing over finally finding a soul mate made things all the more shocking. Then, information about the days leading up his last emerged and can not be ignored. Now, I don’t want to play the blame game here, don’t wish to pedal gossip and certainly don’t wish to wade into controversy. But in service to my fellow Bourdain fans, some of whom don’t know about this, I’m going to provide three links that seem worth sharing and paint a more vivid picture of the object of his affections, Ms. Argento.

First, a well well-researched timeline: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1007611201684058112.html
Second, an article - shared and liked in the last few days by the people closest to Bourdain (including his second wife and mother of their daughter - a woman who, by all accounts, he remained on great terms with - and the wife of his best friend, chef Eric Ripert), further elaborating on these incidents: https://penthouse.com/pages/asia-argento/Toxic-Femininity.php
And finally, a blog by Anthony’s much admired friend, Bruce Cameron Mitchel (introduced to him by his hero, the late great movie critic Roger Ebert, and a fixture in Anthony's Chicago episodes) who, at 78 years old, has seen it all and has zero f-s to give: http://brucecameronelliott.blogspot.com/2018/06/to-be-able-to-say-how-much-you-love-is.html?m=1

When you consider the above perspectives, none of which contradict each other, it is difficult not to consider Ms. A's role in all this. Not a direct cause but one that – like Russian hacking and the Comey letter – is a significant factor that combined with others to form a perfect storm with an unlikely and unfortunate outcome.

As a man, I wonder how this could happen to Anthony, the real life “most interesting man in the world,” a “man’s man” yet deeply sensitive in certain regards, someone rightly recognized as worldly, wise and who could cook like nobody’s business, who – while no longer a young man, still had plenty of “mojo” and no doubt could have landed a desirable lady of class, taste, intellect, humor and other qualities deserving of his love and attention. Without going into detail, I do know what it’s like to make a bad choice (or two) and mistakenly see a woman for what you want her to be, rather than for what she truly is. I just never thought it would happen to him. As men we must learn to be more choosy, although in our defense, it’s not always easy. A tight-fitting dress over a shapely rear end had caused many a male mind to malfunction.

Eerily, I recently caught an old “Parts Unknown” episode and heard him speak the following line several years before any of this even began: “Love is dangerous.”

At this point it doesn’t matter exactly what happened, he’s gone and awful as it is, we can at least be grateful for all he brought us: great writing and TV (minus certain scenes), lots of great recommendations for books, films, other art and of course, food and wine.

Which brings us back to that Thoreau quote that began this essay: Bourdain inspired and reminded us all to “live deep and suck the marrow out of life.” And in yet another chilling coincidence, it was just last year that Bourdain chose his ideal "last meal." It was - you guessed it: ” BONE MARROW (Apologies if you can’t un-see that photo). No one lived deeper or sucked the marrow better than Anthony Bourdain.

Wisdom of The Boss

2017-11-27T11:00:00.001-05:00

THE NEW YORKER RADIO HOUR: Bruce Springsteen Talks With David Remnick

This morning, while running in the woods of Nuremberg next to tonight's concert venue, I heard this interview (link above) and was knocked out.

Disclaimer: I am not a "Bruce Tramp" (the Springsteen fan equivalent of a Deadhead). Nor am I a frequent listener. In fact, with the exception of NEBRASKA - which I'm told is a common favorite among folks who are not otherwise big Bruce fans (and I do LOVE this album) - I don't own a Springsteen record. Yet every time I hear this man speak, whether in interviews or live concert clips, I'm stopped in my tracks.

Which makes me wonder: Is it ok to have great admiration for an artist and draw inspiration from that person without being a consumer of the work for which they are most celebrated?

I respect that for millions of listeners, his biggest hits with the band - whether "Born in the USA," "Hungry Heart," "Glory Days," "Thunder Road" or any number of other beloved chestnuts - communicate the same spirit that I get from hearing him alone in an intimate setting like this interview, NEBRASKA (in which Springsteen is the only musician), or this, one of my favorite live talks of all time - a work of art on par with any album: Springsteen's South By Southwest Keynote.

Clearly I "get it" on some level. At the same time, friends who are loyal Bruce fans have played me deep cuts of early E-Street albums, shown me powerful live clips and attempted to convert me in other ways. I'm always impressed, yet never drawn to make this music my part of my life soundtrack. Try as I might, it's just not a sound that resonates with me. It's not that I dislike it, I just don't connect with it. Mind you, this is purely on a sonic level (I absolutely appreciate the themes and messages within the music).

I know people who feel this way about Frank Zappa (whose records I own and do enjoy), yet I understand how they can simultaneously admire the man without being a frequent listener. Another artist I feel this way about it Patti Smith. Reading her in print is life-altering; hearing her speak is empowering. Yet for some reason, I've never been drawn to her albums in the same way, at least not sonically. Meanwhile, Keith Jarrett, John Coltrane and Jeff Beck (to name just a few) are artists whose work does reach me sonically, yet it has no words and has a comparatively small cult following, at least when compared to superstars like Smith and Springsteen.

Perhaps this should be all be a topic for another post. Back to The Boss...

There are many great parts to this latest interview including lessons that I feel would inspire anyone in any field. One is the admission that being the performer we all recognize didn't come instantly, but only after years of trying everything: Small bands, big combos, trio, even a stab at becoming more of a Hendrix/Clapton style guitarist (an attempt he describes as "half-assed").

Finally, after several years slogging it out in the club circuit, he takes stock and realizes that while a decent guitarist, he's no Hendrix. He's a decent vocalist, but he's no Roy Orbison.

So what does HE have? Songs. By diving deeper into what's natural and fulfilling to him - story telling - not playing beyond his abilities on voice or guitar, he is finding his calling. This part is around 15:30.

Another is the admission throughout that other than those few hours on stage, he's not the invulnerable powerhouse we think of. As he says, there are 20 or so other hours in the day where he "wants to be that guy," like everyone else. I'd first heard him make this refreshingly honest statement last year on this interview, also recommended, from NPR'S FRESH AIR . As a professional performer, I can relate to this. We must be comfortable accepting that we are not our stage personas 100% of the time. Those who do try to live up to that 24/7 often end up self-destructing (sadly, there are too many examples to name).

One my favorite parts of the New Yorker interview is the part where he goes into depth about being an artist with a purpose. He speaks of bringing a "reminder" to the audience about what life can be beyond its day to day tedium. This esthetic applies to any kind of music that's well done whether pop, blues, jazz, world, classical - instrumental or vocal. For that matter, it applies to art beyond music - literature, film, painting etc. As an artist, I'd thought about this abstractly but had never heard it articulated before (Thank you, Bruce).

Q: You once said for the audiences part, they come not to learn something but to be reminded of something when they come to see a performer like you or something that they love deeply.

A. Yeah I mean what are you doing? You're getting people in touch with the center of themselves, you know their 'life-force,'you know the part of them that feels..Why do people come to a show? Well, you want to be reminded of how it feels to be really alive, you know? That's what a great three-minute pop song does. In three minutes, you get the entire picture. You get the possibility of life on Earth and what that can mean and what it can do for you and do for others. It's just encapsulated in of what feels like nothingness but for some reason has had the power to inspire and lift and just bring you closer to Godhead or whatever you're pursuing. So I always feel that's our job. Our job is, you know, we're repairmen and we're reminders. You come to our show and we will - I always figure I don't get paid necessarily to play this song or that song or this song - I get paid to be as present as I can conceivably be on every night that I'm out there. (At this point, the audience is bursting into applause so loud that it sounds like a standing ovation, despite poor Bruce trying to articulate his final thought). You know, if I'm there, and I'm alive, I know you're feeling it too.

Alex's Book Club: THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN by Thomas Mann

2017-06-12T18:05:00.000-04:00

(This post was written in February and has sat around, partially because I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested. Thanks to a writer friend and fellow T. Mann enthusiast who encouraged me to just post the damn thing already)

In the used paperback section of a bookstore during a visit to my hometown of Berkeley, a plump, yellow copy of "The Magic Mountain" stood staring me in the face. As a youth, I'd always related the words "Magic Mountain" to an amusement park in Southern California. More recently, after seeing it on list after list of greatest novels of the 20th century I'd been meaning to pick it up. And there it was, in perfect condition (at the time that is...it's since been around the world and back, hence its now "less than perfect" condition) and going for about $1.99.

For the past two years, this book sat on my shelf, almost picked up, but foiled, usually by a more recent release (such as Black Hole Blues, which was exciting to read while still current). Then the unexpected winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature - Bob Dylan- mentioned it as a book he'd read and whose author he was extremely humbled and surprised be in the company of, in a note of acceptance. Although there was considerable debate over the choice of Mr. Dylan to receive an award designed for novelists (and never given to a songwriter), I feel it is a good choice and warranted. However, I'm sure Dylan would agree that however creative and impactful his own lyrics may be, one must extoll considerably more effort in order to appreciate the genius of Thomas Mann's 1929 magnum opus.

Throughout my reading of The Magic Mountain, I would, despite the compact paperback fitting neatly into the pocket of my long coat (just barely), refer to it as a "beast." And I'm sure I'm not the first to equate The Magic Mountain with a "mountain" of pages. Indeed, Mann's beast consists of more than 700 compacted pages. By page 200, you've devoted the same amount of time that you would to complet a more a typically sized book. Then you'd look at the remaining bulk and realize you're not even a third of the way through! Amazingly, however, this very experience perfectly ties into a central theme of the book: time and its variations of perceptibility.

More than once you'll have that feeling of the book being seeming infinite (though always enjoyable) and find yourself straight in the middle of a rumination of mankind's shifting relations with the ticking of the clock. It often feels as though Mann is right there with you, knowingly connecting elements of his story to your own conceptions of time as a reader. It was interesting to ponder these concepts right after reading Black Hole Blues, with its In depth discussions of SpaceTime.

It is also fascinating to realize that the "magic mountain" being described is Davos, Switzerland. Sound familiar? That's right, we hear about it on the news every year because today it is the sight of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. One can't help but wonder if the environment Mann is describing doesn't have some effect upon all the Hedge Fund presidents, Bank CEOs and other global financiers who descend upon the site each year.

Like other classic novels which I read and enjoyed in earlier years (Don Quixote, Moby Dick) and ones I read more recently and kicked myself for not picking up earlier (The Idiot, For Whom The Bell Tolls), this is one book in which I'm glad I didn't attempt as a younger man. I feel it helps to read this at a point in ones life where one has had adult experiences and developed the discipline to take on more challenging reading. Yet it is not the mere size of the book that is daunting, nor the plot.

In fact, the story-line is ironically simple: a young man visits his cousin in a mountainside medical clinic and ends up staying longer than planned. Things get complicated when the young man, Hans Castorp - who is very bright (studying to become a nautical engineer) yet sheltered (he has rarely left his small German town) - has an awakening that is simultaneously intellectual, scholastic and partly spiritual. Debates ensue about the virtues of mankind, the meaning of life and humanistic schools of thought versus the more holy-minded. These are initially triggered by a unique patient who is a scant few years older but with a towering scholastic disposition - a Italian named Settembrini. The intellectual level escalates with the introduction of Naphta - a professor who only appears midway through the epic novel. He instantly takes his place as one of the story's most important figures - a fiercely devout Jesuit who, like his good friend (but ideological foe) Settembrini, possesses a towering intellect for which to make a strong case supporting his own beliefs.

These sections of the novel - which read like university lectures - are almost Socratic in terms of dialogue and explore the books other main theme, in addition to time: science and human reason versus faith and religious doctrine. Here the book becomes a philosophical novel, on a level that feels far more intellectually sophisticated than certain other books that are thus labeled (which I won't mention). It is also encyclopedic in scope, in terms of references - historical, literary, religious, mythological and even linguistic (Italian, German and Spanish terms appear throughout Nd at one point the dialogue shifts to French for several pages). Ideally, this is a book read in a graduate program, with the aid of a patient professor of literature and adequate resources to look up the references. However these heady parts are broken up by various goings on at the sanitorium, including romantic crushes, scandals and other escapades. In fact, there is some adult content that seem quite racy for 1929.

Like The Idiot, The Magic Mountain begins on a train. There seems to be something symbolic of rail travel at this time, then a fairly modern convention and opening up of new worlds and experiences, with hints of unknown and portentous comings. Ironically, it was hard to read on the New York Subway, where I do much of my reading, because of the level of concentration required (more than once, this book caused me to miss my stop). However, I did read it on several flights, a ship, and finally, a cross country train, albeit a bit more modern (The Bullet in Japan) which I found to be ideal - a speedy sense of motion giving weight to a of feeling time's acceleration, and the ability to concentrate free from distractions, save for a terrific view, which included a sight fitting to reading a book with title of The Magic Mountain: Mount Fuji.

Closing thoughts: I'm very glad these "great books" lists and Bob Dylan got me to read The Magic Mountain. At the same time, I didn't really know what i was getting into. Like Tolstoy's War and Peace (which I've read) and Anna Karenina (which I haven't - it's on my list), this is one of those epics that you need to make time for. Plan it around a vacation or long period of travel. Prepare to forgo other books in the meantime as you need to stick with it and not take too many breaks to keep up with the flow. Bottom line: The Magic Mountain is something of a literary obstacle course for readers, requiring extra concentration, frequent rereading of passages, and pauses in order to look up terms and references. Yet it makes the time spent extremely rewarding. Climb it if you dare.

2016 Wrap Up

2016-12-31T19:02:00.002-05:00

It was the worst of years, it was the best of years.

I don't need to comment on how it was the worst - use your imagination or just look at any article referencing 2016 as the worst year ever. Before we go any further, I see nothing wrong with saying it was a "bad year," the concept of which is getting some pushback lately. I actually went on a rant about this a few days ago (If you missed it, see my Facebook Page and feel free to engage...or not).

Ok, we can generally agree on so many icons passing away - some naturally but many tragically - as well as the loss of many lesser known friends and loved ones. Not all of us will agree that our most powerful nations, and with them our planet, are being plunged into an unpredictable chaos. But we will agree that there is more seemingly insurmountable disagreement than ever before.

On that note...I have a confession to make. I feel a bit guilty about this in light of so many events. But 2016 has for me professionally been perhaps the most exciting and productive of my entire career...

JANUARY

It began with a short tour by Metal Allegiance, the All-Star project with numerous special guests, and in which I am one of four copilots. This included a show at the whiskey in LA, unintentionally timed with the great Lemmy's memorial service for which our show became an official event. As I was on stage most of the time I missed the opportunity to say hello to Dave Grohl and Glenn Danzig but they were among those watching us.

From there I switched to instrumental jazz rock mode, joining up with bassist Stu Hamm (Satriani and Vai associate who gave me my first break playing instrumental music at a high level) and drummer Joel Taylor (Al DiMeola, Alan Holdsworth). This is an insane little combo that hopefully will record at some point. From Seattle, we worked our way down the West Coast including stops at Yoshi's - a place in my former hometown region I've long dreamed of playing - and culminating with an appearance in Hollywood at the legendary baked potato at the big potato. There, we were joined by bassist/rapper Divinity Roxx who crushed it (she and I would later jam in New York at the Iridium). Also in attendance was Jeff Beck's bassist Rhonda Smith, whom I had last seen when she and I accompanied the great Alphonse Mouzan a couple years prior. Sadly Alphonse passed away just a few days ago adding to the sense of 2016 being "cursed." Here's video of our performance together...

Back to a positive note, here's another thing that happened that night: I was introduced to a table full of nice folks from Warwick (the German bass company whose endorsees include Stu, Robert Trujillo and more and who also builds Framus Guitars). They invited me to participate in their annual BassCamp. The conversation basically went like this:

"We'd like to hire you as one of our 'professors.' The only other non-bassist professor will be the drummer we just hired"

"Who's the drummer?"

"Dennis Chambers"

"I should be paying you."

At this point in the year mid-late January, I would normally have attended the annual trade show NAMM which I blogged about a number of years back It's something I haven't missed since the early 2000's. However after two back to back tours with radically different projects and a fast approaching tour across Europe with my trio, I decided to skip the festivities and catch my breath for a few days for which I was very thankful (However I am looking forward to returning to NAMM in a few weeks).

FEBRUARY

From there, I flew to Germany to begin the European tour with my trio, AST. This was quite an experience. We had many packed houses including folks who only know me as an instrumental guitarist and of course, many metalhead fans curious just what the heck I was up to (and mostly seeming pleasantly surprised to find they can enjoyed such a different concert experience - with no mosh pit). AST's New Sounds in the Old World" tour went so well that a follow up was immediately booked for this coming March, Europe Unbound which will have us in new places we've we've never been such as Copenhagen in Norway and Italy for the first time.

After the AST tour wrapped up, we flew home and had a few days to rest up before continuing our trek which took place on the guitar cruise known his Axes & Anchors. There, with our upright bass and semi-hollowbody guitar tones, we added a different flavor to the to a lineup that included Zakk Wilde, Yngwie, Marty Freidman and others. It was a good time.

MARCH & APRIL

One of the downsides of playing in a lot of projects is that there are occasional overlapping events that one that one has no control over. Example: Testament was beginning a tour with Slayer - I had no control over the boat (which had been booked for over a year) while Testament had no control over Slayer's tour schedule. So we mutually agreed that I would have to miss the first two shows of the tour. I am grateful to my always reliable standby Glen Drover for pinchhitting in the opening nights of Chicago and Nashville, and especially all the fans for understanding. I was able to to join for the night very next show in Richmond, Virginia. Of course this ended up being easier said than done...

I flew in during weather that was bad even for this area (which is often notorious for twisters). The flight was on holding pattern but we finally took a risky landing because we were running out of fuel. My ride from the airport (courtesy of my good bro, Randy Blythe) was as harrowing as the landing as the plane, with hail and high speed winds. We reached the venue within an hour of showtime (I'd been scheduled to arrive at the venue about five hours earlier). Let's just say the chaos somehow felt perfectly fitting to begin a Slayer tour.

The Slayer/Testament/Carcass tour was a blast and one of the unexpected highlights was in Seattle where we had some very special visitors. Then towards the end, was the surreal experience of sitting in on a Slayer soundcheck to jam Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird.

MAY

After the Slayer tour, I was home for about half of May. Time in NYC was largely consumed with

A. Mixing live trio tracks for the now released AST UNBOUND and

B. Laying down parts laying for the latest Testament release Brotherhood of the Snake.

This seems to be in keeping with the schedule of doing one instrumental album improvisational album a year and a metal album... In 2015 I'd released my first all acoustic world music album Planetary Coalition (OK, technically was late 2014 but still..)... I also recorded with the Jane Getter Premonition A great progressive rock meets jazz project with some great musicians (Note: My metal album of 2015 was MA, which this year is planning a follow up. And as far as an instrumental/improv release this year - it's looking as though there will be more than one, to be announced in the near future).

JUNE & JULY

June and July or mostly spent in Western Europe. There are so many wonderful festivals that it is a guarantee a band can keep quite busy over there. European cities are the best places to be in the summer (despite the occasional horrendous news in very recent years, for which we must all remain vigilant but continue our lives and music).

There was also a trip to to Russia which inspired me to read a novel I'd been meaning to read for quite some time, Dostoyevsky's The Idiot. There were also visits to places we don't get you often such as Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.. OK, I said I would leave politics out of this particular blog but just so you know: these are proud, rapidly developing independent nations that for the most part, have no desire to be pawns of a Russian Empire. Given signs of recent activity at their Russian borders, there are deep rooted suspicions of it's much larger, more powerful neighbor. These countries are like "mom & pop" music stores being eyed by a huge music superstore for a hostile corporate takeover. This is why we must not allow Mr. Putin over there to get a pass on everything he wants, and not let him play us as his chump, along with a certain person whose last name rhymes with "chump." (OK that's it - Political rant over. For now..")

AUGUST

August was an especially fulfilling month, although tricky to negotiate. Like that crazy maneuver catching a flight to Richmond earlier in the year, I had another adventurous connection (which fortunately didn't involve bad weather). Testament wrapped up our European festival dates by performing at WACKEN, the annual German fest that draws 70,000 people over three days. Somehow we hadn't realized that we were closing the show on our night. This meant being on stage at 1:30 in the morning and finishing up by 3am. I was scheduled to travel first thing in the morning to the OutReach Jazz Festival in Austria to perform with Jane Getter Premonition (with Mark Egan on bass, ex-Pat Metheny group). I flew and was driven, arriving around Noon, on maybe one hour sleep. I rehearsed with JGP, then slept hard till close to showtime. The next morning I flew back to NYC and had a good rest for my one night at home. The next morning, a car service arrived to take me to Glen Cove Long Island...

For the next five days, I was honored to be one of four teachers of the G4 Experience the other being in its founder the great Joe Satriani, a former teacher of mine and very formative years (which we had a good laugh over - I told the crowd I regressed to fourteen years old when Joe was around).. and Eric Johnson and Mike Kenealy. Oh yes there was this other guy who joined us for a couple days that some of you may have heard of (his name is Steve Vai). Not only was it humbling to be a colleague of guys like Satch, Vai, Johnson and Keneally this but we all got in some some quality hang time with each other too. It was nice to reconnect with Joe and get to know the other guys as people and I have to say the students at the G4 - with their enthusiasm and dedication - we're also inspiring and a reminder of why we put up with the crazy travel schedule mishaps, long periods of time away from home and other challenges and sacrifices (They remind us of our unvarnished love of music and the guitar that inspired us to be who we became).

On the last night of the G4 experience as it happened my guys who I brought along for this trip as my band and fellow instructors - bassist Steve Jenkins (of Vernon Reid's solo project) and drummer Kenny Grohowski (a young John Zorn associate) - and I were scheduled to perform at the G4. The show went great (and this unit is planning more activity). However, we finished with less than an hour till showtime at St. Vitus where MA was doing a special show paying tribute to the great deep purple (with Kenny playing drums). As soon as our G4 set ended, Kenny and I were shuffled into a car - helped by groups of students who carried our gear - and played the Brooklyn show which went without a hitch. After one night in my own bed, I flew to the UK as MA set to do our first festival appearance in Europe (Bloodstock UK).

After the UK show I flew to Nurenberg were Testament were scheduled to play a few more European shows shows. Fortunately there were 48 hours before the rest of the band flew in, so I got to rest in Nürnberg and enjoy some nice weissbier and pretzel schnitzel.

Testament's short European run was followed by my week long stint teaching at Warwick BassCamp (as mentioned earlier). However, there were about six days in between. This meant I could do one of two things:

A Fly home and be consumed with travel (and jet-lag), then fly back.

B. Stay in Europe. As everybody was flying home from Paris, well...why not get dropped off there? Where better to stay then Paris?

Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world - sorry, it IS my favorite city in the world. Other than some great cycling, walking, dining and shopping (I found a wonderful hand-built Django style guitar), a good amount of time was spent completing my articles for UNBUILT the bi-annual magazine that Randy and I credit with its founder it along with our our newest team member, the great singer/activist Alissa White Gluz.

Refreshed from the from a great week in Paris, I flew to Frankfurt where I was driven in a van for several hours to Markneukirchen to begin teaching at Warwick BassCamp 2016.

In addition to my buddy Stu, I got to know other great bassists. A highlight for me was working with and getting to know a longtime hero of mine, drummer Dennis Chambers, with whom I worked in two different ensembles: Tetsuo Sakurai (incredible jazz rock bassist) and Alphonso Johnsnon (long time hero of mine from Weather Report and Santana). There was also Yolanda Charles and Joe Hubbard (who's album I'm scheduled to appear on alongside alongside Dennis Chambers and others in 2017) and Felix Pastorius (son of the great Jaco and it shows) and too many others to name.

All of us did a finale jam led by extraordinaire Steve Bailey and including Jonas Helborg, Ralph Armstrong and other legends of the low end.

SEPTEMBER

By this point, I might've opted to chill out and enjoy a quiet month (the first of the year). However, this was the only time period available for AST to do our US tour (and we were long overdue!). I'm grateful to MAXIMUM Booking for helping make this trio tour AST's best ever in the US, with packed houses and standing ovations night after night and some great venues, including New York's Iridium and the Philadelphia's World Cafe Live.

OCTOBER & NOVEMBER

October ended up being my month to finally catch a breath. It was fairly quiet, until the third week, when Testament resumed touring (the first for the new album cycle). It was a five week run in Europe with Viking masters Amon Amarth, who are selling out some very massive venues over there... a very fun tour.

DECEMBER

At this point you probably can understand why I opted to keep my December as quiet as possible. However, it didn't exactly turn out that way...

On the last few days of tour I received an alarming email from The Sam Ash music store in New York letting me know that instruments they'd purchased from a customer turned out to be - upon further examination - ones they now feared were stolen from me. At first I thought they may not be aware I have a line of signature guitars that are readily available. But as they described the guitars in detail I got chills - this was my Heritage prototype from a previous endorsement (although no longer officially affiliated with Heritage, I still value the instruments).

I'm now pretty sure that these guitars never made it into the storage locker and were taken while being moved in (which, being just a few of more than two dozen similar instruments in transit - were an easy target). Long story short, the suspect has been apprehended, I happily had five instruments returned (thank you Sam Ash, these guys rule...SHOP THERE!) and it became a major story with front page mention in the NEW YORK TIMES.

And finally, a short time later (and just last week, as of this writing):

THE KANYE AFFAIR.

As many know by now, I was tagged in a Facebook post by an individual sharing a photo of Kanye wearing a Testament T-shirt (yes, this really happened). So I posted a snarky comment for friends only that somehow found its way, to an article on Blabbermouth.net. This drew comments by the dozen, mostly favorable, some very unfavorable (leading to some hilarious infighting among Blabber-ers) and some favorable for the wrong reasons (more on that below). From there, it found its way to endless other online journals and blogs (including Kanye fan sites) and mainstream outlets such as NME, where the ensuing fall out included pronouncements I'd given the "Greatest Response Ever" and others that, maybe were a bit more critical. Depending on your opinion, I represent your voice and should run for president, or I'm an elitist dick (why can't I be both?) ;)

This is my final Kanye rant - a gift for the New Year (you're welcome)....

I have no ill will towards Kanye West, although his behavior can be off-putting (understatement) and I sometimes feel he is so overexposed, I'd like to KoneMarie Kanye.

It was fascinating to read some who aren't familiar with me express pleasant shock of at the level of my intellect. Others were outraged suggesting I (he) "Thinks he's smarter than everyone else." Uh.. no. For what it's worth - I don't brag about education. Yes, I do have an undergraduate degree from the New School, where I went in my 20's during a hiatus from touring (Ivy League? No, but a fairly respectable college). Yes, I got my degree in music but I paid close attention in my other classes including philosophy, psychology, creative writing and political science. While I may seek to share opinions and ideas and may talk like a professor sometimes, its not out of a sense of superiority but because I'm nerdy and can't help it.

Anyway, my education as well as a genuine attempt to be informed (paying close attention to current events from credible sources), has shaped my world view and my political views (those who rant that musicians and politics should be mutually exclusive, please take that into consideration).

I've said pretty much everything I've had to say on this matter but I will add this follow-up: my Kanye rant was once again never motivated by his artistry, but purely by the fact that he is a Kardashian by association.

And by the way, I was never "apologizing" for my initial rant in the followup, only clarifying my view because (as happened anyway), I knew it would get painted as the angry metal guy angry at the rapper for wearing his band's shirt. This implies an ignorance that does not represent where I'm coming from in the slightest.

Meanwhile, a friend who supported my post and thought it was thorough,respectful and well explained, is also a major fan of KW's work (not his personality) and recommended I check out the Yeezus album. Yes, it's very good and I can see why artists as diverse as the late, greatLou Reed (who shouldn't be judged solely by his collab with Metallica) can get behind it. No, it's not gonna make me run out and buy his catalogue but I can appreciate it and hey - I hope he really likes the band on the t-shirt he wore that day.

I acknowledge he is talented. However, I would have much more my respect for him should he choose to distance himself those around him who profit by being untalented. The K Kretins do not inspire. They do not encourage growth (unless indirectly - by causing some of us to be so turned off that we consider making far better decisions with our lives). This goes for anything involving that sycophant Ryan Seacrest who inflicts his his anti-artistic, soul killing mediocrity upon all of us (as well as certain other unsavory personas fed by reality TV, now inexplicably in positions of power - whom I won't mention here). Again, if Kanye were to somehow disassociate with the Kult of K - and I realized he's married to one - I'll be the first to sing (and play) his praises. Anyway, enough of that surreal way to end the year, which went semi-viral (final note: the photo is photoshopped - a friend, MA's Mark Menghi did this as a goof right after the initial scandal. No I didn't buy the shirt.. it doesn't exist).

Which brings us here, on the cusp of 2017.

Again, for me privately, it's been a wonderful 2016, filled with creative people, devoted music fans, trips abroad, seeing the great architecture, enjoying delicious meals, wine, coffee etc... I'm feeling lucky. I have a great career doing many different kinds of music that I enjoy. I can't complain.

Here's wishing all a productive positive vigilant and enlightening 2017. Have a great New Year everyone!

AS

Alex's Book Club: BLACK HOLE BLUES AND OTHER SONGS FROM OUTER SPACE by Janna Levin (Alex's Book Club)

2016-11-18T17:04:00.001-05:00

With all the social turbulence of the past week, I'm choosing to forgo a political post for now (see the previous post for my positions) and focus on something that feels good to talk about: a great read packed with intelligence and creativity. In other words, the opposite sphere as our current political atmosphere (no thanks to those who've ushered in this reality-show like era. To quote the main culprit, with a wink: "You know who I'm talking about!").

I was never much of a "science kid."

I chalk this up to a couple things. One was simple aesthetics; I wasn't drawn to the smell of chemicals and disinfectant in the school labs, nor the sight of people in white coats, gloves and goggles (I preferred the sights and smells of records, books and guitars).

Another was academic; I could never escape the feeling of being overwhelmed by complex concepts and advanced mathematical equations, which - not to make excuses – might not have been helped by circumstances recognized today as accumulative advantage (I was younger than all my classmates, mostly by a year. Not that I subscribe to all of Malcolm Gladwell's theories but feel he has a definite point here).

Yet, here it is years later, and I find myself reading a book by someone with a PhD in theoretical physics from MIT, utterly fascinated and wondering why the heck I didn’t take more of an interest in this stuff early on!

Disclaimer: Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space is a book for anyone, scientifically-fluent or otherwise. Looking at the back cover flap, I suddenly realized the author is someone I actually met a afew years back through a mutual acquaintance in of Brooklyn’s many creative collectives (in this case a shared space for scientists, architects, technologists, artists and other innovators). There, laying on a cozy recliner, typing into a laptop - being used literally - was this nice, unassuming lady around my own age who looked up, said hello and described what she was working on - black hole density or some other sort of calculation - with the nonchalance of organizing a grocery shopping list. I’ve since seen her on Neil De Grasse Tyson’s “Star Talk” as well as various publications (I had no idea!).

Black Hole Blues is - as you may have guessed by the title, subtitle and cover (which resembles a vinyl record) - very much influenced by and relatable to music. This is the tale of a group of scientists whose names you may not know, beating odd after odd to detect sounds from outer space, thus confirming the research of a scientist from a hundred years ago, whose name you do know (a wild haired fellow by the name of Albert Einstein).

This book is a rarely seen combination of highly informative non-fiction and poetic narrative. Throughout, I was reminded of a “VH1: Behind The Music” special, only instead of musicians, the focus is a band of scientists now under consideration for recognition by the Nobel Committee. Instead of a rock group, the members formed a project called LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory). All the key characters are there, from an originator for whom the project would not be possible, yet who subsequently falls from grace (think Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd). That'd be Joe Weber. There is a headstrong character who is inarguably brilliant and essential, but whose intense personality threatens to dismantle the entire endeavor (think Roger Waters); that'd be Emeritus Professor Ronald Drever, who sadly is deteriorating. Then there are those who become the most recognizable names and faces (i.e. David Gilmour), most identified with the project and there as the greatest heights are reached. In the case of LIGO, there are two, Kip Thorne, and the one I found myself most taken with: Rainer Weiss, a fun character whose fascination with music – an enthusiastic pianist who tinkered with hi-fi systems as a youth in order to achieve a clearer sound - led to an accidental, yet highly distinguished scientific career, as described in this terrific profile.

Despite my never-shrinking pile of books that feels as infinite as space (although Levin, being an expert on cosmology would present a strong case for the concept of space being infinite), it occasionally makes sense to bump a new one to the top of the list. In the case of the last book discussed here, when you read it probably won't make that much of a difference. However, in this case, there's no better time that the present especially as the events surrounding this story are current and rapidly developing.

Although the term, "never judge a book by its cover" is a good mantra, in this case, Black Hole Blues looks so cool, the cover alone would have gotten me to commit to purchase. Fortunately, the first time I saw it, I'd already gotten wind of the highly-recommended blog BrainPickings by Maria Popova, which I read semi-religiously, along with Papova's excellent New York Times review, and thus knew it would be propelled the top of my "to read" list as if at light speed. It should be at the top of yours, too.

(PS Next Up: Hitch 22: A Memoir by Christopher Hitchens)

POLITICS AS UNUSUAL

2016-10-11T17:02:00.000-04:00

(Image credit below*)

There is one thing upon which we can all agree: this has been the most divisive political period of any of our lifetimes.

I've been uncharacteristically restrained this election season, for several reasons. One is that there's been so much noise already, adding to it seemed futile. Another is that as much as it's been tempting to jump in and engage, I know what'll happen - the responses start coming in and soon it becomes a rabbit-hole (and as anyone who's followed my timelines knows, I have precious little free time). I also never imagined a certain candidate would get to this point in the election (as I'm sure is the case for many others).

I almost called this post "The Elephant in the Room" or "The 800-pound Gorilla in the Room" either of which would be fitting for different reasons (one is a Republican party reference, the other is...well, use your imagination).

While I've given "likes," "favorites" and few short comments and replies here and there that make my positions pretty clear, I'm finally going to share my views in detail because:

A. Some have been asking and are genuinely curious to hear my point of view.

B. This is my own blog and I'm allowed to do that (despite what the "stick to music" crowd may say).

I'm not forcing anything upon anyone. You don't have to read this. You can stop just like you can change the channel on your TV. If you disagree with my points (as some no doubt will), then I welcome you to respond respectfully, civilly and backed by genuine evidence. If your dissent fits this description, then feel free to share your views.

On the other hand, if you post a reaction typical of those found in comment sections - angry, defensive, vitriolic and insult ridden bursts of sarcasm, simply because my views don't match yours, then you'll be ignored and/or blocked. Again civility and evidence-based facts are key (sorry, but agenda-driven, innuendo-based websites like infowars.com or angrypatriotmovement.com doesn't count).

To those who say "Enough political posts, you're not changing anyone's mind." I say: Not true. Minds are changing regularly, more often for the better (hopefully that continues).

To those who say "We're screwed either way" I say: Wrong. There's a very false equivalence between the choices this November. We're definitely screwed in one scenario while in the other, there is a glimmer of hope.

What follows is a gathering of my current political thoughts. WARNING: It's long: 4000+ words. And that's the trimmed down version; it was nearly double (I guess I have a lot of thoughts). If this is too much for you to handle, you are advised to stop now and turn around at once. If not, please proceed ahead....

Hillary Clinton

My choice for President. There, I said it.

It was actually decided many months ago, during the primaries but I've kept quiet for reasons above. But it's not that I haven't been paying attention.

When I hear some describing Hillary Clinton, I honestly don't recognize what I'm hearing. It's as though we're talking about some character from a movie in which viewers have come away with radically different takeaways, much of it disparaging (usually on the right but also on the left) and usually taken radically out of context.

I understand she's imperfect as a human (as we all are) and flawed as a candidate (as most are). She has, at various times, adopted positions for political expediency, later to change them (i.e. gay marriage, law & order tactics, trade deals). I don't think this makes her evil; I think it makes her a capable politician, one who is much more needed now far more than a so called "outsider."

Sure, it feels good to some to bring in an an outsider. But sometimes doing what "feels good" in the short-term isn't in our best interest for the long term. Invading Iraq under false pretenses felt good to a great many Americans, in the sense of "taking action," and "kicking ass" (despite it being the wrong "ass"). It also led to the deaths of untold thousands of us (and far more civilians abroad), a disrupted economy, ISIS and more. The late period of the aftermath may not have been handled ideally, but you can’t blame those who tried to fix the mess many years later (i.e. President Obama) and gloss over those who caused it in the first place. And the blamers had no alternate solutions then, nor now. Regardless, it was Cheney, Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz, who fabricated the reasons for war and lied to the World. They deserve blame far more than those who were fed false intelligence and initially supported it (including HRC).

Not only did invading Iraq feel good to a great many Americans, so did disparaging those against the war. Americans who objected to the war had their patriotism questioned with accusatory fingers. The French were ridiculed (remember Freedom Fries?).

Yet the American conscientious objectors, along with the French, were right all along. And I've never heard any of these patriotism-pushing, French-bashing tough talkers come forward, show genuine remorse and admit wrongdoing. It’s not unlike a certain male candidate who perpetuated the Birther controversy ("My people are looking into it. They can't believe what they're finding!”), who now wants to act like it never happened (along with so many other things).

Admittedly, Hillary’s been willing to compromise some principles to advance long term goals. She is ambitious (some might say “power-hungry”, I prefer “influence-seeking”). But these qualities are a requirement of the job and to believe otherwise is naive. They are descriptive of every President we’ve had, popular and unpopular. And after seeing what HRC has faced, from unprecedented scrutiny from congressional committees, a bruising primary battle, a rudely unhinged general election opponent and a marriage filled with publicly embarrassing personal troubles, I believe she's tough and has what it takes to not only be president, but to rise above her previous political limitations.

I cannot help but feel she's held to an immeasurably higher standard than pre-internet era politicians. Just take a look at the secrets of Roosevelt, Kennedy and Nixon beyond Watergate. Can you imagine any of them getting away with that today? Take a look at these factually documented Reagan scandals. Now imagine all that in the age of WikiLeaks (who'd likely have brought down Reagan). As far as the recent WikiLeaks emails, and her comment on having public vs private positions, I have no problem with it and it is very similar to a Catholic who is privately pro-life but doesn't feel that entitles him to enforce his personal beliefs on women's reproductive rights, such as Maria Cuomo.

I'd been a recent resident of New York State when HR Clinton became the US Senator. I shared the skepticism of her as a non-resident with no business here. I also watched as she dove in to the tasks at hand, toured repeatedly throughout the state (including Republican-heavy rural regions), worked beyond anyone’s expectations and won folks over. As an early advocate for the Highline Park in Manhattan, she stood against the Giuliani administration which had wanted to demolish the train tracks. I saw her handling of 9-11, a tragic event I witnessed firsthand And who can blame the Senator from New York at the time (HRC) for voting for a military response? She was misled, as we all were. I don’t blame George W as much as his cronies. Bush was a puppet; Rumsfeld, Cheney and Wolfowitz were the masters of puppets (Metallica reference intended).

Let's look at some of the usual talking points against Hillary Clinton from the right (which overlap to the left as well). They include:

Benghazi - an incident in which no stone was left unturned (and no tax dollar left unspent) in investigations. While undeniably tragic, embassy attacks such as this are an unfortunate occurrence that never received the same outrage despite happening during prior administrations.

The Clinton Foundation - This organization has received an A rating from the non-partisan, independent monitor Charity Watch and claims that it is a corrupt, haven of conflict of interest have been debunked.

The emails - Like Benghazi, no stone has been left unturned or tax dollar unspent. While calls for discipline and tidying up are justified, the conclusion of "no criminal wrongdoing" seem factually grounded. And if you're using this as a source of outrage and insinuating there's a connection to the tragic loss of four Americans, then you must be equally outraged about the killing, maiming and wounding of thousands of Americans during the previous administration and the 22 Million emails that are missing, demanding answers and recognizing far greater breaches to national security. If not, you have no case and no right to use “Her emails” as a talking point.

Bill Clinton's sexual history - disappointing to say the least. However, it is unfair to place blame on Hillary Clinton for her husband's transgressions and her own reactions to them based on hurt and anger.

Now let's look at objections to Hillary on the left.

Some are still refusing to support her and threaten to "protest vote." I ask them to consider the following: When HRC leaned "centrist" in the '90s, there was a very different political mood, one that was much more conservative, fiscally and socially. Even within the Democratic ticket, the then Vice-Presidential spouse, Tipper Gore, had been on the PMRC - the commission to crack down on popular music , mainly for “obsene” lyrical content (how ironic that the mainstream news reports surrounding this election are filthier than the very lyrics the PMRC fought so hard to shield from America’s youth).

Today, things are different. Hillary will not have to compromise with right-leaning influences on the same level as before. Conservatism is in a strange quagmire socially (with some evangelicals actually rallying behind a potential "Pussy Grabber In Chief”), as well as fiscally. On this latter point, most voters on the left and right agree that there's too much concentrated wealth despite a willingness by right-leaning, economically challenged individuals to accept reinstating policies that led to to these situation. The overwhelming majority of citizens seem to want policies that reflect greater equality. Which brings to our next topic…

Bernie Sanders

Of course, he's no longer in the running, but his presence still looms large in the race.

I have great respect for Senator Sanders, the poster child (well, more like poster senior citizen) of economic equality. However, I had mixed feelings about his campaign. Some complain Hillary is too much of a "policy wonk,” (why this is seen as a bad thing, I’m still not sure). Conversely, I could have used many more details from the Sanders camp. I was even considering voting for him. However, his campaign consisted of too many simple ideological soundbites that are hard to disagree with, like the one in the photo. I still get notifications from his page and they're all filled with these likable, simple statements but no links to policy, plan or blueprints for long term implementation.

When Bernie finally got behind Hillary, some of his supporters wanted their donation money back. I think they should've asked for it much earlier, to be honest. This has much less to do with Bernie himself than with decisions by members of his staff - that’s a subject for a whole other blog - believe me, let's not even get started (OK, I’ll mention one such decision: sending Bernie on a dollar-gobbling, pollution-causing, donation-wasting private jet to say hello to the Pope in Rome without an official invitation and for no apparent reason other than a potential photo op that didn't happen).

Many complained Hillary received preferential treatment from the Democratic National Committee over Bernie Sanders. This I can understand. It's apparently true and resulted in a subsequent shakeup at the DNC. However, I don’t believe it's fair to completely throw HRC under the bus for this, especially when one takes into consideration the fact that the DNC was an organization Sanders avoided for years (he had been an Independent until just before his Presidential run), while, HRC had been a loyal, contributing member for decades. That’s just how things work in Politics sometimes.

Are you still with me? Politics is complex. It might be nice to believe in boasts like “We’re gonna be winning again! Everything’s gonna be great again! We’re gonna take our country back!” but I’m sorry, that’s short term, feel good bullshit, much like the hysteria surrounding the Iraq war. Don’t buy into it.

Anyhow… whatever happened in the past, Sen. Sanders is now on board with Hillary, as is Senator Elizabeth Warren and both have had a huge impact already. Look: Democrats Advance Most Progressive Platform in Party History.

In other words, Warren, Sanders and their colleagues will be chaperoning the prom of the new Clinton Administration. Bernie-fans, Green Party members and others: This is a good thing and you should be happy!

And if all that isn't enough for you, consider this whether you realize it or not, our Supreme Court has an impact far beyond the Presidency. And unless you understand how our Supreme Court works, who our Justices are, how they're appointed, who appointed them, what their ideological positions are, and how much weight they carry, you don't realize how this affects all of us. That's right, every system you may feel is "rigged," whether tax loopholes on mega-corporations, high student loan debt, unlimited political donations...whatever....That is all affected by the Supreme Court. It is also changeable through, yes, the Supreme Court. But if this election goes the other way, and your vote contributed to it, then you'll have no right to complain these or other issues you care about because they will grow immeasurably worse.

In other words, you don't have to be an enthusiastic Hillary supporter, to place a vote simply because of the implications of our Supreme Court.

Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson seems like a nice guy, however (and this is a HUGE however), if you were a Sanders supporter and are considering voting for him, you need to listen up.

Any left-leaning voter considering voting needs to consider that while GJ seems cool and believes in legal weed, which is supportable whether you're a stoner or not (disclaimer: I'm not), that comes along with his frightening Libertarian agenda including eliminating taxes for corporations (WTF?!), allowing you to be ripped off by opposition to Net Neutrality (complicated topic brilliantly explained by Jon Oliver) and halting all government action to address climate change. As well as many other reasons listed in the two links down below.

In addition, most of us know that GJ has knowledge deficits and was recently caught like a deer in the headlights unable to name a single world leader (a potential US President needs to be able to do that!). I can name some leaders (Merkel, Hollande, Modi, Abe, Abbas, Netanyahu, Erdogan). Does this mean I should run for President? (Kidding and not interested). :)

In all seriousness, I implore you to READ THIS and WATCH THIS. Please.

Jill Stein

As far as her policies and ideas, the following article sums it up far better than I could:
JILL STEIN'S IDEAS ARE TERRIBLE. SHE IS NOT THE SAVIOR THE LEFT IS LOOKING FOR.

Her chances of winning are literally impossible. She represents a waste of a vote - unthinkable given the potential consequences, ruining things for HRC the way fellow Green Party member Ralph Nader did for Gore in 2000. See how that worked out (I guarantee Gore wouldn't have had us invade Iraq and things would look, much, much different). So please, don't waste your vote.

The author of the article above, Jordon Weissman, has the guts to admit he was wrong on one point and take it back which, in my opinion, shows character and lends weight to his other arguments:
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE BACK ONE MEAN THING I SAID ABOUT JILL STEIN. (IT INVOLVES BEES.)

To recap: the image of Hillary as the embodiment of all things wrong with the system just doesn't add up. While she's made hard to forgive mistakes (as most politicians have) the notion of her as a heartless, conniving power-grabber who'll stop at nothing feels like a false caricature (and if you know anything about me, you’ll know I don’t rush to judgement or go with the mob-mentality).

Moving on: in a rare occurrence, the above description is quite accurate in terms of her general election opponent, a man (and I use the term loosely, as does this woman Republican Strategist Ana Navarro (whom I hope gets her own show one day). This "man's" demeanor, rhetoric and personal behavior is so despicable (and to use a topical word, deplorable), that it pains me to name him here and I will only do so by his initials, DJT.

DJT

(Image Courtesy of DONALD TRUMP SHUT UP)

Let's start with these wise words from the man I grew up watching deliver the news, Dan Rather, directed at Republicans who are only now denouncing and breaking with DJT: (click here for complete post)

He attacked Mexicans as rapists and murderers - but that was not enough.

He called for barring Muslims from entering the country - but that was not enough.

He incited violence in his rallies - but that was not enough.

He publicly mocked the disabled - but that was not enough.

He retweeted anti-Semitic memes - but that was not enough.

He demeaned a Gold Star Family - but that was not enough.

He insulted the press and railed against their Constitutional freedoms - but that was not enough.

He said that those who suffer from PTSD were weak - but that was not enough.

He had a long history of misogynist and sexist comments - but that was not enough.

He repeatedly lied on issues big and small - but that was not enough.

He refused to release his tax records or health records - but that was not enough.

He joked about violence against his political rival - but that was not enough.

The Hillary haters lose me when they say "Hillary lies!"

Ok. So you'll bring on DJT - someone who lies on the level of the Jim Carey character in Liar Liar?

"Bill's a pervert!"

Ok, so morality is important to you? Yet you support someone proving to have less morality than anyone we've seen at the Presidential level? (And don't bring up Bill Clintons behavior. Consensual activity doesn't count and neither do unproven allegations, of which DJT has a few of his own to answer for. And by the way, he's not running, she is).

Now...to briefly address those leaked comments that came to light late last week:

In all my years on tour buses and in backstage areas, I have never heard anything remotely as disturbing as this. Being around metal musicians and road crew, of course you're going to hear plenty of crass commentary and crude "guy talk" that - while I don't engage in it - I've never felt moralistic about, since it's generally no different than things you might hear in say, a raw HBO Comedy special. But this is another matter entirely; This is callous abuse of positions of power through unsolicited physicality. It is sickening. Billy Bush's encouragement and horny frat boy attitude towards the actress who greets them - she is working and has no choice but to smile and respond playfully - isn't much better. And it's not as though metal bands and crews are a bunch of choir boys, but from what I've seen, this sort of manipulative, predatory behavior isn't part of the equation and consent is a prerequisite for any naughtiness between guys and girls. If anyone backstage said what's on that tape, they would be shunned permanently.

As if any more proof was needed that this "guy," a term used loosely (what an insult to guys everywhere), with his normalizing of bigotry, brazen lies and now visibly documented behavior that is - to use a word he freely throws at women - disgusting - is unqualified to be invited to your house or my house, let alone The White House, this is it. Again, it's not about whether he used the P-word a long time ago (why do we even have to explain that?).

Use of the P-word alone would have been merely embarrassing; these comments, with their rape-culture validating demeanor, cross an unacceptable line (and again, don't bring up Bill Clinton. Someone else's wrongs don't make a right, it doesn't change a thing about DJT's behavior and his attempt to use BC's accusers from the past as pawns for a political stunt only makes things worse).

"I don't like either candidate!" and "Well, they're both bad!" is a futile, pointless position and false equivalence. Seriously. HRC has had her issues but they're at least in a zone comparable to other politicians we've had (Go back to the paragraphs above - near her picture - and click the links of prior Presidential scandals). DJT is worse on a level far beyond Hillary Clinton or any past US President. No comparison.

Everyday he makes news for something outrageous and unprecedented in US Politics, whether proclaiming wrongly imprisoned citizens should be executed, threatening to jail his opponent, citing documents proven to be falsified by Russia, no less! How did he get them? (Hey AngryPatriotMovement.com! Where are all the "Angry Patriots" on this? This is serious shit!) Who can even keep up?

Just today, it came out that he had barged in on Miss Teen USA contestants - some as young as fifteen - changing in their dressing room.

"He's not a typical politician" is not an excuse nor a reason to support him. And as if his disavowing of science isn't dangerous enough to disqualiy, his denial of the very things he said is.

If you were an Apprentice viewer and liked DJT (and I do admit having watched him at times for pure entertainment value, as one would enjoy an offensive comedian or cartoon character), that's one thing. But things are different now.

Those of us who choose to live healthy shouldn't have to be negatively impacted by your decision to live dangerously.
If you choose to let someone into your life who is a serial "user," one who bullies, cheats, lies, abuses authority and promotes himself as something he's not, that's your business. But the rest of us shouldn't have to be negatively impacted by YOUR bad decision.

Now before we go any further, a message to all my Republican and conservative leaning friends:

I can respect your differing views, even though they may not gel with mine. I know this is easier for us who lean "left" to support a candidate that is more in line with our positions. Growing up in an overwhelmingly liberal enclave (Berkeley, Ca), at one time I'd have loved to rebel and come on board with you guys/girls. However, my view of the world, gleamed through personal experience and my own research, just doesn't line up with conservative ideology. Still, we can agree to disagree and in some cases even agree.

Besides, look at it this way: this election season I am joining up with many, many Republicans! That’s right: high profile Republicans like former Ambassador Robert Blackwill, adviser to Bush 41 and 43 on national security; Ambassador Pete Teeley, who served under George H.W. Bush; Daniel Twining, former staffer to President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain and many, many more.

There are even such high profile Republican folks as George HW Bush and his own granddaughter as well as the daughter of former tough-guy NYC Mayor turned Trump surrogate screamer Rudy Giuliani. We’re all "With Her." And this doesn't even include all those who are doing so by default, by abstaining from voting or otherwise, more than 160 GOP leaders and counting .

Even a pundit I never thought I'd agree with, who while not openly admitting voting for her (he'll lose his what's left of his base if so), has all but walked through that door: Glenn Beck To say all this is unprecedented is beyond an understatement.

This is all reminiscent of that scene in the original Independence Day film, when opposing peoples and warring countries all unite against a common enemy hell-bent on our imminent destruction for their own benefit (much like DJT's affect on Atlantic City)

This actually gives me hope...

You may choose to see us as a nation divided, but I'm seeing Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, uniting like never before. Even if we won't always agree on policy, the fact that those of us now in the same camp can engage in civil discourse, void of name calling and personal attacks and even enjoy each others company (watch clips of conservative radio host Charlie Sykes appearing with MSNBC's Laurence O'Donnel, for example) is encouraging.

Maybe our elected officials could learn from this? I've met conservatives that, while we may never agree on certain issues, strike me as extremely decent people and I can respect their convictions. I honestly believe if this was more reflective in the government and there was less trash talking obstructionism, more things would get done, faster.

All politicians lie, sorry. While HRC may have bended the truth at times, its not in a way that’s beyond most previous US Presidents (there are too many examples to list). And I believe DJT believes that what he says is true at the moment he says it. Yet that "truth" changes from moment to moment.

This is a sign of mental disturbance. I don't say this lightly and have never said this in context of a US political figure no matter how much I've disagreed with them. DJT is a serial liar whose statements are pure contradiction on a level of the old Monty Python sketch The Argument Clinic starting at 1:17.

This is dangerous.

When lies become truth, you start to believe it.

I also believe OJ Simpson really believes it when he proclaims he's innocent (which, he’s not. And no, I’m not comparing DJT to an alleged murderer, but his relationship with the truth is chillingly similar).

Again, some may no doubt respond to all this by saying that musicians should stick with music and not discuss politics. But this is a democracy - we all have the right to discuss politics (and we should, civilly).

And while we're on the subject of musicians and politics: I'd rather be on the side of nuanced, socially conscious individuals like Springsteen and Paul McCartney than musicians whose classic music I appreciate but who have grown into people with attitudes like those expressed in the Charlie Daniels NRA Video and let's not even get started on Ted "I'd like to kill the President" Nugent (By the way, speaking of the NRA, the 2nd Amendment was written to protect the right of everyone to own 1770s-era flint muscats, not today's mass-killing paramilitary assault weapons).

To conclude:

I don't need to tell anyone that this is the strangest election imaginable. One that has found me cheering for artists whose music I've never been a fan of, such as Third Eye Blind and Limp Biscuit as well as others whose music I am a fan of and know personally, but have never discussed politics and was pleasantly surprised to find us so in agreement, like my friend Kerry King .

Believing in a lone savior - whether it’s DJT, Sanders, Johnson, Stein or for that matter, HRC - to solve all our challenges may feel good, but is not reality and not in our best interests. HRC has the experience and has the right people behind her. There are certainly challenges ahead with her (or anyone) at the helm. There will be failures but measurable to those of Presidents throughout US History. But to vote for DJT, or abstain from voting or to cast a protest vote should be unthinkable at this moment in time.

Remember this: There is a big difference between what you want to believe and what is. A "big strong man" is not going to come and fix everything. And the evidence shows, this "big strong man" is a "big CON man."

It's time to embrace reality. An overwhelming number of experts - Democrats, Republicans and Independents - all feel the same way, that there is no alternative. Hillary Clinton is the only choice this November. And I'm not someone who says things like that. Now is not the time to say "I'm going to vote my conscience." Your conscience should be telling you to prevent the worst.

Don't like the system? Fine, let's work to fix it. But letting a mentally unbalanced, dictator-like practitioner of authoritarianism take over is NOT the answer. We need to vote for Hillary. And we'll figure things out from there.

Thanks for listening.

(*Image courtesy of The Leaf Chronicle)

Alex's Book Club: THE IDIOT By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

2016-09-28T12:29:00.002-04:00

Ok, this is not really a book club. There's no "book of the month." There are no plans to monitor a discussion. These days I never know when I'm going to write my next blog post, let alone when I'll be on hand to discuss a book. At the same time, since I've been reading so many great books lately, it seems a shame not to at least share a few thoughts while they're fresh and allow for others to do likewise in an independently paced manner. Timing is not urgent. If the book chosen is a classic like this, and you may have read it long ago, maybe even during the 90s or earlier, feel free to add any distant memories. Should you decide to take it on and chime in somewhere down the road long after we've moved onto other books, that's fine too (Did I mention the words "informal" and "independently paced?). I may not always be around to interact, but will try (don't take it personally if I can't). Here then is entry #1 of "Alex's Book Club." (PS how cool is it that the moniker, A.B.C., forms the first three letters of the alphabet! Cue "Twilight Zone" music)...

Dostoyevsky's The Idiot is a literary classic some of you have no doubt already read. I somehow never did. I'd read one of the author's other signature classics, Crime & Punishment in the 90s and deeply appreciated it, although that book's portrayal of a depressingly down-on-his-luck character (who happened to have a name close to my own - Raskolnikov) doing battle with the 19th Century Russian judicial system, was a bit heavy. Knowing Dostoyevsky's own life was rife with unpleasantries, some of which - such as being thrown in prison (albeit unjustly) - shaped his stories, I'd always felt a bit intimidated to dive back into Dostoyevsky's material and finally felt ready for an onslaught of difficult processing (much as one preps for viewing a depressing film).

However, The Idiot was nothing like that at all! Riveting, moving and with some sad subtexts, sure. But with a protagonist (Myshkin) far more likable than Raskolnikov, glimpses into Russian upper-class society of the period and far more relatable human observations, The Idiot is a far different, more pleasant read than Crime & Punishment. And as mentioned in a Tweet, the book is so good, I felt like "the idiot" for not starting it sooner.

I was finally motivated to do so by a recent trip to Russia (July 2016). The Idiot had been on my shelf for many years, glaring at me like the vodka-filled Dostoyevsky Russian nesting doll I'd find while in St. Petersburg.

Which brings up the following thought: Reading a novel in the region it was written, even if it was well over a century ago, can be magical. Viewing the historic scenery, hearing the native language spoken on the street and engaging in borsht, herring and other delicacies while taking in just read chapters of a great Russian novel is an experience I wish I could share with everyone, and can best attempt to do with a photo, my view from a St. Petersburg hotel room:

In lieu of travel, one might watch a Russian film, dine in a local Russian restaurant, hang with a Russian (I know many nice ones) or somehow enhance the experience. Either way, regardless of whether you're able to engage in any extra-curricular culture, the book is fantastic.

I don't wish for this to be an academic synopsis and don't have time, to be perfectly honest. I aim to resist the temptation to summarize to write a blog the length of a Russian novel (particularly when dealing with a real Russian novel!). There are already plenty of thorough listings and dissections of The Idiot's main characters, their motivations and representations and comprehensive historical facts. In case anyone's interested in such material, I recommend checking out this website).

Rather than feeling like this an online classroom, let's pretend we're hanging out at a Russian bar passing the book back and forth while sipping vodka (Russian Standard, chilled), discussing a few thoughts on things I've earmarked in the book such as these:

* QUOTE: "There is nothing more annoying than to be...precisely 'like other people.' Nothing is easier for 'ordinary' people of limited intelligence than to imagine themselves exceptional and original and to revel in that delusion without the slightest misgiving. Some of our young ladies have only to crop their hair, put on blue spectacles, and dub themselves Nihilists, to persuade themselves at once that they have immediately gained "convictions" of their own. Some men have only to feel the faintest stiffing of some kindly and humanitarian emotion to persuade themselves at once that no one feels as they do, that they stand in the foremost rank of culture. Some have only to meet with some idea by hearsay, or to read some stray page, to believe at once that it is their own opinion and has sprung spontaneously from their own brain."

There is actually an entire essay's worth of observation on this, too much to share here (it's all near the very beginning of PART IV, Chapter 1 for those interested). At one point Dostoyevsky uses the phrase '...to have intelligence, but no ideas of ones own' (italics his). This captures human herd mentality in a nutshell (insert, "goth," "punk," "hipster," "metal," "leftist," "conservative" or any other group label for "nihilist," whether male or female). While there's nothing wrong with joining movements, too many, then and now, follow them to the point of total blindness and loss of individuality. And do you ever notice how quickly an expression from a popular TV show or movie is suddenly used by everyone, yet many don't even know where it came from? That's today's "stray page."

* Along this same theme, there is this quote from a dying young man (Ikppolit) to another (Ganya): QUOTE: "You are the most ordinary of the ordinary. Not the smallest idea of your own will ever take shape in your heart of your mind. But you are infinitely envious' you are firmly persuaded that you're a great genius. But yet doubt does visit you sometimes at black moments, and you grow spiteful and envious."

Ouch!

Inappropriate? Yes.
Uncalled for? Yes.
But true? Yes.
Have I ever wished to say this to someone? (No comment)

* QUOTE: "Do not let us forget that the causes of human actions are usually immeasurably more complex and varied than our subsequent explanations of them."

Can I get a "Hell Yeah?!" I know, I know... That's a popular expression, which may seem hypocritical given the discussion in the paragraph above, about having ideas of one's own. Herein lies the difference: I KNOW it's "hearsay" and from the "stray page." (There's nothing wrong with that if you're conscious of it and borrowed phrases doesn't form the foundation of your communication).

* QUOTE: "There were persons of the party who would never on any count have recognized (the hosts) as their equals. There were persons who absolutely detested one another. There were people who had not met one another for some years and felt nothing but indifference if not dislike for one another: yet they greeted each other as though they had only met yesterday in the most friendly and intimate company"

Is he talking about Los Angeles?

* Aglaia, the respected, highly courted young lady, to her rival, the tragic, highly damaged, Nastasya
QUOTE: "You understand. But you pretend not to understand on purpose."

Ouch! There are admittedly a few occasions I wish I'd thought to say that.

* QUOTE: "This gentleman felt it incumbent upon him to amaze everyone by his originality and liveliness, but never succeeded in doing so. Some people he impressed unfavorably, which was a real mortification to him. Yet he did not relinquish his efforts."

This is about a very minor character, an annoying young man named Ferdyschtchenko - the neighbor that shows up everywhere. He's more or less what we in modern times would call a "hanger-on." This causes me to think of certain folks I've known from the music world, yet I'm sure it exists in various settings. The frailty of the human psyche is not limited to any one field or genre, it knows know bounds. There are those so desperate for acceptance and for whom life has become a sole quest for acknowledgement and gratification, to the point that they've lost sight of the very craft of music (or whatever it is they're using as an attention-seeking method).

*QUOTE: "Diffidence and complete lack of initiative have always been considered the cheif sign of a practical man, and indeed are so regarded still...Inventors and geniuses have almost always been looked on as no better than fools at the beginning of their career, and very frequently at the end of it also."

Then as today, practicality is encouraged, while taking chances, stepping outside the box, finding your true calling as an individual, is frowned upon. Practicality, or "playing it safe" is overrated.

Here's my takeaway: this may sound bizarre, but this feels like a contemporary novel to me.The Idiot is an ironic title, as the main character Myshkin, has no need to impress anyone, yet is surrounded by those who are conniving and scheming for the sake of social status. Because he's not a big talker and is self-deprecatingly modest, the level of his intelligence and depth of character is vastly misunderstood.

In all too many fields and social scenes, the quiet ones who don't aim to impress, who are realistic in their assessments of themselves and others and don't misrepresent themselves as something they're not, are the ones who tend to be looked down upon as foolish and flawed, as is the case in the book. Yet truthfully, it is the behavior of many of the surrounding characters that qualifies as being that of an "idiot." This is certainly true in the modern world of music, not that I could relate (ahem, cough). I also couldn't help but think of the numerous Facebook status updates, all glowingly illustrating lives that are impossibly terrific, while those few who post honestly and infrequently tend to be overlooked and underestimated.

Were The Idiot to take place today, the story would no doubt be affected by tremendous advances in technology, science and especially medicine. Myshkin, who suffered epilepsy, would be treated with anticonvulsant medications and/or surgery. The young character who is deathly ill, Ippolit (quoted above), would be treated today for tuberculosis (known as "consumption" back then), and would possibly survive (or more likely wouldn't get the disease in the first place, thanks to vaccinations - unless his mom listened to celebrities spouting scientifically debunked theories of vaccine danger). Nastasya, although deserving of sympathy because of her mistreatment at the hands of a longtime guardian/authority figure (Trotsky), would be a candidate for intensive psychotherapy and young men would be advised to stay away from her due to erratic behavior indicative of Borderline Personality Disorder.

However, I'm almost sad to report, that it doesn't seem humans have changed much over the decades and centuries from a behavioral standpoint. Medicine and technology have evolved, humans haven't. For example, somewhere in the book, a rich dignitary captures the heart of one of the most desirable young females in the story (not going to mention to avoid spoilers) - yet he's quickly found out to be neither rich, nor a dignitary. Hmm. Someone misrepresenting themselves as something they're not. What century is this?

Seriously, what has changed since Dostoyevsky's time? Sure, we're using Uber instead of the Epanchins' fancy horse-drawn carriages. We have WhatsApp instead of these young ladies' stealthily passed handwritten notes. Yet, internally, human behavior is really not much different.

As just one example, quite a few young women have been damaged in the same manner of Nastasya by her guardian (Totsky) by someone who presented himself as America's most lovable TV father. A few years before, a champion seen as an all around good guy was caught in numerous lies, scandals and fraud, destroying his enemies who turned out to be right the whole time that this man is no American hero. And its not not only men (read about the young female former tech billionaire is now a proven fraud). Nor is it just Westerners (read about the Japanese man, acclaimed worldwide as a deaf composer, yet is neither deaf, nor a composer, despite building a massive career as Japan's Beethoven). It would take many more blogs to keep up with the stream of major news stories coming in about people misrepresenting themselves. And these are just the high profile ones! Lesser known stories abound.

Although it would be great if we could all be like Myshkin, seeing good in all, without flaw, it is not a realistic proposition. (Spoiler alert): it doesn't end that well for Myshkin. Yet his story can help us all by causing us to take a better, more honest assessment of those we're surrounded with. Now, as then, is up for the rest of us to be aware of the flawed reality of humans.

I'm starting to think that the entire self-help movement might have been rendered unnecessary if more of us (myself included) had paid closer attention to great works of literature like this. All the answers are there. Move over Tony Robbins, there's a new sheriff in town (from 1800s Russia), and his name is Fyodor.

In closing, a brief but very cool anecdote: I found myself with time off in Paris with just a few chapters left to go of "The Idiot," and made plans to wind up my encounter with this epic novel in a reading room at the legendary Shakespeare & Co bookstore. I arrived expecting little connection (other than Shakespeare & Co being a beloved haven for classical literature). Yet the following sign - paraphrasing the words of the store's late, beloved founder George Whitman - was there, as if purposely placed to welcome me in. This felt like a "sign" in more ways than one...

Cleaning House

2016-07-28T09:14:00.004-04:00

Hi Folks,

Thanks to all who've kept up with this blog over the years. I wish I'd done a better job with it myself.

To be honest, I've been going through a bit of an existential crisis lately about what to do about the blog, nearly eight years after the first post. There are a few reasons.

1) It feels odd to say you "have a blog" when more than a year passes between posts. For the first time, there've been two posts in which more than a year has passed. A year & a half between this post & the last one.

2) In fairness to myself, I've been quite busy. I'll exhaust all of us if I list everything. It has included writing for other sources, including academic conferences and magazines. Lets just say I'm more busy than when I was writing here regularly (which included posts apologizing to you all for the delay between posts, usually a matter of a month or so).

3) It's also strange to receive notifications to approve or disprove a comment that relates to something I wrote all those years ago, no longer feels relevant, one I don't remember the details of, don't have time to go back and review and take on the comment (if its an angry one, of which there are a few) which may or may not be totally irrelevant to how I view certain situations today.

4) I'm grappling with the "free economy," being a mere "content generator" and the idea that ones creations are just content to be shared with everyone forever. Don't get me wrong, I've been overjoyed to share all these posts with you all. Its helped me develop a writing style and even led to some solid writing and speaking gigs. But that doesn't mean I need to leave all posts up there eternally, especially ones that I may save for a future book or ones that no longer feel relevant.

5) Blogger's format has changed several times. Links have stopped working, comments have been lost. But It is what it is. Still, I've kicked myself for starting SkolNotes on Blogger and not Wordpress.

I confess I've recently thought about deleting the blog (saving all the content). However, going through and seeing all your great comments and interactions was moving. And I hadn't noticed the page views (often in the tens of thousands). Then I remembered some of the waves we've made and controversies caused together. All of this has caused me to reconsider.

So instead, I'm cleaning house!

I'm only leaving a few selected posts up at any given time. Feel free to let me know any favorite posts and I'll either repost them from time to time and/or consider them for future publication. And I do have some new posts in mind that you'll probably see soon.

Thanks for understanding and thanks always for your support!
Alex

The Talkhouse/Dianne Reeves

2014-02-11T02:23:00.004-05:00

My first post of '14 appears courtesy of The Talkhouse, a unique online music journal, which has the following self-description: "Smart, distinguished musicians from all genres and generations writing about the latest releases." It's an honor and humbling to be among such distinguished and diverse company as techno-vegan Moby, trailblazing jazz pianist/Harvard Genius Grant recipient Vijay Iyer, Slipknot Screamer Corey Taylor (whose artistry extends far beyond his image) and numerous others.

Curiously, my two favorite reviews on the site are by artists who are the last anyone would expect to cover the genre of hip-hop. One is by late legend and misunderstood Metallica collaborator Lou Reed, whose review of Kanye West's Yeezus is a work of art unto itself, and the other is by Lamb of God vocalist (full disclosure: a close friend), whose review of Pusha T, an artist I was unfamiliar with, is not only surprisingly heartfelt but unpredictably illuminating - of the writer and the subject.

As it turned out, my favorite living jazz singer (maybe singer period), Dianne Reeves, had a new album coming out just in time for my deadline. Today, she became a follower of mine on Twitter and exchanged some nice messages back and forth (full disclosure #2: I don't get starstruck very often but I'm on Cloud Nine right now). I'm gathering she approves of the review (critiques and all). Please enjoy my review of Dianne's latest album, Beautiful Life.

PS It was this TV appearance by Dianne that first drew me in:

Kind of a Tragic Story

2013-12-23T22:17:00.001-05:00

Ned Vizzini was my upstairs neighbor. When I'd first moved in, our interactions were limited to very quick "hellos" while coming and going on the stairs - typical of Brooklyn apartment dwellers. After all, New York is a place packed with creative workaholics focused on whatever we're doing next (many of us, myself included, wouldn't have it any other way). That's not to say that you can't get to know someone, it just takes a bit longer. This is especially true when one neighbor makes frequent trips to LA to write for television (him) and the other is a guitarist who tours the world much of the year (me).

When one of our building's board members moved away, my name came up as a replacement, having appeared to be a responsible tenant, little did they know (kidding). It was Ned who filled me in and showed me the ropes. By then, he'd been on the board for a few years and had built up an extensive knowledge of building codes, maintenance contractors, real estate law and other details. This was all strange, uncharted territory for this first-time condo owner. It was quite impressive how he'd approached his position on the board with such a scholar's diligence.

Judging by Ned's professional demeanor, admirable handling of building board responsibilities and peer-like interactions with other board members - all of whom were in their late thirties or forties, I figured he must be close to my own age, mid-thirties at least. He was only in his late twenties.

One day I bumped into Ned on the stairs and noticed he was carrying a large pile of books. He insisted I take one. Realizing they were all copies of the same book, I asked "You wrote a book?" He told me he'd written three so far, this was the latest. At that point, I'd had no idea he was a writer, let alone a professional one. He went on to say that I was under no obligation to read it, in fact he'd understand if I didn't - it's really not that good anyway and besides, the one he's working on now will be much better.

Despite Ned's self-deprecation, not to mention his book's strange title, I soon took it off the shelf. I hoped to find something to like about it and feared the mask I'd have to wear if I didn't. It's not everyday that the author of a novel you're reading happens to live two flights up.

I needn't have worried.

"It's Kind of a Funny Story" had me laughing aloud one moment, on the verge of tears the next, and back again. I couldn't believe someone could successfully capture a character like this - one whose lifelong battles with depression were so severe, they'd resulted in suicidal thoughts and a trip to the psych ward - yet never losing his overall perspective. At the same time, the book was written with effective humor and a pop culture awareness, like hanging out with a friend speaking directly to you. One didn't need to have experienced clinical depression to relate to some of the feelings described. And not to take anything away from him but the book wasn't all fiction - it's based on events that are largely autobiographical.

It was quite fortuitous to have ended up as a neighbor of Ned. Having recently started this blog, I’d finally been taking writing seriously. Although planning to write books for years, I hadn't yet found a way to balance it with the demands of my first craft, guitar playing. Writing a book seemed like such a Herculean task.

Now, having a human face attached to a great book I'd just read helped reinforce the idea that it can be done. Not wanting to come across as a "wannabe writer" type (of which there are many, just as there are in music), I let him know how much I liked his book, mentioned it in a blog post but mostly kept quiet about my own writing. After all, this was a very serious and successful writer, despite his young age.

After one of the building board meetings, at a different location, we walked back together and Ned let me know he had some musician friends who knew who I was and had been excited to hear that he and I were neighbors. He introduced me to them via email. At that point, it felt ok to mention my blogs, plans to write books of my own. He seemed genuinely interested, and from then on, whenever he had a moment, would be forthcoming with advice and suggestions.

Though I'd never think to ask, Ned would later be kind enough to offer, even insist on reading my own manuscript when it was ready. As soon as he read it, he gave me great feedback, advice and a wonderful quote for the book, for which I'd always be grateful.

I've since read in other tributes that Ned Vizzini was always incredibly supportive and encouraging towards aspiring writers. He enjoyed giving workshops and answering questions. He was never guarded about his process, speaking freely of throwing away much of what he wrote, even abandoning projects at a certain point. Much of the act of writing involved sifting through your pages of "clutter," finding the “good stuff,” and tweaking it. Though I'd sensed this somewhat - it is a similar process to that of composing music - it helped to be in the vicinity of someone doing it so well.

Just seeing Ned around the neighborhood was inspiring. Bumping into each other at a local coffeehouse, we'd give a quick wave with silent understanding of being, as they say in sports "in the zone." I'd rarely seen someone work so hard on their laptop and with so much intensity. This re-enforced what I’d been reading in motivational books for writers: that it was a matter of being there; showing up, hitting that keyboard (or typewriter, notepad, iPad or whatever) with abandon, turning off the phone and internet and just going for it. I'm still baffled at his level of focus and productivity, let alone for someone his age.

Ned had been writing professionally since the age of fifteen, freely channeling his high school angst and insecurities into a career as an author of YA or “young adult” novels (his were books I'd wished had been around during my own precarious high school years). Natural talent was one necessary component, of which Ned clearly had prodigious amounts. But he also specialized in that other requirement, often overlooked from the outside: a heck of a lot of hard work. The same is true of music.

Speaking of which, Ned was a big fan of music as well. Having written professional music reviews, he could discuss albums with an educated listener's insight. A child of the '90s, he'd grown up on Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins and mostly listened to indie rock and classic rock. But that's not to say he couldn't respect other styles. He'd seem to greatly enjoy my jazz trio album I passed on to him (Veritas) and would keep up with my own career, even after he'd moved permanently to the West Coast. An email from 2012 would include the following: "On another note, the new Testament album (Dark Roots of Earth) is great. I'm not big into thrash but for me it has a lot of the elements that I really like from bands like Solace and Kyuss, the slow, heavy stuff. From listening to samples I think it's the band's best work yet."

Before then, there'd be a day when I'd walk into our building just as a Fed-Ex guy would hand Ned a large envelope from the Disney corporation. Ned would explain that this was paperwork to license his book for a motion picture. I'd congratulate him, but he'd respond tepidly, explaining that this happens all the time - movie companies license numerous books, often for films that never get made. He'd be certain it's all just a bunch of cheap talk that won't result in anything. Though he'd appreciate my enthusiasm and be glad that someone in the film world seemed to"get" his book, he'd remain largely skeptical.

Within two years, New York City buses would be plastered with ads for "It's Kind of a Funny Story," a film starring Zach Galifianakis, Viola Davis, Emma Roberts, Keir Gilchrist and The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi.

From this point on, things happened fast for Ned. The film was a huge hit with critics and film festivals - despite not being a box office smash - and many more writing doors opened in Hollywood. By 2011, he'd rented out his apartment as he was spending more and more time writing in LA. In addition to the popular network TV show "Last Resort," he finished another acclaimed novel, The Other Normals. Despite no longer living upstairs, he was still on the condo-board and would fly in for meetings. In midst of it all, he'd gotten married to a fellow writer, Sabra Embury, and they'd had an adorable baby, Felix, whom Ned brought over to my apartment a couple times while on visits to New York.

Soon, however, it would make sense to sell his place upstairs and settle with his new family in LA full time. He and I would continue to stay in touch via email and social networks. As recently as September, he'd chime in on Twitter during my music-related rants, usually with some poignant, hilariously witty pun.

Although Ned's clinical depression was well documented, he seemed to have it under control at least. Any suicidal impulses appeared to have been left on a corner that he'd turned long ago. Until a few days ago, that is. That's when I noticed a flurry of online activity connected to a friend's Facebook account, words along the lines of "Please, no." "This can't be true." It was coming from Ned's profile.

A few posts spoke for many of us - we wouldn't believe it without an official confirmation. Perhaps it was all just a cruel internet hoax? Like others, I tried calling him but couldn't get through. Then, like a blow from a hammer - dreaded but anticipated - came the first official report, a link from The LA Times

How could someone who's achieved it all at 32 years old - acclaimed novels, full time gigs in Hollywood, a beautiful family, friends, respect, success at something creative and seemingly everything anyone could ever want - suddenly and without warning take his own life?

I can only think of the words of another great writer, one who'd also battled with mental illness, eventually ending his own suffering:

“The so-called ‘psychotically depressed’ person who tries to kill herself doesn’t do so out of quote ‘hopelessness’ or any abstract conviction that life’s assets and debits do not square. And surely not because death seems suddenly appealing. The person in whom Its invisible agony reaches a certain unendurable level will kill herself the same way a trapped person will eventually jump from the window of a burning high-rise. Make no mistake about people who leap from burning windows. Their terror of falling from a great height is still just as great as it would be for you or me standing speculatively at the same window just checking out the view; i.e. the fear of falling remains a constant. The variable here is the other terror, the fire’s flames: when the flames get close enough, falling to death becomes the slightly less terrible of two terrors. It’s not desiring the fall; it’s terror of the flames. And yet nobody down on the sidewalk, looking up and yelling ‘Don’t!’ and ‘Hang on!’, can understand the jump. Not really. You’d have to have personally been trapped and felt flames to really understand a terror way beyond falling.” - David Foster Wallace

As I see stories on the death of Ned Vizzini, the well-known writer, in People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, CNN and so many other mainstream media outlets, I can only think of the good-natured, extremely hard working, wise-beyond-his-years and privately tormented fellow who lived upstairs; my friend and former neighbor, Ned.

In addition to his family, Ned leaves behind a body of poignant work that will reach for many years to come. Ned's upstairs apartment, where much of his writing took place, is now owned by a professional classical violinist whose daily emanating passages of concertos by the likes of Bach and Handel seem to capture the creative spirit that remains, a fitting tribute to the loss of its previous occupant.

And at this point in the story I, like all of Ned Vizzini's acquaintances, admirers, friends and family, am at a loss for words.

Ned Vizzini Website

The Wrecking Crew

2013-12-12T17:38:00.000-05:00

I recently had the privilege to watch an advance of a film entitled The Wrecking Crew - an inspiring documentary that, unless you're already familiar with this story, bears no resemblance to anything the title could possibly bring to mind. For some, that might be a fictional team of Marvel Comics supervillains; for others, a 1968 comedic film staring Dean Martin; and for others still, a signature song by East Coast thrash metal band, Overkill.

No, this is a film about an unsung group of top Los Angeles studio musicians, a real life A-Team of the 60s, 70s and 80s. It has nothing to do with comic books, that is, until you consider that these are the musicians who played the unforgettable theme from the original TV version of Batman (and various other themes based on superheros). It has nothing to do with the Rat Pack, until you realize that these same folks recorded some of the most respected work of Frank Sinatra, as well as Frank's daughter Nancy and the Dino himself. And though the film may not have much to do with heavy metal, one must take these three things into consideration:

A. Some of those iconic melodies performed by The Wrecking Crew are forerunners to the types of intervallic patterns later to be found in metal riffs. For example, take a listen to "Batman", as well as their signature recordings of "The Pink Panther" and "Mission Impossible;"

B. One of The Wrecking Crew's hit recordings, Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" inspired a cover by Megadeth.

C. The influence and impact The Wrecking Crew had on future generations of musicians - directly and indirectly - was profound, affecting players of every style and sub-genre of popular music, from the 60s to the present day.

The Wrecking Crew movie is the brainchild of Denny Tedesco, son of guitarist Tommy Tedesco. Realizing that his father had limited time to live, Denny Tedesco embarked upon a mission to capture the story of Tommy and his team of anonymously iconic musicians.

Having grown up learning many riffs and licks from the 60s through the 80s - popular songs, TV themes, jingles and other anonymously played guitar parts, I was, like many other guitarists, influenced by much of Tommy Tedesco's work, albeit unknowingly. More overtly, I'd regularly digest Tedesco's monthly column in Guitar Player magazine and was greatly inspired by his book, "For Guitar Players only."

Tedesco was someone who inspired guitarists to set the bar high, a musician of unlimited diversity and appreciation of all styles of music who combined a blend of theoretical knowledge and "street" playing skills. He was also extremely down to Earth, with a sense of humor and candor rarely found among musicians of his caliber. For example, in his book, Tommy freely admits that he'd been far from a child prodigy - a late bloomer as far as reaching a professional level - even going so far as to admit that his own guitar teacher couldn't believe this once struggling student had gone on to play guitar for a living. Such wisdom laced with straightforward honesty was quite reassuring for that certain breed of player who'd shown potential on the guitar but lacked the self-confidence to take on music theory and other advanced concepts at a young age (Picture me smiling and waving to you right now: "Hello!"). Tedesco's humor and wit come across strongly throughout the film, which includes a clip from his appearance on The Gong Show (a predecessor of America's Got Talent): "Requiem for a Studio Guitar Player," a performance that was both very funny yet deeply poignant, earning the admiration of his not-easily-impressed friend, Frank Zappa.

Although I'm most familiar with Tommy Tedesco, being a guitarist myself, I found some of the stories of the other Wrecking Crew members fascinating. For example, anyone whose image of female electric bassists was forged by rock groups like Sonic Youth and White Zombie needs to realize that Carol Kaye was laying down some of the most memorable bass lines of all time decades earlier. And many of us know Glen Campbell as the singer of such hits as Wichita Lineman and Rhinestone Cowboy. But who knew he'd gotten his start as one of those anonymous session musicians in the background, a core member of The Wrecking Crew?

It is refreshing to be reminded that popular music used to be made by musicians who could really play and never depended on technology based trickery (as is sadly the case with the majority of mainstream music today). These folks brought to every project a stamp of their own unique musical personality, along with a strong work ethic, high standards, respect for the classics (jazz) and openness for the new (rock'n'roll). The Wrecking Crew is an invaluable document of how things were before live musicians were largely replaced in the interest of lower costs, forsaking quality for the sterility that has plagued music in the 21st century.

Unfortunately, this film has hit a bit of a snag, mostly in terms licensing fees for the music. As a result there is now a Kickstarter project under way to help official release to the public, including a run of theatrical screenings, streaming and DVDs. Anyone wishing to contribute (and there are some very enticing incentives) can do so by clicking this link to the film's KICKSTARTER PAGE.

Support this project if you can, whether that's donating or helping spread the word. And either way, do yourself a favor by watching these clips and, most importantly, seeing the film when it comes out. By doing so, you'll not only relive some of the great popular music of the 20th Century, you'll find out the story behind how much of it was made and get to know some of these fantastic, influential and largely anonymous musicians, known as The Wrecking Crew.

Official trailer:

Beach Boys genius Brian Wilson discussing sessions with Wrecking Crew bassist Carol Kaye and drummer Hal Blaine

Leon Russell Stories

Lou Adler and Herb Alpert on Sam Cooke

Zawinul Revisited

2013-07-26T11:29:00.002-04:00

World music is a side I've been exploring more lately, for a recording that will take place in the not-too-distant future (more on that later). In addition to seeking out new sounds, this process has involved the revisiting of influential albums that haven't been listened to in a while, including some by the late, great Joe Zawinul.

Zawinul is a household name in jazz and world music communities, but is much lesser known outside these circles (which is a shame). It may have been Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin who first opened my ears to virtuosic improvisation flavored with global influences, but Joe Zawinul exposed a world of further possibilities with equal excitement, despite being a multi-keyboardist and not a guitarist.

While Di Meola and McLaughlin offered plenty of goalposts to shoot for in terms of fiery guitar licks, Zawinul inspired in a different way - through compositions and soundscapes that take the listener on a journey of both land and time. Like the signature scene from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Zawinul's music often evokes primitive shades of early man (via tribal rhythms) and science-fiction tinged images of the future (via robot-like electronic sounds).

As an example, take Joe's 90s group, Zawinul Syndicate, whom I mananged to catch one night at Yoshi's Nightclub in Oakland, California in 1996. In addition to Zawinul and his multi-layered keyboard rig - one that would have looked right at home on stage with Yes, Rush or Emerson Lake & Palmer - this band included an African drummer (Paco Sery), a Puerto Rican percussionist (Manola Badrena) and two Americans - bassist Victor Baily and guitarist Gary Poulson (who pleasantly surprised me by recognizing me afterwards; his diverse listening tastes included metal. Who knew?). This was one of those rare performances that reminded the audience of what great music is able to achieve.

I'd soon be thrilled to find out that this tour was captured via a live album entitled "World Tour." Here's the song they came out with that night (recorded three months later in Trier, Germany), one of the best live performances of jazz/fusion, world-music (and music period) I've ever witnessed: Patriots.

Zawinul would pass away on September 11, 2007 (giving yet another reason to be sad on Sep. 11). Although seventy-five is a bit "young" by today's standards, he still managed to outlive a lot of musicians from his era, living a full life and making great music right up until the end. Had he chosen to retire decades earlier, his formidable place in music would have still been secured.

Best known as the co-founder of the pioneering 70s group Weather Report (along with seminal saxophonist/composer Wayne Shorter), Zawinul had previously collaborated with Miles Davis, exploring a then new musical terrain: jazz with electric instrumentation. Miles' landmark recording "In a Silent Way" (the title track of which was composed by Zawinul) would soon to be followed by the groundbreaking double album "Bitches Brew," scoring Miles' first "gold record" and featuring an entire side devoted to one of Zawinul's compositions, Pharaoh's Dance. These recordings not only helped introduce electric keyboards to the listening public, they launched a new genre known as "fusion" (aka "jazz/rock fusion" or "jazz/fusion") paving the way for numerous off-shoot projects like Weather Report, as well as Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and even Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow" and "Wired," (whose collaborators included former Mahavishnu members Jan Hammer and Narada Michael Walden, respectively). It was much later that the term "fusion" would became unfairly tarnished and forever linked to its industry bred bastard child: a polished, predictable, homogenous sub-genre with none of the original energy or innovation, best known as "smooth jazz" and tailor made for dentist's offices and bank lobbies.

Prior to joining Miles, Joe Zawinul had performed straight-ahead jazz as the pianist for singer Dinah Washington and most famously, saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. It was Zawinul who composed Adderly's gospel tinged "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," which struck a nerve in the US, becoming one of jazz's biggest crossover hits, later to be described by pianist Herbie Hancock on National Public Radio (NPR) as having “captured the essence of the African-American heritage."

All this would be incredibly impressive for anyone, let alone a conservatory trained pianist who'd grown up in war-torn Vienna.

Here's an inspirational interview with the maestro conducted in 1996, the same year of the "World Tour" and followed by very recent comment by Gerald Veasley, a bassist who'd worked with him (and thus followed in the footsteps of bass legends such as Jaco Pastorius, Alphonso Johnson and others): Zawinul At 65
Here's a short clip on Zawinul from a mid 80s news program (unimaginable someone like this would get prime-time network coverage today): Joe Zawinul Profile
And if you have an hour, watch this BBC special Joe Zawinul: A Musical Portrait

Though not quite reaching the "household name" status of some of his former employers, to musicians and fans, Zawinul will always be up there with one of the all-time greats - far from unsung, yet still deserving of wider recognition and appreciation.

10 Things Your Favorite Musician Won't Tell You

2013-07-02T17:33:00.001-04:00

I recently stumbled across a 2010 article entitled 10 Things Your Flight Attendant Won't Tell You. Reading it, I couldn't help but draw certain parallels. Like those flight attendants described therein, musicians - and I'd imagine actors, media personalities, athletes, authors and others in the public eye as well - not wishing to appear rude or in any way diminish the experience of the customer (or fan in our case), occasionally hold back some of what we're really thinking.

Don't get me wrong - I and most musicians I know immensely enjoy meeting our fans. We're grateful for the interactions, whether up close or afar, via stage or social media. We're well aware of the fact that without our fans we'd be nothing, or more literally, artists performing to empty rooms (which, unless you're a militant purist, seriously takes the fun away). Many of us, myself included, have never lost touch with how it feels to be a fan.

So it is in this spirit of fan appreciation, respect and total understanding, not to mention a grain of salt - (humor is a virtue, folks) - that I offer the following list, triggered by the aforementioned article, in hopes of a better musician/fan experience for all:

1. Know how to work your camera.

Unless we're disheveled, in a huge hurry or it's otherwise not the right time, we're usually pleased that you'd like your picture taken with us and happy to oblige. But there's nothing more awkward than you and I posing in front of your camera while you or your friend struggles, squints and kvetches (to use an old Yiddish term for "complains") like my grandpa when he couldn't figure out how to work his VCR. This is especially true if we're in a crowd and other fans - patiently waiting their turn - are having to witness this bumbling and fumbling. And if I'm being rushed into a vehicle or venue, this could cost someone else the chance at a photo. These days, your camera resides in your phone, so it's with you at all times - take the time to learn how to work the thing.

2. Remove the cap from your pen.

I take back what I said above. There is one thing more awkward and demeaning than standing in a pose trying to hold a smile during failed attempts at figuring out how to work your camera, and that's being handed a pen with the cap on so tight, you might as well be asking me to open a new jar of pickles. Seriously, would it kill you to just uncap the thing? Otherwise, I look ridiculous wrestling with your pen in front of a crowd of fans who - rightfully so - will be hard pressed to not hold back chuckles (and who hopefully know better and have their pens uncapped and ready).

3. Don't bring your entire album collection to be signed.

At concerts and other appearances, we're usually more than happy to sign a disc or two, perhaps a couple more if there's time... but not ALL your albums! The same with magazines, posters and other items - if you bring so much that you could set up shop, open up your own store on the spot, it's too much. It's very cool that you collect all our stuff (seriously)- but how about just bringing a few items at a time? You have to consider our usually very tight schedule and the fact others may be waiting; isn't it better that a couple dozen people can each get a signature than you get one on every one or your albums in every format- record, CD and cassette? Again we're more than happy to provide an autograph for you but who said anything about underwriting an EBay auction?

4. If you're trying to catch a pick or other item at a concert, show some tact.

During shows, There are a few "throwing moments" where we might channel our inner softball pitcher, tossing items (guitar picks, drum sticks, setlists etc). At these intervals, pointing, waving, signaling and otherwise trying to get our attention is totally fine. But when right out of the gate, from the moment the lights go down, all you do is flail your arms, point at your fingers and constantly motion for us to throw you a pick - it's pretty lame. Even more so is the guy who does nothing during the entire show except point to a homemade sign ("PICK PLEASE!!") as though he's a driver attempting to locate his passenger at the airport. Here's a secret: achieving a pick is a bit like having "game" in the dating scene: if you appear desperate and clingy, it has an adverse affect. Be polite and cool about it, pay attention to the music and only gesture when its appropriate; that way you'll be the one we'll try throw the pick to.

5. Online etiquette is essential.

This one has a few components:

A. Don't flood our feeds. Translation: avoid constant barrages of replies to our public Tweets, FB messages, comments, etc. We value crowd engagement; we wish to receive responses from as many of you as possible (minus haters, of course). But posting too many comments in too many places too quickly is a turn off. Think of it his way: a few relevant, constructive comments once in a blue moon makes us want to hear from you more often. But flooding our social media feeds makes us wish to take literally the words of a great hard rock band (Iron Maiden) and run to the hills.

B. Reply accordingly, not overwhelmingly. If we Tweet back to you, don't reply with ten Tweets. If we answer your comment with one or two sentences, don't respond with several pages. And if we answer an email with a paragraph or two, don't send us a massive missive whose size rivals the unabridged version of Moby Dick (or its subject).

C. Our public posts are directed towards everyone. Don't reply to them as though they're written just for you (they're not). And don't take them personally (that includes this post).

6. Don't hand us things unsolicited. If your band is good, we'll hear about you eventually; meanwhile, there's nothing we can do to help, sorry (if someone we trust in the industry recommends your music, we'll probably check it out, but there isn't time to filter through the sea of demo CDs by newcomers). And if you're someone of the opposite sex, don't slip us your phone number with a sideways glance; should one of us be interested in you socially, we'll make that clear or send someone over to relay the message - otherwise, it's safe to assume we're not.

7. Don't stare at us as though we're not human. (News Flash: We Are).

A popular young fiction writer, Maureen Johnson, shares the following words: "'There's a fine line between good eye contact and the piercing stare of a psychopath." Johnson, whose Twitter account boasts that she's "on the wrong side of it," is using self-deprecating humor. You, on the other hand, do not want to be on the wrong side of that line. Appreciating our work is wonderful; obsessive worshiping is not. Just talk to us like we're people and try not to stare too hard.

8. Be courteous to us and fellow fans when we meet - don't interrupt and/or talk our ears off.

We realize it can be overwhelming to meet, especially in a charged atmosphere full of other fans trying to edge their way in. Whatever the situation - meet & greet, chance encounter, party - as soon as you've had your interaction, however brief (even if it is just "hello"), please allow us to move on to another person. Don't ramble incessantly, don't follow, don't hover and by all means, don't butt into the next conversation (you wouldn't like it if someone did that to you, right?). Those who practice respectful courtesy are the ones we tend to remember and hope to speak more to in the future.

9. There is nothing fun about interacting with someone who is 100% shitfaced drunk.

Are you listening Europe? Not that this doesn't occasionally happen in the US, but it seems that Europe (Scandinavia in particular), suffers from an epidemic of fans who go to shows, drink all day long and end up barely coherent - slurring, mumbling, repeating themselves, talking over others and when we meet, engaging in "conversations" like this:

Drunk fan: "You (hiccup) are the greatest!"

Artist: "Thank you. It's nice to meet.."

Drunk fan: (Louder) "NO. I mean it. YOU... are... the... greatest (hiccup)"

Artist "That's very kind. I appreciate..."

Drunk fan: (Yelling, causing heads to turn) "YOU don't UNDERSTAND!! (hiccup) I.. (hiccup) MEAN it!! YOU... are... the GREATEST!! (hiccup)"

This scenario goes hand in hand with unwelcome bear hugs, handshake after handshake and repeated speech. And this is before the concert even begins! Want to get shitfaced? Fine. How about doing it on your own time overnight, after the show? Try this instead: go slow during the day with just a few drinks, pace yourself, enjoy hanging out and listen to the music with semi-clear coherency. You'll not only enjoy the music more - you may even remember the experience the next day!

10. We love you and respect you (don't forget that); respecting these boundaries makes things better for all.

It is perhaps a great irony that rock'n'roll represents a form of sonic anarchy - diametrically opposed to concepts such as rules, courtesy and etiquette. Yet certain social boundaries must exist and be respected in order for the music and scene to thrive and not fall victim to dysfunction. Intense tones, riffs, note patterns, lyrics, screams and other components of the music itself represent a few of the places where rules are meant to be thrown out. It's best to leave the unruliness there, as a healthy outlet expressed through real guitar, air guitar or otherwise. This creative chaos we make is to be enjoyed, but not meant to apply to every other aspect of your life - your social interactions, your drinking etc. This includes your interactions with those of us who make the music. Music enriches all of our lives; we can all benefit by making the atmosphere surrounding it a little better.

Kirch Quotes

2013-06-17T12:29:00.002-04:00

Within any educational curriculum, there are going to be certain teachers that one remembers - for good or bad reasons. One may cause students (and less overtly, colleagues) to question how he or she ever got appointed to a teaching position in the first place, while another may delve so deeply into a subject that students are taken on an in-depth journey, forgetting they are in a classroom and riveted as though hearing a well-played solo amidst an orchestra of academia.

From my own experiences, most teachers tend to be better than the first type (thankfully) while the second type is not seen often enough; he or she is usually the exception rather than the rule. Rarer still is the one who stands out among this second group, imparting sage-like wisdom, throwing conventional thinking to the wind and knowing his or her stuff not just from years of referential study but hands on “real world” experience. Bill Kirchner (nicknamed "Kirch"), with whom I studied arranging for big bands and small ensembles as well as jazz history at New School University in Manhattan from around 1998-2001, is just such a teacher.

Kirch’s jazz history course opened my ears to a lot of great music, covering the gamut of improvisation from the early twentieth century to then current sounds. Although the New School at this time harbored an unspoken atmosphere of musical conservatism, his class was one place where I felt it was ok to be diverse, even if you were a (yikes) metal guitarist who loved jazz. His talks and listening sessions not only made the era of Louis Armstrong feel fresh again, they granted similar respect to an era whose music had drawn me to jazz in the first place: the 60s and 70s - a time period which, crazy as it seems, was (and probably still is) viewed in more conventional circles as the equivalent of the Dark Ages (despite the emergence of Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnnette and so many preeminent titans of today).

His arranging classes were equally enlightening. Not only were we turned on to more great music, much of it no longer in print, but the scores were there to follow along, enabling a deeper connection and lasting appreciation (see last year's blog post Big Band Blog). Arranging was a subject I'd chosen purely for the sake of appreciation and experience (and possibly an elective fulfillment); there was little expectation of ever putting it to practical use in the real world. That changed a year or so later when I got a call from a musical acquaintance who'd been asked to score a “Count Basie Style” big band swing piece for television. Though a prolific composer of instrumental rock and pop, he had little experience in jazz and was spread thin schedule-wise. Thanks to Kirch’s course, I was able to take this project off my friend’s hands, composing and recording a big-band track - intro music for the the 2001 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, broadcast by the USA Network, who did a great synchronization of dogs taking over New York in time to the music (Note: unfortunately, my old VHS cassette of that broadcast is shot; I’ve been waiting and hoping for it to appear on YouTube. If anyone has a copy of the 2001 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show recorded - with intro music, please contact me!).

Not every student respected Bill's classes the way I did. Some acted as though his lectures would be of little use to their soon-to-be-burgeoning careers as professional musicians (many of which would turn out to be steeped in delusion). These students, particularly the ones fresh out of high school, seemed to not want to be in school period (and probably shouldn't have been). Whenever I'd see one of them looking bored, otherwise preoccupied, simply not paying attention or leaving class early, I'd think of Frank Zappa's description of a concert he'd attended by the great modern classical music conductor Pierre Boulez: after barely paying attention to the first few pieces, concertgoers reacted to Boulez's own composition by walking out in droves: "I would have enjoyed the opportunity to grab a microphone and scream "Sit down, assholes - this is one of the 'real guys!'" (The Real Frank Zappa Book, 1990).

Late last year, Bill did an interview with pianist Ethan Iverson, of the piano trio The Bad Plus. While I admit occasionally grumbling about my own trio feeling overshadowed by this jazz “supergroup” who emerged around the same time with a huge record deal and a similar concept of doing jazz arrangements of rock songs (overlapping with us on Rush' "Tom Sawyer"), it’s never diminished the massive respect I have for these guys as musicians. Iverson, the pianist, also runs a fine blog, where his interview with Bill Kirchner is posted. Here Bill tells his story and engages in a dialogue with Iverson that covers a seemingly inexhaustible amount of ground.

I recommend reading this interview in its entirety with two minor disclaimers:

1. Set aside time, as it's long (but worth it).

2. It is very jazz-specific, with many in-depth details of music theory, criticism, journalism, history and obscure names that may lose a few less jazz oriented readers.

Jazz fan or otherwise, Kirch's story can be appreciated by anyone, if you just read through patiently. If you start to lose interest, simply skim over that part and move on to another section, as there are some really great moments to take in. His passion for music is contagious - it is rare to find someone this committed to music purely for the art's sake, with zero concern for what's popular and/or profitable. Particularly inspiring is how Kirchner dealt with his own daunting, debilitating health challenges on the heels of launching his music career, shifting into new specialties such as education, journalism, radio (including a jazz series for NPR), Grammy-winning liner notes (back when the Grammys still meant something) and more without ever giving up music making.

One more disclaimer: though it's humbling to be mentioned in the interview, that’s not why it’s posted here; there are many reasons, as you'll soon see.

Start with the “Kirch quotes” placed below. Then, check out the entire interview, which can be found here:
"Do The Math."

”At this point I’ve had over a thousand students. I’ve had, just kind of by dumb luck, most of the major jazz musicians of the last twenty years as students. Brad Mehldau, Andrew Bemkey, Marcus and E.J. Strickland, John Ellis, Manuel Valera, Alex Skolnick, Tatum Greenblatt, Nathan Eklund, Becca Stevens, José James, Robert Glasper, Mike Rodriguez, Ambrose Akinmusire…..dot-dot-dot-dot-dot. Some I’ve had just for one class, some I’ve had for a multitude of classes. But I’ve seen them all as striplings – which has been an interesting experience.”

“I tell students: ‘You’re being trained as an improviser, and one of the things you have to do is learn how to improvise a career.’”

“There are a lot of people going around putting down jazz schools and saying that they’re rigid and turning out clones and blah blah blah, which is totally uninformed...I was the New School Jazz Program commencement speaker last year, along with [pianist] Aaron Goldberg, and I told them, ‘Whether or not you make a living as a jazz musician, the biggest value of a jazz education is that you get trained to think as an improviser and you’re trained to think outside the box.’”

“Did you ever read the Alvin Toffler book called The Third Wave? It’s terrific. It was written thirty years ago, and a lot of what he prophesied in that book has come to pass. He loved jazz musicians because he said jazz musicians were just trained to change direction [snaps fingers] suddenly and without warning and quickly. And they were much more able to do that than people who are just trained to be robots. He talked about the traditional curriculum in schools that still exists – what he called the ‘overt curriculum,’ which is reading, writing, arithmetic, and what he called the ‘covert curriculum,’ which he described as punctuality, blind obedience, and being willing to perform boring, repetitious tasks without complaint...But if you’re a jazz musician, that’s not what you do. You’re being trained to interact and improvise and change direction suddenly and do whatever else we do. And he felt that for what major changes are coming in our society, that jazz musicians had a special edge. So that’s what I tell students and what I talked about at the commencement last year, and all these parents came up to me afterwards saying ‘Thank you,” because they felt like ‘Even if my kid doesn’t become a jazz musician, I haven’t wasted all this money.’”

“There’s a bass player I worked with thirty years ago named Jared Bernstein, who graduated from Manhattan School of Music, and who was a good jazz bass player. We did some gigs together and a couple of recording sessions, then I lost touch with him. A few years ago I was watching Channel 13, the News Hour, and here’s this guy named Jared Bernstein on there being a talking head as an economics expert, and I said, “I know this guy,” and it was the same Jared Bernstein. He had gone and had gotten his advanced degrees, and he was now an economist and ended up being (Joe) Biden’s principal economic adviser. And he’s still playing; he did a concert or something a few months ago in New York. I’m sure he’s not playing much, but here’s somebody for whom I’m sure a lot of what he learned as a jazz musician comes to a lot more use than people might expect at first glance. If you think creatively, that’s really money in the bank. Nobody thinks of being a jazz musician as a lucrative career, but the thought processes sure are. But you’ve got to use them creatively, whether it’s in music or anything else.”

“Find Third Wave, if you can. The other book I always recommend to musicians is a book that was a bestseller in the seventies called Winning Through Intimidation by Robert Ringer. It was written by a guy who was a real estate broker who got tired of being screwed by both buyers and sellers, and so he decided that the way to get around that was to improve his position – to make people respect him more. The whole book is written like that. Politically he’s a Libertarian, so there’s a certain amount of right-wing stuff that you have to take with grains of salt, but essentially, it’s a primer for the music business. He has a lot of these kind of tongue-in-cheek theories, one of which is called ‘The theory of sustenance of a positive attitude through assumption of a negative result.’ Another is ‘The Theory of Posture,’ which says ‘It doesn’t matter what you do or say, it’s how people view you when you do or say it’ – which in the music business is paramount, of course. What’s the difference, for example, if I call some festival promoter and want to get a gig, what’s the difference between me making the phone call and an agent calling on behalf of Wynton Marsalis – who are they gonna take seriously? For obvious reasons, right? And it has nothing to do with the quality of the music - my music is first-rate – but it’s the posture, it’s how people view you.”

“So if I might for a moment be self-analytical to the point of being perceived as immodest – what the hell – the thing I do best is that I can get talented people to play over their heads – whether it’s a band full of great players or a bunch of students in a classroom or 59 writers writing for a book or musicians recording in a studio or whatever – I can get people to do stuff that they didn’t know they could do. It’s just what I do. I don’t know how I do it, but if I had to sum up my own career in all its different aspects, I guess that’s what I do. And the reason I can do that is in part that I’m a world-class musician and know what the hell is going on. I guess that’s the sum total of it all. It hasn’t made me rich or famous, but I think I’ve left some stuff that I can be proud of. There are a lot worse things than that.”

The Revolution Will Be Tweeted

2013-06-08T01:35:00.002-04:00

It started with a message from a fan in Istanbul. He asked if it was possible for to shout out to the protesters there. What protesters?

I hadn't even known what was going on; few in the US did. There had been barely any coverage from Western media.

At that point, the only source of information was the very platform through which I'd received this message: Twitter. A Hashtag, #OccupyGezi, linked photos, videos and comments directly from the sight of the protests, as well as the few news articles that were starting to trickle in.

This enabled one to put together a semblance of what was going on: Gezi Park, one of the few public spaces in the city, was slated for demolition, in order to make way for something Istanbul is in no short supply of: a shopping mall. The government's plans were indicative of a larger disconnect with the public, which has included steps to curtail alcohol sales and various other restrictions.

As more and more messages from Turkey appeared in my feed, I shared the ones that were most informative, along with any accompanying links and articles. A few days later, I'd be cited by the Turkish Media as someone from the West who used their profile to help spread early awareness of the movement, which was gratifying. Though I don't consider myself a "celebrity" by any means, the guy pictured next to me, actor Bruce Willis, certainly is.

It seemed unconscionable to me that a major confrontation was going down involving thousands of citizens of all walks of life (including many music fans) being attacked by riot police with tear gas and water canons. Why wasn't this being reported?

Of course, I would have shared this information no matter what. However, I was even more compelled to do so after my trip to the city last year.

During that visit, Testament's show had been cancelled due to an unreliable promoter (an occasional, unfortunate music-biz occurrence not exclusive to Turkey). The routing of the plane tickets had made a stop there unavoidable, despite there being no show. Upon arrival, the first thing we noticed were hordes of airline personnel on strike.

A couple of them recognized us, and asked what brought us to Istanbul. When we explained the situation, we were told by one twenty-something fan "No way is Testament visiting our city without performing a show!" He and his friend asked us what we would need to make a show happen, our crew explained the logistics, expenses etc, some phone calls were made and the next thing you know, these guys had arranged a show for us at the local metal club, DoRock. It was tiny for us these days - more like the first clubs we'd started playing in back in the Bay Area. But it was packed and turned out to be a lot of fun for all. It made our trip there worthwhile.

Afterwards we told these two guys they'd done such a good job, we'd encouraged them to consider leaving the airline jobs (which were in jeopardy anyway, hence the picket lines) and consider a new career in the concert promotion business.

So there is a special relationship with the fans in Turkey, which made sharing this information even more important.

As I write this, the park has been occupied for a week by those who cautiously await their government's next move. I hope for their safety and a peaceful resolution that places the interests of the local citizenry above that of the zombie-like corporations paying big money to politicians hell bent of replacing local cultures with consumerism.

Below are some of my Tweets on Turkey:

Support to protesters in Istanbul - whose govt. plans to destroy a public park & put up a mall - attacked w tear gas link

Stay strong u guys “@absentiain: hail to you mate from Istanbul,thanks for the support” @ardaturegun @rdxtp @SINANYENER

Powerful park protest images on Twitter via @HuffingtonPost link

Enough w these malls. All over the world, they're the same - LL Bean, Aldo, Footlocker etc Replacing a park for more? Insane #occupygezi

If New York or San Francisco planned to demolish Central Park or Golden Gate Park (respectively) and build a mall, it'd get really ugly.

Malls are turning the whole planet into desolate, characterless US suburbia via homogenized, retail sprawl. And the music they play SUCKS.

Anything's better than "mall music." Retail clothing stores - the worst offenders. People who work in those places are slowly deteriorating.

The US is becoming one huge mall “@purple_telvanni: I agree. Can't find anything to enjoy in any mall. But in my area, that's all we have..”

Sickening “@YamanerYaman: And in Istanbul, a mall can be a reason to kill innocent citizens. Yes, people died here last nite:(”

Governments are never perfect (far from it), but one that arrests thousands & tries 2 halt social media is clearly up 2 no good.

And a few days later:

After minimal media attention, front page of @nytimes. That's more like it. #occupygezi

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