January 26 was a special day for me.

Not only was it my 52nd birthday, but it was also the day I got my first Blu-ray Player as a birthday present. Well, it served a dual purpose as a gift for yours truly, but I feel better knowing it can be shared by the entire family.

January 26 was also the day that This Is It! was released on Blu-ray. So, how fitting that I also received that as a gift to try out on the new Blu-ray player.

. . . .

Seeing The Legend in Rehearsal Mode

This Is It! documents Michael Jackson’s rehearsals prior to the 50 sold out concerts in London’s O2 arena, which can seat 18,000 people at a time. It was said that all 50 shows sold out in an hour, tickets purchased online. And, another 50 shows could have easily sold out.

It isn’t often that one is afforded the opportunity to see a great entertainer & performer, rehearsing and fine tuning his craft, just before embarking on a series of concerts. And I’m sure we must have wondered in the back of our collective consciousness, just how Michael Jackson did it all.

With This Is It!, we catch a rare glimpse into the man, the musician, the dancer, the entertainer.

Just the fact that L.A.’s Staples Center was leased for so many months just to house the stage, and utilized as rehearsal space, is kind of mindboggling in itself.

It was said that Michael Jackson documented everything on video. And he especially wanted to document his comeback tour for his children, since it was the first time they could appreciate, and were old enough, to understand the magnitude of their father’s talents.

Back in the early 1990s with the Dangerous World Tour, I read that Michael had each and every concert videotaped. Later, The Bucharest Concert was made into a special concert premiering on HBO. For many of us, it solidified the fact that Michael Jackson was a worldwide phenomenon and superstar of the highest caliber. He was a perfectionist. He wanted it right, but he wasn’t a prima donna. He was humble, and very polite to all the people he worked closely with.

Such is the case with Michael Jackson and the documentary that had pieced together film footage covering the months leading up to and just before his untimely passing.

What Could’ve Been A Spectacular Concert…

Not to get too much into the details (you really need to see this movie anyway), this concert was going to be a spectacular show, filled with pyrotechnics, cutting edge video and 3D effects on possibly the largest LED screen ever made. Again, he assembled a talented group of musicians, dancers, stage crew and personnel to realize quite possibly his ultimate dream show.

Too bad he wouldn’t live to see it through, but thank God This Is It! was made, so that we could get an idea of what could’ve been.

For a documentary, in which the film footage was originally meant for Michael Jackson’s private video collection, the transfer to blu-ray was quite decent. The animated sequences in the show are spectacular, and the colors turned out quite well. The props for MJ’s Jackson Five medley are quite amazing, as well as the pre-taped video footage for the big screen.

I just realized that what Michael was wearing during the rehearsals was his personal attire, but some of his outfits could’ve been nice enough for the shows. In one of the special feature videos, the costume designer walks us through all the outfits Michael would wear during the concert. Each better than anything he had worn before in previous concert tours.

He Still Had “It”

Throughout the film, I felt a certain sadness, that such a gifted entertainer had passed on before his time. And, I was also sad for the dancers, the producers, and everyone involved who worked hard and were ready to put on an amazing show.

One could truly see that Michael still had the energy and stamina to perform 50 shows.

In a sense, This Is It! was somewhat of a vindication for all the bad publicity he’s received over the years. One can see by Michael’s interactions with all the people around him that he was truly a consummate professional, was very humble and polite.

His overall message throughout his music and in this documentary is “Love”, plain and simple.

In his own words… “With the love, L.O.V.E.”

Footnote: I started this blog post right after I saw this movie in the theaters. In fact, I saw the movie twice. But for some reason this post just sat around as a draft until just now.

I had a nice gig last night with Donnie and Gary.

I guess I really enjoy these trio gigs a lot, simply because the volume of the music is at a lower, yet dynamic level, and my drums aren’t miked, so the ambient, naturally organic sound comes out of the drums.

Though the keyboards are synthesized, just bass and an acoustic piano sample are utilized. Thus we have a more natural approach to the standards we perform. One woman commented on how she like my drums because of that natural sound. And, she praised the keyboardist for his sound too despite it being synthesized.

The more I perform over the years, the more I am enjoying a more “live” acoustic sound better than an electronic one.

Last night we performed at a retirement home in La Jolla. It’s a beautiful place, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There’s a beautiful Steinway concert grand piano there, and the action and sound is exquisite. Before the rest of the musicians arrived I played a few songs… Hi-Lili Hi-Lo, You Are Too Beautiful, Black Orpheus, and Bye Bye Blackbird.

We only performed an hour set, and afterwards we relaxed and mingled. Gary and I sat in these comfortable chairs and talked music, performing in NYC, computers. Donnie attended to a crowd of people who were praising his vocals and the music we did.

There was a 97 year old lady who sang “La Mer” in French, accapella style, and she was great. I’m just inspired by people who have reached their golden age and still have the exhuberance and the energy for life. Looking back, I guess I was deeply touched in a way. She talked about being 6 years old in 1911, that she speaks 8 languages and taught French and Italian to children in Europe. I didn’t ask her, but I guess she had some operatic training (judging by her vocal expertise and being able to speak several languages).

I only hope I can live to that age, and still have the energy to sing and dance. She seemed very happy and content. Come to think of it, I see much younger people seem unhappy and troubled and unhealthy, so this 97 year old lady was definitely a remarkable person and very inspiring.

Meeting someone who’s been around for almost a century makes me wonder how she has witness all the change that has happened over the decades. I mean, just in the past decade a LOT has happened. But technologically speaking, someone in 1911 couldn’t have foreseen all the hi-tech advancements that have taken place… and having been around when there wasn’t even a clue that television would be a normal fixture in the family home. Or, even radio, cell phone technology, the internet and computers…

I look at my own life and see all the technology that has developed in recent decades, and back in high school we had no internet, no cell phones, no personal computers… but I remember taking a BASIC computer programming class in high school, and guess what? We had no computers in the classroom, and we learned strickly from the textbook and working out lines of code on the chalkboard!

Well, a lot has changed since…

Anyway, the song “La Mer” is on my mind and how that 97 year old lady sang it in French. That was the original way, and I confess I’ve only known the Bobby Darren version “Beyond The Sea”. It just goes to show how there is a lot of history in the old classic standards, that to this day, are some of the most treasured in modern music.

Those classic standards, the songs from what many call The Great American Songbook, will live on in our culture and society, just as the classic works of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven will live on.

The more I research, study and perform music, the further back I go in history… like an astronomer gazing back into the distant starlight that had traveled to reach us millions of light years later.

Today is the 10 year death anniversary of my brother-in-law, Joel Filio…

Joel’s life was cut short when on Wednesday, January 19, 2000, while attending an engineering conference, he had suffered a massive stroke. He collapsed into the arms of a co-worker during dinner just after salad had been served. And although he appeared to remain conscious while being loaded into the ambulance, on the way to the hospital he slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness.

He was taken off life-support the following day on Thursday, January 20, 2000 after being pronounced brain-dead as a result of massive internal hemmorhaging to his brain.

His death was a tragic and devastating blow to family & friends, for he was still a young man of 44 with a wife and son, had a blossoming career in Civil Engineering, and still had so many things to look forward to in his life.

. . . .

Joel’s Biography

Joel was a registered Civil Engineer in the state of California and a graduate of B.S. Mining Engineering at Adamson University, Manila, Philippines.

As a Mining Engineer he was affiliated with Marinduque Mining and Industrial Corps. and with Eagle Mining Corps. in the Philippines. He was a Grading Inspector and Professional Civil Engineer with Smith-Emery GeoServices here in the United States for the last 12 years.

He was born on November 14, 1955 at PIM Hospital, Larap, Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte. He was the fifth child of nine children by the Catholic couple Benjamin Filio Sr. and Amalia Montes, 10 years younger than the oldest child, and 10 years older than the youngest child.

At 32 years old, Joel came to the United States with his brothers, Noel and Junior, to join his parents who were already here through the sponsorship of their eldest brother.

He became a loving husband and father when he married Carlyn Belmonte Rull, the daughter of the devout Catholic couple from San Diego, Carlos Rull Sr. and Janet Belmonte, on November 11, 1989. Joel and Carlyn were blessed with a son, Michael Gabriel, on April 26, 1991.

Besides his family and career, Joel had a wide range of interests from the unimportant to the important, from astrology to politics, from computer science to current events and trivia.

We will miss him…

. . . .

From the Rull and Filio Families

“It is a pleasure to
share with you our joy in our
beloved Joel’s eternal
peace & happiness.

We thank you for the
wonderful thoughts of love
& kindness, and your
sincere expression of
sympathy.

May we all be comforted
by the thought that the soul
of our beloved Joel is now
resting peacefully in the
reassuring presence of
our Lord, Jesus Christ.”

. . . .

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul;
He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil;
For Thou are with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Many people look to the stars for some kind of advice, and I don’t mean astrology or astronomy, but rather the celebrities who seem to always look great, stay lean and have a radiant complexion.

Angelina Jolie is one such celeb who always seems to look radiant and healthy. Though many will say that her beauty is attributed to her genetic pre-disposition, her skin always looks radiant, and she looks lean yet healthy, and she seems to exude an inner beauty.

I believe that people can transform themselves through diet, exercise and lifestyle. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure of it, just look at raw vegan couple, Wendi and Jim Dee of Pure Jeevan, and you’ll see what I mean.

So What Does Angelina Jolie Eat?

Many are probably wondering because she’s not all that vocal about what she eats, but doing some research online, I’ve found a few articles that give us some idea of what a typical meal for Angelina Jolie is:

Angelina Jolie’s Sexy Slimdown Diet

During Jolie’s training for her role in Tomb Raider, Angelina Jolie focused on the following:

• Steamed Sea Bass
• Steamed Beef
• Steamed Vegetables
• No Sugar
• Soy Milk

How did she train?

• Kickboxing
• Canoeing
• Street Fighting
• Yoga

DietSpotlight.com: Angelina Jolie Diet Review – says that she basically eats a low-fat diet with steamed seafood and vegetables, and she eats wholefoods and stays away from sugar.

Angelina Jolie’s diet may be considered strange by some people. Little details are offered on the diet itself. She eats whole foods while staying away from sugar, and is always sure to eat sitting down. Her diet is commonly referred to as the Candlelit Diet, which means she will not eat in a room which is bright, or well lit. The diet was so low fat it began to worry her partner, Brad Pitt, when she was pregnant with their twins.

The diet focuses on low fat, organic, whole foods. Angelina Jolie’s diet does not include too many fatty foods as her belief is that a diet heavy in fat will program the children to crave unhealthy foods. Since a no fat diet is also not healthy, Angelina factors in nuts and other healthy sources of fat and protein.

Angelina Jolie’s Diet and Workout Secrets

Again, we do not know much about her diet. During her Tomb Raider training, when she first became a more athletic action figure of a woman, she was eating a high protein, low carbohydrate diet to help build muscle and keep fat to a minimum. She was also drinking protein shakes to help beef her up a little. Like models and athletes, she also consumed several smaller meals everyday rather than the standard 3 large meals. Other sources have suggested that Angelina follows a “stone age diet“, i.e. avoidance of wheat based foods and red meats, with emphasis on raw salads, fruits and fish. She admitted that she actually became rather fond of sea bass, vegetables and soy milk, going as far to say that all she ever drank was soy milk!

Read more: Angelina’s Diet and Workout Secrets

In summary, it looks like Angelina Jolie eats a pretty healthy diet of steamed vegetables, soy milk, steamed fish and beef, and eats whole foods while avoiding processed foods and sugar. She probably splurges on occasional sinful delights but keeps it to a minimum. Plus, she most likely follows some kind of exercise regimen to stay lean, and she probably eats several smaller meals a day to keep her metabolism up and not overburdening her digestive system.

Many celebs look great because that is part of their job as high profile people in the media.

You are what you eat, after all. And there is a certain karmic certainty when it comes to diet, exercise and lifestyle. The main thing is to keep that positive attitude and mindset alive, and if you are intent on losing weight and looking great for the new year, then one simply has to devote the time and effort for self-improvement, while doing so at a natural, organic level of effort, whatever your diet, exercise and lifestyle changes will be…

Bouncin’ Off The Walls

Today, I must say, I feel excellent!

Feeling very energetic. And I was able to get a lot of work done today without feeling fatigued or rundown.

This can be directly attributed to my high intake of raw salads these past several days. I’ve been focusing on eating raw salads and cacao smoothies and I’m feeling very energetic and focused.

I’ll have to break down what these raw salads consist of, because I think it’s important for me to note down what has been eaten with these salads.

Basically, I’ve been eating salads that consist of:

• Various raw organic lettuce leaves
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Olives
• Spinach
• Radiccio
• Endive
• Sesame Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Dates
• Raisins

And my salad dressing is simply cold pressed olive oil with red wine vinegar.

The Psychology of Diet and Exercise

At my age, I’ve realized that I need to have a good healthy balance when it comes to exercising. You want to remain healthy and able to workout, but you don’t want to get injured because that would negate everything that was accomplished.

Let’s face it. When the body ages it’s just not the same working out when you were at 20 years. But at the same time, workouts several times a week will keep muscles toned and the body limber.

It’s important not to overdo it, and many times we don’t realize if we’re overdoing it until we get injured. And this happened to me last year when I was walking/running 5plus miles a day.

I’m now acutely aware of the benefits of crosstraining, as you aren’t overworking certain muscles if you cross-train, compared to doing one thing day-in, day-out.

So, this year I’ll be focusing on balance and awareness of physical activity. For me, doing chores around the house is also considered a physical activity.

With diet, I know that eating leafy greens is extremely important and quite essential to building one’s overall energy level up. I’m really feeling the difference when I’m eating lots of salads and eating them on a daily basis.

Just got to stay on a healthy trend, and keep the positive energy flowing.

I’m reading a lot of raw food books, and visiting a lot of raw food websites. Just trying to keep the motivation and inspiration alive.

A Time of Renewal

For me, January will be my month of renewal.

For better or for worse, we got through 2009 in one piece. And it’s a time now to look to the new year with the hope and determination to improve our lives and to become better people.

The economy is still struggling, no doubt, and being self-employed in 2009 was extremely difficult.

I think (hope & pray) that 2010 will be a more fruitful year. And so far, my calendar is beginning to fill up right away, compared to a very dismal start in 2009.

Going Back to 100% Raw Vegan

But with those hopes and prayers, I am determined to go 100% Raw Vegan again. So far in 2010 I’ve been successful. And I am once again seeing and feeling the changes… the transformation.

My change of diet occurred when my father-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and for a while I had to be his caregiver. He was terminal and 6 months later in June of 2008, he passed on.

Of course, I blame no one (or any specific circumstances) for getting off my 100% raw vegan diet, and I only blame myself 100%. It’s just that I got stressed out, I fell out of my usual routines and between 2008 and 2009 I was struggling for some reason to stay 100% raw.

I went from being a raw vegan, to a vegetarian, a vegan, a high raw vegan and then at times I ate fish. And when we traveled to the Philippines for the funeral, I just totally threw all discipline away and ate fish, chicken and lots of cooked Filipino foods.

I gained a lot of weight, I didn’t feel 100% healthy and struggled pretty much throughout 2009.

With the worsening economy, I was depressed, lacked discipline, and felt angry with myself for having “fallen from grace”. Being ashamed of my failures and weaknesses, I never really mentioned any of this, keeping it to myself.

But now…

Feeling in a better place, and with a chance to begin feeling enlightened again, I am once again dedicated to self-improvement, and will continue on with my intent to becoming a better person through lifestyle, diet and performing music.

Please wish me luck. I know I can’t do it without people’s support. So, I ask my family and friends for understanding and compassion with my endeavors. I know I can’t do it alone.

Winter Gardening

Here and there, the weather has been nice and sunny in San Diego. This has afforded me an opportunity to do some Winter Gardening, which for the most part, consists of pruning old growth, raking fallen leaves, and mulching and composting.

The compost pile is looking good right now, so it’s time to spread some of that stuff into the main parts of the garden, and nourish the soil.

Organic Music

Being a drummer, i am always concerned about my hearing. I don’t like to play loud, and I will perform Top40 and Disco music but I prefer to play light forms of music like Jazz and Standards.

At home, I prefer to listen to very quiet music like Classical and Baroque. And I love the ECM recordings, which I feel are totally organic and acoustic. That is why I love doing little trio gigs and performing with the Flamenco group.

Right now I’m really enjoying Indian Raga music, especially Ravi Shankar. And, I continually listen to Keith Jarrett, Egberto Gismonti, Manoshe of Nepal on Bansuri flute, anything that is organic and acoustic is wonderful to me right now.

At home I try not to listen to too much drums or music with a lot of drums in it. Unless it’s tabla drums. I love the tabla drums and I really need to learn how to play the tabla drums (another new year’s resolution for 2010).

Anyway, the softer and gentler the music, the better, to counteract all the drumming I do.