Be Yourself!

Let's talk....
There's an old story that I heard from the late great Sydney J. Harris who used to write a column that was carried in the Detroit Free Press. It was about an actor who was working with a touring company, but got stranded in a small town when the show closed.

Soon this actor ran out of money - his only talent was acting, and there were no plays running in that small town. Desperation began to set in when he received an eviction notice at his hotel. The actor had to find some cash, and fast!

While walking aimlessly down the street and pondering his troubles, he bumped into a man and began to apologize for his carelessness. The man assured him it was alright, and then a flash of recognition crossed his face:

"Hey, aren't you the guy who was in that play awhile back?"
"Yes." responded the actor "That was me."
"Why, I loved your acting! What are you in now?" the stranger asked.
"Right now, I'm kind of between jobs if you know what I mean." replied the actor.
"Hey, if you've got a few minutes I've got a proposition for you that might help you out." stated the stranger.

Well, it turns out that this man owned the local Zoo, and because it was a small town there wasn't much money for big attractions. He said he would pay the actor $50.00 a week to dress up in a costume and pose as a Gorilla. The thought wounded the actor's pride, but the thought of the cash....

So, soon the actor was in place at the Zoo. At first he didn't know quite what to do, but as the children began to gather - the "ham" in him began to come out.
Soon he was the main attraction at the Zoo. The folks loved him.

One day (feeling particularly "hammy") he tried a stunt he'd never tried before - he leaped from the low 'monkey-bars' all the way up to the highest.... and he almost made it, but his grip slipped as he tried to catch that top bar and he tumbled over the wall of his cage and landed smack in the middle of the cage next door. The Lions cage!

When he shook himself and realized where he was, he began to holler - "Help! Help!". It was then he looked up and saw a huge Lion swiftly approaching him, franticly he hollered - "HELP! HELP!" but no help was to be found. His heart trembled in his body as he lifted his eyes into those of the Lion. Then he heard the Lion speak these words:

"Shut up fool! You'll get us all fired!"

The moral of this story is that whoever you are will surely come out when you're in the Lion's Den. Be yourself and you'll never have to worry about betraying your character....

This morning's song - "Video" by India Arie from the 2001 CD 'Acoustic Soul' another reminder to be yourself.... and treasure the you that God made.

So, JSATCS!


We'll talk....

Inside the Detroit Auto Show!

(a cynical view)
Let's talk....
Thanks to a press pass for Internet Bloggers, this morning I was able to get behind the scenes of the 2007 Detroit International Auto Show!
Man, the cars are great. Cobo hall never looked better, and the people here are all full of excitement.

I thought I might get to see some of the Big Hollywood Celebrities that came for the gala opening, but alas, they had all left. I talked with an Auto Show staffer though who had seen them off. He told me they all had a great time. He even quoted one star who gave the general opinion of the others:
"I'll certainly be back next year! I can't say enough about the Direct Deposit hook-up they have here! Usually you have to wait around a day or so for your check, but thanks to Direct Deposit I did my little runway deal and I can be back in Hollywood for breakfast - cash in the bank! And I hear that if things keep going down-hill for the US automakers, next year they might even have a pre-paid deal going!"

I missed the $1,000 a ticket grand gala, but I hear it was a spectacular success. They say the house was packed. I understand that the only area that wasn't packed was the small section marked "Inner-City Only", where only a few rather nefarious, yet colorful, characters were seated. Though I hear their "grills" rivaled that of the new Lincoln Mark 8. And I'm told that there was more sparkle in that section then on the showplace floor....

I caught up with one of the heads of a local news outlet, though I didn't catch his name. He gave me his outlook on the affair:
"Man am I glad the Auto Show is here! It looked like we were going to have to go into the details of all those school closings, and those bothersome stories about murders, robberies, and that Iraq thing. But thanks to the Auto Show - we can stick all that junk on the tail end of the newscast at last! Call me old-fashioned if you like, but I love it when the news is happy. Great break this Auto Show!"

I even got to question a few Auto Executives about the great new production cars on display. I asked one if he thought these cars would sell well in light of all the plant closures and lay offs that have been announced in the past year. He smiled at me and in a fatherly way said:
"Son, we're automakers - not credit counselors. Our job is to make you want them, not help you afford them! "

Still, for an affair held in what Oprah Winfrey last year called the poorest big city in America, this has got to be a great way to spend a hundred or so million dollars.

Outside, I was stopped by a homeless man who grabbed my arm and demanded popcorn. I was caught off guard, but explained that I didn't have any. Seems he was ticked-off with the Auto Show being held at Cobo Hall instead of spread throughout downtown. Said he:
"Last year at the 'Super Bowl' we got to see free movies and eat free popocorn till the out-of-towners left - what's up wit this?"

I could only console him with the thought that if more hype is needed to move these cars - more hype will come. But I cautioned him that with the way the economy is heading, soon there might be more of us eating free popcorn and watching free movies than inside these affairs, so enjoy being in the minority.... while it lasts....

This morning's song - "Wish I Could Have All I See" by The Poor Of Detroit on the 2007 CD "Crime, Corruption, and Spectacle" no, seriously - "Inner City Blues" by the late Marvin Gaye from the 1971 CD (actually it was an 'album') 'What's Going On'
you know the drill - JSATCS!:


Still, I'll see you there when the doors open to the public this weekend...
We'll talk....

WHEN DO WE STOP RUNNING?

Sunday morning....
this used to be the time to read the local newspaper, eat a little breakfast and head to church. Then it was time to head home, eat that Sunday dinner (MMmmm) and kick back for the rest of the day.

But for many of us today, Sunday is just another day on the merry-go-round. Time to catch up on all the things we were supposed to do last week, and get a head-start on the coming week. When did we forget how to stop running?

Take a few minutes with me and let's slow the pace down.

First, enjoy this calming poem: If by Rudyard Kipling.

Second, relax with this beautiful photography - let's go visit the French Alps (use the arrows in the upper right hand corner to move around).

Now, This morning's song - "Angel Of The South" by Acoustic Alchemy from the CD 'The Beautiful Game' released in 2000. And I'll make it easy today, just click the play button below:






and if you want to really get laid back today, have your dinner and then JSATCS and spend a hour and a half with this old thriller:

We'll talk....

Congress Moves To Raise Minimum Wage!

Yes my friends, the Democrats have arrived. There'll be pomp and circumstance, shouts and arguments about the 'little man'. A grand hoop-la about the 'working poor'. Charts, reports, committee meetings, briefings, tours, footage of Mighty Congress-people with the down and out.

Oh, and then finally a Bill.

Just thought I'd remind you though, a Bill is NOT a Law. Here's a lesson I learned years ago, It's a cute way to put it, but it's the truth....

So, don't run out and celebrate just yet, about the minimum wage or any other great project you may think is on the way. Learn a lesson from nature - no path is clear as long as there are still Bushes in the way....

On this day in 1973 "Schoolhouse Rock" made it's debut on ABC.
On this day in 1993 we lost one of the giants of Jazz - Dizzy Gillespie (Click on his name to read more about him.)

This morning's song - "Once In A While" by Dizzy Gillespie with Milt Jackson. Don't know when this was shot, but it's eight and a half minutes in the life of two jazz greats.
Jsacts and enjoy....

We'll talk....

Ah, The Things We Take For Granted....

Let's talk....
I have lived long enough to see a lot of changes, and now and then I look back and wonder at the many things we now take for granted. I'm talking about the technological advances we enjoy each and every day without thinking about them.

Take the simple cell phone. I still remember phone booths! Kind of makes the expression "Drop a dime." useless today (it use to mean using a pay-phone to call someone). My daughters sometimes call each other on their cell phones - from the living room to the bedroom....

Just a few years ago it was a dream to be able to see just about any movie you wanted to at home and on a large screen with 5.1 Dolby surround sound, today we complain about finding the right one as we carry our portable DVD players to the Video store....

Anybody remember when the 'Video Store' was the place to be? Renting VHS tapes to play in your new $200 machine (that sells for $20 today)? And when was the last time you bragged about your car having Power Steering, or Power Brakes? Remember film? For you that don't - it was something we used to put in cameras to take pictures with....

And yes Virginia, we used to physically put a key in the door of a car to unlock it....

Anyway.... I ran across this funny article about ripping vinyl records. You know how you burn CD's today - How you stick that CD you borrowed from a friend into one machine and stick a blank CD into the other then let the software copy the store bought CD onto your $1 blank?
Well, when I was coming up it wasn't quite that easy.... check it out
How To Rip Vinyl
Now the next time you see an old guy with a pick-up truck full of drums of liquid plastic and silicone, you'll know what's up!

Now, here's a clip of one of the most under-rated yet spectacular bass players around - and he's from Detroit too. The one and only Victor Wooten with a favorite of mine:

Victor wooten - amazing grace(Live)
Uploaded by chilavert

truly an amazing player.... this vid is was shot in France in mid 2006.


This morning's song - "Got Till It's Gone" by Gene Dunlap from the 2002 CD 'Tales Of The Phatman' just a reminder to appreciate what we have right now, it will all soon enough change. I've got a link to a lo-fi sample of this song, if you don't have it. Just click on - "Got Till It's Gone", then scroll down to the track title.

Oh, and just in case you didn't know - you can leave your comments by clicking on the word "comment" at the bottom of this post....

So, Jsatcs!

We'll talk....

This Just In!

Hey now, check it out! Thought you might have seen this and need the links.... so, here they are:

CD Baby

Spencer-Fields Records

We'll talk....

It's A Video Day

Let's talk....
I thought that today would be a video day, so I'll post a few videos for you to enjoy. I also found a great place to explore music, it's called Last.fm. It's a lot like Pandora, but you don't have to sign up to start listening. You just type in the name of an artist you like and Last.fm will begin playing songs in the style of that artist. I like the feature that allows you to play the station in a pop-up window so you can minimize it, and keep on browsing. To try it out click here - Last.fm

Now, the first video - Norah Jones' 2002 hit "Don't Know Why"


This next video is a little older, but still a great song, and an example of the diversity of the genre Smooth Jazz. Check out the laid-back sax work on this song. It's "Englishman In New York" by Sting:



This last video is a fun take on an old song by Ray Charles, the video is silly, but it's a great song. If you haven't seen the movie 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' with Steve Martin and the late John Candy, you ought to - the scene where John Candy sings along with this song is hilarious!


This morning's song - "Mas Que Nada" by Marc Antoine on the 2001 CD Crusin'. This song was made famous by Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66, but I think Marc has the better version. Sergio also did a version in 2006 with the Black-eyed Peas - still no competition.

So, Jsatcs....

We'll talk....

Something I Found In The Old Treasure Chest

Let's talk....
I'm running late, late. late today! So, I had to dig into the old treasure chest and find something for you to listen to as your day winds down. I thought I'd steer you to an old favorite of mine - The Yellowjackets!
This group has been one of the bands I love since the first time I heard them in the early 90's.
Always interesting and fresh, these gentlemen don't get half the attention that they deserve.

This evenings song - "Man Facing North" from the 1994 CD 'Like A River', this is one of the songs I love to hear when I'm out on Belle Isle in the summer. It's also one I like to play on quiet days at home....

So, Java, Slippers, And That Comfortable Spot - Jsatcs!
Now that you're ready, click Yellowjackets
Choose the song "Man Facing North", and enjoy.

We'll talk....

Hello, Pork-pie Hat!

Let's talk....
Outside of the musical instruments themselves, nothing says Jazz like a Pork-pie hat, the hat of choice by greats like Lester Young. I've been listening to some old forties Swing-Jazz, and wondering what it must have been like to see those guys play. In a way I'm glad I wasn't born back then because now I can look back on that time through rose-colored glasses. I can see them as romantic times, not the hard times they truly were.

But Ah, those great big, shiny cars. The top hat and cane. The streets lined with club after club with hot jazz streaming out the doors.

Louis Jordan and his hard-headed woman Caldonia:

Yeah, those were the days....

This morning's song.... "Hi-Heeled Sneakers" from the 2001 CD 'Urban Knights IV', just a great piece of good-time music to enjoy as we start this new year.
O.K., go ahead - java, slippers, and that comfortable spot....

We'll talk....

Happy New Year!

Ah, I see I have your attention....

Let's talk....
Hope your New Year is starting off right. Sorry to hear the news this morning of the death of Denver Bronco's cornerback Darrent Williams, only twenty-four and gone from us already.
Sad way to begin the year, and another reminder to treasure the short time we have been granted here.

I'm starting off this new year with hopes to expand this blog, to make it a place that's not just about Smooth Jazz - but a kinda meeting place for those of us who think alike and share the same interest. I've been using the net for quiet a few years now and frankly I'm pretty tired of having to search all over for the things I'm interested in - the news, the music, the stories that slip through the cracks. So, soon I'll have a lot of links on this blog to connect you to all the wonderful things that interest me.... of course you can help by sending me links to things YOU like also.

Well folks, today is my day off.... I'm starting the new year with a day of rest and refreshing. Spent last night surrounded by people I love at a watch-night service, brought in the new year with joy. My wife (Pat) says that the "old folks" used to say that the way you bring in the new year is the way you'll end it..... so....

This morning's song - From that awesome CD Authentic again, the song "Must Have Been", just click on the link and choose the title from the playlist. But first....
Follow the drill - java, slippers, and that comfortable spot....
Now, go ahead and click!

We'll Talk....

From 78's to 33's to CD's to Mp3's

Let's talk....
Looking over my 'record' collection - yes, I still have records - I was caught by the changes that have taken place through the years. I have a few old 78's, those BIG records that the old folks used to play on that old Victorola (yeah, I still have one of those too), I have plenty of 33's or 'albums' as we called them. I have quiet a few cassette tapes, though I rarely play any of them. I don't have a single 8 track tape, though I had many at one time - wonder what happened to them? I have a generous supply of CD's, and a ton of Mp3's.

Time moves on and things change....

I've been asked by a few people why I don't offer Authentic as a Mp3 download and I have to explain that the CD format is probably the final hand-held frontier. Soon you'll get all of your music in digital form. Yes my friend, your modern CD's will seem as antiquated to coming generations as those old 78's.

"Mommy, look what I found in the attic - what is it?"
"Oh honey, that's what we used to call a CD player."

Sometimes I wax nostalgic, and miss the joy I used to get reading every detail on an album cover but through the years I've learned to do without that simple pleasure. The print on CD jewel boxes is so small that I can tell it wasn't meant for me to read. Kind of like some code that is only meant to be shared among the keen sighted....

Anyway, since Authentic is the first release from Spencer-Fields I wanted people to have something they could actually hold in their hands. I put the liner notes up on the website, so that they could be read by all - near and far-sighted. I think there is something special and individual about having at least a CD that you can hold. Not that silver, or other colored thing with the magic marker CD name hand printed on it - you know the one you burned instead of bought? No, I mean the actual CD the artist put sweat equity into, the one with the label they painstakingly chose. In the future I'll probably join the crowd and issue Mp3 and other digital forms of music, but right now? Hold on to what will soon be a memory to share with the grandkids.... the last music you can hold in your hand - the CD!

by the way, I named my iPod nano "record player"

This morning's song - "There's Still My Joy" by Oleta Adams from the 2006 CD "Christmas Time With Oleta". I know Christmas is over, but many didn't have a merry Christmas. Maybe now that all the shopping and anticipation is over you can reflect on what this season should really mean. Wrap your stress, greif, sorrow and strain up with all of the other holiday left-overs, throw them all out - and face the New Year fresh.
Now hit the drill - java, slippers, and that comfortable spot.

We'll talk....

Faster Than The Eye Can See....

Let's talk....
With just one more day left in this year, I guess its in order to look back and see what 'God hath wrought'.
We lost many good people this past year, indeed too many to name here (and God bless our troops), some near and dear to us and others we only knew through their works or fame. We witnessed technological wonders unfold on our T.V. and computer screens (why do we have to capitalize T.V.?) . We've laughed, cried, mourned, celebrated, and when it's all said and done - much of this year seemed to go by in the blink of an eye.

Speaking of the swift passage of time, one of the things I love about Smooth Jazz is it's staying power, I listen to songs sometimes that seem like they were released only yesterday. Then I remember that I've been listening to this song for years. Now remember, when I talk about Smooth Jazz I'm not talking about that droll elevator-music, muzak - that sometimes passes itself off as Smooth Jazz (I like capitalizing that) , I'm talking about the good stuff - what ever that is for you - the stuff that moves you, takes you off someplace, or reminds you of another space and time.

One of the things that pushed me to produce the CD Authentic was a conversation I had with one of my daughters one day. We were riding in the car listening to the radio and she asked the name of the artist on the radio. For a moment I felt fatherly pride at being able to enrich her musical knowledge with the name of this artist, and then the thought of how many years I had been listening to this silly song occurred to me. I had been plagued with this song since before she was born! (Rebecca was 20 at the time) . Suddenly I felt that my music had a right to a place in the universe. If I had merrily tolerated songs that I really couldn't stand year after year after year, surely I had the same right to be heard!

So, as these years flash by before our eyes, I encourage you to place your stamp somewhere in one of them. It may not be in music, it may not be internationally known, but remember that the years come and go quickly and to paraphrase an old proverb - "The graveyard is full of great inventions, great ideas, great dreams, and great plans that were never put into action."

This morning's song - "Give It All Your Heart" by Herbie Hancock (with Patrice Rushen) from the 1982 CD 'Lite Me Up' . This song has helped me through many a dark day, and strengthened my FAITH and resolve. From time to time we all need to be reminded that pushing forward ain't always easy, but it does pay off.
Now, you know the drill - java, slippers, comfortable spot....

We'll talk....

Can Smooth Jazz be fun?

Let's talk....
There seems to be a attack on Smooth Jazz - and a standard being set for it that I don't think it was ever meant to reach.
First we must remember that this 'genre' of music wasn't created by musicians at all, it was a format created by radio stations to classify a type of music that ranged from light jazz to R&B to soft rock and instrumental soul. A wide variety indeed! In other words it was kind of a catch-all for music that didn't fit neatly into their other radio format labels.

Somehow though, people seem to take the "jazz" part of this thing way too seriously. Jazz speaks to improvisation and creative composition. It speaks to an artist striving to tell his or her musical story while pushing the technical, harmonal, rhythmical, and tonal envelope to the limit.

To me, Smooth Jazz is a lot like a pick-up game of baseball vs. a major league game. Though major league players may play in both, no one really expects the pick-up game to be World Series quality. The Smooth Jazz format - unknowingly for sure - has opened up an arena for the musician who just wants to have some fun!

The reason I chose this picture (above right) as the cover for my CD Authentic was really a reflection of my feelings about Smooth Jazz. Just some kids having fun with an innocent object. Not trying to right all the musical wrongs in the universe, just back to basics, what drove most of to play in the first place - our love for the fun and joy music can bring.

This morning's song - "What You Won't Do For Love" by Bobby Caldwell, from the 1978 CD with the same name as the song. This song is a staple on many Smooth Jazz stations and is a great example of the spirit of Smooth Jazz - a less than heavy-weight piece of music that still has the power on some level to move you.
You know the drill - java, slippers, and that comfortable spot....

We'll talk....

Poll Results

Let's talk....
Jay Leno has a spot on his show where he shows some new T.V. pilots being pitched to the networks, all are real and most are outrageous. The people have to tell which ones some network has actually picked up. The joke is in the choices that the networks make.

Recently I ran across a similar poll with jazz musicians as the subject. Respondents were asked to listen to a short snippet from a song by various musicians and decide whether the musician should keep their 'day job' or not.
The samples included songs from jazz greats like David Sanborn, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, along with several really bad or mediocre musicians. The results were shocking - all three of the above named musicians were sent packing! Now of course these weren't hard core jazz fans who answered this poll, but it's still shocking to think that such great musicianship could go unrecognized.

This mornings song - "Sweet Home Chicago" by the Urban Knights from the CD Urban Knights III released in 2000. About seven years later this is still one of my favorite "Chicago" songs. Still brings back memories of the 'windy city'. All-star musicians who certainly don't need a 'day-job'!

We'll talk....

Heard or Herd?

Let's talk....
Ah, the wonders of the Internet. This wide open, free space to search and find all the wonderful things the world has to offer.
Here, you can find music you've never heard of, by artists you've never seen. Here, like in the days of old - YOU can discover tomorrows stars!

But do we?

Most folks think of themselves as independent thinkers "Nobody tells me what I like or don't like!", yet most of us are afraid to like what the rest of the "crowd" hasn't yet approved. It's called the 'Herd Mentality' and we all have it to one degree or another. They say it's built into us, to protect us - wander away from the herd and you're on your own against life's predators.
But what is helpful in one situation can be death in another. The 'Herd Mentality' may be good for your physical life, but it's death for your creative life.

One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was to go to a record store and search out new music. I didn't care what the group's name was, I didn't care what the label was, I didn't care about how much 'air-play' they were getting. All I cared about was what was on the disc. Those were the days when you could play an album before you bought it. I spent countless hours that way, and consequently had a huge record collection that was the envy of many. I've loaned out more albums (that I never got back) then most people ever owned. Enter the Internet - with it's gift to all of us to experience this same pleasure, yet most of us stick to the tried and true....

So my question is????

What have YOU heard lately, not which herd have you been part of....

This mornings song - "Cool" from the CD "Authentic" by Wendell Spencer on Spencer-Fields Records. Yes, in the spirit of shameless self-promotion I choose one of my personal favorites!
You know the drill - go get comfortable, then go to wendellspencer
and play "Cool".....

We'll talk....

'Tis the Day After Christmas

Let's talk....
Though this blog is about Smooth Jazz, I can't help but think about the passing of James Brown the "Godfather of Soul" yesterday. Deaths such as this let us know that life is fleeting, no matter who we are.... make the most of yours please. Thank God daily and strive on.

And yes my friends, it is the day after Christmas and those of us who aren't out returning unwanted or ill fitting gifts are at home trying to recover from the hustle and bustle of this increasingly chaotic season.
No better time than this to relax with our favorite music - Smooth Jazz!

This morning's song - for some reason I'm drawn to a fav from Joyce Cooling - "Green Impala" from the 2004 CD "This Girl's Got To Play"
Woke up remembering her performance this past summer at the Detroit Intl. Jazz Fest on Campus Martius, this young lady is the real deal. Check out "Toast and Jam" too.

So, turn off the T.V. (if you don't know where the after-Christmas sales are, you can't be helped) brew up the java, slip on the new slippers, get comfortable in your favorite spot and let Lady Cooling do her thing.

By the way, if you like discovering new music as you work on the computer, tune in to www.Pandora.com. They'll set up a radio station playing music similar to any artist you name. If you want to hear music that sounds like Joyce Cooling just type her name in when asked. Its all free and you can listen to existing stations from other listeners too.

We'll talk....