Quote, Unquote

I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise. I choose to risk my significance; to live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom and that which comes to me as blossoms, goes on as fruit. - Dawna Markova

At Random - 3 Movies Me & My Son Watched 1 Wkend

Last weekend for the Martin Luther King Jr. three day holiday I decided to sit down with my 10 year old son Saturday, Sunday and Monday to watch three important movies.

The 1st one was called "I Am" by Tom Shadyac. It was about the nature of mankind and what we could do to shape the future in a balanced, positive way.

This was Saturday mornings viewing. So while my son ate his breakfast we sat and watched this.

Sunday morning, before football we watched "Hidden Colors" by Tariq Nasheed, about the positive influences and history of African peoples in Europe, Asia and the Americas, and how this knowledge has been largely untold and kicked under the carpet in Western education and culture.

Monday's viewing happened in the afternoon. My beloved Steelers had lost the weekend before, and my Saints had lost Saturday, but I was happy that my hometown team - the Giants - whooped up on the Green Bay Packers; but this had taken a toll on me, so when I started watching this slow moving movie with my son, Ghabe. I was feeling sleepy, so I napped while he stayed up and did his homework and watched this.

I woke up an hour and a half later to find him rewinding a few parts of the film. When he realized I was awake, he called out to me - "Daddy come here, watch this part." Many of them were the most dramatic scenes of the movie. He asked questions after seeing all three, but this one he related to in a way that he hadn't with the other two.

All in all, I'm glad I let him watch them and in a few years I'll get these movies again to see if he enjoys and learns even more from them.

At Random - 30 Americans

Check out the "30 Americans" art show at the Corcoran in Washington, D.C. before it closes mid-February.

http://www.corcoran.org/30americans/

Book Review - How To Write A Book Proposal

How to Write a Book Proposal, by Michael Larsen; 280 pgs. published by Writer's Digest Books 2003

Went to an Exposure Group, black photographer's group, meeting here in D.C. a few years ago and heard Jason Miccolo Johnson speak about how he prepared his book Soul Sanctuary for publication. And he said one of his first resources was this book on how to get a book published. I picked up both "Soul Sanctuary" and this book, read both and shelved them.

Recently I got serious about getting a book of photography published, so I went into my library and pulled this joint off the shelf. Luckily I'd already highlighted and dog-eared the most important parts. Upon reading the book again, I found new wisdom I hadn't noticed before. What struck me most about this book, was how damn thorough it was. Basically the author takes you by the hand and leads you with gentle authority through the process.

His prose is open, optimistic, but also realistic. He says in no uncertain terms - if you want to successfully publish and promote your book you will need to do a real work. Quite possibly more work than it took to write or compile the book in the first place. Prepare yourself for rejection and to jump through hoops.

I found this challenge refreshing. It's an easy read. Very well laid out in small chapter chunks so not to overwhelm you.

If you're looking to have a book published by a publishing house, you will find no better than this one.

Quote, Unquote

"My feeling about technique in art is that it has about the same value as technique in lovemaking. Heartfelt ineptitude has its appeal and so does heartless skill, but what you want is passionate virtuosity." - author John Barth

Quote, Unquote

"I always listen for notes I can leave out." - Miles Davis

Re[view] Master - Year in Review

Anouar Brahem - Le Pas du Chat Noir

One day this Spring, on a whim, I typed in the word "noir" into amazon's music section and this is one of the albums that popped up. Glad I did.

Its a amazing chamber jazz trio with oud, accordion and piano. Strange bedfellows, but oh what sweet music they make. Fairly melancholy throughout, but the accordion is especially delightful and makes this whole affair sound as if it the soundtrack to the movie "Amelie" merged with a middle eastern film.

It may be difficult for some listeners to get past the strange sounds of the oud and accordion mix, but I think once you do, this is a very rewarding cd. It has very quickly become one of my favorites and will most certainly make my blog year's best buy list this December. And it did!

The Black Keys - Brothers

Okay true believers, they are back and better than ever. In their most radio friendly session yet, we find the dynamic duo at their rockin' best. Again, this is simply classic straight ahead rock, with no sense of indie irony in sight. No wistful lyrics tepidly sung, this is full tilt all the way baby.Check out "Howlin' For You", "Everlasting Light" and "She's Long Gone" to get a taste of their nasty.

The Deep Thinkers - Make It Quake

Going through old magazines trying to declutter the house, I ran across a review of this Kansas City based hi-hop duo. It was for their mid-2000s cd "Necks Move", but when I went online to purchase it i saw they had this new joint out, so I bought it instead.

From the very beginning "Intro" my head was bobbing. I played it all the way through while I did work on my computer. When it ended I restarted. And again and again and again.
My favorites are "Intro", "It's So Fresh" about the ills of poor eating, "99 Bottles" which is a cautionary tale of overindulgence, and "Spicey Vindaloo" which makes good use out of reconfigured Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsys beat.

All in all it is a very good cd that falls neatly in with the positive vibes of Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. Check it out.

Gary Clark Jr. - Bright Lights

Some say that the light that shines twice as bright, burns for half as long. Gary Clark Jr. is one of the brightest lights we've seen in the blues-rock community in a long while.

Hope he sticks around a long, long, long time.

Gerald Clayton - Two-Shade

Picked this up off amazon.com when I was searching for new young jazz artists. And when it arrived home I put it in and was delighted by this jazz trio of piano, bass and drums.

Gerald Clayton leads on piano and unlike many pianists - old and young - he doesn't ever seem to overplay. He's not the diva wide-receiver showboating his way to the end zone. He's not workman like either, just playing the song then packing up and going home. He's that musician I like who plays the songs' meaning. So many folks lose the meaning. Gerald and his trio give almost every tune here a full blooded story: with beginning, middle and end. As it should be.

John Lee Hooker - If You Miss 'Im... I Got 'Im

When I was a teenager, my first paycheck came from a grocery store up in Jersey called Shop-Rite. I'd walk over after school in the break down lane on a long flat two lane road about a mile and a half. The cars passing close by. Once in awhile someone would yell out something not so nice. But I was young and would barely notice it. My balls were high and tight back then.

Next door to where I worked was a store called Caldors, much like Target is today. They had a music section filled with cassette tapes (yeah, this was way back). One evening I'm browsing and see a "Best of the Blues" with B.B. King and bunch of other dudes on it I hadn't heard of. I buy it, bring it home, and fell in love with the gritty sound of the JLH song "Lonesome Mood". It was moody and funky blues with this great stinging guitar breakdown that was only a few seconds long, but it affected me.

Many many years later after searching for the song I find it on this album. I pick it up and the whole cd was great. JLH with his cousin Earl Hooker sitting in on guitar doing the jam session thing. Hearing reminds me of my childhood and how I fell in love with the blues as an awkward outsider. I remember the young guys who worked with me making fun of me, but I listened to this stuff anyway, and today I am damn happy I did.

Kem - Intimacy

A lady I'd been seeing off and on for one-nighters texted me during one of our off periods extolling the virtues of this cd. "Okay" I said "I'll check it out." Five months later I finally did. I bought it and sure enough this was smooth jazz/R&B at its finest.The whole cd is filled with Kem's wonderful phrasing and the late night candle lit vibe is on every song. Perfect for snuggling.

Highly Recommended for lovers.

Our Souls Have Grown Deep Like The Rivers - Various Artists

Black poets from the 40s to the 90s read their own poems. 'Nuf said. Buy it.

Robert Glasper - In My Element

This was another cat I'd never heard of before taking that fateful trip to Borders that was closing up shop and taking some chances on folks.

Effortlessly flitting between the late night hip-hop sounds of "JDillalude" and "F.T.B." to the gospel track "Y'Outta Praise Him" to straight ahead jazz of "One For 'Grew" - pianist Robert Glasper and his trio just load this cd with everything and it all works.

If you like jazz, and you yearn for something a bit unexpected, but not too heavy, not too light, then this my friend is for you. Enjoy!

The Sea & Cake - The Moonligt Butterfly

Was delighted to see that one of my favorite indie-rock bands had a new cd out. This one is a bit shorter than the others, but nevertheless I bought it and was pleased with the purchase.

The songs are bit longer than usual, which was a nice change of pace. They could really stretch out and go for it. However if you are already familiar with the band there isn't much else new here for you to latch onto, but no matter - their breezy lyrics, contemplative (almost to the point of melancholy) vibe is what you came for anyway. Relaxing bliss without putting you to sleep. Most excellent.

Luckily I was able to see them live in November at the Black Cat here in D.C. !

Steve Turre - Sanctified Shells

The opening track to this Latin jazz cd "Explorations" is hear every weekend on the Latin Flavor on WPFW here in D.C. and I listen to it often while driving my son around on the weekends. I really dug the sounds of this band playing these large sea shells that after months of hearing the theme just went out and bought the cd.

Although this album came out in '93 you'd never know it. Sounds like it could have been produced this year.

With the band playing seas shells like horns and with trombones also in the mix and a great percussion section backing all this up, you just can't miss with this one. Check out the long form mystical "Beautiful India" and Carmen Turre tearing it up on castanets on "Toreador". A solid album from beginning to end.

Classic!