All That Jazz

It is nice to have a fine appreciation of most musical forms.  I take a liking to Jazz from the Uptown sounds of Duke Ellington to the Gypsy Jazz Man Django Reinhardt.  Some of the tunes today you have heard before, while there may be a surprize awaiting.  We start with "Take The 'A' Train."  The next is a Charlie Parker and Friends Jam.  The next is some I just recently discovered while lurking at a Grateful Dead forum; it is Charlie Christian doning "Swing To Bop."  Up next is the old favorite of Miles Davis "So What."  We finish it up with Django Reinhardt doing "Minor Swing."

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
September 10, 1972
Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood, CA
listen here

Grateful Dead
September 15, 1972
Boston Music Hall
Boston, MA
listen here

Grateful Dead
September 16, 1972
Boston Music Hall
Boston, MA
listen here

Film of Imagination

I just got back from seeing the new Terry Gilliam movie "The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus."  It was another fine example of a genius filmmaker making lemonade from lemons.  The death of Heath Ledger nearly ruined this movie, but the courage of Johhny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell made the movie work smoothly.  The best casting in the movie was of Tom Waits as Mr. Nick.  It's Wait doing what comes natural to him.  I found this song by him from a few years ago that fits this entry.  It's called "Innocent When You Dream."

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
September 9, 1972
Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood, CA
listen here

I had a very busy day today, but tomorrow looks promising to be a more music filled day.  Yeah!!

The Cycle Of Addiction

Going through a list of 12 Step Groups, I figured I could belong to at least 9 of them.  My teenage years were a real nightmare.  I first got  drunk when I was 13 on Johnny Walker Red Label Scotch.  I then added pot to the mix.  I continued this for five years of hard partying.  I ended up in treatment after this period.  To add some real strangeness to this equation, I went to treatment at the same hospital that I was born.  I went at Easter time which is a time of rebirth.  I have some songs that mark both sides of the addiction.  The first song is "Sloppy Drunk" which describes my drinking.  I used to smoke so much dope, so I offer this song "Don't Bogart That Joint."  I found this little thing based on R Crumb's art work "Stoned Again" that was as close to how I felt most of the time. 

When I was at my very first meeting at an outpatient treatment center, the guy leading the group mentioned that sobriety was like the title of the Rolling Stones song "You Can't Always Get What You Want."  This song has always had special meaning for me that has helped me in ways I can't even imagine.  In a couple of months after sobering up, I had my eyes opened to the power of the Grateful Dead.  I found that the song "Wharf Rat" would take on a meaning of connection, redemption, and service to others.  This was something that I had been seeking all my life.

I would like to say that it has been easy, but I'd be lying through my teeth.  This is the reason for this blog.  In some ways, I'd like to think of it as record of life lived or being lived  As for now, I have been sober for over 24 years as of December 30, 2009.  I've had a slip that caused me to learn a few things.  The most important thing is this: No matter how bad life gets don't use any booze, pills(not perscribed by a doctor- follow the perscription), or chemical even if your ass falls off.  It won't help; it will just make things hundreds of times worse.


Music for today:

Grateful Dead
September 3, 1972
Folsom Field
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO
listen here
monster of a show over 4 hours (I was having difficutly with my WMP today)

Peak Past The Curtain

Long time ago in another lifetime,  I had my heart broken into a million pieces.  At the time of the breakup, there was a song that became very popular.  What was so strange about this song is that it mirrored almost exactly the choices I was facing with this relationship.  The song is by The Clash "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?"  I made my decision to leave.  As I took the long drive home, I played some Bob Dylan.  The song from 1962 has lyrics that exactly match my situation.  The song is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright."  You'd think that a geographical change would lessen the pain.  I was soooo wrong.  I became depressed and suicidal.  The song by The Band "It Makes No Difference" spells out how I was feeling.  It has been many years since I have seen her. I've gone through other relationships, and those have not turned out well either.  For the past nine years, I have not had a relationship at all, and that is ok for now.  It may change in the future.  I can't predicte that nor would I want too.  Let's just say I have been working on fixing me so I can bring something better to the table (so to speak).

Music for Today:

Grateful Dead
May 4, 1972
Olympia Theatre
Paris, France
listen here

Grateful Dead
August 24, 1972
Berkeley Community Theatre
Berkeley, CA
listen here

Grateful Dead
August 27, 1972
Old Renaissance Faire Grounds
Veneta, OR
Benefit for Springfield Creamery
listen here

Photos

I got some great news today.  I put up some of my photos that I took from my trip to Ireland on a Flickr account, and I got an email from someone that wanted to use one of them for guide to Dublin.  I took a photo of the front window of the Palace Pub, and they included it in the guide.  Here is a link.  I am very happy to have one of my photos in this guide.

I am much happier taking the photos than having my picture being taken.  In the last nine years, it has been the worst with the weight gain and all.  I have two favorite photos that I have taken.  The first was of my little cousin while snow sliding.  I sat in the sled facing up-hill, and I recorded her reaction of going down the hill.  It was an expression of pure joy.  The second was of the Eiffel Tower from the angle of directly underneath pointing straight up.  I found a couple of songs that suit today's topic: "Photograph" and "Freeze-Frame."

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
April 17, 1971
Dillion Gym
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
listen here

Grateful Dead
December 7, 1971
The Felt Forum
New York City, NY
listen here

Grateful Dead
April 11, 1972
City Hall
Newcastle, England
listen here

Bluegrass Rules

It's about time to get down to the real stuff.  I've been a fan of bluegrass music from nearly the start.  the first album I ever bought was Led Zeppelin IV, but the second was The Twenty Greatest Hits of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.  I was a fan of our local radio program called Bluegrass Saturday Morning when it was in its infancy.  We have many local bands that have gone on make a name for themselves nationally.  The first band is Monroe Crossing doing "Far Side Banks Of Jordan."  The next comes Pert' Near Sandstone which played on Prairie Home Companion in 2008.  I have seen them many times and recorded them a few times as well.  They are fun band.  The clogger is truly amazing.  I have seen him go all night long.  Here is "Wild Bill Jones."  The next two songs are bluegrass standards; "Uncle Pen" and "Cripple Creek."  We will finish this up with my new favorite by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder called "Get Up John."  There is a version of this on a live disc from the Charleston Music Hall that is nine minutes long.  I saw them perform at a local school right after that disc came out.  These guys are the real deal, and they play some serious bluegrass.

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
February 18, 1971
Capitol Theater
Port Chester, NY
listen here

Grateful Dead
February 20, 1971
Capitol Theater
Port Chester, NY
listen here

Grateful Dead
March 20, 1971
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
listen here

Grateful Dead
March 24, 1971
Winterland Arena
San Francisco, CA
listen here

Working

Did I tell you all I got a job?  It's a part-time jig doing janitorial work, but it keeps me busy five days a week.  It also fits into some long term goals I have for my weight issues.  So I will keep today's entry brief.  There are two songs that come to mind now that I'm back in the workforce: "Working Man" and "Workin' For A Livin'."

Music for today:

Grateful Dead
April 12, 1970
Fillmore West
San Francisco, CA
listen here

Grateful Dead
August 5, 1970
Golden Hall
San Diego, CA
listen here

Grateful Dead
October 24, 1970
Kiel Opera House
St, Louis, MO
listen here

Grateful Dead
October 31, 1970 (Early/Late)
School Gymnasium
S.U.N.Y.
Stony Brook, NY
listen here