Live in Person

I

 

I'm still deep in the midst of the Wynton Marsalis discography and I've been reminded that no matter how excellent Wynton is on his studio albums, he's even better on his live albums. I was listening to his Live at the House of Tribes record, which is one of my favorites but I've noticed I prefer all his live stuff to the studio records. The studio albums are often great, but there's something special about the live recordings. Jazz is meant and designed to be played live. The swing factor is higher, the audience interplay with the musicians inspires them to even greater heights. Greatness.

Takeover

 My kids sometimes take over my Jeep. Very disconcerting. Plus they get the heated seats up there.

Magic Hours

 

So I just got to The Magic Hour in my odyssey to listen to the entire Wynton Marsalis discography.

It's a good album, but not one of my favorite Marsalis works. However, it does hold a certain nostalgia for me because I bought the CD the day after I heard about it on an NPR review segment. I pretty much purchased it the day after it was released in March 2004.

But that's not what holds the nostalgia for me. A day or two after buying it I was listening to it in my truck as I drove to a job interview at Highland Park High School. I was nervous about applying to teach at one of the most prestigious high schools in Texas. This album relaxed me greatly and gave me some peace as I drove through the wonder world of tree lined wealth in the villages of University and Highland Park. 

Whenever I hear this album I'm reminded of that drive into another world. I only stayed at that job for a year. I enjoyed it very much and the people were great. But I decided to return to my original teaching job with Title One students. I found so much wealth in the hands of so few disturbing. I decided I wanted to go back to my original calling of helping teach students in need. 

However, when this album plays I'm transported back to that spring drive among the green trees of the Park Cities. We were a few days from Spring Break. There was anxious anticipation of new opportunities in the air. New warmth was making the winter fade away.

I always marvel how music can transport us to some pretty specific places in our minds. I just read a short story by Chekhov (In The Cart) that focused on the power of an image to unlock memories both good and bad. Funny how most of these Marsalis albums transport me back to happy or warm memories.  

Hard to believe that was almost nineteen years ago. It sure doesn't feel that long ago. 

Strangely enough, this album seems to have disappeared from Apple Music (the service I subscribe to). Fortunately I had downloaded it to iTunes years and years ago. Just another reason to be skeptical of digital streaming. 

Alto or Tenor?

 I drew a picture of my son the other day. I do have to say it's been a long time since he wore a hat like that. And that alto actually looks the size of a tenor. Oh well.

Spaces

These are four photos I have taped to the lattice divider in front of my desk. They are spaces that inspire me in different ways. 

The top two photos are from The Interval in San Francisco. I got to visit there this past summer and it's a really cool tea, coffeeshop, bar that also serves as a salon space for the Long Now Foundation. It's a clean, sharp looking place that fosters innovative thinking about the future.

The bottom left is Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris. I visited there back in 2018 and loved all the books everywhere. Winding aisles and little nooks, S&C is a cool place to hang out. I should also put up a photo of its sister store City Lights in San Francisco. 

The bottom right came from a magazine article about Kim Stanley Robinson. He works entirely outside when he writes his novels. Rain or shine, hot or cold, he's out there writing under an old tarp and beat up chair. This reminds me that great art does not necessarily require extravagant surroundings.

Peace out

Every day my daughter walks over from the junior high next door for two of her classes. Sometimes I’ll see her during the passing period from the second floor teachers lounge window. She saw me today. 

Marciac

Twenty years ago, my wife surprised me on my birthday by driving me to Lawrence, Kansas to hear the Wynton Marsalis Septet in concert. It was a stunning evening of brilliant music. For their second set, the Septet played much of their recently released The Marciac Suite which they recorded as an homage to their annual visits to the jazz festival in Marciac, France.

 

It was an amazing way to end a fantastic concert. Upon returning home I immediately bought the CD of the suite. It became one of my favorite jazz records. But over the years I began to listen to it less and less for myriad reasons. I branched out in other musical directions. The medium began to change. Digital streaming overwhelmed my listening habits. There was so much out there to explore that old favorites often got neglected. 

 

So, as I'm going through the Marsalis discography I saw this album was coming up and I was excited to see it. It had been a couple of years since I had given it a spin and I was eager to listen to it again after such a long time. And man oh man, it did not disappoint. This record is so good. So evocative of a European jazz festival. Great swinging music. Transcendent ballads. I need to put this back in the rotation. It is a classic from start to finish.

Five!

From the day I was born until I was 45 years old the Chiefs only made it to one AFC Championship Game (in 1993). Now, this Sunday they will play in their fifth AFC Title Game in a row! As a lifelong Chiefs fan I find that mind boggling. I’m going to enjoy the ride while it lasts. 

The photo above was taken in November of 2021 at game against the Dallas Cowboys. 

Cars. Lots of Cars.

Today Jackson and I went to the Shop Club in Dallas where people store their super nice cars. They have a restaurant that overlooks the cars and they give tours. Pretty nice set up.

Travels in Alaska

 

Travels in Alaska by John Muir. My latest breakfast reading. I didn’t enjoy this as much as his book on his first summer in the Sierras. 

There were passages that were fantastic in their descriptive powers. And some of his adventures were truly terrifying. When there was a narrative it was interesting to follow but I honestly got worn out on the many many many descriptions of glaciers. After awhile I found them tiresome. 

Maybe if I was a naturalist and into glaciology I would have found it more captivating. Even though Muir does an admirable job in his writing of them, a glacier is meant to be looked at in person. 

So a bit uneven for me. Moments of wonder and then moments of tedium. But not bad overall. There’s enough good there to make a worthy read. 

Drive

Near the beginning years of this blog you will find photos of the kid in the mirror above. He looks quite a bit different. Yesterday he drove my Jeep home by himself from school. Well, yeah, granted my wife, daughter and I were in the vehicle behind him. That's just kind of how it worked out. But it's still hard for me to wrap my head that this kid is driving.

Biblical

Mainly writing this to have self-documentation for when I started. 

Admittedly my reading of the Bible had become very sporadic over the past couple of years. So, one of my resolutions was to read one chapter a day beginning in Genesis and going straight through. It takes over three years to read the entire Bible at that rate. I've done it a couple of times but it has been a long long time since the last attempt. 

I started on December 31, 2022. So, if I keep up the pace I should be done around March/April of 2026.

Wow. 2026. Jackson will be almost done with his freshman year in college. Ava will be finishing her sophomore year...maybe she even will be in my class that year. Kim may even be retired! Who knows what 2026 will look like.

I look forward to looking back on this post in three years.

It is easy to read right now. Genesis is pretty good reading. It's when you get to Leviticus and Numbers and some of the challenging prophets where things can become difficult to wade through. 

I remember my first read through, when I was in high school. I found the process very rewarding and illuminating. I'm using that same NIV Study Bible my parents got me in 1989. 

Return of The Believer

The Believer was my favorite magazine/literary journal of all time. It was always a momentous occasion when the most recent issue arrived in the mailbox. My last issue came in 2014. 

Well, the publishing business became a very difficult place by the mid-10's and the McSweeneys publishing house had to sell it off. They sold it to a department of UNLV. I stopped subscribing at that point. I would check in on them via their website from time to time but it just didn't quite seem the same.The Believer eventually faded off my radar. I still have every copy of the issues I received before my subscription ended.They are on a bookshelf in my classroom and I would look at them nostalgically wishing the magazine was still in operation.

Last year UNLV suspended operations and sold the rights to an online click bait company. Outrage rose in the literary community. A gofund me was established. Funds were raised. And McSweeneys was able to regain control.

The Believer was back in it's original hands. They are scaling down a bit, only four issues a year. But that gives me time to read the whole issue before another arrives. I was very excited to hear of The Believer's return. So I re-upped, and the first "Homecoming" issue arrived yesterday. 

It looks like nothing has changed. The first few articles I've read have been excellent. The paper is still thick and of high quality. The art is first rate. What a nice resurrection.

Go Outside

 

It just felt right finishing the last few chapters of this transcendent book in my tent on a beautiful day outside. The High Sierra: A Love Story. Kim Stanley Robinson's latest. It's a non-fiction paean to his thousands of hours trekking across the Sierra Nevada. It's part memoir, gear guide, geological survey, landscape poetry and more.

I'm glad this was the first book I read for 2023. Get the hardback with its stunning full color photos. A grand achievement of writing about the outdoors. I've never been to the High Sierra Nevada. Got to put those mountains on the list.

MLK

 

Live

 

So I’ve been working through the Wynton Marsalis discography since the beginning of the new year. Despite being a Marsalis fan for almost forty years there’s much I haven’t heard. His musical output is prolific. And back in the old days it was just too expensive to buy every album. 

So one of the major advantages of modern day streaming is you can listen to pretty much anything a major artist released. Working through specific discographies of my favorite artists  has been a major joy of mine lately. 

And now I finally get to go through the entire box set of The Wynton Marsalis Septet’s appearance at the Village Vanguard in the early 90’s. I had a CD of highlights from this set but had never gone through the entire weeklong set. The box set originally consisted of seven CD’s covering one night’s worth each of material of their week long performances at the legendary New York night club. 

And man, it is greatness. So much genius and spontaneity. So much fire and creativity. The box set was always cost prohibitive. I just wasn’t willing to shell out a lot of cash when I was just starting out in the workforce back when it was released. So I am completely into this set. Not finished yet, about halfway through. But it is greatness. 

Books Read in 2022

These were the books I read in 2022. I enjoyed most of these and would recommend almost all of them. I didn't really enjoy the Hitchens memoir. Infinite Jest was terrible. The Savage Detectives was fine in the first and last parts of the three part book. The middle section lagged for me. 

I'd recommend all the O'Brian Aubrey-Maturin books. They are always fantastic. All the Dave Eggers and Kim Stanley Robinson books make for compelling reading. LeGuin's Lefthand of Darkness caught me off guard with how spectacular it was. It is a must read. 

I was reading Quichotte by Salman Rushdie when word was released that he had been attacked. Rushdie is such a transcendent writer and Quichotte very poignant. 

Also finally got around to reading Dune. That was another great read, far more in-depth in it's mythology than they can possibly put in a movie. 

It was an enjoyable year of reading. 

Vet Visit

 Going to the vet is never fun. 

The DL

License now in hand! Lord, have mercy! 

Not sure...

 Not really sure what's going on here. But it's a pretty typical scene at our house.

Whew

 

He Passed! 

Sigh…

I like my job. But man, I miss relaxing at home like Lola here. School’s back in session! 

16!

 

Sixteen!

W & P Update

My next long read project after Infinite Jest is Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I started in late October and have to admit the going has been slow. I’ve been reading during my lunch break but I haven’t read it during the Christmas break or weekends. But the New Year has me going and the story is beginning to pick up a bit. Today I start the Second Part. Only page 79 but it’s starting to move the needle. 

Jan 6

Back to work, teacher work day. I know January 6 now might mean different things to different people. But for me, it's my Dad's birthday. He would have been 72 today. So I drink green tea out of his mug and later I will go share a Mexican Coke (his favorite soft drink) with him at his grave site. Happy Birthday Dad. Miss you every day.

Last Day of Break

Last day of the break. I got no special plans. I will miss having more time to read, write and blog. I like my job a lot but I also like getting projects around the house done and spending time with family. I can't imagine what it's like for people who don't like their job. Teaching doesn't pay a lot, but it does give us time. And time is one of the most valuable things there is.

The Discography

 

Right before the New Year I began working my way through the Wynton Marsalis discography. Despite being a huge fan of his over the last twenty years, there's many many albums of his I have not ever had the chance to listen to. But with Apple Music, I can pretty much listen to any artist's complete released discography. Last year I burned through both Dylan's and Bowie's. Now to Marsalis.

Marsalis is the greatest trumpet player in the history of jazz. That's saying a lot for me because I'm a huge fan of Miles, Clifford, Morgan, Byrd, Dizzy, Chet, Terry, Louis and so many more. But Wynton's breadth of work and mastery of the instrument is beyond compare. I've seen him twice in concert and have left both times a different person. 

I'm currently in his early 90's period. Listening to his Soul Gestures albums. Phenomenal stuff. I'm enjoying this process a lot.

Pele

 

Rest in Peace, Pele. 

I know I'm a few days late. I remember when Pele came to the States to play soccer for the Cosmos. He was on the cover of National Geographic's World Magazine for kids. He gave tips on how to become better at soccer. I remember spending hours kicking a soccer ball against the brick wall of our house based on his article of tips. For a couple of years in the late 70's soccer was big in America. That was all due to Pele. When he left, interest in America largely faded again until the 1994 World Cup. 

It's hard to compare players from different eras. A few days ago, before Pele's death, I said Messi was the greatest. But when I watch the old videos of Pele, it makes me second guess myself. Pele was never given the opportunity to play for European clubs. He was forbidden by Brazilian government to do so. But anytime he played on the world stage against those club players, he dominated. 

So hard to know who truly was the greatest. Does it even matter? He's part of the triumvirate. Messi, Maradona and Pele. But he definitely helped the sport spread across the globe. When people think of soccer they usually default to Pele as the player they envision. At least in my generation, most likely.

Greatness.

In the Bitter Watches of the Night...

 

2023

We've had a good break and I'm optimistic about the new year. Got to see the tallest indoor Christmas tree in the nation a couple of days before the Galleria took it down.

My In-Law's Cat Stalking me with Nefarious Plans

 

Back on Christmas Eve

 

 

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at the First (soon not to be) United Methodist Church.

The Greatest

 

Shoulda wrote about this a few days ago. Yes, the greatest World Cup Final I've ever seen. Messi is the Greatest. Of All Time. Without a doubt.

Night of Legends

I happened to stumble on a video highlight package of the one and only FC Barcelona match I got to see in person while I lived in Barcelona in 1996-1997. The game took place at Camp Nou, one day before my birthday in 1997. It was a quarterfinal match in the Copa del Rey and normally would not have gained as much attention as it did.

But it was a legendary game. Camp Nou was packed. I had never seen anything like that atmosphere despite attending Chiefs games in Arrowhead and OU games at Owen Field. Atletico Madrid took a 3-0 lead. It looked like the match was done. But then Barca stormed back in a stunning comeback to end up winning 5-4. This despite a four goal night from Atletico's Pantic. Ronaldo (the Brazilian) scored a hat trick with Figo and Pizzi adding goals...Pizzi with the game winner. 

A lot of great players were on the pitch that night. Ronaldo, Pantic, Luis Figo, Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola and more. That was the night I became hooked on soccer. I consider myself lucky to have seen such a match in such an atmosphere.