Jazz As Sacramental Sonance

The Groiners play Monk

2007-04-25T14:11:00.000-05:00

Thank you Larry Goldings and Bruno Micheli!

Hans Groiner:

Jurgen Groiner:

Fun With Find-and-Replace

2007-02-13T15:50:00.000-06:00

The following is an excerpt from wikipedia with a few words replaced. Enjoy!

Auditor encounters

It is extremely rare that sox auditors kill or seriously injure humans, but fatal encounters occur when sox auditors behave aggressively. There are an average of two fatal attacks a year in North America.[6] In Scandinavia, there are only three known cases during the last 100 years in which humans were killed by auditors. Attacks usually occur because the auditor is injured or a human encounters a mother auditor with cubs. Some types of auditors, such as external auditors, are more likely to attack humans when searching for food, while American internal auditors are much less likely to attack.

The Scandinavian Auditor Research project lists the following situations as potentially dangerous:

1. Meeting an injured auditor
2. A human suddenly appearing
3. Meeting a auditor in its cave
4. Meeting a auditor who has been provoked

Anyone walking in a hallway where there are auditors should carry an air horn because 'auditor bells' tend to provoke a auditor's curiosity and a sox auditor's natural instinct is to run away from humans. When traveling in groups, trail songs are also effective. If camping, do not bring food into the tent, and clean up all garbage. Auditors have a fantastic sense of smell and will eat anything people eat. If one meets a auditor, one should remain calm and slowly walk in the opposite direction. Running humans trigger the auditor's chasing instinct and auditors can outrun humans. Do not make threatening moves, eye contact, or shout. Thousands of encounters occur between humans and sox auditors every year without conflict.

If a sox auditor attacks and it is impossible to get away, the person should lie down in a fetal position and put his/her hands around the head to protect from bites to reduce damage to vital organs. Pretending to be dead may save you. Unlike with the American internal auditor, punching or gouging attacking sox auditors intensifies their assaults. [citation needed] Internal auditors are NOT the same as Accountants. Don't confuse the two.

Other auditor encounters
American internal auditors, rarely attack and are almost totally vegetarian, but require a different technique. For these, people should huddle if in a group or raise hands or backpack in the air to appear bigger, as well as make lots of noise. There is a good chance of scaring away a internal auditor as they are shy and timid. If it attacks anyway, fight back. Internal auditors will disengage if injured. However, the best defense is to make plenty of noise in areas with auditors to scare them away before an encounter.

Firearms for defense
In some areas, it is permissible to carry firearms to defend against auditor attacks. This includes most of the state of Alaska and the Canadian bush. In parts of northern Canada, a rifle of sufficient power is required equipment. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game recommends as a minimum firearm for use against sox auditor a rifle in the .30-06 range firing 200 grain expanding bullets moving at least 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s) at impact. Many Alaskan hikers prefer using shotguns firing a Brenneke slug at magnum velocities or lever-action rifles able to fire magnum-level .45-70 cartridges. These firearms are lighter and easier to tote than a full-size bolt-action hunting rifle, but can fire heavy hardcast slugs which impact with 3,000 ft•lbf or more at close range. They are less effective in hunting sox auditors due to limited effective range, but for purposes of defense that is not of paramount concern.

It is also important to remember that the considerations while hunting a sox auditor are different from those which arise while defending against an attacking sox auditor. Hunters will wait for a broadside shot at the heart/lung area of unsuspecting auditors. With proper placement, almost any rifle is capable of taking out a sox auditor in these circumstances. Though it is not recommended and may be illegal under current game rules, historically the .30-30 and even .32-20 were used to hunt sox auditors. However, when the auditor is charging, a round of substantially more power is preferred to both disable the animal quickly and penetrate the thick layers of bone, fat, and tissue between the auditor's head and shoulders and its vital organs. Hitting the brain is notoriously difficult due to its placement deep below a muscular brow.

In the past decade, a number of high-powered handguns have been produced in the United States for use in handgun hunting and auditor defense. These include the .454 Casull revolvers produced by Taurus and Ruger and the .500 Smith & Wesson produced for that company's supersized "X" frame revolver. Their enormous recoil and weight make them difficult to deploy quickly in the field. Their utility in defense against sox auditors is still a matter of great controversy.

A number of pepper sprays have recently been developed as non-lethal (but very harmful) and potentially safer defense against auditor attacks. Pepper spray is deployed in the same manner one would deploy a can of mace; an effective shot is one to the face. Pepper spray is not used like insect repellant; spraying campsites with pepper spray seems to attract auditors.

Reality Check: Prince is a sucky guitarist!

2007-02-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

Ok, I admit that is unfairly overstating the matter, but I have noticed that offensive, exaggerated titles often cause people to look at your blog and the following definitely needs to be seen. What it boils down to is this: A black dude with a flat-top and shoulder pads begets a certain artistic expectation that Prince simply doesn't have the ability to fill!

Lesson 1: Stairway to Heaven (Stanley Jordan, Charnett Moffett, Omar Hakim)

That's better. That got the disappointment of Prince out of my mind. I'm thinking the average metal head is pretty impressed with the gimmicks SJ uses to play "outside" of the 3 chords present in Stairway. But really, in slo-mo he's just using whole/halftone patterns to get around (musically). (It takes one to know one... these are some of my favorite "gimmicks") His tapping actually demonstrates how simple it is to construct such patterns on guitar. Hence the ease he "works them up to speed". That being said, SJ is a master technician and can entertain with sheer technique alone, but there isn't the mountain of artistry to devour in his work like there is with others.

Lesson 2: Stella - George Benson, McCoy Tyner

Let me guess, you have heard of George Benson, but you had no idea he could play like that? He's a master. His articulation and artistry are miles ahead of Stanley's.

Lesson 3: Sunny - Pat Martino, John Scofield and Joey DeFrancesco

Joey kills me when he kicks in the "Leslie". I love this tune because the moving bass changes make it so freakin' funky. BTW, the bass is played entirely by Joey on B3... hehe. Pat and Sco are marvelously inventive, technically clean and super funky.

All of the above can be found on youtube.com and they represent the tip of the iceberg of great performances found there.

Intermission! ...in the Third Dimension

2006-12-06T12:13:00.000-06:00

I needed a stress reliever at work this morning, so I turned to none other than Don Hertzfeldt (comic genius).

Music for the Eschaton Part 1: Blue Argyle Socks from Grandma like Jazz

2006-11-13T08:08:00.001-06:00

A best selling less-than-articulate author once said:

"I never liked jazz music because jazz doesn't resolve. But sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself ...I used to not like God because God didn't resolve..."

As a jazz musician, I don't really know what he's talking about. Resolution is not a requirement of jazz, but it certainly is permitted. Just because we don't understand something, doesn't mean it doesn't have order or resolution. In fact, I think disliking jazz has very little to do with resolution. Its actually much bigger, much broader than that. What people don't like about jazz is that it doesn't adequately meet their preconceived musical expectations.

As kids around Christmas time, we truly learned how place our contentment on expectations. We made lists, vicariously shopped through the JC Penny catalog, wrote letters to Santa and perhaps did nothing short of campaign to our parents (that was if they were lucky). Me, I was the type of kid that had great expectations, but rarely spoke of them. This was my way of "hedging" my own disappointment.

On the morning of December 25th we anxiously awoke to see. Upon opening the various gifts, we knew that most surprises are bad surprises. That pair of baby blue argyle socks from grandma. The flannel pjs that I really needed. A coat... No, we didn't wanted to be surprised on Christmas. That was a myth! We wanted to open those packages and see that what was in them was exactly what we expected to be in them. The very things that, we as children, were entitled too. What ultimately determined whether or not we really liked Christmas was the degree to which our expectations were met.

That leads me to my point. Jazz is like God, Donald. Whether we admit it or not, we Christians heap tremendous expectations on what God is doing in us, through us, for us. (not unlike the expectations we had for Santa Claus... strangely enough, this idea is logically consistent with Arminian theology... hence it's overwhelming popularity in our culture) When Gods plans don't meet our expectations for our lives, we dislike Him.

We dislike God when He brings dissonant suffering into our lives. We don't expect suffering. We expect pleasure and room for self reliance from God. The unique thing about Christianity as a world view is that it offers us resolution. Only Christians can actually celebrate discomfort. Why should we be excited by dissonance? Why does the bible tell us to rejoice in suffering? Because, it points us to the resolution. It points us to the "not yet". Robert Johnson is singing a song that started with Adam. John Coltrane is playing notes from Job. Blues is music for the Covenant. Jazz is music for the Eschaton.

Note: Tonal blues elements actually resonate naturally in physics as they are an extension of the overtone series. One could argue that its presence in worship liturgy is as appropriate (or more) than the western "tempered based" classics.

Maybe Christianity should come with a disclaimer: "what you don't know God (or jazz) may hurt you".

It's Time to Get Phat!

2006-07-11T13:24:00.000-05:00

Well, Gordon Goodwin's new audio dvd just came in yesterday. And, what can I say that the stuff that got knocked off my TV by the sheer power of the music can't? Listening to this music in this format is the most intense (listening) experience I've ever had. It's like sitting in the middle of all the sections.

Gordon's writing is nothing short of superb. He uses such a wide range of musical inventions from various sources (baroque, bebop, orchestral, opera as well as borrowing ideas from many of the great big band composers). Is GG as harmonically diverse as the likes of Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Thad Jones, Bill Holman, Hank Levy, Stan Kenton, Rob McConnell or Bob Florence? Generally no. But, he's so hip I just can't stand it!

To date, this has to be best recording of a big band in the genres history. The unison lines sound like one horn, yet you can hear every instrument in the harmonies. Listening to this made my brain grow and the extras and commentary on the DVD really taught me a lot about how to write and develop the chart.

Can I fit all 18 guys in my living room?: I can't really convey what kind of power this thing blows out in 6 channel/650 watts, but I realized very quickly that I needed to drop it way down from regular DTS movie levels if I wanted to keep my drivers. LOTR DTS usually plays at vol = 50 on my receiver. I had to drop phat pack down to 44ish to get it at about that level!

Pay Respect to Your Eldar

2006-06-22T09:45:00.000-05:00

In an era of artistic decadence and television based talent shows so clearly absent of what they advertise to contain (any talent at all), one such young talent has largely gone unnoticed. The fact is, that most people in this country cannot deal with the breadth of artistry and facility that Eldar Djangirov is showing at the ripe age of 19!

Ok, I'll be fair, Eldar does lack the polished touch of pianists such as Teddy Wilson or Tommy Flanagan, but that is nearly all that stands between him and the greatest ever! Let's face it, it doesn't make us feel good about our own abilities and accomplishments to compare ourselves to Eldar right? But that's not the point. It's time for America to deal with freaks like Eldar, and the God given talent that trumps our own pragmatic accomplishments. The truth is Americans live for this dream that "we can do anything we put our minds to". That is just not so. There is almost a hint of blasphemy in that statement. No, the truth is, almost no one could do what Eldar is doing, even if they devoted their first 18yrs of life to the task. It takes more than just willpower alone. It takes a gift, that is unique to the individual.

CLICK HERE to hear what I mean (18 yr old Eldar Djangirov).

BMQ!

2006-06-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last night, thanks to Greater Houston Interfaith Ministries, $15 got myself a ticket to see The Branford Marsalis Quintet. Or:

Branford Marsalis (saxes)
Joey Calderazzo (piano)
Eric Revis (bass)
Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums)

The event was Interfaiths annual fundraising gala. The BMQ only played one set, so I would say that $15 was "just OK" price. The set list as I remember was as follows:

Citizen Tain
The Ruby and The Pearl
It Don't Mean A Thing
Bullworth
Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?
Blue Tain
When the Saints...

(It's weird that I remember that off the top of my head.) All in all, not a bad week for music listening. Brice Winston last weekend and Bran last night. I think I like Brices playing a little better than Brans as far as creativity goes. Bran is still one of the most stylistically diverse musicians on the planet.

As far as the BMQ performance goes, it was pretty much what you expect with Jeff "Tain" Watts playing drums. It was the Jeff "Tain" Watts quintet. And the funny thing is, it doesn't seem to bother Bran at all.

Brice Winston is Killin'!

2006-06-05T07:53:00.000-05:00

Friday I found out that Brice Winston (one of my top five tenor players) was playing a restaurant gig out on the west side of town. It was thus that I re-prioritized my entire weekend. Thank goodness I am single. (I did fudge a little after my a friend gave me 4 club level seats at Saturday's Astros game.)

Anyway, back to Brice. Friday night featured Brice, my friend Clyde Adams (who in my mind has recently made himself to be the best drummer in Houston) and New Orleanian transplants Matt Lemler (piano) and Kimberley Longstreth (vcl). The arrangements and set were mostly Matt's. He has some of the hippest arrangements for standards. I am going to have to make the 20 mile drive more often so that I can study his chord substitutions. Kimberley is well trained, but I realized later on that this mix was making her sound a little bright (winey). Brice was the perfect combination of lyricism, risk and facility. He reminds me of a kind of cross between Branford Marsalis and (60s) Joe Henderson. He and Bran had a few of the same teachers. You just can't detail this level of artistry from a record. Brice played chorus after chorus and painted new idea after new idea. This guy is a titan! It looked like a tenor saxophone, but was really a weapon of mass destruction! Why half of Houston wasn't in there studying this guys stuff is beyond me. ...which gets me to my rant.

{rant lock on}
Here's a tip: If great musicians are playing a gig (any gig), SHUT THE HELL UP! I didn't know the loud party from Adam, but it clearly annoyed the musicians. The fact is, I was sitting maybe 10 ft from Brice and there were times I couldn't hear him! Ironically, I have noticed that Christians are particularly bad about this (that is why I don't often ask them to go to jazz clubs with me). I have Christian friends who literally brag about how their band affords people the ability to sit 5 feet away and carry on a conversation. (In their defense, I realize they're being critical of those awful, dynamically inarticulate, garage cover bands.) But, the thing is, that is not music! That is just background noise (ambient). There are a million places in Houston that you could chose to have a conversation besides 25 ft away from Brice Winston. Get a clue, what Brice has to say is way more important that what you have to say. It's called art. This hidden, mysterious thing. It is not merely some blob of relative, subjectivity. God reveals himself through living creation.
{rant lock off}

Just so you don't think I'm all talk... here's a live recording of Brice (and Nick Payton).

What's he looking at?

2006-05-30T12:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a pic from our recent trip down the Ocoee this weekend. Clearly, Howell and I are focused on the task at hand. The question is, what is Emery looking at? Could it be that he spotted a "for sale" sign on the far bank?

You Supply The Caption...

2006-05-26T13:29:00.000-05:00

Separated At Birth II

2006-05-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

Emerson's Laptop and The Titanic.

The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism

2006-05-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

This is so good, I had to put it on a place where I could find it... my blog.

1. Q: What is the chief end of each individual Christian?
A: Each individual Christian's chief end is to get saved. This is the first and great commandment.

2. Q: And what is the second great commandment?
A: The second, which is like unto it, is to get as many others saved as he can.

3. Q: What one work is required of thee for thy salvation?
A: It is required of me for my salvation that I make a Decision for Christ, which meaneth to accept Him into my heart to be my personal lord'n'saviour

4. Q: At what time must thou perform this work?
A: I must perform this work at such time as I have reached the Age of Accountability.

5. Q: At what time wilt thou have reached this Age?
A: That is a trick question. In order to determine this time, my mind must needs be sharper than any two-edged sword, able to pierce even to the division of bone and marrow; for, alas, the Age of Accountability is different for each individual, and is thus unknowable.

6. Q: By what means is a Decision for Christ made?
A: A Decision for Christ is made, not according to His own purpose and grace which was given to me in Christ Jesus before the world began, but according to the exercise of my own Free Will in saying the Sinner's Prayer in my own words.

7. Q: If it be true then that man is responsible for this Decision, how then can God be sovereign?
A: He cannot be. God sovereignly chose not to be sovereign, and is therefore dependent upon me to come to Him for salvation. He standeth outside the door of my heart, forlornly knocking, until such time as I Decide to let Him in.

8. Q: How then can we make such a Decision, seeing that the Scripture saith, we are dead in our trespasses and sins?
A: By this the Scripture meaneth, not that we are dead, but only that we are sick or injured in them.

9. Q: What is the assurance of thy salvation?
A: The assurance of thy salvation is, that I know the date on which I prayed the Sinner's Prayer, and have duly written this date on an official Decision card.

10. Q: What is thy story? What is thy song?
A: Praising my Savior all the day long.

11. Q: You ask me how I know he lives?
A: He lives within my heart.

12. Q: And what else hast thou got in thine heart?
A: I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.

13. Q: Where??
A: Down in my heart!

14. Q: Where???
A: Down in my heart!!

15. Q: What witness aid hath been given us as a technique by which we may win souls?
A: The tract known commonly as the Four Spiritual Laws, is the chief aid whereby we may win souls.

16. Q: What doth this tract principally teach?
A: The Four Spiritual Laws principally teach, that God's entire plan for history and the universe centereth on me, and that I am powerful enough to thwart His divine purpose if I refuse to let Him pursue His Wonderful Plan for my life.

17. Q: What supplementary technique is given by which we may win souls?
A: The technique of giving our own Personal Testimony, in the which we must always be ready to give an answer concerning the years we spent in vanity and pride, and the wretched vices in which we wallowed all our lives until
the day we got saved.

18. Q: I'm so happy, what's the reason why?
A: Jesus took my burden all away!

19. Q: What are the means given whereby we may save large crowds of souls in a spectacular manner?
A: Such a spectacle is accomplished by means of well-publicized Crusades and Revivals which (in order that none may be loath to attend) are best conducted anywhere else but in a Church.

20. Q: Am I a soldier of the Cross?
A: I am a soldier of the Cross if I join Campus Crusade, Boys' Brigade, the Salvation Army, or the Wheaton Crusaders; of if I put on the helmet of Dispensationalism, the breastplate of Pietism, the shield of Tribulationism, and the sword of Zionism, having my feet shod with the gospel of Arminianism.

21. Q: Who is your boss?
A: My boss is a Jewish carpenter.

22. Q: Hath God predestined vessels of wrath to Hell?
A: God hath never performed such an omnipotent act, for any such thing would not reflect His primary attribute, which is Niceness.

23. Q: What is sanctification?
A: Sanctification is the work of my free Will, whereby I am renewed by having my Daily Quiet Time.

24. Q: What rule hath God for our direction in prayer?
A: The rule that we must bow our hands, close our heads, and fold our eyes.

25. Q: What doth the Lord's Prayer teach us?
A: The Lord's Prayer teacheth us that we must never memorize a prayer, or use one that hath been written down.

26. Q: What's the book for thee?
A: The B-I-B-L-E.

27. Q: Which are among the first books which a Christian should read to his soul's health?
A: Among the first books which a Christian should read are the books of Daniel and Revelation, and The Late Great Planet Earth.

28. Q: Who is on the Lord's side?
A: He who doth support whatsoever is done by the nation of Israel, and who doth renounce the world, the flesh, and the Catholic Church.

29. Q: What are the seven deadly sins?
A: The seven deadly sins are smoking, drinking, dancing, card-playing, movie-going, baptizing babies, and having any creed but Christ.

30. Q: What is a sacrament?
A: A sacrament is an insidious invention devised by the Catholic Church whereby men are drawn into idolatry.

31. Q: What is the Lord's Supper?
A: The Lord's Supper is a dispensing of saltines and grape juice, in the which we remember Christ's command to pretend that they are His body and blood.

32. Q: What is baptism?
A: Baptism is the act whereby, by the performance of something that seems quite silly in front of everyone, I prove that I really, really mean it.

33. Q: What is the Church?
A: The Church is the tiny minority of individuals living at this time who have Jesus in their hearts, and who come together once a week for a sermon, fellowship and donuts.

34. Q: What is the office of the keys?
A: The office of the keys is that office held by the custodian.

35. Q: What meaneth "The Priesthood Of All Believers"?
A: The Priesthood Of All Believers meaneth that there exists no authority in the Church, as that falsely thought to be held by elders, presbyters, deacons, and bishops, but that each individual Christian acts as his own authority in all matters pertaining to the faith.

36. Q: Who is the Holy Spirit?
A: The Holy Spirit is a gentleman Who would never barge in.

37. Q: How long hath the Holy Spirit been at work?
A: The Holy Spirit hath been at work for more than a century: expressly, since the nineteenth-century Revitalization brought about by traveling Evangelists carrying tents across America.

38. Q: When will be the "Last Days" of which the Bible speaketh?
A: The "Last Days" are these days in which we are now living, in which the Antichrist, the Beast, and the Thief in the Night shall most certainly appear.

39. Q: What is the name of the event by which Christians will escape these dreadful entities?
A: The event commonly known as the Rapture, in the which it is our Blessed Hope that all cars driven by Christians will suddenly have no drivers.

40. Q: When is Jesus coming again?
A: Maybe morning, maybe noon, maybe evening, and maybe soon.

41. Q: When the roll, roll, roll, is called up yonder, where will you be?
A: There.

42. Q: Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah!
A: Praise ye the Lord!

43. Q: Praise ye the Lord!
A: Hallelujah!

44. Q: Where will we meet again?
A: Here, there, or in the air.

45. Q: Can I hear an Ay-men?
A: Ay-men.

Racer the "cat that doesn't climb too high"

2006-05-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been catsitting for my friend Sam (who is on his way to go evangelize some Norwegian chicks J/K). Sam was very insistent that his cat Racer, doesn't jump on too many things. Well, for the benefit of Sam and all, I decided to post some pictures to the contrary. Of course, Racer doesn't get on top of cabinets, so you have to understand that this was all done with mirrors, photoshop and photographic perspective. Pretty cool huh? Enjoy. (right: I photoshoped Racer in to make it look like she had gotten all the way up to the top of my cabinets, nearly 8ft off the ground. In fact, I think I did such a good job that you can't tell that its not real.)

That's not a real cat Sam, its a very realistic wax model that I made by hand (that looks exactly like your cat). I am pretty talented, aren't I?

Don't worry Sam, even though that looks a lot like the top of my fridge, it's really just the floor. This was done with six mirrors and me standing on my head. I also trained her to stare at that piece of paper for over an hour.

I am Jack's Complacent Heart

2006-05-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

This week at church we had a guest (Bob) who is a pastor at a new church plant for those recovering from alcohol and substances. Naturally, this lead to a whole stream of thoughts:

What a really cool idea for a church...
Isn't this what every church should be about?
Is it unfortunate that they should be in a different church to begin with?
Aren't we all in the process of recovering from one substance or another?

Now, of course, I can see the practical benefits of bringing those with similar struggles together, for encouragement and accountability. But, I can't help but think that those of us without alcohol or drug addiction history don't realize this type of thing as a reality for our own church life. Don't get me wrong, I hear people say they are big sinners all the time. But, it is rare to hear someone say, "I covet", "I lust", "I worship myself and my career" or "I don't forgive people unless they warrant it". I am Jack's selfrighteous passive aggression.

What a great benefit it must be to be able to enter into an AA church community where "I am an alcoholic" is the first part of the confession.

A New Lifetime Achievement

2006-04-25T18:52:00.000-05:00

I am now officially an s3d All-Star. Of course, this means that I will never win again with people that know this, because they will all gang up on me. For those un-acquainted with Settlers of Catan and its variants, don't look to me for instructions on how to use Google. However, those that play should sign up at S3D Catan Ladder and play online. The game works through an openGL shell that you download and install locally. The ladder itself is pretty intense. It keeps track of all kinds of stats, drops, quits, and the nifty "play-again-rating". In the future you can look for a new version of the online game that allows users to play Cities and Knights.

Also look for these German board game wizes to come out with a new drinking version of the game called Die Von Seidler De Bierstoffer.

Is Biblical Christianity Really Practical?

2006-04-16T12:01:00.000-05:00

So, this morning I got up and turned on the TV (to celebrate the end of my Lenten TV fast of course). To the marriage of my fortuitous timing and channel selection, I stumbled across this weeks message from Houston's own Unity Church of Christianity.

The sermon was somewhat consistent with what you would expect. In an nutshell, it goes like this: accept all spiritual beliefs as merely a different expression of the same truth, experience God in your own way (through your own personal enlightenment) and last but not least, add a few superlatives, a little gnosticism and TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT!

At the end of the broadcast came the three "P"'s of Unity: Positive, Practical, Progressive. I guess the overall message of Christianity is positive (I you want to just skip to the end). Unfortunately, many mainstream evangelicals, whether they admit it or not, think of themselves as "progressive". I think it is the underlying gnostic motivation to get rid of all those old Catholic religious (read: bad) traditions.

Of all the "P" words, the one that really sticks with me is "Practical". Is Christianity really practical at all? Just how do we define what is practical and is not? Does this mean that we teach only the parts of the bible that is practical? Or, does this imply that there is a part of Christianity that is not practical? (and we shouldn't bother with it)

Jesus says, "take up your cross and follow me" and "he who loses his life will find it". Paul says, submit yourselves as "living sacrifices" and as "sheep to the slaughter". My question for the those "in Unity" is, is this part of the practical or impractical Christianity?

But, likewise, my question of those who claim to be orthodox is, are we sacrificing part of Christianity as impractical for the sake of our own comfort about ourselves?

The Single Greatest Vocal Track Ever?

2006-04-10T12:44:00.000-05:00

Without Your Love by Billie Holiday and Lester Young. This is from the A Fine Romance set that was recorded back when she was in her prime. Unfortunately, the best quality recordings of Billie were after she began to lose her voice. This has led to the misconception that Billie didn't have a great voice. This recording disproves that conception. I get this track stuck in my head from time to time and it is truely a wonderful experience. Billie is a storytelling genius. Listen for Lester's playing behind Billie at the end of the track.

Separated At Birth

2006-04-07T00:59:00.000-05:00

Sam "the Eagle" and Chris Windham:

Organic Joey

2006-03-22T17:05:00.000-06:00

I just heard some of the new Joey DeFrancesco CD, Organic Vibes, that came out yesterday on WBGO NYC. For those unfamiliar with Joey D. he's the slamin'est Hammond B3 player in the world! Bobby Hutcherson is on Vibes and George Coleman on tenor. That is some sick stuff! This one looks like a keeper.

Redecorating Redeeming Ems House

2006-03-21T22:00:00.000-06:00

From Emerson's Blog. Much has been suggested for Emerson's Chattanooga based living room, but up to this posting very little if any real action has been taken. Below are the virtual rooms of many of the suggestions made so far. Enjoy!

On the left we have the "The Great Outdoors" with a handsome Emerson throw rug and on the right the design, "I wanna be in a boy band", with pink and purple polka dots (a great idea) and a handsome poster of "emerging emerson" above the fire:

Below left is "Dry Martini", Olive walls and walnut floor (I left the polkas in to look live olives on olive) and the right my personal preference, "Pimp'T":

What is this? (a rant)

2006-03-20T15:23:00.000-06:00

From About.com: Billie Holiday, like Norah Jones, was able to convey a wide range of emotion with a relatively simple vocal style.

Is this English? I see type, but no comprendo. When did Norah Jones become the standard for jazz singers? Either John doesn't know the first thing about jazz or he didn't learn how to construct sentences.

That's like saying: Pablo Picasso, like Sherwin Williams, are great painters or Martin Luther, like Joel Osteen, are great a teaching the bible.

John, the sentence should read: If you like Norah Jones for her simplicity, check out Billie Holiday. Billie has the simplicity of Norah, but with actuall jazz phrasing and artistic storytelling ability. Billie = Norah - water + art.

Coming soon, my top 5 jazz vocal records.

My Top Five 6 Jazz Albums Ever (studio)

2006-03-16T13:21:00.000-06:00

So you want to start listening to classic jazz. Where do you start? What is good and what isn't? Well, hopefully the following list will give you something to start a collection by. These albums are timeless. They never get old, but get better with age and every listen.

#5 (tie) Mingus Ah Hum - Charles Mingus

This album is everything a great album should be. Great cover. Great line-up (although Horace Parlan gets on my nerves). Great writing. Great engineering. "Open Letter to Duke" is one of my favorite tracks. It just smokes! Charles Mingus is one of the great musical composers in American history (albeit one of the most underrated). This is his best overall large group album!

#5 (tie) Ready For Freddie - Freddie Hubbard

This is Freddie Hubbard's best album! Every single tune kills it! ...and these tunes are among the most difficult to play! Arietis, Marie Antoinette, Crisis, Birdlike... all amazing! Wayne Shorter makes one of his earlier appearances. He actually sounds a lot like Trane on this record. Freddie's solos are trumpet genius highlighted by his work on Birdlike. Again, great line up and excellent engineering on this album. Many do not know it exists, yet it is a must have (especially for the trumpet technician). Simply put Freddie will hurt you with his hard swing and bebop articulation, as well as endless creative ideas!

#4 Soul Station - Hank Mobley

Along with Sonny Stitt and Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley was surely one of the most underrated tenor saxophonist of his era. He rarely failed to make a great record. His sound is right out of the Lester Young discipleship. Round sound, beautifully rich tone. This is his best record of a bunch of good ones. This would be largely due to the fact that he had Wynton Kelly, Art Blakey and Paul Chambers on the session. Wynton Kelly offers up some of the best comping ever recorded! Art stays deep in the pocket the whole record and P.C.'s puts one a walking clinic. The use of 2 to 4 beats on this record is addictive. Hank's playing never ceases to be slick, creative and soulful all at the same time. He's simply everything a hard-bopper should be. This is a must own. A lot of people don't realize what a phenomenal record this is.

#3 Saxophone Colossus - Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins used to say "records are just advertisements to get people to come to the concerts". Well Sonny, I guess that makes you one good ad executive because Saxophone Colossus is one great album. Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins and Max Roach provide support. St Thomas is perhaps the most recognized part of the album, but Moritat (Mack the Knife) and You Don't Know What Love Is are also fantastic. In fact, like all the albums listed here, there really aren't any weak spots on this album. Sonny is inspired and you hear it through the vinyl. He is truly an improviser improviser. You get the sense that every idea he plays on this record is a new one. All are lyrical, creative, consistent, communative and inside. Yes, you can be creative and play inside. Listen for Sonny's second entrance in St. Thomas. The energy is off the charts. It's like witnessing a shuttle launch. Sonny explodes! (my favorite part of the record)

#2 Kind of Blue - Miles Davis

From the stand point of influence, this is probably the most important jazz (or any genre) album ever recorded. From the first note of Mile's solo in So What you get the sense that everything about jazz from that point forward is about to change. Born during the modern environment of Bebop, Miles introduces the idea back to jazz that what you don't play is every bit as powerful and significant as what you do play.
Two unique things stand out about the production of this record. First, the personal is outstanding: Jimmy Cobb, Paul Chambers, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, John Coltrane and a young pianist named Bill Evans. Second, the session was said to have taken place in such a way that, although the compositions were very simple, the guys hadn't played or seen any of them before. To top that off, all (except for flaminco sketches) are first takes and every solo is fresh and perfect.
Should everyone own this album? Absolutely. Is it the coolest record ever made? Probably.

#1 A Love Supreme - John Coltrane

There is simply not a whole lot to say about this album that has not already been said. I listened. I hated it. I listened to it more. I liked it. I kept listening, and fell in love with it. This record, to me, is simply the greatest work ever recorded. I can listen this album for the rest of my life and it will always get more interesting. How is that possible in this world? I don't know.
It begins with the sound. John Coltrane has the most sincere sound in the world. He conveys passion and sensitivity in a seamless manner. You can hear the cries of the helpless in his playing. ...the voice of a comforter in a broken world reaching out to help. This album is about the physical world affecting the spiritual universe in a meaningful way. Both aspects of the person intertwined. I cannot stop listening to this record. Three notes describe it all... A Love Supreme.

What Ever Happened to Good Christian Music?

2006-03-14T21:58:00.000-06:00

You know, I think ,Purgatorio is one of the funniest places on earth. Check out the section called Divine Vinyl.

Can you believe there is a whole community of Christians in the world that buy this stuff? Apparently Christians (although they often openly persecute gay people) secretly spend more money on gay stuff than anyone.

Well, in the whole spirit of "enterprising evangelism", I thought I would help the gang out at Red Mountain Church with an album cover design of my own that I think might just kick sales up a notch. You can view my design here.

My Neighborhood or The Man-trose

2006-03-09T16:57:00.000-06:00

I thought I would post some pics I took of the local neighborhood (Montrose). Eventually this blog will look cooler than it does now. I hope to get some good night shots of downtown Houston. This is how downtown used to look like from my 3rd floor office (closet) at home. Now its just the broad side of a 3 story townhouse. That is God's Shekinah cloud in the background reigning judgement down on Enron.

This house is 2 blocks from me. I think this is where they treat drug rehab. Here is a picture of some of the patients.

This is my place. As you can see, I have a lot of crap in the garage.

Here's a couple more. Life is good without homeowners associations! My neighborhood is pretty cool. They say that YUPies like me are driving up the property value and forcing the "starving artists" out. But, that's whats been going on in "the village" for decades. Yet, the artists still flock there.