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Showing posts from August, 2008

Interview:-->Jerry Hahn - Jazz Guitar Legend

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"When I first came down to Wichita town... Had a pocketful of Mexican smoke. Well, I sold it to a man I did not know... 'Cause I was hungry and I was broke ." Jerry Hahn Brotherhood Recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the 3 or 4 best jazz guitarists, Jerry Hahn has enjoyed a full eclectic career. What drew my attention, initially, to this ambassador of rock-blues-jazz fusion...was his fantastic, but almost forgotten, classic rock gem ... "The Jerry Hahn Brotherhood" (1970). I'll describe the album in more detail later. But first... Jerry Hahn was performing at Hotel Old Town in Wichita, KS recently (July 2008)... Hotel Old Town - Wichita KS ...when he graciously sat down and allowed me to pick his memories. Jumping from one topic to another... Hahn shared his thoughts and opinions. The following is an excerpt: Casey: Well, back in the '60s...before you began teaching at Wichita State University ...you were out in San Francis

Ramblings:-->My Kindle and Other Observations

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"But I know I have found only one way to heaven. Don't stop 'til 7 come 11." Rex I've had my Amazon Kindle for about a month now...and love it. The Kindle , for lack of a better definition...is an e-book reader on steroids. A plethora of positive reviews can be read at Amazon ...and I encourage you to do so. In the meantime...here are just a few of the Kindle features I've come to love. Very easy on the eyes. NO GLARE! The Font Size can be quickly adjusted. Great for when your eyes get tired. Books...Newspapers...Magazines...RSS Feeds can be downloaded wirelessly to your Kindle in less than a minute. I'm not exaggerating! Built-in Dictionary to instantly look up words that trip you. No more writing the word down to look up later. Very Nice! Easily highlight whatever your reading . Great for when finding an interesting thought or point. Your highlight will stay with the book indefinitely. Any material on your Kindle can be searched!! If it'

Book Buzz:-->"Batman Year One" by Frank Miller (writing) & David Mazzucchelli (artwork) (1996)

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"Oh, I could be a hero. I could be a lover of a thousand movie queens. I could be a hero. I could be anything. Caught in the sunrise... And I'm blinded by the light." Crack The Sky NO SPOILERS: "Batman One" (1996) a Graphic Novel...is more a character study into the two "new guys" on the block...Batman and Jim Gordon. Each trying to mead out justice on their own terms. This is a Batman tale from his earliest beginnings as a crime fighter in the fictional Gotham City. Batman is athletic, to be sure, but still a little rough around the edges. Certainly not yet the whiz-bang he would grow into. A super-hero work in progress. Surprisingly ...and pleasingly so...it is the plot surrounding a young Jim Gordon (way before becoming Gotham's police commisioner ) that will hold your attention. Gordon is flawed but much cooler than expected. And truly not one to trifle with. Legendary Frank Miller's writing is dead on the money as usual. And

Track 4:-->"Career" - Mott - (Shouting and Pointing) - (1976)

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"There's no such thing as me or you. Just the feeling someone had when they saw shadows on the wall." Mott Let me be upfront...and let your slings and arrows land where they may. "Shouting and Pointing" is a pretty good record. Not perfect. Not a 5-star LP. But certainly better than most rock critics would have you believe. "Mott" was, of course, the off-shoot of the legendary band... Mott the Hoople . The band was trying their best to carry on...after three of the original bandmates... Ian Hunter , Mick Ronson and Mick Ralphs had left. Talk about taking a hit! However... "Shouting and Pointing" (their final album)...shows Mott surprisingly having more fun and rocking harder than many LPs previously. And their energy is contagious. Sadly...no one was buying what they were selling. Choosing Mott as their new moniker...obviously hoping to keep their old fans......played a large part in their demise. Most of the "...Hoople"