The College Crowd Digs Me

"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 Francisco ...

"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'...

"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...

"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...

"She came onto him like a slow movin' cold front. His beer was warmer than the look in her eyes. She sat on a stool... He said, "What do you want?" She said, "Give me a love that don't freeze up inside." John Hiatt This is the musical medicine I take when I'm coming loose. Feeling out of step. When I need the occasional, but necessary, emotional jumpstart. ..to feel connected with the world again. John Hiatt provides the perfect prescription with his joyous and sometimes heart-aching classic... "Slow Turning" (1988). Up-tempo songs like "Drive South"..."Trudy And Dave"..."Georgia Rae" are guaranteed to throw a smile on your face. Wonderful ballads like "Is Anybody There"..."Feels Like Rain"..."Icy Blue Heart" hits the mark. And crank-it numbers like "Slow Turning"..."Ride Along"..."Paper Thin" balances it all out. John Hiatt - "Slow Turnin...

"Cause I know you'll live forever. And I know we're still together... through your music and your love. Take me back." 38 Special NO SPOILERS: The title refers to the amount of time a soldier...drafted or otherwise...had to pull in Vietnam before being allowed to return home. Ronald J. Glasser ...an Army doctor during the Vietnam War ...recounts the physical and mental challenges young combat veterans regularly faced...through his all-to-intimate conversations with injured soldiers he tried to mend. Dr. Glasser also learned quickly how a diagnosis and recommendation for an injured soldier could sometimes create negative consequences. For instance, a soldier might lose some or all his days served if sent home early to recuperate. Thus, many doctors tried to loophole this unfair treatment, especially when a hurt soldier was close to his end of tour. "365 Days" (288 pages) reads very fast and leaves the reader with a dreadful sense of helplessness. A powerf...

"Und now, are you ready for this one? You will like it, kiddies. We present for your fervent felicitations, the fabulous, futuristic, far-fetched feats of the fearless Fidgety Queen!" Nektar NO SPOILERS: Often lost in the film shuffle, Director Joseph Mankiewicz (winner of 2 best director Oscars) creates an odd dramedy/comedy in his 1951... "People Will Talk" . Cary Grant ...this time cast as the unbelievable caregiver... Dr. Pretorious . Again, Grant plays the pompous character he has come to define so well...and solves medical problems in a rather unconventional, if not far-fetched manner. Far-fetched, perhaps...but Cary Grant pulls it off where lesser actors might have failed. Although beloved by most of the medical staff, jealousy still rears its green, quirky head in the form of Professor Elwell, played by the great character actor Hume Cronyn . While Cronyn tries to uncover dirt on the good doctor... Pretorious is busy mending a particularly sensitive ...