My Thoughts As Civilization Slowly Unravels

My first four “Jazz I Love"s – #1, #2, #3, and #4 – were assorted jazz recordings from the past few decades. #5 focused on 1960s jazz and #6 on piano jazz. I’ll now share a trombone-focused edition. I’ve tried to include at least one performance by many great trombonists. Please treat this as a starting point for discovering more amazing performances by these incredible artists. Enjoy! Nils Wogram & Harry Watters Cherokee - Slide Factory European Trombone Festival 2009 Delfeayo Marsalis, Nick Finzer, Steve Davis, & Michael Dease International Trombone Festival Live J....

My first four “Jazz I Love"s – #1, #2, #3, and #4 – were assorted jazz recordings from the past few decades. #5 focused on 1960s jazz. I’ll now share a piano-focused edition, which I hope to follow up with additional instrument-focused editions. I’ve tried to include a performance by many of the greats. Please treat this as a starting point for discovering more amazing performances by these incredible artists....

Before the pandemic, Christopher Rim’s average client would apply to 12 schools. This application cycle, the college admissions consultant said, 90% of the students he works with are applying to 20 or more schools. “It’s an unprecedented number,” he said. “At some level, it’s becoming a lottery, and these kids just decide to cover all their bases. They’re just applying to as many schools as possible,” Rim, the CEO of Command Education, told The Post…...

Here are some recordings I’ve made since February (mostly in April, I think). I continue doing 15+ minutes of piano most days. Miss a day here or there but that’s okay. It’s a life-long habit, not an addiction. It Had To Be You On Green Dolphin Street Sweet Georgia Brown (new version from different piano book) These Foolish Things You’ve Got a Friend With A Little Help From My Friends A few things I’ve recently noticed Figuring out the proper fingering used to be a challenge....

“Jazz” is hard to define because it’s fluid and ever-evolving. A big reason jazz is hard hard to define is because it has continually mutated and thrived for well over a century. Continual evolution has kept jazz fresh and surprising. Bebop, for example, evolved in the 50s and 60s, while “jazz fusion” arose in the 70s. Jazz musicians today continue to innovate while simultaneously harkening back to and riffing on the genre’s brilliant past....

Three new recordings reflecting my growth – I hope – since beginning to learn piano about eight months ago. I try to do at least 15 minutes a day. Missed a few more days recently when I drove with my son to Pittsburgh (where he auditioned on trombone at CMU). The Trolley Song I Want to Be Happy I Get a Kick Out of You A few things I’ve recently noticed Piano has become a habit....

Trombone-heavy list this time…. And I’m using the term “jazz” very broadly, as in “quality music.” ;-) Steve Davis Sextet featuring Antonio Hart & Eric Alexander Jeannine BLUE NOTE TOKYO ALL-STAR JAZZ ORCHESTRA by ERIC MIYASHIRO with Steve Gadd Way Back Home Too Many Zooz (+ Lucky Chops) I Will Survive Snarky Puppy Take It! (feat. Bernard Wright) (Empire Central) Hilario Duran and his Latin Jazz Big Band Esperando la Carroza (Live In Studio) Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra featuring Sean Jones, Tim Green, and Josh Richman Jam #3 (In C# Major) T-Bones Brasil Ensemble Chega de Saudade (No More Blues) Rafael Rocha Big Band feat....

This is the third installment of my hopefully endless series of jazz/bluegrass/bossa nova/Afro-Cuban/etc. recommendations. (First installment & second installment) I can’t explain why jazz isn’t all anyone ever listens to. Hoping to infect you with my excitement by giving you more free samples… Luna Watanabe & Masato Honda Tokyo Train Airmen of Note + Dave Steinmeyer Spain Herbie Hancock Cantaloupe Island Chris Potter & Snarky Puppy Lingus Too Many Zooz + Michael Wilbur Rake Stepper Leo P BBC Proms 2017 Chick Corea (piano) & Bill Watrus (trombone) Spain Pasquale Grasso + Emmet Cohen Trio Night in Tunisia George Benson (age: 23) Benson’s Rider (Newport Jazz Festival 1966) Benny Goodman Orchestra (including Gene Krupa, drums) Sing, Sing, Sing (1937) Tuba Skinny Concert @ Jazz & Heritage Center 2022 Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Backatown live in Jazzwoche Burghausen With thanks to Adeyemi Emmanuel Abebayo for their photo on Unsplash

I read quite a few books in 2023, mostly as audiobooks while making coffee, taking long walks, doing laundry, raking leaves, watering the lawn, showering, washing dishes, preparing lunch, brushing my teeth, shoveling snow (ominously little of that these past several winters!), etc. I sometimes even enjoy watching sports – mostly condensed soccer match highlights from around Europe – with the sound off while listening to an audiobook. You can find a lot of time to “read” if you put audiobooks (or podcasts) on your phone (which you can likely borrow for free from your local library!...

In June, I committed to practicing piano at least fifteen minutes a day for the rest of my life. Here are a few new recordings for anyone curious how quickly a middle-aged man can learn piano with non-intensive daily practice. Georgia On My Mind Sweet Georgia Brown Fly Me to the Moon My previous update (Christmas songs) With thanks to Johannes Plenio for his photo on Unsplash