Alexi David
November 12th, 2008 | Special show
Special PATRIOT ACT trio this upcoming Tuesday - with Stacy Dillard and Bruce Cox! More info under performances
October 21st, 2008 | New tracks
I've posted almost the complete last Fat Cat gig - sans the following track of which I present a short video clip of Alon's solo
October 17th, 2008 | Byron is Dying
I have posted a recording of my eulogy for my beloved Uncle
October 14th, 2008 | Hummus Dance Party USA 2000
The October 10th Fat Cat show with my group was amazing! I will post tracks as soon as I have some time!
September 26th, 2008 | Change we can vomit in
People have become delusional. People left and right are planning how they're gonna celebrate Obama's inauguration. As if he already won. If you even say the words "He'll lose", they get this look in their face - like you killed their Momma or something. People are still asleep - they live in a fantasy land. Their ipods are still stuck in their ears all of the time, alternating with their cellphones. People are doing NOTHING to change their country. They don't even know what's wrong, really. The only thing they're doing, the ONLY thing - is voting. In the mean time, everything that we do wrong continues. It's like church - you can be a bad boy but then you go to confession. No, your vote is not important. This country is run from the inside, not from the puppets we call presidents. Obama, McCain, it's all the same. The late George Carlin:
"So I know later on this year you're going to have one of those swell Presidential elections that you like so much. You'll enjoy yourselves, it'll be a lot of fun. I'm sure as soon as the election is over your country will improve immediately. As for me, I'll be at home on that day doing essentially the same thing as you, the only difference is when I get finished masturbating, I'm going to have a little something to show for it, folks."
And my favorite police-state-incident-of-the-day - a West Virginia man that fanned one of his farts in the direction of a policeman was charged with BATTERY.
Maybe my values are "wrong." Let's see, I'd like an end to homelessness, end to drug abuse, end of the PATRIOT ACT, reversal of the Orwellian Police State, better and affordable education, support of the arts, free health care, clean water, no more US genocide in foreign lands - you know.....silly stuff like that.
I'm sure when "Obama gets elected" all these things will happen immediately. Did anyone say "Kucinich"?
August 19th, 2008 | IMPEACH THE TERRORIST
August 19th, 2008 | Alexi David's Patriot Act
I'm slowly putting up the first recordings of my new group, playing my tunes. Unfortunately most of the recording didn't come out well, and a lot of the instruments and their respective parts are lost in the mix. Better luck next time.
Wow, I'm finally really doing it!
I've also added material from the final Hipster Massacre gig. It was a blast - we went out on top - thanks again to Phil Stewart, Saul Rubin, Geoff Vidal, Tom Abbott, Vladimir Katz, Andrew Hadro, Ryan Anselmi, Chris Langellotti, Alon Albagli, Brandon Lewis and our guests - Alexander Yellen, José James, Cem Misirlioglou, Victor Caruso, Ben Meigners, and Ilia Skibinsky! And more thanks to Jade Synstelien, Noah Sapir and all the staff at Fat Cat for having us for a year
August 12th, 2008 | Too Late The Hero
Strive to go hear the musicians you love before they're gone - here is a list of some cats I have been blessed to have been in the presence of before they left the planet: ("met" denotes that I also did just that)
Walter Bishop, Jr. [met]
Thomas Chapin
Wild Bill Davis [met]
Mercer Ellington
Art Farmer
Dizzy Gillespie [met]
Percy Heath
Julius Hemphill
Frank Hewitt [met]
John Hicks [teacher]
Milt Jackson
Jimmy Lovelace [met]
Gerry Mulligan
Big Nick Nicholas
Jerome Richardson
Jimmy Smith [met twice]
John Stubblefield [met]
Joe Zawinul
and cats that I should have gone to see, but procrastinated or otherwise:
George Adams
Art Blakey
Cab Calloway
Miles Davis
Gil Evans
John Entwistle
Elvin Jones
Don Pullen
Dannie Richmond
Tony Williams
Max Roach
August 4th, 2008 | Presenting.....
Stay Tuned - August 15th at Fat Cat is the date of the premier of my new group - ALEXI DAVID'S PATRIOT ACT - featuring my compositions
July 23rd, 2008 | I Love Lucy [part2]
May 17 2008, Fat Cat
July 23rd, 2008 | I Love Lucy [part 1]
July 22nd, 2008 | You're Outta here!
People keep asking - the August José James tour has not been cancelled - I'm the one who's been cancelled. Due to lack of funds, he couldn't afford to fly me over. I won't be touring overseas with him anymore.
July 16th, 2008 | Tracks uploaded
Remastered version of "Peaches" and "It's Time" plus new additions "Sunshine of Your Love", "Jelly, Jelly", "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" & "Who Knows/Park Bench People"
July 13th, 2008 | Dead Flowers
Sometimes the past hits you in a very direct way.
Years ago ('98?) I hid a bag of heroin somewhere, then lost it. Yesterday, I found that bag. Holding it in my hand made me realize how far I've come. I felt a slight sense of positive nostalgia and then a fear of return to the dark side. The fear that the battle is never over.
The battle may never be over, but I won yesterday's fight. The hell I'm going back to that Hell. I'm stronger than that powder.
July 3rd, 2008 | New track
"Friday The 13th" uploaded onto the site - check it out! And use July 4th to educate yourselves about America - the real one, not the stuff they show you on NBC
June 20th, 2008 | Title
Be careful of how much you give to others. They usually will not give you the same back. I suffer from the illness of expecting too much from the world. It runs in my family. Give less, and save your powers for those that will let you grow.
June 9th, 2008 | Never In My Life
Way to go Chris Byars Quartet! Never in my life did I think I would see Cypriots of all colors, religions and languages playing jamming on Jazz standards together! The Shape of good things to come - and it was my great pleasure to be a part of it also
May 27th, 2008 | Beef Cookies
New track posted from the last Fat Cat show - I called a horn battle. Needless to say, Ryan Anselmi made sure to wipe out the competition before the exchanges even began.....shades of Rahsaan, Hahaha - That was a fun gig - Good Times!
Ryan's Website is in the accompanying link
May 16th, 2008 | Rumsfeld On Tape: Terror Attack Could Restore Neo-Con Agenda
Anyone here need any more proof?
Shocking excerpts of confidential recordings recently released under the Freedom of Information Act feature former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld talking with top military analysts about how a flagging Neo-Con political agenda could be successfully restored with the aid of another terrorist attack on America.
May 11th, 2008 | The Scene
I'd like to give a shout out to all of the different cats I've played with lately - whether it be through school, gigs, jam sessions, whatever - check 'em all out when you're in town!
A very partial list: Stacy Dillard, Max Lucas, Kahlil Kwame Bell, Satoshi Inoue, Craig Magnano, Bruce Cox, Joe Blaxx, Yonatan Yudkovitz, Melvin Greenwich, Nadav Peled, Hal Galper, Yotam Silberstein, Brandon Lewis, Geoff Vidal, Madeleine Besson, Adam Jackson, Melanie Charles, Alex Wyatt, Masa Yamamoto, Dan Aran, Harry Whitaker, ......
April 21st, 2008 | New Music
New tracks are currently being uploaded from the last gig at Fat Cat - what a show! What a band!
April 9th, 2008 | Something from Lee Ann Ledgerwood's website
Bill Evans said, ( I am paraphrasing here ) that if you keep looking at all of the terrible things that are happening such as a famine here and wars over there and so on that you ultimately have to figure out the truth of why you are here. He said that if you can identify what you as a human being genuinely have to offer and concentrate on that, that it would keep you from going insane from feeling so incapable of having an effect on the problems of the world
April 8th, 2008 | Americans and Music
This country never ceases to amaze me. One of the reasons the arts struggle here is because there are 8 million apartment laws that prohibit you from practicing your instrument.
Junior Mance once told me that he had in the past gotten complaints from neighbors in his apartment building.
Imagine having the legendary Master Junior Mance, on his Steinway, playing his music through the walls! To me it would be a blessing, one to make life a more beautiful experience!
I guess the tenants complained because the piano was distracting them while they were trying to watch "American Idol."
I rest my case.
March 25th, 2008 | Torture Bracelet To Control Dissenting Americans?
The Department of Homeland Security is pursuing the introduction of a device known as the Security Bracelet, a wearable tag that would allow authorities to inflict pain compliance on suspects from a distance, while also recommending law enforcement applications and potential use in "crowd control situations".
Introduced ostensibly to combat airline terrorism, a creepy promo video courtesy of the patent holders Lamperd FTS exploits shocking 9/11 imagery to push the torture device as a solution to countering potential hijackers by inflicting "Electro-Muscular Disruption" and presumably giving the rest of the passengers a debilitating shock at the same time.
March 25th, 2008 | Cops Beat The Living Hell Out Of Peaceful Tibetan Protesters IN AMERICA
Disgusting video footage of New York cops clubbing and arresting peaceful Tibetan protesters who were merely walking down the street has gone relatively ignored beyond Youtube.
While stories emerge out of China every day of police beating and killing Tibetan protesters in the streets, the same sort of behavior by cops in America tells its own story.
The footage was shot at a free Tibet peaceful assembly in New York on the 14th of March.
It shows the protestors holding flags and signs and peacefully walking down the street towards the UN building in the Turtle Bay neighborhood only to be accosted by police officers with batons.
One officer identified as "Delgado" is seen in the video pushing people as the group crosses the street.
Another officer, identified as "Serano" is caught threatening to kill two protesters as the cameraman passes. He later admits to the threat and apologizes for it.
As the group nears the UN building, cop cars and vans screech onto the sidewalks, cops pour out and begin to beat the protesters with clubs as UN security guards observe without becoming involved.
A non uniformed officer, who seems to be directing the entire operation, then orders the cameraman to step back and move away.
"Look at these cops, clubbing people in front of the UN, unbelievable, protesting to free Tibet, cops clubbing people in their legs on the sidewalk, in front of the UN in America, unbelievable, this is not China." the American cameraman announces in disbelief.
The officer identified as Serano then forces the cameraman away from the melee, telling him to shut the camera off and that he will not talk to him because he may be a reporter.
Several officers then follow the cameraman asking him about his recording of the incident.
March 24th, 2008 | Forgiveness and similar
In regards to the earlier angry post below, it's funny how forgiving I can be at times with people when I get to revisit their good sides. I am more at ease today (with that matter, at least).
In rehab, I was taught to be forgiving and give others many chances because that's what they were going to be doing to me. The outside world doesn't quite work that way, but I have retained that ability. I'm not sure if I had it before - I don't remember how I dealt with those issues when I was a little kid (because, Age 16-23 - Drugs, 23-26 - Rehab). I wish I could have back those years of my life but I can only make the best of what I have now - which is more than most people in the world have (something to remember when I'm being an ungrateful, whiny, selfish Bitch).
We're playing with José at NuBlu on Thusday. Earlier that day we are shooting a music video for "Park Bench People" hahahaha! Come down to the gig, it's always a good time.
March 21st, 2008 | w/ José in Amsterdam
March 16th, 2008 | PRI "Fair Game" Radio Broadcast
José James group - also check out the tracks they didn't air
With me on Rickenbacker Bass, Gideon Van Gelder on Piano and Adam "Ajax" Jackson on drums
March 14th, 2008 | Ayia Skepi
A lot of people have asked me what the rehab place was like - here tis'
March 11th, 2008 | I Let A Song Go Out of My Fart
And No, this is not about Junior. He knows better.
OK. So I played in a certain "style" for a few bars. You didn't like it. I can live with that. I can also live with not playing like that in your class. That is fine, as I'm quite diverse.
What I can't live with is you tellin' me that I'm playin' "Sad Shit." Are we close friends? Since when can you say shit like that because you're my teacher?
You also told me that it's "corny and dated." Yeah, corny is nice sometimes too. Brings a little FUN in the music. And yeah it's dated - by about 20 years before the shit that you're showing us - which in and of itself dates from the 1940s. . Sorry, I guess I'm just not "hip" enough. Sorry for trying to preserve something from the past by bringing it into the future. Besides, I did it for the sake of musical variety, not because I haven't evolved, as was the case when that style was being played last century.
You also said that the guys you work with would "never hire me" if I did that shit. Really? You think that if I was playing with Chick I'd hear that kind of bass line over his music? Do you think I'm really that one-dimensional? Have you heard what I do? No, you haven't. You've only heard one small side of me, as you want, which hey, being that's what the class is about, is fine.
Your name is not on this blog because other than this crap, you are a fine teacher and I would never want to jeopardize your job at the school by complaining to the administration. What would that serve anyway? It's not like you're gonna change. You and a lot of other bitter musicians of your generation.
So, by your account I'm "Sad", "Corny" "Dated" and I couldn't get a gig with the big boys. Guess what; I've already began doing those gigs.
I'm still waiting to hear more constructive criticism as to why I shouldn't play that way.
And don't Fucking insult me like that again.
March 11th, 2008 | Dennis Irwin
Dennis Irwin is gone, folks. Another one gone too young...........Rest In Peace
March 7th, 2008 | MoMo's - January 15th 2007, London
A small web TV feature on José James......
March 1st, 2008 | New Tune
In "other ensembles"
I gotta start writing more here.
December 11th, 2007 | The Amazing Henry Grimes
I'm sitting here listening to a recording of Henry and I playing duets in our lesson today. I like it a lot! (sorry, not gonna post it here for fear of bootlegging). Henry is one of the most remarkable people I've ever met. Besides being one of the most brilliant Bassists of his generation (and most others), he is a humble, gentle, beautiful soul, that is just bursting with life and music. It has been quite a journey to have studied with him. Please observe the link to his website if you don't know who he is.
Thank You Henry (and Margaret).
December 4th, 2007 | Are You Awake Yet?
Ex-Italian President: Intel Agencies Know 9/11 An Inside Job
Man who set up Operation Gladio tells Italy's largest newspaper attacks were run by CIA, Mossad
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Former Italian President and the man who revealed the existence of Operation Gladio Francesco Cossiga has gone public on 9/11, telling Italy's most respected newspaper that the attacks were run by the CIA and Mossad and that this was common knowledge amongst global intelligence agencies.
Cossiga was elected President of the Italian Senate in July 1983 before winning a landslide 1985 election to become President of the country in 1985.
Cossiga gained respect from opposition parties as one of a rare breed - an honest politician - and led the country for seven years until April 1992.
Cossiga's tendency to be outspoken upset the Italian political establishment and he was forced to resign after revealing the existence of, and his part in setting up, Operation Gladio - a rogue intelligence network under NATO auspices that carried out bombings across Europe in the 60's, 70's and 80's.
(Article continues below)
Gladio's specialty was to carry out what they coined "false flag operations," terror attacks that were blamed on their domestic and geopolitical opposition.
Cossiga's revelations contributed to an Italian parliamentary investigation of Gladio in 2000, during which evidence was unearthed that the attacks were being overseen by the U.S. intelligence apparatus.
In March 2001, Gladio agent Vincenzo Vinciguerra stated, in sworn testimony, "You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game. The reason was quite simple: to force ... the public to turn to the state to ask for greater security."
Cossiga's new revelations appeared last week in Italy's oldest and most widely read newspaper, Corriere della Sera. Below appears a rough translation.
"[Bin Laden supposedly confessed] to the Qaeda September [attack] to the two towers in New York [claiming to be] the author of the attack of the 11, while all the [intelligence services] of America and Europe ... now know well that the disastrous attack has been planned and realized from the CIA American and the Mossad with the aid of the Zionist world in order to put under accusation the Arabic Countries and in order to induce the western powers to take part ... in Iraq [and] Afghanistan."
Cossiga first expressed his doubts about 9/11 in 2001, and is quoted in Webster Tarpley's book as stating that "The mastermind of the attack must have been a “sophisticated mind, provided with ample means not only to recruit fanatic kamikazes, but also highly specialized personnel. I add one thing: it could not be accomplished without infiltrations in the radar and flight security personnel.”
Coming from a widely respected former head of state, Cossiga's assertion that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job and that this is common knowledge amongst global intelligence agencies is highly unlikely to be mentioned by any establishment media outlets, because like the hundreds of other sober ex-government, military, air force professionals, allied to hundreds more professors and intellectuals - he can't be sidelined as a crackpot conspiracy theorist.
November 1st, 2007 | Touring
There's never romance on the road
Only frustration and overload
- Pete Townshend, 1978
October 23rd, 2007 | I hate the 21st Century
I saw the most disgusting poster at school yesterday. It was a poster that said something like "Purchase a Mac by this date and get a free Ipod. One more reason to escape from the Real World."
If you read that and asked "So?", then you have bigger problems than you realize.
October 22nd, 2007 | Yup, Leroy
I have posted to the site material from the first two gigs at Fat Cat - material from the third will follow soon. In case anyone cares.
October 21st, 2007 | News News
Yup......I'm putting up new music on this site, I'm busy as hell at school, and out of school, I'm touring Europe with José James this week and I'm not spending enough or barely any time on my music. That and pretty much living out of a suitcase. Things will improve with the passing of this year.
September 19th, 2007 | Fascist America, in 10 Easy Steps
September 4th, 2007 | Live recordings
One of these days (things are a bit nutty now) I will post recordings from the last gig at Fat Cat. This one was much better - hey, not bad for a group that has rehearsed only twice and never with the guitar player! Next gig is on October 5th!
August 25th, 2007 | A Message for Maxwell Lemuel Roach
Max
I hope that the version of "It's Time" that we played last night met your approval. And your funeral service was wonderful, don't you think? But you still owe Bill Cosby $75!
Bye Max.
August 19th, 2007 | In Case You Still Believe That The US Government is not Evil
US gave full backing to Turkish invasion
THE United States gave full blessing to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, even assuring Turkey that it would "get them a solution involving one third of the island.''
This cynical US involvement is revealed in the latest batch of secret official State Department documents released for publication under the 30-year rule.
The American stand has long been known, but this is the first time that it has been confirmed so completely by an official State Department document.
This is clarified in the very first paragraph of the document which is stamped ``SECRET/EYES ONLY.''
It declares that the only conceivable settlement of the Cyprus problem "will have to rest on a de facto division of the island, whatever the form."
While admitting that the United States ``has the clout'' to prevent the invasion, the document nevertheless advises against doing so "before the fighting stops."
The document is dated August 14, 1974, the exact date of the second massive wave of the Turkish invasion of the island. It is headed: ``Memorandum for the Secretary - Cyprus Actions'' from Helmut Sonnenfeldt, one of the top State Department officials dealing with Greco-Turkish affairs.
The document even includes a map detailing the plan of action of the Turkish invasion force. This is headed ``Map done by the Bureau of Intelligence and Research projecting Turkish moves on Cyprus, August 13, 1974.''
It is worth noting that this plan was the one followed exactly by the Turkish troops, a further proof of the close American involvement in the Turkish invasion planning.
Here is the full text of the document:
THE COUNSELOR
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
August 14, 1974
SECRET/EYES ONLY
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY
FROM: Helmut Sonnenfeldt
SUBJECT: Cyprus Actions
You wanted some brief ideas on what we do next.
Nothing I can think of will stop the Turks now from trying to secure by force what they demanded in their ultimata. In fact, as has always been true, the only coneivable modus vivendi will have to rest on a de facto division of the island, whatever the form.
If the Turks move fast and can then be gotten to stand down, it may pre-empt Greek counteraction and then give us a chance to try for a deal. (It may also save Karamanlis).
While the Soviets can serve as a bogey, we must keep them at arms length. They cannot become the arbiter between US allies. Their interests differ drastically from ours: we want a modus vivendi between Greece and Turkey, they want a non-aligned Cyprus, preferably with Greece or Turkey or both disaffected from NATO.
Thus, we should
- urgently try to contain Greek reaction; 24 hours at a time;
- bluntly tell the Turks they must stop, today, tomorrow at the latest;
- warn the Turks that Greece is rapidly moving leftward;
- send high-level US man to Athens to exert continuing direct influence on Karamanlis;
- assuming the Turks quickly take Famagusta, privately assure Turks we will get them solution involving one third of island, within some kind of federal arrangement;
- assure Greeks we will contain Turk demands and allow no additional enclaves, etc.
You should not get involved directly till the fighting stops; then you must since there is no alternative and only we have the clout.
I do not think Brussels/NATO is the place to use when the time comes. The Greeks are probably too sore at NATO and the vehicle of a ministerial meeting is awkward. Anyway, you need Ecevit and Karamanlis.
London may be unacceptable to the Turks because of Callaghan’s blast at them.
You should not shuttle.
This may mean Geneva. Washington, at the President’s initiative, would be all right but hard to get the parties to come to. Also provocative of the Russians. New York would make it difficult to keep the Russians away.
You could also try Rome.
August 16th, 2007 | Max Roach
Bye Bye Max - Thank You again for everything
July 28th, 2007 | Fat Cat, again
Hey - my group ALEXI DAVID'S SOUVLAKI CONSPIRACY will be at Fat Cat again on Friday August 24th. More fun in store - come on down!
July 15th, 2007 | More and More
Tracks from the first Fat Cat show are being posted........
July 9th, 2007 | Dream #9
I've become a music teacher! And helping out inner-city kids! Two dreams achieved!
July 5th, 2007 | Badasses
Hey- I just wanted to give a shout out to all the new cats that I've played with - it's great to be out and about again and meeting new cats!
Saul Rubin - Guitar, Phil Stewart - Drums, Jacob Melchior - Drums, Tom Halpenny - Guitar, Jaime Aff - Drums, Jason Lawrence - Drums, River Alexander - Voice/guitar/harp/etc, Jeff Hudgins - Reeds
Now go check 'em out!
July 3rd, 2007 | Beef Chimichangas
After my last slump in May-June, I have emerged with a stronger need to play Bass, and to play with others again. I am concentrating on that now, and not sitting alone composing. It's doing me a lot of good. I think the Fat Cat thing is a sign; and also that I shouldn't let my talents on Bass go to waste. Since I started sitting in at clubs again, my phone has begun to ring. That should be telling me something - that I'm worth more than I thought.
June 21st, 2007 | FUCK THE POLICE STATE
Today I was a victim of the NYPD's Entrapment Scheme, Operation "Lucky Bag." (Look it up if you need to. I wish I had.)
Needless to say, those of you who know me could only guess at what I did: I took the item and placed it in my backpack, so I could return it to its owner.
Thankfully, I was not arrested. Which makes me very lucky, cause other hundreds of innocent NYCers have been for this scam. The undercover guy that nabbed me was cool - just brainwashed, unfortunately. I probably didn't get the arrest because I conducted myself so well and cool, just nervous. You know, being myself. I may be insane, but I'm DECENT. I've probably now been labeled as a terrorist or similar, though.
AMERICA....LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUR COUNTRY!!!!
June 20th, 2007 | Excerpt from autobiography
October 1995 and after, 227 West 112 Street, Harlem, NYC – Ascend on upward
I meet the Bassist, Tyler Mitchell, at Smalls’. Tyler is a Basehead, and has a habit. More on him later.
Randy Alexis has been using dope for 40 years now. He is 56. These days, he mostly prefers to smoke rocks, though he’ll do dope every few days or so – and will not refuse it of course if you offer (who the fuck would?). Randy stays up for days at a time. Once, he told me that I should split, ‘cause Tuesday was his sleep day. He was tired. A tired old soul. His walkup SRO cost $200. I think I saw it renting for $2,450 now. Everyone in the building smoked rocks. Purple tops, red tops, whatever was good. Randy is a poet, artist, and a big Jazz. We had lamented much about Don Pullen, Carmen McRae, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Trane. I had told him that Pullen died, and he couldn’t bear to hear his music. It seemed like it was too much to take, like it would disturb the spirit. He once told me of how he was at the Vanguard, and Rahsaan was singin’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Rahsaan was goin “Ain’t no sunshine…..[bla bla bla] it ain’t SHIT!!” Must have been wonderful – that’s such classic Rahsaan shit. Randy hadn’t seen any music in years. I would bring over my tape recorder and play back Coltrane at Newport ’63 and I think some Rahsaan. It would offset the barely visible awful TV signal from the old Black and White TV that he had in his studio. It would also offset the Rats racing on the floor. At least there was a sink, I think, and a Stove. Which of course was mainly used for cookin’ rocks. Who the fuck ate, anyway. I mean, once, we went out on a Sunny morning so I could get some money at Citibank. Then he was like – “If I knew you had more money, we should have bought grams and cooked them instead of spending it on tops and bags.” He was right. I was learning from the best. What was I sayin’? Oh yeah – once, he went out for some coffee. Other than that, he never ate. His face was what you would expect – thin, finely sculptured, and ravaged by pain in time. Yet he smiled so much. When he would ask for something he’d be like “A Kingdom………..a Kingdom for a cigarette!” How could I resist such charm? “Baby, Please!” He’d exclaim. Once, Tyler Mitchell took out his bass and they freestyled in the SRO. I’m not sure if I recorded it or not. Tyler was nervous that someone would take my tape recorder and boost it. I was a naïve young budding Dope and Base-head. I can’t say that I ever became a full-on Basehead, though the dope certainly stuck around. But the real Motherfucker would come years later, when In Cyprus I’d be takin’ Opiates, Benzos, Sedatives, and all the rest at once. AND fuckin’ anti-depressants….which is awful shit – I acquired one of the magical side-effects of Selective-Serotonin-Reuptake-Inhibitors – Suicidal thoughts (I was once hanging from my girlfriend’s balcony – from the railing high up – threatening to jump – my Godfather and Father came and later I decided to chill out). All those pills - that was the worst – light years worse than Heroin – all this shit was pure – and I had TONS of it. But more on that shit later.
June 20th, 2007 | Fat Cat
Woohoo! My group is going to play Friday July 6th at Fat Cat! This is awesome, because I think this kind of joint could work really well with a lot of the material.
May 26th, 2007 | Death
Dr. Kevorkian is being released from prison.
I often wonder what why someone like him is not allowed to exist peacefully in America. Maybe it's because the medical industry wants people to live longer so they can keep sucking out their wallets for medications, hospices and the like.
Who are YOU to tell me that I don't have a choice to leave the material world?
May 19th, 2007 | In a Van Down By The River
New recordings posted under "ensembles" and "Sideman."
May 9th, 2007 | No Go
Jose James Quartet Summer tour canceled, Unforeseen circumstances.
May 8th, 2007 | -
Live performance was replaced by the record player/jukebox.
The jukebox was replaced by the Disc Jockey.
The Disc Jockey was replaced by an ipod on shuffle.
What's next?
March 31st, 2007 | Free Jazz
Fuck the Tea Lounge. I can work for tips in the subway!
March 17th, 2007 | Sorry, Sorry, Sorry
Sorry is the most oft-abused word I hear these days in America. If someone barely touches me - "sorry." For a lot of dumb shit reasons. It all arises from a great fear that the people have. A great majority of it relates to human contact, a concept which is becoming increasingly artificial. Think about it for yourself a bit. Do you really need to be saying sorry so many times in the day? Jeez.
March 17th, 2007 | How to Learn Music, mainly pertaining to Jazz
There is a great emphasis today on learning everything technical and theoretical first as prerequisites to making great music. It seems like the latest concept is that the music comes from the theory and not the other way around. Let me present something to you? Do you accept music as a language? because if you do, then we can continue talking. If music is a language, think back to when you learned your native tongue. Did your parents give you English textbooks in your crib? Where you only taught specific words and phrases or did you just converse freely? What you did is you LISTENED and IMITATED. If you ask most of the great musicians, they will tell you that they learned by listening and transcribing others. The theory was established after to codify what sounds "hip." But now the Jazz schools push it on you like it's the gospel. Did you ever try to make up your OWN theory? I have. It's called LISTENING and COPYING and it's not a theory, it's a fact, and it's the best way to learn a language. I dare you to challenge me on this.
March 13th, 2007 | 30
It's just a fucking number, after all. Merrily we roll along.
March 13th, 2007 | LISZT
I am becoming increasingly proud of "Something for Franz Liszt." You can hear it in the piano compositions part of the site.
March 8th, 2007 | Fake Shit
I love how websites, computer programs and the like send me birthday wishes...........like I'm so needy and wasted that I need a non-living thing telling me Happy Birthday! To quote George Carlin, "I need this like I need an infected scrotum!"
What the fuck is wrong with everybody these days?
March 2nd, 2007 | Piano Compositions
Lots of new ones in the recordings section......
February 27th, 2007 | Go Bye-Bye
Shit, they almost blew up DICK Cheney.....now THAT would have made my 30th birthday epic!
February 20th, 2007 | Things that you may have not known about me
*I've worked as a licensed fisherman in Alaska
*I've been a patient at a loony bin
*As a little kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist
*I've miraculously survived a coma
*I've never been in a relationship with an American woman
*For a while before rehab, I thought that I was bisexual
February 18th, 2007 | Article about where I went to quit Heroin
February 17th, 2007 | New recordings
I'm beginning to post demo recordings of my live group, "Alexi David Presents....." Check it out!
February 15th, 2007 | Happy Birthday
Byron!
February 14th, 2007 | FUCK Valentine's Day
and all the crass American bullshit commercialism that goes with it!
I am quite amused that the weather sucked so much today.
February 14th, 2007 | Jose James Quartet live at the Hiro Ballroom 1/24/07
Check out a podcast of our live show!
February 4th, 2007 | Nantucket Sleighride (For Owen Coffin) - lyrics from Mountain song
Goodbye, little Robin-Marie,
Don't try, followin' me.
Don't cry, little Robin-Marie,
'Cause you know, I'm comin' home soon.
My ship's, leavin' on three year tour,
Next tide, will take us from shore.
Wind-laced, gather in sail and spray,
On a search, for the mighty sperm whale.
Fly your willow branches,
Wrap your body 'round my soul,
Lay down your reeds an' drums on my soft sheets,
There are years behind us reaching,
To the place where hearts are beating,
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet.
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet.
Starbuck's, sharpenin' his harpoon,
Black man's, playin' his tune,
An old salt's, sleepin' his watch away,
He'll be drunk again, before noon.
Three years, sailin' on bended knee,
We found, no whales in the sea,
Don't cry, little Robin-Marie,
'Cause we'll be, in sight of land soon.
Fly your willow branches,
Wrap your body 'round my soul,
Lay down your reeds an' drums on my soft sheets,
There are years behind us reaching,
To the place where hearts are beating,
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet.
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet.
February 2nd, 2007 | There Comes a Time
It should be a good year. In school I am studying Middle Eastern music, Schoenberg, privately Kirk Nurock, composition with Bill Kirchner, and more.
We had a fantastic week last week - did 2 gigs with Jose James - one at the Hiro Ballroom which was a showcase for Gilles Peterson's new record label, Brownswood. It was a real gig for a change, with hundreds of people, free food and booze, a BACKSTAGE area and the rest.
We also recorded Jose's album in two days. Junior Mance played on my arrangement of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Spirits Up Above." This is gonna be a hot album. Gilles will promote it heavily. Involved in the session were Gal Ben-Haim [guitar], Ryan Blum-Kryzstal [Nord], moi, Jose [voices], Luke Damrosch and Steve Lyman [Drums], Nori Oichai [piano], Mike Campagna [Tenor Sax] and of course Junior. It is such and honor and privileged to be playing with Junior this year on various occasions, and to have him as a friend and mentor to all of us. He's the real deal, and at 78 (!) one of the last living masters of Chicago blues piano. We shall collaborate more.
On February 10th, my live group ALEXI DAVID PRESENTS..... will record a demo for gig pimpin' purposes. I shall post all of the recordings on the site of course, and I will also set up a MySpace page to help network it.
OH, and Jose and the group will tour Europe and the UK this Summer. Japan will probably be next year. After, I'll probably end up in Cyprus to baptize MAXIM my beloved nephew who I miss dearly.
In a month, I celebrate my 30th birthday. Despite all of my incessant bitching, I am recording and playing with legends and soon-to-be legends and wonderful people and friends. I have been off Heroin, Cocaine and other shit since 2000. People care about me. I try to do the same, and sometimes succeed. Not bad for a guy that used to hang out in bathrooms with a needle in his arm.
Byron I wish you were here with me.
February 1st, 2007 | $
How 'bout everyone stops playing for free all around town. I'd rather be playing for tips in a subway station. I'm sick of all of these stingy fucking bars and places at which musicians play for tips, and the joint doesn't even give the musicians unlimited drinks and food. If you musicians want the situation to change, join together and protest against it. STOP selling yourselves cheap - you're worth more!
February 1st, 2007 | For Yasgur's Farm
Who am I but you and the sun
A sad reflection of everyone
Was it me who let you walk away?
Were you the one or is it we're the same?
What are we in time going by?
The simple story of a younger life
Half in dreams and somehow through the day
We haven't come so far to lose our way
Look at me
I believe it's true
You're a part of me
I'm a part of you
Love is only what we come to live
The waking, breathing, and all we give
A crystal passing reflected in our eyes
Eclipsing all the jealousy and lies
Look at me
I believe it's true
You're a part of me
I'm a part of you
Quiet as the voices in a dream
Without you, shadowed, the things I've seen
Remember the evening I let you walk away
Were you the one or is it we're the same?
January 28th, 2007 | Cyprus Mail interview - August 2005
I'll put it up here for what it's worth though I'm warning you it has some serious mistakes (like the part that says I'm gonna study with the Trane quartet - that was a misquote referring to Reggie at the New School......and other mistakes).
January 27th, 2007 | photos from Hiro Ballroom
Wow, a real fucking gig in NY!
January 4th, 2007 | The Genius Of The Crowd by Charles Bukowski [Happy New Year]
there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock
their finest art
November 24th, 2006 | UNCLE AL
I've become an Uncle! To who, I don't know yet cause the brat doesn't have a name yet! He's good-looking too! He looks like me also! I can't wait to meet him. As Luke said, I'll probably STILL keep on calling him "Mr. Nephew" even after he's named. Video clip in the images section!
November 12th, 2006 | Presenting......
Rehearsals for my group are going very well. The other day the horns were presented with rather impossible horn parts, of which they did an admirable job- a few more rehearsals and they'll be smokin' like Old Smokey. It's great to have musicians around you that are excited about your life project. I will follow through with rehearsals until Christmas, finish school, go to Cyprus to meet MR. NEPHEW and then come back and start recording the group, make a demo and pimp it for gigs. THEN, I have to purchase recording equipment, somehow, so I can start documenting my music and spread it around the world - especially my own compositions which won't be performed as often. A lot of those tunes are studio material (editing, overdubs, effects, unusual lineups, etc.)
I need a name for what I'm doing. It's the concept of having no boundaries - that music is just music. It's not Jazz, it's not rock, it's not blues, if you know what I mean. Just like you and me, I'm human, you're human, etc. Breaking down of prejudices. I know that it can all work together, and people can too, if they try. I also know that I can play a Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Mingus, Bach, Jelly Roll, and Rembetika tune in the same set. I'm gonna do it, and it's gonna work.
If all goes well, I shall play in England in March in my friend Jose James' group. He is really great. He's in my links section, you should check him out. He (with me on Bass) has been featured on a compilation put out by Brownswood recordings masterminded by BBC DJ Gilles Peterson. Most likely Gilles will come to record and produce Jose and the group in late January, along with guest stars - Jazz elders. That should be great if it happens.
October 5th, 2006 | Integrity
Never give up your integrity for anything, anyone, and especially any money.
September 27th, 2006 | Yes
I have begun rehearsing my ensemble. So far it is going well. A lot of the music is challenging, but the cats in the group appear to be digging it. I will spend much time in rehearsal before the groupl starts gigging. I want it to be tight. As tight as...oh nevermind......
August 22nd, 2006 | Wah Wah
So what has been going on on the musical front? I've been playing with Tom Abbott's Big Bang Big Band which is a real treat as it's the first Big Band I've ever played in - playing old-school charts no less. I've also been playing in Tom's "Saxes of Evil" group. Today I recorded with my man Jose James - an LP (did I really say that) is being put together, and he has been getting frequent airplay on BBC1 by DJ Gilles Peterson. So I made itto the BBC, hahahahah. Lovely. Anyway, things are going strong in the UK so hopefully we'll get to do a small tour over there. There's more love there than in the US, that's for sure! Recorded a great slow bluesy version of Jose singing "Let it Snow" for an upcoming sampler/compilation - with Junior Mance on piano which was a dream come true. Junior sat in at one of Jose's gigs and we had a blast! I'd love to play more often with him. And......I have been writing for my upcoming group......at a glacial pace, as usual, but the plan is to get a working sextet first - initially playing arrangements of other peoples music. The tunes range from Mahavishnu's "Dance of Maya", Omer Avital's "Yes!", Mingus' "Sue's Changes" and Max Roach's "It's Time." Those 4 should cover about two sets! But there is lots more, of much wider variety. Especially my stuff. Lots of my stuff. Then rock tunes. European classical. Black gospel. Greek/Arabic. Rembetiko. Greek pop, just all sorts of shit. King Crimson tunes. OK, I do play Jazz standards too.......and I've begun showing up on the scene jamming - I like Fat Cat right now. Been shedding standards, and bla bla bla.
August 13th, 2006 | Liquid Bomb Pakistan Link Is False Flag Smoking Gun
August 10th, 2006 | George Galloway, my new Hero
August 10th, 2006 | Lest We Forget - Vito Russo and ACT UP
July 14th, 2006 | Is Rael?
The US Media......once again displaying solidarity for Israel, no matter how many Arabs they slaughter......
July 7th, 2006 | Article on Tyler Mitchell
So I guess he IS alive after all.....and hopefully clean.........
July 1st, 2006 | Recordings
lots of recordings added, mostly new and old piano demos/composing tapes. Can't wait to get some of the real recordings up. I will attempt to buy a digital studio in a the fall and start recording everything myself.
July 1st, 2006 | Bartok
Do yourself a favor and pick up the record "Bartok plays Bartok." Wow.
June 21st, 2006 | Transfigured Alexi
Schönberg is really scaring me. Do you know who he is? You should.
June 15th, 2006 | more John Hicks
on John Hicks' website, under "Videos," there's a wonderful short video clip via Joe Lovano of John last December
June 15th, 2006 | Kick Bushy's Ass
HAHAHAHAHA
June 7th, 2006 | updates
I promise, updates soon! I'm now en route to Cyprus (I'm in Budapest) - when I'm done I shall post piano demos of compositions I'm working on. The plan is that I will start my first group, a sextet in the Fall. I have been doing arrangements, and I will get back to hard-core composing in July. See ya soon!
May 25th, 2006 | WAY TO GO JEAN
Did you all hear what happened at the New School regarding John McCain? You Should.
Way to go Jean. Don't let them bully you and scare you away from your FREE SPEECH (a dying ntion this century.....)
May 25th, 2006 | Mark Salter, McCain's Aide says to the New School
Top McCain Aide Insults Entire College Graduating Class...
"Very Unlikely Any Of You Will Ever Possess...One Small Fraction Of The Character Of John McCain"...
The Huffington Post | Posted May 21, 2006 11:22 PM
And now, in the word sof the great George Carlin, GO FUCK YOURSELF.
May 22nd, 2006 | Butch Warren
May 13th, 2006 | Variations on the Scene
An incredible article on Smalls, just like I remember it
May 11th, 2006 | Bye Bye John
Pianist John Hicks was hilarious. He had a great sense of humor. He liked how I could play back some Monk transcriptions from memory and was threatening to have me be the pianist in the school's Monk ensemble! It was flattering, to say the least.
He was the true spirit of the music.
He died of internal bleeding this morning. It was a shock to everyone. Maybe it was after effects of past drug abuse? Who knows. It doesn't matter. He was 63, but he will live forever in me. John, say hi to Buhaina from me.
May 10th, 2006 | Birdie Num Num
"Bird Flu"
Do you know that 'bird flu' was discovered in Vietnam 9 years ago?
Do you know that barely 100 people have died in the whole world in all that time?
Do you know that it was the Americans who alerted us to the efficacy of the human antiviral TAMIFLU as a preventative?
Do you know that TAMIFLU barely alleviates some symptoms of the common flu?
Do you know that its efficacy against the common flu is questioned by a great part of the scientific community?
Do you know that against a SUPPOSED mutant virus such as H5N1, TAMIFLU barely alleviates the illness?
Do you know that to date Avian Flu affects birds only?
Do you know who markets TAMIFLU?
ROCHE LABORATORIES.
Do you know who bought the patent for TAMIFLU from ROCHE LABORATORIES in 1996?
GILEAD SCIENCES INC.
Do you know who was the then president of GILEAD SCIENCES INC. and remains a major shareholder?
DONALD RUMSFELD, the present Secretary of Defence of the USA.
Do you know that the base of TAMIFLU is crushed aniseed?
Do you know who controls 90% of the world's production of this tree?
ROCHE.
Do you know that sales of TAMIFLU were over $254 million in 2004 and more than $1000 million in 2005?
Do you know how many more millions ROCHE can earn in the coming months if the business of fear continues?
So the summary of the story is as follows:
Bush's friends decide that the medicine TAMIFLU is the solution for a pandemic that has not yet occurred and that has caused a hundred deaths worldwide in 9 years.
This medicine doesn't so much as cure the common flu.
In normal conditions the virus does not affect humans.
Rumsfeld sells the patent for TAMIFLU to ROCHE for which they pay him a fortune.
Roche acquires 90% of the global production of crushed aniseed, the base for the antivirus.
The governments of the entire world threaten a pandemic and then buy industrial quantities of the product from Roche.
So we end up paying for medicine while Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush do the business.
ARE WE CRAZY!!? OR ARE WE IDIOTS!!?
AT LEAST PASS THIS ON SO THAT IT CAN BE KNOWN!!!!!!!
April 3rd, 2006 | Excellent commentary on Cyprus by Nicos Rolandis
March 21st, 2006 | Dick, please don't shoot me
I'm gonna be an uncle!
March 21st, 2006 | We Need Water, and maybe somebody's daughter
I am amazed at how many people are drinking desgner water - all this vitamin water crap sold at the stores for ridiculous amounts of money.
Especially, since Americans are actually becoming dumber.
March 19th, 2006 | Bangers And Mash and Spotted Dick and Jellied Eels and various other crap
Wel, it looks like my man Jose James didn't make it into the finals at the London International Jazz Competition. I'm not surprised. Rather than being a Joe Williams/Ella Clone, he opts to scare the crap out of people by adding lyrics to Trane solos, scat soloing faster than anyone on the planet, and treating himself as if he's Ornette in the Ornette Quartet. All of that, is guaranteed to earn you shit in a competition like that. At least he's kickin' it with Pianist Nori in London now.
You can go to my links page, under Jose James - and listen to "Uccellino" it's Jose's voice overdubbed. Improvised, too.
Hey Jose, when you get back - we're taking you out. We'll call it the "You're-too-hip-for-the-maudlin-English" party!
Amen.
March 18th, 2006 | Pisces Madness
When I moved to Cyprus in March 8 1999, everytime that that PISCES would roll around I would be plagued by bad luck and really bad events. Without fail. The worst things of the year.
It appears to have disappeared. I have baptised it, "The Souvlaki Curse."
February 26th, 2006 | Unity
It's so weird. In my music I can hear King Crimson, Mingus, Portishead, Duke, Trane, Bach, Satie, "Rembetika" music, The Who, Black Gospel and lots more. I think I'm on to something. I have to try and find people that wanna play my music - get a rehearsal band together. Then go into the studio and start laying down the tracks. I have a new sound, a unique sound. Hopefully somebody will be touched by it. Otherwise what's the fucking point?
February 23rd, 2006 | LUCIDITY
OK, Glenn Gould doing Bach is making my head spiral out of control......
February 15th, 2006 | Gone
Happy Birthday Byron. I forgot, I should have had a good glass of wine in your memory. I did play lots of good music though today. I hope you were listening
xxx
February 12th, 2006 | Valentine'$ Day + Black History "Month"
Okay. First of all, the modern American incarnation of Valentine' Day is pure bullshit. It is a commercial enterprise. I don't subscribe to it, and neither should you, it's bad for you. If you truly give a fuck about someone - well, I think you can pretty much figure out where I'm going to take this........
As for Black History Month? More bullshit. Why a month? Why not ALL THE TIME!!!!! It sounds like something some white guy thought up of to prove that "Ye$, we care about those black folks, oh how they have suffered!"
If you love someone, show it when you feel it. And you sure as hell don't have to buy red things to show it. Maybe some good red wine, though HAHAHA. And if you care about Black history and heritage, let it shine through your own SELF every day of the year.
Peace.
February 10th, 2006 | Be YOU
You have to be yourself. You have to do what makes you happy, and you have to become that which you want to become, and nothing less. It is also good to do what makes you happy, as long as you don't harm anyone else along the way. That's what my friend Kikis told me.
I always tell people that they should follow their dreams, NO compromise. If you don't follow your dream, you shall forever be miserable. Every day, when talking to people (especially about their problems) I find that most people are on the wrong path - working a job they hate, in a relationship they don't value. Then, they have to spend money on useless crap to make themselves feel better. Well, sort of. It's a drug, really - like heroin - a temporary fix. Then they rack up credit card bills and loans and they have to work more hours at their crappy job to pay off their bills (side note: Listen to the new George Carlin album.) Stop putting up crap excuses to not do what you wan to do! You'll fine that most things can be done with hard work and sacrifice! Unless you're a deaf quadraplegic midget trying to play the pipe organ, you can probably do it!
This is what I did. I followed my dream. I'm in the midst of it. First I did an almost impossible task - I quit Heroin and have had no relapses. I drink alcohol, non-abusively but that's pretty much it for the moment (and will stay that way.) The last time I saw Heroin was in March 1999. Then I said, I will go back to NYC and I will attend the New School. I am there now. I am studying with some of the best musians on the planet, many of them people I grew up with in my headphones (Charlie Persip, Reggie Workman, Joe Chambers, Buster Williams, Benny Powell, Charles Tolliver, Cecil Bridgewater, etc). I am now on a first-name basis with many musicians like this. They teach me. They enrich my life. They help me be a better person. And they are teaching me how to be ME through music.
There are more dreams in my head. And they will be fulfilled. You know why? Cause I SAID so. If you WANT it, and WORK hard at it, it WILL Fucking happen. I'll repeat: HARD WORK AND TRULY WANTING IT with the will to SACRIFICE anything - then your dreams can come true. My Grandfather Lambros came to Ellis Island in the 1930's with a nice suit, dark brown skin, and and little money. He set up shop as a restaurant owner in Long Island - earned respect and friendship from the community (impressive also because he was quite eccentric - I wish I had met him - Byron said we were similar...), and got what he wanted, as far as we know. Granted, he worked a bit TOO hard (a workaholic, and he didn't talk about his problems) but he had DETERMINATION and GUUUTTTS.
My buddy Joshua David Duv Fischer was born with mild-moderate Cerebral Palsy. His right arm is almost useless. He has had learning disabilities too. He has played sports, been a radio DJ, amateur trumpet player, etc etc. He never ONCE used his handicap to NOT do something. I am beggining to cry as I write this. He is very brave and strong. I truly admire him and love him for being himself.
There will be many obstacles in your life. Don't stay at the fence. Jump. You CAN get to where you want to be. If you truly want it.
"In Dreams Begin Responsibilities" - Delmore Schwarz
BTW: Happy Birthday Byron - I finally made it back to NYC, sober, and you're not in the city. "Thank God" you still live on in me (and Melissa! hahaha)
January 29th, 2006 | The VIOLENCE inherent in the System
I'm trying to focus. Often it is very hard to focus. There are so many useless distractions in life. Tonight I am more functional. I have found a title for something that was germinated a few months ago. It is now titled "The Violence Inherent in the System." It should be self-explanatory. Then I remembered, "That's a Monty Python Quote!" That's perfect, the irony for me. I think I'll keep it.
January 27th, 2006 | SUN RA
I have passed the audtion for the Sun Ra Orchestra at the New School. This is very exciting. Now that I'll be starting to gig again, I have put up the itinerary section. I will update the info as it is available, as there are some gigs lined up of which I don't have the final details. The Sun Ra Orchestra will also perform over WBAI airwaves on April 20 - stay tuned!
January 21st, 2006 | Eat Me
I ate a Bull's penis last night. That's what happens when you decide to go out with Japanese guys to a Japanese hang. No, it didn't taste like chicken.
January 20th, 2006 | News - and Happy Birthday Grandma Thalia! (RIP)
Hello friends. I am all registered for classes - I am hoping to pass an audition to play in the Sun Ra Arkestra ensemble in school. It is led by master trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah.
My major goals this year, besides the obvious of continuing to practice hours a day mastering the double bass and improvisation, is to finish a "book" of my compositions/arrangements and record them with a studio group. One, to get it out of system, and second, to use in an album one day (if recordings are good enough) and for getting gigs. The trick is that a lot of the music is complex and unusual - imagine a mix of Mingus, King Crimson, Thelonious Monk, ragtime, Bach, Blues and Greek Rembetika. It is more important to record my music first, rather than perform it live. A lot of it is studio music - it will require editing and overdubs and the like.
I am no longer a Jazz Musician. I am just simply, a musician. I don't care for categories in music anymore, Also, when you say Jazz, people expect certain things from you which you may not want to deliver. And then you get accused of not being true to "Jazz." Maybe even Wynton and Crouch will get on your ass too. Well fuck it, I simply just play my music from now on. Call it what you want. Actually, don't. I'll come up with a name eventually. Jazz is now just a part of it, albeit a big one.
New releases of note:
George Carlin - Life is Worth Losing
Omer Avital - Asking No Permission: The Smalls Years, Vol. 1
Great forgotten record: Max Roach's "Members, Don't Git Weary" with Charles Tolliver, Stanley Cowell, Jymie Merritt, Gary Bartz, Andy Bey.
I think that's it for today. Take care.
January 18th, 2006 | Welcome!
Hello friends! The site is open! God Bless America! Look around! The site will be continually updated, especially this section.
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