Last week I entered a wormhole I haven’t quite surfaced from. It all started with a offhand remark and has now ended up to a be two-part essay on all things synthesizer(ish). You’ve all read the history of this beast (test on Friday) so I shall now segue into the “guitar synthesizer”, the “SynthAxe” and a new find…..the “Keytar”.
I never seem to know what I’m going to write about from one week to the next. Sometimes I plan things out, gather the photos, etc. and then BAM! Something else falls in my lap and I’m heading down a totally different path. I love these journeys. This is one such trip.
I have been introduced, quite accidently, into the world of bassist Jaco Pastorius after discovering a video of Joni Mitchell with Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays performing with her. I forwarded it to a friend who loves all three of the artists I mentioned. The name my friend “picks out of the crowd” however, is the bassist Jaco Pastorius. Me, wouldn’t know him if I tripped over him. That changed pretty fast! Next thing I know I’m getting schooled in all things Jaco and we’re watching the 2014 documentary about his life.
A weekend (and a year) of celebrations across Canada….150 years young…..but is it really?
Oh how I love history! An item on my “to do” list before I pop my clogs is to work towards, and obtain, my BA Mediaeval History. Cambridge University is where I’d love to be (I do love England) but University of St. Michaels College here in Toronto is also an excellent choice and know for their studies in Mediaval history. The bucket list is not long, just really big projects.
Again I seem to running in circles while Mother Nature seems to suffer from severe indecisiveness. Dark, ominous clouds roll in, thunder and lightning key up together, sheet rain hits, cue hail and the next thing you know the sun is shining. It’s warm, it’s cool, it’s hot, it’s chilly….make up your mind. I’m not sure if I should be dressing in sandals, sneakers or boots. One thing is for sure, the plants and trees are loving it! So many rich and varied shades of green have been added to the landscape palette and the flowers just enhance it all. For all her varied moods, Mother Nature has created a most beautiful spring. Now, if the weeks would just slow down a bit….
OMG!!! I can barely contain myself from bouncing around in my seat. There is not one part of my body that is not vibrating. Finally, unencumbered by my theatre seat, the urge gives way to pure, uninhibited “singing and dancing in the aisles”. I just about vaulted over my seatmate beside me to rush the stage and boogie up a storm. It is so liberating to let it just take over. What an encore!!!! Thankfully, my good friend and date for the evening, Pat Kelly, encourages this irrational behaviour. Gotta love him.
I don’t get out much. Living in suburbia is bad enough; being unable to drive only compounds the isolation. Still, there are times when I brave Toronto’s transit and hit the big city. This is about one such time, just this week.
Rolling Stone Magazine recently released their latest ‘list’, “The 100 Greatest Songwriters” rollingstone.com). Let me repeat that title, “The 100 Greatest Songwriters”. Their descriptive line states “From Brill Building tunesmiths to Punk poets, from Woody Guthrie to Max Martin, the visionaries who defined music history.”
I’m In lunch bag let-down mode. Had too much fun in May, what with all the activities and gigs, and June has so far been one of the worst clunkers of the year, weather wise. I even apparently missed the biggest (ooh!) sports news this week when LeBron James accidentally flashed 18.5 million viewers during the NBA Finals.
GodDAMN, I feel sorry for the youth of today! I just finished listening to Jaimie Vernon‘s Nightmare at 20,000 Watts yet again (What is that— 500 or so?) and I’m thinking radio, radio, radio and while The Vermin’s version might be the latest, it brings back an entire world pretty much lost these days.
I know, I know … it’s too early to be listening to Christmas and holiday music. But on Thursday I spent my birthday serenading senior citizens at their seasonal parties, and I haven’t stopped feeling a little festive ever since.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 