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.
I will be taking a small hiatus for the next two weeks while my eye heals. Cataract surgery is scheduled for Thursday and then time to heal and give my eye(s) a rest. First the left eye…..then the right. At this point I don’t know how far apart (or close together) the surgeries will be. Once this is over with, well…..look out summer, here I come!!!
I am completely, unequivocally lost in the world and the power of jazz.
Call it a little pre-spring cleaning but tidying up I found, tucked away in among my vast collection of British history books, (okay, one large floor to ceiling bookcase) was this wonderful coffee-table book on jazz. Unfortunately I cannot remember who gifted me this gem but I thank you. Photographed by the late Toronto-based photographer John Reeves, Gene Lees Jazz Lives encompasses 100 portraits of jazz musicians from around the world. The forward is a brief but concise history of jazz. The following pages are gorgeous portraits of the individual artists and a short history of each.
Bullseye Records of Canada
Segarini: Don't Believe a Word I Say 