Indo-China, Bass Clefs, and Amoeba

The news is on TV to my left and I have decided that Pakistan is not a country that I will be considering for foreign teaching. Sometimes this world seems so broken... but only sometimes.

I have expanded my research of the orient from The People's Republic of China to the following south-eastern countries:

Vietnam
South Korea
Thailand (Jeff Lum will you be my roommate?)
Cambodia
and possibly Japan

Making a decision is now the next challenge. I've heard good things about all these countries from friends and family in my life, so I suppose I'm at a loss for direction at the moment because I find each country interesting and unique. China remains a contender because of the role it plays in our ever shrinking global environment, yet, its size and vast array of schools and potential pitfall situations make me wary. Time will tell.

Other news:

One of my most admired and favored musicians just past away. Oscar Peterson has been an inspiration for my musical tastes since I first discovered I had an interest in jazz. Simply stated: He blows my mind away every time I listen to him. I have the urge to make an O.P. mix in his honor.

L.A. Times

Dove tailing from Oscar's influence I have recently found myself more and more anxious to write music. A neighbor of mine, Laura, recently moved up to Washington into an assisted living home near her son. I knew her all throughout my childhood and remember frequenting her house to play on the organs she kept in her California bungalow and to look at all the retro stuff she had in her house. Since her move I have been hired by her son to clear the house out and get rid of anything and everything not hardwired or built in to the house before escrow closes on the 3rd. And, as you can probably guess, I acquired the organ and now it sits in my house.

My aim is to pair up with someone for my first go around (sort of like a safety net) and try to put together something small and something fun. I will be contacting Ashley Harrell, paying extra attention to her busy schedule and popular demand as a New York diva extraordinaire, and possibly other friends. I figure with technology today distance doesn't necessarily have to come in the way of two people creating music. Ashley has no idea I've cooked this idea up and have put her in the hot seat with the writing of this blog.

I just had my first Amoeba experience the other day. My friend, Darrick, was with me for this historical event and what an appropriate person to accompany me. Needless to say we didn't see much of each other while we were inside the store... I had to force myself to stay AWAY from the jazz section for fear of emptying my checking account.

What I purchased:
Betty Davis - Betty Davis (amazing soul singer and the only woman Miles Davis couldn't tame!)
The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike (amazing English group that blend indie rock, police show themes, cheerleading, and hip-hop beats)
VHS or BETA - Bring on the Comets (retro 80's dance meats post punk pop. My only hang up with them is that they sing with English accents but they are from Louisville, KY)
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (acclaimed hip-hop artist's 07 release... really good)
The Brand New Heavies - Brother Sister (funk/soul group that was recommended to me)

on Vinyl:
Schumann - Karl Engel, pianist (bonus: sweet looking album cover)

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - OST (because I grew up watching that movie)
Judy Collins - Whales & Nightingales (I love her voice, great folk artist... seriously)
Bobby Short - The Very Best of Bobby Short ('Cause he sings Cole Porter songs)
Andrew Gold - What's Wrong With this Picture? (I have no idea who this artist is, the record was $1.00 and it looked cool... and I just looked up his bio on AMG and he was born in Burbank, CA!!!)



Ok, off to make dinner and find something to do for New Years.

Ci vediamo ragazzi.

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Now playing: The Go! Team - We Just Won't Be Defeated
via FoxyTunes