My Favorite Song: Matthew 25:21

Here we are again. Another favorite song. And this is a special one. Today is my mom’s 80th birthday. It’s also the 17th anniversary of my dad’s death. So, big day. To head off any concern, my mom’s health is fine. She’ll probably outlive all of us. My dad’s health, well, it had been on […]

My Favorite Song: Man Didn’t Walk on the Moon

Back with another favorite song. I honestly do not know how or where I heard this song. It might have been served up by random on a streaming service or in a movie or show and I Shazam’d it. Zero clue. The most likely explanation is that I was doing a sampling of female pop […]

My Favorite Song: The King Must Die

Do you ever get that question, “What’s your favorite ____?” I hate that question. Not because I don’t have favorites. The problem is I am an enthusiastic fan of so much stuff. I have too many favorites. And the frustrating thing is, many of these things I love border on the overlooked. So I’m going […]

A Musical Interlude: Shirley Horn

I’d like to preface this post by saying I get that jazz music is kind of niche these days. It’s either seen as impenetrable or dusty by too many people, and outside of a few big names (Miles Davis, John Coletrane, Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, etc), it’s all a mystery. And I can […]

Dispatches from Quarantine: Revisiting 3 Foundational Jazz Albums

Being stuck inside for all these weeks gives me lots of time to think about things. Like the music I grew up with. I know a lot of my generation grew up listening to their parent’s classic rock collection, thus getting introduced to the Stones, the Beatles, Hendrix and such at an early age. My […]

Dispatches from Quarantine: Revisiting 5 Favorite Fringe Albums

Spending all this time shut away inside has given me lots of time to listen to music. And while I’m constantly on the lookout for new sounds, there is something comforting about rolling around in the familiar filth of older, lesser known stuff. I was raised the oldest child, and my parents didn’t listen to […]

Dispatches from Quarantine–A Night @ the Opera

Welcome to the Long Shut-In. If you’re like me, you have at least one or two streaming options and a list of shows and movies to catch up on that, facing the long weeks of CORVID-19 self-imposed isolation, might not seem like enough. Maybe you’re bored, looking for something new. Maybe you just want to […]

5 Favorite Albums From 5 Favorite Trios

I love a good threesome! By that, I mean a musical trio. Stripped down, with just enough musicians to provide a back beat to the melody, when done right it’s a thing of beauty. Without further ado, here’s five of my favorite albums from five favorite power trios, in no particular order. Outlandos D’Amour — […]

Timeline Cleanse Digest (1/2/20)

Welcome to 2020! Today in Seattle is gray, cold, and rainy, so it feels like a good idea to sweep in with a timeline cleanse. Today’s cleanse was inspired by a particular song that shuffled through my playlist that made me want to wrap up in it like a well-loved blanket to wait out the […]

Timeline Cleanse Digest (12-13-19)

I don’t know about anyone else, but by all that’s merciful, I could really use a timeline cleanse today. With that in mind, here’s a high-potency injection of hope and joy in musical format to help you pick your way through the wreckage. Remember, folks: at the end of the day, all we’ve got is […]